Busy living life!

I can hardly believe its mid-march.  The days seem to meld together and before I know it another week has passed and I have yet to even think about making a blog entry.

I'd like to say that this upsets me, but in reality, when I don't get to blogging, it means life is busy, and busy is good.

The past couple of months we've just been enjoying our hectic schedules of raising two boys. Nothing too overly exciting but we've gotten out and about with the kids, and now that spring like weather is almost here, I imagine we'll be spending out free time outdoors as much as possible.

This winter, we did a little sleigh riding, and although we skipped our annual canal outing, we did hit Snowflake Kingdom during Winterlude which did not disappoint any of us. The canal is closed for another year, and although it would have been nice to get out for a family skate, I know there will be many other years to enjoy this feature of the nation's capital!

 Last weekend, E wrapped up another season of CanSkate. He is moving and shaking so well on both skates now. I have a feeling he'll be a great asset to any hockey team next season! H is about the only member of this family that wants to keep on shoveling. He is obsessed with his shovel and throws a royal fit if you rush him the house at the end of the day without a few minutes to 'chovel'! As much as I don't want to spend another second out in the cold at the days end, it is a pretty cute phase that I know won't last long.

Being the curling fan that I am, this time of year I am almost always half-glued to the tv. The Scotties was in Kingston this year and we managed to get there in person on closing weekend, just in time to see Team Homan from Ontario, in top play-off form.  The Brier followed a week later, and the excitement was high in this household when the boys from the Soo, Northern Ontario, Team Jacobs took home the Brier Tankard! Now, it's going to be an exciting few weeks of World Curling viewing!

I can't promise that blogging posts will be any more consistent, but I do hope that you are enjoying life as much as I am these days!

Bring on Easter! I could use some chocolate!

More time, more energy... please & thank you!

Wow... what I wouldn't give for a little extra time in a day and a double dose of daily energy.

Lately, its seems impossible to get ahead of the game... I get home from work between 5 and 5:30 pm on average and my weeknights are filled with managing two played-out boys, while attempting to get a half decent supper on the table before midnight 6:30 pm, and then cleaning up, getting the boys bathed and to bed, and then getting ready for to do it all over again the next day. My PVR is stacked full of shows I'd like to watch at some point before I turn 50, yet I am doubting that the opportunity to view even a fifth of that list will ever greet me.

Then if the daily 9 to 5 grind isn't enough to keep me on my toes, throw in baseball (me), golf (PC), and soccer (E) on three of those weeknights, and if I get to bed one of five nights before midnight, I consider it a 'good week'. 

I welcome the weekends but our agenda always has something on it. For the last 10 weeks the boys have been enrolled in swimming in the capital, so we spend a good chuck of our Saturday getting ready for swimming, going to swimming, swimming, coming home from swimming, and unpacking from swimming. Its one of those activities that plays the boys right now - which is great, but not so great if you want to do other things after swimming, like grocery shop or other household errands.

We haven't even gotten to Sunday yet - but if we aren't precommitted to a social function of somesort, I consider it a royal write-off because between laundry and prepping meals for the coming week - I am spent in all areas of my life.

I have a list of close friends that I have on my 'if I ever get an hour to myself I will call' list... and that list hasn't been given any attention in the last six months since I returned to work.

My girls from University are all coming to town next weekend for a long overdue reunion, and I am soooooooooooooo looking forward to this, yet, I am pondering how much fun I will actually have if I am running on empty (although if this reunion is anything like 10 years ago, it will not be hard to have fun with these ladies)!

On the whole, I need to find some extra umph in my day to keep my head above water... because not sure how much longer I can keep up the 'I've got this Mom thing under control' act. My days are number... unless of course I win Lotto Max, which at this rate I would consider a day-off and a good uninterrupted sleep-in as its equivalent.

 

Re-energizing

Last week the boys were both sick, and with PC in the height of his referee season, I was left on my own much of the time to make little faces happy, and keep the household running. Now the boys are back on the up and up, and PC has been off a few nights this week, but I am the one that is feeling like I'm on the verge of being down and out.

Work has been truly exhausting since I've gone back to work. Its an interesting spot to be right now, I am busy and deep in thought every day I am in the office, and much of my time away from the office too. Many public servants are operating on eggshells with the looming announcement of cuts coming in the 2012-2013 budget, and frankly its exhausting trying to speculate all of the what-if scenarios. A full-day at the office knocks the life right out of me, and so when I come home to my boys, its time to dig deep to ensure they don't get the worst part of me.

This weekend I am hoping to re-energize and re-focus. We are now in the month of March, and it could be a long month if the weather in nation's capital is any indication of how its going to go (in like a Lion)!  We have a few obligations this weekend, but ones I am really looking forward to (hello Sand Road Maple Farm), and in between those engagements I hope to kick my feet up and finish up a good book I've been reading lately (Still Alice).

I hope each of you have a fabulous weekend, and hopefully with a recharged me next week, I can get to some decent blogging.

Stay tuned!


 

Update from the working world!

One full week under my belt and I have lived to tell the tale!

Things at the office are running just as predicted... I saw some friendly faces which was nice, and I also saw a whack load of new faces! 14 months in Government is a long time in the human resource world.

My pet peeve with the new faces is that when they see me... they take note, and then talk to their other semi-new colleagues, and they ask each other 'who's the new girl?'.

I'm not the new girl... I am NOT. THE. NEW. GIRL.

Other than that... I am enjoying being back in the swing of things. I got my first assignment last week and it forced me to dust off the cobwebs and find my groove. Its amazing how quickly things are coming back to me - as they say... just like riding a bike!

The boys had a pretty awesome first week at daycare too... lots of new activities and all around new fun. They are adjusting better than expected and seeing their happy sweet faces at the end of the day is definitely the highlight. E is full information from the day's events too, and it makes suppertime conversation pretty hilarious!

PC was off last week, so I didn't have to do morning drop off. He let me ease back into the whole routine which was also nice! I just had to worry about me and my coffee first thing in the AM, but tomorrow, I get to figure out exactly what its like to get myself and two 'I love to sleep' boys out the door for 7am.

In addition to the working world, also comes the age old question of 'what's for dinner'? This weekend, PC and I took 15 minutes on Saturday to meal plan for the week ahead... and Sunday I hit the grocery store (a zoo) to pick up all the items we needed. I have NEVER done this before, and I have to say (prematurely speaking) its nice to not have to think about meals at the end of the day - so I hope this is something we can keep up for the long haul.

Yes... the working world is not so bad, its actually nice to have some time to myself, and to do some things in a day that I am good at, besides being silly with my boys at home. Its hard to leave them when they are at such fun ages, but at the same time, I think I can find a balance to make the most of my time with them.

I am 'officially' back to work, back in the swing of things, and back to living for evenings and weekends again. The time off with my boys was fabulous while it lasted, but rejoining the office world has had some nice perks too! Given that it took me a week to get this update posted, I can see that blogging may have to take a back seat, but hopefully I can keep it up and interesting enough to have you check in on me once in a while.

Thanks for understanding... I hope my next post won't be too far away.

Cheers!

Here goes nothing...

Back to work.... ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! I am fifty-one percent looking forward to it, and forty-nine percent dreading it.

Its one of those things that when I sit back and think about it... I will NEVER have another time in my life where I can just 'be' ... be at home with my sweet boys, be dedicated to being a Mom and only a Mom, and be unconcerned with my professional career.

By returning to work, I have to actively think about work (which isn't a bad thing) but I also have to juggle the challenges at the office with that of being a Mom. Trying to maintain all the things at home, but also taking into account my career and the energy required to excel in that environment.

I think the part of me that is dreading the return is that I know something has to slip at home.  I can't possibly keep up everything I've done in the past year, when the good portion of my day is spent at the office - and I remember going back to work after my time off with E... through the week, the only time you see your children is when they are at the lowest part of their day (cranky time before supper... rush rush rush to get them to bed for a decent night's sleep). That in itself is an adjustment as you are constantly wondering if being a working Mom is worth it when your kids spend forty-five percent of their time with you whining or in tears. 

For me, I know that I enjoy my career... and I enjoy my office (or at least I did a year ago), and my boys will only be young like this for a short period. I know its manageable but I do live in the dream world where I wish my full-time dedication to them didn't have to end just yet!

I've had a great year with both of my boys. In September E will be off to school, and by that time H will be a walking talking machine.  In just nine short months so much in our daily routine is going to change again... so its best not to dwell on what isn't anymore and focus on what is... and how to conquer the challenge that is a new daily routine.

In preparation for tomorrow, I have managed to check quite a few things off my list in the last couple of days... Christmas tree and decorations are down and put away, PC and I did a three level mega-toy organization... and now our living room doesn't look like we robbed a toy store anymore.  I also put away a lot our Christmas presents (as in PC and I), did ALL the laundry... kids, adults, sheets, towels, blankets - you name it, its been washed!  I managed to make a great supper tonight, grocery shop for supper meals for the coming nights, and make my lunch (which I haven't done in forever). We also ate supper at 5:00 today (which never happens), PC had the boys bathed by 6:30, and E was sleeping by 7:30, with H going down at 8:30.  Not sure if its the back to work thing or the New Year that has us so well organized today... but whatever the case is I like it.

Just have to locate my work pass, figure out an outfit for the AM, set the Keurig of Auto ON/OFF ... and I'll be rolling out the door tomorrow morning at 7 AM as if I am off to the lottery office to pick up my big cheque!

Wish me luck... cause here goes nothing!

Nothing but dust!

Apparently the author of this blog... is MIA.

SHOCKING, I KNOW!

There is nothing but dust on the 'Desk of Sara' - its pathetic, even by the standards of the world's worst housekeeper (I'm sure)!

February has been a shit month. Sounds harsh... but its the truth. The nasty flu bug hit me at the beginning of the month, and then our daycare had a similar bug at her house, and last week E had it too. This bug has been around the block and back again, and has really taken the life right out of me.

Slowly but surely I am climbing back into regular life, but from a blogging perspective, I haven't felt like blogging in a while - and I haven't even felt guilty about it either. A bold statement I know... but I hope you aren't completely offended.

Lots has been going on. At the end of January, I attended the Scotties Tournament of Hearts opening weekend in Sault Ste. Marie and had a great time. The curling was good, and I just enjoyed being 'home', spending time with my family. PC and E didn't make the trek to the Soo... so it was kind of weird being their on my own, almost taking me back a decade - weird, but nice.

The first week of February was when I was attacked by the flu bug, and it stayed with me for a good 5 days. When I did come around, PC and I did manage to take E out on the Rideau Canal, for his first taste of Beavertails and Winterlude. He loved every minute of it, as did PC and I. We haven't skated on the canal since before we were married, so it was really nice to finally do it again, and with E - I want to make it an annual tradition.

Mid-February I got away for another weekend (PC if your reading, put down the calculator, I know I owe you a weekend or two - and I know you already have plans in the works to collect'!). This weekend getaway wasn't too far... just to Cornwall, for a fun ladies spiel. I curled with some old club mates from the Rideau CC, and we had so much fun... we lost in the final, but I did take home a great prize - a new fancy schmancy coffee station, that I LOVE. And, it was so nice to see some friendly curling faces that I have missed over the last two years!

Speaking of which... back in the day (Janaury 14th) I turned the big 3-0 (which to my credit, I drafted a post on 30, but haven't yet finish it, but I digress). So... the big 3-0 happened, PC threw me a surprise party, and I was surprised for sure - so much that I took it upon my self to become the party's designated shooter girl - not a good move when your 30 - you end up paying for it for the next day week month! Beyond the party, and just a little over a week ago, my 130-O crew reunited for our traditional b-day dinner, and they all chipped in to get me a Tiffany's bracelet. I LOVE IT!!! My most favourite piece to date, in addition to my wedding rings. These ladies are AWESOME friends, let me tell you! I almost can't wait to turn 40 - KIDDING!

Overall, February has just seemed run down yet busy. Work is busy too... and I guess when you are either off sick, or home with a sick child for a good third of the month, it gets even busier. I have also had play dates in there, 130-O activities, family functions... and when you put that all together in the shortest month of the year, plus two weeks of steady Olympic coverage on the tube... you get ... Dust on the Desk of Sara!

There may have to be a name change for the blog if this keeps up - but don't worry you'd be the first to know! Hopefully March is an all around better month... although I definitely don't like the sounds of March Madness - yikes!

***NOTE*** Thanks to many of you for inquiring about the status of blog in the last few weeks... and especially to Mr. Wall tonight for making public mention of it on Facebook! That really got me going Darcy! The readers owe this post to you my friend!

Working Mom of 1

So I can see that you have been eagerly checking this blog, to see if I survived the first week of being back to work... the first week of getting E to and from daycare, and the first week of what is going to be regular everyday life.

I did survive... but let me tell you, I was so glad to see the weekend, and I only worked 4 days this week because Monday was E's actual birthday and I was off. This next week is Thanksgiving on Monday, so I am off and then its another 4 day work week. I feel pretty lucky to be easing back into the work week with two short work weeks to start.

However... it sounds to me that life is going to get a bit more hectic than a new mom returning to work would actually like. Without going into too much detail, the department I work for is the lead on dealing with the H1N1 flu virus... and in order to provide the necessary communications support without burning out the entire team very quickly, we are going to be moving to rotational shift work in a few weeks... to cover off communication support 7 days a week, 15 hour days. Not exactly what I wanted to hear my first week back... but that's the reality.

Although I want to throw bricks at a wall thinking of how much I would rather be working my neat and tidy 8 to 4 schedule, 5 days a week... I do consider this a learning experience and a major bullet for my resume. I don't know how its going to work quite yet, but I do know that it will throw one hell of a wrench in my family life, not to mention my social life. It has an effect for both PC and I, and not to mention E.

Obviously this schedule won't last forever, hopefully H1N1 calms down, and we go back to our normal working hours ... but for now, this is the reality - and one I have to deal with.

Aside from that bomb... work itself was really good this week. I was busy everyday I was in the office, and I remember that I do have a brain that knows how to do work-related things, and not just make bottles, wash bottles, pick up cheerios, and change diapers. It is kinda rewarding to know that I can do both.

E's first week at daycare was really good. I heart our childcare provider, she is fantastic. E was smiling and happy, just like he's been at home... so to me I know he is well cared for when PC and I are working. I did manage to get the boy supper, and ourselves something to eat every night. I have come to see that meal planning on the weekends is going to make supper time less stressful during the week.

E been going to bed a bit earlier too... so although I am exhausted after putting him to bed, I do have an couple hours to get the house cleaned up, get ready for the next day, and maybe watch a show. I really don't know how people throw in a run, or hit the gym ... maybe I am too much of a newbie, but I have hard time feeling like I can do that right now. Hopefully if I get my rotational schedule mapped out better, I can figure out where to throw in the occasional workout, but for now, its taking a major backseat.

Yes... week 1 is done and over with, and week 2 is just around the corner, but in a way I am excited for it. This working mom of 1 is actually not the bad, but check back for the 'I quit' post in a few weeks, as I have a feeling my my optimistic approach will wear off soon!