Things I am Learning About Myself

Geez, I haven't been on here in forever. Now that I am on facebook all the time...I don't make the time to blog like I used to.

I like facebook. I have reconnected with tons of old friends. We are getting together for lunch. Coffee. Drinks. Next week, while the kids are off we are meeting up at a playground with them in tow. There are plans for an informal reunion of my high school class at a park in a few weeks, which I am really looking forward to! I love reconnecting and seeing everyone's pictures.

I am learning a lot about myself. Maybe you need to go back to where you came from to learn about who you are. It seemed odd to me when I met some old friends for lunch and we all ordered margaritas and salads and then laughed about how that is what we always order when we go out! But it's more than that, most of the people that I was close to in high school share my political views (then there are those that I didn't get along with then and who are very vocal about their conservatism---was that part of the problem, though in a different way, back in high school...I mean the things that annoyed me then, were they just those inherent differences that make me a Democrat and them a Republican?)

I have also learned that while I LOVED being a stay at home mom when the girls were babies, I need to be busy now that they are in school full time. I work three days a week and on the two days that I have off, once the housework is done I am just bored. I feel guilty laying around reading or watching TV and doing needlework. I do yoga. I clean. I cook. I bake. I organize. I have done all of that...now I am looking for more things to clean and organize....lol.

I don't think I want to go back to work full time, I like being home when the girls get out of school. But I may look into taking on another day at work in September. I was offered the position of reference assistant when I go back in September (I get summers off)...but we have not discussed my hours. I love my job. And I am really excited to be a reference assistant. I love books and I absolutely love being around people who love books and talking about books, even helping someone find that little fact that pulls their whole paper together. That was always so rewarding for me in college, finding that one fact that just pulls it all together...and now I get to help people do that EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!

I am learning that I like to use my brain. Well, I guess I knew that but it was something that I had forgotten during all those years of diapers and sleepless nights.

I have learned that my hair doesn't look good in layers and if I want to stop eating so much I need to eat grapefruit.

I am learning that I can't just react. I need time to digest things and then my reaction is much different.

Simple Vacation

I don't like the idea of the stimulus. I don't like the idea of the deficit growing and the debt that this will mean to taxpayers.

But something has got to happen. My husband was on vacation last week. We had planned since last year to go to Jamaica. Then, more recently, after looking into it more had decided that our children are between ages for a lot of the activities at the resort, too old for Big Bird and babysitting but too young for discos and teen pools. We decided to go to Disney for a few days and Universal for a few days...

But in the long run, yes, my grandmother was sick and I didn't want to really plan anything until I knew she was fine. And yes, the plane crush in the Hudson scared me. But a week or so ago, Jason and I discovered that we could to to Disney & Universal for a fraction of what it cost us last time...and yet we were afraid to spend the money.

Even though we have the money in savings. Even though we know that everyone's fear of spending money is making this recession deeper.... We were too afraid to spend it. My friend Paul is on vacation next week and when asked where he was going he replied, "To the land of not taking any money out of savings. We are staying home. We couldn't relax on a vacation if we had to spend money right now."

This has got to change. Even though I hate the idea of the debt that the stimulus will cause and I am not an economist and I have no idea if this will work or how it will work...something needs to be done.

All in all, I think Jason enjoyed relaxing at home, being here when the girls got home from school. We went out to eat a few times, nothing lavish, just fun. We focused on appreciating what we have, not looking at what we don't have...which may be the silver lining in this whole thing.

Friday Fill ins

1. Please don't tell me any bad news.

2. Can you get my kids ready for school in the morning?

3. The color green makes me want to breathe deep!

4. I have a craving for Reese's peanut butter cups.

5. If my life had a pause button, I'd pause it back when my kids were toddlers.

6. Eyes are the window to the soul.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing, tomorrow my plans include getting my older daughter ready for her Father-Daughter Valentine Dance and Sunday, I want to get my younger daughter ready for her Father-Daughter Dance!

Friday Fill Ins #110

1. Please don't tell _____.

2. Can you _____ in the morning?

3. The color _____ makes me want to _____!

4. I have a craving for _____.

5. If my life had a pause button, I'd pause it _____.

6. Eyes are the _____.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____!

Friday Fill Ins #110

1. Please don't tell _____.

2. Can you _____ in the morning?

3. The color _____ makes me want to _____!

4. I have a craving for _____.

5. If my life had a pause button, I'd pause it _____.

6. Eyes are the _____.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____!

Friday Filled In

1. Please don't tell my secrets.

2. Can you get my kids ready for school in the morning?

3. The color green makes me want to smile!

4. I have a craving for Reese's peanut butter cups.

5. If my life had a pause button, I'd pause it back when my kids were toddlers.

6. Eyes are the windows to the soul.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing, tomorrow my plans include getting my older daughter ready for her Father-Daughter Valentine's Dance and Sunday, I want to get my younger daughter ready for her Father-Daughter Valentine Dance!

Decisions, Decisions...

Jason will be at the FA Bartlett Tree Expert Company for seven years the week after next. He has one more week of vacation time this year that he must take by then. So he is taking off all of next week--ten days altogether, counting President's Day.

We had toyed with going away for a few days. There are still some odds & ends that he wants to tie up in the basement, but we were thinking of 4 or 5 days at either a Beaches Resort, Costa Rica or Disney/Universal. We gathered lots of info and brochures...but, alas, I never applied for passports (there just does not ever seem to be enough time in a day!).

We were about to book 2 days at Universal (figuring one park each day) and 3 at Disney (figuring we would hit Magic Kingdom, Epcot & MGM one day each) when the plane went down in the Hudson and I just freaked. I had no idea that birds could do that! Apparently it is quite an issue and this was not the first time it has happened. Jason pointed out that even though it has happened before there are many flights that get off the ground just fine.... Then everything happened with my grandmother and I started having major anxiety about that...

Then all of this stuff with the economy...

Anyway, Disney is offering AWESOME deals and Jason thinks we should just do it. We can still get a really good rate on a flight for next Wednesday...but I never arranged to take off at my little job, although I am sure it would be okay....but I am...errrrrrrr....I am stressed about the economy, but then see the point in throwing some money into it...

I just can not make a decision. We just finished the basement and bought the TV and the Wii...I really think we are better off to wait until next year, but maybe these rates are because of the poor economy and we will never get such a great deal again! Besides I like having a nice nest egg IN THE BANK during these economic times...

It's so hard to know what to do and if, during this tough economy, you should just proceed business as usual or not...