For some reason lately I have been going full steam ahead. I feel like I have to remind myself to breathe. With everything going on my priorities are changing, meaning that I have to get one thing done right now and push other things back. I have always been the type of person to work on several projects at a time so that I don't have things hit deadlines back to back. It has always been simpler and less stressful for me. Lately I have so many things needing the right now attention that I can only focus on literally one thing at a time. It's a very different mindset for me.
People always say "enjoy" this or that. I'm trying...oohh I'm trying. I have less time it seems everyday. I'm hitting deadlines, but barely. Everything has a calendar time and appointment expect my workouts (so I gave it a time slot on my calendar, and a nap time.) A good night sleep is great, when that can happen. I use to say when the kids were little "oh when they get older I will be able to sleep through the night" blah blah. It's not the case. They are teenagers!! They come alive when the sun goes down, so every bump in the night I'm constantly waking up to just to make sure they are sleeping etc. The weekends exhaust me, so come Monday I am wiped out.
I have so many things to blog about, hopefully I'll get to them sometime this week. (I speak as if it was Monday, and it's already WEDNESDAY). Well I'm off to spend the day in the service department, just for the standard maintenance on my car. (I'm carrying my bag of things I need to do with me) Have a great day all!!
I know I'm a little behind on this post, but sometimes it takes awhile for things to settle in. I haven't been to the melon festival in years. I'm not a big one for having little mini reunions here's why. For some reason unknown to myself I have a terrible problem recognizing and remembering people from twenty years ago. And it seems that I come off as being snobby and rude, which we all know I'm not. Usually when I run into someone and they recognize me I spend the conversation trying to figure out who they are.
So I returned kicking and screaming to the melon fest this year, because of my dear daughter. It was a very long day. The morning started off with a tour of milan for the royalty followed by a luncheon, and the parade. The surprising thing to me was the way my daughter viewed a town that I ran around in my youth. She was fascinated with Thomas Edison's birthplace, delighted to see the festival in a town square, everything seemed 'fancy' to her. (A huge sigh from me here) Are you kidding me??? So I paused, put everything I always knew and viewed this riveting town through her eyes. (I can not begin to tell you how hard this was for me.) I did get excited to see the band, but being in a different phase of my life I cheered and hollered when our school's band came through.
I'm getting some emails lately asking me how am I getting free stuff?
- Well first off I sign up for a ton of free samples and get them through the mail.
- If I really like a product I send the company an email saying just that, and sometimes they send me coupons to use on the said product.
- I belong to a few sites that I actually get a voucher for a company's product try it and send them my review of the product.
- The big question is how am I getting free things at the everyday stores. The answer is kinda simple I have coupons I know all the sale prices and coupon policies at the area stores making a lot of the products "free".
Now I'm starting to get at a point where I'm making a few cents on some of these products. At certain stores I will have a $1 off coupon and the item will be like 94 cents making a profit of 6 cents to use towards other items I'm purchasing. The other big thing right now at a few of the drug stores that have money off coupons they give you towards the next purchase. For these stores I usually have 3 different transactions and these extra vouchers left over. Today I was on my game and had $60 worth of products that I ended up paying a little over $8 for.
I know it seems hard to believe, but if you are in doubt ask my kids. For that matter mom has went shopping with me and it does exhaust her, but even she is impressed at the savings.
The other question is do I use all my coupons? Nope, not even close. When they expire I send them to military families that can use expired coupons for up to 6 months after the expiration.
I have great kids...that being said they are still teenagers. My hair has to be dyed faithfully (the hair that isn't falling out) some would say it's because of my age...I say it's because of the teenagers. I journal more now than when I was a teen, sure it relieves stress, but I also can't wait to show it to my grandkids about how their parents behaved, lol.
It was never a big surprise to me that I raise my kids differently than a lot of parents. That being said I think they tell me way too much about the teenage world. Some things I think I'd be better off not knowing. I am constantly reminding them at the start of their stories "remember I am your parent first not your school buddy". I am preparing them not just to survive this world, but to thrive in it. I'm teaching them to deal with disappointment, life's unfairness, finding balance, working hard, and about a thousand other life lessons that I never thought about.
It's easy to get swept up in their drama, life's drama, and all the other craziness of life. Usually I can keep the balance pretty good making sure to find some workout time to keep stress at bay and have some me time. Lately I got a little less me time, a little less cleaning time, and a standstill at my weight loss. I am a huge organizer and when my schedule gets out of control it shows all over my life. I was able to fill in all the calendar events times and places and said 'no' to events I just can't fit in right now, gave the fridges a deep cleaning and have started my fall cleaning. THIS has somehow put a much needed balance into my world and doesn't make all the teens drama get to me nearly as much.
The photo is a paddle-boat rental at the wellington metro park. My friend had her son & daughter in law's baby shower at the park. I was blown away with how beautiful it was. It was indoors in the air. The room had full size glass windows to see right out at the paddle-boats and the beautiful scenery. I didn't know any of the parks had a place like this, and that it was so close to us.
The last two weeks seem to be straight out of one of those old black and white Alfred Hitchcock movies. When I watched this as a kid it did a couple of things one half way through I was like "what?, huh?" or it took me to the very end and left me shaking my head. This in general, now that I think about it, describes teenagers.
We've had festivals left and right, exciting things happening at school and not so exciting, we've cried through most of the drivers ed which ended up just fine (as I said it would), we've seen huge growths and some immature moments that leave you thinking 'are you 5 yrs old again?', I've had some couponing trips that leave me impressed with myself which of course get squashed by a larger bill here and there, and we've thrown in some unexpected trips to JoAnne fabrics for sewing items that walmart just doesn't carry.
Now all of this being said I've been catching myself capturing some brief moments in time to see some great things and meet some great people that ordinary don't ever come up in the middle of crazy busy life. I met an 85 yr. old man today with his walker and stool sitting alone in the shade waiting on the parade. I stopped and took a sip of water and began talking with him. It was one of those conversations that make you stop and listen to every word like you were a child listening to a great story. The other day I got a phone call from a lady from book club asking me if I had a few hours to spare to help her set up a lunch she'd already prepared for the workers out at habitat for humanity. I went with her and was blessed from start to finish, within those blessings I met a 93 yr. old man...he asked me to hand him his pliers that he'd left on the truck...he was up on a ladder.
Through all the crazies there is a spot of shade or a glass of tea that brings time to a small stand still to let you enjoy a moment of "awe".
