We are back from Families First.  Tonight we discussed a book, Keeping Your Family Together when the World is Falling Apart by Dr. Kevin Leman.  A timely topic for me since I am working very hard to make my family and especially my spouse first in my long list of priorities.  It was an interesting discussion, Dr. Leman focuses on Reality Discipline with children, which is alot of what we already do. 

The TEN PRINCIPLES OF REALITY DISCIPLINE

1.. The whole is always more important than the parts.

2.  Have values, and live by them.

3.  Always put your spouse (not the kids) first.

4.  Balance responsibility with forgiveness and love

5.  Stick to your guns.

6.  Keep responsibility where it belongs.

7.   Treat people like persons, not things.

8.  Use guidance, not force; action, not just words.

9.  Be consistent, decisive, and respectful of your children as persons.

10.  Hold your children accountable for their actions and help them learn from the experience.

This did bring up a lot of discussion, but I had to leave the room, since the teacher brought Tommy down to me as he was screaming and they couldn’t calm him.  This is his new thing, Mommy leaves the room, scream!!  He would scream if I went to the bathroom today.  ARGH!!  I know it is only a phase, but it will be trying I am sure.   He burped a couple of times and I walked the halls with him and he calmed down.  I kept him with us in the parent discussion group the rest of the night.   

So we are dealing with a little separation thing going on.  He does fine at home as long as he is in the same room with me.  Tonight I had to get some mangoes made into babyfood and he sat contently in his highchair and watched and played with a big spatula. 

Well Tommy is with Daddy, so I am going to finish up here and wash dishes and walk on the treadmill a bit.  I joined the shape up challenge at work and I have been doing pretty good about exercising.   I did a little bit this morning, but need to walk on the treadmill yet today.  Maybe I will even lose a few pounds.  I am having a terrible time dropping the last 10 pounds or so of pregnancy weight.  

BTW, my thesis advisor had a lot of revision and additions for my thesis.  ARGH!!   I need to work hard on that the next few weeks again.   I will be mailing it to her with revisions in two weeks.  ARGH!  Ok, but enough about that, it entirely messes with my balance!   I can’t stress right now about it, I just have to come up with a plan.

We are back from Families First.  Tonight we discussed a book, Keeping Your Family Together when the World is Falling Apart by Dr. Kevin Leman.  A timely topic for me since I am working very hard to make my family and especially my spouse first in my long list of priorities.  It was an interesting discussion, Dr. Leman focuses on Reality Discipline with children, which is alot of what we already do. 

The TEN PRINCIPLES OF REALITY DISCIPLINE

1.. The whole is always more important than the parts.

2.  Have values, and live by them.

3.  Always put your spouse (not the kids) first.

4.  Balance responsibility with forgiveness and love

5.  Stick to your guns.

6.  Keep responsibility where it belongs.

7.   Treat people like persons, not things.

8.  Use guidance, not force; action, not just words.

9.  Be consistent, decisive, and respectful of your children as persons.

10.  Hold your children accountable for their actions and help them learn from the experience.

This did bring up a lot of discussion, but I had to leave the room, since the teacher brought Tommy down to me as he was screaming and they couldn’t calm him.  This is his new thing, Mommy leaves the room, scream!!  He would scream if I went to the bathroom today.  ARGH!!  I know it is only a phase, but it will be trying I am sure.   He burped a couple of times and I walked the halls with him and he calmed down.  I kept him with us in the parent discussion group the rest of the night.   

So we are dealing with a little separation thing going on.  He does fine at home as long as he is in the same room with me.  Tonight I had to get some mangoes made into babyfood and he sat contently in his highchair and watched and played with a big spatula. 

Well Tommy is with Daddy, so I am going to finish up here and wash dishes and walk on the treadmill a bit.  I joined the shape up challenge at work and I have been doing pretty good about exercising.   I did a little bit this morning, but need to walk on the treadmill yet today.  Maybe I will even lose a few pounds.  I am having a terrible time dropping the last 10 pounds or so of pregnancy weight.  

BTW, my thesis advisor had a lot of revision and additions for my thesis.  ARGH!!   I need to work hard on that the next few weeks again.   I will be mailing it to her with revisions in two weeks.  ARGH!  Ok, but enough about that, it entirely messes with my balance!   I can’t stress right now about it, I just have to come up with a plan.

WORK FROM HOME DAY

Today is going pretty good, Tommy is cooperating and taking nap.  I have completed updating a file and have my last transfer done!  Whew!   I have started on a second service plan as well.  So things are going pretty well.  Tommy is still napping so after this it is back to typing away a service plan.

It is windy as all get out here in MN.  My sons’ basketball hoop just blew over into the road so I had to run out and try to lift that.  Fun!   The city must be doing something with our water as I turned on the tap to make a bottle and it is running yellow.  ICK!! Tommy won’t be drinking that for a while.  My BIL ran over a couple of bottles of water for me, so we will be using that for a while. 

I have to run over the AUgsburg College today and pick up my thesis.  PLEASE, PLEASE say she isn’t asking for a lot of revisions.  I just NEED to be done with that thing! 

The other day I had a training at work and I walked away with one thing that really stuck with me, each day before we get to work we choose our attitude.   That is so true.  I can tell the days I choose to be crabby VS. the days I choose to be happy.  

ANother thing struck me the other day at a staff meeting my co-workers are so stressed and at the end of their ropes.  Our job is very stressful and we have to give a lot emotionally.  But for ONCE in my life I am not at that same place.  I was wondering why that was??  I don’t work any harder than the rest, or any less at that matter.  Why am I less stressed lately??

I have made a real distinction in my life.  I have work and I have family.  My priority for years has been work, I have shifted that to family.   And it feels so good.  Do I work less hours?  Probably about the same.  But when I am at work, I am AT WORK!  I call home only about once to check on Tommy during my break otherwise I really try to focus on my work.   The big change is this, at home I only focus on home!   No longer am I trying to get extra work done in the evenings.  I work my hours for the week and that is it.  I feel better and am able to get more done at work as a result since my life is balanced.  Oh yeah of course I get out of balance occasionally (at least once a week) but I know what needs to be done. 

Of course my balance is challenged on Wednesdays when I work at home.  Luckily that is only for another month then I will be at the office on Wednesday again.    I will be at the office all summer, and when I am home, I will truly be at home.   I have been sleeping better since I have made this mental distinction.   I no longer make lists in my head about what I need to do at work, or at least I don’t do it every night.  I did have to lower my expectations, perfection is no longer my goal. 

I need that balance.  I missed so much of Josh’s life by being at work or not willing to take time off of work.  He would have something at school and I wouldn’t feel like I could take time off of work.  Tommy is my last baby and I will not miss out this time.    I go in late to work on Friday’s and go to ECFE with him and just work later.   That is balance……..and it feels good.   I go to Dr appointments with him and will be at school functions when the time comes.  

Tomorrow is Take you kid to work day, so since I have been at my current job, I take Josh with me to work.  He enjoys it.  We go out to lunch together and they find clerical jobs for him to do, etc.   I am so thankful that I work for such a family Friendly place. 

I only have this short period of time with my children and my job will most likely be with me forever or at least until I retire.   My babies will grow up.  My job must come second.  That is my new thought and it is keeping me sane.   I can work late and stuff, I just don’t want to miss a special moment in my children’s lives again.  I can’t get the ones back I have missed adn that makes me sad.

If in my life I could have anything it would be to be a stay at home mom.  But that isn’t goingto happen so I do that best I can to maintain a healthy balance.   Some have not been that keen on my new boundaries since I have always been available whenever I aneeded for my job.  Now there are two days a week that I have to be home by 5:00 due to family commitments and Wednesdays for the last few weeks has been a time I have to not have meetings.   I work from home.   The other three nights of the week I will work as late as needed.  I have some night appointments where I don’t get home until 9:00.   Which is fine as long and it is balanced.   Some have complained, but I need to do this to continue working and being happy.   I have given far too much to others than I did my own family.   I think my family deserves more……………………………………….. 

WORK FROM HOME DAY

Today is going pretty good, Tommy is cooperating and taking nap.  I have completed updating a file and have my last transfer done!  Whew!   I have started on a second service plan as well.  So things are going pretty well.  Tommy is still napping so after this it is back to typing away a service plan.

It is windy as all get out here in MN.  My sons’ basketball hoop just blew over into the road so I had to run out and try to lift that.  Fun!   The city must be doing something with our water as I turned on the tap to make a bottle and it is running yellow.  ICK!! Tommy won’t be drinking that for a while.  My BIL ran over a couple of bottles of water for me, so we will be using that for a while. 

I have to run over the AUgsburg College today and pick up my thesis.  PLEASE, PLEASE say she isn’t asking for a lot of revisions.  I just NEED to be done with that thing! 

The other day I had a training at work and I walked away with one thing that really stuck with me, each day before we get to work we choose our attitude.   That is so true.  I can tell the days I choose to be crabby VS. the days I choose to be happy.  

ANother thing struck me the other day at a staff meeting my co-workers are so stressed and at the end of their ropes.  Our job is very stressful and we have to give a lot emotionally.  But for ONCE in my life I am not at that same place.  I was wondering why that was??  I don’t work any harder than the rest, or any less at that matter.  Why am I less stressed lately??

I have made a real distinction in my life.  I have work and I have family.  My priority for years has been work, I have shifted that to family.   And it feels so good.  Do I work less hours?  Probably about the same.  But when I am at work, I am AT WORK!  I call home only about once to check on Tommy during my break otherwise I really try to focus on my work.   The big change is this, at home I only focus on home!   No longer am I trying to get extra work done in the evenings.  I work my hours for the week and that is it.  I feel better and am able to get more done at work as a result since my life is balanced.  Oh yeah of course I get out of balance occasionally (at least once a week) but I know what needs to be done. 

Of course my balance is challenged on Wednesdays when I work at home.  Luckily that is only for another month then I will be at the office on Wednesday again.    I will be at the office all summer, and when I am home, I will truly be at home.   I have been sleeping better since I have made this mental distinction.   I no longer make lists in my head about what I need to do at work, or at least I don’t do it every night.  I did have to lower my expectations, perfection is no longer my goal. 

I need that balance.  I missed so much of Josh’s life by being at work or not willing to take time off of work.  He would have something at school and I wouldn’t feel like I could take time off of work.  Tommy is my last baby and I will not miss out this time.    I go in late to work on Friday’s and go to ECFE with him and just work later.   That is balance……..and it feels good.   I go to Dr appointments with him and will be at school functions when the time comes.  

Tomorrow is Take you kid to work day, so since I have been at my current job, I take Josh with me to work.  He enjoys it.  We go out to lunch together and they find clerical jobs for him to do, etc.   I am so thankful that I work for such a family Friendly place. 

I only have this short period of time with my children and my job will most likely be with me forever or at least until I retire.   My babies will grow up.  My job must come second.  That is my new thought and it is keeping me sane.   I can work late and stuff, I just don’t want to miss a special moment in my children’s lives again.  I can’t get the ones back I have missed adn that makes me sad.

If in my life I could have anything it would be to be a stay at home mom.  But that isn’t goingto happen so I do that best I can to maintain a healthy balance.   Some have not been that keen on my new boundaries since I have always been available whenever I aneeded for my job.  Now there are two days a week that I have to be home by 5:00 due to family commitments and Wednesdays for the last few weeks has been a time I have to not have meetings.   I work from home.   The other three nights of the week I will work as late as needed.  I have some night appointments where I don’t get home until 9:00.   Which is fine as long and it is balanced.   Some have complained, but I need to do this to continue working and being happy.   I have given far too much to others than I did my own family.   I think my family deserves more……………………………………….. 

Tuesday

Good morning.  Well I need to be in the office early this morning, so I thought I would just drop a quick note to say hello.   Today looks like a fairly easy day.  I have to do alot of paperwork at the office, and have a meeting at two to see how we are going to cover the cases of a co-worker who is on medical leave.   I hope I don’t get too many new cases, I am finally getting caught up on my own.  Well at least closer!  

Tomorrow is my day to work at home. I was hoping I would be able to go and pick up my thesis from my thesis advisor, but she hasn’t returned my call.  Otherwise I guess I will just spend my time writing service plans, a never ending job. 

I also have to make meals with the remaining Turkey since Tommy didn’t let me do that last night.

MONDAY

Yesterday was a pretty good day at work.  We had a training in the morning about attitude at work, etc.  It was called Fish training, it was about how a fish market in I think it was Washington, changed their work environment for the better by having a shared vision and having fun.  Throwing the fish, etc.   So the message was Play, Choose a good Attitude and remember the Vision.   After the training we had pizza, always a good thing.  The rest of the day was just working in the office.

I did try to call the University of MN to schedule for Tommy to be a part of the infant study on recognition and memory.  I didn’t hear back from them.  I still have one question regarding the experiment, so I will need to speak to them.

Tommy learned a new trick last night!!!!!!   I love all his firsts!  He loves to have you help him stand up so he can bounce.  He ALWAYS wants to be standing up.    Well yesterday he figured out that if you move your feet forward while you stand you can move across the room.   So Mommy has to hold him up while he walks all over the place.   He walked all across the room three times, Mommies knees where not so happy about crawling everywhere helping him.   He thought he was so cool!  We will have to try to take a video of it!   Paul got a computer program to make our videos into Mpegs, so we can have them on the Internet.  I can’t wait to do that!   So then everyone can see Tommy walk too!

The rest of the night Tommy was sort of clingy and wanted Mommy to hold him the rest of the night, so that is what we did.  He didn’t want to go it the swing, bouncy car or on the floor.  Just hold me and entertain me.   I always get alot done on those nights!  I did manage to go through the size 18 months bin downstairs and pull out a few summer things for Tommy. 

MORE breaking news!!!!!!!!  My hubby fixed the downstairs toilet!!   Yes you heard right after the downstairs bathroom being non working for almost a year, he FINALLY fixed the toilet so it is usable.  Hmm…only took a year.  Now I plan on painting the downstairs bathroom so the boys have a nice bathroom. 

Hubby also did laundry so we are getting close to getting caught up.   I will do a few loads on Wednesday when I am home and we should actually see the floor in the laundry room again. 

NEIGHBORHOOD GARAGE SALE

We are having the neighborhood garage sale on May 17th and 18th.  We have 6 families all signed up for sure.  So that is better than I thought.  I hope to make this an annual event each May.  I still have a lot of marking to do.  I also have to go through my clothes and a few other rooms in the house.   I have to go through Tommy’s dresser and remove all size 6-9 months, since he is in size 12 months now for sure.  I might as well sell the 6-9 months as well.  I hope this neighborhood sale is a great success.   I really really hope my mom can come of the week so I can actually pull this off.  My SIL Julie will also be doing the sale with me, so she will be around too, but so will her children.  That could be interesting.  Yes, sometimes I think I am just insane! 

Well it is getting late, I need to get in the shower and head to work! Have a great day!!

Tuesday

Good morning.  Well I need to be in the office early this morning, so I thought I would just drop a quick note to say hello.   Today looks like a fairly easy day.  I have to do alot of paperwork at the office, and have a meeting at two to see how we are going to cover the cases of a co-worker who is on medical leave.   I hope I don’t get too many new cases, I am finally getting caught up on my own.  Well at least closer!  

Tomorrow is my day to work at home. I was hoping I would be able to go and pick up my thesis from my thesis advisor, but she hasn’t returned my call.  Otherwise I guess I will just spend my time writing service plans, a never ending job. 

I also have to make meals with the remaining Turkey since Tommy didn’t let me do that last night.

MONDAY

Yesterday was a pretty good day at work.  We had a training in the morning about attitude at work, etc.  It was called Fish training, it was about how a fish market in I think it was Washington, changed their work environment for the better by having a shared vision and having fun.  Throwing the fish, etc.   So the message was Play, Choose a good Attitude and remember the Vision.   After the training we had pizza, always a good thing.  The rest of the day was just working in the office.

I did try to call the University of MN to schedule for Tommy to be a part of the infant study on recognition and memory.  I didn’t hear back from them.  I still have one question regarding the experiment, so I will need to speak to them.

Tommy learned a new trick last night!!!!!!   I love all his firsts!  He loves to have you help him stand up so he can bounce.  He ALWAYS wants to be standing up.    Well yesterday he figured out that if you move your feet forward while you stand you can move across the room.   So Mommy has to hold him up while he walks all over the place.   He walked all across the room three times, Mommies knees where not so happy about crawling everywhere helping him.   He thought he was so cool!  We will have to try to take a video of it!   Paul got a computer program to make our videos into Mpegs, so we can have them on the Internet.  I can’t wait to do that!   So then everyone can see Tommy walk too!

The rest of the night Tommy was sort of clingy and wanted Mommy to hold him the rest of the night, so that is what we did.  He didn’t want to go it the swing, bouncy car or on the floor.  Just hold me and entertain me.   I always get alot done on those nights!  I did manage to go through the size 18 months bin downstairs and pull out a few summer things for Tommy. 

MORE breaking news!!!!!!!!  My hubby fixed the downstairs toilet!!   Yes you heard right after the downstairs bathroom being non working for almost a year, he FINALLY fixed the toilet so it is usable.  Hmm…only took a year.  Now I plan on painting the downstairs bathroom so the boys have a nice bathroom. 

Hubby also did laundry so we are getting close to getting caught up.   I will do a few loads on Wednesday when I am home and we should actually see the floor in the laundry room again. 

NEIGHBORHOOD GARAGE SALE

We are having the neighborhood garage sale on May 17th and 18th.  We have 6 families all signed up for sure.  So that is better than I thought.  I hope to make this an annual event each May.  I still have a lot of marking to do.  I also have to go through my clothes and a few other rooms in the house.   I have to go through Tommy’s dresser and remove all size 6-9 months, since he is in size 12 months now for sure.  I might as well sell the 6-9 months as well.  I hope this neighborhood sale is a great success.   I really really hope my mom can come of the week so I can actually pull this off.  My SIL Julie will also be doing the sale with me, so she will be around too, but so will her children.  That could be interesting.  Yes, sometimes I think I am just insane! 

Well it is getting late, I need to get in the shower and head to work! Have a great day!!

Hello……….

well my cooking weekend has gone ok.  I have not gotten as much as I wanted dine. but that is ok.   I made two kinds of soup with turkey.  The two pots made 8 meals worth of soup.  Which is now in the freezer.   I have about 20 cups of turkey meat that I will work on using up tomorrow night.  I decided to watch two movies with Josh and Hubby instead. 

We watched AI and Domestic Disturbance.   They were both ok.   I will need to probably do up the plums into babyfood yet tonight. 

We had my inlaws over last night and they really enjoyed supper.  The seafood fettucine was not the one I thought, but was good all the same. 

Not much else to chat about tonight.  I hope to head to bed early tonight so I can read a bit.  I haven’t been sleeping well since my asthma is acting up and I can’t lay down and still breathe.  I love allergy season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  NOT!!!!!!!!!!

Later all….can’t wait to get around and read about all your weekends!  

Hello………..get up and DANCE!!!!!!!!!  The Weekend is here!!!!!  I am so happy for my work week to be done!   I didn’t get home from my meeting in Red Wing tonight until about 7:00pm.   ARGH!!  But it was a nice drive……sorta.  I forgot to take my book on tape with. 

Today hubby got a call from the University of MN.  Their early childhood department is doing a research study on the memory skills of 6 month old babies.  SO I think we will let Tommy participate in the study.  It is harmless enough.  They will put sensors on his to measure brain waves while he looks at pictures on a computer screen of strangers and us.  They will measure his responses to the pictures. 

Tonight Julie dropped by to give us some toys that Kristen had outgrown.   So Tommy liked that.  She brought him the Twirl and Whirl Garden thing.  He likes that but it is loud!

Tomorrow we are going to the ECFE garage sale, hopefully we will find some cool stuff for Tommy.  Especially summer clothes.  Josh is going to watch Tommy for us so we don’t have to drag him along. 

Paul was great and cooked my Turkey’s for me today.  He even cut up all the meat for me.  So tomorrow I need to make the broth for soup.  I will cook the soup and other meals on Sunday hopefully. 

Well I am tired so I think I will head to bed.  Night!

Yeah..the weekend is getting closer and closer.   I need a few days off!   Though I have a ton of things planned to do…we will see how that goes. 

I finally broke down and called my allergist about my asthma and allergies.  I got my script refilled and found out exactly which of my meds me wants me on how that I am no longer pregnant.   I picked up the script and will get on my new regime now, so hopefully I will start breathing better.   But this is the usual time for me to be sick and then again it gets bad end of August beginning on September.  I sure hope that Tommy doesn’t get my allergies and asthma.  Josh has numerous food and season allergies just like me.   I suspect he will eventually be diagnosed with asthma as well.  He doesn’t always do that well when they test his lung capacity.

I decided to do my shopping tonight since I have to go to Red Wing, MN for a meeting tomorrow for work, so I will be working late.  I will have to drive the van since I can’t trust my car to go that far.  They darn thing always gets hot whenever you turn on the A/C.   I have had it into numerous garages and no one can figure what is wrong with it.  After Paul is working I will be needing to buy a new vehicle.   My car has almost 170,000 miles on it so I have gotten my money’s worth out of it for sure!  

I bought Tommy 2 pairs of shorts at Once Upon a Child.  So he has a few things that fit him.  I have to get the 18 months box out of the basement and see if some of that might fit him as well.   He is a big boy, plus much of his clothes are used so they seem to have shrunk. 

Well I am off to get the turkeys out of the freezer, my hubby said he would cook them tomorrow for me.  Then when I get home I will cut up the meat and stuff.   Saturday morning we are going to the ECFE garage sale and then I will make the turkey broth. 

Saturday evening my IL’s are coming over for supper.  We are having seafood fettuccine and Alaskan King Crab….YUMMY!!   It is my father in law’s birthday. 

Well I am off to bed, we have ECFE in the morning.  NIGHT!

hello….it has been one of those whirl wind days.  Plus I have not been feeling very well all day ;-(   We didn’t even go to our church class tonight. 

I did work on my Turkey plan today for my cooking session, which I might try to do this weekend.  We will see since we are suppose to have the IL’s over for supper on Saturday!   Might be too much cooking for one weekend.

As for my Turkey Plan I am going to made turkey broth from the two carcasses.  Then with the cut up meat I will be making, turkey noodle soup, turkey wild rice soup, turkey pot pie filling, turkey divan, turkey and noodles and turkey ala king.  I hope have enough meat to do that.   I might have to scale back the number of servings I make of a few things.  Now to make my grocery list and get the stuff on Friday. 

Let’s see what else I am doing……….oh yeah…I set the date for my garage sale, May 17th and 18th.   We decided actually more Paul, that it would be a great idea if we could do a neighborhood sale.  So we made flyers tonight and passed them out in the neighborhood.  So far we have received one call of a family wanting to participate and I know two others have already talked to me about it.  Plus my SIL is putting things into our sale and will help with the sale as well.   I hope my Mom will be able to come for the sale to help.  My dad always seems to need an excuse to allow her to come stay.  It would be nice if she could just come to spend time with her grandsons.   So now needless to say, the sale has become a huge thing!  LOL!!  Things always seem to go that way for me.  

Oh yeah…and the couple that was planning and organizing the annual block party, decided not to do it this year.  So Paul and I are planning it with another couple.  Should be fun………LOL!!  Yep, one more activity.  I seem to be getting a busy little life again.  Oh well……..well I should be off to bed.  

I hope to feel better tomorrow so I can go to work.  I will have to take a sick day for today as I won’t be able to make the hours up this weekend.  Usually that is what I do, but won’t be able to this weekend as we are so busy. 

Night!!!!!!!!