A Small Change of Pace

How I started to feel after a winter's worth of identical days.

Normally, our mornings are pretty much exactly like the morning before.  I get Miss E off to school, then get breakfast for Mr. A and Miss M, then get Miss M off to preschool if it's Monday, Wednesday or Friday.  Next, I figure out what has to absolutely get done that day and set about doing it.  The weeks flew by and I had no idea where they went. The days ran together because they were all so identical.  Honestly, I think that's why I took such an extended vacation from blogging here.  I started to feel each day was just so exactly like the day before, and writing about it just made it that much more maddening.  It's true that when you have kids in school your days and weeks are very dictated by the school schedule, and typically one day is much like the last for pretty much everyone (except Richard Branson - he's quite the free spirit) but it had been so long since I switched things up that I really was sinking into a nasty rut.  It was time for something new, even if it was just something little.  So, I signed Miss M up for a tumbling class for the mornings she's not in preschool.  It was something I've been meaning to do for a LONG time, and it feels good to have finally stopped procrastinating.  She LOVES it, and gives my brain just enough novelty to keep it going till summer break. 

All that said, today's plans kick off with a break in routine.  Miss M has preschool class pictures this morning!  If I sound excited about that, I am!  I love all those cutie little preschool types crowding into a photography studio and trying not to fidget while the poor photographer works to get them to all to look at the camera and smile at once.  It's fun to watch and then in a week or so we'll have another cute little keepsake picture for Miss M.  I'm so in love with class pictures.  They are such cute little reminders off all the fun times kids have at school with their first friends.  I can still look at my own kindergarten class picture and smile at the sweet memories.  Gosh, I'm a nostalgic softie!  Then we get to dash off to tumbling!  After that our whole morning will be gone and I'll have tons if house work (and facebooking) left on my plate.  Miss M and Mr. A will have some rest time while I work (and facebook).  Then, later in the day, I've been working to give the kids a little one on one time before I cook dinner in the afternoons.  Even if I just look at homework or do a super quick puzzle, the kids seem to relax and have a better attitude while I'm preoccupied in the kitchen.  So, that's my plan for today.  What are you doing today?