Many of you know that I am - almost to the point where it's silly - a list maker. Every Sunday, I make a list of everything I want/need to accomplish that week, and then I make separate lists for every day of the week and transfer my weekly list into my daily lists. Sometimes they're really little things, like emailing or calling a specific person, and sometimes they're more involved, like cleaning the bathrooms or going to Target. I guess I make these lists just to keep myself focused and not let myself forget anything important. Yes, I'm a Type A, through and through:) Sometimes I finish everything, sometimes I don't, but at least it helps me prioritize and get the most important things done. Anyway, here is my list from last week...much more ambitious than a typical week:
pull weeds/prune
go to bank, library
organize/sort kids' clothes (purge outgrown stuff, hang new stuff)
list clothing needs for the fall/winter for whole family
clean bathrooms
clean our room (it was a disaster area)
Thurs.-worhsip rehearsal
Wed.-Seattle with Bonnie
hang bathroom things (these shelf thingies)
clean J's room
clean T's room
organize/sort toys
catch up baby books
do some scrapbooking
letters to kids (I do this every year on their birthday, for them to read when they are grown...they're both June babies, so I've been slacking)
clean fridge
ebay old crib set
Believe it or not, I completed everything on my list besides the last two! (The mood never struck for me to clean the fridge, and I've never sold anything on ebay and didn't feel like learning...is it easy to do?) Anyway, how, you are probably wondering, did I manage to accomplish everything? It is because my kids were gone for four whole days! My husband, too, which meant that I didn't even have to worry about cooking dinner! Some of you may be reading this and thinking, what's the big deal? But many more of you understand my excitement, those of you with young kids.
Don't get me wrong...I was apprehensive about this week. Especially about being away from Jayna, as she is much more clingy than Travis. Here's how it happened....last week was the week where Steve was sent (for work) down to Shelton, where the WA state patrol trains, to learn how to drive like a crazy man....I mean like police officers have to drive. And they stayed there overnight, got fed tons of great food, hung out with the guys in the evenings...he had a great week. Well, Steve's dad and his wife (Gary & Paula) had been wanting the kids to stay with them for a few days, and since they're only a couple of hours away, I thought, "Okay, maybe...". But then when I knew that this week was coming where Steve would not be coming home in the evenings (I desperately look forward to that time of day), my wheels started turning and I thought that might be a good time to send the kids to the grandparents. They happily obliged, of course, and though the kids ended up staying longer than I had anticipated, it worked out well. Paula drove up and I drove down so that we met at a McDonald's at Chehalis and made the transfer. I will admit that after I drove away from dropping them off, I bawled like a baby. Jayna had a cold/fever and had been super clingy, so I felt so guilty. Then when I got home I just felt really disoriented...the house was so quiet, and my babies were gone. It was wierd. But the feeling passed, and I really enjoyed my few days to myself. Like I said, I got a ton of stuff done, but since I could complete these tasks without interruption, I also had a lot of time to just relax. And it feels so good now to feel caught up on some things that I had put on the backburner. Oh, and I was also able to stop at my grandparents' place in Olympia on both my way there and back, along with the kids, and it was so good to be with them.
I knew the kids were in the best of hands, but it was still comforting to me that if something happened, they were only two hours away and I would be there in a heartbeat. In many ways I am a super laidback mom, but I guess not always. But the kids had a great time, even Jayna. Paula didn't get to do as many things with them as she had planned (because of Jayna's cold), but that didn't seem to bother them. Travis is still telling me stories from last week...he loved it! And the best part is that they really missed me toward the end of the week and were ready to come home. We had a great weekend together as a family again, just relaxing and having fun together. All in all, the separation was a good thing for all of us. I am a person who refreshes and regroups by spending time alone, and this definitely did the trick.
With that said, I am about to get yet another break....I would have preferred for these two breaks to be a bit more spread apart, but I had no control over the dates. Tomorrow, I am headed with a couple of friends to meet four more friends in Grapevine, Texas for the MOPS national convention. I have never been, and I am so excited! My goals are twofold...to be encouraged in ways to be a better mom and wife, and to apply some of the things I learn/hear to my role as co-coordinator for the MOPS group at RVCC. It is located at the Gaylord Texan, an all-inclusive resort, which is supposedly super fancy, and will just be a ton of fun. (and it better be, because we spent more money than I was comfortable with to make it possible!). Anyway, I'll let you know how it went when I return.
Final inspection. The guy to the right of Steve was his partner throughout the academy...the one he did all the mock scenes, etc. with.
Dang, he looks good in uniform:) I just realized I should have had him put his badge on.
Family who attended...Steve's dad and his wife, my sister, my grandparents, and Steve's mom and sister. A few of our friends made it up, too...Steve felt everyone's support!
The commissioning ceremony. The guy with his hand raised is the chief of police for Steve's dept.
Steve's whole class at the end of the ceremony. He's the one in the center, in the dark uniform.
Jayna being silly 
We've had some beautiful fall weather here in the last week. These two were taken at the park by our house after the kids woke up from their naps. 
A self-portrait. Travis has grown more and more attached to his beloved "lambie". He's had it since he was 6 months, and lambie now goes with us most places. As long as he isn't walking into kindergarten with lambie in his arms...
On Saturday we went up to Bellingham for cousin Ethan's 2nd birthday party. In the morning we went to the "Fun Zone" where there were a ton of big bouncy toys and slides...the kids loved it. Here's just one of many pictures, of Jayna and I at the top of a slide. Do we have a Fun Zone around here?
And these were taken just yesterday. Again, the weather was gorgeous, so the four of went for a walk/tour of all the neighborhood parks.