Love this time of year

I really love this time of year. Planting, everything coming back to life, yet it is not super hot.

Got my fruit trees (Honeycrisp apple and tart cherry) planted along with some bulbs. Fertilized the yard yesterday. Started cleaning up the flower beds today and also got the herb garden cleaned up. Still have several more beds to do and some more bulbs to plant.  Also, everything needs a good layer of mulch, all my beds are pretty bare of mulch.

I really wish the garden was dry enough to rota-till. I really want to get my potatoes and peas in the ground!

The kids are really tired tonight because they got to spend all day playing outside.

The one constant

The one constant thing about life is that everything changes. And my life has changed again.  I am no longer working and am once again a Stay-At-Home-Mom..

Now I more time to plan and plant my garden and all the other outside work that I want to do this Spring.

Getting a routine

We are slowly getting into a routine with me now working.  We are lucky enough to have Debbie (and Jerry) watching the kids for us right now.  I know that is the reason the kids and I are having an easier time adjusting to this major change.  I thought Jude would be the one that had the hardest time with me going back to work since I have never worked since he has been born and he is a real Mama's boy.  He always cried and got upset when I would leave him.  Well, he has no problem at all with me working and Mimi watching him!  Julia, on the other hand had a little harder time with adjusting.  I did not think she would have a problem since she is older and can understand, but those first couple of days were hard on her.  She loves having her grandparents watching her and says she likes Mommy working, but she was pretty emotional those first couple of days.  She takes after her Daddy and does not deal with change well.

I love having Debbie watch the kids.  Not only do I know the kids are in great hands and don't have to worry about them while I am at work, I am amazed to what I come home to.  When I get home, my house is clean, laundry is done and occasionally supper is even in the oven!!  I asked Jerrod if this was what it was like for him when I was at home full-time.  He response was "Yea, it is pretty sweet, huh?"!

New chapter in life

Two weeks ago I began my next chapter in life and became a full-time working mom again.

I was hoping to wait another year before going back to work, but a great opportunity came up and I just could not pass it up!  I am an Animal Control Officer, aka, Dog Warden, for the Miami County Animal Shelter.

So far I LOVE my new job.  Sure it is hard to leave the kids and the kids had a bit of a hard time adjusting, but we are all deal fairly well.  The job is exciting, rewarding, depressing, frustrating and boring all at the same time.

Two hours being kid-free!

Today Julia has school and Jude has preschool. So for about 2 hours, I am kid-free! I am not quite sure what to do with myself. Because Julia's school schedule is different days each week, I will only get this 2 hours of kid-free time about 4 times a month.

I going to relax, drink my coffee in peace and work on my embroidery project that needs to be done today.

Ahhhhhhh........

1st day of KINDERGARTEN!!

I cannot believe I have a kid old enough to be going to Kindergarten.  It seems just like yesterday that I was spending HOURS rocking, walking and singing to my extremely colicky baby girl. Now she is this imaginative, sensitive, funny, outgoing kid who is off to school.

Julia seemed excited, but also nervous and scared. She is always afraid of new things, but once she is there, she loves it. I know kindergarten will be the same way. The school had Open House on Monday afternoon, so Julia got to meet her teacher and see her classroom. She seemed less nervous after that.  I bet by the time she gets off the bus this afternoon, she will have made a bunch of new friends. She really is a social butterfly. Not sure where that came from, because neither of her parents are.

The part she was looking forward to the most was riding the school bus. I bet the excitement will wear off fast since she is one of the first ones on and one of the last ones off!

Posing for her 1st day of school pictures.

Yes, she gets on the bus while it is still dark out!

When the bus stopped, she ran right up to it, got on, and did not even look back!!

After the bus driver told her which seat was hers (her assigned seat is right behind the driver), I got her to turn around.  Notice the HUGE smile on her face! I think her excitement overrode all fears by this point.

Jude woke up about an hour after Julia got on the bus.  He is completely lost without her here with him.  He kept asking for her and I finally showed him these pictures, to which he said "She leave me". He is really sad and has been close to crying several times already.  I think we will visit Mimi and Ba today to help cheer him up.

Mommy was sad, but dealing with it. While it was pretty close there a few times, no tears were actually shed by me.

More vacation pictures

Still posting vacation pictures. The next post will show Jude's favorite activity for vacation.

Here we were waiting on the shuttle to pick us up from Disney and take us back to the hotel. Julia was wore out so she decided to take a rest in the grass.

Another day. Another shuttle wait.  This time waiting for it to pick us up from the hotel.  The hotel had a fountain in front of it and you know how my kids are like moths to a flame when it comes to water.

Julia wanted a turn with the camera. I'd say she does a pretty good job.

 

Playing in the hotel room.

Shhh, don't tell Jude or Jerrod, but Jude would have been a knockout as a girl. As it is, I think the only giel problem he will have as a teenager is having too many girls to choose from.

Julia is quite the looker herself! Jerrod and I are going to have our hands full when they are teens!