2011 Word of the Year

My word for 2011, or actually words are:

Calm

Endurance.

Calm:  implies an unruffled state, esp. under disturbing conditions,  complete inner command of oneself, usually as the result of an effort.

Endurance: noun- the ability or strength to continue or last,  despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina.

-lasting quality; duration.

Baby Boy is due to arrive in about six weeks, maybe less. My natural tendency is to have had everything in its place, washed, primped, and ready by now. I’ve been waiting in silly anticipation for some changes around here. Still waiting, so the endurance is starting to creep into existence because there is so much to get done. I’m starting with the bathroom today, figured might as well begin with the smallest space in the house. Got to make room for that baby bathtub and all of the baby essentials. Either way there will be lots of changes in the Dunbar Home in 2011. (Calm.)

Room changes; Monkey and Bogie are going to share a room. They are super excited about this for now. Everyday someone is begging for bunk beds and my boys have been mulling over the Pottery Barn Kids Catalog almost every second their not allowed to play on the Wii. There’s bedding to be chosen. How do you change a 5-year- old’s mind about a Star Wars bedroom? I think I’ve got them sold on Star Wars sheets only. I thought perhaps I’d buy the Target ones since they are just about half the price but those sheets only have a rating of 1.5 stars, all of the comments said they are rough, itchy, and thin. So that idea went right out the window. The PB ones have a 4.8 out of 5 stars.

  

How did I get stuck on the tangent of sheets?

Changes…

Mr. Dunbar started a new position at a new hospital in a new city. We’ll see where that leads him this year. It seems to have lots of opportunity for advancement, which is always good. The hours have been killer recently. I guess that’s the way it is though, when you take over a staff at the start of a new year. Hopefully things will calm down in a month or so. I have still been getting up every morning to make him coffee, we’ll see how long that lasts. (Endurance, think endurance...)

This was January 1st. and that mess, is mine. Sorting through bins and bins and bins of the boys’ clothes that I actually chose to keep. Putting them in order by size and season. It’s been almost 3 years since I’ve actually gone back through the clothes, I guess I just kept throwing the things I liked in bins or bags because I never really thought I’d HAVE to go back through it. It took some tenacity and patience to finish going through the mounds of Newborn to 5T shirts, sweats, jeans, sweaters, jackets, hats, pajamas… everything. I felt like the Berenstain Bears and the The Messy Room organizing and making labels. And even when I thought I was done, I still found two more trash bags full of clothes.

These hooligans are so good. I hope they will forever be friends.

 

Soon there will be baseball practices and games,  pre-school parties and lessons, newborn cries and around the clock feedings. Along with life.

I’m getting my game face on for 2011.

Calm. Endurance.

Yup, that’s what I need.

~mrs. dunbar