[bejuce]

Thank you so much, ladies!!! As usual this group comes through with support, words of encouragement, inspiration, life tips, and more!

After my busiest month (October) of the fiscal year and first week of November (which was quite busy as well) I took a day "off" last week to drive my 4th grader on a day long field trip with her class in an open preserve here in the Bay Area. It was a beautiful day spent with kids and the park guides in nature, hiking and learning about the environment.

We also took Veterans' Day off since the kids were off school and drove down to LA on Thursday night to take them to Disneyland. On the drive back, we decided to spend a relaxing day in Santa Barbara where we rented bikes to bike with the kids on the beach.

This is how I try to like every day now - to the fullest. And that's why I was complaining before, if I work too much I'm not able to do the rest. What pushes me over the edge is having to work late nights after my kids go to bed.

So... To shorten this up, here are my goals for this new fiscal year at work/life:

1. Plan ahead to stay ahead of my projects so I can drive to all the field trips (which I already did before cancer, but now it's even more important to me that I do so) and enjoy my kids' days off from school with them.

2. Stop taking on so much from different angles, and let go of some responsibilities. For example, last year I was room mom in both my daughters' classrooms. This year, I signed up to be the room mom for my 4th grader class. It's turning out to be lots of work, work that at times I could do without. I think people at school now know me as the one with lots of energy to take on many projects and ask me for help when needed. Because of what I went through, I see every moment as an opportunity to give my kids precious memories with their mom and I have a hard time saying no to things like organizing the classroom Halloween party, helping with school projects, etc. I have to learn to say no to certain tasks (like being the one planning the parties for their soccer teams, ordering their trophies, etc.) and focus on those tasks that are really important. A big problem I have is that I think I should try to do it all now because who knows what may happen in the future.

3. Sign up for an exercise boot camp with a friend and stop coming up with excuses. Exercise always needs to come first before work.

4. Stop being an overachiever at work and slack off a bit more. If I can't finish something on time without having to work a late night, so be it. As long as I'm doing my job, I'll be ok. No need to strive for the stars at work anymore. I already proved myself on FY11, and now on FY12, it's time to enjoy the fruits of my labor.

5. Always make time for family and friends no matter what.

6. Try to get in some time for myself once in a while. This time for myself should not include grocery shopping alone or folding laundry in peace (which I like to do and honestly sometimes it's all I get of alone time...)

That said, it's already late and time to go home and have another wonderful night with my family.

Thank you so much for all your support!!!

Marcia