Get to work!

My son has been in college for a month now and he loves it!  He is exploring NY & making so many new friends.  He assures me that he is staying focused also.  lol  As for me, I’ve had my ups and downs.  The downs:  I’ve gained about 10 lbs., pretty much stopped exercising regularly, I’m still unemployed, broke as hell, stuck with my son’s dog and most days I look as if I am going to do yardwork – and not like those fancy ladies with the hats, gloves, button down shirts you see in commercials.   The ups:  My mom is back home, I jumped right into decluttering/organizing 4 rooms and the majority of my closets and I received my B.S. degree in Exercise Science (how ironic).  But after that initial burst of energy, it died down.  

Yesterday, that energy came back and I decided to tackle the largest decluttering project – the office.  It became a packed to the brim storage room for bins, nostalgia and shit I just did not feel like dealing with.  I still have old bank statements & bills from when my son was a tot.  I am a PACKRAT!  If it were not for my OCD, I would be on Hoarders.  I have decided now is the time to downsize. I plan to let go some and do a lot of shredding.  I no longer need to hold onto all of the college stuff sent to my son over the last year because he is in college.  I no longer need all of my notes from college because I now have a degree that says I should know it all.  I must admit, I am going to keep and organize a few binders of it.  Now that the pressure is off, I want to go back and really learn some of the stuff I was supposed to retain from the classes.  

This is going to be a huge project because I am the type to break down everything and put it in separate containers.  I am that girl who has bins labeled paperclips, earbuds, chalk, eye care, candles, etc.  If I can cut everything down to half and get everything in it’s appropriate bin/container, I will be very happy.  I plan to take you all along on my journey of decluttering & organizing – not just my home, but my life.

This week’s plan:

1. Get Organized – I plan to work all day Saturday separating, discarding & organizing
2. Get Fit & Cute – Sunday will be a day of working out, shaving/waxing, mani/pedi & doing hair (all by me, of course, because I am broke and very capable of doing all of it)
3. Get Paid – Next week’s focus will be aggressive job searching & following up, figuring out finances, & maybe selling some of this stuff.

So, now it’s time for me to blast my music & get back to Plan 1: Get Organized.  I will post before, during & after pictures later.

Lasts

I'm starting to count lasts.  Tomorrow is trash day.  While watching Rico gather all the trash, I could not help but think it's the last time he will have to take out our trash.  Every meal I cook, I think it's the last time I will make that.  Really it is because I don't like half the shit he likes for dinner.  lol  Today is the last day I am doing all of his laundry for packing.  I know it's silly, but I can't help it.   I am in a funk.  I need to get it together.  I will get it together.  It's just going to take a minute.

One day...

“Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat, or will stay awake just to watch you sleep… wait for the boy who kisses your forehead, who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats, who holds your hand in front of his friends, who thinks you’re just as pretty without makeup on. One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky he is to have you…. The one who turns to his friends and says, ‘that’s her.’”

When I saw this quote, it made me smile and feel all mushy. 

FC First Day of School

Today is the first day of school for the kids in our county.  My son is still in the bed.  He is too grown for all of that.  No picking out THE outfit.  No laying out the outfit and shoes as if he could just slide in it in the morning.  No first day of school pictures & how was it video.  No need for me to call to correct the schedule because they get it wrong every year.  No racking up on 1 cent paper or 20 cent crayons.  

Instead, I have a young man who calls his college to get his own schedule changed to his satisfaction (no classes Tues. & Fri.) and checks Rate My Professor to make sure he actually needs the books before purchasing.  He is quite independent.  The year of dual enrollment at GSU has really prepared him to be on his own.  They have given him credit for both of his english classes & the government class.  That is 9 credits out of the way before he starts his freshman year!  

Things are changing and I know it’s for the better.  It just does not feel like it today

Still here

I have not forgotten about my blog.  Things have just been so busy and the house has just been so full of people.  There have been dinners, card nights, sleep overs, and we helped Aysia move into her dorm room.  This afternoon is the first time in about a week that this house is occupied by only the people who live here.  I am exhaling a bit, although, I have lots of cleaning and washing to do now.

Continuing Traditions...for everyone. Ode to Lyriq

I have not quite been myself the past year.  I am one to celebrate every holiday to the fullest. Creating traditions and finding crafts to coincide with holidays was just as exciting as the approaching holiday.  Seeing the kids' faces light up was always better than any material gift.  My son was really into it all when he was younger.  As the years passed, his excitement for holidays diminished.  He does still enjoy Christmas Eve activities, especially the gingerbread house decorating contest that has grown to include extended family and friends.  But, he is pretty indifferent about Christmas Day.  His favorite holiday is Halloween.  We go all out for it.  His big dream is to acquire land & a building to do annual haunts.  I will do whatever to help make that happen.

Luckily, I have nieces and a nephew who still love it all.  My oldest niece (and the oldest grandchild), MeeMee, really got me started with all of the holiday stuff.  She is in her 20s and she visibly shows her disappointment when I don't go all out.  She absolutely loves the traditions and now that she has her own daughter, her excitement has increased.  Her younger sister, Bri, is hard to read.  Like my son, she does not show excitement about much. I think she likes it all, but she acts as if she can take or leave it.  LOL  Lyriq is much like MeeMee,  he loves it all.  And last night, he reminded me of how much I have been slipping this past year.

My heart just has not been into it like past years.  My mind has been elsewhere. The lack of finances to back my ideas really put a damper on things.  Instead of feeling excitement as holidays approached, I started feeling anxiety.  Lots of ideas still popped into my head, but my energy level and ability to follow through were minimal at best.  I have been low on finances before and that is usually when my creativity has kicked in.  My creativity abandoned me this year - when I needed it most. :-(

Lyriq's birthday was this past week.  I did make him a cake, but it was not the usual character cake that I spend days planning.  It was his own personalized devil's food cake, which he loves.  But, it did not have the effort that I usually put into it.  He did not say anything about it, but he ate very little.  On his birthday, he had a great day out with his mom and cousin who is close in age.  But, it was not the usual hoorah that my mother and I plan.  Last night, he talked about the excitement of past birthdays with such happiness in his voice.  He said he wanted a party like Rico's graduation party.  It made me feel really bad.  Several factors played a part in his birthday not being what he is used to, but I could have done better if I was not in such a funk.  We are going out to celebrate today and I plan to make him the center of attention, which he loves.  Mark my word - next year, I am going all out on his birthday.

I need to get back into the swing of things.  Not only for them, but for me.  Although Rico will probably not be here, I will carry on his Halloween tradition of the yard haunt.  People (children AND adults) look forward to see how we have expanded every year.  Lyriq would usually go trick-or-treating and come home early to pass out candy.  Last year, he skipped trick-or-treating all together and joined the crew as one of the big boys who sent girls and boys running and screaming from the yard.  We are going to do Rico proud this year. Planning needs to start in September and I will ask Lyriq to be the leader...Bri too...if she's interested.  Hopefully, she will surprise me.  She is crazy talented and creative. I would be thrilled if she would lend all of that to the future of family traditions.

Now that MeeMee has Mar, I know she will be energized and very instrumental in keeping up with the traditions.  Mar will be almost 2, so she will be able to fully enjoy all of the festivities surrounding the holidays. I need to start thinking about which ornament to get each grand & great-grand to represent their year - another tradition started 17 years ago.   Just writing this has lifted my spirits.  I may have to return to this post every now and then to remind of what I need to do.  But if I happen to forget,  I am sure Lyriq will remind me. :-)

Godzilla

It’s on again! Rico loved this movie when he was little.  We used to watch it so much that I would be surprised if the VHS still works. I still have his big, electronic Godzilla someone gave him for his 6th birthday (I think). I never pull out the VHS, but I will watch it if I am flipping through the channels and it’s on.  Rico and Lyriq humored me last week by sitting down and watching it with me.  I wonder why they are playing it so much lately.  Are they doing a remake soon?  Or, is it just to give me that warm, fuzzy feeling?  :-)

SN: I frowned when the guy jammed the knife in the ignition to start the taxi – as if he ruined the reality of this totally true story.  Sometimes, I crack me up.