What I've been up too, without my girls...

I miss my girls so much while they're in kindergarten, but I'm taking advantage of the few hours I have each day to get some things done and relax (well, eventually I'll relax). I've been asked what I'm going to do with my time?...

I have a lot to do before it's really "my time", but I'm getting there and working on all the stuff that has been neglected these past two years. The last time my home was spic and span clean was before China, oh yes, and the time we almost put our house on the market, about 6 mts ago, feeling we'd outgrown this house. If you need a few hints why my house got neglected, their names start with S. As much as I like a nice clean home, it was well worth overlooking a few things to spend time with my kids. Of course they do chores, but my biggest wish over the summer was a weekly cleaning lady (I had one hired right before Pauls accident, then canceled due to upcoming medical bills) "Cleaning the house while children are in it is like shoveling your walks in the middle of a snow storm". Now, I have time to get everything back in order. I've almost filled the recycle bin already and you should see my "to file" pile. So far, I've cleaned out our office/craft room, made a cozy homework nook for the kids, defrosted our garage freezer, cleaned and organized our upstairs office area, and balanced the checkbook (hadn't been done for a few months, good thing it balanced!)... Not a lot of fun, but it's so nice to get done! I volunteer at the kids school each Friday (something I haven't been able to do lately, Trevor and the girls love it) and continue my weekly outings to the temple with my hon while the girls spend some special time with Grandma B., thanks mom! I'm able to prepare better meals, and I finally read "Twilight", yae! It won't be long before I get all the big projects out of the way, and can enjoy some down time while the kids are in school- reading, blogging, art or photography classes, occasional lunch w/ friends, while keeping up with my family ... Can't wait!

Now, for a kindergarten update. Sophie and Sage have eased real well into kindergarten, I worried at first, for nothing thank goodness. They are blessed with a fabulous teacher, learning, doing good work, and making nice friends. They are definitely loved at this school, their brothers and brothers friends all watch over them, and this is the first time I've had a teachers' aid offer to babysit anytime. The kids in their class are great and gather to play with S & S when I drop them off. There's a good speech therapist at the school, but their teacher thinks it isn't necessary, just effects of ESL (English as a second language). He can understand them pretty well and we both think their language will improve a great deal this year . I am thankful that they've taken this next step so well, and I'm so grateful for the wonderful people in their lives that have made each new step great for them, it makes me proud of the community I live in, of course I expect no less. Sophie and Sage are resilient, full of life, sweet, happy girls.