August 15, 2021!

  Well, 2021 has flown by.  Of course, life got hectic once again and blogging fell to the back burner.  As you can tell, the last blog was in January *face palm*.  I actually wanted to stick with this more frequently, but, well that didn't happen as planned.

  What has happened since January?  Well a whole lot, as over half a year has gone by.  

  We survived the school year, and the next school year starts in less than a month.  Both Minions will be attending school, so I get a bit more "me time" during the day.  I've ran so many first aid classes this year, that I will likely hit my goal of 200 students in 2021, which will be nice.  Weight loss has been successful, almost 50lbs lost in 8 months!  25 more to go to goal weight.  Eating healthier, exercising more, reading and crafting more.  However, still hitting those mental lows that knock me down quite solidly.

  Our garden started slow, but has been growing nicely!  Yay for carrots and cucumbers, I love making homemade pickles.  However, the weather has been very unpleasant, as it has been very hot and dry.  Therefore our lawn is struggling, the weeds aren't....but the green grass is :( 

  Summer has been, as I said, hot.  Hotter and drier than usual, with significantly less thunderstorms as we typically get.  We have managed to stay busy, without leaving the city.  M2 has been busy with summer dance classes and swimming lessons.  Unfortunately, M1's swimming class filled up and has been on the waiting list for a spot all summer.  Fall registration for lessons starts next week, so both will be signed up for the fall.  Scouts activities continued a bit over the summer as well.  Between all those, and teaching first aid, plus PiC still having his regular work schedule, the calendar has been full.

  My grandfather passed in June, so that shook us up a little bit.  Fortunately, it was not covid or sickness related, it was just his time at his age.  So he didn't suffer at the end, which we are grateful for.

  Have I accomplished anything/everything on my summer "to do" list?  That is a large f no.  Will I?  Likely not.  We haven't had a family trip, and likely won't have time.  I haven't caught up on summer reading or crafting.  There are many clothes to go through, as M1 & M2 have grown significantly this year (almost 2 inches for both of them!), before school starts.  But, school supplies are almost all ordered, and their backpacks are almost ready.  I've started practicing my bus run and seeing how the timing works, and how the assigned route functions (which definitely needs to be adjusted, but that's regular at the start of the year).  Now we have to get back onto a school day schedule at home.  No more sleeping in during the week, or midday naps.  Less snacking throughout the day, more regular timing in general.

  Maybe I just have to remember to take it all easier on myself.  I can't do it all on my own and I shouldn't take on so much responsibility for other things, or keep adding to my "to do" list, cause it will just increase my stress and anxiety levels.  It is reaching the point again where I need the midday dose (that I'm only supposed to take as needed) and even then it isn't really helping much....

  4 months left in 2021, and while it has been a lot better than 2020, I hope to wrap it up with a lot of happiness and success, and less anxiety and depression.  Fingers crossed!