Crack me up.....I decided to really take advantage of the weight loss zone that I was in and again made some attempts to lose weight....I mentioned before that I have been walking for a couple of hours/day for about 5 days and have really been watching my food consumption. The result? A 3 pound weight GAIN as of this morning! Of COURSE! Well, at least I can feel comforted by the knowledge that my weight loss wasn't a result of a pathalogical process going on.

I'm doing pretty well and feel very optimistic/upbeat lately. My oncologist has assured us that there is less than a 1% chance that the lesions are malignant and so I feel like I can really just start moving forward with my life. It is a weird feeling.

I've made a lot of changes though over the last couple of weeks that have really helped me. The biggest change that I made was establishing a solid routine. (novel idea, eh?)

I have really structured my day so that I feel like I'm getting things done, enjoying my children and taking time for myself without guilt. It's working so far.

Basically, I get up a few minutes before the kids to put on my coffee....then I get my older three up and out the door and enjoy another cup of coffee before Aidan and Zoe usually get up. I give myself some internet time while Aidan has breakfast and Zoe plays with her little jungle gym and then we all go for a long walk. I only walk 2.2 miles but sadly, it takes me almost 2 hours! Of course, I am pushing the buggy and am stopping to talk with Aidan or look at the tractors, etc....but I walk pretty slowly right now too.

Then it's home for lumch.

After lunch, I clean up, we play outside in the back (if there is time) and then the kids start slowly trickling in from school. There is never a dull moment from that point on.

Yesterday, Amanda rode her bike to school. Well, let me rephrase that. Amanda took Andrew's bike to school. When he discovered it, he was outraged. So...he skipped out on taking the bus and followed her on foot. When she stopped at the little market near our house for a snack, he grabbed his bike and took off.

Poor Amanda came outside and was terrified that the bike had been stolen. She had to be picked up/driven home!

Obviously, I was mad at Andrew beause it was totally unacceptable, but...ok...at the same time, it was kind of funny! My kids crack me up! I will have to journal about this in the photo album from this year so that he can laugh about it after he is no longer grounded.
Never a dull moment! :laughing:

In addition to structuring my day better, I'm trying really hard to get more organized. Instead of counting on my memory I am writing things down in my own planner and on a family calendar. Also, I've restructured our evenings so that we all do homework together at the kitchen at 7pm instead of a sporadic thing. Whomever doesn't have homework has to sit/read or help the others.

I'm also adding time for me...I've signed up for a couple more scrapbooking nights, dug out my sewing machine and am working on finishing the quilt that I started for Zoe when I first began chemo, etc. I'm almost done....

I am really liking the new normal right now.