Hello, Is this thing still on?

Five years? What? That sure went by fast. Lately I've been thinking about this vast repository of mostly unused knowledge I have due to the OCD level of product research I perform. Whether I end up making a purchase or not -- and it's often not, interesting -- I feel like I should deploy what I've learned for someone's benefit.

This blog is here and is as good a venue as any, so I'm going to start posting lists of things I recommend, or things to steer clear of, for any friends/family who may be interested. You're welcome. I'll link to Pinterest boards, etc. for other ideas where relevant. A few things I've recently researched pretty exhaustively are:

1) portable photo printers, including pocket printers

2) small-space kids' bedroom furniture

3) parenting resources and child-rearing philosophies

4) online schooling options

5) summer kids' activities

6) ideas for journaling with kids

7) scripture study ideas

8) uplifting and inspirational art and music

9) plant-based diets

10) natural and dietary supplements for ADHD

11) bullet journaling and planner methods

12) capsule/uniform/minimalist wardrobes

13) garage organization

14) kids' books

15) theories of math education

16) general DIY -- I need to give some thought to how to break this down in meaningful ways

Watch for posts on these topics and whatever others I'm forgetting at the moment.

New phase

I left my job at the end of May and spent the summer at home with the kids; I knew this was bound to be a difficult transition. Overall, I've had a great few months and am even a little sad about the two or three days a week that I'll be teaching this fall. But another part of me welcomes getting some work structure back into my life.

I think that's the hardest thing about shifting to SAHM status -- the ability to manage my schedule is totally different. On the one hand, there's more flexibility because I'm home most of the day and decide the priority of many tasks. On the other hand, there's less flexibility because there are constant interruptions and derailments due to the kids and their needs.

Work crises and kid crises are totally different. A little kid crisis is often messy and/or emotional and requires immediate (as in seconds to respond) attention. Even the most extreme of work crises allowed me a few minutes to think about how to approach things and usually the ability to defer all other demands while I focused on it. At home I could easily be dealing with something boiling over on the stove, a potty training issue, and a melt-down over a lost or broken toy simultaneously. Of course I knew this because I also parented my kids when I worked, but I dealt with it in spurts, usually of a couple of days, and rarely of more than a week or two. Learning to balance planning and flexibility on a long-term basis has been more challenging than I thought!

Also, I didn't feel great for most of the summer due to the pregnancy. The past three weeks or so have been fine, but prior to that I was noticeably sick, tired and run-down and didn't have the patience I would have liked with the kids. So I'm telling myself that next summer will be a little better for that reason alone.

It's been the realization of a very long-term goal to be home and spending more time with the kids, and I'm so glad Jared and I were able to reach this point.

Starting over

I haven't posted to this blog in a very long time. I thought as the kids got older I would somehow find more time for things like that, but it turns out the opposite has been true. I'd like to resurrect this blog to keep people better updated about what is going on in our lives. I find that this format suits me better than Facebook (where I feel too much pressure to be pithy or funny) and I should probably stick with it.

I've also found myself referring back to my own blog posts on many occasions to remind myself of the details of something I wrote about previously or to look at old pictures with the kids. So this has been a good online journal for me and now for our family.

I think 2014 will bring our family many changes and opportunities and I look forward to documenting them here, whether anyone else reads them or not!