Distractions......

Ok so I started this post last month......so now I feel the title is even more appropriate.   Life happened, I got distracted, thought I saved what I started.......but I didn't!!!

I have been trying to figure out why I don't have enough time in my day to get it all done.  Now I do realize that some days you do it get all done because the stars align, the moon is reflecting the su. Just right, the gods are on your side....whatever you want to call it.......you are on top of the world.  By the time you fall into bed, you pat yourself on the back and say to yourself...."I am awesome" you feel, like your perfect spouse, the best parent, the best sibling, daughter, etc........but than it seems like you have a day where at the end of the day you think to yourself.....well what did I do today, laundry is not done, we had cold ceral for dinner, the kids made it to bed with the clothes they wore to bed the night before and played in today.......you did not get anything done and can't put a finger on it.........it could have been your kids demanded your attention every waking moment.....you did not get out of bed until noon.....were you distracted? 

I have found a pattern the day I am on top of the world, appointments, made phone calls made, laundry was done and put away, kids did work sheets, house was cleaned, dinner made and ready for my hsivand when he got home, kids bathed.........I think you get the idea......after a "perfect" day it seems the next day......I put kids to bed and I look around at the sink full of dishes......the cereal bowls on the counter from dinner.....I did not even get dressed......I think what on earth did I do today?  Apparently nothing......oh wait yeah I did I pinned 400 new pins on Pinterest, I updated my Facebook status almost every hour, I read everyone else's posts and commented on every single one of my friends, I played my unimportant Facebook games, iPhone games, I watched movies all day, I think I fed my kids lunch or maybe they just out of the snack drawer...all well they ate something....I hope.  I go to bed feeling an inch tall a horrible person, mother and wife.  So as I try not to beat myself up too much I vow to myself tomorrow I won't even touch the computer, I will leave my phone on my dresser, I won't even think about Pinterest.     But it never happens.  

I also get that once in a while we all have lazy days where we never got dressed, the kids watched movies all day, they had cold cereal for all 3 meals and even their snacks, your lucky if dirty dishes even made it to the sink.....everyone needs a lazy day once in a while to recharge or just to snuggle the kids because it has been a long time.....or the kids are extr needy because of not feeling good, or they are cranky or they are clingy and won't let you leave their sight.  

I know the world that I have created in my head......"Leave it to Beaver" world does not exist....but I would like to have something close something so when my husband comes home after 10 + hours at work (some days that does not include commute time) he can have a yummy dinner ready, an almost clean home, kids bathed, etc so when he does get home we can eat dinner and watch a movie or go play or just have snuggle time.

It amazes me at how helpful technology is, how it has improved, how much easier it is to stay in touch with friends and family, you can keep all of your appointments in your phone now and not have to carry around a calendar, how we can have the world literally at our finger tips on our phone, but now it seems we have even more distractions.  Not saying these things are bad, but it is crazy to me that I can sit down and I am going to spend 5 minutes while the kids are eating lunch to catch up on Facebook and the next thing I know the kids have finished eating, watched a movie and my husband is going to be home in an hour and I have no idea what to make for dinner.  I was distracted from spending time with my kids, folding laundry, quickly putting dishes in dishwasher, making dinner, going for a walk outside in the sunshine......whatever it may be.  How did technology take over?  

I laugh at this thought, but there is marrit to it. I wish we were in the 50s again.  You know the time where there were only 5 tv channels, kids played out side until dark, there were no cell phones or computers, etc.  life was hard back then no doubt, but a lot simpler in many aspects....kids were not demanding toys they saw on tv, everyone knew their neighbors, the only time we were able to talk on the phone was at home...etc. ok so maybe we don't have to go as far back as the 50s, but it better illustrates my idea. 

I need to become unplugged, but it is so hard.  Having the world at my finger tips is so handy I can look up anything online and get my answer, but by being attached to my phone I miss out on what my kids are doing, I don't talk to my husband like I should because we are both busy looking at our phones, I even have noticed how irritated I get when I am trying to read a frivolous article online and one of my sweet children asks me a question.  

I am struggling to find a balance in my life.  Technology has been a huge blessing in many ways, but detrimental in others.  Do you remember having all of your friends phone numbers memorized? I do......can you tell me what your husbands phone number is at work? Or what your best friends number is now? I know I can't. Have we stopped making out brains work hard because we can plug it all into our phone. Are we damaging out brains by not making them work?  I think of it as becoming out of shape. I quit working out years ago....life happened, marriage jobs, kids, injuries......I tried to do a basic workout the other day and oh my gosh I have gotten weak and to think a few years ago I could play college soccer for 90 minutes and now I cannot even walk up the stairs without my thighs burning and breathing heavy.....is that what is happening to our brains?  Are we creating Alzheimer's by not working our brains like we used to, like muscle atrophy has set in on my for lack of using my muscles?

Oh look there we go again I got distracted...again....

How do you limit distractions? And not just Facebook distractions, but in general, we are all plagued with our own distractions weather it be technology, talking on the phone, writing, etc.

I have so many things I need to get done and I know if I limited my distractions I would get a lot more done, so why can't I walk away from them? HELP!!!!!!

March ORT

So I thought I had my phone set up to notify me when it was time to post......I was wrong....or maybe it did and I ignored...which I never ignore my alarms and alerts...EVER!!!!  Technology is awesome....if you use it and don't ignore it.  

Anyways, I am late as usual!  SURPRISE!!!!

I am focusing on 2 different stitchings right now.  1 started about 2 years ago and the other one I started about 5 months ago.  

This is an alphabet "sampler".  It is about families and each letter of the alphabet
 depicts a different aspect of the family

My ORT jar

This is one I am turning into a birth sampler for my daughter that was just born

I know it does not look like I have gotten much done, but I have been a little be preoccupied by the newest addition to our family and trying to get caught up on my quilting projects as well.  I have so many unfinished projects it is crazy!

This is the source of about 90% of my distractions right now.
She is 2 months old and is a happy little baby

Now that I have officially joined the stay at home mom world I hope that I might get more done durning the day and have more time to stitch at night. I can hear all the giggles from other moms.....they can stop now....I know I won't have more time for me.  I am a mom of 5 year old 4 year old and 2 month old.........

My three daughters that keep me on my toes and boy do I love them

They all make me want to pull my hair out, but they also provide me hours of entertainment and laughter.  My two older girls have turned into such wonderful helpers that love their baby sister....a little too much!

I am loving my life though!

January TUSAL - ORT

http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-totally-useless-stitch-long-2014.html

A few years ago I stumbled across a blog that I immediately fell in love with.  Part of the blog is motivating us cross stitchers to get projects done.  We use a jar and collect the ORT's (Old Ratty Threads) and put them in a jar or container of your choice and about once a month you take a picture and post even if there was nothing added to the jar.  A lot of people also take a picture of their project(s) and post them as well.  This is fun because when you think you are not EVER going to finish you can look at the pictures and realize how much you really got done.  

I like it because it motivates me to keep going.....even when I am SO DONE with a particular stitching.  And as you collect the ORT's you watch your jar slowly fill up and the colors mixed together is actually kind of pretty.  Some people can fill their jar monthly....however....I am not that lucky.  I think it is because I have a "waste not want not" type attitude when it comes to floss and I use every last bit and so I only add the short small ends.  If I am done with a section and there is enough floss to use later on I keep it......

Ok enough so here is my jar and a stitching I am making into a birth announcement for my newest baby that was born a month ago.  I had every intention of having this finished before she was born, but I had the virus, cold, crap that laid me out for about 6 weeks...the last 6 weeks of pregnancy so I had no energy and desire to do anything...ANYTHING....I forced myself to not beg my doctor to induce me early so I could take medicine.  My cough so was bad it was probably boarder line bronchitis...my mom was thinking walking pneumonia...I lost weight and all because I had no appetite....It was BAD.  Even after the baby was born it took me a couple of weeks for my ears to return to normal.....

Ok sorry for the side note.....I am random...

Back to the topic at hand her is my ORT for January!!!

This is a cute picture of Tigger and Pooh holding Tiggers tale and Piglet is "jumping rope"

I will finish Tigger...I see orange everywhere!!!

Here is my ORT jar.  I am determined this year to fill it. I added a little bit of yarn because I finishing up a crocheting project.

Tonsils

So I was looking at my blog and I was really surprised at how many "drafts" I have.  I started them and got distracted and did not finish them.  This one took place at the beginning of October.  

Jasmin was diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea....OSA.  Which means her tonsils and adenoids were blocking her air way as she sleeps cause sleep apnea, which was causing her to sleep walk.

We went to Doernbecher Children's Hospital up in Portland.....Our second home it seems like sometimes.  When we were waiting they had some volunteers there helping the patients make beaded necklaces, key chains, bracelets....Jasmin was excited and said she wanted to make one for her sister.  So we got her set up and she was started beading a necklace.

They soon called us back to get her prepped for surgery.  The volunteers were amazing and told her she could take her necklace back and finish it. But as you can tell she got distracted by her own TV!!!! 

After we got through all of the paper work of surgery and asking our questions they gave her Versed...we have nicknamed it the silly medicine because it affects Jasmin in a way that makes her super goofy and gives her the giggle big time.

I had a picture of her necklace where you can tell where she was "normal" and when the medicine started kicking in because her pattern was off.

But here is a short video of just before they took her back to surgery and silly she was being!!

Multiplicity

Today as Jeff is laying bed resting from his ACL and Meniscus surgery that took place on Thursday, as the girls are playing with their V-Tech reading books and the iPad, I sit at my computer wishing I could be cloned, kind of like the old movie Multiplicity.  Only I want one of me to keep scanning documents and I work towards de-cluttering my house of the tubs and stacks of paper.

I would like one of me to finish up laundry.....I just made a new batch of laundry soap today.  I would also like one of me to be sitting and stitching to finish at least 1 of the 6 in progress projects.  1 of me could be finishing up pot holders, a quilt, or a baby blanket or 2.  While another one works on crocheting the last of the wash cloths that I have started.

It is amazing to me how complicated we make life.  I am whining and complaining I know.  But all well.  Sometimes I just feel like I have so many things pulling me in different directions that if I sit and work on one I keep nagging myself.  You should not be working on this you need to be working on that. But if I switch tasks than I feel like I am being pulled towards a different task!

Anyways, that is my randomness for the day and my vent for the day.  I know that getting different projects done will not take one day it will take in some cases months to complete. I just tell my brain to shut up and chip away at the project I chose...only today that is not working!!!

Digital Clutter VS Material Clutter

I just had an oh my gosh moment.  I have been trying to down size our stuff and clean out old books that I either have read a long time ago, bought with intentions to read and it has been 10 years......cleaning out old magazines that are still in their plastic mailers from 2 years ago, stacks of paper in general, clothes.....Ok I think you get it.

I had that duh moment.  

When I look at others homes and blogs I think I am so going to have that house TODAY!!!!  HA HA HA HA HA!!!!  A few weeks  ago it dawned on me de clutter takes time A LOT OF TIME....YEARS...IT NEVER ENDS!!! So I have learned if everyday I can get rid of a little bit my home is happier and so am I.  Even if that means only 5 magazines or 6 books or 2 t-shirts I have not worn in 4 years...whatever it may be every little bit helps.

So today I as I have been sitting at my computer trying to get some scanning done I noticed that my computer has slowed down...WAY DOWN. I want to go by a new computer so it is fast again.  Than I thought "when was the last time I cleaned out old files?"  Um Hello 2011 ish.  I have 30,000 pictures, about 500 plus documents, games.....UM no wonder.  So now that I have had this thought what to do.  I need to clean out pictures....you know the ones the kids take of the wall, the shoe, the.......um pitch black, school papers that I wrote and saved that I have not opened back up since the day I submitted them....etc. Some things I want to keep and back up, but not everything.  

As I was sitting here thinking about this I realized digital clutter can be just as stressful as material clutter.  Only digital clutter is out of sight and out of mind until your computer starts running at a snails speed.  Now I have added another TO DO to my list.  Clean up my computer....... 

PUMPKIN PATCH!!

Yes I realize this is after the fact, but all well!  Jasmin's kindergarten class took a field trip to the pumpkin patch and boy oh boy did Payeton mope for DAYS!!!!

We decided to take a family trip to the pumpkin patch that Jasmin went to and it was a blast!!!

There were cut outs like this all over the farm
The girls loved them!

Running through the corn maze!!!

Was cold but did not want to stop!

She must be looking for foot prints to help us get out

This was where the maze lead us....to the teepee!

And it was awesome!!!!

If this was to scale I have got some super tall kids

There is not much difference between the girls anymore

This slide was fun.  You had to climb up a pirate ship
made out of hay bails to get to the top of it!

These were peddle tractors that the girls struggled with.
The ground was wet and uneven.  There were a lot of tractors in
a small area as well

Time for the duck races!  I want to build one of these in our backyard..
when we get a back yard!

Jasmin loved this she wants to learn how
to ride real horses

Payeton not so much!

At the end of the trip we were hungry and they had bratwurst there.  Jeff looked at my and said yes you can get one.  What a good man he is.  So of course I got one loaded with homemade sauerkraut and grilled onions.  YUM!  As I was waiting for mine to be finished I was watching the 2 men that were running it.  I asked them if their sausages were a family recipe and he said "yes straight from Holland, my family is from Holland".  EVEN BETTER!!! Talk about fat free grease free deliciousness!  I could have eaten 2 of them and Jeff laughed at me because I think I ate in 3 bites!