"We start to realize that there are anodynes in life that help us through the day. I don't care if it's a walk in the park, a look out the window, a good bubble bath - whatever. Even a meal you like, or a friend you want to call. That helps us solve all this stuff in our head."

-Al Pacino

I am thankful for the sanity and clarity that comes from a good bubble bath!

"Special Limited Time Offer"

I was getting ready for the day.  I had big plans to attack my To Do List.  Just as I finished blow drying my hair and was heading to my desk, I heard AB excitedly yell out to me..."Mommy, come and look at our Ball Factory!"  So I took a quick detour to the playroom...

The detour lastest longer than I expected...we all played with the Ball Factory.  Before I knew it, it was time for lunch.  The morning was gone and I accomplished nothing on my To Do List...

My To Do List will be there later...But the Ball Factory was an unexpected bonus in my day.  It was one of those special limited time offer that I am glad did not end while I was off doing "important" things.

"Sometimes the most beautiful scenery is found on the detour road." 

- Dr. Lee Roberson

The Land Overwhelmdom

Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.

- A. A. Milne

As I write this I am in the land of Overwhelmdom. I have a ton to do and I start one thing and then think about something else, wonder if I should be doing that, switch gears and start a new task, only to continue through this vicious cycle a few billion times and then not complete a thing. Have you ever felt that way? I know I need to get organized, write things down (and/or collect all the notes I have written and combine it into one list), set priorities, tackle one thing at a time, and not throw everything (and the kitchen sink) in to the equation.

Prior to being a SAHM, I was uber organized…my Franklin planner (I am dating myself, I know) was with me everywhere I went. If someone needed to set up a meeting, I was ready. My To Do List was by my side and organized with A, B, and C priorities. I have color-coded notebooks that kept track of various projects. My desk, although cluttered, was a place that I would knock things off my list. When my desk, head, and life would get too messy I dive into one of my favorite things…I would ORGANIZE! I loved to tackle big messes. And I still do – in fact the kid’s toys all have their places. In our playroom each toy’s “home” is labeled, making it easy for the boys to help clean up. When friends are looking for new ways to rearrange or organize their space (whether is be a tiny closet or a “great room”), I thoroughly enjoy checking out the situation and offer creative solutions and suggestions. Even so that, after friends adopted a new baby (their third child), part of my gift (at their request) was helping with them organize baby clothes, toys, and playroom. Oddly, I find that FUN – invigorating even!

So why then do I now have such a hard time organizing my life? My Franklin Planner is gone. And it is too big and bulky anyway. For years, my schedule was defined by my babies’ needs and my schedule was pretty much the same routine day to day – no need to write that down. The random meeting or event I wrote on the family calendar that hung in the kitchen. It worked. But, since the boys started preschool they have more things to do and I am busier with various meetings, volunteering, classes, and activities. We have outgrown the monthly family calendar. So now, I need to figure out the best way to keep life organized. This past weekend, I organized my home office area and developed some filing systems. It felt good and I am excited. But still, some of the daily To Dos are sliding through the cracks. I have tried out various calendars, planners, and to do lists and looked into various organizing system, but none have worked as well as I would like.

So I am looking for advice…do you have any good mommy organizing systems that you use? Specifically I am looking for something that is portable (for meetings) and paper (because I get too much satisfaction of physically taking a pen to paper and crossing things off my list).

‘Cuz what I know for sure, is that when I am organized and accomplishing valued and important tasks, I feel much better than when I am wallowing in the land of Overwhelmdom.

Ekkk...A Facebook Fan Page

Ok, I am officially scared!  Today I decided to figure out how to make a Facebook fan page and connect it to this blog.  I have been considering doing it for sometime - but I have had incredibly mixed emotions doing this.

I typically like to fade into the background and shy away from anything closely resembling a spotlight.  So creating a "fan page" seemed, well, selfish, and went against my nature.  And, maybe it is selfish.  And maybe this whole blogging thing is too.  Regardless, this blog has made me a more purposeful, introspective, and happier person (and a better mom).  AND, as I promised myself when I started this journey, I am going to step outside my comfort zone. 

So...TA DA... 

Look to the Right (see my FB link!!!!)-------------------------------------->

I am undeniably outside of my comfort zone...and, so far, I'm ok with it!

Has Spring, Sprung? & February in Review

I can not believe that today is the end of February!  It flew by...but I am looking forward to March and SPRING...ahhh!  Perhaps some warmer weather will arrive?  I am seriously tired of the snow!

Has Spring Sprung?  This photo was taken today in my front yard.  It is a magnolia bush, which is right outside my oldest son's bedroom window.  This morning he excitedly took my hand and led me back to his room and pointed to the buds on the bush.  He said gleefully, "Mommy, look!  That means spring is almost here!" 

Can you believe it?  Here in Cleveland, we just had a major snow storm...but nonetheless, here it is:  A sign of spring!

Feruary in Review:  Looking back on the last 28 days, I have noticed a few poignant nuggets that are important pieces of my rediscovery journey.

1. When I wrote the last part of How Did I Get Here? it became clear that I need to honor ME - who I am separate from being a wife and a mom.
2. I need to let go of self-created definitions of what it means to be a "good mom" and who I think I am.  These definitions are destructive, guilt-ridden, unfair, and limiting.  It is time to rewrite my dictionary.
3. A shift in how I think about what I think, can seriously change my mood, feelings, and reactions.  My thoughts - are merely thoughts.  Not truths.
4. And, wonderful words of advice (thanks DK!) I received after posting Heinous Balls of Goodness, I am going to work to try to Embrace Imperfection.

Not too shabby for the shortest month of the year!

Heinous Balls of Goodness

As is the tradition, OB needed to take a treat to preschool to share with his friends for his 4th birthday (which was yesterday). Earlier this week, I bought all the ingredients for a family favorite, Rice Krispie Treats (I know, a whole whooping 3 ingredients – I really out did myself). Although, I did not have an actual design in mind, I also decided to pick up sprinkles, frosting, melting chocolate, and cake writing icing. I figured that plain old Rice Krispie Treats (RKTs) just would not do (that might place me in the boring-mom hall of fame) and that somehow with this arsenal of decorating products, we could create a colorful, festive, happy birthday-ish snack for OB and 11 of his closest friends. On Wednesday, while chatting with my sister I mentioned the RKTs and she suggested using cookie cutters. I thought it was a brilliant idea and I could clearly envision fun-shaped RKTs that all the kids (and teachers) would be sure to love. So was the plan...

Thursday morning arrives and we have until 12:30pm to get the RKTs made, decorated and transportable. OB was very excited to help and he places the butter in the pan and is thrilled to see it melt. Then he pours in the marshmallow and, again, melting occurs and he is in awe. Fortunately for me, while adding the rice krispies, he did not ask why the marshmallows on the bottom of the pan were a pale shade of burnt (thankfully easily hidden by the cereal).  After mixing up the marshmallow mess, I laid out some wax paper and spread the crispy goop. I pulled down the cookie cutters and OB and AB (who couldn’t stand to be left out of this cooking party) each picked out a shape. OB’s choo choo train cookie cutter was the first to impale the slab of RKTs. As I lifted the cookie cutter, I quickly realized that, while a simple shape (a circle, or heart) would have worked perfectly well, RKTs are not the best medium for such intricate silhouettes. Furthermore, the stickiness of the RKTs was, well, sticking, to the cookie cutter and the wax paper. Things were not going well and the RKTs were quickly cooling and quickly becoming unmoldable. I needed to think fast. Time for Operation Save the RKTs ...

STEP 1   Be strategic – scrap the cookie cutters. I quickly and gently broke the news to the boys. “The cookie cutters aren’t working very well! I have a better idea!” (translation: 1. the cookie cutters are a big fat messy failure and  2. I don’t know what the hell we are going to do, but anything is better than this.)

STEP 2   Think simply – balls…the boys can make balls out of play dough, so they can make balls out of RKTs.

STEP 3   Add fun – Sprinkles. Seriously, what could be more fun than sprinkles?

STEP 4   Assign tasks – “AB you take the RKTs and roll out balls” “OB, you roll the RKT balls in the bowl of sprinkles.”    editor's note:  all hands were washed before preforming above mentioned tasks.

Not necessarily the award winning treats that I had in mind, but, Oh Well!  We are now in rescue and recovery mode!  So the assembly line began and thankfully, there was not a quality controller in our midst. The balls were – well, NOT round and often pitted with craters. And the sprinkles were – well, EVERYWHERE and luckily that did include on the balls. The boys were having fun and things were looking up. Precisely the time to dive further into my decorating arsenal.  I pulled out the cake writing icing, and melting chocolate. Since the RKTs were already looked pathetic, I decided we would just have FUN. I dipped them in chocolate and OB drizzled various colors of icing on top. OB had a BALL!!!!(pun intended). 

He proudly took his Heinous Balls of Goodness to school.  From all reports, except for one friend Sally (name was changed to protect the innocent), who only had one bite, all enjoyed his birthday treat.  OB's HAPPY birthday – mission accomplished!

Note to self:  Remember, often the fun of life is the PROCESS, not the product.

4 years old today!

Four years ago, today (at 3:30pm EST) my youngest son, OB was born. 

Today, I am over-the-top thankful for him!

(This picture was taken just before we left the hospital a few days after he was born.)

(This picture was taken last week.)

 It's amazing what 4 years creates!

Happy Birthday to my little O!