Kristyn Morgan

I am a living testament to the fact that God really does answer our prayers–even ones from a mom who was feeling like she was losing her mind because she couldn’t get her life and brain (mostly her brain) organized.  I know that because I’m that woman.  Some background:

When I started this blog almost two years ago it was part therapy and partly a way for me to attempt to document myself getting my act together.  Well, I think it met the therapy goal but the second goal was pretty much an epic fail.  Oh, we did implement a new allowance system which worked great (but is getting a huge revamp next week) and I learned some good parenting skills along the way, but honest truth–I felt like I was constantly behind.  Oh wait–that’s because I WAS!

The only way I can describe it is that I felt like I had about a million things to keep track of and they were all either jumbled around in my brain, filed away somewhere in my email in box of 45,000–yes 45,000 emails, written on a list that I kept forgetting to look at or buried under a pile of papers on the end of the kitchen counter.  Every day I went to bed feeling behind and woke up feeling behind.  I had the same things on my “to do” list for 6 months.  Between the kids, work, the house, callings, volunteering and everything else I felt BURIED.  (Does this sound familiar to anyone?)  And because I felt so overwhelmed I spent a good chunk of my time avoiding the things that needed to be done because I couldn’t figure out how to get started.  So I got really good at Candy Crush.

So…finally (I guess I’m a slow learner), I decided that maybe it might be a good idea to ask the good Lord for help.  I figured I didn’t have anything to lose–my sanity was already gone-and maybe, just maybe He would have an answer.  And he did.  On Facebook.  Facebook–the land of annoying video reposts, braggy status updates, and endless requests to join Candy Crush.  But as I sat one day scrolling aimlessly through FB land I cam across this:

http://powerofmoms.com/webinar-information-page-draft/

The name of this rang a bell because a friend had mentioned it in a comment on my blog a while back and at the time I had good intentions to read it “someday” but then when someday arrived I couldn’t remember what it was I wanted to read.  (Story.Of.My.Life.)  Well–it was a sign I tell you because I had hours worth of Christmas wrapping to do so I signed up for the webinar on “Getting Projects Done” and a new me was born!  Call me a sucker but I was sold after listening to this webinar.  For the first time in a long time I felt like I might have a solution to my scattered ways so I texted Dave and told him I knew what I wanted for Christmas.  Yes–the full organizational system cost me money but it is worth every penny to me because for the first time in a loooong time I feel energized and inspired and ORGANIZED!  Projects are getting done, emails are cleaned up and attended to, and I have time to relax and enjoy my life again.  I really do think it’s an answer to prayer.

So..if anyone is interested take a look at the webinar.  That is absolutely free and worth listening to if nothing else.  The Power of Moms website has loads of free info on parenting and organizing and a bunch of other stuff and if you are interested in learning more about the M.O.M system of organization you can find that info there.  (I know I sound like a Power of Moms zealot but I’m ok with that.  Totally worth it.)  Who knows–it might be your answer to prayer too:-)

I’ve been talking with some moms lately about navigating the stormy waters of parenting and I’ve decided that the number one rule that allows us to be (somewhat) successful is this:  Choose Your Battles.  Really–that’s like the golden rule of parenting.  Have you ever seen those parents where EVERYTHING is a big deal–so consequently nothing is a big deal?  You know, the parents that yell about every little thing, find fault with more things than not and are grounding their kids every other day for practically nothing?  I’m gonna let you in on a little secret:  that doesn’t work.  I am convinced that the more we yell, the less our kids hear.  The more we take away, the less control we get.  The more we complain, the less they trust us.

It’s not easy being a parent.  At the base, we all just want our kids to do well, make good choices and not screw up our grandkids some day.  It just seems that too often our solution is to try to take too much control when really we need to be giving up more control.  This is something I’ve thought about a lot the last few years and that advice, to choose my battles, has taken on a new meaning.  Now, keep in mind this is a work in progress and things that in the past I would have freaked out about (talking to girls) now seems like no big deal (at least they are talking to someone:-)  So here is the Morgan list of battles I choose to fight–or not.  (Keep in mind–these are MY battles and that doesn’t mean that I think yours should be the same.  They won’t be and that’s OK!!)

BATTLE TO FIGHT:

Speaking kindly–in our house it is not acceptable to yell or talk rudely to one another, particularly a parent.  For our home, I have found that the Spirit has a hard time being here if everyone is yelling.

BATTLE TO LET GO:

Hugging, kissing or general touchy/feeliness.  I’m sure I’m to blame for not nursing my kids enough as babies or forbidding them to sleep in my bed (seriously–how do people sleep with 3 foot heating pads in their beds?)  but pretty much all of them are not big on this.  (“No touching!’) It used to bug me–it doesn’t anymore and I figure when it counts they will come for hugs as is evidenced by the THREE times Carter returned to hug me goodbye when he left on his mission:-)

BATTLE TO FIGHT:

Church/mutual–they don’t always want to go.  Heck I don’t always want to go, but almost always they will be there.  Even after a 3 hour soaking wet rehearsal.  They may not be in the best mood when they go, but they are there.

BATTLE TO LET GO:

Wearing their scout shirt to said mutual.  This is one that in the old days would have been a big deal to me.  It’s not that I don’t think it’s a good idea, or that I don’t think they should wear it since they’ve been asked–it’s just that in the eternal scheme of things this one isn’t worth fighting for me.  Unfortunately teenage boys who want to look attractive for teenage girls do not think they look super cool in a boy scout uniform.  Shocking I know.

BATTLE TO FIGHT:

Respecting other people’s things.  Generally speaking, with the exception currently of one son getting caught using someone else’s cup, the kid’s respect each other’s stuff.  You might have seen the picture I posted of the separate chocolate milk (or as we call it:  “milk, chocolate milk”) jugs in our fridge.  A lot of people questioned if that would work.  It does because they understand the importance of people’s things.

BATTLE TO LET GO:

Healthy eating.  Ok–I know this one will bug people and being a Weight Watcher leader people will assume that my kids eat healthier than most.  True confession:  they don’t.  They drink too much soda, eat too many Oreos and skip too many meals.  I cook infrequently (but stay tuned because I am about to embark on a bold new adventure soon) and I love to eat out.  And so do they.  Should they eat healthier?  Yes.  Do I wish they ate more fruits and veggies?  Of course.  Is it currently worth me fighting with them about it or heaven forbid cause some sort of eating disorder because of it?  No.  I was a picky eater.  My siblings were picky eaters.  Dave was a picky eater.  And guess what?  We grew out of it.

As I’ve been writing this I realized that the list of what I let go is far longer than the battles I engage in.  Some examples of other

things I choose not to fight:

1.  Messy bedrooms.  That’s why there is a door.  For me to close.
2.  Video game time limits.  If I think they’ve been on too long or they are getting mad, then I ask them to turn it off.  They do.  With six kids it just never worked for me to say each got a certain amount of playing time and I had no interest in being the video game police.  Plus with six kids they HAD to share.  It’s survival of the fittest.
3.  Wearing pajamas to bed–Parker once slept in his suit Saturday night so he didn’t have to get ready Sunday morning.  Whatever. That’s being efficient right?
4.  Strict bedtimes–this is because my kids are all over the age of 11.  When they were little it was 6:30.  Because I needed to stay sane.
5.  Skipping the occasional class at school.  Bad I know–but I trust them to be smart about it.  So far they haven’t abused the privilege.  If they do, that may change.

Like I said–my battles are my battles.  Some people might be appalled by what goes on over here at the Morgan house.  The potty talk alone would make my mother cringe!  But if you find that you are yelling and punishing a whole lot, maybe it’s time to choose your own battles a little more wisely.  Just a thought from a mom who’s been there:-)

For those of you following along on this wacky life journey of mine you know that it’s pretty obvious that here at the Morgan house we are a long way from perfect.  We also might be, just a tiny bit, a little nutso.  Here are just a few glimpses into our life this last week:

First, we still have not remedied the cooking situation around here.  I’m seriously at a loss.  Even if I do cook, which is getting more and more rare, nobody eats it.  I made dinner the other day and came down to find a certain son (who shall remain nameless) eating the following–I am not making this up:  A giant bag of Ruffles potato chips, a stack of oreos and, wait for it, goldfish.  All chased down by a Mountain Dew.  What???  I know what you’re thinking–don’t buy that stuff.  Easier said than done.  I just really, really like Oreos…

Second, in a giant push to purge my home of all things not useful I organized every nook and cranny and consequently can’t find anything anymore.  I think my scattered system was actually easier.  I spent two hour–TWO HOURS–looking for the stuff to clean the fish bowl with because I feared Kennedy’s wrath if I didn’t find it by the 15th.  That’s her regularly scheduled day for cleaning the bowl.  Whose kid is that???

Third, one of my sons has a phobia which was highlighted by this phrase yelled down the stairs at me tonight:  “Mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I need you to come up here and kill a spider for me! ”  Now, keep in mind that I am only left with teenage sons at this house anymore so…it’s a problem.  Because I’m a big believer in facing our fears I made that son man up and suck up that thing with a vacuum.  It was quite the event.  Tomorrow night we are moving on to his fear of people touching him and clowns.  Anybody know where I can score a lot of touchy, feely clowns on short notice???

Fourth–the Morgan’s like a lot of potty humor.  Like every meal involves some sort of bodily sound/fluid discussion.  And it’s not limited to meals either because sometimes it sneaks into our scripture study as well.  We should be ashamed.

Yep–we’re wack jobs around here.  I’ve got teenage boys single handedly bringing croc shoes back in fashion, a missionary son who likes to scare the daylights out of his poor unsuspecting companion and a daughter who I’m pretty sure is more responsible than me.  And she’s 11.  And I kind of love it:-)

Recently I had the great misfortune of being struck by the flu–or something similar.  Since my health insurance is incredibly lacking (and incredibly expensive) I guess I’ll never know for sure.  But regardless I have literally spent the last 48 hours in bed.  As I laid there alternating between the chills and hot flashes, I had some time to ponder on the meaning of life.  Ok–not really but I did discover a few things:

1.  My husband is seriously the best.  He brought me drugs (the legal kind) and endless apple juice and Diet Coke.  (Even in the throes of sickness Diet Coke must not be forgotten.)

2.  A good mattress is worth it’s weight in gold.  A few years back we broke down and paid the somewhat big bucks to invest in a decent mattress.  Best investment yet.

3.  The internet serves as both a blessing and a curse when attacked with a hideous virus.  A blessing because one can surf the net on such glorious sites as people.com and pinterest but a curse in that one can also look up a list of symptoms and discover that instead of the flu it could be malaria–or something equally horrific.  Note:  it doesn’t seem to be malaria…

4.  Being sick with older kids is about a thousand times better than being sick with younger kids.  My kids literally left me alone–like if they needed to communicate with me they either stood out in the hall and shouted at me or texted me out of fear of contracting the dreaded disease.  I didn’t have to worry about making meals, or changing diapers, or putting in endless videos of Blues Clues.

5.  Apparently I do actually do some things around here because after about hour 36 I dragged myself downstairs and it looked like a bomb went off!  I mean, if I had had the energy to get my phone out of my purse I would have taken a picture because it was sort of horrific.  It made the sock piles seem tame in comparison so even though most days I don’t feel like I’m getting anywhere, it is clear to me now, that I do.

6.  My kids are capable of doing more than I make them.  After crawling downstairs and witnessing the disaster I asked Dave to supervise the clean up and they did great!  The den and laundry room haven’t been that clean in weeks (although after the boys came down and dug through their drawers in the laundry room this morning Kennedy lamented what a mess they made after her hard work.  Welcome to my world, Kennedy.  Welcome to my world.)

So you see, look at all the insight I gained in the last two days!  Another example of blessings that come from trials I suppose.  Also, while laid up I found the greatest little video clip that made me reflect on my “To Do” Lists.  Take a minute to watch:

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3792885561001&cid=HPFR091914425

I guarantee that your perspective will be a little clearer after watching:-)

My Facebook feed (like everyone else’s) was filled this past week with those “First Day of School” pictures.  They look pretty similar to this one of my two youngest:

Parker (8th Grade) and Kennedy (6th Grade)

I would have taken one of my other two except I totally forgot–poor middle children. (Which I guess is better than the poor 6th child–we actually taped over her birth with an episode of YuGiOh…)  But I digress…

 All of these back to school posts caused me to reflect on how things have changed over the years for my family.  I remember that I could not wait for my oldest to go to school.  Oh sure I cried a little on his first day (just like I did for all of the other’s first days) but I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t ready to have a bit of a break.  I used to actually get mad when it was a school holiday–“inservice AGAIN????”  Because that meant I had all 6 of the munchkins home at one time and I don’t know if you are aware or not, but six kids is a lot of kids.  I had #5 during the summer and let me tell you, we didn’t plan that well because all of them were home for two months while I attempted to adjust to another newborn and my crazy hormone levels while refereeing pokemon card battles and video game turns.  After a disastrous trip to Wal-Mart where I attempted to take an 8,6,4, and 2 year old plus a newborn (clearly I wasn’t thinking straight) shopping, I swore to NEVER give birth in the summer again. (True to my word, Kennedy was born in April right after spring break.  I’m a quick learner…)

It’s not that I didn’t love my kids, because I did.  I just loved the idea of them being at school more.  I used to PRAY for all day kindergarten because who are we kidding– half day Kindergarten should really be referred to as “Kindergarten Hell.”  It’s not long enough to actually get anything done–particularly after you’ve loaded up a van full of kids to pick up or drop off your 5 year old–but you still have to go through the gigantic hassle of getting the kid up and ready for school.  It’s a total tease.  My prayers in this department were eventually answered-the year after my last child went to kindergarten.  That figures.  (The same thing is bound to happen the day after son #5 earns his Eagle Scout…)

So, I had a lot of years where I pretty much did a happy dance the day school started back up in the fall, but this year was a little different.  I was just a tad melancholy as the summer wound down because these kids of mine are growing up.  McKay is a senior and so this is a year of a lot of “lasts” for him.  It seems like yesterday that Davis was wearing yellow rubber boots with every outfit and this year we had to special order his Nikes so they were “just right.”  Parker is in his final year of middle school and with Kennedy in 6th grade for the first time in 15 years we don’t have anyone in elementary school.  And yet, even though all this change is a little sad it’s also sort of great.  

We’ve seen a lot of growth in our kids over the last year and a half and I’ve grown as their mother.  I realized this week that even though there are growing pains and times that I want to pull my hair out, I’m learning to be more patient, I’m letting them find their own way a little more and they are coming out better for it.  I love that they all get themselves up and ready for school without any nagging on my part.  I love that the kid that a year ago used to grunt at me when I told him goodbye now makes a point of being in a good mood in the mornings.  I love watching a brother and sister walk out the door together deep in conversation.  It makes all of those difficult times worth it.  

Even Kindergarten Hell. 

It is a testament to my nutso life that it’s been over a month since I’ve written a post.  (I know,  I know, you’ve been waiting with baited breath for my wise words…)  Life has been busy at the Morgan house with school getting out, vacations, camps, new callings, work and life in general.  But really, the reason is because my creative juices don’t seem to be flowing quite as freely.  I’m wondering if maybe it’s because the blog served it’s purpose when I was going through our crazy, angst filled year and a half.  Like literally I think this was my therapy.  (I mean I’m married to a dang good psychologist but Dave can only do so much you know??)  But then again there is still angst to be had over here.  I don’t know if you are aware of this or not but some days being a mom is HARD!

I look at new moms with their sweet little snugly babies and think, “Just you wait.”  Because those babies grow up.  And they get opinions.  Which are not your own.  Nobody told me that!  And so in that spirit here’s a few more things they don’t tell you about being a mom:

1.  There is no handbook.  Oh sure, there’s a mountain of parenting and discipline books with nebulous titles like “How To Empower Your Strong Willed Child”, or “Say Goodbye to Your Picky Eater”, but who are we kidding?  What I need is a manual for my specific children–actually I need a manual for each one of them and guess what?  It doesn’t exist.  I actually asked my doctor for one when Kennedy emerged from the birth canal because let’s face it–after 5 boys I was clueless when it came to girls.  That dumb doctor didn’t have one.

2.  Once you figure out how to parent the first one there is no guarantee the same strategies will work on the 2nd, or 3rd.  It’s like the universe is mocking you–“OK, we see you can navigate eye rolling with your firstborn, let’s see how you handle it when we throw in door slamming and incoherent mumbling.”

3.  And in an even crueler twist of fate, everyone else will think they know how to parent your child better than you.  Oh sure, they won’t necessarily say it to you directly (unless you’re on the phone with the principal again) but you know they’re thinking it.  Because let’s be real, you’re thinking the same thing about your cousin’s kid.

4.  At some point your children will be larger than you which means that strong arming them into matching shirts for family pictures is pretty much out of the question.  In fact, family pictures in general are pretty much out of the question by the time they are all teenagers because you are NEVER going to find a time when they are A) In the same place at the same time and B) Agreeable to the idea of a family picture.

And finally:

5.  Even with all of the above, it’s still the most awesome job in the world.  Oh sure, it’s also the most hair pulling, mind numbing, frustrating, scary, feels impossible thing you will experience.  (Case in point; just today I locked myself in my bathroom with Candy Crush and my tears. ) But it’s balanced by lots of laughter, and pride and happiness and love.

You see, I think it takes all of those hard times to make us appreciate the good ones so much more.  Cliche I know, but it’s true.  Being a mom is the worst–but it’s the best.

I was talking with a friend the other night and we were lamenting all of the pressure that comes from those FB posts celebrating achievements.  We all do it right?  “Hey look at me, I’m on a cruise!”  “My kid is awesome–he’s a 4.0 student!”  It’s like those dang Christmas letters–but we get them EVERY DAY!  Now, I’m not saying those things are always bad to announce.  I mean, they are certainly better than the “woe is me” FB posts.  You know what I’m talking about right?  Those cryptic, something is wrong, I need attention but I’m not really gonna say what’s happening so you are forced to ask me/feel sorry for me status updates.  Those make me crazy.

Anyway….my friend and I were discussing how sometimes all those celebratory posts make us feel like we don’t measure up which lead me to wonder how many of us are feeling the same way?  And wouldn’t it be refreshing if we shared what life is really like?  (Not woe is me, just real life).  So in that spirit I’m sharing some of the facebook status updates I should have posted over the years:

Update:

“I received this call from so and so’s kindergarten teacher today:  “Hi, Mrs. Morgan.  We caught your son with his pants down peeing behind the tree at recess.  Could you talk to him and explain that is unacceptable?  Oh, and he shouldn’t be inviting his friends over to join him.”

Update:

“I can tell it’s going to be one of those days.  The dishes are piled in the sink, my laundry is out of control and the principal just called to tell me that Carter has assembled the 5th grade boys together to protest the unfair treatment of the male gender at recess.  Maybe he’ll be a politician???”

Update:

“So today has had it’s good points and it’s not so good points.  Dear son is crossing over into scouting today which is great.  But the same son also got suspended from 5th grade for the day for getting in a fight.  With a girl.  The girl won.”

Update:

“Another call today–this time from the Vice Principal of the high school.  ‘Hey Mrs. Morgan?  Just thought I’d call and tell you that your son was given in school suspension for hoarding ketchup packets from his school lunch in his locker.  I’m not exactly sure what his plan for them was but we are concerned…”

And one of my favorite all time examples of the Morgan’s mediocrity:

Update:

“We received this comment on so and so’s report card today:  “Hopefully the summer will cure you of your laziness.”

So there it is.  Oh us Morgan’s have great things too–graduations and missions and awards and vacations just like everyone else.  But most of the time it’s just a whole lot of normal, mediocre, less than amazing living.  And you know what?  It’s pretty great.

I have been thinking a lot about happiness lately.  What makes us happy and how do we define happiness?  (I’m thinking real happiness not Baja Fresh induced coma happiness.)  In reflecting on this I’ve realized that in the last year or so I think I’ve misunderstood what happiness is.  As moms a lot of our happiness revolves around our children and their state of minds.  One mom said someone told her “you’re only as happy as your saddest child.”  Yikes.  I heard that and thought I’m not sure I’ll ever be happy then.  Unless we are at Disneyland.  (It is literally “The Happiest Place on Earth.”  Unless you’ve been dealing with a toddler in a stroller in the burning up heat for the last 10 hours while “It’s a Small World” is blaring at you.  Not so happy then…)

Anyway, I’ve been thinking how easy it is to let our children’s moods dictate how happy we are.  I know I’ve been really guilty of this but lately I’ve realized that it’s counter productive.  If I have a kid who is moody, me being moody isn’t going to help the situation.  If I have a child who is tired and upset, me being upset with them isn’t making things better.  It goes back to that idea of being a constant in their lives.  I believe firmly that growing up is hard enough to do without us as parents heaping a whole lot more guilt on them.  And yet that doesn’t keep me from laying awake at night worrying about all the things I don’t do “right.”  So in that spirit I thought I’d just put it out there–so here it is, my list of things I don’t do:

1.  Cook.  Most nights.  There is a just a whole list of complicated reasons why this doesn’t get done and I’ve gone back and forth on beating myself up over them.  But honestly, they all manage to get fed–even if it’s a smoothie and sandwich.  Or a stack of Oreos.  Whatever.

2.  Have “perfect” family home evenings.  We have no cute chart, no singing, and we do it on Sunday night because Monday’s just don’t work for us.  But..we do get together, discuss a gospel principle, read the scriptures and eat a pan of brownies–the same treat we have every FHE.  (Refer to #1 above.)

3.  Camp as a family.  I don’t know why but this one sort of haunts me sometimes.  We have all these boys and yet we have only camped a few times.  This is because I sort of hate it.  It’s so much work!  And I’m extremely picky about the bathroom situation.  But I hear these stories of our friends that have these great camping adventures and I feel guilty.  Then I realize we just do things differently–we love Disney and we have been fortunate to be able to make numerous trips there.  For our kids it’s like returning to the cabin by the lake–it’s familiar and there are so many great memories we have made there.  Also, all the toilets there flush.

4.  Have perfect children.  Our kids do not get perfect grades, play an instrument perfectly, or act perfect.  But they are perfect for us.  They are great children who have their own unique talents and personalities and they help us grow as parents.

I will mess up as a parent–we all will.  Being a mom (or Dad) is HARD.  And if we sit around waiting for all of our ducks to line up in a row to be happy we will never be happy.  That’s no way to live our lives and so I am working on finding joy in most of the moments of my life. (I say “most” because those of you with teenagers know that there are just some unhappy moments. Usually followed by a hike in car insurance.)  I’m learning to see our challenges as ways to be better and have my children grow.  I’m looking at difficulties as ways to become more like God–because for heaven’s sake look at all his kids!  Some of them are “challenging.”   I’m learning to appreciate all the blessings we have been given–particularly our amazing, imperfect kids.

PS–I LOVE this talk–“Grateful in Any Circumstance.”  And we love Pres. Uchtdorf.  Take a few minutes to read or watch it.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/grateful-in-any-circumstances?lang=eng

When you last saw me I was whining (like usual) about my inability to stay on track and get things accomplished.  After all, this is one of the main reasons I started blogging almost a year (a year!) ago.  And then a small miracle occurred this week.  You see most days I feel like one of those hamsters on those wheels that’s running and running and never gets anywhere. (At least I assume that’s what hamsters do–due to my no pet policy and fear of rodents I’m not entirely sure).  I mean I joke about reading people.com and playing Candy Crush (which by the way if anyone has any genius solutions to get me off of level 169 I am ALL EARS because THIS LEVEL STINKS) and checking Facebook but the honest truth is that most days I rarely just sit around being idle.  It’s just that I would feel like I was going and going and yet I  would get to the end of each day wondering what I actually did.

Then came the (smallish) miracle.  Most of you know that I work for Weight Watchers.  It’s a great, perfect little part time job and I love the members that I work with.  Overall it’s extremely rewarding to be pretty intimately involved with helping people get healthy and achieve their goals.  Anyway, each month we work on a new habit and this month that habit happened to be “take 5 minutes every day to replay your day.”  At the same time I stumbled upon this little gem on pinterest:

http://justagirlandherblog.com/how-i-organized-my-whole-life/

For whatever reason this little sheet and those 5 minutes has solved a big part of my problem.  Every night while in bed I pull out my planning sheet from the day and cross off what got done/bought/etc and transfer what I didn’t have time for to the next day.  Then I plan out my next day.  Yeah–I know what a lot of you are thinking:  duh.  We know that.  Yeah–I knew that too but for whatever reason all the other things I tried (notes on my iphone, to-do lists, planners, etc) just didn’t cut it.  Maybe it’s those hypnotic circles at the top of the page but for whatever reason THIS is working!  And that 5 minutes is saving me so much stress and feelings of frustration.

I’ve learned a couple of things:  First, most days I was trying to cram way too much into my day.  No wonder I was feeling like I needed three more hours every day–I actually did.  Secondly, I’m finding that when I actually schedule the important stuff first like exercise and pinterest (just checking to see if you were paying attention) then I feel much more accomplished every day.

Like I said, a small miracle:-)