Busy, Busy

With spring now in full swing, I find myself busier than ever. I never thought a "stay-at-home mom" (that works some too) could ever have such a full plate.....and I only have one kid, and he isn't in school and doesn't have many extra-curricular activities!

Today is the second day in a row that I have woken up (on my own accord) before 5:30 am. The gerbil in my head just won't stop running. I am so thankful that it is not huge stresses that wake me, but projects that I typically task myself. I am a huge list maker. I will even add items to a list that I am in the process of doing, just to check them off! As a matter of fact, I just added "blog post" to my list of 21 tasks that I'd like to get done today. Yup, 21, and that does not include vacuuming (yet again), cleaning the floors or getting all the Connor prints off all of my windows.....okay now the list is 24.

Only about 7 tasks on my list are "work" related....3 book covers (2 mechanicals, 1 front cover), and 4 stationery projects that need to be completed. The rest are mom/house duties, many of them dealing with spring "cleaning"....this is really spring organizing. The garage and storage room have been my latest big projects and the storage room is looking really good, but the garage is driving me nuts.....I am so anxious to get rid of some crap in the garage sale! (June 4 & 5)

I'd like to think I thrive under intense situations (not that my tasks are exactly intense) but we have a really big May ahead of us. The first weekend in May is Brooke & Jake's wedding in GA. Second weekend is Chris's college graduation and Pat's birthday, followed by a week in Cleveland while Brian helps out at the Cleveland Clinic. 3rd weekend in May....beach sand delivered = neighborhood margarita sand spreading party & I think we are having a division picnic with B's work. I think the next weekend is Memorial Day. I'm not sure what we are going to do, but I'm going to have to get ready for the garage sale that is the following weekend at some point. Oh yeah, and it is catalog time again.....the National Book Network's Gift/Gourmet catalog has to go to press by the first week of June and my client hasn't even gotten me copy yet....it will be over 80 pages. Sweet.

Perhaps this post was not a good idea....I'm starting to feel overwhelmed.

Thank goodness Connor has been an AMAZING sleeper recently and really just an awesome little guy all around. I do my best to give him my full attention and do fun stuff with playdates or just playing "side" (outside). I'm amazed at how much I can accomplish when Connor is sleeping. I've only got about 4-6 hours per day to do all my crap (approx. 2 hour nap....the rest depends on long after 9:00 I want to stay up and how much before 7:30). I am so fortunate that I get to stay home with him and I wouldn't change a thing. I just never thought I'd have so much on my plate.....even though much of it is self-induced.

A few fun Connor updates:

• When he wakes up in the morning, before I get him out of bed, he likes to walk along the edge of his crib like a balance beam. (2 full lengths and a "dismount")
• He has been saying "mee-im" a lot in the last few days and we have no clue what it means...
• "Ga-Ga" used to mean water...now it is all liquids (the lake, milk, water, juice, perfume, puddle, etc.)
• On the rare occasion I let him play in my car (since he did fall out of Brian's last week) he turns the lights on and if I turn them off, he turns them right back on. Yet, when I ask him to turn them off, he looks at me like I have horns growing out of my head.)
• He will do tons of stuff on command (throwing things away, brushing his teeth, go to his room so I can change his diaper, finding his cup on command, putting toys away, getting books, getting himself a treat from the pantry, etc. etc.) but he is so smart.....if he doesn't want to do any of those things, he gives the previously mentioned horns look like he doesn't know what you are talking about. I can't believe my (almost) 20 month old is already trying to manipulate me!
• He "swims" in the bathtub and will kick, blow bubbles and put his face in.
• Our new, almost 15 year old neighbor, Alek is one of Connor's best friends. Whenever he is out playing basketball, it is almost impossible to keep Connor away. Thankfully, Alek likes Connor too...I just don't want to burn him out!
• Learning about the street is going well. However, the latest trend is pushing his toys (police car, wagon, and umbrella stroller) into the street while remaining in the driveway himself. Yes, technically HE is not in the street, but come on....no toys in the street...

Now, back to business (can be read as business or busy-ness....both work...ha)...My goal is to accomplish 15 of the tasks on my list today. I'll be happy if I can get 10-12.

Oh, and just so you know, plans for this weekend: Brian is running in the Undy 5000 (in his underwear for colon cancer...B's company is a big sponsor. On that workout note, B is looking amazing....he's lost over 35 lbs since January!!! (B=workout and calorie counting machine) We also hope to get and spread this year's mulch as well as get our garden planted. Surely we won't get another frost, right?...

I MUST end this. Blog post: CHECK.

(the next one will have little man pictures)