The struggle is real, folks.
Now that the house is 90 percent complete, for the first time in over a year, I find myself with a lot more time on my hands. I will admit that I don’t really know what to do with myself. To further complicate the issue, I spend just enough time at a computer at work every day to not want to spend any more time on a computer once I get home. Summer temperatures make me want to hibernate inside until the humidity and temperatures drop to more acceptable levels. I try not to spend all day in front of the TV and the thought of grabbing my current read during the day holds no appeal. I also try to avoid the time-suck that is TikTok, but I have been spending my days spending way too much time mindlessly scrolling through IG and playing hours upon hours of Homescapes and Gardenscapes.
After losing my job last year, I stopped planning my day. I had certain things I wanted to do each day, and it worked. Then, we decided to sell our house, and I spent the next six months packing and prepping. Moving into the new house came with its own list of to-dos that I was happy to complete each day. Since starting my job in February though, I am struggling to find a good routine. It didn’t help that Jim was out of work until May 6th, or that he has been out of town for three out of the six weeks since he started his new role. Covid hit the house through Holly, and she suddenly had to virtually attend school for the first time in a year. Add to that the craziness of the dance competition season, end of year insanity, and I really struggled.
I think I am finally in a better mental space to start becoming more active online (and not in a mindless way). The key is going to be starting small, like with this post, and updating my reading archives. While I have a ton of reviews to write, I’m trying to not let the number overwhelm me. Plus, I don’t know if I have a lot to say any more about the books I read almost three months ago now. So, I’m just trying to find something that works for me that will shake me out of the mind-numbing boredom with which I’ve been plagued this spring.
Quick updates – Holly finished her junior year on the strongest of notes, attending prom, and rocking a 4.0 for her third trimester. She is currently averaging more work hours per week than I do and loves watching her account balances increase. In addition, she has already started working with her fellow seniors to plan and choreograph their pom routines for fall; plus, she is working with her coach to create more of a dance team for the basketball season as a way to change things up and make the season more fun.
Because she wants to become more involved in school activities, she took it upon herself to email the director of her school’s fall musical about obtaining a spot on the cast list because of her years of dancing. The director loved the idea, and she now gets to look forward to participating in her very first musical as part of the ensemble. They are performing Footloose, which is one of the reasons why she felt so strongly about participating.
As if that isn’t enough, she became a member of a modeling team one of the local photographers has for high school seniors. To round things out, she continues to dance, as if she would ever quit her first love. I don’t quite know if she completely understands just how busy she is going to be starting in September once the school year begins, but I know she loves a good challenge.
For Holly, summer is essentially over. She has her one week off from dance this week and starts right back next week. Jim spends about half of his time traveling for work. So it is up to me to maintain the house and watch the dogs. We are talking about having me go with him on one of his shorter business trips for a chance to get away and spend time by a pool, so we will see if we can make that happen. Holly has a short trip to NC with her bestie. While we may not get a family vacation this year, we are trying to get away after spending all that time homebound. Thank goodness for vaccines!
All Shannons are now gainfully employed. Jim started his new role the first week in May and really jumped in with both feet. It is a similar role to his previous role but with a smaller company. It’s great to see him back at work, finessing people, and making plans. The only downside is that the few remaining house projects are now in limbo. However, he’s happier, and therefore we are all happier.
I knew of some of the challenges you faced recently and honestly, it’s a lot for anyone. I am glad that everything is starting to fall into place. Holly has really put herself out there. My daughter did Footloose. It’s a fun show. She will enjoy that. I hope you are taking care of yourself too. Us moms, we tend to let ourselves go for the sake of others. I recently had a little wake-up call of my own so I am on my soap box these days trying to bring awareness to other moms who are riding that struggle bus with me.
I certainly have been struggling to find my place in this new normal of Jim not working and then only working from home and Holly pretty much self-sufficient except for her age. It isn’t so much letting myself go for the sake of others as it has been no one really needing me anymore and having SO much free time as to not know what to do with it. I imagine this will continue to be a struggle for the next year or so as we move from high school to beyond and whatever that will look like. It doesn’t help that Jim wants me to travel with him but doesn’t agree that I should quit my part-time job in order to do so. I just need to find a routine that works for me. I’m not there yet, but at least I feel interested in finding one for the first time in a year.
Holly certainly is going all out for her last year of school. Footloose should be interesting, especially since the girl is tone-deaf. I have perfect pitch, and Jim has a good ear as well, but wouldn’t you know that she inherited her grandfather’s lack of ability in that area. Since she never really auditioned, he doesn’t know yet that while her voice is beautiful, she will never be able to find the right note. The director did ask her if she would be okay as part of the ensemble to which she never directly responded. Like I said, it should be interesting.
Whew, it sounds like it’s been A Time for all of y’all. I’m thrilled to hear that the house is mostly done at least — that’s been such a source of stress, I know!
It was stressful and then it became fun. It just was a lot of waiting for Jim to finish one project and then another. Of course, we are still waiting, but thankfully, his project list only includes shelving. Maybe, if I can convince him that he no longer has the time, I might even be able to buy that shelving and knock everything off that list!
It’s good to read your update Michelle. I’m trying to resuscitate my blog…we’ll see. I hope you’re enjoying your new job. What is your son up to?
I saw that you were trying to blog again. Yay!
Ah, my son. My son is probably the greatest source of stress right now. He really struggled in college and eventually dropped out, but not until he racked up five figures in student loans. He has been dealing with mental health issues, some of which involve blaming us for all of his problems. As a result, he stopped speaking to Jim and me back in November. We both remain hopeful that with time and a lot of reflection on his part that he will come back to us. For now, he does talk to his sister and has been known to talk to my mother every once in a while, so we know he’s alive, working, and trying to make sense of his life. He is still with his significant other for several years, and they have a dog and a cat. They are looking to finally leave Iowa and move to Denver sometime this summer. He has yet to go back to school, but we both hope that at least community college is in his future. He’s too intelligent to spend his life working a simple desk job, and his heart and passion have always been in the skies. He’s still young, just having turned 21. We can only wait and see at this point in time.