September 1st Daybook

Outside my window...
It's dark . . . the sky is asleep and so are my crazy kiddos. We went to the school's open house tonight. We got to meet new teachers, see classrooms and I think the excitement and anticipation of the coming year turned my children in to wild monkeys . . . bedtime couldn't come soon enough tonight.

I am thankful...
for a good friend who I can be real with and laugh with and be inspired by and be accountable to and who makes this life a little sweeter . . . and Mac and Cheese just tastes better at a table full of kids and a friend.

I am thinking about...
what the fall will look like. I printed the school calendars for the kids and Travis, printed sports schedules, wrote in piano lessons and gymnastics and church and life and realized fall is upon us. Gone are the days of no routine and no time limit and no plan. Part of me is looking forward to it as I am a planner (say it isn't so - I can literally hear the laughter of my friends who know this fact oh to well) and part of me is wistful and already mourning the days we've had all together as a family . . .

Learning all the time...
how well this healthy eating plan has changed my life. I had a weigh/measure yesterday and discovered I've lost ten more pounds. That's a total of 40 pounds in 4 months!! WOW! And even more amazing still is the fact that I am down to 15mg of steroids (from 60 4 months ago) and have the energy to play with my kids and be an active part of life again. My asthma is really under control right now and I am sooo thankful.

From the kitchen...
nothing . . . not much in the pantry or the fridge or the freezer. A monthly grocery shopping trip is approaching . . . when you say? Who knows . . . just not today. My kids ate peanut butter on rice cakes for dinner . . . could be worse I suppose.

I am creating...

a good organizing system for the new year. I bought a cute planner for my purse and a magnetic weekly calendar for the fridge for $4 at Target today (see picture below). One of my biggest goals for the year is to keep the house as organized and tidy and as stress-free as possible. I want my family to come home from work and school knowing what to expect and having a place of sanctuary to be themselves. This won't happen in chaos. I know I'm not going to be perfect at it but I'm going to try and put some systems in place now that will help us all keep our lives a bit more manageable so we can spend our time being together - not looking for lost shoes and trying to remember who is going where when.

I am working on...
not getting to the boiling point with my girls. They are frustrating sometimes . . . shocking I know. . . but I tend to "over talk" things. I explain to much or give to many chances or warnings or suggestions which only lead to my frustration when they are not complying. I want to raise girls that are respectful and obedient and I don't want to lose my ever-loving mind doing it. I realized today (as again I got so frustrated when saying the same thing for the 14th time) that I need to do less talking and more action. When you disobey, you sit on the stairs for 5 mins to chill out. Or when you choose not to listen to my directions, you earned yourself a chore. Or if you are driving me crazy by singing the same song over and over and over and over . . . I'm going to hide in the closet - please don't find me for a while.

I am going...
grocery shopping. Haven't you read anything I've said? My kitchen is empty and my family is hungry . . . ok - nobody's dying but I think peanut butter and rice cakes might get old if I try to serve it all weekend.

I am hoping...
that the transition into school is smooth for all of us. Hannah doesn't like change and this year brings a lot of changes - new school, new teacher, new kids. Haley is starting kindergarten and is excited but doesn't know quite what to expect. Travis is going into another year of teaching and coaching Jr. High which is always an adventure. And I am sending both my kids off to school . . . what does a school day empty nest look like? I am not crying (yet . . . or at least not all day . . .) but I am praying for a smooth transition.

I am reading...
Three Weeks with my Brother by Nicolas Sparks (true story of a trip around the world he takes . . . with his brother . . . for three weeks . . . hence the name)

I am praying...
for MOPS leadership as they are preparing for another year of encouraging and equipping moms. I have to be honest and say it feels good to be on the outside cheering for and encouraging the ladies working so hard . . . but I know just how hard they work . . . keep up the good work ladies. It might not feel like it every day but you are changing family's lives!!

I am hearing...
absolutely, blissfully, nothing . . . ahhh

Around the house...
I think Target threw up in here. There are piles of school supplies on the table, piles of school clothes on the desk, a bag full of med refills on the stairs, and don't even get me started on the upstairs. We've begun the process of emptying out drawers to donate the clothes that no longer fit the girls (except of course the clothes we're saving for Haley . . . Hannah told her yesterday, "I bet you're going to be excited to grow into this shirt!!" . . . pretty cute) but in order to do this, it means everything has to come out of every drawer and it becomes a ginormous mess . . .

One of my favorite things...
Target. Where can you buy the last minute school supplies (including spiral binders for only 20 cents?!), refill your meds, fill in gaps for school clothes, get a new calendar/organizer for only $4 and get a Starbucks coffee to boot? Oh Target, how I love you.

A few plans for the rest of the week...
The highlights will be a wedding on Saturday for a dear friend from high school and an afternoon bbq with family on Monday. The rest of the weekend? Laundry and grocery shopping, putting away the school clothes and finishing the drawer clean out, tidy the house and pack some lunches cause Tuesday it's off to school for Hannah and Daddy . . . (kindergarteners start a week later) . . . buckle your seat belts kids - here we go.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Did I mention it sticks on my fridge with a magnet, has a dry erase pen and cost me only $4? Target . . . what did I ever do without you?