Settling in

Good morning friends.

The new daily routine is making itself known around here.
No more sleeping in until 7:30 for me, nope!
It is now early morning rising to get my 3 munchkins on the bus in a timely manner. I seem to be getting excellent results with my new magic alarm clock!
For my kids, being enthusiastically greeted by the dog is preferable to their charming mom coming in and gently waking them.
Whatever..I will go with what works!!

I find the evening before prep for the next day time to be more than worth its weight in gold.

The more you can accomplish as an off hand task the night before, the less you must accomplish in a time crunch the morning of.
You are doing this right!
You simply must, even if you are an unorganized right brain crazy like me, you can handle it.
Pack as much of those lunches as you can manage.
Help choose outfits for those girly girls and clothes for the boys!
Oh, yes there is a difference and don't try to convince my husband otherwise!!
Find the shoes which were shed with speed in all sorts of illogical places and put them in appropriate places.
Make sure all papers and books are already in backpacks.
Just cull through those things that must take place before a new school day and see what you can do the night before. Things will go so much more smoothly in the morning.

Some of this may sound silly to some of you who are old pros at this sort of thing, but I didn't used to be and wish I had known better... sooner.

I have to admit to you, that I didn't walk my dog for a whole week and a half. I can honestly say that part of that time I was in another state, and the other part I was in another state, of mind. Call it stressed out and exhausted with some lazy thrown in!

Now I am choosing to suit her up and head down the block to the bus stop with my 13 year old, having that as our starting place. I am not sure how long this behavior will be allowed, especially if I continue to choose to talk to the other kids at the stop! Ha ha ha.
I will keep ya posted on that.

Hey...look at this!

Do you know what that is???
Well, I will tell you what it is.
BLOOMS, on my new wisteria that my dear friends gave me as a house warming gift.
It shouldn't be blooming, not that I know of anyway.
It was a very, very nice surprise on my Monday that the kids returned to school.

Can I just tell you that was one of the longest days I have had in some time.
That first day of school yesterday.
I get used to the sound of my kids being here with me. Sure, it isn't always good sounds, but they are regular sounds.
It is far to quiet in my house, and I can't get Shelby to do much more than sleep. I need a good old 80's boom box to chase away the quiet.
I suppose I actually need a dock for my Ipod, duh!!

Sigh!!
Yes, I am puttering around here, literally and figuratively.
I am not motivated enough to scribe out a recipe, nor am I too much of a loser to write nothing.

How about another picture, to fill up some of this space.

I have no idea what these are called, but I do know that they open in the morning and close up tightly before evening.
This particular pot is hanging out by the pond, so it greets me when I go out to feed the fish.

oh, oh oh...One of my big orange fish is turning white!!!
And, yes I tried to take a picture of it, but fish don't pose well. He used to just have some speckles and now he is 2/3 white. I simply must do some research to find out what is happening.
My smallest fish is also white all over now as well.
I went back to my old photos and found something very interesting.
Just look, I managed to capture the moment in time when these sneaky fish were planning this!
See how the white one there with the orange on his head is whispering to the large orange one who looks like he's not really paying attention but who must have been or how else would he be turning white now.

Yes, I think that is hard evidence of what is actually going on out in my pond.

Sigh!

I know what my problem is today, and I was just avoiding telling you.
Tomorrow is my birthday.
And, somehow, when doing the math correctly I always end up with the number 40.
I can't possibly be on the doorstep of 40.
When did that happen? Where did the last 20 years go? People say time speeds up the older you get and I must say I am tending to agree.
I am not really opposed to getting older, I just can't fathom how it has happened, and so quickly.

Sigh...melancholy contentedness at its finest!
I wish my kids were home so I could give 'em a hug.
I am so thankful for my life, my family, my husband, my friends.
Sigh!

I think I will show some mercy here for you and just go change out the laundry!

And maybe bake a cake.
I know of a killer recipe, you can find it here!!