So the last couple of months of my world have been crazier than usual. We often have busy days, even busy weeks, in our life. These past two months have been {as I've told a few people} almost unmanageable. We work hard and play hard around here, but we love to enjoy time just being with each other as well.
I'm a major fan of downtime, even if that means I'm cleaning, doing laundry, or reading with the girls during what I consider "downtime". I like not being rushed around from place to place.
Weekdays for us always include school from 9ish-12ish and again from 2-3. And weekends always include church on Sunday morning. Insert grocery shopping, school planning, laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning {just the parts of the house that people see, of course}, at least one spillage of something per day, wiping a 3 year old bottom, feeding a sweet baby, {and then} cleaning up all of her spit up, and the typical 693 questions per day that I get from my three oldest. I barely answer the phone anymore. :)
Now, add August, September, and October 2011. What a whirlwind of a schedule! I'm documenting this mostly for myself as a kind of mini-marathon of life. When the beginning of August arrived, I knew I'd make it through to October, but I wasn't quite sure what everything would look like.
I'm here to say that I don't think I had any emotional meltdowns because of the stress! Impressive coming from me. That being said, there were plenty of days that the laundry sat piled high {right alongside the dishes}. The toilets sat scummy {except when people were coming over...I totally roll like that sometimes}. My bedroom was/is still a complete wreck, but I finally changed my sheets last week. Progress.
I know most of you are as busy as me, but I seriously have not experienced this much for such long periods of time! So, amuse me as I write this woe-is-me post...will you? :)
Now, for a look at my calendar...
August
1: Claire dentist
2: meet with Deanna; plan co-op
3: dinner at some friends' house {blessing!!}
4: Josh works late
5: Olivia's 4 month shots; Josh golfing late with a rep
6: Josh auction in morning; golf outing for work at noon
7: family reunion out of town; bridal shower for Josh's cousin
8: laundry, laundry, laundry...Josh is leaving town tomorrow
9: Josh leaves for Colorado
10: Claire dentist
11: phone consultation with a potential buyer of my business
12: Josh comes back home {praise the Lord!}
13: meeting with a bride; work with a fellow wedding vendor
14: graduation party
15: Jackie out with a friend {sanity saver!}
16: the girls and I at the lake with Josh's parents {they were on vacation}
17: meeting with potential buyer of business
18: go to my sister's house for our garage sale
19: garage sale
20: garage sale; head home
21: breathe. plan school
22: first day of school;
Eric; birthday celebrations with Josh's family
23:
Delia
24: praying. praying. praying.
25:
Jill
26:
Eric; wedding meeting
27: enjoying my last saturday at home for weeks to come; counting blessings
28: planning school
29: pictures with friends
30: trip to Hobby Lobby {I'd been telling Claire for weeks that I'd take her!}
31: new babysitter at the house to meet the fam
September
1: sign paperwork for transfer of business {yay!...more on this later}
2: house appraisal; visit our friend Eric in the hospital; baseball game with Josh's work
3: lake day for Labor Day with my family
4: lake day for Labor Day with my family
5: lake day/birthday celebrations for Labor Day with Josh's family
6: swim class starts for the girls
7: send out info for toddler activity boxes {ask myself why in the world I volunteered to lead this}
8: watch a friend's kids in the morning, drop off books to a friend, go to Josh's work to look at some items that we're considering purchasing; get everyone's hair cut
9: Josh trimming lanes here for hunting
10: baby shower; new freezer arriving at the house
11: Josh trimming lanes at his friend's house
12: co-op starts; teach at co-op; dinner for Eric's family
13: swim lessons
14: prayer meeting for Eric
15: stranger danger program with girls; 2 wedding meetings in evening
16: wedding rehearsal
17: wedding
18: nephew's baptism out of town
19: teach at co-op
20: Olivia 6 month check up; swim lessons; pick up clothes from a friend; toddler box swap at my house
21: prep for weekend extended family vacation with Josh's family
22: grocery shop for family vaca; leave for vaca
23: vaca
24: vaca
25: vaca
26: teach at co-op; wonder where all this stuff that we unloaded from vaca should be put {I'm considering the burn pile}
27: swim; Josh leaves town
28: Josh back home late
29: prep for weekend wedding
30: rehearsal
October
1: wedding
2: host Dad's birthday party at our house; lesson plan for the weeks that I'm in charge at co-op
3: teach at co-op
4: swim; double date night with some of our best friends {soooo needed!}
5: wedding meeting
6: Josh out of town; prep for our family to join him
7: leave to join Josh for the weekend
8: out of town
9: travel back home with girls
10: Josh back home late
11: swim
12: wedding meeting
13: blank
14: blank
15: blank
16: is this really happening???
17: blank
We actually have NOTHING written on our calendar until swim lessons on Tuesday. I couldn't be more excited! I am seriously exhaling. As crazy as the house looks, it doesn't seem so overwhelming. :) I know that I can make some progress several days in a row. Yay!!
I knew I could make it, but I just didn't realize how completely exhausted I would feel. On the flip side, though, I'm so extremely grateful to have survived. I just want to hang with my kids. I just want to lay on the couch with my hubby. I want to have people over to our house again {one of my favorite things to do!}.
So, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to enjoy the blank pages of my calendar. :)
