You were expecting this last night – I know and once I explain to you my week and weekend I think that each of you will understand why it didn’t go out. As you know I am helping my niece get her father’s house in order to sell – they have lived there for 29 years so I don’t think I need to tell you what it means to have to go through everything in this very large house. I have been spending 2 to 3 days a week helping sort and clean through each room. Last Thursday I worked from her house and between conference calls and responding to email messages we started on the spare bedroom upstairs because her father was coming home for the weekend and would need to use that room. We didn’t get it all done ad Siobhan had committed to transfer some kittens to their new home that afternoon – I was expecting to return on Friday morning after my workout. On Thursday at 5PM I received a call from my boss advising me of a meeting the next day that he recommended that I attend – there went my early morning high intensity workout. I went to the office and before my meeting began at 11AM, I completed a presentation on my organization for my boss and the new budget for our “All Hands” meeting scheduled for November - YEAH. Right after our meeting ended I headed to Siobhan’s, changed out of my business clothes and helped finish cleaning the bedroom and setting it up. By the time we were finished with that her brother arrived with the boys (Ryan and Callum) who were spending the night at my house since both parents were working on Saturday.

We got to my house a little after 5PM and I immediately started cooking dinner for us – dinner done, dishes in the dishwasher and it is already 7PM. By 8 that evening Callum was ready to go upstairs to bed; but, did not fall asleep until 11 – I never rest well when he is with me because I am always attuned to his movements. I was awake by 7 and showered and I could hear that Ryan was up and had headed downstairs. Callum woke up at 8:30 and was ready to have orange juice while for Ryan it was pancakes, bacon, orange juice and tea.

What was nice about having the boys is that Ryan likes to help around the house – since I had not changed my house over for the fall, I recruited him to help me. He was unbelievable in that he assisted in turning the mattress, putting on the bedskirt, changing all the comforters, throw pillows, rugs in the three bedrooms and updating the bathrooms. We then came downstairs and he helped me roll up the area rugs in the living and dining rooms and put down the fall/winter rugs. By now it was 1PM and I needed to drive the boys back down to see their Grandfather and get picked up by their Dad. I visited with Gerry for a few minutes and then came home to finish what I had started. I stopped by the cleaners to pick up the curtains that I had given them for storage – well they were supposed to be ready on Friday and here it was Saturday at 3:30 and they were not done yet – they were being pressed could I come back. I went home ate some chicken quickly and then gathered all the spring/summer decorations and went into the storage room to start pulling out all of my autumnal and Halloween decorations. Before I knew it was 5:40 time to run to the cleaners and pick up those curtains before they closed at 6PM – they were ready – now home to finish up. I got the downstairs rooms all decorated – I hung up the curtains and folded the ones I took down to take them to the cleaners on Monday morning after my workout. I then ironed the curtains for the powder room and the shower curtain and got those hung up – needless to say I finished decorating the house, every room by 10:40 – I was exhausted and ready for bed. I woke up a couple of times during the night and when I got up and stepped away from my bed I got very dizzy – I am unsure if I had not eaten enough that day or if I was dehydrated; but Sunday morning I was fine.

Sunday was no slower as Gerard, the boys and I were going apple picking; but, before I did that with them I had to run to the grocery store and pick up the last few items I needed for dinner that evening. It was a beautiful sunny day with just enough of a breeze to enjoy trudging through the orchard. This year Callum enjoyed picking apples – he would select a red and then a green one. He enjoyed saying “apple – DELICIOUS”; with just one problem he doesn’t eat apples. Well, we picked a bushel – got them to the car then headed to their store to pick up the requisite apple butter, apple cider and to choose our pumpkins. Then to the bakery were we bought apple cider donuts, a cherry and an apple pie for dinner. Once at home with everyone having cider and donuts – I began on the salad then the appetizers since Gerry, Siobhan and Matt were joining us for dinner. It was an Italian dinner with baked ziti and garlic bread and pies for dessert. It was great to be all together and the family left at 7 and my house was back in order by 8 last night.

Now am I forgiven? It was a very busy, fulfilling weekend and I enjoy the time with my family and doing different things with the boys – now I need to learn to be a little less hard on myself and not try to set up the house in one day when I normally do it over three days. But, it is done and I am more at peace with myself because of it.

As they say, “To each their own” and I am not sure I will be changing anytime soon.