A long overdue update from the House of Harried Mom

March 1. Not exactly doing real great on my resolution to blog more, huh? A bi-monthly post wasn't exactly what I had in mind. As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, no? But I've learned over time that I can't sit down and do this and have it flow if I just don't feel it. And I haven't up until this point. The days are long, but the weeks are flying by, and I can't believe it's Friday again. An update from my world view:

- Matt's been unemployed now for a month. His contract with the Navy at the Pentagon ended January 30, and he's been doing a bang-up job of being Mr. Mom. Things I've heard in the past month:

• I can see why you drink coffee all day long!
• I just vacuumed the floor, take your shoes off!
• I'm so glad it's Monday (ok I may have made that one up, but he does appreciate Mondays more now after being home so much with the kids)

Matt's doing the grocery shopping and some cooking, and getting the kids ready for school while I get ready for work (!), which I totally appreciate. Yay Matt! I just don't want him getting too comfortable in that role, because I totally plan on resuming my place as Domestic Goddess as soon as he finds employment :D

 - I've been working 2 part-time jobs - one doing bookkeeping for a new, small used car dealership. They hadn't done any real record keeping since they opened in June of last year, and I've been playing catch-up since December. And I swear, every time I turn over a rock, I find a nest of snakes under it. I'm also working 25 hours a week at a CPA firm, doing accounting and individual tax prep. I really enjoy working there, and I learn something new just about every day, which I'm hoping will serve us well in our future plans.

- I suppose the really big news is that Matt's not looking for a job here in Virginia, but in Texas - Dallas, specifically. There are lots of reasons for this, that I don't know that I want to get into here, but one big one is that his family is less than 3 hours from Dallas, and being closer to them will allow us to see them more than the at-most yearly we have been. As of today, Matt seems to have a pretty decent lead on a job, and we're hoping to have something solid within the month - which would be REALLY GREAT since we're listing our house for sale no later than April 1. !!!!!!!!!!!!

While I've been working, Matt's been doing all those things you need to do around the house to get ready to sell - patching and painting and cleaning and clearing out and packing and on and on and on. I'm doing what I can on the weekends, but a lot of time I just don't feel like doing much of anything after getting dinner made/cleaned up/kids in bed - with Matt doing probably more than his fair share, at that - other than sitting on the couch with my Kindle and my Kitty, and then heading to bed at not much after 10. Which is so unlike me!

 

The kids are doing well - Jason is getting so big, but is still as sweet as ever; Sarah amazes me daily with how bright she is, and her snappy sense of humor; William still loathes school and homework, but has such a talent for the piano, I love hearing him practice!; and Evie is growing up so quickly - she is so talented and bright, but we're seeing the teenager-to-be starting to emerge. I can only imagine what life is going to be like in our house in the next few years when they're all a bit older and REALLY starting to battle. Maybe I WILL work full time and let Matt deal with all that. Hmmmm..... lol!

I'm also trying to get rid of my Mommy butt and Mommy arms. My wine consumption increased drastically this past fall, which in turn increased my snacking, which consequently increased the size of my hind end. Which, while comfy for sitting, is not so comfy in all my pants which are now too tight. In January I started doing crossfit workouts through here, but I've come to the conclusion that while it's great for building muscle and toning, and I really like doing something different every day, it's not enough cardio, and I'm trying to get more running in, and cut back - or at least pay more mind to - what I'm eating. A moment on the lips/forever on the hips and all that. 

So that's that! We're job searching, working, packing, and dreaming of our new life in Texas this summer. The kids are excited because I've assured them there's no way I'm moving to Texas without a swimming pool, and I'm excited about what the future holds. Hopefully lots of grand things out there, waiting for us to reach out and grab it. You only have one trip through this life (that you remember, anyway) so you have to make the most of it while you're here. We're going to....

**Pictures are from our trip to Duck, NC in August 2012** 

Dreaming of warmer weather here....