118 Days of Productivity

As I mentioned at the end of this post, my husband Superman will finally be home for good in 118 days.  After almost three years of contracting overseas, I can't overstate how excited we all our that this part of our family's journey is concluding.  Still, we have "short-timers" in a big way.  You know about short-timers, right?  Short timers is that feeling you have after you've given your notice at a job and you're just waiting for the two weeks to be over so you can move on.  It doesn't mean you hated your old circumstances, it just means you're beyond eager to take that next step.  It is an exhilirating time.  Still, we have 118 days to get through.  Superman is tackling the challenge of short-timers by blogging each and every day of the end of his journey here.

When I posted the time on my FB, my friend Melissa (she wrote this awesome blog a few years ago and is a great one for meeting goals) said she was going to use that block of time to create a deadline for her own challenge.  I loved that idea.  So, I presented to the kids and to Superman that I was going to be productive every single day until he got home.  I don't just want to "wait" for him to come home.  I want to make the time fly.  I don't just want to kill time.  I still want this time to count.  I want each day to be productive.

productive

Definition

pro·duc·tive

[ prə dúktiv ]

ADJECTIVE

1.  producing much: producing something abundantly and efficiently

2.  worthwhile: producing satisfactory or useful results

3.  producing something: producing or able to produce something

Thus, I've challenged myself to be productive every single day for the next 118 days.  I especially like the second and third definitions of the word.  (I am not really worried about producing abundantly, but efficiently will definitely work for me!)  I want to cross things off lists, I want to meet my goals, I want no day to conclude with the thought "what did I do today?".

I'll be back later with a little bit of productivity for today.  In the meantime, I've got stuff to do!

Have a great day!

Think Two Years Doesn't Make Much of a Difference?

Have you noticed how, as you've gotten older, time sees to fly at a pace even faster than you remember it going by?  Have you put off things for a few months until you realize its been two years?  Let me give you an example:  You say to yourself, "Maybe I should clean out my closet.  There are some things I haven't worn in a few months."  Still, it isn't high on your priorities and so you put it off.  One thing leads to another and you end up with clothes in your closet you haven't worn in ten years.  On the one hand, it is no big deal.  On the other hand, how many things like this happen in our lives?  We're going to start eating better, we're going to start working out regularly, we're going to read more books, watch less television.  We're going to tackle "that" room or our finances, we're going to write this letter or call that person, and we don't quite get around to it.  After all, life is busy...and it really is.  So, we think we'll do it next week...next month...next year.  Before we know it, a few years have gone by and, since there is no such thing as "staying the same", we're actually falling behind in our own lives.
Think it doesn't matter?  Think two years doesn't make a difference?  I can show you just what a difference a few years can make.

Here is what our two younger kids looked like when Superman began contracting overseas in January 2010.

Here is what they looked like when he headed back to work this month (January 2012), exactly two years later.

Valiant has lost that "little boy" look and has gone from being substantially shorter than Superman to actually being taller than Superman.  Buttercup has transition from a little girl to a young lady and has grown at least five inches, too.  Time has marched on...and measuring the changes in our children help us mark its passage more clearly than anything else I can imagine.

Still think you can afford to let years past without making progress in your life?  I beg to differ.  Your life is happening right now.  Make sure you're participating fully.

Did you miss me?

We put Superman on a plane yesterday (Friday) at noon PDT and he hasn't yet arrived back at work (right now it is 9:00 p.m. PDT the next day!).  (How is that for some serious travel time?)  It has been a whirlwind two weeks and, I must say, the best surprise I didn't mess up. (There were times I came so close to spilling the beans, it got to the point that I just stopped calling people.)  We had so much fun with Superman and Superman had a great time being home.  We didn't do anything special.  Superman just wanted to hang out at home and do "home" things.  We hit our favorite restaurants (we hit one of them twice!), we did projects around the house, and we just goofed off. 

Even though there was work to be done and we seemed to be busy all the time, it felt like the most relaxing vacation ever. 

We managed to get all of Superman's various appointments scheduled for one day so he could get those out of the way and out of his mind.  Yes, you should picture me trying to make all these appointments without my children hearing me...I was quite the covert operator.   He and the kids even worked with Mr. R. for a few days of the vacation...they had ball and Mr. R needed the help. 

So, since he's been traveling back to work, we've been settling back in at home.  We even got a surprise package shipped off to Superman right after his plane took off, so he'll be getting the package right when he settles in.  The kids have the next week and a half to savor summer and then school will begin in earnest (we've been keeping up with math and typing and a little spelling all summer long, so it won't be horrible). 
I've been getting caught up on laundry and cleaning.  (I only put my finger in the proverbial dike during the vacation.)  I've been catching up on some blogs (I've missed reading them) and I've been getting ready to post here again.  So much has been going on and I have so much to share with you (hint:  I asked Superman to teach me to use all his 'big man' power tools and he even bought me my own 'impact driver').  

I guess we're finally learning how to be the family of an overseas contractor and that feels good.  We're excited to see what the next six months brings us.

UPDATED:  Superman's plane got in early (although, I did have to wonder how 1/2 hour really helped after 30+ hours of travel).  Unfortunately, his luggage didn't get in at all.  Yep, you read that correctly.  Superman's luggage (translation: his clothes!) is lost somewhere between Eastern Washington and the Middle East.  So far, they know it didn't make it on the plane in London (duh!), so now they have to figure out if it even made it to London.  Fun times.