Anna Be.

I've been tracking my walks and runs on Runkeeper for months, but I hadn't paid too much attention to the data until now.  Before I looked at this, I would have guess I get 10 miles in a normal week. Last week was a pretty normal week, but I only walked and ran 4.4 miles! Nick cautioned me to be proud of those miles. I can't lie and say I am.  I see them as a personal challenge, a very low base to build on. I want to shoot for 10 miles this week and get to where I thought I was!  But those darned experts are all, "you should only increase mileage 10 percent per week!" Ugh, experts with their slide rules and their pocket protectors. Fine, my goal for this week is 5 miles.

I didn't take a "BEFORE" picture, but 15 minutes ago this drawer was a mess. So I am still taking very seriously my intention to get my office organized this month by working on it a little everyday.  Obviously my makeup drawer is not in my office, so I will just count this accomplishment as a warmup. I've identified a major flaw in my thinking at the moment of each decluttering decision: I don't want this now, but I might want it later.  Specific examples: I don't like this tangerine pleated polyester knit -- and I haven't liked it in ten years -- but one day, I might find the perfect use for it. This kelly green liquid eyeliner is really high maintenance -- and I only wear eyeliner about once a month -- but some fun Saturday night I will wish I had it.   I don't have time for this 1970s creative visualization workbook, but maybe one day that will be my thing! All of these authentic examples were F-R-E-E.  It's not like I droppe...

I'm going to unpack and organize my office. We moved into this house two years ago, but my office is still full of boxes and in complete chaos.  don't believe me?  Suspect I'm prone to exaggeration?  WRONG. Photo evidence: At first I used pregnancy as an excuse.  Then I used Mamie as an excuse.  Now I'm out of excuses. I'm a working writer, and I need a functional workspace. (I'm writing this on the couch, but every few words I get interrupted by a toddler climbing into my lap.) In my "new" office, there will be a table just for Mamie's art projects and other work! Besides that, Mom and Dad finished baby proofing upstairs for me last week, so she has plenty of safe places to play while I work. So what's the plan? I'm starting with 15 minutes a day.  That's what I commit to, 15 minutes per day for the whole month of April.  I expect to see big results in 30 days, but no single day should be too overwhelming.

I don't know how long I've been saying Mamie would start Montessori when she is 2. For the last 18 (+9?) months, I've been saying a lot of things like I have some idea what I'm doing here. As it turns out, I am NOT ready to send my wee little Mimsy Borogove off to her studies just yet!  (And there's not a program nearby that would accept a barely-2-year-old for less than five full days a week.) Still, I feel like I should be teaching her something, I should exploit the sponginess of her little head while I still have some influence. So I had this idea: Why don't I do Montessori homeschool lessons with her until she is three? Yes, groan. Now I have this idea, I've started doing research, bought a book, set up a notebook for planning lessons. Am I just going to stress myself out, will I deprive her of important practical lessons like grass-eating and writing on the sofa with crayons? I guess I'm secretly afraid if I don't follow professional rec...

A new sticker book. She put the little girl on the stairs herself, I assume because it's one of her favorite places to play. Mamie and I preserve one day a week as our Sacred Day.  I don't write anything on the calendar -- n places to be, no people to see.  We stay in our pajamas all day, unless we feel like playing outside or going out for coffee. Today is definitely a PJ day because I don't go out when the temperature is under 40 degrees.  I realize it's a privilege for me to have a free day, but it always ends up being one of my most productive all week. By 3 p.m. I had done almost everything on my to-do list for today, and Mamie is well into the third hour of her nap. Things I have done: read yoga write play Things I have not done: laundry dishes put on shoes Unless slippers count as shoes?  Honestly, they must because I wore them to the store the other day.  (Drive-thru only! I have some dignity!)

First of all, I am going to give credit where it is due.  While I was on my back with food poisoning for three days, Nick handled everything I needed him to, and Mamie was exceedingly patient with being homebound and entertaining herself. There is, however, a division of labor in our house regarding the laundry.  Nick does his laundry once a week and stays out of my way.  Mamie has only mastered unfolding (not an official step in the laundry process). I do all the washing, folding and putting away for myself, the baby, and the household.  I try to do a load a day. Remember, we wash diapers too. Now let's say I was sick and didn't do any laundry tasks for three days.  And maybe for the last month before that my schedule has been full and maybe things were already backed up a bit? Do I need to paint you a picture of overflowing hampers, morphing mountains, choking, spilling out of the laundry room door?  Ok, good. There is a complex architecture here ...

This is a family of runners who just stepped outside to see the rain would indeed curtail their 5k plans.  They went out for coffee and book shopping instead.