Just another day of chaos

Sometimes, it all just sneaks up on me. How quickly things can snowball completely out of control. A tiny little dot can morph into a raging staph infection, complete with doctors poking needles into my baby's head and nasty stinkin medicine (I still can't get the smell out of the bathroom!), and then all of a sudden, a couple weeks have passed and ...

Today, all is well. All is quiet, relatively speaking.

... and that was a couple days ago. Yep, interruptions are my life. Chaos reigns. And as long as I'm allowed to come up for air before completely drowning, then it's all good.

So January is over. I did not post every day. Probably never will. All crises of the moment have been averted, or otherwise put into a holding pattern. That works for now.

Onward ... spring is just around the corner, right?

Addicted to ... healthy living?

I've heard of people being addicted to exercise. I usually picture marathoners, long-distance runners that just can't get their day started without a morning run. Or maybe they can't get to sleep at night without sweating off the stress of the day. Never thought that would be me.

I eased off my workout schedule, bit by bit. I certainly didn't go cold turkey, and I can't go back to it just like that, either. I kept thinking, if I just took a day off here and there, everything would be fine. The pain would ease just enough for me to try again. Should've known, when I couldn't actually put myself on the sidelines until all was completely well. No, I had to pretty much lose all use of my arm before I gave up completely and sought medical advice.

Turns out, that old rotator cuff strain that never completely healed ... got worse. Pretty much as bad as it gets without actually needing surgery. Thank God for small miracles.

At first I was in too much pain to even think about any kind of a work out. But I still kept walking. Every day the weather cooperated, I kept on walking. Three to four miles. Sometimes twice a day. Even when it hurt. But that's not addicted, no, not at all. And the days when the winds were too strong, the freezing rain just too much to be outside and still pretend to be sane, I paced the house. And watched my yoga dvd's. And got crankier and crankier by the day.

So when the physical therapist gave me exercises to do at home, you can bet I did them. Twice a day. And celebrated every milestone (Look! I can turn on the faucet!) And went back to doing things as normally as possible. And then it snowed.

That's my job, the shoveling. Except in cases of huge blizzard, I pretty much handle it on my own, at the break of dawn, peacefully shoveling my own little driveway all by myself. We've been blessed by unseasonably warm weather during my recuperation, and I am so thankful for that. But then it snowed. And I had to delegate. But could I help just a little? Should I? (no) I could use the baby shovel? (No) Maybe just to show the boys how it's done? (NO!) But I don't want them out in the street with school buses racing by! Maybe just a little ... shouldn't have done that.

Back to my exercises. Back to being patient (not!). Back to watching yoga, maybe trying out a little Hip Hop Abs (I have to MODIFY Hip Hop Abs!). Back to being cranky, until I can work out again.

Because I am addicted to exercise.

Winter ... better late than never (um, maybe not)

Yup, that's real snow out there. Had to make the minions shovel it so they would believe me. Real snow. Real winter.

And yes, that is real homemadefromscratch soup on the stove. And real homemade brownies. And bunches of other homemade items to warm the tummy after working and/or playing out in the real, cold winter.

I may be out of practice, but I can still do the whole keep-a-cozy-home-for-the-winter thing. So you can all head for Florida now, I've got this covered. We'll be sure and save some winter for ya!

Anybody else sick of election news already? It's January, and with a Republican debate every couple days now, I am officially done with this shit. That's all it has become, a pile of dinosaur shit. Interesting only to paleontologists, wouldn't even make a decent museum exhibit.

I've already made up my mind. I will settle for the least repulsive option. And I will cast my ballot. But I will not participate any further, other than rolling my eyes and trying not to vomit, should the subject ever come up in conversation. Even the jokes are stale already, and we've got 10 months to go!

I miss Michelle Bachman already. :P

This is a test ...

This is just a test. Another test, to see what I can and cannot do with all the distractions surrounding me. As in surround sound. Rock Band is truly a test of my abilities.

Don't get me wrong, I like Rock Band. I like anything that gets the boys out of the xbox cave of solitude and conversing and cooperating and otherwise enjoying other people's company (other people include me, their mother, which is such a trial for them). And right here, in my "office" smack in the middle of the living room/dining area right off the kitchen. Can't get much more distracted.

And since I seem to be spending more time correcting spelling and typos than actually putting words to paper, we'll call this a win. And quit while I'm ahead.

Who are the Green Ones?

Chicken Medicine
Disco Pirates
Wave to the Hammers
Team Elephants
Plastic Mountain
Dinosaur Trolls
The Tasty Goat
Exploding Bugs
The Amazing Cheese
Delicious Princess
Introducing the Window Frame
Children of the Green Ones (who are the Green Ones?)
Dreaming About Dudes
Let's Play Clean-Up
Chicken Fish
Hey It's the Caterpillar
Over To You Honey
Sunshine Broomsticks

OK, you get it. The boys are trying to name their band in their new Rock Band game. Any favorites? I still want to know who are the Green Ones?

Saturdays are for ...

Cooking. I got the whole day to cook a whole bunch of food that will last the brood till about ... oh, I don't know, Tuesday? That's been my routine lately (with summers off for good behavior, and swimming). Did the shopping yesterday. Got the whole pile of wholesome food all put away nicely in the fridge, awaiting Cooking Day.

Got tired just thinking about it. So it was a nice afternoon for a nap.

Baseball? Already?

January is full-on basketball season around here, as in Bulls Basketball. And the beginning of baseball.

What? Baseball in January? Yes, and in February? Yes, yes. It's called Winter Training Camp. And the season starts in March, so after a Christmas Break filled with XBOX, well ... winter training camp is sounding like a good idea. Wish they had it when I was a kid.

Of course, I was busy with actual winter sports during the winter months. Like figure skating ... come to think of it, that actually stretched out to include almost an entire school year. But NEVER as long as Hockey Season, which I believe now covers 11 months of the year (I think they get July off, but don't quote me on it. I will never be a Hockey Mom).

Let's Play Ball!

This might be some sort of record for me ...

but it's not pretty. Nothing profound today.

Maybe a couple weeks in, after much practice, I'll finally get the hang of it. Maybe there will be something to read. Or maybe not.

Just not today.

The Challenge is ON

Yes, only day four and it has become a challenge to show up every day. Especially when I fail to make the morning appointment and have to jump in for a quick post before beddy-bye.

But I'm still here, baby! Morning pages were filled in today, and I managed some semblance of a workout this morning. Baby steps.

Setting the alarm again. Stuff to do in the AM. I just might have to get used to an end-of-day visit. And that means the Brain will have to Stay On after 3PM. Now that would be a trick.

Hang in there ... something profound is bound to make an appearance.

I'm Baaack

Yep, it's Day Three, and I'm still here.

I have yet to get back to my original schedule of morning pages, workout, more writing and blogging. All in the morning. Because my brain works best in the morning. It also works best undisturbed. Which is totally not happening these days, at least not in the morning.

So here we are, left with the end of the day bleh. It is relatively quiet (as long as I can block out the screeches coming from upstairs, they don't sound like someone's bleeding or anything). But part of me has already gone up to bed, and the other part is fiercely trying to drag my body away from the 'puter.

Apparently, the sleep-in-and-forget-the-workout me has taken over. It's been several years since I've seen her (probably back in the days of diapers and night-nursing) so I'm not as familiar. And I don't really like her all that much. So tomorrow, there's going to be an alarm going off, followed by a dvd. Probably Sean T and his Hip Hop Abs. Sounds like it can't hurt my shoulder, I really don't remember, but I've got to start somewhere.

Baby it's cold outside. But it's gonna get a lot hotter in here.

Day Two

January 2nd already? Felt like another holiday, or rather a lazy, do-nothing day. That's what happens when the Post Office is closed. I feel like I have nothing pressing, no daily errands, if I don't have to go to the PO. Whatever will I do with my weekends if they start closing on Saturdays?

Maybe stay home and be productive? We actually took down all the Christmas decorations and put them away. And then I even vacuumed up all the detritus left over. Yes, even artificial trees shed needles, don't ask me why.

And lazing around leads to actual conversations with my children. So the topic of interest today happened to be Assassin's Creed and the veracity of the historical references (mostly all true), and Lost Planet, which I'm still trying to get the gist of, without actually playing it. Tricky, but not impossible.

So as winter begins to settle in (yes, it actually got below freezing today, might as well accept the fact that it is, in fact, really and truly, winter), time to get back to our studies, along with the rest of the real world. And plan our next vacation, because we never get enough of them.

Day One

First day of the new year. Feels the same ... and yet ...

Feeling grateful. I feel thank you's are due all around, but especially to my darling husband (really earns the DH designation!) who has stepped up and cared for us all, even while working extra hard himself. He's been trying to cover everything I normally do around here that has become too hard to reach, and still showering me with love on top of it all.

The Peanut and The Pumpkin have also stepped up and taken on more responsibility, and being generally more helpful around the house. They're growing up despite regular protestations, and I like what they're becoming.

Friends have been indispensable, especially these last few weeks. I made it through to the end of 2011, and begin 2012, with a little help from my friends.

And now, tonight, I am also grateful that the NBA/owners tiff has been worked out in time for some semblance of a season. This girl needs her Bulls to get through the long, cold winter ahead! ;)

Here's to a healthy, productive 2012!