Such is life

This past week and a half or so has been full of excitement!  Or, in other words, I've been extremely more busy than normal, which is why no update as of recent.

First of all, this month is the last month I'll be working a full time schedule, since the shelter site I have been working graveyard shift at is closing as of the 31st.  Sucks that I won't have a steady income, but I've already had several interviews at different places, and hopefully someone bites soon, or I may have to resort to selling my body parts on the black market. 

Anyone need a slightly used kidney?

I've been shirking my responsibilities at school by not keeping up on my homework.  Why?  I don't know, maybe because I am choosing sleep over study?  Maybe?  So the last night or so I have been in a mad dash to try and make some of the homework up, not to mention study for two quizzes that are due online in two days.  But it'll happen, I'm not worried about that.

Lastly, I don't want to say it, but my ideas and creative flow has taken a flop.  Simply because I am topsy turvy with my schedule right now and just a little more than stressed out.  I mean, in between everything that's happening, I have to try and find another job, do interviews, etc.  On top of all this, the car has decided it's going to act up. 

::sigh::

But that's okay...

On the home front, Katie has an appointment with an optometrist on Monday to have an exam done for glasses.  She's been begging for glasses forever, so dad bought her some "fake" ones with glass lenses to get her used to them...let's just say her initial excitement about glasses has worn off and is now replaced with the fear of "you mean I have to wear these all the time?"  Yeah kiddo, that's pretty much the drill...::hugs::

Along with the glasses appointment, we have had to schedule an appointment with a dermatologist for Katie.  Without getting too scary, I'll try to explain.  Katie has had a mole on her tummy since she was born, over the past year or so the mole has gotten bigger, darker, changed shape and is now raised quite a bit.  Katie also says it hurts on occasion.  So, naturally, her pediatrician is concerned that it may be melanoma and wants to possibly have a biopsy done to rule out any cancer possibility.  We're all pretty scared, but taking it in stride.  Skin cancer does run on my side of the family, so it's concerning to hear that my daughter has to go through this.  We're praying for the best.

So, brief update done, better get back to hitting these books...

Creating change to create creativity

Today was a rather good day, all in all, given I had to be at work by midnight and have to work a place I am not used to, nor do I enjoy, working at.  But today has been another step on the road to writing!  Today has been laden with change!

How could I let her go to school sleep deprived?  Ha!

I woke up and, oops, Katie is now late for school, so I call her doctor and get a note for her to miss today because she had a difficult weekend.  Katie had spent her vacation with my mother and father, since they are only in town from Florida once in a great while.  Well, Katie, not to miss out on anything that may have happened while she slept, decided it was a wonderful idea to stay up until midnight or 1am while visiting.  Great, so now I have a daughter who is so sleep deprived on Monday morning that she can hardly see straight.  So, she comes with me for the day and we run errands.  First, taxes.  We filed my taxes and, with smiles on our faces, went grocery shopping.  Well, as I am approaching the store I decide, split second, that I am not, in fact, going to continue buying the same horrible food I have always bought, but instead am going to buy foods that are healthier choices.  Katie and I bounce through the store in our new Sketchers "Shape-Ups" and proceed to buy apples, "Cuties", bananas, asparagus, mixed salads and some diet dinners for me to take to work, along with other random odds and ends for dinners and lunches and such.

We head home from the store and I want so bad to buy a big cheeseburger and fries on the way, but I pass by every fast food place I see, mouth watering for lunch.  Instead, I walk in the house, groceries in hand, look at Mike and proudly proclaim "I'm not eating junk any more, it's killing me." And with a smile on his face, he gets up and unpacks the groceries.  We talk about how great it is that we're changing, slowly but surely.  We talk about how, for the last 3 days, Mike's been eating healthy food at the house, but he didn't want to put pressure on me to switch to the same because I would, like always, eventually come around on my own.  And I did.  Very similar to when we quit smoking together for good over 2 years ago, it had to come to me being ready for it, and then it ends.

I'm the baby, gotta hold me!  Ha!

So, after the groceries are put away, I sit down and make myself a lunch of tortilla chips, salsa and a turkey sandwich.  It tastes like heaven!  And I don't feel horrible for eating it! 

I then start to look around the house.  Yes, it's in shambles because we've had a baby, but it's relatively clean.  I start to straighten up a bit.  Sammi cries.  I sit down and hold her.  So that didn't get accomplished today.  Okay, that's fine.  Where else can I make some change for the better happen?

Then it hits me!  I'm always in a rush for work at night, consequently, I am also frazzled for the rest of the night due to rushing.  So I pack a lunch and some snacks for me and put it in the fridge.  I pump (I'm breastfeeding Sammi, but she is bottle fed when I work) and then wash my pump and pack it up, and place it by the door.  Mike puts the laptop in my messenger bag and places it by my pump.  I lay out my work clothes.  I look at Mike and say "Okay, I have to sleep." and he agrees.  Wow!  This is the first Monday that I have ever slept before work!

I sleep from 7:30pm until 11:10pm.  Yes, I hit the snooze quite a bit.  I get up, take a hot shower, get dressed, grab my lunch, pump and bag and kiss Mike good bye.  It only took me 15 minutes to get a shower and get out the door...oh wow...

I'm at work by 11:55pm.  5 minutes early.  Not as early as I usually am, but normally I get my shower when I come home!

I'm elated!  I'm relaxed!  I'm at zero frazzlement!  This is good!  I am working better and my head is clear.  This change is really good for me!  Why didn't I do this sooner?