Back to School

Fact: I have a slight obsession with this time of year. There's just something about the school supplies popping up in the stores, the kids shopping for new clothes and new shoes, and the college students returning to town and dragging their parents to target to stock their dorm rooms. I love the return of a little chill in the air, even if I can only pretend for so long that fall means winter is right around the corner. So while September means my teacher friends are heading back to work and won't be around to entertain me on a daily basis, there are new adventures to look forward to in the coming months.

I'm not going back to school myself, but I like using the new school year as an excuse for new beginnings, new projects to tackle. I guess I consider it an early start on new years resolutions. So in honor of the new year, and inspired by the lovely Miss Em, I'm throwing out a few goals for the school year ahead:

• New Year, New Schedule: I know they say all babies do is eat, sleep, and poop but really...that eating, sleeping, and pooping seems to take up a LOT of my time. In the coming months, I really want to find my new groove as a mama. There are so many things I want to do, many things I NEED to do, but on some days the idea of doing ANYTHING, while juggling the needs of my little monkey man seems more than a little overwhelming. I know the name of the game is flexibility, but having even a rough schedule will go far in making me feel like something is getting accomplished in my life.
  
• Home Ec: I love to cook. I love to eat. I love to surf the interweb for appealing new recipes. Unfortunately, those new recipes have been little more than bookmarks on my computer for the past several months and little has been going on in my kitchen aside from preparing things that are "quick and easy", "tried and true," or my personal least favorite "prepackaged for convenience." So my new thing that I'd like to learn this year is how to cook. Like for real. I'm going to menu plan. And I'm going to try new recipes. And if something really sucks...we'll just eat cereal for dinner. I've got big plans for this goal that involve culinary adventures with my very favorite foodie Barb. More details soon :)
  
• Physical Education: Ah, gym. NEVER my favorite part of the school day. Well, there was that one time I nailed my elementary school nemesis during dodge ball....but that was a long time ago. But when it comes down to it, being a mom requires quite a bit of endurance. We're talking late nights and early mornings. There's lots of crawling around on the floor, not to mention the squatting and lifting and carrying of a baby that's growing bigger every day. And we won't even talk about how heavy some of that baby gear is! So, it's time for me to get back in shape. A.J. deserves a healthy mama who can keep up with him. I joined the Y. They have child care. The elliptical and I are getting back together.
  
• Dating an Upperclassmen: Truth be told, I kind of miss my husband. Being a mama is more than a full time job and sometimes I think the being a wife part takes a backseat. But we're trying. Date night is back in the Homburg household and unless there is some extenuating circumstance, Friday night is just for us. Sure those Friday nights might involve nothing more than take out and a trip the the redbox, but every little bit counts, right?
  
• Economics: Oh, budget. Such a bad word. But since it's going to be a few years before AJ is making millions and taking care of us, budgeting is important. I'm lucky that photography allows me to stay home with AJ, but not working full time means we have to make some sacrifices when it comes to spending. I need to remember that.

And since blog posts without pictures are taboo, here's a few recent pictures of my contribution to the Class of 2027:

Chilling in the tub
Pondering the meaning of life while looking out the window with Mama.

Too young to protest taking pictures with his "uncool" parents.