Procrastination.... wahoo!

Yes, I have the song "Infatuation" by Rod Stewart going through my head right now. But doesn't the word "PROCRASTINATION" fit there so nicely?

We are now coming up on the last 2 weeks of classes. I have so many papers and projects coming due that I feel overwhelmed.

So I'm procrastinating! Because THAT always helps, right?

RIGHT?!?!

I know, I know. It's really not helping me at all. But taking a few minutes to ponder the nuances of such a powerful word is kinda helping me take a breather. It's only a few minutes, then I'll be back to the end of semester marathon that every student dreads!

By the way, while you're reading this post, you know that you're procrastinating something, too! So thanks for stopping by!

P.S. This is how I handle laundry, too! 

A little bit of permanence...

Look what WE did!!!

I don't know how it is for you, but sometimes I feel like all I do as a mom is laundry, clean, cook. Laundry, clean, cook. Laundry... well, you get the idea.

Nothing I do ever seems to stay DONE! Maybe because my kiddos' main goal in life is to UNDO everything that I DO do.

Do do?

Anyway, I think you get the idea, and I think I'm not alone in this. I need something that stays done PERMANENTLY. So, my husband and I tackled quite the project recently.

This is what our back yard looked like when we moved into our house...

You can't see the whole thing, but "dirt" about sums it up.
So last summer, we did a little work...

And it stayed just like that for about a year. But THIS year, we finished some things up...

It's green, it's peaceful... it's my oasis. I need some place like that to escape to when the house gets too LOUD!
It even looks pretty at night.

Getting outside and digging in the dirt actually relaxes me. I've always wanted to do more gardening, but we've either had so much space that I felt overwhelmed, or it was a more temporary situation so I felt less invested. Now I have my own little place to garden. My daughter just finished reading The Secret Garden, so now she wants a "secret garden" themed birthday party.

I think I can do that!

Sometimes my kids, especially the teenager, will go out back to get some alone time, too. I love that they can see the value in nature.

Now, what should my next perma-project be???

Spring Break!

Ahhhh... Spring Break!

That wonderful time of the school year, when the students in the family get a BREAK from all things academic! When I was in community college, my kids' spring break was usually the week after
mine, which made it impossible to travel. But since I moved to the UofA, our spring breaks coincide.
This year, we used that wonderful week to travel to New Orleans, Louisiana! My husbands parents are living there for the time being, so we got to see the city and visit family at the same time... BONUS!

We saw real live

ALLIGATORS...


SO COOL!
We also ate beignets at Cafe du Monde...

SO YUMMY! Don't let the teenager's appearance fool you!

We spent St. Patrick's Day in the French Quarter, and baby girl was completely diva-ed out...

I think this may be my favorite picture!

It was GREAT to get away with the family, Sometimes I think that's exactly what a family needs... to be a family in some other place, and leave the stresses at home. It can be hard, because for Mom (and to a degree, for Dad, too), it's really just taking your work with you. But it can still make such a difference to be able to focus on just having fun. That's something I need to do more with my monkeys.

Who wouldn't feel relaxed in a place like this?

I love being able to explore new places, and I really love doing it with my family. I know that these experiences are the ones that we'll all remember. Things come and go, but family and memories last forever. I'm grateful that we have these opportunities.

P.S. Isn't he adorable?

What are your favorite memories with your family?