More rare occurrences

Ben was asleep by 7:30 tonight! Oh how I dream of this happening often. Ben is not an easy one to get to sleep at night. We had a very busy day and he didn't nap so he was very tired. He didn't even fight it when we put him into bed. I don't think it will be long until I'm asleep now.

Today was opening day at the community pool and despite cooler weather. we still stopped by for a bit. We got passes for the summer so we can go anytime we want. I have a feeling we will be there a lot since both boys loved it. Ben was a little hesitant of the water and it will take a few times going there before he warms up but he still had fun playing in the shallow part (it is a zero entry pool which means it starts off very shallow and gets deeper as you go further out, like the beach). Jack on the other hand has no fear. He was going head first into the water having a grand old time. When it was time to get out, he threw a classic tantrum. It was a big day for me too, my first time making a public appearance in a bathing suit in a long time.

This afternoon I went out by myself and saw a movie. It's not very often that I go anywhere without at least one of the boys. By not very often, I mean hardly ever. After doing so today, I decided I need to do it more. I very much enjoyed my alone time and being able to sit there for 2 hours and not be interrupted. After the movie was over, it was time to come back home to the chaos.

Keeping a clean house does not come naturally to me. I do enjoy having a clean house but it's always been hard for me to keep up. I would like to say that it's because I have two little ones but even before they came along, it still wasn't easy for me. A week and a half ago, for the very first time, I hired a house cleaner to come in for a deep cleaning. Two ladies came and in 2.5 hours, the house was very clean. Since then, it has been my goal to keep it clean. I have a chart that has chores for every day of the week. I make an effort to put things away right away. There are never any dishes left in the sink. Bathroom counters get wiped down every night. The floors are vacuumed often. Laundry gets folded and put away quickly. The clutter is gone. While it is a never ending job, I love my clean house. It is a great feeling each night to go to bed knowing I get to wake up to a clean house.

Something that is not a rare occurrence around here lately is Drew going away for work. He is leaving again on Monday and will be gone for a week :(