How We Spend Our Days Now

Today is my third kid-free day and the boys' fifth day of school. How are they doing? Great! Ollie actually de-bussed on Monday with both fists in the air and a big smile on his face. It was a big relief to this mom and dad. Of course by bedtime he was telling us that "actually it was the worst day of my life." Ah, there's my Ollie! Too bad I don't believe him. Rhett is also doing well. He's so good at this school thing that I wasn't worried. I'm sure he'll have a great year. The surprising thing is our afternoons. On Monday and Tuesday the boys came home from school and just played so well together! It was almost as if they hadn't spent all day fighting. Oh wait, it was just like it. We almost didn't have books-on-couch-time because they were so wrapped up in what they were doing. It was lovely.

But I'm sure you're wondering how I'm doing. Pretty well! I think I need to slow down and learn how to sit, but that has to wait for now. This week I've been doing tons of cooking. Breakfast prep (two batches of taquitos), lunch prep (pizza buns), dinner prep (hot dog pretzels, enchiladas), and even some snack prep (energy balls). So it's been a lot of kitchen time (which means a lot of dishes time--ugh), but once I get stuff in the freezer I should be good for awhile. We had to overhaul our breakfast routine and menu, but I think we got it.

I've also done laundry, started my lesson outline for Sunday, worked on our "scrapbook" for Germany (I have a 50% off coupon from Shutterfly but I have to use it by September 6th so I'm really trying to get it done), and vacuumed. But all of that has happened during "me" time. I'm really trying to push all my chores to when the boys are gone so that in the morning and evenings I can really be present, you know? Instead of always thinking about everything else I should/could be doing. And hey, for the first two days--I did it! We'll see how I'm doing come June.

I guess the main idea is, so far so good! Of course we have the next two Mondays off, reducing my "me time" by one-third. Sigh.

P.S. Holy crap. On Wednesday, Maryland's governor decreed that next year, school will start after Labor Day. I'm livid. Fuming. I hate this so, so very much. If it's declared legal (that's debatable, apparently), what will I do? This is terrible. Worst news of the entire month and it's only the 2nd.

P.P.S. While working on my Germany book, I watched the movie "Room." Another holy crap. I read the book, but man, seeing it? A totally different experience. I cried. A lot.