A few days ago, I ran across this post that I wrote last year on Thanksgiving. I'd been thinking about what to write for this year, and when I reread that post (and remembered where I was - mostly unemployed, mostly broke, but having so completely given it over to God that I was truly resting in Him), I decided that little poem-not-poem is still exactly what I want to say.
(For the record, I have a few things I could add to the list since last year - a new job that is just perfect and well worth the wait; a promotion at job #2, a year's worth of happy memories, and a whole new year to look forward to. God is good.)
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Happy-Hearted
Y'all, I am happy. Like, glowing with happiness and thankfulness and isn't it wonderful to be alive? I'm a little wary, actually, of how happy I feel, because up until last week I'd been depressed since Fall began, and I sort of expect it to all fall apart any second, but until it does, I'm going to enjoy being happy. :)
Yesterday was our last swim class of the session, and - wait for it - the schedule for next session is already written and approved and sent out! And - aaand - I even printed out the new schedule, new timesheet, got the master list updated, etc, so I have no more swim responsibilities until I show up on Monday. I am on my A-game, people! (Which is good. Because I was definitely not on my A-game yesterday when I was trying to write to my boss, and I couldn't type, and I was getting really frustrated with myself and could only imagine that he felt the same way, too. So it was a nice reassurance when I apologized that evening for being so scatterbrained, and he said he hadn't noticed. He might have just been saying that, but still.) I am totally ready for next session. I think we're in a good place now, with the perfect amount of coaches hired, and everybody having gotten some in-water training, and I just feel really reenergized about the whole thing. We're going to rock this!
Today was incredibly awesome. Abby had off from school, so we spent the first part of the morning snuggled up together under a blanket watching the Curious George special "A Very Monkey Christmas." She used to watch CG all the time until she started school and declared herself too old for it anymore. This morning she completely changed her mind and said she loved Curious George and wanted to watch it every single day. ;)
Then we bundled up and went for donuts (something we used to do as a special treat before she started school) before heading over to my family's house, where we helped Maggie make pies, played with cousins, watched "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," and then went over to my house to pull out all my Christmas decorations, put up my tree (first time I've had my own tree!), and decorate. I made Abby hot chocolate and fixed Winter Spice tea for Maggie. :)
I'm really looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with family tomorrow. I want to drink coffee and play board/card games and just sort of soak up all the holiday goodness. I know the next few weeks are going to be busy, but I know now that I'll survive them (lol) and I'm looking forward to enjoying the season!
Yesterday was our last swim class of the session, and - wait for it - the schedule for next session is already written and approved and sent out! And - aaand - I even printed out the new schedule, new timesheet, got the master list updated, etc, so I have no more swim responsibilities until I show up on Monday. I am on my A-game, people! (Which is good. Because I was definitely not on my A-game yesterday when I was trying to write to my boss, and I couldn't type, and I was getting really frustrated with myself and could only imagine that he felt the same way, too. So it was a nice reassurance when I apologized that evening for being so scatterbrained, and he said he hadn't noticed. He might have just been saying that, but still.) I am totally ready for next session. I think we're in a good place now, with the perfect amount of coaches hired, and everybody having gotten some in-water training, and I just feel really reenergized about the whole thing. We're going to rock this!
Today was incredibly awesome. Abby had off from school, so we spent the first part of the morning snuggled up together under a blanket watching the Curious George special "A Very Monkey Christmas." She used to watch CG all the time until she started school and declared herself too old for it anymore. This morning she completely changed her mind and said she loved Curious George and wanted to watch it every single day. ;)
Then we bundled up and went for donuts (something we used to do as a special treat before she started school) before heading over to my family's house, where we helped Maggie make pies, played with cousins, watched "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," and then went over to my house to pull out all my Christmas decorations, put up my tree (first time I've had my own tree!), and decorate. I made Abby hot chocolate and fixed Winter Spice tea for Maggie. :)
I'm really looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with family tomorrow. I want to drink coffee and play board/card games and just sort of soak up all the holiday goodness. I know the next few weeks are going to be busy, but I know now that I'll survive them (lol) and I'm looking forward to enjoying the season!
Monday, November 24, 2014
My Favorite Things Monday
This purse from Cato. I've been looking for a new purse for several months and have been eyeing this one, but I was never willing to fork over the full price. Plus, as soon as I walked away, I would begin to talk myself out of it. "It's quilted, you hate the quilted look. It has tassels, you hate tassels. It's tan, you hate tan." All of which was true... but somehow the combination in this purse just rocks and I love it. On a whim I told Maggie today that I was going to run in, and if the price was at all reduced, I was going to buy it; instead, she bought it for me as a Christmas present! Now the hard part will be to wait until Christmas day LOL! (If the black color also goes on sale, I might snag that one, too. I love them both and most of my purses are old and getting tattered from pulling double duty as diaper bags.)
The new scent from Bath and Body Works, A Thousand Wishes. I've been using (and loving!) Beautiful Day ever since I bought it the week of my BFF's wedding (almost two years ago!) but it's a very summery scent and I've been wanting something a little different lately. This is perfect. :) (I also snagged some Endless Weekend, mostly because of the name LOL!)
Cold weather that makes it fun to snuggle into chunky knits! I'm especially loving the new hat, scarf, and gloves I just bought. They're military-inspired, so soft and comfy, and the gloves are touch screen compatible! (Couldn't find a link to the hat I bought - it's super stretchy so it actually fits my wide noggin! - but they do have a cute headband in the same design, if you're so inclined. ;))
This Christmas CD. And this one. And this one. (I pulled out the Christmas music this weekend and I'm not sorry, not one little bit.)
Have you seen OPI's new nail polish shade, My Favorite Ornament, on Pinterest? I did, too. And then I surprised myself by buying it when I saw it! O.O I'm totally not the person who ever spends more than $3 on nail polish, and I'm not admitting how much this little vial cost (but it was RIDICULOUS!) and I'm totally, totally in love. It looks very gold and very sparkly in the picture, but the truth is that it's more shimmery-glimmery than sparkly and not very gold at all... sort of white-gold, and it sort of picks up color from whatever it's near. This will by my "celebration" nail color for the next year. :)
Retailmenot.com - because there was a gift that I wanted to get my BFF and her hubby that was just not happening on my budget, and then I hit a sale and combined two different coupons from RetailMeNot and I saved 80% (80%!!!) and that gift is on it's way to Alabama. :) Love. It.
A sister who sometimes just drops everything to go Christmas shopping with me, and then digs to the bottom of a giant retail crate to dig out the very last perfect present that's been on my list for days. :)
The new scent from Bath and Body Works, A Thousand Wishes. I've been using (and loving!) Beautiful Day ever since I bought it the week of my BFF's wedding (almost two years ago!) but it's a very summery scent and I've been wanting something a little different lately. This is perfect. :) (I also snagged some Endless Weekend, mostly because of the name LOL!)
Cold weather that makes it fun to snuggle into chunky knits! I'm especially loving the new hat, scarf, and gloves I just bought. They're military-inspired, so soft and comfy, and the gloves are touch screen compatible! (Couldn't find a link to the hat I bought - it's super stretchy so it actually fits my wide noggin! - but they do have a cute headband in the same design, if you're so inclined. ;))
This Christmas CD. And this one. And this one. (I pulled out the Christmas music this weekend and I'm not sorry, not one little bit.)
Have you seen OPI's new nail polish shade, My Favorite Ornament, on Pinterest? I did, too. And then I surprised myself by buying it when I saw it! O.O I'm totally not the person who ever spends more than $3 on nail polish, and I'm not admitting how much this little vial cost (but it was RIDICULOUS!) and I'm totally, totally in love. It looks very gold and very sparkly in the picture, but the truth is that it's more shimmery-glimmery than sparkly and not very gold at all... sort of white-gold, and it sort of picks up color from whatever it's near. This will by my "celebration" nail color for the next year. :)
Retailmenot.com - because there was a gift that I wanted to get my BFF and her hubby that was just not happening on my budget, and then I hit a sale and combined two different coupons from RetailMeNot and I saved 80% (80%!!!) and that gift is on it's way to Alabama. :) Love. It.
A sister who sometimes just drops everything to go Christmas shopping with me, and then digs to the bottom of a giant retail crate to dig out the very last perfect present that's been on my list for days. :)
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Again
And I'm back! It's a funny thing about blogging (and writing, in general)... once you miss a couple of posts, it's so, so hard to get back into it. :( I've sat down several times with all the pictures I've taken in the last three months, and tried to put together posts recapping everything that's been going on, but each time I got discouraged (and I never had time to finish them, either). So here goes at just picking up from the here and now and trying to be more consistent going forward.
Life has been so crazy, and lately I've been struggling with so many different elements. Mostly busyness, but also lately with the fact that I'm severely "overpeopled" right now. I'm working three jobs (before-school care for Abby, nannying for the triplets, and running the swim program) and all are "people" job - meaning that I spend almost all of my time interacting with people. And not just people, but kids, who need a little extra emotional investment. I've always thought of myself as an extrovert (although earlier this year I admitted that I am an extrovert with a high need for "alone time") but in the last couple of weeks I've realized that I've developed a sort of resentment towards everyone who wants to interact with me. Mostly because it feels very much like everyone who wants to talk with me, wants something from me. Wants me to coordinate a schedule, reassure them about their parenting (this one is particularly draining), hash out plans, make stuff (that isn't always my stuff) happen.
Even as I write this, I'm fighting the urge to press "delete" and start again and write about how happy I am that the holidays are coming, things are winding down (hopefully), etc, but honestly, up til this week I sort of hated everybody and I just wanted to be left alone. Thankfully, I was able to find some space this week in which I was able to be alone, and quiet (no music, television, media, etc) and I got schedules for next month which looks like it actually will be a calmer, less hectic time. So I may get to enjoy the holidays after all. :)
Life has been so crazy, and lately I've been struggling with so many different elements. Mostly busyness, but also lately with the fact that I'm severely "overpeopled" right now. I'm working three jobs (before-school care for Abby, nannying for the triplets, and running the swim program) and all are "people" job - meaning that I spend almost all of my time interacting with people. And not just people, but kids, who need a little extra emotional investment. I've always thought of myself as an extrovert (although earlier this year I admitted that I am an extrovert with a high need for "alone time") but in the last couple of weeks I've realized that I've developed a sort of resentment towards everyone who wants to interact with me. Mostly because it feels very much like everyone who wants to talk with me, wants something from me. Wants me to coordinate a schedule, reassure them about their parenting (this one is particularly draining), hash out plans, make stuff (that isn't always my stuff) happen.
Even as I write this, I'm fighting the urge to press "delete" and start again and write about how happy I am that the holidays are coming, things are winding down (hopefully), etc, but honestly, up til this week I sort of hated everybody and I just wanted to be left alone. Thankfully, I was able to find some space this week in which I was able to be alone, and quiet (no music, television, media, etc) and I got schedules for next month which looks like it actually will be a calmer, less hectic time. So I may get to enjoy the holidays after all. :)
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Holiday Bucket List 2014
1. Drink hot chocolate with whipped cream or marshmallows
2. Celebrate when 97.1 switches to 24/7 Christmas music
3. Go to AnnMarie Gardens in Lights
4. Go on a special shopping trip just to buy cards
5. Eat pumpkin pie
6. Shop late at night
7. Bake Christmas cookies
8. Take a holiday picture
9. Read the Christmas story
10. Read A Christmas Carol
11. Mail gifts to Alabama
12. Watch holiday movies
13. Do a random act of kindness
14. Take a nap and stay up late wrapping presents
15. Burn holiday candles
16. Give thanks
17. Hang Christmas lights
18. Buy a new Christmas CD
19. Buy new PJ's
20. Eat leftover turkey sandwhiches
21. Watch How The Grinch Stole Christmas with the triplets
22. Go to bed early
23. Take Abigail Christmas shopping
24. Spend an afternoon binge-watching Gracepoint
25. Go caroling
2. Celebrate when 97.1 switches to 24/7 Christmas music
3. Go to AnnMarie Gardens in Lights
4. Go on a special shopping trip just to buy cards
5. Eat pumpkin pie
6. Shop late at night
7. Bake Christmas cookies
8. Take a holiday picture
9. Read the Christmas story
10. Read A Christmas Carol
11. Mail gifts to Alabama
12. Watch holiday movies
13. Do a random act of kindness
14. Take a nap and stay up late wrapping presents
15. Burn holiday candles
16. Give thanks
17. Hang Christmas lights
18. Buy a new Christmas CD
19. Buy new PJ's
20. Eat leftover turkey sandwhiches
21. Watch How The Grinch Stole Christmas with the triplets
22. Go to bed early
23. Take Abigail Christmas shopping
24. Spend an afternoon binge-watching Gracepoint
25. Go caroling
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