Where you been lady?

Do you remember the children's book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst? It seems that poor Alexander just can't catch a break as we follow him through his day that is peppered with one negative or inconvenient event after another, leaving him wishing he could just "move to Australia". Well, I haven't moved to Australia + all of the events of late have not been negative ones... well, long story longer, here's the last couple of weeks in review...Since I'm now finished with work at the college for the summer, I decided to join a gym. Exercising at home in the playroom was getting tougher in the warmer weather, and honestly, I was looking foward to taking advantage of the free daycare the gym offered. I began running and my knee began to feel a little sore...then the opposite ankle {likely because I was overcompenstaing for the knee} started to bother me a bit. I'm still going to the gym + my ailments are ailing me less as I get stronger, however, I can help but think of that expression: No good deed goes unpunished? Yeah, slight injury as a reward for trying to get healthy was a bit of a headache {among other aches} for a couple of weeks there...
Then right around this same time that I was first gym'ing it up, I realized that I had not yet started on the preparations for the Fif's birthday party {this upcomming Sunday!}. Having a couple of boys {+ knowing how they "party"}, I really look foward to planning + throwing the Fif's beautiful, sweet, girlie parties each year. Knowing that these days are numbered + that my baby girl will not always allow me the creative carte blanche I enjoy now, I've had to plan, order + craft with haste to bring this years Honey Bee Birthday Party to life. More on that this week... Planning + preparing a party for 12 little folk in your home isn't the worlds most difficult task, however this is not the only event that has been about of late. In the last two weeks, my Tinest of Guys cut his 2 top teeth + began WALKING, the Fif has been finishing up the little classes she attends and in addition to my Big Guy finishing up the school year, I've been scrambling to help the Monks catch up on his requirements for his Bobcat + Tiger badges so he can get said badges at the last meeting before Scouts breaks for the summer. That's not including the 4 birthday parties + a few bbq's we've been invited to attend along the way. Phew! Right around now, I'm feeling mighty grateful that I am done with work for the year...

And speaking of work, during the last weeks, a couple of different college teaching opportunities have reached my ears. Both positions sounded closer to full time {although I'm not exactly sure how FT is defined in terms of hours} + would mean close to an hour commute each way. With all that has been going on, you might think I was completely mad to even consider either of the positions. However, those of you who stay at home {or those working smaller PT jobs} and are living on a shoe string budget {like we do!} know how alluring the idea of another income can be! I'm torn between trying to squeeze in one more year as a SAHMama/adjunct professor + just taking the plunge into one of these jobs and making it work. I'm wondering whether {literally} doubling our income and alleviating many a financial worry will actually make me a better mama than the slightly financially anxious SAHMama I can be at times now? And finances aside, after years of schooling, gosh, how incredibly fufilling it would be to be able to build my resume with this kind of experience! Yet I wonder, will the hours I'm away from home be long + childcare too expensive for it to be worth it...or will the FT/ heavier adjunct teaching load be based on classes taught {not hours per se} and work rather seamlessly into our lives? So many things to consider. I've been reworking my resume to send out and will have to let the universe point me in the right direction on this one..

And last but not least, the icing on the proverbial cake...sunburn. With very little littles, I've spent most of my beach time under an umbrella the last couple of summers. This year, all 3 of my kiddos are on the move, so I thought it might behoove me to get a bit of a body base tan {I always do alot of sunscreen on this freckled face...if not a hat as well}. And what is the expression: "If you can't loose it, Tan It!" I have to admit that I was slightly enamored with the idea of seeing a slightly slimmer me a bit less pasty in the tummy + leg regions. So after being sorely spoiled by a week of PERFECT spring like weather {2 weeks ago now}, it was followed by a week of rain...straight rain. When the sun finally came out again it was instant summerand so I thought I might lay out in my back yard? Growing up, my Irish heritage gave me some cute sunny freckles + my Italian heritage has always done me right when it came to a nice summertime tan. But alas, the sun we have now is a very different sun than the one I grew up with. After just a small window of time in said deamon sun, I had managed to burn the back side of my body so feircely that I was actually sick from it! {Yeah, I think that is called SUN POISONING} I'm usually wonderful about the sunscreen having kiddos + caring for my own tattoos...I just don't know what I was thinking! I suppose some lessons need to be learned the hard way? So right about know in the story, Iceland {forget Australia!} is looking like a really great place to disappear to! I don't like being off my "A-Game" with a sore knee or a sunburn. I don't like being unsure about what the next move should be in terms of these working opportunities; a decision that would mean a big change in the life we've been used to living for many years. I don't like feeling rushed when it comes to doing things that I really enjoy + want to give my full attention to, like planning a party. And I don't like that all of this was likely compounded by the fact that I was deluded into thinking that just because I was done with teaching, that there was some break of sorts on the horizon? Silly Rabbit...

But what I really don't like is being negative. It's good to remember what Alexander's Mama tells him in the story I mentioned earlier, "some days {or in my case, weeks} are like that {slightly inconvenient}...even in Australia". Truth be told, I have what I like to call, "White Collar Problems"... I mean, instead of being bummed about a sore knee or not having as much time as I'd like to plan a party, I'm grateful that I can even afford to pay the dues to go to a gym and to buy all of what I want to to throw a party. Instead of stressing about work opportunities, I'm grateful to even have such options, especially in an economy where so many are without work. My family is healthy + safe. We have a lovely home to live in + good food to eat. I know that life gets much more complicated than this, but I think reminding ourselves of the basics; the things that we really can't live without, well, it can recenter us...ME. Because in the end, all things work out...atleast in these instances I mentioned above. I have been offered another class for the fall semester where I currently teach and have a meeting with another college with the possibility of teaching a class or two with them. This scenario would be just about PERFECT. My sunburn is all better + my knee is feeling good. I ran my first 6mi. in 60 min. in, oh, 5 years!?! Yes, I have brought 3 lives into this world, yet I am totally STOKED over my success with running...? And last but not least, everything is comming together bee-utifully for the Fif's Bee-Day Soiree this weekend. I'm putting together a sneak-peek post for tomorrow + will share the big day next week.

I'm betting that a few of you can relate? Well, chin up friends, things have a way of working out! Wishing you all wonderful things!

xo.