A New Adventure

Hey peeps! I’m being featured on Traveling Tuesdays over at Dawn’s Disaster…why don’t you head over there and check it out!!

In the mean time….let’s catch up!We spent an awesome weekend with Hubby Dearest’s parents and middle brother. In case you weren’t sure, the youngest brother is currently staying with us…this deserves it’s own post…seriously dudes!

I can’t wait to get all of the pictures uploaded and tell you all about Lil Misters Easter…but you will just have to take my word for it…for now!!

In other news…

Today was supposed to be my first day back FULL DAY! I was given a two month gap in which I only returned to work half-day because I came back two months before my maternity leave would have ended. This was heavenly (not the returning to work and leaving my precious monkeys but the working half-day!). I was home to play every afternoon, had plenty of time for things like dishes and dinner and I wasn’t exhausted and frazzled each night falling into bed as if my life depended on it (okay I do depend on sleep but you know what I mean!).

Unfortunately (or fortunately…I haven’t decided yet), the girl who looks after LJ at home phoned yesterday evening at 5pm to say she wouldn’t be coming to work today. Now, I pay this girl to look after my son and clean my house. The house isn’t that much and she is ALWAYS done when I get home at 1pm. So, when I decided to give her a 33% increase to stay full day instead of half, Hubby Dearest thought me insane!

I battled so much with Lil Mister being sick in his first year and he ended up hospitalized at 8 months old because of constant respiratory infections; I refused to put a second child through all of it. If I could do anything to keep LJ from experiencing this, I was going to. In my mind, keeping LJ home for the first year was ideal. Thus…hire a maid/nanny!! ;-)

Problem ensues…nanny no come work….mommy screwed!

I was panicking! Where would I send LJ?

I phoned my boss who is wonderful, but no…LJ cannot come to work. His suggestion was I stay home!
Not that I have a ton of work today, but really we just came off of a 4 day weekend. How crap do I look not coming to work today!?!?

Then Mr. P comes to the rescue. He is off this morning and has graciously decided to take LJ for a few hours (even though this meant me interrupting the beauty sleep process at 6:30 this morning!)!! I’m so blessed to have friends like this.

So we arranged that I would work half-day for one.last.day.

How do I feel??

Anxious to begin with. I’m a nervous wreck. I’ve had about 8 cups of coffee just considering the idea that from tomorrow I’m back here 10 hours a day!! With transport time, I’m gone 11 hours.each.day! How can my babies survive?

I know it seems ridiculous because I did it before LJ was born and Lil Mister was fine…however! Lil Mister was my only jewel then. In the evenings I came home and he was my focus. We were also still living with Hubby Dearest’s parents then, so cooking was done by the time I walked in the door!

Lil Mister was the center of attention.

Now…well now that spotlight is already being shared…and now I’m cutting the time in which the light has to shine! This mommy light is growing dim in my childrens eyes.

I’m tearing up right now…please pass me the virtual tissue.

But really, it breaks my heart thinking that my children won’t have as much time with me. How will I cope? How am I suppose to get home and have 3 hours to cook dinner, bath kids, eat, and do bedtime? When do I get to see them?

Yes, many moms go through what I’m going through. They do it. They survive. Their kids adapt and love them still. It doesn’t lower my feelings of lost, confusion, regret.

I have to work, both because we need the money and because it helps me be a better me. But I would love to have had the option to stay half day. Financially, we just can’t afford the pay cut for me to do that.

So….a new adventure begins.

Shana..

Back to work...back to work...oh jerk!

That's right...I've gone back to work!
I can't believe the time went so quickly.
I started back February 4 and my LJ turned 8 weeks on the 6th.
It seems like I didn't have enough time at home. I battled so much with the idea of returning. I had agreed before I left for maternity leave that I'd be back the first week in February and I'm not one to go back on my word.
I've been blessed in that I found an amazing girl to work in the house while I'm away. LJ now stays at home with her rather than going to creche so early and as an added bonus...my house is clean and ironing is done EVERYDAY! Call me spoilt...I call in job creation! ;-)
LJ really does like her and is amazing for her. He never cries and is all smiles when I get home in the afternoons!
Lil Mister started a new school and I'm in heaven with it. The teacher is so amazing, easy to talk to and very honest. In his first week they already had projects up that they'd done. As well as, we got this cool little binder. About half the normal size. Each week they put a note in with the learning theme and what the kids will be doing. All communication is through the book. I love it!
He is doing great and adjsuted within the first week! I'm so proud of him!
To be honest, it's good for me to have the break as well. I love my children but as I've stated before...I'm not so much good at the whole stay at home thing.
I felt like I was becoming lost in a dark abyss.
So I'd like to share with you what I learnt in my first week back at work!!!
1) My co-workers do not find it amusing that I say 'shoo-shoo coffee is shoo-shoo' when placing their coffee at their desks.
2) No one needs to hold my hand while sitting on the potty....apparently they are big enough not to fall in.
3) It is inappropriate behavior to eat the left overs from their lunches because...well food just doesn't need to go waste. In society, we eat on our own plates.
4) Discussing how the characters in Barney get into their costumes is not considered intelligent conversation.
5) I do not need to verbalize all of my actions so that nothing unexpected is happening. Adults do not throw tantrums at the unknown (okay not normally!) and therefore continuously stating "I'm just going to the back office" or "I'm going pee-pee I can still hear you" are unnecessary and typically unwelcome.
6) Slippers and yoga pants do not qualify as having gotten dressed for the day.
7) Asking my co-workers at 30 minute intervals if they need to use the potty is not only inappropriate but annoying.
8) We listen to adult music and singing along to the theme of Lollos that is playing in my head is invasion of their sanity.
9) They do not need me to access the color of their snot for infection. They apparently blow their noses and discard of it.
10) I have spent way too much time perusing the internet in search of childrens activities......a glass of wine at 2pm is no longer acceptable :-/

Hehe okay but really here is what I looked like my first day back!

Very professional right!!

I walked into this.....

And that was only half the filing!

So...I did this...

And this....

;-)

I eventually was caught up on the filing by Thursday. And I've spent my time since then catching up on the debitors! We have a month until our year end and then I start afresh....so until then! ENJOY! ;-)



Shana..

5 for Five Mondays....

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Do you tend to set goals only to see them slide down your priority lists? Do you want to make your goals each week to create a better more efficient you?
Do you want to start making goals?
Monday is the day for {5 for Five} with Jenn and Jessica! This link up allows you to come and share your top 5 goals for the week ahead. Link up with us and share what you accomplished last week AND what goals you're setting for yourself the week ahead.  (Still need a little clarification? That's okay! Check out Jessica's summary of the link up here!)

So....I have an obsession with planners, journals, logs, and goals. I feel the insanity of it all is what keeps me sane! With all that I do (and don't do!), it's a great idea if I share some of my weekly goals with you and how I 'attack' them in my daily life. Goals are the structure to my life! {3 for 5} 1) 4x Runs and 4x Cross Training I didn't do to terrible though. I got in 3 runs and 2 cross training sessions. I would have done better but our Ma came to visit the weekend and therefore I didn't run all weekend! :-/ 2) Drink 6x glasses of water Score! And I feel better for having done this. My skin is looking great too! 3) Clean and prep at night! I did this all but one night. I've started this week off good and was on the right track this morning! ;-) 4) Make cookies with Lil Mister. We had so much fun and can't wait to post all about it! 5) Organize kids closets I'm so glad this is done! I feel relieved and have a small project in the house each day to do!
1) 4x Runs and 4x Cross Training I've decided to keep this goal another week. I will not change a goal until I meet it 100%!! I need to focus on my physical health. I LOVE running. If you didn't know that, clickity click that little tabby in the balloon over there >>>>>>>that says running! I have to plan to get this in with two kids and a ful time job, but it is well worth it! 2) Take one night for myself! For a lot of people it would seem with my running that I am spending time focused on me. However, as much as that hour a day is my time it is a different aspect. This night for myself is after the kids have gone to bed and the house is picked up. I just need to crawl into a hot bubble bath, grab a magazine and unwind. Paint my toes when I'm not rushing and let my body relax. It is for the sanity of my entire family!  3) Clean and prep at night! I've decided to keep this goal another week. I will not change a goal until I meet it 100%!! By the time Lil Mister and LJ are asleep, I'm ready to pass out on the couch. However, this ruins my mornings as then I am pressed for time with so much to do and end up not running! So rather I've rallied Hubby Dearest in to help me and we are doing everything at night. Together it takes 30-40 minutes. This is cleaning the kitchen, making lunches, packing school bags, laying out clothes, and ensuring all toys are packed away! It is actually a lot to do if you saw my house by 8 pm! 4) Do a devotion every morning. I used to be very good about my daily devotionals. But during my maternity leave I wasn't checking my emails as regular and fell behind. I need to get back to spending that time with God everyday at the beginning of the day. 5) Establish a morning routine to fit everything in. Winter is quickly approaching here and it will be getting lighter later. I need to soak up the opportunity to run in the am while I still can. I need to establish LJ into a feeding routine that allows me to get out the door in the morning. Come winter, I will crosstrain in the morning and run in the afternoons. LJ is eating at my run time right now so I need to get him moved back by about an hour!   So, there you have it! Those are MY goals for the week ahead! What about you?! What are you setting out to do?!  Link up and let us know! 

By the way, if you decided to link up with us today (THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!) we just ask that you follow good 'blogging manners' & do the following itty bitty things....

1) Please use the button (see sidebar) and/or link back to Jenn's or Jessica's blog- or both!
2) Pretty, pretty please follow Jessica  & Jenn! It helps us get to know you better! Plus, we love having new friends!
3) Jump around! Go have fun and meet some new friends! Maybe you'll find motivation in someone else post OR perhaps you'll be able to offer them some encouragement. We have some wonderful ladies linking up with us so I'd encourage you to get to know them! 

Shana..