Life

So, Where Have You All Been?

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 4 Comments

Oh, wait it’s me who has been absent.  Well, things have been really spinning fast here and the days just haven’t been long enough for me to do anything that isn’t life or death.  My plate has been full for the past few weeks, but finally it is now a little on the less full side.  I can’t say it’s anywhere near empty, but I have a little time back to blog.  I have missed you all.  Sorry for the short hiatus–let’s be honest…I have written a post of any substance in a few weeks. 

Well school is done and I am happy to say that I managed to get an A in my stats class which is really nice and I am all but certain that I rocked an A in my curriculum course.  It’s nice to get straight A’s.  I know I am a super geek–but those three little letters behind my name are so worth being a geek for. 

Christmas is in full swing here at Chez Finley.  The tree is up and decorated.  The lights are up outside as are the atrocious inflatables that St. Nick delivered to us via my crazy mother–I love you mom.  I’m sorry if you love your inflatables–I love them too in someone else’s yard.  But now we have two huge ones in our yard.  I do have to say that the kids love them and we only have to put them up as long as we live in the same city as my mom–as she lives close enough to drive by and check it out.    St. Nick visited our house and brought the kids books–our new tradition.  Noah thought it was cool to wake up and find presents in his shoes.  It took him 20 minutes to open his presents–he ripped the paper off one little piece at a time.  Christmas morning might take a while–thank goodness Santa doesn’t wrap his presents this year. 

We finally went on a tour of what will hopefully be Noah’s school through 8th grade.  It blew my mind and I will work 2 jobs if I have to in order to pay for this for our kids.  I am in love with this school and everything that it stands behind and does.  There is nothing I don’t like about this school and I hope that Noah gets in.  There are only 16 kids in the 3/4 class.  There is one class at each grade and each class has only 24-26 except for the 3/4 and 4/5’s they have only 16 kids.  Each class has two teachers and there are no textbooks to be found.  It is really an absolutely amazing school.  They really want Noah–they strive for diversity, so as long as he has a good interview (observation) he should be in.  Now we just have to hope for financial aid–or maybe I could sell a kidney.  Just a thought.

I have eaten myself sick on Christmas cookies.  I made cookies this year and Noah did a great job helping me with the cookie press, sprinkles and rolling the snickerdoodles in the cin/sugar mixture.  I now remember why I haven’t made Christmas cookies in a long time.  I figure if I keep drinking wine, I won’t eat the cookies–so far not working.  Snickerdoodles and Syrah not a bad combo. 

I have been busy with photography clients.  I have done nearly one shoot a week every week for the past 6 weeks and that keeps me very busy with touch ups, etc.  One of my lenses broke–it is my go to lens.  I had to buy a new one and I wanted to get a good one.  So that should be here tomorrow and I am so excited as it is an awesome lens.  I bought it used–because new it is over $1500 and that is just insane to spend on a lens.  I got a decent deal one a used/like new one and can’t wait to check it out to make sure it is in good shape. 

I will go ahead and cut this off here.  I want thank those of you still reading.  I know this is a lot.  But, I did throw in a few pictures for you all.  I’ll be back tomorrow with regular posts and am officially off hiatus. 

It’s nice to be back.

I Am Drowning

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 4 Comments

end of semester maddness with projects–very very very big projects. pictures to proof and get to clients yesterday. EOR work to finish (love you ladies and sorry I’m not keeping up).  I am trying hard to keep my head above water.  it should all be better come monday at 7:30 after I have presented my final project that is going to kill me.  no time for capitalization or spell check.  getting PhD might just kill me.  two kids who go non-stop with out the ability to sit still or allow mommy to do anything.  i use to be able to work while Zo napped or while Noah napped but those days are at an end.  i am non-stop playing and entertaining children from 7:30 am until 9:00pm when they are both finally in bed and asleep.  doesn’t leave a lot of time to get anything done.  sorry to all of those who are waiting for me to get stuff finished. it’s coming.

Back in a few days

Now That’s How You Get Things Done

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

Really, you want to know the secret?  Send the kids to grandma and grandpa’s.  My MIL is coming to visit for Thanksgiving a week from today and we had to get the playroom turned into a guest room.  I know if you have been reading my blog for any length of time you will know that our guest room is now in it’s third location.  We have a really small house but are fortunate enough to have 3 rooms upstairs–the playroom use to be Noah’s room.  Noah’s current room was the junkroom office and Zoë’s current room was first the guest room and then Noah’s second room. and Noah’s current room was also once the guest room.  I know it’s a bit confusing, but now all 3 rooms upstairs have served as both the guest room and Noah’s room.  Zoë has been lucky and she has had only one room. 

So, today we hung a door and moved the guest bed/futon and rearranged some furniture and toys.  I love to rearrange furniture because it makes everything seem new when it isn’t.  My brother teases me quite often that he has never met anyone who rearranges more than I do.  I enjoy it and I have always moved furniture around as often as possible for the “new” room feel.  It’s cheaper than buying stuff to really make the room new. 

How to do freshen/change up your space without spending money on those things that would really make it new?

Just had to post this picture of Noah in the bounce house….

What I Should Be Doing

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment
  1. My statistics homework.
  2. Laundry
  3. Dishes
  4. Cleaning
  5. Having coffee
  6. Making/Eating breakfast
  7. Playing with Noah

What am I doing?  Laying on the couch trying to keep my eyes open.  I am not feeling well and of course, I have a huge stats test tonight and a big assignment due tonight.  Bill is out of town and the kids have me on high energy alert.  Noah does have school today, so I should be able to get some work done, but Zo keeps me pretty busy–as she isn’t as much into independent play as Noah was/is. 

Can’t wait for this weekend–I get to get away and have a weekend without my kids.  I’ll miss them, but boy do I need it.

Learning The Limits

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 3 Comments

That is the kids are pushing limits.  Noah has begun to push the limits and test my resolve at thing like nap and bedtime.  He is also flexing his own independence.  Hence, I have been relegated to the floor during our bedtime book reading, while Noah “reads” the book.  When I try and interject anything, “No Mom, Noah reading the book.”  Okay.  How quickly they no longer seem to need us for those things we once thoroughly enjoyed.  I loved snuggling up with Noah and reading a book or three and then putting him to bed.  Now–I sit on the floor, not allowed to read and I put him in bed and all he does is whine.  I know he just wants to see what he can get away with.  How far he can push his bedtime back.  How long mom will lay on the floor in his room while he pretends to fall asleep. 

Zoë on the other hand is pushing all the limits as she learns to do more things.  Like pull all the clea laundry out of the basket and scream with rapt abandon while she does it.  She has learned to climb up the stairs and if the gate is left open for a split second she is crawling up as fast as she can.  It is crazy.  She is close to walking, but seems content to crawl and cruise.  I use to think she would be walking any day now.  I am currently pretty sure that she won’t crawl for another month or so. 

Parenting babies is hard.  I am worn out and to be quite frank burnt out.  It’s not much different than teacher burn-out.  I give 100% of myself to my kids all day long and then again at night and then again on the weekend.  I really am living out the movie Groundhog Day.  It’s the same over and over.  I know this phase will pass.  I am looking forward to Zoë becoming a little more independent.  I am so ready to go back to work and hope that come the spring I will have a full-time job for the next year.  I am ready.  I owe to myself and my kids.  I’ll be happier when I am working outside of the home.  I often feel guilty that I cannot wait to go back to work.  I know a lot of mom’s who have to work for monetary reasons–not because, like me, they go insane staying home–and would love to be able to stay home.  I am at my ropes end and it is time. 

Parenting has taught me so much about myself.  I use to think that I might go back to work and attempt to get certified at the elementary level–no way is all I have to say to that.  I love my kids and I love spending time with them, but there is a reason I teach high school and college.   I have reached my baby parenting limit.  Hubby and I are going to adopt again, but we are going to wait 4 more years and then adopt a young sibling group–between the ages 6 and 2.  We are excited about this prospect as I don’t feel that my family is complete but I do feel that I have gotten to have the baby experience and I am kinda done with that.   I have reached my limit. 

Just a few pics of the kids from the weekend….