Our new "normal"

For weeks, I've had blogging ideas running through my head....thoughout the day, ideas pop in and out of my head and I think "I should blog about this" or "This is blog-able."  Obviously, those thoughts come and go but once I get around to picking up my computer in the evening the last thing I want to do is blog.  I find myself comfortably seated on the couch with a nice, mindless television show in front of me and I zone out....I need this time to zone out so that my brain quits running a million miles per minute and I can settle down prior to going to bed.....but, once I zone out there is no way my brain can pick back and function enough to type.  Alas, today, I have finished up my chores and the kids are still napping....no mindless television, just me and my thoughts.  The biggest problem, I expect, is that Payton will come walking down the steps in about five minutes....so type fast, huh?!?

Our new normal is going great.  Lots and lots of changes but I'm finding that I do love nearly every minute.

Let's start with me....

I am officially working part-time....yay!!!  This was a long process and it's not really over yet but I'm much closer to my "new" work routine and moving away from my "old" work routine.  Currently, I'm still orienting my replacement - the new pediatric CF nurse coordinator - on Tuesday and Wednesday.  I am only working on Tuesday and Wednesday...and today, Tuesday, I didn't work at all because I had previously scheduled a few appointments that I didn't want to reschedule.  Eventually, I will work on Wednesday as the clinic nurse in the same clinic where the new me, the new coordinator, will be working as the coordinator....coordinating care for all "my" patients.  This could be odd in the beginning because my co-workers keep turning to me for questions, answers, advice, etc but hopefully as time passes, this will change.  I will also be working on Tuesdays.  On Tuesday, I will be "as needed" and will have to float from area to area in the Pediatric outpatient clinics - I may be cancelled if they don't need me.  I'm fine with that!  More often than not, I expect to work both Tuesday and Wednesday.  I have officially been working this new schedule for 3 weeks.

It is SO nice to have the extra time at home.  Yes, sometimes the boys don't nap well and my 2 hour period to get the laundry, dishes, cleaning, organizing, bills paid, planning, packing, etc...well, sometimes my 2 hours just don't work out as planned.  On the first few days, this really stressed me out, but as I've adjusted I've learned to just go with it.  Either way, I have SO much more time to get all of these things done.  I'm not cramming 7 days of house work into Saturday....and 14 days of house work into Saturday if we have traveled the weekend prior.  You get the point...and, I know I'm not alone.  Mothers and fathers everywhere face these same struggles....I'm just SO happy to finally realize that I'm not quite as stressed out as I used to be!  I'm also learning that stressing over my kids taking, or not taking, naps and mopping the floor is SO much less stressful that spending hours on the phone fighting with insurance companies, or talking to parents of sick children who are so stressed out that they forget I'm actually trying to help, or working until 11:30 at night to be prepared for a full day of clinic the next morning.  The stress is a different stress....and it is a welcome change in stress level!  Now, I'm sure that eventually those work stresses will catch up to me on a Tuesday or Wednesday...cause, those same struggles are still at work...but, working at a clinic nurse means I can leave these stresses AT WORK...as opposed to working as a coordinator and bringing each of these stresses home every day.

In my extra time at home, I have found time to complete 1 Pinterest project, organize our desk (still needs a little more work), mop the floor...twice!!...go to the grocery store during the day, plan and cook dinner at home most nights, run around the neighborhood and run the bridge with Owen, buy myself a new phone since my phone had been broken for about 4 weeks, pay a little more attention to the dog, mail out birthday cards (but they were still late...opps!) and yesterday, I put all the lists away and took a nap with Payton...it wasn't on purpose, I just found myself asleep beside him...and by "found myself" what I actually mean is that he woke me up at the end of his nap!  Normally, I would have felt guilty that I had missed all that "time" - time to complete my chores....but, instead, I smiled...because this is why I made this change after all, to spend more time with my kids...and he was SO happy that I had napped right beside of him that it was all worth it!  

As for the boys...

They seem to LOVE this new normal.

Payton goes to school Monday - Thursday, he eats lunch with his class each day.
Owen goes to school Tues - Thursday.  On Wednesday, he is in Spanish class.  He stays for Lunch Buddies everyday to eat lunch.  Miss A.L. picks them up on Tuesday and Miss C picks them up on Wednesdays.  They are great girls and the boys love them.  Although, Payton was happy to hear that I would be picking them up today instead of Miss A.L.  

Payton is is 4 B with Mrs. B and Mrs. S.  He seems to really enjoy his time at school and is doing great in his classes.  He is also enjoying his art class, his spanish class and especially Chapel.  I can't say enough great things about our old school...we loved it and loved the teachers.  We loved all that Payton had learned and give them lots of credit for all that Payton has learned over the years.  Due to the fact that we thought so highly of our old school, I was a little anxious about how our "new" school would compare.  The new school is great and I can already tell that Payton and Owen are learning tons of information.  The shortened days are great and I think they are both able to fully focus during the time they are there.

Payton has already learned letters L, F, E and H. They are still using the Handwriting Without Tears program and he's added the lowercase letters this year.  I'm pretty impressed with his daily work and all the projects he brings home.  He has learned about the equator and chlorophyll.  He's learning about fall, Halloween, spiders and fire safety this month.  He is starting to learn sight words and is doing great picking out these words when we read at night.  He has picked up the responsibility of cleaning up the table after dinner and using a placemat, which they have enforced at school.  He does love to talk and loves to tell them all about sports but they are very pleased with his behavior...makes this momma proud!

Cute school stories for Payton - they tell us he always checks in to make sure Owen is doing okay; when reading a story, they mentioned the state of Ohio - he quickly commented that the Buckeyes play in Ohio; on the playground, he was pretending to drive a car and a classmate suggested they could go to Chicago, he told him no, but said if they did go to Chicago, they could see the Cubs or the Bears!  He comes home singing Spanish songs and saying Spanish words and telling us what they have learned in Chapel.

Owen is in Mrs Joy's class on Tuesday and Thursday.  We love Mrs. Joy...she could not have a more fitting name...she is the most joyful person I have ever met!  Mrs. Julie is his assistant.  He loves to go to school to see both of them and refers to Mrs. Julie as his friend!  He is learning his letters in order and has made it through A, B and C.  He is already picking up so much new stuff and they tell us he is talkative but very well behaved at school.  He doesn't like to have his diaper changed at school and asks to sit on the potty.  He seems to enjoy his Spanish class on Wednesday and he is already picking up some Spanish words.  He has started signing new songs at home and his favorite seems to be "He's got the Whole World in His Hands."

Owen is home with me on Monday mornings and I am loving my time with him.  Owen is a wild, wild child...he talks non-stop, he has no fear, he climbs on everything and jumps off stairs, chairs, furniture...you name it, he'll jump from it!  He is a danger to himself and others!!  When I am home with him on Mondays, while Payton is away, he is a slightly different child...he's still jumping, but he turns into a Momma's boy for a few hours.  He follows me around and helps me out, he asks questions, he listens and he likes to play quietly.  We go to the store together and sometimes he behaves!  For the rest of the week, he copies Payton, looks for Payton, plays with Payton and is a Daddy's boy...so for those 4 hours on Monday morning, I soak up my time with Owen!

Recent super cute Owen comments - In response to Chad and Payton cheering loudly for the Ryder cup, Owen said, "That scared my ears!"  The child is scared of only one thing - haircuts - and nearly everyday he will remind you that "Haircuts scary him."  If you ask him if he wants a haircut, which is needs so badly, he will say "I get haircut tomorrow."  If you ask him tomorrow, he'll say the same....I guess he's hoping "tomorrow" will never come!  Owen is quick to tell you "No!" and he's quick to remind you, "I said Nooooo Mommy!"  If Owen is talking, and I try to answer him, he will often say, "No, Mommy, I talking to Daddy!"  In response to Payton pushing/hitting/poking, etc, he will quickly tell us, "Payton hit me on purrrr-puse."  He loves Bailey...but, I'm guessing she does not love him pulling on her tail all of the time!  While he does love Bailey, if he finds anything in his mouth that he thinks feels funny, he will tell you he's got a Bailey hair in his mouth...most often, it is not actually a dog hair.  We tell him to be careful all.the.time...because he's a broken bone waiting to happen....he hears to so much, that even as he's jumping, he'll say "I be careful!"

To sum it up, our new normal is perfect and I'm so happy I made the change in my job.  We may run into some bumps along the way with a change in my pay...or, have to adjust things that we would normal buy without question....but, I am certain that giving up a few things here and there will definitely be worth it in the end.  So, no matter if I'm cleaning or organizing or blogging or napping in the afternoons while the boys are napping, I'm going to be happy and enjoy it.  No matter if I'm running errands or playing at home with the boys by my side, I'm going to enjoy it and try to savour each moment.

On Thursday, I'm not working and both boys are in school from 9 - 1.  I'm enjoying using this time to run errands, get hair cuts, do heavy house work (I'll be spreading mulch this Thursday) and more often than not, I'm been using Thursday to pack up so we can head out of town...we've traveled several of the past few weekends and we'll be Chapel Hill bound again soon!

Payton is up now...Owen is still snoozing...Payton has turned on Looney Tunes (which is so much better than these "modern day" cartoons) and is requesting his snack....letter Cheez-it$.  Owen will be up soon...bouncing around the house and making a mess.  It's time for me to run....I'm off to get snacks for the boys, get Payton dressed and ready for soccer pictures, and head off to church for my Bible Study.  Just so happy I didn't actually have to go in to work on top of all this today!