Derek is my hero

Last night Derek took the boys camping all by himself. Now granted, I spent some time shopping for him and getting the boys all packed, but still. They drove about an hour away, set up a tent, endured sprinkling and wind, built a fire, cooked an inedible breakfast (mommy sent rolls in case), and shot BB guns. They all came home tired, a little cranky (in Evin's case, very cranky) and dirty. We'll see if I get any work out of them today.

Unfortunately, since I had to work last night, I got to sleep in, but that was the extent of my enjoying my alone time. But I'll take it.

Caterpillar to . . . ?

Right now I feel like a caterpillar. I'm emerging from a very dark crazy year that had moments of wonderful but a lot of just surviving. I'm getting things organized, cleaning, playing, working, and sometimes, even relaxing. I don't know if I'll turn into a butterfly or not. I may just be a funny looking, fuzzy moth. Either way I'm still happier. I don't regret doing my BSN (Bachelors of Science in Nursing) right now. I know a lot of people that didn't, and are happily working. Others waited and are going back now. It was the best choice for me, but things sure suffered while I did it. My house is a disaster, my kids don't know what routines are, and they've gotten away with practically anything lately. This week has been the "you will do EVERYTHING on your list" week. It's only Tuesday night, and I'm tired already. I could not have done school without my ever so helpful sister, Marilyn, and my mother-in-law, Terri. They have watched kids for four years now. And still do when Derek and I have conflicting schedules occasionally. All my sisters and the rest of my family have listened to me complain about school, teachers, kids, and who knows what else. I love being a nurse. I still can't pin down what actually made me choose this career, but for whatever it is, I'm forever grateful. I love my job in the ER, and even at the nursing home where I still work sometimes. I'm glad that I have a career I think I'll love for a long time, and if I get bored, there are so many choices within nursing I should never be bored for long. It's going to take me all summer to clean out my house and do all the fun things I want to with my kids. Plus, I have a few years of finances at Derek's work to catch up on. I'm definitely not short of things to do. But I want to play with my kids, so some of it will just have to wait!

A year went by. Wow.

I didn't post for over a year. Not that anyone really reads my blog at the moment, but I'd like it to become something more for myself, so we'll work on it again. And I'm avoiding homework. In the last year: I survived my last year of nursing school. I graduated from nursing school. I got a nursing job. I started my last year of nursing school. Again (BSN program). I got a different nursing job, and kept the old one if they were desperate. I stopped cleaning. I stopped folding laundry. I stopped sleeping much. I got grouchier. I wish I wasn't still in school, I just don't care anymore. I love my job. I miss my boys. Derek leased out part of his business to someone else. He is working less (hooray!) and home more (double hooray!) He still works too much and is too stressed. He watches football with my boys, and they love it. He does laundry. He doesn't fold it either. He does dishes. Mostly. Evin is almost twelve. This frightens me. He's acting teenagerish. Which also frightens me. I can still tackle him, so we're ok. He's in sixth grade, and bored. We're excited (and scared) for Jr. High. He would hide in his bedroom for hours if I let him. He reads constantly. Isaac and Kaleb are nine now. Isaac is still very organized. Most of the time. He loves school. He does extra jobs for me. He wants to play with friends all the time. Kaleb is turning into a miniature Derek in the way he thinks. He still loves school. He wants to help Daddy fix cars. He tries to figure out how to put things together. He is so sweet and loving. Most of the time. Ian is seven now. My baby's seven! He still jumps everywhere he goes. He still gets sweaty playing video games. He stays up too late because he's the youngest. He tackles his brothers all the time. He loves school. I got so lucky. My husband helps me and puts up with my sleepiness and grouchiness right now. I don't clean, mostly don't cook, and never seem to get anything done. My boys work hard with proper motivation, and are good when they have to be somewhere else because I'm working and in school. In less than six months, I'll be done with school and only working, and life had better be calmer.

Annoying . . .

Anybody know how to get that image has been deleted thing off my blog? Rats.

So quiet

There's something very different about having no children at home ALL day vs. kindergarten. Kindergarten you just get going on something after you do your dishes and some picking up and some laundry, and boom! it's time to go get them. I don't have to pick anyone up this year, and they are gone from 8:20 until 3:30. It's a little unnerving. I'm going to have to find interesting things for lunch so I don't go out to eat every day since that's not in my budget!

Motivation came back

I now have six weeks until I start school, and only five weeks until the boys do. That's just frightening. Suddenly, summer is almost over, and I can't fit in all that I want to. I have to quickly plan things for my kids so they can say they had a fun summer. Thank goodness for Yellowstone. That may be the highlight of the summer, besides the baptisms, of course. I"m not spending my summer that way I thought I would. I'm helping Derek at the shop, which I wasn't even thinking of doing. I thought I'd be painting and cleaning out my house. That I may finally be able to start today. I thought I'd be exercising all the time, but I'm so tired, I'm hardly getting up by seven most days.

Today has been a good start. Lots of normal cleaning (including a beautiful bathtub) and a start of organizing my house. It's a good day. I'm tired. But I will get up and walk with Marilyn frightfully early tomorrow.

8 weeks left

I only have 8 weeks until I have to start school, 7 until the boys start school again. Suddenly summer seems very short, and we haven't really done anything! It's a little frustrating. Now I have to cram in all the things I want to do this summer in a very short time that is already getting full of things like baptisms and Bright Ideas. This week I have a few goals:

1- Clean out something. Hopefully my study closet or something in my kitchen. I think the toy room will have to wait until I'm more ready for it.
2- Hopefully take my children somewhere exciting this weekend (please let Derek get the time off so we can go!)
3- Fill out my financial aid paperwork for this fall. Haven't done that yet.

I also am being dragged to the track at a terribly hour of the morning by Marilyn. There will be a nap today.

Usually summer seems very long and I'm ready for the boys to go back to school but this fall I don't think I'll be ready. Can't do much about it though.