Whatcha Dooooo- ing?

(Just for the record, the above title is a Phineas and Ferb reference, and should be read in the voice of Isabella...a fact that is actually a nice segue-way into this post..)

So. What ARE you doing?

It's been a long while since I have asked, I know.  There aren't enough blogs out there to fill the void, and you've been missing me (and I you), I know. So. What have I been doing?
Well.... this...

Ok, so I haven't actually been in labor for an ENTIRE year. Although, honestly, that might have been easier than what I have been doing. (More on that later.) 

Moving on, Meet Claire Yvette Crosby. :) Here is a most recent pic of my little lady...

She's kind of a doll, right? Yeah, I could post pic after pic of this little monkey. However, I must stay focused. 

My last post was in June of 2012. Whoa. It's really hard to believe that I have let that much time go by. Last summer, when I was hugely pregnant and ohhhhh sooooo HOT, I totally just lost all energy. I was running around after the other two monkeys, (My sweet Cash and Luc- have to get a pic in of them, too!)

working on house repairs/fixing up the nursery, and did I mention it was HOT last summer? 

YES, tried to stay out of the 100 degree weather.

So I lost it. Lost my energy, lost my motivation.  Creative block.

After Claire arrived, I thought things would get back to normal pretty quickly, but come to find out...the old "normal" was not to be seen again.  Which is ok -really(!)- I just had to figure out a new "normal."  My husband, who had been the stay at home dad for a while with the boys, went back to work.  My maternity leave ended, and I went back to work. Cash went to 1st grade, and Luc and Claire went to daycare for the first time in their lives. 

Ensue crazy weekdays from sun up to sun down. My husband has to be at work super early, so for the most part I would get the three kids up and going, as well as myself. (Of course, the hubz did help as much as he could before he had to get out the door!) The little ones were dropped off on my way to work, and Cash went with me to school. **Pretty nice teaching at the same school my kid attends!**  After school there was the "I must loose the baby weight power walks" with my teaching partner, then pick up the kids, and head home. Some days there was baseball practice or games. Once home, the action didn't stop. Homework, dinner, lunches, Phineas and Ferb, dishes, baths, laundry, yeah, it was all waiting for me. As I said, my hubz was a stay at home dad for a while, so I kind of got use to him being there to help me with all of that stuff. Plus, he has ALWAYS been the household chef. He likes to cook, and I mean, who am I to take away his happiness?? Well, now he doesn't get home from work until 6:30. Needless to say, I was struggling to come up with dinner every.single. night.  (Hello, crock pot and pinterest.) 

I know. I know most of you out there are welcoming me to your world. Hello. Nice to see you. Glad your here.

All of this to give you a peak into my life, which probably reflects a lot of other people's, to say, I didn't get my mojo back like I expected. 

But I want to begin again. This blog was originally started to keep me accountable to my creativity. My creativity may not come across the same as it did before, as I think my interests have veered somewhat over the past year. However my creative side chooses to surface, I want to hang on to that. It's part of me, and no matter how busy life gets...I can't loose myself. So. I am going to try.  I hope you all are still around, and I hope you enjoy it.

XXOO-

Tracy