Ok, so to be honest, I've had mixed emotions leading up to ALL 6 children beginning school full time this coming school year.
Feelings include but are not limited to excitement, desires to party and get drunk all day long ( I promise I'm not an alcoholic), worries about what the Maia kid might do at school, a feeling of having an unknown identity, worries the husband would resent me and my "cushy" lifestyle as I "sit" at home and eat bon bons (those that know me, know that's so NOT me), worries my ADD and OCD will clash and cause me to walk in circles and not get nearly as much done as I desire. 😔
All these feelings didn't produce one single tear yesterday?! Something is clearly wrong with me? Who doesn't cry when their final baby goes off to school all day? Then again, most people aren't blessed with a Maia kid! 😇
Yesterday, was the kid's first day of school. Marc had the day off. So I'm not really counting yesterday. Today, Marc is at work and the kids are gone! Today IS MY FIRST OFFICIAL DAY in my new life of being a stay at home mom to ZERO kids from the hours of 8:30-2:15.
Soooooo many people keep asking "What are you going to do with ALL your free time?"😳
Gee lets see... I've neglected myself for 17 long years so I'm fairly certain I have plenty to keep me busy! Just because the children leave for 6 hours a day, doesn't mean I will be left without a single thing to do! For curious minds heres my list in no special order. (I make lots of lists for those that didn't know)
1. House (it doesn't maintain itself!)
2. Laundry (its never ending)
3. Cooking (my goal is to bake and cook even more from scratch, healthy options for my household to enjoy)
4. Scrapbooking (I currently have over 4,000 photos waiting to be scrapbooked and thousands still needing to be developed and then booked)
5. Update the family blog. I'm a good 6 months behind and probably have some gaps I need to fill in before I order 2016's book (Every year, I print this blog into book form)
6. Organize photos off my laptop and into my binders
7. Expand my Etsy shop (I plan to sew/craft at least 2-4 items a week and do at least 1 giveaway a month to generate foot traffic to my shop)
8. Craft/Sew (goes with #7)
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SewCraftsALot?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
8. Organize, organize, and more organizing (I LOVE things in their place. Having 6 kids under one roof is a challenge when it comes to keeping things organized!
9. Get the garage sorted through and purge (Marc's tools got all mixed up when we moved last year. I haven't gotten to organizing it because Maia was sort of a challenge when I would attempt to) I also want to rid ourselves of holiday stuff we don't use/need.
10. Make a few spreadsheets to better ensure our plans for the future become fruitful
11. Hang curtains (I've lived here an entire year and still haven't made time to do this)
12. Experiment with newer appliances and recipes (this has it's own sub list!)
13. Organize (sort of goes with #8 and also has it's own sublist) 9 binders of recipes that have become piles rather than sorted books to reference
14. Go through the kids bedrooms and purge items they don't need, don't even remember owning, but won't part with if they see them!! (I'm a mean mom like that!)
15. Keep up on the yard work to lessen the husband's need to do it (he hates yard work and I actually don't mind it)
16. Dabble in the garden this year (He's the gardener not me!)
17. Volunteer at local nursing home
18. Volunteer at school more than last year
19. Spend time with my in laws (both are now retired and bored out of their minds)
20. Go to see my grandmother in law at least twice a month (she's a 40 minutes drive from me currently)
21. Enjoy Monday's with the husband as it's our only true kid free day (well for 6 hours at least!)
22. Reach out to fellow mom friends that need some help (Even though my baby and toddler days are done, I won't ever forget how truly exhaustingly hard they were)
23. Exercise
24. Try to be more conscious of helping the husband be healthier
25. Make time for myself
26. Learn to smock (it's a dress making machine that my mother in law has and is willing to teach me to use)
27. Learn something new every day
28. Be thankful for the day I've been given and make the best of it
29. Share my talents with those wanting to expand theirs (I plan to help a few friends sew, learn to can, learn to use some of my newer appliances I'm just now getting comfy with)
That's all I've got right now but I continue to add to it so I wouldn't be surprised if by next week the list is up to 50!
While yes it's true, I don't have a paying job. My job is truly never ending. I like things finished and my biggest struggle has been being a mom because a mom's job is NEVER finished! I'm hoping having this time to myself will yield some finished feelings.
It's only 11am and so far I've finished more in just 3 short hours than I have since having kids! I love my kids but, let's be honest, they are tiny productivity blockers!
Happy Momming Friends! I'm off to cross more stuff off my lists!
