Monday, May 7, 2012

Sorry for the absence on here...

Life has been kicking my a$$ the past few weeks.  Not sure what (if anything) has significantly changed, but I feel like I have been a one-armed paper-hanger of late and finding time to sit with my thoughts, let alone write them out, has been a trial.

Fortunately for me, Eric is on his short week this week, and the girls are in finals, so hopefully I will have more help with the baby and can get myself caught back up and on track again.  I am a week behind in assignments (didn't get last week's done for any number of reasons, including exhaustion at the end of the day) but I need to get those caught up, along with doing the three due this week.  My house is coming together (been tackling spring cleaning) and I have stopped confining the toddler to the livingroom, which has added to my exhaustion as she tests boundaries and limits of cabinets, buttons, doors, and stairs (if the gate is not up). It is something she needs to come to terms with (the word NO), especially given what an escape artist ("problem solver") she already is, but it is a challenge keeping up with her, and she has the attention span of a flea. Biggest challenge is with the dogs--she wants to feed them, lay on them, and generally pester them--and getting her to understand that they are bigger than her and not as interested in being her toy as she is in corralling them and interacing with them.

I have been taking her outside to wear off energy, and it helps that the neighborhood kids flock over when she is out (extra eyes and distractions) but it's been so hot lately that I try not to let her over-do things. I have had little to no time to myself for handwork or other distractions, and of course, that results at times in a cranky, crabby grandma too.  This little girl of ours is strong-willed, determined, and inquisitive, but she is also tender-hearted and her feelings are easily bruised, so it's a fine line trying to navigate encouragement and discipline.  Blech!

Reimond's girlfriend is not able to come to IL after all for his birthday/prom, and now we are looking at trying to send him up to Alaska for Memorial weekend...  It will mean missing a few days of school, and that may be a problem; on the one hand I think it would be good for him to go, but on the other, he already has so much on his plate that I don't want to overwhelm him.  So hard to believe he's going to be 18 next Sunday (Mother's Day!).  And Tony turned 27 yesterday.  I had a really nice chat with him last night after he got home from work.  Man I miss my family in MN.  It helps to talk to them, but I really need some facetime. 

Anyhow, here I am procrastinating homework while I have the time to do it, so that is the update for now.

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