A mini vacation

Last week, Aaron worked nights all week.  It's kind of a rough schedule for him, especially when we are home and doing our best not to bug him (Haven does surprisingly well at leaving him alone...I do more interrupting, usually when my day as a parent is falling apart).  Anyway, by the time I get to Saturday morning, I'm a wreck - just kind of done with the week and really needing a partner, but after a week of working the night shift, Aaron is busy trying to sleep.

So towards the end of last week, in an attempt to avoid a Saturday Meltdown, I was trying to come up with a plan that would take Haven off my hands for a little while.  And in the midst of my planning, my mother-in-law called and offered, out of the blue, to take Haven for the night on Friday!  Well, hallelujah! Perfect timing, perfect break, perfect perfect.

This still meant I had Sebastian on my hands, but let me tell you - going from two to one is a piece of cake.  Even luckier for me, Sebastian took some really great naps on Saturday (I have a suspicion this may have had something to do with the absence of his big sister).  So while I couldn't necessarily sleep in, I could relax and take a pretty easy pace.  It turned out to be a really great and productive day - here are some of the highlights:

• I could eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted.  This may sound like an odd thing, but when Haven is around, Haven wants to eat whatever you are eating whenever you happen to be eating.  This is generally okay, but sometimes I just don't want to share!
• I could leave whatever laying about the house.  Again, this may sound odd, but each night we pick up the house because when our day starts in the morning, it's off to a running start and if you leave anything out, anything, Haven will find it and play with it.  Magazines, mugs, cup of water, the remote, your purse, whatever.  She will get into it.  So to reduce the number of messes we clean up during the day, we try to pick up at night and put quite a bit of stuff out of reach.  So I was thrilled to go to bed on Friday and not worry about the house and to spend my Saturday morning leaving whatever wherever.
• I spent a lot of time reading, mostly during Sebastian's naps.  But even when he was awake, he requires a much simpler form of entertainment than his sister (for now).  And Aaron helped me out a lot by watching Sebastian (once he was done sleeping) so that I could read.  And I finished my book - and it was so good.  So good.  Aaron was also able to sit and read and drink his coffee - I'm pretty sure that was a highlight for him.
• We got all of the laundry done! Yes!
• We cleaned the entire house - it felt so good to get everything cleaned up and in order and vacuumed and dusted.  Dusted!  I never dust!  And it was so much easier to do without The Great Un-doer following right behind us!

Anyway, it was a nice little break from toddlerdom.  Haven had a great time with her grandparents and we are happy to have her back home.  Although, I think I could have used just one more day...

I like to move it move it

So. I did a workout video this week. 10 minute workout solutions - the perfect amount of time for me. I decided on the Dance Moves Fat Burning something-or-other series and began to follow the instructor.  But silly me, I thought it would feel more like dancing.  I thought it would feel more fun.  Instead, it felt like aerobics, the kind where my uncoordinated self is five steps behind and looks like a certified dork.

In college, I took an aerobics class with Dottie Haugen, one of the physical education professors.  Dottie was in her 60's and had been teaching at my college for quite a few years and she was AWESOME!  She had such a passion for physical activity as a way of loving our bodies, as a way of staying healthy in all ways (physically, mentally, spiritually).  And Dottie's enthusiasm was contagious - you couldn't help but feel positive and excited in her midst.  Her aerobics class was a hit and she just exercised circles around all of us 20-year-olds.  But I loved this class because the aerobics routines weren't so complex or challenging AND she used a lot of Christian songs from the 80's and 90's.  Now, I don't LOVE Christian music, much less from the 80's and 90's, but these songs were so fun and the aerobics moves were so easy to get, that I could just move.  I could just exercise and it felt like dancing.  I didn't have to think, just move.  I could even sing along.  I think I even remember some of the moves to one of the songs (Lift Up the Lord).  I'm positive that in this class, I looked, yet again, like a dork.  But it was such fun, felt so uplifting, to use a kind of corny word.

So, after this week's aerobics workout that just felt like aerobics, I went ahead and ordered some Sweatin' to the Oldies.  One of my childhood friends had these and we would "workout" to them in 5th grade.  And while Richard Simmons is a fruit loop of the first order, I thought this might be as close as I could get to good ol' uplifting, dancing, singing along exercise fun.

It also, most certainly, solidifies my status as dork in the realm of exercise.  So be it.

Spoilers, I love 'em

I just skimmed ahead and read the last chapter of this month's book club book (The Brothers K by David James Duncan).  And I cried at the beautiful ending.

Don't worry - I've been known to do this, reading the end of the book first. It doesn't really ruin it for me, especially not this one since I've read it before.

But it's been awhile and the ending was so wonderful and it reminded me why I love this book so much (which is good, because it was my pick for book club!).  Oh, I just want to sit and read and do nothing else for a few days!

A few small triumphs

1. The rooster did not crow this morning.  Amen.  Nor did it crow yesterday and, thanks to our landlord's initiative and conversation with the neighbors, the damn bird probably won't crow tomorrow.  (The neighbors are keeping him in the basement at night.)
2. Haven slept past 7 am.  And there was much rejoicing!  Indeed, the fact that she slept past 6 am is a miracle.  I think this is directly related to #1, as the rooster lived right outside her window.  Hoping this trend continues - back to a normal wake-up hour!
3. I didn't wake up swearing.  Nor did I wake up at 3:30 or 5:50 or 6:30 am, times when the f-ing rooster has decided that it's morning.
4. Nope, I only woke up at 2:39 am to feed Sebastian.  One feeding, which he had a hard time falling back asleep after...but then he slept until 6:30 am.  Amen.
5. I was able to take a shower and get dressed before Haven woke up.  Hallelujah.
6. All morning routines and timing worked out such that we made it to a music class this morning. almost on time.  Much singing and dancing was had by all.
7. And we then had a play date with some new friends, one of which Haven kept trying to hug and kiss throughout lunch.
8. Haven missed her nap, which is not a triumph, BUT I didn't LOSE it, which is a triumph and not even of the small variety.  Nap didn't happen and the day went forth just fine.  I had to take a few deep breaths, but well, that never hurt anybody.
9. I read a little and napped a little while feeding a sleepy Sebastian this afternoon.  Yes!
10. I made dinner in the crockpot...but it wasn't ready in time.
11. No worries, I made dinner on the stove.
12. Haven ate most of her dinner, or at least parts I didn't think she would eat.
13. Haven was in bed by 7 pm.  Sebastian was in bed by 7:30 pm.
14. Most rooms of the house are picked up (not the kitchen, sorry Aaron).
15. I had a nice chat with my friend, Colleen.
16. I blogged.  One of my resolutions for the new year.  Amen and amen.

New year

Today, I took a two and a half hour nap.  Cozy beneath the covers, I drifted off in the quiet of the house with the sound of a gentle rain outside.  I could have used about 12 more of those.

Christmas break is coming to an end and I'm gearing up to go "back to work" (you know, my non-office job with two small tyrants).  The past two weeks have been great - we've been able to get a ton of projects done around the house (I think we unpacked a good dozen moving boxes!) and we've been able to enjoy our time together as a family.  I feel like I've been able to have a little time to myself and also that I've been spoiled a bit - Aaron has taken both kids quite a bit, to let me sleep in, take a nap, do a little shopping. I'm really amazed at how easy he makes it look to juggle two little ones at once!

With the start of a new year, there's of course some looking back and looking forward.  I'll admit, I'm not so sad to see 2010 go.  While it had some definite joys and highlights (Sebastian!), it also held great difficulty and challenges, challenges I'm hoping to not repeat.  The start of this year does feel different than the start of 2010, which makes me hopeful.  I feel less isolated and more connected than I did a year ago, which I think is a good way to start.  I feel like I learned a few things last year that I'm hoping will set me up to for a new approach in the coming year.  We'll see.

I made a few resolutions for the year to come - they are small and, thereby, (hopefully) manageable.  And one of them is to go to bed earlier.  So while this isn't the most exciting blog entry in the world, it will have to do for now, while I make my way to bed. 

Happy new year, friends.