The Week in Review

This nap time has been long-awaited. Sick toddlers do not pleasant company make.

Having a cup of Starbucks' Espresso Roast in my Texas flag mug, while searching for conversation points to jot down for your perusal, has been helpful to my sanity.

That obnoxious ice cream truck driving by is not currently helping my sanity in any way. But I digress.

Digression is mentioned frequently in blog posts, isn't it? That and coffee. And time management. Or the lack thereof.

Making use of my time, particularly of my mornings before the rest of the house gets up and begins making demands, and of the nap time in the afternoons, has been on my heart. And rightly so. I decided to start a regular post to keep me accountable to my commitment to "redeem the time." Check out the Nap Time Warrior post if you have a chance.

Today I have been very thankful for my crock pot, happily simmering away with our chili for tonight. The earlier portion of my day has been so long and so full of sniffles and slimy kleenexes and tears that I am not sure I could have spent the nap time making dinner without going into deep frustration mode. But in a few minutes I will also start rice in the rice cooker, and let it do its magic, and we will have a cozy dinner tonight. I'll open a can of pears and call it a day.

This week I have met some of my goals from Monday:

I did exercise twice this week. Wednesday night I put the little girl to bed and did a complete workout from Matt Roberts' New Body book I have had for a few years, but have not taken full advantage of. I am still feeling the burn.
This morning I walked around the block, pushing Liz in the stroller, and working some of the lactic acid out of my aching legs and backside.

I went to bed at midnight once this week. The rest of the nights, I finally hit the pillow sometime after midnight.

However, I did have a quiet time every day! Some longer than others. But it was quiet, and it was time spent. And my outlook and attitude have been much more gracious because of it. Oh, the struggle to get out of bed, though!

I posted on the blog once each weekday. I had a lot of fun writing our engagement story. I found that I did a better job if I began writing it a day ahead and scheduled it for the following day (or later). Having the ability to edit made a big difference in the quality of what was published. I also didn't sit down to a blank screen and stare at it until some drivel came out; I had an idea to work with.

While I walked the neighborhood this morning, I called a friend to catch up and to invite her family to brunch next Saturday. She will also bring her coffeemaker. It is one of the fancy ones that doles out one cup at a time. Just thinking about it makes me smile.

I'm also inviting the families in our home group. Whoever can come, can come, and whoever can't come, will just have to come the next time! My hope is to do this once a month.

My menu for brunch is shaping up:
Pumpkin waffles
Ham and onion fritatta (or frittata?)
Fruit Salad
Hummus, veggies and crackers or pita bread
Coffee, juice, milk

When you host a brunch, what do you serve or what do you enjoy eating if someone else serves it? I will be looking for other options for coming months.

Ah, Sam is home from helping a family from church dig out their collapsed swimming pool. I should greet him. Have a happy weekend!