Hello?
Three more months gone by. CRAZINESS. I have been hellishly busy. In general, I like being busy ... it's a challenge & I like to get things done. But ... in the state I'm in now, I find myself resenting the need for personal grooming and other distractions. I pretty much made the choice in March & April, with one major event per month:
March: I was a co-chair of the first ever "Schoolyard Sale" (basically a giant yard sale) fundraiser for my son's school. I got sucked into this because ... I was helping with another PTA event and Sherri (my co-chair) suggested it. I piped up and agreed; I've always thought the school should do something like that. The PTA President said she would bring it before the board, *IF* we were willing to run it. So ... totally my own fault. But at the end of the day, if you want something to happen, you have to be willing to make it happen. Meh. Did I mention that this was a HUGE amount of work?! But, in the end, we raised $1700, money that the school would not have had otherwise, which is not bad for a first time event.
April: Awhile back I was selected for the somewhat revoltingly named "Fast Path" program at work. ("Fast Path" to where, is the question ... ) It's a "leadership development" program for "high potential" mid-level managers at my company, but it was a week of sessions from Mon - Fri 8:30 am - 9:30 pm every day (seriously.) My husband was totally not excited when I gave him the news and basically told him I was going. I saw Gabriel for about 15 minutes each day in the morning; he was in bed every night when I got home. :( Was it worth it? I have no idea. But ... I would have had a very hard time declining. Something like 150 people out of 8,000 are invited to this each year, and if you decline, you have to "requalify" the next year, which ... well, I think really, if you decline, you suddenly find yourself on the Very Slow Path. Anyway, so that was a full week in April, which then hosed my schedule for the rest of the month.
In other news in April, instead of the tax refund I was hoping for, we wound up owing $8800 (+ our $5200 property tax bill), which sucked rocks. I'd been hoping the refund would at least cover the property taxes; instead, we had to scrape up $14,000 and wound up borrowing some of it from my in-laws. I hate taxes.
On a more positive note, we celebrated Nicholas' 9th birthday. I have a NINE YEAR OLD son! How the hell did that happen?! I love him SO much and am so blessed to have had my darling boy for 9 whole years. Honestly, my life totally changed when he was born, and in the most amazing way. I had never wanted children, but if I'd have known it would be him, I would have gone for it years earlier. (Of course, then it wouldn't have been him, so you know, I guess it all worked out in the end ... ;) I don't think children are for everyone, but if there's the slightest doubt in anyone's mind, it is SO, SO WORTH IT.
Now, of course, May is almost over. There's no particular reason my life went to hell in May, other than the usual way too many projects at work, which I am totally stressed out about. I've also been sick twice ... the result is that somehow a whole month passed when I wasn't even looking. We've had various family crises going on as well; really not good. Most upsetting: my brother's wife told him that she wants a separation. :( He's super bummed and they have a little daughter (my niece) who is 4 1/2. :( I know there are two sides to every story, but in this case I blame my sister-in-law and I feel so badly for my brother. My other brother's girlfriend left him and he is faced with a mortgage he can't afford on his own for a house that he doesn't want and also can't sell. And, probably worst of all, my (other) niece has broken off her engagement because it turns out that her fiance is A HEROIN ADDICT. WTF? Is there something going on on an astral level or something?
Anyway. That's my life these days. :P I can't possibly hope to catch up on my flist, so ... how are you all?
(I need to get some new icons; all of the ones I have with Nicholas were from years ago and I don't even have any with Gabriel. Hmmm ...)
March: I was a co-chair of the first ever "Schoolyard Sale" (basically a giant yard sale) fundraiser for my son's school. I got sucked into this because ... I was helping with another PTA event and Sherri (my co-chair) suggested it. I piped up and agreed; I've always thought the school should do something like that. The PTA President said she would bring it before the board, *IF* we were willing to run it. So ... totally my own fault. But at the end of the day, if you want something to happen, you have to be willing to make it happen. Meh. Did I mention that this was a HUGE amount of work?! But, in the end, we raised $1700, money that the school would not have had otherwise, which is not bad for a first time event.
April: Awhile back I was selected for the somewhat revoltingly named "Fast Path" program at work. ("Fast Path" to where, is the question ... ) It's a "leadership development" program for "high potential" mid-level managers at my company, but it was a week of sessions from Mon - Fri 8:30 am - 9:30 pm every day (seriously.) My husband was totally not excited when I gave him the news and basically told him I was going. I saw Gabriel for about 15 minutes each day in the morning; he was in bed every night when I got home. :( Was it worth it? I have no idea. But ... I would have had a very hard time declining. Something like 150 people out of 8,000 are invited to this each year, and if you decline, you have to "requalify" the next year, which ... well, I think really, if you decline, you suddenly find yourself on the Very Slow Path. Anyway, so that was a full week in April, which then hosed my schedule for the rest of the month.
In other news in April, instead of the tax refund I was hoping for, we wound up owing $8800 (+ our $5200 property tax bill), which sucked rocks. I'd been hoping the refund would at least cover the property taxes; instead, we had to scrape up $14,000 and wound up borrowing some of it from my in-laws. I hate taxes.
On a more positive note, we celebrated Nicholas' 9th birthday. I have a NINE YEAR OLD son! How the hell did that happen?! I love him SO much and am so blessed to have had my darling boy for 9 whole years. Honestly, my life totally changed when he was born, and in the most amazing way. I had never wanted children, but if I'd have known it would be him, I would have gone for it years earlier. (Of course, then it wouldn't have been him, so you know, I guess it all worked out in the end ... ;) I don't think children are for everyone, but if there's the slightest doubt in anyone's mind, it is SO, SO WORTH IT.
Now, of course, May is almost over. There's no particular reason my life went to hell in May, other than the usual way too many projects at work, which I am totally stressed out about. I've also been sick twice ... the result is that somehow a whole month passed when I wasn't even looking. We've had various family crises going on as well; really not good. Most upsetting: my brother's wife told him that she wants a separation. :( He's super bummed and they have a little daughter (my niece) who is 4 1/2. :( I know there are two sides to every story, but in this case I blame my sister-in-law and I feel so badly for my brother. My other brother's girlfriend left him and he is faced with a mortgage he can't afford on his own for a house that he doesn't want and also can't sell. And, probably worst of all, my (other) niece has broken off her engagement because it turns out that her fiance is A HEROIN ADDICT. WTF? Is there something going on on an astral level or something?
Anyway. That's my life these days. :P I can't possibly hope to catch up on my flist, so ... how are you all?
(I need to get some new icons; all of the ones I have with Nicholas were from years ago and I don't even have any with Gabriel. Hmmm ...)