a new chapter

while the house still looks exactly the same as it did in the previous post, we have made some forward progress re: the needed repairs:  new HVAC coming this Thursday and new faucet in the shower/tub happening sometime this week.  still no plans for the floor...  having about 1/6 of your house out of commission really stinks!  but with Matt's school starting this past week, my new position doing "Dinosaur School" at a preschool 2 days/week, and Jason starting his own preschool next week--  there are lots of things to keep our focus off of the house craziness.

working only 2 days/week has already been an awesome decision!  I feel more relaxed- not so much rushing from here to there and back again, I get more "chores" done around the house during the week, I spend more time playing with my kiddos, I am able to write blogs again!, and I have a little time to just be still and calm (like right now, as both kids are actually taking a nap at the same time!).
this seems to have been a great decision for Matt, as well-  he can take his time coming home from work 3 out of 5 days/week, he doesn't feel so rushed in the mornings to get the kids to the sitters and to school on time, and he doesn't have to occupy the kids alone for a few hours every evening like he did when I was working 4 days/week.
with Jason starting school next week, I will have 2 days/week to spend some 1:1 time with Karah- though she is still taking a morning nap, so in a few months we'll have more "girl time."  and I get to be the one to take Jason to school and pick him up-- which is important to me.

so, despite our house falling apart- our home is joyful!

(though, let me be truthful- we still have those moments when Karah is so whiney I just sit her down in front of Baby Einstein to save my sanity-- and moments when Jason's "why?" questions have already driven me to insanity, so I let him play with the iTouch just so I can have some Quiet!)