So, what do I do all day now that my kids are all in school? I know you’re all dying to know. Well, maybe not all of you but it has come up in conversations and emails and text messages.
Those 6 hours do go by quickly.
Can I just say that I am blessed to have a husband who works hard & supports our family & has made it possible all these years for me to be a stay at home {& now work at home} mom. I know what a huge blessing that is and I do not take that for granted.
My new schedule has allowed me:
- to catch up on my stockpile of books to read {here are just a few}
- to write more in my journal & hopefully some of those thoughts can be shared on here one day
- to practice my photography
- the flexibility of returning to my Body Pump classes
- to have lunch or coffee with a friend
- to volunteer my time to harvest & work in the i Grow Lemont gardens & participate in their book club
- to do a little more freelance virtual assistant work for 3 to 4 bloggers scattered across the country
- to find a theater that’s showing a matinee {I haven’t done this yet but I want to!}
- to be spontaneous with a random act of kindness
- to play uninterrupted 80s music radio on Pandora
Obviously, that isn’t an exhaustive list of everything I do, just some of the new stuff. If I really listed everything, you’d be completely bored. Maybe one day I’ll do a “day in the life” post just for fun so you can see how completely exciting my life is that day! {wink}
I wouldn’t be completely honest with you if I didn’t tell you that there have been a few times in the past few weeks where I sit alone on my couch, surrounded by quiet & do nothing. I am refreshed by quiet. I know there are 100 things that I could do that are within arms reach of that spot on the couch but I choose to sit. To listen.
I do have to be careful though. If I sit there for too long, that quietness & stillness can transform into laziness & sometimes depression. When that starts to creep in, that’s when I text a friend to meet me for coffee or go out for a walk.
Rarely do I get on a soapbox but here it goes: What other profession {and yes, stay at home moms and/or dads is a profession!} gets asked the question “What do you do all day”? Can you think of one? I can’t. If I asked my friend that’s a doctor, “What do you do all day?” they’d laugh. Am I right? The job we’re doing of raising babies to toddlers to kids to teenagers to young adults to adults is a profession. The hardest one in the world. Just because we have the privilege of staying home doesn’t make it less difficult.
Off of my soapbox now.
Thanks for sticking with me on this journey and reading my random thoughts & daydreams. I am truly thankful for you.
Tell me about your day. {See how much better that sounds? Oops, back on soapbox! Sorry!}
1. 
2.
4. 
6. A wedding. Congratulations to Jonathan & Whitney!
7. Family reunion!
8. Grandpa’s visit & homemade ice cream!
9. Brown Sugar Maple Bacon ice cream! {If you’re in the Asheville, NC area, find 
10. We went to our first 
1. Driving & Dreaming ~ long road trips are the perfect time for Greg and I to discuss dreams. We talk about BIG dreams. Then ponder for a while then come back to it. Dreams sessions while driving make long road trips seem shorter.
2. Also, apparently some people can fall asleep while riding on the back of a motorcycle going 70 mph – that’s a whole different level of dreaming!
3. Another “Last First” ~ Eden lost her first tooth. She is my youngest child so this is another “last first” of many for our family.
6. Stainless steel can remove the smell of onions, garlic, etc from your hands! Where has this little snippet of knowledge been hiding all of my life?? Thanks Brad & Embassy Suites for this tid-bit of knowledge hanging up in your hotel elevator.
8. I have fallen in love with beets all over again! We planted them in the 
10. Did you know that your tear ducts can become clogged? I’ve heard about it happening with infants but not as an adult. What I thought was my emotions making my eyes water was actually a tear traffic jam! This will be a “to be continued” for Things I Will Learn in August. I have another appointment with my ophthalmologist in a few weeks to see if they can fix it. Let’s hope it’s a simple fix!
2. My kids love to take baths at their grandparents house. Maybe it’s the bath toys? Or just that it’s summer and the pace of life is a little slower & they can take the time to soak in the tub for a while.
7. I’m a little neurotic when I find something that I really like, so I think I need to buy 2. My love for v-neck t-shirts is out of control because of this neurotic behavior. I think it might start again with these sunglasses {above}. The reasons I love these sunglasses: 1) they do not move off my nose when I smile because of my big cheeks; 2) they fit wonderfully behind my ears & do not hurt after wearing them all day; 3) they’re from Target; 4) they double as a headband.
9. I love tomatoes. Especially the 
10. I really love Asheville, NC. Not only because my parents live here or because I was born here. It is a beautiful city with beautiful people, full of activities & natural beauty. Last week we packed a picnic lunch & decided to check out 
It’s no surprise how much I love 
1. 
4. 
This random moment is actually two moments brought to you through the eyes of Tygar. No, not the 80s Rocky theme song. Our Tygar.
February 2009 ~ Tygar was in Mrs. Smith’s 1st grade class. One of his classmates decided to bring in some round peppermint candies to pass out for his birthday treat. Tygar popped in his peppermint candy treat and after a few minutes, who knows what happened, Tygar started choking on the peppermint candy. Really choking. He managed to get the attention of his teacher and she quickly pulled him out of the classroom into the hallway and gave him the Heimlich maneuver! Mrs. Smith really did save his life that day!
He drew this picture/comic strip the day after he broke his arm last fall.
