New Schedule

I have decided that in order to maximize my time and minimize my stress I am going to set a different schedule for myself. Lately when Justin leaves for work - at 4:30 a.m. - i have been going back to bed until about 6:15 a.m. when it's time to get Elijah up for school. I am not really a morning person - OK I am not a morning person at all :-) - so by the time I wake back up the babies are up and things around here get CRAZY. So I have decided that when Justin leaves for work, MY time begins. I am going to take 4:30 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. for ME - as you can see today I am blogging .... i have been searching for other blogs to become a part of: for moms, weight loss, other things that interest me - any recommendations would be appreciated.

I have not returned many many e-mails to my friends so i might use this time for that - I will also use this time for housework because after all the loading and unloading the dishwasher, endless piles of laundry and baby toys everywhere is what typically puts me in a bad mood when I am working at home during the day.

Now, I am not saying I will never go back to bed after Justin leave :-) but if I do it's OK, because this is now MY TIME!!

The babies have also got a little off schedule so I need to get them back on track. Cloe only naps once a day now - which works out ok because she goes down right after lunch. Blake still takes two naps but it seems like his morning nap has gotten later in the day so his afternoon nap gets pushed back. They use to nap at the same time - right after lunch - which was really nice because then i could get a lot of stuff done or catch up with Justin when he gets home from work. So I am going to start making sure the babies are up by 7:00 a.m. and have breakfast before 8:00 a.m. so Blake will take his morning nap then get up, eat lunch and go back to bed when Cloe is ready to nap.

I am also saying all this when Monday starts a two week travel week for me. The next two weeks are going to be so crazy - I have to leave on Monday for Boston when I will be till Thursday for our national sales meeting. The best part of next week is I will get to spend some time with some of my friends - Lauren I can't wait to spend some time together and catch up, I miss you girl :-) then I leave again Sunday evening for Orlando till Wednesday for HIMSS which is a big hospital IT conference. Typically I would think February in Orlando would be great - I think it's going to be cold there, and I will be inside most of the time. I am looking forward to getting away from the snow - i am REALLY tired of the snow!!

hope everyone has a nice weekend.

stay safe and keep warm!

Valentines Day gift ideas

I don't know why but I find buying gifts for men on Valentines Day very difficult. The first thing that comes to mind is cologne - well that would be easy except my husband has about 50 bottles of cologne so that's not an option.

I am really drawing a blank on this one, anyone have any good ideas?

I figured it out ....

I think I figured out what my problem is. I have been in this funk lately - hence my last posting of winter blues - and I think I have figured out what is wrong. I'M BORED!! Yes, I realize that is a crazy statement considering my schedule is absolutely crazy, but when I look at the different between being busy and having fun, I realize that all it is - my days are full of things that keep my busy but with nothing fun.

My day consists of working (which I am very unmotivated towards right now), changing diapers, feeding and taking care of the babies, picking up toys, making lunch and dinner, laundry, Elijah's activities (which i am going to miss both basketball games this week because of work) .... get my point - busy but not fun!!

I feel like my mind is total mush - when i do get a few minutes to sit down and read the mountain of magazines that have stacked up, I usually either fall asleep reading or my mind is in 1000 places and I can't concentrate on reading an article.

I'm not really looking for advise here - unless you have some - I just needed to vent and get out that I think I have figured out my problem. Now, what do I do about it? How do I turn my busy boring life around so I am enjoying things again?

Winter Blues

anyone besides me have them???

Last year I was so grumpy and I knew this year would be worse, I just didn't realize how much worse. I seriously hate where I live - the weather is SO cold and there is NOTHING to do. We have been stuck inside for weeks. Everyone was sick and the babies still have colds and Blake continues to cough - which has caused me to cancel my get together with Marla AGAIN because he has another trip to the doctor.

Tonight we are going to make homemade pizza and either watch a movie or play wii as a family - i am really looking forward to just having some fun family time. Does anyone have any other ideas for fun inside activities that we can do as a family? Remember I have a big age span - Elijah will be 13 soon (oh my goodness) and the babies are 18 months and 8 months.

also - how are you dealing with the cold weather and winter blues????

Health - Easy lunch ideas

One of the things I do to try and be a "good wife" is pack Justin's lunch each morning. As most of you know, he leaves for work at about 4:30 a.m. and is on the road all day. His eating habits are terrible (fast food everyday) and he has a very long family history of health problems (his dad has had several heart attacks, high blood pressure, high cholesterol .... i could continue).

So I decided that in order to help reduce the amount of fast food he eats, I would start packing his lunch. I need some ideas to mix it up a little bit. I always back him a sandwich - turkey/ham/cheese, some sort of chips (today was sun chips) grapes or an orange. I need some ideas to mix it up a little bit - although I know he eats it what happens now is he eats the lunch I pack as a breakfast then he goes through a drive through on the way home and gets lunch or he eats those aweful roller hot dogs from the truck stop - YUCK!!!

One of the challenges is whatever I pack he has to be able to eat while driving or in the truck. I thought about soup or something but he wouldn't be able to eat that while driving.

any ideas on what i can pack to mix it up a little bit as well as to fill him up throughout the day?