Speaking Frankly

I am still at the whole losing weight thing...*ahem* healthy lifestyle change. Down over 14 pounds! Last week's weigh in was a minor setback, I am telling myself I was retaining water, but nothing to freak out over. This week was much better! Still on track, still plugging away. I took step and butts and gutts the other night. There were so many people there that I didn't even get a step. Still a good workout. I don't think my thighs missed the step much at all.

Claire has been really good at being two lately. Lots of whining. Drama all over the place. I revel in the sweet moments of cuteness and calm. I am in constant conversation with the Lord to bring me more patience. She comes up with some great one-liners lately that make you forget that she was a pickle not two minutes before.

Hannah is sweet Hannah. She has been working on reading and math with me in the afternoons. She wrote the whole alphabet for me yesterday and only asked for help with a few letters. Ever the conversationalist we have discussed "How a woman get's pregnant" (thankfully got through this with a very vague response) and in a conversation with a friend discussed "what is healthy for you and not healthy for you" landing on soda is NOT healthy because it has sugar, and beer MUST be healthy because there is no sugar... hmpf. Today we finished our second American Girls: Felicity book. At four, I am sure she is very confused by the ideas, but loves to cuddle up with me and read, so I figure it can't be too bad. I think we need to get Little House on the Prairie next.

So my next step in Project Improvement is to keep up with the housework. Plan of Action is to follow, but here are my thoughts for the moment:

* Running a household is a JOB. One that takes many talents and requires many hats. I don't think I have ever looked at it that way. I think I have felt that it should be no big deal. Stay home, keep a quasi-schedule for the kids, be where I need to be, shop, cook a decent dinner... but after 3.5 years of (mostly) staying at home it has finally dawned on me that there is an art to this thing they call HOMEMAKING. There is an effective way to function and some that are not so effective. I have certain systems that work for me, but not a PLAN for how it all works together.

* I am a compartmentalizer (really? Is that even a word). I go all out on one thing, but let everything else fall by the wayside. There has to be a way to have more balance.

*(Me telling myself) Just get up and DO IT!!!

Don't think about the fact that it will get messed up again in 12 minutes.

Really.

Don't think about it.