Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Balancing Work & Home

I often get frustrated by the fact that while I'm trying to work and build a successful business my home life is a distraction, yet at home my work life is a distraction.  It's the same old thing...at home with the kids you think of work and at work you think of the kids.  Raising a family and working is definitely a balancing act and one that frankly I feel at times I suck at!  I tend to get self-ish, at times I wish I had more time to devote to my business or more time to write but at the same time I want to cherish every moment with my children while they still want to hang out with me.  What I have learned is when there is something you want you can have it if you're willing to work hard for it, you just have to make yourself a schedule and stick to it!  I've carved out time every week for my business and for the most part I stick to it,  I have certain times that are 'family only' times and now I'll be carving out time to write and I'm going to HAVE to stick to it.  I don't need to waste time watching television every night and I should be getting up earlier in the morning than I do so I CAN do it.  I just really need a cheerleader (my conscience wearing a cheer leading uniform) standing next to me telling me I can do it and then when I get really tired and frustrated I can punch the b*tch. 

We all know we can achieve more it's just a matter of bucking up and doing it.  I guess I've looked at the last six years and realized that when I was 27 my goal was to have written a best selling novel by the time I was 35.  I'm going to be 34 in January and I haven't even started!!!!  I don't want to be 50 and look back and think why didn't I write that novel...I could've published several by now, traveled the world, researched all the subjects I wanted to research for my books and still be young enough to continue doing so.  Life is funny that way, we don't always realize what we want for ourselves until later in life and then we always wish we would've done it younger....well we are never too old to stop dreaming and we are never to old to stop achieving so I am challenging myself to write that book and to get it published by age 35 and if it doesn't become a best seller than at least I'll know I tried as hard as I could while keeping up with my family and day job....I'll just get less sleep but as mothers know, getting less sleep is worth it!! :)  We may complain and we may be grumpy at times but we wouldn't change a thing.  There are thousands of women who pray every night for God to bless them with a child and that child will no doubt rob them of countless hours of sleep but they will gladly give up that sleep for a precious baby.

Leap Fearlessly!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Please Stop Talking!

I will admit that I like to do my fair share of talking and sometimes I prefer someone just stop me before I say something really stupid but unfortunatley that rarely happens.  Do you ever feel that certain people bring out the worst in you and you say things you normally wouldn't say just to 'show them' but then afterwards you end up feeling really bad and even caddy.  I do have somewhat of a filter just not a very good one when it comes to certain people.  One thing about being a parent is that now I sit and listen to my kids talk all day long and I barely get a word in edge wise!!

Sometimes my kids talk so much and ask so many questions that I just start making up answers.  A friend told me once never to ignore your kids because then someday they'll just stop talking to you and she said it like it was a bad thing!  LOL!  I totally knew what she meant so instead of ignoring them I'd just start making stuff up.  If they are paying attention they of course catch on to what I'm doing and think it's funny.  But it is scary how sometimes they really aren't listening well to anything I say because one of my children will piece random conversations together then go tell people what he heard me and his dad talking about and it is NEVER right.  In fact it mostly makes us look bad and that's always real fun when your kids start telling other people what they "think" they heard you talking about.  My husband and I could say something about how we really like a friends new furniture and then change the subject about how we hate our old sofa and how we need to get it out of the house and the next thing we now our child is telling someone that we hate our friends house!  How embarrasing!

The other day I thought it would be fun to go for a jog while my 4 year old rode his bike beside me.  Seriously???  Was I smoking something that morning, I mean what was I thinking!  He almost tripped me twice by swerving in front of me and he TALKED the entire time and he requires me to answer back with words.  My usual "mmm" doesn't cut it with him.  He'll say, "Mom, don't do that, say words." He also begins every sentence with "Mom, mom, mom" and he won't continue to talk until he knows for sure I am listening.  Needless to say I was exhausted after my run and I think it was more mentally draining than physically.

But as a parent we sit and listen to our children talk no matter what.  Then we give our children the smile, the familiar smile that we realize our parents gave us when we were talking their ear off.  Sometimes I tune out and then the kids will say "What do you think, can I?"  then I have to say, "I'm sorry what was that again."  I should take the time to sit and listen more because in 14 years when they are all out of the house the dishes, laundry and cleaning will STILL be there!  Then I'll be begging for one of them to come over and talk my ear off! :)

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

I'm bringing blogging back!

I'm back! I was on hiatus for the past few months due to a move.  My family moved from Iowa to Minnesota and moving a family and a business took a great deal of time and effort.  I really missed blogging but needed sleep more!  The kids have adjusted well to their new school which is a blessing!  I think I was more nervous than they were.  I moved a few times as a kid and that really helped me to know that kids are resilient and that they will be fine, and they were fine.  They've made friends already and are looking forward to field trips and lunch.  At their new school they get three different choices for their main course so that was pretty exiting for them.  Oh to be a kid again and have the biggest decision of the day be what to eat for lunch!

My four year old also loves his new preschool.  Unfortunately its only three short afternoons versus the four long afternoons he was used to.  One day he got up really excited for school and said, "Mom I go to school today right?"  and I said, "No you get to stay home with me" and he said, "Well that's a bummer!"  Also to be a kid again and to be that honest.  The most exciting thing for him though has been the fact that he's learned to ride his bike.  In fact the entire neighborhood knows he just learned to ride a bike because they often saw or heard him run into trees or the ditches.  Learning to brake was the last thing he learned.  He never got hurt but he'd lay there and say, "Help, somebody help me."   He's the third child so mostly we'd just look at him and think...he's okay, or we'd tell him to get up.  Funny how by the third kid we all act a little differently.

"Did you know your child is climbing up the side of the house?" and you reply, "Oh he'll be fine."  or "Um your kid just rode his bike into a tree." and you reply, "Oh he'll get back up. I'm sure the force knocked him out for only a second."  Or my favorite.  "Do you know were your kid is?"  and I reply, "Shoot, I haven't seen him around for awhile now.  I suppose I should probably go find him."  I'm teasing of course, sort of!

We should all be more like kids...they get knocked down and they always get right back up.  They take new challenges head on.  They meet new people and try new things and they enjoy the good things in life like PB & J and chocolate milk and eating ice cream in the sun as it melts down their hands, walking barefoot in the sand and collecting shells at the beach. 

Life is an adventure and to sort of quote Steve Martin from the movie The Big Year..."Most people spend their entire lives on the beaten path only to realize they didn't do all the things they wanted to in life."

On a side note the holidays are around the corner so if you live in the Panora/GC area and are looking for some sweet treats, from scratch by niki just added some beautiful Christmas platters to the website.  It all looks so tasty, I'm not positive but I may have even seen a Schweddy ball or two!  I'm teasing...she does make cake balls though (not in the platter) and I have yet to see one that's misshapen.  :)  Check out http://www.fromscratchbyniki.com/.