What's my "Job"?

So...I'm not only new to blogging, but I am also about to embark on the role of "stay home mom".  Yes, I've been home with the kids all summer, but that's not new to me.  As a teacher, I have always been home during the summers.  I don't think I'll really feel the difference until Mia starts school.  I'm beginning to have anxiety about it.  What am I suppose to do?  I'm stressing out about my lack of a plan.  Here are the thoughts that are honestly running through my mind:

1.  I work out at the gym right now for two hours at least 5 days/week.  By the time I get home, feed the kids, give Ross his breathing treatment, eat, and shower, it's 12:00-12:30.  I begin wondering if I'm being too selfish by spending so much of the day at the gym.  It is a lifestyle change that I really am enjoying, though.

2.  I want to write a book (or a few).  I actually have tons of ideas, and many of my fellow teachers have been pushing me to get some of my ideas down for quite some time.  I have some creative ways that I've taught grammar, and I know that it could really help other teachers.  How would I find time for that?  Wouldn't it be double-selfish for me to spend so much time at the gym AND writing?  (Yes, it's ironic that I have started a blog while I'm feeling this way.)

3. To Teach, or To Mother?   I have Graham in a sports development class at The Little Gym.  He loves it, and we're learning a lot about how he learns by watching him in the class.  He is also going to be doing soccer at the park on Tuesday mornings.  (There goes my Tuesday morning workout!)  What should I do the other days?  I know I can take him to the library, and tons of other fun places, but I'm picky and tend to think "hmmm...I could have done that better." or "Jeesh!  Check for understanding, people!"  It sounds bad, I know.  I'm just being honest.  What I really want is to do fun lessons, crafts, etc. with him at home, but would that be boring? Even if I make it "fun"?

4.  Mia.  She is super excited to have a mommy who can participate in all of her school activities and events.  I will get to be a parent reader, take her lunch, volunteer at parties, etc.  It's going to be awesome!  What I'm going to struggle with is the "just a mom" part.  Since she's labeled "GT" and I'm GT certified, I know exactly what she should be doing in her classroom to be challenged.  What if her teacher doesn't do those things?  I don't want her sitting in the back of the room reading all day, or having to be a tutor.  Not her job.  I guess I'll cross that bridge if I come to it.  I hope I won't.

5.  Household Duties- UGH!  I really do feel like I should have a spic-n-span house now that I'm home.  I've tried.  Trust me...I really have.  I just can't figure out how to do it.

Example:  One day, I did my whole gym routine and headed to the grocery store at 1:00.  I took all three kids.  Yikes!  We got home at 2:30.  By the time I unloaded the groceries (with tons of interruptions), it was 3:15.  I then fed Ross, put him down for a nap, and poof!  It was 4:00.  Time to start folding the clothes I had put in the wash before the grocery store and in the dryer when we got home.  4:30- Dinner prep started.  I have to start early b/c it takes a long time with the numerous interruptions!  By the time Jeremy gets home at 5:40...Dinner's ready.  The house is a mess, and I feel guilty b/c I didn't "do anything" all day.  Does Jeremy care?  Nope.  He knows how it is.  It's just pressure I put on myself.  I really need to figure this one out! 

So...These are my random thoughts.  This is my anxiety about needing to know exactly what I'm doing.  I've never been a fan of lesson plans at school.  I just know the material, and I teach it the way that particular class needs it taught.  It's different every year.  This is foreign to me, though.  I'm not well-versed at the art of homemaker and I'd love support/advice...whatever!  Thanks!!!

Whirlwind Weekend

It's no secret that I love Austin.  I miss living there almost daily.  There's just something special about it that Houston won't ever be.  Yes, I miss the beauty of the hills, the laid-back, open-minded people, but most importantly- I miss the town where most of my closest friends live.

We don't visit nearly as often as I'd like, and we finally made our first trip since Ross was born this past weekend.  It was a weekend that flew by, but we did a ton of things, and I got to see my Austin "crew", minus one of my best friends, Kim.

Packing for a family of five is...interesting.  I could use other words like, stressful, hectic, unpleasant, and time-consuming, but I won't use those negative words.  teehee!     I started off by writing a list for every single thing that each child needed to pack.  Mia's six and very independent, so I handed her her list and sent her upstairs.  She checked off each item as she put it in her suitcase, and was finished in no time!  By the time Jeremy got home from work at 6:00, I had the car loaded, and I had even packed most of his things.  He was impressed.  I think I deserve a "wife of the day" award for that one.  Did I mention that I started packing around 1:00 with a 3:30 Dr. appt. for Ross thrown in there?  Well... I did.

We got to our friends' house in Dripping Springs around 10:00 Friday night after a very pleasant car ride!  Thank God for an amazingly patient and happy baby - not to mention iTouches and an iPad!  Some drinks on Rhett and Elaina's back deck, shooting stars, and great company made an exhausting day all worth it.

Saturday was filled with kids playing (Rhett and Elaina have Eva (6) and Harrison (4)), bowling, Texadelphia, and a great restaurant called Freddie's Place.  Freddie's has large oak trees for shade, misters to shake off the heat, live music (of course), and a playground for kids.  You'd never find a place like it in Houston.  Seventeen of us gathered for drinks, food, and tons of catching up.  Exactly what I had hoped for.

On Sunday, we took the kids swimming for a few hours, and then Elaina and I headed downtown to Milk & Honey Spa.  I had an amazing 75 min. sports massage!  Much needed.  We both walked out complete zombies.  It was the perfect way to end my Austin trip.  I'm already trying to figure out when it will happen again.  I love you, Austin peeps...'til next time!

What am I doing?

This is my first official post!  It's exciting to have a blog, but I must admit that I am slightly intimidated by the whole thing.  What if I'm boring?  What if nobody even reads this?  We'll see...

I am starting this blog to help myself stay sane.  Until this school year, I had been an elementary school teacher for 9 years and loved the kids who I got to teach year after year.  After having baby #3 in February, though, my husband and I decided that the best thing to do would be to stay home.  This makes me happy and nervous.

At such a hard time for teachers, I should count myself lucky to have this opportunity.  I know lots of moms out there would stay home with their kids in a second if they could.  I'm super excited about this journey with my own children, but part of me already misses the kids I'm not going to get the chance to help in the classroom.  I'm sure I'll find a way to make a difference in that area. 

In the meantime, I have overloaded my brainstorming list with tons of projects and goals I'd like to do.  This will be the place where I can write to clear my head, see my own insanity, or pat myself on the back for a job well done.  Right now I'm just constantly cooking for the kids, cleaning up the kitchen after I cook, feeding Ross, changing diapers, working out (gotta lose that baby weight), and finding the time to shower afterwards!  Oh- and now... finding time to keep up a blog!  We'll see how it goes...