I am appreciating this quiet morning

It seems weird not having school today.  It seems odd to me that the high school football season begins tonight, but we don't have school.  I'll be honest, I don't love it.  It was nice to sleep in, but it does feels like a weird Friday.

I got up much earlier than I wanted to today, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.  I have some errands to run at some point today, and Thomas and I need to make a trip to my aunt & uncle's house to pick up some things.  More than anything though, I appreciate the quiet.  I am sitting in my living room looking out at the very quiet neighborhood.  Even the dog is still in sleeping with Catherine.  It is so incredibly peaceful, and I'm so grateful for these moments!

I love Labor Day weekend!

My new-found love for Labor Day weekend has only been within the last several years.  I don't remember any affinity for it as a child, and even as an adult, most of the time it was just a long weekend.  And of course there were those years when the kids started school right after the long weekend, and I never enjoyed that.  It really felt like it was almost a slap in the face that summer was so very over.

Now though, I love this weekend.  We have been going long enough, that it feels good to have Monday off.  We also have tomorrow off.  I don't love that necessarily because I would rather have that extra day somewhere else along the line, but at the same time I won't mind sleeping in tomorrow!  I also LOVE that college football starts!  We will be traveling to my in-laws on Saturday (my MIL has a birthday this weekend) so I will miss the joy of really doing nothing but watching games, but Notre Dame doesn't play until Monday night anyway.  And my in-laws love college football too so there will be no debating what we are watching.  It also seems as though the weather is going to be fairly lovely.  I haven't seen my in-laws since April, so it will be very nice to have this time together!

I did it myself!

I am so pleased with myself.  I am, generally speaking, technologically inept.  I don't have the patience for learning and understanding technology, and many times, I just don't care.  It's really usually that simple.  Back in February, I noticed that my laptop and phone had stopped syncing.  It wasn't a huge deal necessarily, but I did like the convenience of it.  What I was most concerned about, was losing pictures that are on my phone.  Since things weren't synced, they weren't being backed up, and that worried me.

Yesterday I spent some time really sitting down and trying to figure things out.  I was so thrilled that not only did I get my pictures all backed up, I got everything - including my messages - to sync together again.  YES!!!  I was so pleased with myself and I kept telling everyone in my family how pleased I was and what I had done.  I know it seems like a small thing, but I am thrilled that I did it all myself!

I needed to see this today

However, what's done is done. You know you did everything you possibly could. Now go, live your life to the fullest and stop looking back because you richly deserve every GOOD thing life brings your way.

Not sure what I will do with all of my free time

This is the only day I'm scheduled this week.  With the change in sub scheduling, I suspect it might very well be the only day I get this week.  I'm not sure yesterday really counts as much of a day off, as I was stressed about the medical tests I was undergoing.  On the upside, it appears at this time as though there is no immediate cause for concern, but they will check again in six months.

Anyway, it seems weird to be having multiple days off each week.  Next week I'm only scheduled two days, and it just seems so odd to be having this much time off.  Three years ago was the last fall I didn't work, but at that point I had three kids at home, none of them could drive, and they were younger.  Now there are only two, Catherine can drive, and the youngest is 15...mostly self-sufficient.  There just seems less for me to handle.  Maybe I'll get the desire to continue scrapbooking, or to make some other decorations and creating I've been wanting to do.  For years I have thought about writing a book, either a fictional story or about some of the craziness of our lives.  I definitely want to avoid spending lots of money, because if I'm not working much I sure can't be doing that.  I'm grateful that things have worked out with Andrew's contracts and supplementals and I don't have to stress about not working, just be careful.  I guess this extra time presents lots of opportunities!

He's changed

As I was back to school last week, it was fun seeing some of the changes that occurred in the kids over the summer.  I think it is especially true in this year's sophomores.  My son is no exception.  He is such a different person.  He is definitely no longer a boy.  I thought this was true last year, and maybe it was, but not like this year.  Andrew and I are really so proud of the way Thomas is handling himself.  He seems to have gained some confidence in how he handles himself.  He used to be terrified to talk to his teachers, but now he seems to be developing relationships with them.  He seems more focused and dedicated when it comes to his school work.  I know this probably won't be the case about everything all year, and I know things won't be perfect.  But by this time last year, he already wanted to be "done" with school.  We will take what we can get.  He's also physically matured in his stature.  Not only is he taller, but he is stronger, and he knows he can physically handle tasks that are assigned to him.  He is much more patient with himself and his surroundings.  These are all good things.

At the same time, his social maturity is not there yet.  Sometimes when we talk that little boy comes out again...and it isn't just because I am his mother.  The friends he is still choosing...not awesome.  I worry about these things, just like I worry about the fact that Catherine seems to purposely choose NOT associating with people.  Parenting is the most challenging and emotionally gut-wrenching thing I have done.  Sending daily prayers to parents and kids everywhere!

Not working on a Monday

I am off work today.  I couldn't work today anyway because I have some tests that need to be done, but nothing had popped up anyway.  This morning I saw the same job I had been in for on Friday, and really wish I could've taken it.  This testing has to be done though, and if I'm being honest, I could use some unspoken prayers regarding all of this.

It has also been confirmed that some things have changed in terms of the subbing situation, and it makes it more challenging for me to get some jobs, even when teachers specifically want me and have talked to me ahead of time.  I know there is nothing I can do about it, but my anxiety level is high right now.

It's a rainy, dreary day today.  We had a gorgeous weekend, but the humidity is supposed to be returning along with the rain today.  I worked hard to pick the house up yesterday.  I am only scheduled one day this week, and as I told Andrew yesterday, by cleaning the house, I pretty much guaranteed I'll be off quite a bit this week.  If the house had remained a disaster area, I probably would've worked nearly every day...Murphy's Law (ever wonder who Murphy is?)!