Coffee and a Good Book, Stretches, and Other Thoughts

Coffee and a Good Book
I am in love with my coffee this morning.  Last night Mr. Darcy was trying out his new XBox games, the girls were in bed, I had eaten dinner after the girls were in bed due to my call at 7 pm, and I picked up the book I've been reading, The Lost Symbol.  I looked at the clock and it was 9:30.  I told myself I would only read for 1/2 an hour and then go to bed.  The next thing I know, I'm entranced in the book.  Sucked so far in that I might have jumped if you talked to me because I was in the book's world.  Mr. Darcy says from the bedroom, what is the time on that clock? (We had our alarm clock set 40 minutes fast to try to get Mr. Darcy up on time by tricking him, but he claims it doesn't work so he was reseting it.)  11:30 pm I tell him and then "I'll be right there."

Being right there turned out to be 1 am when I finished the book.  I was only able to guess one part about the ending (if you've read it you'll know what I mean when I say it was the bit about why the bad guy really didn't like the Solomon family), but the rest was a good surprise.  I have to say that I view Dan Brown's books as a bit of fun fluff, but this was a great book.  I haven't read a book in I'm not sure how long where I didn't guess the end of things 3/4 way through or that I couldn't put down.  Good stuff.

And so, I am in love with my coffee this morning and will probably be having 2 cups.  I've been drinking decaffinated Mint Tea as of late, but this morning I knew that it was not going to cut it.  I needed the caffeine... and I made need more as the day goes on.  Although a nap at lunch time sounds soooo tempting.

Stretching
Today is a stretch day, and I had hoped to check out the yoga class at the Y.  But the class is at 11:15, and unless my breakfast of coffee, V-8, grape nuts and vanilla activia light yogurt, some how super powers me  I think I'll do the stretches Coach gave us last year during Team in Training, and take a nap at lunch.  The more I think about that nap, the more I think it's a good idea.

I love yoga and love how relaxed, limber and strong I feel afterwards.  But today, I think I'm going to like the sight of the inside of my eyelids all the more.  There's always next week to try out the yoga class.  Besides I have some really good Namaste Yoga classes DVR'd that I can do if I have the energy.

Other Thoughts
I have to keep some energy today not only for work and the usual duties, but I also have another call for the sorority this afternoon at 4:30 - right after I am done with work for the week.  It will be the 11th call in 2 weeks.  The good news is that I have one call definitely scheduled, and only 8 chapters who haven't yet gotten back to me (and who probably won't because this is how these things go.  Collegiate women are of 2 groups, those who are happy to have a call and want to do a good job and further their chapter and then those who think that some "old lady" doesn't know what they need to do because it's "their" chapter.  A little bit of news for those women, it's mine too.  We're all in the same sorority which means that the chapter on X campus belongs just as much to me as it does to you.  Anyway... I digress.).  If the 8 chapters miss the boat on the call with TriMommy, well, there's not much I can do.

Of course I took a peek at next week's calendar.  I have a 8 mile run this weekend to do, and a birthday party for the girls' friend on Sunday.  Both of which should be a lot of fun.  The girls are already talking about the fun they'll have at the party - Ladybug is even expecting yummy icing on either a birthday cake or birthday cupcakes, which definitely means she is my child.  That's my favorite part of the birthday cake too.  For our date night, Mr. Darcy and I are going out to dinner with a friend of his from work and his wife.  So that should be fun!

As for the week itself, it will be a busy one.  But I think it will be a good one too.  Monday I have off from work and Mr. Darcy has decided that we need to switch back to my picking the girls up after work and him taking them to work because otherwise he really doesn't have any chance of making it to the gym (his words).  With Mr. Darcy working on Monday and daycare paid for, I am taking a TriMommy day.  I plan to ride my bike in the morning after the family leaves, and then I'm going clothing shopping with my worldpoints and gift money from the holidays.  And if time allows, I'm going to get a manicure and a pedicure.  And then get the girls at the end of the day from daycare.... I may even get us take out from some place for dinner.  I am really looking forward to it.  Tuesday I have a CLE to attend for the majority of the day, but the nice bit is that it starts at 10 am so I can do my morning workout, do a little work, and head out for the rest of the day. That evening I have a Track Shack event to try and get people to sign up for Team in Training, which should be fun.

And then Wednesday.  Yikes.  8 am is a Georgia LLC and LP Law Bar Committee Meeting (via telephone conference of course), followed by a noon Georgia Corporation Law Bar Committee Meeting, followed by a 1:30 pm departmental meeting, and then at 7 pm at Junior League Community Action Team Meeting.  I'm excited about the Junior League CAT team meeting though.  We'll be finding out more about our placement and the life skills course that we are going to be putting together.

Thursday is the dentist and then a UF Law Alumni Reception, which should be fun - the reception that is... not the dentist.  Friday is lunch with Mr. Darcy (yay!) and then a Family Bowling night with his architecture firm and another company after work.  I'm not sure what to expect with the latter of the two events, especially with two 3 1/2 year olds, but I'm hoping it will be a good time.

Other than my schedule for the next week, I've been thinking that I'm really glad that Mr. Darcy wants to switch back to the old routine where he drops the girls off and I get them from school.  I like the old routine so much better... especially after Mr. Darcy gave the girls a dinner of peanut butter and cheese-itz for dinner last night when he could have easily given them the heart healthy chicken nuggets that take literally 1 minute to cook in the microwave and applesauce, one of their favorite meals that is actually at least decent on the health meter.  We've discovered they like V-8 juice even though they won't eat vegetables... so we're sneaking the veggies in any way we can!  But I also just like the flow of the day better.  They go to school, I do my workout in the morning which energizes me for the day, I blog, I work for the day, get the kiddies, cook dinner and play with them and start the evening off nicely.  Then repeat.  The way we've done it this week is that I take them to school, get home and work, try to find a time either for a lunch break workout or I have to go after work, try to get home before they do (which doesn't work too well if I have to go after work), cook dinner before they raid the refrigerator for snacks (or before Mr. Darcy feeds them what I consider a questionable dinner for a 3 1/2 year old), and it's just all jumbled.  Plus, Mr. Darcy doesn't have a chance to work out at all - he is not a morning riser and will not be seen in the gym or out running before work.  He's a night owl, not a morning person. At. all.  He says lunch doesn't work for him either because he sometimes needs to work through it or has business lunches with people.  And by him picking up the ladies, he needs to get them home for dinner before they melt down - they melt down when they're hungry, especially Ms. Angelfish.  Just like her Daddy on that one. 

I liked my universe of chaos ordered in a different way.  So, I'm glad for the return to structure.

I'm also trying to figure out a way for us to return to some more structure for bed time etc.  We did so well and then when the girls were out of school with me for Christmas and New Years, we slacked and let them stay up late and then sleep in.  Getting us all back on the right track with that one has been tough.  I may resort to stickers and then each night award tokens based on the number of stickers.  We just have to stick to it  - we're always good at this stuff for about 3 weeks and then the wheels fall off the bus.  The parenting part is still there, just the reward system falters a bit.  And I really want to make sure I use positive reinforcement - not just the "no" stuff all the time.

So as you can see, I'm a bit of everywhere.  And I'll be returning to my reading of The Art of Happiness now that I have finished The Lost Symbol.  Focus in all things is the key.

Well, thanks for letting me ramble.  It's off to get more coffee and do more work!