Better Be Good to Me

I return to work next week. That means I have to swap garden clogs and flip flops for actual real shoes, put make up on, and head into my office. This is the time of year that my projects come to a screeching halt, as does any focus there was on myself. ( I actually get a little time in the summer to read, garden, and do some things for myself). Between running my house, taking care of the girls, and my job, which gets stressful as I usually have close to 200 students I am responsible for, I get stressed out. Most people don't know, or can't tell, cause I do deal with it well, but I stop taking care of myself. I need the time to focus on my own kids, so something has to give.
This year, I have decided that the something that has to give is not going to be me. By the end of this past school year I was fried like chicken. I gained back the weight I lost, and I wasn't eating healthy, exercising, or taking my vitamins or even drinking enough water. Combine that to the fact that my office doesn't have a window and most days I don't get lunch, which means no sunlight, erractic eating, I was feeling bottomed out.
Not this year. My supervisor askes me each year what my goals are for the year. This year, I am making some goals that will keep my own personal and mental well being in mind. Sounds a little selfish, but if I burn out and am not refreshed and energized, I am not good to kids, my own or other peoples.
My goals for the year are as such:

1. No working through lunch. I will take a break, get out of my office, eat lunch around adults, and walk for 20 min after lunch. ( I can walk laps in the school and get some sun light before heading back into my cave)

2. I will always have a full water bottle on my desk and even stop to drink it

3. I will take time in the evening or morning at home and exercise, either a walk, my bike, or treadmill. There is time, there is always time. I have found time before and everyone survived.

4. I will say no from time to time. Again, everyone will survive. Other people can handle things too.

5. I will not buy shoes that are cheap. Comfortable shoes are not a luxury item. ( Please note I put all non-comfortable shoes in my garage sale! It was hard to get rid of cute shoes, but I decided to be good to my feet.) Soft Spots are my new signature shoe. ( just bought pair number 2 after pair number one purchased in 2006 not only gets tons of compliments, still look new and are like walking on air. Cute and comfy).

6. My spa day coming up in 2 weeks will not be the last time I go. ( I am using up my birthday gift cert. from Brian to a day spa. Complete pedi and manicure, with hand and foot massage. ) I will schedule another apt. for mid year and not cancel it because I " don't have the time."

7. I will not come up with any reasons not to go to my docs apt. for yearly check ups also in 2 weeks. I will bring my list of concerns and follow up on each and everyone of them. Life is short, make sure you are healthy.

I already feel better. This year, I better be, good to me.

Pocketful of Sunshine

I love this song, it's so me!

I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine.
I got a love, and I know that it's all mine.
Oh, ooh oh oh.

Do what you want, but you're never gonna break me.
Sticks and stones are never gonna shake me.
No.
I got a pocket, gota poketful of sunshine
I got a love, and I know that its all mine, oh, ooh oh oh.

Wish that you could, but you ain't gonna ownn me
do anything you want, you can't slow me down, no oh.

Take me away: A secret place.
A sweet escape: Take me away.

Take me away to better days.
Take me away: A hiding place.

I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine.
I got a love, and I know that it's all mine.
Oh, ooh oh oh.

Do what you want, but you're never gonna break me.
Sticks and stones are never gonna shake me.
No.

I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine.
I got a love, and I know that it's all mine.
Oh ooh oh oh.

Take me away: A secret place.
A sweet escape: Take me away.

Take me away to better days.
Take me away: A hiding place.

There's a place that I go,
But nobody knows.
Where the rivers flow,
And I call it home.

And there's no more lies.
In the darkness, there's light.
And nobody cries.
There's only butterflies.

Take me away: A secret place.
A sweet escape: Take me away.

Take me away to better days.
Take me away: A hiding place.

Take me away: A secret place.
A sweet escape: Take me away.

Take me away to better days.
Take me away: A hiding place.

Take me away: A secret place.
To better days take me away.

Take me away to better days.
Take me away: A hiding place.

The sun is on my side.
Take me for a ride.
I smile up to the sky.
I know I'll be all right.

The sun is on my side.
Take me for a ride.
I smile up to the sky.
I know I'll be all right.

Secret Life of a Soccer Mom

I am a soccer mom. I drive a Volvo, have 3 kids, golden retriever, lead a girl scout troop, work in a school, love to go antiquing, and on the outside looking in, it would seem very boring and cookie cutter. Predictable.
From time to time I shake things up, and some things you wouldn't guess about me are that I love dance music. The more beats per min the better! I keep up on music and like to listen to new music. I like to be hip with my technology as well, and both know how to use it and update it in my home. I love to dance, and would love to do out dancing sometime soon with my husband. Typically, my MP3 player is loaded with great dance music, and I listen to it very loud. I overheard my daughter telling her friend she thought it was "weird" that I have an MP3, and listen to stuff that she also likes ( she loves Madonna. Like mother like daughter).
Currently I have some hot tunes in my MP3. I have the Johnny Visious mix of "Pocketfull of Sunshine." It's delish. I also have my friend JP's club mixes, and I would like to share the link. They are hot as well: http://www.djsupercub.com/mixes.shtml
So if you see me out there droppping my kids off at soccer, scouts, ballet, Nutcracker rehearsal, field hockey, don't assume I am listening to country, or that lite and easy station. I am one jamming mom!

Ava "isms"

Ava, she cracks me up! She is a talker, non stop communicator. She has a couple thing thought she says regardless of correcting her that she insists on saying like:

Going Suit- bathing suit. She can say bathing suit just fine, or swim suit, but this is what she insists on. As in " put your going suit on we are going swimming"

Pickups- hiccups. As in " Mom, I have the pickups". Hmmmmm.....could this stem from me asking her to pick up her toys one too many times?

Coconuts-pistashios. Yesterday, while cracking and eating pistachios with Miranda, she said " Mom, I am eating coconuts, and I like them."

7 Things I hate.....

My daughter has been listening to that Miley Cyrus song "7 Things I hate About you." I was remembering our "Hate Books" from high school.....slam books is I guess what they really were, only I don't think they were intended to be mean, it was our way of expressing things we disliked, not just people although there were a few people on my list.....

So, here is my current hate list, 7 Things I hate:

I hate the way the media morphs 2 names together on cleb couples, like Bradalina. Please, they are 2 seperate people.

I hate the way media also pays enormous sums of money for pics of cleb new borns. 14 milion dollars for pics of their twins. Bless them for donating it all to childrens charities.

I hate how fast cars fly down off the hill on the road in front of my house, and the fact that there isn't a "Children Playing" sign.

Roadside memorials. I have noticed several in the area. When someone dies in a vehicle related death and people put up a memorial marker and flowers, etc....I realize people want closure, go to the memorial, bring those things to the cemetary.

I hate the way our nation is immobolized by the price of oil/gas, and having to decide not to have wanderlust this summer because I can't afford the price of gas.

I hate the way the nations is making a "housing crisis" a big deal and trying to bail everyone out, like those people that live in Old Forge and have not only a house, but a waterfront home in the same area, haven't paid taxes since 2003, and the press is making a big deal about "poor them, they are losing their home". Um, they have 2 homes, valued at 700,000. SELL one to pay your taxes and LIVE in the other. If the county bails them out, they will have to bail everyone out.

Finally, I hate the weather this summer. Too cold. My pool is 62 and nobody wants to swim. Really need to get a solar panel next summer.

Wine Ice Cream

I just read this story on the news site I frequent about some local Wine Ice cream that is now legal to sell in NY. Last year, in June, I purchased the ice cream on my way up North. I was with a friend from work and we grabbed 2 spoons and dug in. Yum! It was awesome. However, we purchased it w/o being ID'ed and I guess we assumed it was only wine flavored. Ooops.

It really was Yum-o!

Halloween

OK, I really do know it's August, be we are already in "Halloween Prep" mode. I love Halloween. The year we went to Salem Mass in October was like Christmas to me. I don't know what it is about Halloween, maybe just that I am a kid at heart? Anyways, we already have costumes, bought them last November on extreme clearance at Target. I think each costume was 4.00, and they are those nice 30.00 costumes that include everything. I start buying candy this month and freezing it, as we get 300 trick or treaters and I like to give "good" candy. Name brand, no fillers!
Where does my husband stand on all this? Well, he decorates the "Haunted Porch" and made me that awesome witch for my yard, and he takes the girls out to get candy, but that's about it. He doesn't like to think about it till about October 20. For the past few nights, somehow Halloween has come up at dinner,very innocently. As in, we were in the party store and costumes are out now, etc....HE thinks it's a conspiracy and we would do anything to bring it up. Well, last night, again without thinking, it came up again, only now it's funny cause it keeps coming up and we aren't even trying. It's fun to drive him crazy.
I was in the craft store yesterday getting more stencil paint for my living room stencil project and guess what's set? HALLOWEEN! Enjoy summer, there is still lost of it left, but Halloween is just around the corner. 92 shopping days left.