It's what Blogging is All About...Right?

And since we are beginning a new year, I feel like we can finally sit back, relax, and start all over again. During the holidays, from Thanksgiving to New Years, I feel like our lives, houses, and schedules are all in disarray, and there's no way to catch up.

This week, I start back to work on a regular schedule. Mills also starts his new year at Mimi's house from Monday to Thursday, and so things will quickly be back in order. My weekly routines will slowly, but surely be back in order, and maybe, just maybe, I can get back to normal. It all starts with the removal of all decorations, cleaning, and putting all of our "new" things where they belong. As you read in my previous post, that all started on Thursday. I know it may sound crazy, but I actually looked forward to going back to work today to begin a new year. For me it was a "clearance" of being able to get back to normal. No odd days off, no worrying about who is keeping Mills on those weird days, and knowing that my Thursday afternoon cleanings will resume. I always try to do cleaning on my half-day Thursdays before we pick up Mills, because I want to spend the weekend enjoying the family. I have learned to let my house "go" to a certain extent, but in all honesty, it still drives me insane to see spotty hardwood floors that are in need of mopping, and dust on the furniture. Having an 80lb. fur-ball in the house doesn't help either.

We have been "slacking" on strict bedtimes for the past two weeks, because I haven't had to get up, get ready, or wake Mills to throw clothes on him and get him to Mimi's. Although, he doesn't last past 8:30pm, it is still later than his normal 7:30. He has been sleeping until 7:30 or 8:00am, so getting him up at 6:30ish this morning was a "wake up call" (no pun intended) for him. In the past three weeks. We have learned that Mills is steadily weaning himself out of the morning nap. This has taken some adjustment with our daily routine and meal schedule and so we are still learning each and every day.

I couldn't wait to pick Mills up this afternoon, and we have had an excellent evening. Starting with dinner, our little man ate like a champ, and we topped the night off with TONS of playtime upstairs. He is getting to be quite the little pro at taking his tools in and out of his new Handy Manny dancing tool box. He practices taking them out, and putting them back in where they belong. Then, he claps for himself. I let time get away from me tonight, as we were having so much fun, but bath time with Bible songs arrived, followed by the reading of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, and The Napping House, and then, Mills walked to his crib, tugged on his bumper as a sign of wanting to go "nigh nigh." How easy is that?

Now, I am actually sitting down, watching TV (I NEVER have a "my show" to watch anymore, but the Bachelor starts tonight! guilty addiction), and waiting on bedtime. It has been a great back to normal day!