Creating Kris ~ a young mom blogs…

New pics ~ desk, cake, scrappy cards

So last week I brought my camera in to work and got some pics. We said “farewell” to another summer student returning to university, so I took pics of that send-off lunch and also some around the space. Here’s a peek at my desk area!

Our August 2008 Photo Album is up to date and complete although we might take a few pics tonight. We have lots of pics from the month, including our 5th anniversary dessert!

Also, last night I got a batch of new Stampin’ Up supplies (thanks Amanda!), and went to town trying them out. I *love* the white craft ink, it’s awesome. The cards I made are up in my Scrappy gallery (click the pic, no password required) as well as on my Facebook:

more transitions

Feeling very irritable and uncomfortable still, I’m really thinking it had a lot to with the end-of-cycle thing. I just have zero patience today. I have this restlessness and irritability about me. It’s not always negative, there are things I’m excited about and lots of things getting taken care of, but there’s a bit of haphazardness thrown in that makes it less enjoyable (”I have 5 minutes to spare, let’s fire off the latest health insurance claim”).

Work has been OK, getting into a rhythm of ups and downs. Some parts are exciting and interesting (got to mail off a letter I drafted to a Minister today, CCed to an M.P.), some parts are somewhat stressful (the summer student’s last couple days have meant a lot of files getting piled onto my desk!). Some parts I really can’t go blabbing about (sorry to say, this trend will probably continue, I’ll have to be quite vague with any actual details about work!).

Although I enjoyed our movie night with Avery and chatting with Paul at the end of the day, I was also looking forward to some “down time” tonight… but then just got caught up in other “stuff” (like getting lost in the blogosphere). I feel the usual I-work-on-my-computer-all-day-so-I-don’t-feel-as-keen-about-my-own-computer tendencies coming on, but right now, all my main hobbies are there.

I wish we were in our suite in Quebec City so I could go take a “cocooning” bath or sit in the hot tub. I’ll have to set up some other types of rejuvenating activities for myself to help maintain my sanity even with a very full plate. I did a little bit of organizing here in the basement (like my filing system!), and maybe next I can put some energy into clearing up my scrapbooking “nook”.

I am hoping to tap into the usual “back to school” energy I seem to get every year. Tomorrow I take Harmony shopping for clothes to add to her wardrobe, a yearly tradition that I general feel positive about despite it’s challenges. Maybe I can keep an eye out for some new work clothes for myself as well! I also think I’ve found a perfect activity for Avery for the fall, I’ll ask he and Paul about it tomorrow!

Activities for the kids?

So the summer is winding down and we’re getting ready for the school year!

Harmony’s soccer championship game was Sunday and she played super well! I’m so proud of her team, they are really amazing to watch. Who knew a group of 9- & 10-year-old girls could have that much talent and skill? They came into the final game with a 2nd place standing in their league and won the game to earn a 1st place standing! They had fun hoisting up the trophy together. Here’s a pic of Harmony with the trophy (each girl got to bring home a mini trophy, but they posed with the big one!)…

(click and check out the gallery for more pics)

For the fall, Harmony has already been signed up for guitar lessons (those of you from GHS might remember Eric St-Cyr, he runs the guitar school!). Last night I signed the kids up for gymnastics – yes, both of them this year!! Avery is old enough for the Kindergym. Harmony will return to the same program she was in last year, although she’d been told she would’ve been able to go competitive if we’d wanted (which at this point, we don’t… same thing with soccer, she was told she could make the Hornets but we didn’t want to go there).

I would like to put both kids in swimming, as I feel we’ve been slacking in that department for a little while and the kids are losing the swimming skills they gained (especially Harmony, who was up to Swimmer 5 I believe). But our week is already pretty packed, especially given that I’d really like to attend our church more on Sundays than we have in the past couple years (like every week or two instead of every month or two). And if not on the weekend, it would be hard to fit lessons into our weekday schedule… Paul gets home with Avery a little after 4:30 and my bus has been arriving home at 4:45. Then we’re cooking dinner until 5:30, then we eat, then Avery has a bath sometimes and then it’s bedtime for him! He sleeps about 12 hours and is up before 7am. With Harmony it’s a little easier since she has more time in the evenings and has only been going to bed around 8:30/9:00. The best choice for her would probably be a Monday evening class and I could take her after dinner. But then again, I don’t want to overwhelm her either.

So, we’ll see. At the very least, the daycare arrangements for the kids are finalized – Harmony will be in the After School program again this year like she was in grade 3, and Avery will remain in the same home daycare.

Looking forward to the fall, I always love that “back to school” time of year, everything fresh and bright and ready for something new.