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This post really hits home. I think it should for all of us. We should stop pretending, and start being ourselves.

A Day in My Life

Last week I was supposed to see a new doctor to follow up on my appointment in August.  Somehow though, I was rescheduled to see the Physician's Assistant that our whole family sees.  There is something to be said for having someone that knows all about you.  As I explained to him that the last doctor told me to exercise 30 minutes a day, he smirked and asked "When?"  That was my thought.  I would love to exercise 30 minutes a day, but am having trouble figuring out the when.  And this is why:

5 am Wake up.  Most often one of the boys or both will also wake up right at 5.  Then I make breakfast for Dana, make coffee, and pack Dana's and Kaia's lunches.  Also during this time I'm usually changing diapers and giving the boys milk and crackers.  Kaia gets up right around the time Dana is leaving, and I try to get Morgan up then as well.  I get showered, dressed, and ready for work.  Hopefully by 7:30 am we are all piling into the Suburban.

I take Kaia to the child care at her school.  All 5 of us walk in, drop off Kaia, and the 3 boys and I head back out.  Then we do the 20 minute drive to Grammy and Papa's where I drop the boys off and I hopefully am at work by 8:30.

Once at work, I sink into my chair in my calming green office, and dig into work.  My work varies day to day.  Right now, it is campaign heavy, in the spring it will be community investment heavy.  Today, I'll be in Ellensburg for a Statewide Combined Federal Campaign meeting.  Before I leave I need to send off my charity listing info to the printer, and run reports for the audit.

Work is over at 5, and I usually head by the grocery store, or stop to buy fuel on my way out to get the boys.  We arrive home somewhere between 6 and 6:45.  I give the boys bottles while I make dinner, look through the mail, and listen to Kaia's day at school (or break up the fights between her and Morgan).  After we eat dinner, the twins go to bed, and it's time for the older 2 to get ready for bed.

Dana and the older 2 usually go to bed about the same time, and I follow around 9:30 or 10.  Occasionally I feel adventurous and I try to watch a show that comes on at 10 like the Mentalist.  It works for a few minutes, but I'm usually asleep on the couch by the first or second commercial.  If I'm lucky, I'll get to sleep all night long, if not I'll be up at least once or twice before 5 am.

Maybe you see an opening for exercise?  I think my best bet is to use my lunch break.  For now, I can go on walks outside, but come winter, that isn't an option.  That's when some sort of gym membership or class is going to be helpful, but anything close by is expensive! 

The Kihn Sandwich

I discovered the true proof that Kaia and Morgan are Kihns last week.  Never mind that they have the Kihn temper and look just like a Kihn, it's all in the sandwich. Kaia and Morgan have made the sandwich their new favorite snack.  The Kihns all love this sandwich, I have not tried it, and because I'd rather lick a frog than eat bologna, I have no plans to try it.  Perhaps you are braver than I?

Kihn Sandwich
2 slices white bread (the fluffy stuff with no nutritional value)
Sandwich Spread (the kind with relish in it)
Peanut Butter
Lettuce
Cheese (American is preferred, but you can use cheddar)
Bologna

On one slice of bread, spread Sandwich Spread, on the other spread Peanut Butter.  In between the slices of  bread add lettuce, cheese and bologna.  Enjoy... or if you are me, pass it on to a family member that will eat it.

A Day in the Life

I love looking at the lives of others.  Especially when their world is so different from my own.  My grandma's life in Mexico is definitely different from my day to day.  I asked her if I could share this with you.  I think this could be an interesting little series.  If you would, please send me your typical day and I will post it, linking back to you, in the coming weeks.  I promise to share my own typical day as well.

Today is a guest post from my Grandma Florence also known as Flossie of "Flossies Fast Food Fly Through" A feeding station for hummingbirds.

I'll try to tell you a few things I do daily.
 

Before dressing I shake my clothes & shake out my shoes. I have never found a scorpion but others have, Scorpions are not every day things but they are around. I have never been stung.

We do not flush toilet paper. The pipes may be cement tile that is rough & snags the paper to clog the pipes. I have a sign that says No paper to be flushed. The bank & Library have signs too. I keep small plastic bags to put the paper in & the garbage man comes by every day except Sun. I have to have the garbage out before 7 am! 

We have a dry season & a rainy season. Of course it can rain a bit in the dry season too. The ad for our area calls it "The Land of Eternal Spring". It never freezes but I saw 43* once & 45-50*some nights in Dec & Jan. Rainy season can begin in May but usually about June 13th & lasts until Oct. Dry season the mountains are brown & rainy season beautiful green. 

Most Mexicans shop daily. They eat lots of corn flakes for breakfast & sweet rolls & milk or hot chocolate. The little stores make sandwiches of this ham like loaf & cheese & hot pepper & wrap them & sell them. The Mexican people eat anytime. If you go any place by bus or car you will see small stands & people eating. There is no water to wash hands or dishes so they put a plastic bag over the plastic plate & a new bag for each person. Saves water anyway. 

I walk to the store most mornings. Not for the warm buns that all stores sell, but looking for damaged or over ripe bananas. I love bananas & so does my dog. I buy a Papaya there each week. I buy eggs there too. They are sold by the Kilo = 2.2 lbs & are put in a plastic bag to carefully carry home. I have 2 cartons to put them in. There can be 14-16 eggs depending how big they are. Eggs are on the counter NOT in the fridge. On Fri morning I walk 4 blocks round trip to the plaza where they sell fruit only on Fri. I usually buy a few things & carry them home. Then Sun at 10:30 am my pastor picks me up for church. Near the church is a grocery store & then a tortilla place & then a fruit market so he stops & I buy more fruit & veges & corn toastadas at the store.  That is where I get heavy stuff as I get a ride to my door. I get my Jiciama there. It is a root vegetable that you peel & slice or cube to eat raw. Some people put lemon juice & salt on them but I don't. I seldom eat meat but eat beans,brown rice & barley & cheese & eggs. My eggs have been less than $1.00 a Kilo & here eggs are $1.50 on sale & MORE a dozen. I give away parsley,basil & lemon grass.   All fruit & veggies that can't be peeled we soak in drops of a disinfectent to kill parasites.  I have a friend who soaks melons,Papayas,bananas & eggs. I don't! Parasites can make you sick. I take a pill about once a year to kill off any I may have. Some people take a pill every 6 months. I do peel & cut up my Papaya & Cants  & put in quart Yogurt tubs that people give to me. Then they are ready to use.

I used to walk to the post office, but now as it is up a slight hill my gardener brings me my mail. I found out he went after mail for another lady so asked him to bring mine. 

The View

One way I kept the drive home from being boring over the summer was taking directions from the kids.  There are a large number of ways to get from the freeway exit to our house.  The most breath taking are the routes that take us up over the hills and we drive down into the valley.  I had to snap a few photos, with my phone camera.  They don't do the view justice, so some day I will pullover with the real camera and try to capture this.