Back in the Saddle

We woke up at 6:30 this morning after a summer of lazy mornings lounging in bed for longer than I'm willing to admit publicly. Lucy looked around and said, "What the hell is going on?" 

We are still working with one car, though I'm sure very soon I'll lose my patience with the situation now that there are no more busses. When this happens I'll probably steal your car. Sorry. As of now I'm running a literal chauffer service just like the most cliched cliche. 

When I drop Logan at the office I yell as loud as I can, "Make sure you're waiting for me after school! I don't want to have to find you!!!!"

He's loving it. 

I think I'm going to see a movie all by myself today. It's the kind of thing I always mean to do but never really do. 

Since I am still just an unemployed nothing, I'm thinking I need to do more of those things I always mean to do during the day. Mostly so I don't sit around the house wishing I was being more motivated to do things. 

Which brings me to my School Year Resolutions:
Find a shared work space. 
Build routine into my day, everyday.
Conquer the several painting projects I have around the house. 
Repaint the entire first floor and upstairs hallway.
Nest the hell out of my house. 
Get back to cooking for a bit.
Buy a new camera. 

Do you have any resolutions for this school year? "Eat Frosting Naked On The Kitchen Counter"? Or "Finish That Thesis"? 

Show off.

Comments

[Erin]

Well, I don't have kids in school yet (I'm not that lucky), but I am 9 months pregnant. I'm nesting the hell out of my house and my husband is sick of it. I can help nest your house so he can stop rolling his eyes at me!

[ellbee]

Erin--me too! Although, my nesting is more of the clean the hell out of the car then bake a hundred cookies for bribing the nurses at the hospital, so...maybe I can come clean your car, Melissa, so you feel like a high-class chauffeur?

[Petey]

Yes - I am going to get up early - even on the weekends! I work full time and have 3 kids so I act as if it's my right to stay in my pajamas until noon on the weekends. After all - I'm up early during the week! But it's not fair to the kids to have a lazy mom. So I vow to be showered by 8am - okay 9am - on the weekends.

And I might start cleaning a little too.

[emily]

We just got a dog, too, last January. It is my goal to get up and have the dog walked, my shower done and the whole "morning coffee/computer time" done BEFORE the kids get up. Yeah.

[Kizz]

Well, 2 things really.

The most pressing is that I adopted a new dog sight unseen. He's awesome but he doesn't come when he's called. He needs to come when he's called so he can be allowed off leash in the park. So dog training. ASAP.

And I'm writing a book. It's about pets. I just started writing the pitch yesterday.

[emily]

Um finish my thesis. EIGHT YEARS is far too long to be working on a very long piece of drivel that no one will ever read.

[Elizabeth]

For Kizz - My advice for teaching your dog to come when called is to take yummy treats (like cut up hot dogs) to a fenced in tennis court. Let him/her off leash, give him/her a treat and then let him/her run amok. Keep calling him and use the hot dogs as rewards when he/she comes back to you. Repeat every few days. After a while you will not need hot dogs anymore!

My School Year resolution is to walk or run a lot. I don't do it when the kids are home so I'm going to take advantage of being a stay-at-home mom! My dog will love me even more than she already does!

[Pamela]

Unpack all those boxes that the movers brought into our new house the other day. Also need to figure out how to add exercise into the new routine I'm making for myself. Hmm. Not enough hours in the day, obviously.

[Jessica]

Mine is get up and work out before 9. I'd like to start walking with the dog but I need the slime stuff for my stroller wheel and I never seem to remember to get it!

[becky]

Being better about using that hour between when I get home from work and when the big yellow angel drops her off. And using my Friday off day better.
Not sure what I'm going to do with the time though. Sew? Hopefully. Clean? Perhaps just a touch. Develop new cocktails? Definitely.

[Janene]

Can I just borrow your resolutions?

I really need to buy a new camera - in fact, I'm doing some research later tonight after I get the kids to bed.

I already bought the paint to paint my kitchen - but can't seem to find a chunk of time large enough to start tackling it. Plus, DH thinks that we need to prime it and we haven't bought primer, yet.

I have started cooking a lot more - I'm looking into the cooking and freezing thing. I'm thinking of giving it a shot because there are so many nights when I don't feel like cooking and it would be so much easier if I had something to just pull out of the freezer! :)

Finally - nesting would be a blessing for me...my house needs it VERY badly!

So there - I'm just "borrowing" your list! hehehe

[Debra]

Not turn into a crazed drilled sergeant every night during the school week. HA ! I am zero for 3 already but have high hopes for tonight.

[Amy]

I'm so glad that the witty and sarcastic Melissa is back! I've missed you.

Go see Inception and splurge for the large popcorn!

[Juliet]

1)Um, get up early enough to work out and not run around like a crazed lunatic every morning.
2)Not stay up till midnight because of #1
3)Lay off the wine at night because of #1
4)Buy new clothes because of #1
5)Become rich and famous because of #1

Man, I would have my shit together if I could just get up earlier -- who knew? Maybe my kids would do well in school, too.

I'm going to try it next week, yeah next week...

Enjoy your movie -- I'm supa' jealous!!

Juliet
www.parentingfromthecouch.wordpress.com

[Sheila]

I read your list a little too fast for my brain, because I thought you wrote "Consider the several painting projects I have around the house." Right away I thought, "Now that's a list item I could get behind!"

Myself, I have many painting projects to consider around here, which should keep me very busy contemplating until Fall Break, at least.

[Sheila]

I read your list a little too fast for my brain, because I thought you wrote "Consider the several painting projects I have around the house." Right away I thought, "Now that's a list item I could get behind!"

Myself, I have many painting projects to consider around here, which should keep me very busy contemplating until Fall Break, at least.

[Michelle]

Forgive me for latching onto the phrase "unemployed nothing": Having recently endured 10 months of unemployment, I certainly understand the feeling. But it's important not to spend too much time thinking you need a job to be valuable and productive. You're important to your family, whether or not you have a money-paying, outside-the-home job!

Ahem. I know I'm probably overreacting, because it does sound like you've got a solid list of goals going. I would say having a daily routine was key to surviving my unemployment and not sinking too far into despair.

Of course, my new goal is to develop daily routines that can accommodate the fact that I'm now away from the house for 10 hours a day. I honestly forgot how to go to work and still get laundry done and dinner cooked on a regular basis!

[StacyfrPgh]

This is the first time in 23 years I have not had anyone home. My husband is working for a very long term assignment in a state 8 hours away. My daughter is on her own, and her brother is at college. I plan to work at my 'small jobs', exercise more, organize the house and paint my bedroom. I am a little worried about getting lonely and bored, but I am trying to cut those feelings off at the pass.

Enjoy the school year!

[StacyfrPgh]

Oh, Melissa--one more thing--I remembered that one year I decided that I would wake both kids with a smile on my face, whether I liked it or not. and then I sent them out the door with a smile on my face. I just thought it started the whole day off on the right foot--for everybody.

[Alana]

My resolution for this school year is to survive my final year of nursing school without gaining any more weight, losing my mind, and letting my house get too bad. Oh yeah, and making sure to wash clothes and prepare dinner for the family regularly. It's only the second week, and I am already exhausted. May cannot come fast enough for me.

[deborah]

Volunteer more. Always feels good to get outside of myself a bit.

[Josephine]

"Build routine into my day, everyday."

That's a huge one for me.

I'll start Monday since I've already screwed up today. Tomorrow's too soon, I have to prepare mentally and I'm sure I'll need a nap tomorrow. And the weekends are a write-off, forget about the weekends.

[Michele]

I love going to the movies by myself. Unfortunately, I'm finding it difficult to find a movie that will let me out in time to get the kids from school. I am vowing to clean out the boys' rooms and exercise more!

[Poppy]

Juliet I love you :)

My (hopeful) new routine will be...

Stay OUT of bed once the kids leave.

Walk the dogs.

Do creative pursuits (I do watercolor, spinning/weaving/knitting and really want to nest my house too.)

Lunch

Houseclean

Cook/bake

Family time

MY TIME.

Get my ass to bed reasonably early.

On top of that I want to start hanging out with my friends more; summer kind of killed that.

Cheers to Back to School and Routines!

[Poppy]

One... ok two more.

EAT regular meals and snack. No more of the starvationtillIhavetostuffmyself crap.

Volunteer at something I would really like to do (senior visits or animal shelters). I have at 44 decided that for now I have retired. Sick of wondering what I am going to do when I grow up.

Now the secret is keeping busy and happy!