Return to Me Campaign

RETURN TO ME

I have a new personal improvement campaign affectionately called "Return to Me." The main purpose is to get desirable elements of my old life back--physically, emotionally, spiritually. That's not really going to happen, right? I'll just shoot for improvement. The other day a friend and I were discussing the joys and sorrows of parenting and she mentioned that she had made the comment to her husband that she "just wanted to get back to normal." He asked her what "normal" was. A valid point. For as life changes, so does normal. Whatever standard I used to establish "normal" when I was single, went out the door when I got married, and whatever standard I used to establish "normal" before kids--adios. I don't feel badly about voicing these concerns since almost every young mother I talk to shares the same sentiments. If you don't, hats off to you, I think you're great. Perhaps you could be my campaign advisor.

So that leaves me with the nagging question, just what should I expect of myself and others? As my sister-in-law once told me, with little kids, it's just a matter of survival each day. I felt better when she said that. She has six, so she carries authoritative weight, in my opinion. Sometimes my decisions are based solely on how emotionally and physically stable I am feeling at any given moment.

I wish I could give you specifics for my new "Return to Me" campaign, but I can't. It just came to me yesterday. Overall, I would like to just achieve and maintain a better balanced me--someone more capable of rolling with the punches, not freaking out when a three year old does not follow every command with exactness, get more sleep (a must to run an even moderately successful campaign), taking just a little time for myself to do something I want to do (like watching Nick at Night), rediscovering a sense of humor, and being more physically fit. I know I need to set small, attainable goals and give myself plenty of time to return to me.

This campaign was inspired by a dear friend who has overcome great obstacles over the last several years. Each month she sends out an update and I was AMAZED by what she has accomplished lately. She has overcome numerous serious health challenges and can now swim a few times a week, be removed from oxygen, and has lost almost 100 pounds since January. She is truly an inspiration! A line from her last update reads, "I don't yet know how I am going to turn out, but I believe I am improving!" Thanks MBQ!

As the plan unfolds, I'll give you more details on my progress. This week my goal is to just write down a few specifics on how I plan to start implementing my campaign.

Let Go, Mommy

This week I've hit one of those milestones with Matthew. He started summer camp at preschool (he'll start preschool in the fall and this is just to get them oriented and make money, but it works). Of course, his favorite activity is the water table.He seems too little to go to preschool. Wasn't he just born yesterday? Ok, so it's almost been four years but it's gone too fast. Next he'll be driving.

Geez, how much did we make per hour?

We just finished a very lucrative weekend venture--a garage sale. Well, maybe not so lucrative but I guess we had fun anyway (maybe). Corbin has always said that we are better off donating the items and taking a tax write off and I guess I will have to agree. I think we made a wholloping $60 or $70. I didn't keep close track because I figured that the difference wouldn't affect my retirement years much. We unloaded about half the loot and then hauled the rest to donate to the Deseret Industries.

The garage sale crowd is an intersesting one. It's a great view of middle America. I can say this because as much as it may surprise some who know me, I do garage sale. I haven't always done it but I have done it since we've had kids. Being that Utah has a kid population like no other, I can find some very good deals out there and the stuff is in good condition. I must say that I am pretty particular about my purchases--I won't just buy from anyone. I use a three pronged judging system to determine if I'm willing to buy. It includes the general cleaniness of the property, the garage sale attendant and the merchandise. My friend Marcia sort of taught me the ropes of evaluating the goods and then negotiating the best deal. She really likes stuff for a quarter, I'm generally fine with going up to a buck if it's a winner. One thing I have learned though is that there is no dilly-dallying at a garage sale. If you see something you want, you have to be lightening fast because if you want it, chances are that someone else will want it to. I've lost a few things over the years from being too slow but I have to at least have some decorum and consideration for others even at a garage sale.

I guess I had better get to the bank and deposit all of my $1 bills from the sale. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I think my net profit was only about $30 after I bought things from my neighbors who were also having garage sales. At least I'm in the black.

Confessions of a late night snacker

So am I the only one who gets up in the middle of the night to overeat and check email or do other people do it too? This is a habit I seem to have perfected since the birth of Spencer. He's a cutie but sound slumber for extended durations is not on his list of desirable traits. Therefore, I have conditioned myself to awaken several times in the night, I guess in anticipation of getting up anyway. Then of course, I lay in bed thinking about the left overs or snacks I can devour. It's not fair and it must stop. I just wiped out several graham crackers with sour cream frosting--yum yum and ohhh, now I feel like I am going to explode. Why do I do this to myself? It's like I'm a foodaholic--sneak it in mass when no ones around. Then, while I'm at it and all is quiet and peaceful, I might as well hop online and check email just in case my long lost friend happened to email in the last three hours and it can't wait until morning. Ironically enough--that did happen right now! My dear friend Amy from DC will be in town this week--so it's a good thing I checked! I told myself I was going to be better about all of the above this week. Well, I've got four more days to go. Don't email me or answer any of my emails after 10:00 MST then I won't feel compelled to look and maybe forego the graham crackers at the same time. I will take toys away from myself if I don't stay in bed--just like I threaten Matthew. Oh wait, I don't have any toys. Somebody hit me where it really counts and take my knife and computer.

These are a few of my favorite things

The last few weeks at church, I've noticed a poster for some kind of social activity called "My Favorite Things." The poster said to bring a favorite product, light dinner served, raffle and a few other details. It kind of struck me as an odd idea for a party but maybe it will work. After all, a light dinner (or any dinner) is good for that matter. Although I will not be attending, I started to think about what some of my favorite goods are. Here's the list in brief:

1. Pampered Chef's mini spatula--can't live without it. I use it probably more than any other kitchen item.
2. Mr. Clean magic eraser--takes off lots of marks although you do have to be a little careful with it on paint because it will fade the paint a little but it still looks better than a big black mark across the wall.
3. Microfiber cloths--Corbin sold me on these when we owned Dust Gone. Microfiber cloths are great to trap dust and dirt. I use them for everything around the house. They even take spots out of the carpet better than a regular rag.
4. Miracle Grow Bloom Buster--Corbin's mom turned me on to this formula. She's a gardem master and swears that the formulation is better than the regular and I must say that two weeks after only one treatment, my blooms are busting.
5. Dust Buster mini vaccum--wouldn't make it through the week without it. I feel like I need to carry it around my waist in a holster.

So, there you have it--a few of my favorite things besides raindrops on roses.

Are we invisible???

Yesterday we had a great day at Lagoon (the Hershey Park of the west) for my company summer party. Matthew was really brave and rode several rides ( as opposed to previous years when we wondereed why we went even though we took friends to ride with). Spencer enjoyed his first carousel ride. We didn't take the camera so we have no documentation. You will just have to envision us with our hair blowing and happy faces.

When one visits a place of mass persons, it becomes pretty obvious that there are many people that make the world go round. One thing I observed yesterday is how seemingly inconsiderate, even rude, male youth are. It makes me want to practice good manners with my boys and enforce good behavior until the cows come home. We were run over, stepped on, ran into, etc. several times by these pre-teen/teenage boys. It boggled my mind. Are we invisible? Corbin and I are big people (well, bigger than we used to be) pushing two strollers but they still didn't seem to be able to notice that we were on the walkway or that we had all patiently waited our turn to fit through small spaces. If my kids are ever so ill-mannered, they will have to go to time out until they are twenty. The one redeeming moment occurred when Matthew and I were about to board the front car of Puff the Kiddie Coaster and a boy about eight came screeching from behind us and jumped into the car as sweet little Matthew was trying to get his foot into the car. I did speak up to the young fellow and thankfully his mother came over and gave him a talking to about that sort of behavior. Good for her--but where are all the other mothers? So this just re-emphasizes how important "Barney's Best Manners" VHS tape really is and I'm going to make the park play it for all those boys.

Bright spots

As undesirable of a topic as it is, I just have to report that we have found the penny. Yippee! I was starting to get a little nervous that we may have to have an x-ray, but no. So on to more pleasant topics.

Sometimes I think I am jinxed. My life mostly has good fortune and I certainly cannot complain but sometimes weird things happen. The latest has to do with lightbulbs of all things. Everytime I turn around, we have blown another bulb. Without exaggeration, I think we have had 16 bulbs burn out in the past two or three months. Maybe that doesn't seem like alot to you but it sure feels like alot. I've just gotten used to living in the dark. Do they all make a pact to go to the dark side together? I haven't the foggiest. I have four to replace tonight--two in each of the upstairs bathrooms. Two of them are the really expensive kind--put in by the previous owners. If I was in charge of lighting, I would only put in a socket that took a fifty cent bulb. I have to climb up on the counter which is a pain but I realize that there are many worse injustices in the world. I'll just be glad that mine only involves lightbulbs.

Speaking of injustices, I am thankful that we have had the injustice of cold (and I do mean cold) weather this week. To those waiting to use their pools, this weather is a horrible injustice but I secretly like it. First, I don't have to pay for water to moisten the dessert soil. (The sprinkler concept is still strange to me. Back east, if we didn't get rain the lawn went brown and everyone lived through it but not here--"go green" has a whole different meaning) Second, I don't have to run the heater or the AC on most days. Third, we won't be sweating to the oldies at Corbin's family reunion tomorrow. It's usually so hot we can't breathe at this little yearly tradition but not tomorrow--we're taking our jackets and I'm ok with that.

A Penny for Your Thoughts

On Saturday afternoon, I ventured to the grocery store with both kids. It was pretty much a disaster for the first fifteen minutes or so. Matthew didn't have a nap and was very grumpy. It started before we ever got out of the car when I told him that if there wasn't a big cart available, that Spencer was going to ride in the cart and he would have to walk. Well, there was a big cart available but Matthew decided that he wanted to sit in the back where the groceries go. When I told him no, all broke lose. Crying, screaming--quite a spectacle. He kept crying and insisting that I put him in the back. No amount of reasoning was going to work. The lady at the deli counter told me not to worry, that everyone has been there. She offered Matthew a piece of cheese but he wouldn't take it. After the tantrum kept going, a second employee approached and offered him a muffin. Not taking that either. It was a great patience test for me as I had to decide whether to turn into the "yell at your kids at the store mom" or "just ignore the kids and let it pass mom." I mostly opted for the latter. Then I saw my neighbor approaching. Nice. It's always good to have your kids on display. While she was talking with us, he finally calmed down and the rest of the trip was fairly mundane. He was delighted to find a "money" (penny) on the floor which he carried home.

After we got home, I was outside unloading groceries and when I came in, I saw Matthew standing at the back door in a panic. He turned towards me and I realized that he was choking. I dropped the groceries and ran over and started beating his back, which in turn made him barf. I asked him what he put in his mouth and he said "a money." Great, the clean penny from Walmart was now in his stomach. I called the doctor and found out what to look for as indicators of blockage problems and now we're just waiting for things to pass, so to speak. That is one task of motherhood that no one really fully explained. I got sick doing the "task" yesterday so Corbin had to step in. Well, hopefully things will move along and we won't have any problems. If the penny doesn't present in a few days, we may have to get an x-ray. We'll keep our fingers crossed.