Small details

1. I can't stop tinkering with the layout & look of my blog. I tend to obsess over weird, inconsequential details. For instance, I spent a good amount of time yesterday trying to straighten a picture hanging on my living room wall but was able to completely ignore the dust on that picture (and all over the rest of the living room for that matter). It's that way with the blog - I can't seem to get the look I'm really going for. It's like trying to straighten a picture on the wall that is making me crazy. Maybe nobody else even notices, but I can't stop obsessing. So, I keep trying different things. I think I need more template choices. I know I could import some from other sites, but then I'd REALLY be in trouble.

I also spent a good amount of time worrying about my blog title. First I had it listed as 'Stair Step Boys'. Then, I wondered if stair & step should really be 2 words or just one. Also, would people think I was talking about step-children, or would they realize these are my own children? Do other people even know what the term stairstep means? (Granted, I do explain it in the 'about me' section). So, I decided to change it to one word, 'Stairstep', but I'm still second-guessing myself. According to the dictionary it's not even a word.

2. I talked to my mom this morning. She mentioned that she had checked out the blog. She commented that it seems I still really enjoy writing. Which I do!

"I also see," she said, "that you've given up Facebook for Lent."

Yup!

"But, how much time are you spending on your blog?"

Um...well... Ok, so I still spend a lot of time on the computer. But, I see the blog as at least having some value. I guess I'm justifying it as an appropriate use of time by way of helping me maintain my sanity.

3. School was closed today due to snow and high winds. My son, Wyatt, was thrilled that he didn't have to go to school. This is about the 4th snow day they've had so far this year. I asked him if he realized that he will have to make up these snow days.

"What?!" He looked at me incredulously.

I explained to him that a school year must be 180 days. And, that they will either tack days on to the end of the year or they will go to school on other days they were supposed to have off.

"That's not fair."

I felt kind of bad that I popped his bubble just a bit.

4. Last night I almost caved in to a craving for something sweet. I love to bake. But, I haven't been baking since Lent began since I didn't want to have temptation right in front of me. However, my husband and boys were still looking for dessert & suggested that maybe I could bake something for them.

So, I made oatmeal raisin bars. They came out of the oven just as we were finishing eating dinner. My husband had to go away for the night. The boys were especially rammy. And, I was pretty stressed. So, he arranged for the oldest 3 to visit at Grandma & Grandpa's house for about an hour. This left me alone in the house with Baby Joseph...and those warm oatmeal, raisin bars.

They smelled heavenly. They looked delightful. And, it had been a stressful day. Sweets are always my go-to comfort item. Those bars were calling my name. And, really, aren't they almost the same thing as baked oatmeal? If I just thought of them as baked oatmeal, then they wouldn't really count as a sweet, right?

I am pleased to say that I resisted. It was hard, but I did it. This was my first real temptation since starting Lent, so I'm not doing too badly. I'm just not sure that I'm going to be baking for my family again any time in the near future.