Why Don't I Get More Accomplished?

Where time (and gas money) goes... An example of one of my days this week (Wednesday).

 5:45 - 6:40   Sleepily arise, with 55 minutes to make breakfast and lunch for Hubby and, also, Prince Inventive, who is just getting used to early hours for college, and for whom preparing his own breakfast doesn't sound too appealing at the moment.

 6:40 - 7:15   Run Hubby to work.

 7:15 - 8:40  Home for 85 minutes to clean the kitchen, then rally Prince Go-for-It, make his lunch, and discuss schooling matters that probably involve cutting some of his junior high classes and welcoming him back to the homeschooling fold. 

 8:40 - 8:50  Take Prince Go-for-It to school.

 8:50 - 9:45  55 minutes to email the school and search out homeschooling materials suitable for remedial work and meeting 9th grade high school requirements.

 9:45 - 10:00  Take Princess Eager to church for her child care job.

 10:00 - 10:30  Go to chiropractor, only to find ours is out of the office today.

 10:30 - 11:10  40 minutes at home for more computer research and to help Prince CuddleBunny bring in the large cans from the street, in order to do some trash and other chores. 

 11:10 - 11:35  Pick up Princess Eager from church.

 11:35 - 1:00  Settled at home for 85 minutes to make and eat lunch, work with Prince CuddleBunny, answer emails, research running shoes to try to find answers to Prince Go-for-It's new knee pain and his recent propensity to wear out shoes within weeks.  Too much computer time today.

 1:00 - 2:30  Accompany Princess Artiste to (5th) concussion check at the pediatrician's office... She finally has the OK to return to school. -- Half days this week, and back to full time next.

 2:30 - 2:40  10 minutes to drop Princess Artiste off at home, use the restroom, and grab a snack... and Princess Eager.

 2:40 - 3:15  Princess Eager  goes to the junior high for volleyball practice.  Trade her for Prince Go-for-It who goes from the junior high and to the high school for Cross-Country practice.

 3:15 - 3:55  40 minutes to ready an oven chicken dish and black rice with veggies so that Princess Artiste can put them in the oven, and start them on the stove, respectively, while I am out.

 3:55 - 5:35  Prince CuddleBunny participates in a mile and a half run, also at the high school... 

Waiting at the start line

It is really meant for 7th and 8th graders, but the Cross Country team is hosting, so Hubby and Prince Go-for-It invited him to compete.  He took a wrong turn and had to double back, adding about a half mile to his run, but he still finished in the middle of the pack of kids 6 yrs older than he.

 5:35 - 5:50  Drive the runners and their coach (Hubby) home.

 5:50 - 6:00  10 minutes to use the restroom, check on dinner, and leave serving instructions.

 6:00 - 8:00   Leave most of the family to eat the dinner while Prince Go-for-It and I trek to a nearby town's running store for shoe advice.  We found a font of information in "Miguel" at Route 16, who was generous with his knowledge of feet and gait, shoe construction, and training methods for running.  After being talked out of the 'minimal shoes' he thought he wanted, that will cause more problems and wear out quickly, 
we found a pair of shoes Prince Go-for-It can love.  They should stop the injury process he'd recently entered, hopefully in time for his twilight race on Saturday.

 8:00 - 8:30  Stop at Costco for sustenance and a few needs, then on to Big 5 for urgent necessities requested by Princess Eager... Pre-wrap in her school colors, so she could make hair decor for Thursday's 'away' volleyball match.  ;-)

 9:00 - 11:00  Home to stay.  120 minutes to help 3 kids with varying homework assignments, make sure enough laundry got done so Hubby has boxers for the next day (which he didn't find, as they ended up in a pile in the girls' room), keep an eye on "X Factor"  ;-), make sure everyone got to bed, try to set plans with Hubby for the next day's travels and appointments, and finally get the shower I'd been hoping for all day!

Final Stats: 8 hours 20 minutes at home (divided into 9 sections!), 8 hours 25 minutes out and about ( in 8 separate outings).  

This day was a little bit of an exaggeration of the typical.  We obviously don't have school changes, doctor appointments, and running shoe emergencies daily, but often 1 or 2 things to take their place... There is a lot of busyness here this fall!

Unexpected Turns

I had some plans for this past week... Mostly homeschooling and running kids to activities, plus lots of arrangements to make for dental, vision, and other medical appointments for various family members.  I'd also hoped to get the van towed (after lots of research into finding just the right, reputable, affordable, local garage) to finally be repaired after a year of sitting.  And there was my mom's birthday, which I hoped to go celebrate with her in some way.

But the week took turns I hadn't expected.  

Turn 1) 
"Mom, can you come and get me?"  
Tuesday afternoon I got a call from a teary Princess Artiste who had slammed, forehead first, into another teammate during a 'swimming-as-fast-as-they-could' drill in swim practice.  
She was in lots of head and neck pain, but wasn't sick or light sensitive, could recount the whole event, and made sense when she spoke.  I decided it would be OK to keep an eye on her for the evening and a nurse in the pediatrician's office agreed.

The next morning she was still in enough pain that school didn't seem possible.  I realized I had NO idea about when it might be appropriate to send her back to school or swimming, so off to the doctor we went.  After extensive questioning and testing, the doctor confirmed that she had a concussion, and prescribed complete physical and cognitive rest.  No sports, no school, no homework, no movies, tv, or video games, no work this weekend, and only light reading for about 15 minutes at a time, and lots of rest and sleep...for a usually very active girl.  Fun.

She was rechecked Friday, but her main symptoms (pain, fatigue, a little foggy thinking) hadn't diminished much, so the prescribed boredom will continue until she feels more like herself.  She has to be pain-free, without the help of pain relievers, before she can try even a half day back at school.  School will be added slowly, and only then will we talk about resuming any swim practice.  A disappointing way to start a sports season, but I'm happy with the care and caution of, not only her doctor, but the athletic medicine supervisor and her coach at school.  Brains are important!

--And so much for swimming being a non-contact sport...

Turn 2)
Frozen computer -> Restart with the screen showing only a folder with a flashing question mark -> lost hard drive.  :-{

Prince Stoic has used his iMac computer for about 5 or 6 years without a hitch.  Princess Bossy has had her Mac laptop since 2008, also without a problem.  I have mine for 2 years and phht.  

I posted on Facebook that I thought God was trying to tell me something... But was it to stay off the computer or to blog about DIY computer repair?  Just joking around, of course.  But since this hard-drive death came after the online game on which I'd become addicted (slightly obsessively) progressed to level 21, mysteriously reset to level 1  (We'd tried to do that weeks ago and couldn't do it), and after Ancestry.com kept signing me out between every record search... I actually think that maybe His message was to "Step away from the pretty, flashing box.... and live your life!"

It's amazing how many times a day I've caught myself trying to check that now-black screen for time or indication of an email message.  Now I've returned to my less-than-reliable PC laptop that can take up to 20 minutes to start up.  It's much less tempting to use as often.

But I've ordered a new hard-drive, so that DIY repair post might be possible yet...

Turn 3)
I want to be clear that I don't mean to belittle this one, by listing it in any kind of casual manner.  We got one of those calls that must come, but are never fun.  Hubby's mom, who had struggled with non-Alzheimer's dementia for the last decade or so, and especially worse in the last 2 years since his dad passed away, was mercifully taken Home by the Lord on Wednesday afternoon. It wasn't a surprise, but the earthly finality is still a difficult thing. We rejoice in her peace and heavenly restoration, plus her reunion with her husband, her younger sister, and her parents, all of whom preceded her.  

Holding hands again in Eternity

...I'll be loving you Always
With a love that's true Always.
When the things you've planned
Need a helping hand,
I will understand Always.

Always.

Days may not be fair Always,
That's when I'll be there Always.
Not for just an hour,
Not for just a day,
Not for just a year,
But Always.

I'll be loving you, oh Always
With a love that's true Always....

Irving Berlin

 --Words from my in-laws' wedding song, and a promise they kept to each other every day of their lives.

 The upside of such events is the reminder of values and priorities, and the extra and special time we've taken with Hubby's brothers and sisters-in-law. We've met to discuss arrangements for the services, which will be Monday, but have also shared some laughs over memories and old photos.

My Guest Gardener

See this lovely petunia?  I really love the soft, pink color, and the plant looks so healthy.

The funny thing is, I planted peas in that pot (far more than sprouted), and can take no credit for the petunia's existence nor heartiness...


and we don't have another petunia anywhere in the yard or container gardens.  

It was a bit of a mystery, until Prince Cuddlebunny  watched a hummingbird feeding from the fuchsias above (no photos, he was too fast!)... 
"Ew, he pooped!"

Ew, maybe... But, aha!  The petunia seed source, I'm sure.  And simultaneous fertilization obviously makes for a healthy seedling.

I will no longer be so cavalier as to taste my basil or other herbs, also growing in pots along the edge of the porch, without a thorough rinsing!

The Limitations of 24/7

A few people have wondered what's happened to me... I think the only answer is "Life."

I had written a few of my last blog posts ahead and scheduled them into the 'hopper,' so I could take a bit of time off, not only to have a break, but to get some sewing projects accomplished... But my sewing machine hasn't even been plugged in yet.

Time just got away from me, as I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I last posted.   I actually wrote the title for this post 3 days ago!

It's just busy here.  For all those who thought I 'had my hands full' when the kids were all little, and I had a houseful of toddlers and preschoolers, I have to say that it is nothing compared to the activity, needs, drama, and all out, roller-coaster ride of having a houseful of teens and young adults!  Add a slightly broken husband, who feels the urgency of completing a building job before he has to be back at school, parents with health issues and other events, and stir-in the transportation needs of 2 busy adults and 2 teens with jobs of varying hours sharing only 2 vehicles, and it gets downright wild.

I have been contemplating where blogging should fit in my life.  If I find spare moments, do I want to blog, or would I prefer... or be better served... or serve my family better by, perhaps, 
 - taking a walk 
 - housecleaning/maintenance/improvement
 - sewing
 - reading
 - having one-on-one time with Hubby or one of the kids?  

In that list, blogging obviously rates pretty low.  That could mean giving up blogging, getting a more portable computer to avoid growing to the chair with my back to life, or at least, limiting my blogging to a set time period, likely Saturday morning while everyone else sleeps in. -- Or like today, after I've transported Hubby and Go-for-It to a 5:45 AM bus for a cross-country meet, and Princess Artiste to work... while everyone else sleeps in.

A 'requisite photo' to fit today's post:
My sleepy, unshowered, hair-in-the-air,
Saturday morning, blogging self

I actually do have lots I've been thinking about--  Lots I've been trying, in terms of schedule, homeschool, and self/life-improvement, that I'd like to share.  But I'm, first of all, initially wordy and a bit of a perfectionist, so it takes me extra time to get a blog post "just right."  Then, of course, there are the requisite photos, which need to tell just the right story in the right size and location, which takes me more time.  

I have to get faster at this blogging thing, and more organized.  But I'll try.  I have been thinking about new formats, such as one that puts more information in far fewer blog posts (more like a newsletter), or I may just have fewer-than-I-used-to, and hopefully shorter, posts.  We'll see how it goes.  For those truly interested in hearing any of my latest, if you "Like" my blog page on Facebook, or sign up for email posts, it'll be easier to know when I've posted.

Thanks for hanging in there and caring.

Some teaser photos for future posts:

Make the Most of Your Mornings
at MoneySavingMom.com

photo by Mode Weddings