Drowning In Paper!

The Never-Ending Inbox

I've finally got my office set out the way that I want it and have started flushing the whole house for loose papers. It's amazing the number of places I can stash stuff.  Catching up to my filing feels good though and I'm really happy to know where to look when I need something.  I do find it easier having some things online, but I still need copies of some items too. Our school system has an online delivery system for newsletters and other papers, which reduces my paper intake quite a lot. The only item I tend to actually print is the monthly events calendars, so I can match it up easily to my other calendars.  

Macboy will make the transition to Junior High next year and with him being such an exceptional kind of kid it has been fairly stressful already. Researching and contacting schools, meetings with teachers, taking notes, making notes, reviewing notes, notes, notes, notes!!  I think that we've finally gotten things relatively settled now and good plans in place. 

Then I start reviewing the registration process. While a portion is done online, there are so many papers that I have to look over and submit manually too. I'M NOT READY!!  But, I have to be, so I guess I will set aside time this evening to review it all and get started.

I'm excited for him, this is a great opportunity. He's chosen a very different school for next year. The changes frighten me and our history with him worries me. But I see a spark of interest and I will fan that sucker whatever way I can. Being a child who grew up hating school, I will do what I can to encourage him if he finds an interest to chase.  I didn't find anything special at school until the end of grade 10, if I hadn't stumbled in to that I'm sure I would not have graduated. And certainly never would have made it to any sort of college.

Wish us luck!!

We've been having an exceptionally warm winter so far and my family has been taking advantage of it when we can. Getting out sledding with the kids was so worth the effort of getting ready. We spent a full afternoon in our own back yard building a hill from the snow off the deck. Now that it's been so warm, our hill is slick with ice and the boys are loving it.  Today was the kind of day that made for a nice walk in the sun to the school. Angel Baby didn't want to get in the van, so I just finally agreed. I really enjoyed the walk, and even more I enjoyed that no one complained about it!

I've been reading a ton lately and working on my writing skills. My dreams are feeling closer as I travel through stages of writing.  I've read that "a real writer writes because they need to, not because they want to be published."  I'm not sure I agree completely, but it does make sense.  I write all the time, journals and stories and random observations. I won't stop if I never publish anything, but I do dream of seeing my name on the cover of a book one day. 

Who knows, it might just end up being something I get printed in just one copy, for myself or my kids. A collection of "mom stories" and nothing more. The passion is to write. The dream is to be published. I suppose it stems from that part of my mind that constantly seeks approval. Being published means that someone agrees that I CAN write.  Writing, by itself, just proves that I have way to many things in my mind. Hahaha...

I'd get farther if I could get better at turning off the internal editor that wants the perfect paragraph before I start the next one, and just get the ideas flowing OUT.  I run into myself and get in my own way often and run right out of motivation sometimes.  I'm still such a paper kind of girl. Knowing that if I write on paper, I will still eventually need to type it out can get a bit frustrating sometimes. 

And of course... 

it just means more paper work to deal with later.