Week 7-I've got S-P-I-R-I-T!!!

OK..side note, it makes me laugh that every time I type the word "Spirit" I have to do a cheer from high school in my head.. 'S-P-I-R-I-T- SPIRIT!!" I digress...

I have been attending our church for almost 10 years... and I have always wanted to be a part of a small group. (For those of you that are lost, a small group is just that... a small group of people from a church that meet to talk... simple) I would be tempted to join one, and then I would get scared... The Hubby and I did join one when I was pregnant with LC, but we didn't have a connection with the other couples in the group, so once the 5 weeks were up, we didn't do another meet up.
Anyway, I kept having a pull to join a group and then one day I received a call from my cousin who was also wanting to join a group, but couldn't find one, so she wanted to start one up... and she wanted ME to help! Well, this was a great opportunity and I already knew ONE person... so I jumped at the chance.
Funny thing, the study that we were going to do was on "The Power of a Whisper"... about the whispers that God send us... uh, didn't I get a whisper about small groups? I was already super excited!! :)
It's amazing he changes that can happen to you, once you open up your heart!

Week 6-Date Night!

Doesn't the saying go, you don't know what you've got, until it's gone? Well, I think that rings true for The Hubby and I's Date Nights.
BC (Before Children) The Hubby and I never had to schedule date nights... a Date Night could be a random Tuesday night, or a dinner and movie on a Sunday afternoon. We didn't have to plan it... we didn't have to call someone to make sue that THEY are available... we didn't have to budget an extra $50 at the end of the night... and if The Hubby and I wanted to stay the night at a hotel... we could!! But you know what... we didn't take advantage of these FREE evenings or moments like we should have... if my Mommy-self could visit my Pre Mommy-self I could tell her to take every opportunity she could to do Date Nights.
Its not that The Hubby and I have a boring life... we do not. We just have to be more creative when it comes to Date Night. No longer does Date Night mean we have to leave the house and here is where my change comes in... we will have Date Night once a week.. AT HOME! One night a week, I will make the boys mac & cheese, get them bathed and in bed an hour earlier than usual and I will make an easy dinner for The Hubby and myself... we can be creative... it can be take out... whatever!! As long as we're connecting with each-other... just the two of us!!
This is a change that will make our marriage stronger and our family even stronger!!

Week 5- Three's a crowd

We had a problem in our house... a 5 years old, middle of the night problem. LG would climb into our bed at night, and proceed to turn from a sweet little boy into a wiggly octopus... arms and legs moving every which way and ending up in our face/back/stomach/all of the above! We (i.e. the Hubby and I) were not sleeping.. and were waking up grumpy! We tried SO many things to stop these late night visits... bribes, walking him back to his room EVERY TIME, having HIM walked back to his room ALONE, etc... nothing took. Until we figured that it was time for a MAJOR change... one that was right under our nose..and on our door all along... the lock!! Simple enough, but it was very difficult (especially for yours truly!) but I was tired and ready to try.
The first night: LG came to our door, tried to open it, screamed, banged on the door and then ran back to his room... I got up and met him in his room, explained that mommy and daddy need their own bed, and LG needs his own bed.. that we ALL sleep better and then can have better days. Hugged him and told him that I loved him and went back to my room, with a locked door. About an hour later, he returned and repeated the above... I was starting to think that this wasn't going to work. BUT.. the following night was better (only 1 time) and the night after that ZERO times!
Sometimes, changes are not what we think is best, but in the end, they are changes that are needed.

Week 4- It's Cleaning WEEK!

I few years ago, a book found me at a consignment shop titled The Happy Housewife. It was a breath of fresh air for this harried housewife. You could say it became my Housewife Bible!
No one really hands you over a "how to manual" on this line of work... you just get thrown into the water and shouted at to swim! I found the book helpful, eye-opening and my therapist; all rolled into one. One thing that I LOVED about this book, was the simple take on house cleaning... gone were the ONE day of cleaning the house.. and (GASP!) you could clean the house in a week. Every day would be a task or two, and by the end of the week, you'd have a clean house and a happy housewife!

So, this week's change isn't a "new" change but a "revisited" change. As many things do, when one thing in life changes, other things follow. I had to roll with the punches and adjust. My "old" cleaning schedule wasn't working.. so I had to change it; add some things in, take some things out and see what works best.

So here is my NEW and IMPROVED Weekly Cleaning Schedule!! (Tada!)

Monday- Manic Mopping Monday!
*Vacuum & Mopping in Playroom, Dinning Room & Living Room

Tuesday- Toilets & Towels Tuesday!
*Clean bathrooms & wash towels

Wednesday- DUST you forget about me Wednesday
* Dust, dust, dust!

Thursday- Sheets & Shopping Thursday!
*Change & wash sheets. Grocery shopping!

Friday- Finally Floors Friday!
*Vacuum & Mop all bedrooms

I do a load (or 2) or wash everyday to keep up. On the weekends, I don't do much... just some picking up around the house (especially Sunday night) and just enjoy the time with my boys.

Some changes aren't new, but they are improved! :)

Week 3- Securing the Air Mask

I have to say that this has been a tough change, but as many changes go they get easier as days go by. Right?

First, let me explain the title... when you're flying, the flight attendant always tells the parents, in case of emergency, to secure their own air mask first before securing the air mask of their child. As parents, it's a tough thought... you're asking ME to put MYSELF before my child?! But when you think about it, it makes complete sense... what good are you to your child, if you have passed out trying to get their air mask on? Think about it.

So, my "air mask" is making sure that I am up, dressed and 80% ready for the day BEFORE my kids wake up. Yeah, I said BEFORE...

Many of you that have known me "BK" (Before Kids) know that sleep is my favorite thing... ever! I would always sleep until one kid or both kids would wake me up... they were my alarms and our days would go from 0-60 before my feet even hit the floor... not to mention before I had my first cup of coffee. Our house was hectic, me rushing this way, yelling something that way and trying to get 1,000 done before we walked out the door in 15 minutes. It was impossible and not fun. I would say to myself, "I HATE when my days start like this!" And here I had the choice to change it... so I did.

Now, is it hard waking up when it's still dark outside, and the temp is a chilly 32 degrees AND The Hubby is snuggled under the covers... YES!! IT'S VERY HARD! But, I push myself.. and know that the end result (happy mommy, happy kids, happy family) is well worth it.

And of course, I give myself a lazy day... one day to just sleep until I hear 'Mommy, mommy, MOMMY! What are you going to make me for breakfast?" And those are the days that I nudge The Hubby and roll over for 15 more minutes of snooze.

Week 2- Me Time

As mothers of little ones know, the words "me time" are distant memories. Even using the restroom alone is a thing of the past. A little me time is something that we all want.. something we all need. It refreshes us. It gives us a time to take a breath. Time to take a nap! Many mothers have a hard time with this... they feel as if they are abandoning their children, but in reality, they are doing the best for them by giving THEM some "me time" too.
So, this week, LC started "school" one day a week... every Thursday, I will have 4 hours of "me time"... four hours for grocery shop in peace... four hours to clean the house without stopping.. four hours to do whatever I'd like! And when those four hours are up, I will pick up my little man and be a new and refreshed mommy; which is a BIG chamge that will affect our whole household. As the saying goes, ' When Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

Week 1- Volunteer

I like the thought of volunteering. I look at the Sunday paper of the volunteer opportunities and say to myself. "I should do that!" or 'That would be great to take the boys to!" But, after that brief moment, life continues and the thoughts are pushed into the dusty corners and are left there until next Sunday when I walk out to pick up the paper.
But, this week, I took the first step int he right direction to make this change. I joined a Woman's Giving Circle that my cousin and I are co-founding together. Every month, we are going to give our time, our talents or our tithing to help local organizations that we feel pulled towards. We have a great group of diverse ladies that will meet monthly and share in the act of volunteeing. And best yet, we named ourselves the Volunteer Vixens!! How perfect, right? I'm excited to make this change... which will make myself and my community better.

****UPDATE!!****

Thursday, January 20th was our first Volunteer Vixens Project- Feeding the Homeless in Downtown Orlando. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but as we pulled up to the site where the event was taking place, but heart leaped... with joy, with saddness and with hope. I was nervous and I was excited. It was an experience that I will do again. I left filled with God's love... and a happy heart!

My friend Natalee, my cousin Christy & myself after our first Volunteer Vixens project