Sneak Peek

This week was wonderful, in that we were almost all back where we belong (with the exception of the teenager, who goes back to school tomorrow), and the longest ever, because, well, we were all back where we belong. School, work and activities consumed our days, and before I knew it, it was 5:37 on Friday afternoon and I hadn't blogged a lick.

All week I've actually been elbow-deep in a fun new project that I've been thinking about for a while, and this year I've finally done it. Early next week I hope to be able to announce it, but in the meantime, I thought I'd offer a sneak peek:

Seriously. I'm so excited about it. Until then, happy weekend! 

Snow Day!

Remember how great a snow day was when you were young? The older you got, and the more work school had become, the better a snow day was. Elementary school snow days were fun (SLEDDING!), middle school snow days were down right awesome (BOSSING YOUNGER KIDS AROUND WHILE SLEDDING!), and high school snow days? Well, they were a category all their own. Especially if you or a friend had lax parents that were OK with driving in it (SKIING!).

But as an adult, the tables have turned. Now I look at a snow day and sigh a big, heaving sigh. I love my kids, and it's not that I don't want them home... it's just that, well, I don't want them home.

For example: today's snow day has arrived after my children have been back to school--after a week and a half off--for exactly 4.5 hours. Yup, the first day back was an early dismissal day, and today brought 6 inches and no school. Today also brings a 2PM conference call, plus a husband who opted to work from home, and his 1:30PM conference call.

Today my children will get whatever they want, in exchange for complete and total silence for an hour. Maybe an hour and a half. That's right, I'm not above paying my kids off for staying quiet--they're loud people.

The rest of the day I'll spend working, not as hard as usual, as I'll also be monitoring Wii and iPod time ("Hey, you kids can play video games as long as you want while I'm on the phone! Any other time and the timer goes on!"), breaking up fights, monitoring snacks and meals ("M&Ms are NOT a mid-morning snack."), and turning down repeated requests for play dates. It's about 11 degrees out there, otherwise we'd fit some sledding into that itinerary.

I'll also steal a moment or two of looking longingly out the window, remembering snow days of yore; when I didn't have kids and conference calls, but instead some good friends, a pair of skis, and just enough money for a 4-hour lift ticket.

January Second

Last year I made no New Year's resolutions. Instead I opted for a birthday resolution--in October--to start running. Several 5K's, a relay race and a half marathon, I think we can check that as a resolution fulfilled.

This year I was a little busy and feeling uncreative when my birthday rolled around, so I didn't make any birthday resolutions. Which is a shame, because I feel like last year's worked out so well.

But here we are, at January 2nd, and boy, have I made some goals for 2014. One of them, you might have guessed, is to blog again. I have a bunch of others that I'll be sharing as the weeks roll on, including a new exciting direction for traciedesigns.

I hope you'll join me as I restart blogging and use this space to share what it's like to be a work at home mom, as well as new traciedesigns projects, and, of course, all things great design.

Happy New Year!