So, this could possibly be the first week day of the last week I will not be a "Mommy". It was an 'odd' sort of day, actually. I was awake when Luc got up for work, at around 6:15 am, and didn't go back to sleep. I lay there with this feeling of anticipation and finally decided to get up and have breakfast with Luc before he left for work. Once he was gone, I sat there, yawning, and decided to organize my to-do list for the day, figuring that'd inspire me to get a jumpstart on showering, cleaning out the fridge, then grocery shopping.
However, I managed the list and then found myself 'flagging', so I sat at the table for a bit, then finally made an executive decision to force myself back to bed, as this non-moving, robotic me was not going to get anything done anyway. I woke up at 9:30 from a deep sleep to the sound of the phone ringing. It took me ages to drag myself out of bed, and after I'd returned the call (to Luc), I sat in my rocking chair and dozed off again. I started to wonder if this was the exhaustion before 'the storm' of labour hits. However, it was not. I found a second wind, but obviously was still moving slowly as I barely managed to fit my 'tasks' into the day before Luc was home. Infact, I didn't get a chance to call a new friend with whom I've been hoping to get together with before the baby arrives.

I was fully expecting to have a boring wait before our little one came, but I find that every day is packed with shopping, cleaning, laundry, organizing, phone calls to various different companies for various different reasons, cooking, etc... It's crazy. It's making me start to think that adding a baby to the mix might be more than I can handle with my current work load, hence why every woman I know has warned me to drop the idea that I can 'do it all' - apparently I'm not the first woman to have gone through this.
It's innocent though really - you go from working 9 - 5 every week day, to suddenly having nothing but time on your hands which finally opens up the possibility to transform your home into the clean, organized, well-run enterprise that it always should have been but never was. The irony is that all your hard work goes out the window the minute the real reason you are home arrives... ;)

Anyway, it's summer solstice, and I didn't really formally get to recognize it, however I did manage to plant a bunch of flowers in pots, which are now hanging from trees, or tucked along the stairs of the deck, or clustered among the potted leafy plants I already had. I lucked in and paid $1 for each flat of 8 plants, so for $6 I came home with a good number of begonias, impatiens and little purple flowers (can't remember what they're called) - all semi shade tolerant, to make my yard a bit prettier. :)

I'm hoping to get back into my nature-appreciating, seasonal-crafting side of things again this year. I already have my eye on a book:

Enchanted Circles: Flower Garlands, Swags and Wreaths

I'm hoping to build some nice harvest wreaths and real Christmas garlands. I have a looooong list of things I want to get into this year though, and no telling if I'll actually achieve any of it. Just for fun, I'm thinking of:

- projects around the house (floors, the kitchen, furniture for the living room, repainting upstairs);
- seasonal crafts;
- walking with other Moms (strollercise groups);
- yoga;
- cooking and baking;
- taking courses in running my own business and/or business analysis and project management;
- taking another course in French;
- everything BABY!! ;) (swimming lessons, cardio classes, play groups with him/her)

All that and I still have to find time for laundry, groceries and cleaning the house, ha ha.
Okay, so probably only two things off that list will come true, but we'll see how it goes!

Here's to new beginnings and long, lazy summer days ahead!

xoxo