Sneaky......

Do things every just sneak up on you?  They sneak up on me all the time.....school pictures, due dates for projects, birthday parties...the list goes on.  Usually when things sneak up on me it leaves me frazzled and racing around trying to do what I meant to get done before it happened. 

Just Monday we were getting ready for school and realized it was picture day.  Who schedules pictures on a Monday?  Certainly sending the kids home on Friday with a sticker that says "Picture Day tomorrow" is not enough to keep that fact in my head for the next 72 hours, no matter how bright pink it is.  Yet another week began in a rushed manner.

This is a very full time of year for me.  You see, my husband is an accountant. Leading up to April 15th he works 6 very late days a week.  That leaves my to get everyone where they need to be, and still get the things done I need to do.  Last week alone we had 4 soccer games, 3 baseball games, 3 soccer practices, 4 play rehersals, 1 acutal play performance, baseball pictures, and 2 birthday parties.  (Should I also mention that I had baseball hats, softball uniforms, soccer backpacks and birthday presents to finish embroidering for my at home business?) It is enough to make me crazy.  It is DEFINITELY enough for me to miss things that are sneaking up on me!

Today something else snuck up on me.  I had to take my oldest to the doctor this morning. Usually Tuesday is my Weight Watchers day. I weigh in, and then I stay for the meeting.  I need the motivation that this gives me to face another week.  Today I had her with me, so I couldn't stay for the meeting.

So, I took her to the doctor, and then on the way home I stopped by the church where the meetings are held, just to weigh in and leave.  I stepped on the scale and handed the lady my "monthly pass."  She looked at the scale, and then looked at the pass.  "Why are you still using that? Go ahead and cancel it.....you are back at your goal."

What????  How did I miss that happening?  Usually I am so anal retentive that I weigh myself every day.  Certainly I would have noticed.  Then I realized with everything else going on, the number on the scale just didn't seem as important.

What was important though, is that I have been planning meals, and making healthier choices.  I have been snacking on fruits and vegetables, and as a family we have been skipping the drive thrus.  Because of the changes in my diet, I have the energy to face all that the springtime activities throw upon me.  The kids are eating and snacking healthier, and have been asking for specific fruits when I go to the store.  This planning of meals and healthier way of eating has actually benefitted our hectic lifestyle.

Sunday after my daughter's soccer game I took her to Sonic for a drink.  I was hungry, and I actually ordered a BANANA off of their menu.  I knew I had a soccer game later, and anything else was going to make me sick to my stomach.  I have been listening to my body, and it actually likes healthier foods. I have created a habit of planning meals, and eating healthier.  And JUST IN TIME.

It looks like shorts weather just snuck up on me.

Two months in...........

Now that I am 2 months in to my bucket list I thought I would check and see what I have accomplished so far.  I feel like I have done so much- but I still have so much left to do!!!  I appreciate all the love and support I have gotten in completing these items, and I am having so much fun, and learning so much about myself along the way.  Here is where I stand- yellow items are done, pink are in process.

40 Before 40- March Update

1.      Feed the homeless

2.    See Ruby Falls and Rock City

3.    Climb Stone Mountain

4.    Do Clemson tri with friends (Steph???)

5.    Wear a bikini in public

6.    After a negative experience with someone, find the positive in them and let them know what it is.

7.     Make a pillowcase for the Cancer center (http://www.conkerrcancer.org/) –done and delivered!

8.    Get a mammogram (EVERY.DAMN.YEAR.)

9.    Apply for Survivor

10.Zumba with Darby-done- just in the nick of time!

11.   Go on a group bike ride

12.  Get back to Lifetime at WW-working hard- only 4 lbs away

13. Start a blog done J

14.  Compete in a race with the goal of placing, not just finishing.

15. Get my hair straightened.-bought the Groupon, just have to do it!

16. Buy an expensive (over $$$100) pair of jeans

17.  Wear these jeans with high heels

18. Go horseback riding with Mary

19. Take the kids to a drive in

20. Visit at least 1 new city New Orleans

21. Take the kids to a Clemson soccer game

22. Contribute to my IRA

23. Take my girls to the “Take your daughter to Clemson” weekend

24. Make it to the bus stop one day without raising my voice EVEN ONE TIME. thanks to all of the advice and help from friends

25. Pay the toll for the car behind me.

26. Build a house with Habitat.

27. Learn to knit- left handed

28. Eat a meal made up completely of food I have grown and/or caught.

29. Show up as mystery reader in costume (stolen idea from a FB friend) Dr. Seuss’ birthday- great fun J

30. Get a physical. (And not just the “girly” stuff) easy- and I learned some things too

31. Have lunch with an old friend and catch up (Thx Chelle!) several times over

32. Take a clay class with Kelly

33. Make a list of 10 people I know in my life that have inspired me 3 so far

34. Wear pajama jeans to the mall (which means I have to get some!) got them, just have to get to the mall now!

35. List 10 times I was way wrong good for reflecting and learning

36. Support someone in something I don’t believe in, just because I love them In process, and guess what?  I think they were right!

37. Mardi Gras (why haven’t I thought of this before???) fun, fun, fun!

38. Run down “The Hill”

39. Zip line in Georgia

40. Interview my parents about their youth, and capture it.

Okay, what to say? Some of the things I have learned so far...............

Sometimes I have to force myself to do things NOW.....I can put them off further and further, until they never happen.  Some examples of why pushing myself was good? 

I took the Zumba class with Darby at my gym, and the next week the gym closed.  If I had waited, I wouldn't have been able to finish it. 

I spent some time with Chelle, and the next day she moved to Houston. 

I had a physical, and I found out my Vitamin D level was REALLY low.  Fixing that has given me more energy and raised my moods. 

Forcing myself to take another look at our morning routine has made all of our lives easier.  It sets the mood for a more enjoyable and more productive day. 

Some of the things so far were just downright fun :) 

Showing up for school in costume was a great way to pleasantly surprise my 2nd grader, and find out how embarassed my 4th grader could get (although she told me later that she really thought it was neat, and I would have to try harder next time if I REALLY wanted to embarrass her.) 

Going to Mardi Gras last minute was a great experience for both me and my kids.  The bonus of it was finding a friend that was as crazy as me to meet me there with her kids.

Doing Zumba at the gym was actually a good time- the music and energy in the room was enough to get me going.

And the biggest thing- setting a timeline has forced me to prepare early for things.  For those who know me well, you know that I am not a big planner.  I move best at the last minute.  For many of these items though, I have to get set up in advance. 

I am setting aside time to train for the races I am doing, take the kids to the places I really want to take them, and making time for friends that I haven't seen or talked to in a while.  I even made a point to have a Cat in the Hat outfit for Dr. Seuss's birthday :)

Instead of getting so caught up in the everyday of soccer/baseball/basketball/play practice, we are finding time to do the things that we really want to do in the time we have to do it.

So......thanks for hanging in with me so far. I am working on the rest of the list, and I am committed to getting it done!  As a matter of fact, I just got the Lands End catalog in the mail and I am getting ready to check out the bikinis :)

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez

 

20. Visit at least 1 new city

37. Mardi Gras (why haven’t I thought of this before???)

Some of the things on my bucket list are time sensitive.  The kids were off of school last week, and I looked at the calendar.  I realized that if I was going to make it to Mardi Gras this year I had to do it NOW.  So I called up a friend, grabbed the kids, and headed to New Orleans.  Booked a hotel on Wednesday, left Thursday morning with my three kids (and no hubby, because it is tax season and there is NO WAY that he could take four days off work.)

Now, because this is how I work, instead of going to bed early Wednesday night to prepare for my trip, I instead made my kids a new wardrobe of Mardi Gras inspired shirts.  We just can't go somewhere without appropriate wear.  Once I was happy that I had six new t-shirts made we got the car packed and ready to leave.

The drive was long, but uneventful (unless you count the fact that I was going 15 miles OVER the speed limit in New Orleans, and was being passed on both sides,) and I got checked into our hotel.  At the last minute we managed to book a 2 bedroom/kitchenette suite for me, my kids, my friend Alecia, and her 2 kids.  It was close to everything, and was huge and clean for the price. She got there a few hours after we did, and we got the kids to bed so that we could go exploring the next morning.

We got the kids up and headed into the French Quarter to look around.  We parked our car in a little lot manned by a big man named "Robin" ( and when I say we parked, I mean he squished our car between two others, with a little more than 2 inches between them,)  and we started in to look at the sights.

If you have never been to the French Quarter at 8:30 in the morning, you are missing a very strange and pungent odor.  I would say that it is probably a combination of urine and puke.  They were just beginning to hose down the streets, so we were lucky enough to get a good whiff BEFORE it was washed away. 

From there we did lots of touristy things...took a mule and buggy tour, ate Muffellatas, toured the Catherdral, took a ride on a ferry boat, and caught a parade (my favorite- Krewe of Cork- all about WINE!)  Keeping up with the kids was a bit nervewracking, but I was proud of myself, I did make it all the way to 1:09 pm before I got a drink somewhere. Then we went back to Robin to get the car.

When we got to the lot there were 3 cars perpendicular to ours, blocking us in.  Robin told us "no problem," he would move them.  So the kids wouldn't get run over we made them get in our car.  Robin moved one of the cars and looked expectantly at us.  Alecia quickly told him, "You are going to have to get the car out.  It is too close for me still."  He got in and started to pull the car around the black Honda that he didn't think was neccessary to move. As he started to cut around the car, the Honda moved forward.  Guess it was too close for him too- he had hit the back bumper of the Honda with the side of Alecia's car.  We ran over and looked at the nice big black scrape down the side of her white van.  She started rubbing it, and luckily it rubbed off.  However, this was not the case for the white scrape on the black Honda.  Robin said "Don't worry about the Honda" and pulled the car the rest of the way around it.

 Alecia and I got in the car to leave, and one of the kids said,"Ummm, Robin said A LOT of bad words.  He said the 'sh' word, the 'h' word, and randomly threw in the 'F' word."  I rolled down the window and thanked Robin for teaching them new words, but I couldn't stop laughing because, my gosh, we were in New Orleans at Mardi Gras, and my kids learned bad words in the car of all places?  Seemed funny!  And then I thought, we let a random stranger in the car with them?  Great parents.

I could go on and on about the trip.....we saw many parades, met up with Maggie's 2 favorite teens- our babysitter Heather, and our cousin Jamie.  We got tons of beads, and ate local food.  I made in an hour later the second day before ordering a drink (that was SO strong that two of us couldn't even finish it.) It was a great experience, and I was SO glad we got to go.  Thanks so much Mandy for suggesting the trip.  Thanks Shannon for all of the advice.  Thanks Alecia for picking up at a moment's notice and meeting me there.  Thanks Nancy and Jefry for playing with and feeding my dog.  And thank you Jamie, for working so hard so that we could go, even though you couldn't. 

Here are some random pictures from the trip:

Jamie and I are planning an adult only trip back there soon- New Orleans is such a neat town that I would love to explore it more :)