Day # - First Music and Books at Maumee, 1st Birthday Planning, and New Blog Action

William

• We went to the Maumee Library for our first music and reading class.  Afterwards we stayed and played puzzles for a long time.  Before leaving, William chose two books AND signed up for the summer reading program.  He even won a fortune cookie, a milkshake coupon, and a ticket to the BG/UT game for reading over one hour since the beginning of June.  I think he's going to LOVE this summer reading program.
• Registered him for "Kids in the Kitchen" on Thursday mornings during the summer YMCA session. I'm excited because my friend Joy's son will be in the same class with him.
• Registered him for Dino Camp in two weeks.  The camps at 1 1/2 hours at the YMCA for five days. He is going to LOVE it.  I also learned there is a Pirate camp... going to have to try that one too!
• Had him design a birthday card and envelope and pick the pictures we mailed to my brother Nate for his upcoming 30th birthday.

Landon

• The music and reading class is really for babies, so technically this course is more for him than William but they let William and other older siblings come along.  The room was packed to the gills of waddling/toddling babies and their parents, siblings, grandparents, etc. I don't think the number of people in the room was technically within code, but it was so much fun and a pleasure to see all of the babies clap and dance to the music.  We sang a couple of songs.  The only one I remember right now is Twinkle, Twinkle.
• I searched online for first birthday party supplies and some blogs about nautical party themes.  I found a new craft project I want to do for his party.  :)
• Note:  Today was the closest he has come to crawling.  He was not only in the table top position, but he also moved about two paces.  Maybe this is the weekend!

My Health

• I registered for a core class at the Y.  This is monumental because I haven't signed up for a SINGLE CLASS since we joined.  Neither has Dom.  Sadly, I have never even worked out there and he has only done so a couple of times.  So we've basically paid a monthly membership to send our kids to classes that we still have to pay for.  Oh well, I support the Y.  But now is the time to make my life change.  I am in desperate need of losing weight.  I have to gain energy, get back into some of my old clothes, and feel better about myself.  My friend Traci works out every day.  She has a system that works for her and the kids and I am going to join forces with her.  It will be SO MUCH BETTER now that I have a reliability partner.
• Started this blog again, dammit! That should count for something.

My House

• Well this area wasn't my forte today, but I did put away a couple of baskets full of laundry.  That shouldn't count though since it's a day to day task (like feeding/bathing/changing/cooking/showering/cleaning up after ourselves). So I guess I will just say this area suffered today, but I did search online for some organizational systems for our kitchen desk and drawers... with no luck.
• Oh yeah, I did search and narrow down some window treatment options for the den! See!  I did accomplish something.

My Students/Career

• I read a lot of tweeted blogs today on the debate on the new common core standards and a good one on "unlearning".  
• The Energy Bus is in the mail! Woop woop!

77 Days of Summer

(Insert the groan or cheer about my returning to writing here.)

I love that some people love to read my writing.  That makes me feel very special.  However, what I REALLY love about being back on the blog is the writing itself.  I know that somewhere deep inside me there is an author of something more than that one journal I had published in Middle Ground.  Yet I also know that person isn't going to come out of me until I make time to write... and that is probably not going to be until my kids are a little older.  Or who knows.  Maybe it will NEVER happen because if I am not making the time now, who is to say I will make the time later when life will be equally as hectic in other ways (bball games, practices, choir concerts, overnights, etc.)

So anyway, I am happy if you are happy that I am writing today but I am HAPPIER (no offense) for myself to be WRITING.  Writing is one of the few stress relievers I have and when I don't write, logically I am more stressed.  I don't always come in with a plan, even though my blog was set up to have a weekly one, but perhaps my subconscious plan is always to clear my mind.

So it's summer, and I am back.  There.  I state this boldly with every doubt in my mind.  However, I have determined that I am going to make the most out of this summer and try to knock out as many to-dos as I can, so I am going to record my days through SHORT posts and pictures.

I counted 77 days of summer.  That's a lot of time.  Why then have I felt like it is almost ending since the moment school got out?  Probably because I went right back to work to get more stuff done, and I still have many days of schoolwork to do.  Probably because I have another new prep next school year to prepare for.  Probably because every summer is over so quickly that I always look back and think, "What did we even DO?"  Probably because I have two little boys to entertain both for their sake and mine.

Today is Monday, June 10th.  Ok, that's a lie.  It's Friday the 14th - Happy Flag Day!  I was going to lie to you and pre date this entry because I am OCD about putting posts in order, but I guess it is also good to admit that the first time I MADE time to post about my week was at the end of it.

The only way to make a real change (and a change is what I need) is to openly admit what is going on and be truthful about life behind closed doors.  So I am opening my doors in hopes that what I write is something I can be proud to call my summer vacation of 2013.  Granted, I won't be doing any monumental tasks and the likelihood of that trip to Monterey, California is pretty slim.... so I probably won't be doing much in the way of traveling either, but I am an ALMOST full time stay at home mother over the summer, and I want to do a good job at that job AS WELL AS try to improve my health, the feel of our home, my teaching career, and most importantly - my areas of disorganization.  This may not seem like a lot to some of you - and it probably really isn't - but if I don't document what I have done, I might not feel obligated to WORK at it and I definitely won't reflect on it nearly as much.

Having said that, my goal is to do a quick update answering these questions every day:

What did I do today for: 

• William
• Landon
• Our Home
• My Health (Physical, Mental, Spiritual)
• My Students
• Others

Since it's NOT Monday, I am going to go back and create a blog for as many days of the week as I can before I hit the hay tonight.  Wish me luck on this venture.

Thanks for reading.