But I thought I'd do a little update on what I've been doing all summer. Not the big highlights--the trips and the camps and all the the things everyone ELSE is doing. I haven't done any of that. I pretty much hang out. Though I AM going to Oregon this weekend, and that is so exciting!
Anyway, how do I spend my days? Well, for the last three weeks, I've been getting going on working out. I do it EVERY SINGLE MORNING. Except Sat and SUn usually. But five days a week! And I'm working out hard--I have discovered P90X and I really like it a lot. So that's good. I've only lost 4 pounds and 4 inches, but I'll take it. My clothes are fitting better so that's awesome. And I just feel better about myself. I don't have to be quite so guilty about my size when at least I'm doing something about it.
When Afton is sleeping, there's a dizzying array of choices with what I can do with my time. Sometimes I go downstairs and make more hairbows, either for Afton or other people. Sometimes I play the Sims. Or I watch Reba episodes I got from the library. What I SHOULD be doing is scrapbooking, but I confess I've done very little. I've even started yet another rewrite on my novel, this time with a lot of HUGE changes. Who knows if I'll finish it. And I'm 99% sure it will never be published. But it's fun to do. It's challenging.
I heard a comment on Facebook the other day from a stay at home mom who was offended at the very idea of having a hobby while she's home with her kids. How can she have time? Her KIDS are her hobby. I whole-heartedly disagreed with her. Granted, I only have one kid. I know that the more kids I have, the less and less time I will have for me. But I've always been a hobby person. I've always had projects I'm working on in various fields. It's hard to give that up now that I'm a mom--in fact, loss of personal time for my hobbies has been the hardest thing for me to accept in motherhood. But I don't think I should have to give up ALL my free time in order to be a good mom. I think having free time can make you a good mom. If you make your kids your one and only hobby--what do you do with yourself when they move out? Who are then, without them there? And not only that--having time for yourself keeps you YOU, instead of getting lost in the daily drudgery, and joys, that come with raising children.
Am I right, or am I just justifying myself?
Well, anyway, that's the only remotely deep thought I've had in weeks. It's the SUMMER. I refuse to think to deeply until I'm forced back into it when school starts in August. This coming school year promises to be VERY challenging, (in other words, certain factors make me pretty sure it's gonna suck rocks) and I don't want to think about it. I don't want to think about leaving Afton again. I don't want to thing of going back to having no time for hobbies or working out or anything else. I'm living in the NOW people!
Alright, well, I figure I might as well end this post with some pictures of what we've been doing this summer, so here goes:
Afton is NOT fond of water. She seems to get more and more freaked out by it every time we try to do anything water related. She was just fine in the kiddy pool a few weeks prior to this, but on the 4th of July she FREAKED. She wouldn't go near the sprinklers, either. Poor baby!
Afton and Daddy during the fireworks and Grandma and Grandpa Rees's. She wanted off his lap all the time--unless the fireworks were actually going. Then she was just content to sit.
My little Broadway Baby! Sorry--I just think she looks like she belongs in "Chorus Line" in this photo...
Well, we tried to get a cute picture of her hanging from the bars, as my sister Nicki did with her baby. But, apparently, Afton is not so adept on the tricky bars as Tyson. Just like their mothers!
My sister Cindy's girls LOVE Afton. According to her son Logan, they are pretty much obsessed with her. Afton is ok with that. She loves the attention!
I took this one today. It made me laugh. I just got that garbage can (since Afton thought getting her dirty diapers out of the garbage and throwing them on the floor is hilarious) and she noticed her reflection. Seems to be a discovery this week. I mean, she's seen her reflection before of course, but this week she became acutely aware of it! (or, CUTELY aware...I'm SO funny...)
I just love Afton in the mornings. I go in there, and she's wide awake and bounding around her crib, her curly hair all over the place, and a grin from ear to ear. I love this baby!!!
4 comments:
I love that baby too! Dog dang, she's adorable. I also love her chubby baby thighs. Wish my chubby thighs were half as cute!
Oh- and you KNOW I am a hobby person. My kids can't have all of me, they can only have 90%. The other 10% I horde for myself keeps me almost sane.
Great post. I can't believe someone was offended by the thought of hobbies! Seriously- you are allowed to have a life even though you have kids. Of course, my hobby is documenting everything we do in a yearly book, so at least it includes the fam right? Or taking pictures of them so much that they are tired of it.
I love your pictures of Afton. You have some awesome backlighting on the swimming pool picture and the natural light for her crib pic. I think you have some hidden photography skills and we need to explore them.
Of course you need hobbies! That's how a woman keeps her sanity :). I still keep up with singing & playing the piano. Admittedly, I have a hard time doing some of the things I use to do before the kids were born (like drawing & cross stitch) but I've picked up new hobbies in their place (knitting!!!!).
Kids need the down time from mom as much as we need the down time from them :).
Having something that makes you YOU is part of what makes you a good mom! Oh, and Maycie was very upset when we got past the pictures of Afton! She wanted to know where she went! So cute! I am so glad these girls have eachother! =)
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