Last week was week two of the transition from work to home. And I have to say, last week was a huge improvement over the week before. Instead of taking the attitude that we had to do something out of the house every day, I just let the day take us where it wants. Refreshing concept, right?
Last week the weather was gorgeous and we spent a lot of time outdoors. We took walks, hung out at the park, had a picnic in the backyard, planted corn and green beans with the help of my parents, and did a lot of swinging. And when I say a lot of swinging, it was more like a lot of pushing McKinley in the swing. That boy never grows tired of swinging! I may have just found the new arm workout. I'll keep you posted.
I've been keeping longer hours at night to work on my blogs, check out Style My Way if you haven't already. It gets way more attention from me than this one, but I'm trying to remedy that. I'm networking, sending out tons of emails, reading up on other blogs that I love but don't get to read as frequently, and brain storming on my next business venture(s). And, I'm trying to find some me time in there as well. I've scheduled a few lunches and cocktails with friends, to bounce ideas off of and help me round out some of my thoughts, in hopes they don't think I'm crazy for dreaming. So far, I've had a lot of positive feedback. I've also been spending a lot of quality time with my parents, something I haven't done in a long time. It's been amazing!
My mom and are sewing up a storm. I've found yet another creative outlet, thanks to her, and I'm loving every minute. She's also been my sounding board for ideas, and so far, hasn't passed an ounce of judgement as I talk through things I've always thought about doing. If anything, she's trying to help me figure out the logistics of making some things possible, but also steering me down a different path if I happen to go astray! (Sometimes my dreams can go a little out of the stratosphere!)
I still find my fair share of challenges. I'm working on when to actually shower versus just shave the legs in the sink, which I find I do a lot. However, night showers are taking place of none at all. (That's a good thing!) I haven't worn real makeup in over a week, which is great for my pores, but not so great when you are a personal style blogger. I find that I hide behind large sunglasses to mask the fact that I'm simply wearing mascara. Though the application of makeup isn't terribly time consuming, I find that by the time I've actually gotten both of ready to rock n' roll, I just don't have the time to swipe on all the products I normally use. And I miss it. It's total vanity, but I just feel like I look like a better version of myself with some hint of color.
I'm still trying to find the art of Zen, but I'm just not one to sit and truly relax. I'm not itching to clean my house or do a load of laundry because I'm just not that person. I do feel guilty every now and then that I haven't picked up the mess off the kitchen table. And let's talk about that for second. How in the world does a kitchen table go from being completely clutter free to a total disaster area in less than 24 hours? It's like the missing sock when taking clothes out of the drying. But I digress....
I'm trying to be more patient when McKinley says he doesn't want to go anywhere and just let him do his thing at home. He truly is content with just rolling a garbage truck across the floor and I'm working at either joining him or just simply being in the room with him. I'm trying to come up with crafty things for us do to together, hands-on activities for him to do that stimulate the brain, reading more on a daily bases, and finding fun games that we can play. I do love that he loves being outside. I would much rather be outdoors as well and it helps us both burn off energy. And I can't wait for the weather to get warmer and the pool to open! I'm hoping to get there a lot more this summer.
In the meantime, we're working together to make this some of the most memorable/quality time we can with each other. There are lots of hugs, snuggles, cuddles, kisses, tickles, and giggles which I love. But with those moments come tears, time-outs, frustration, and time apart. As the theme to the Facts of Life states, "You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the facts of life." And the fact is, I'm truly having the best time of my life!
