There's a light somewhere, I'm sure

I had a lot of big plans when January rolled around. I love lists, and I made several of them while sitting under the blanket watching a month's worth of Tivo. Some involved home decorating, some were recipes to try, some were lessons I wanted to try in my classroom. I just looked at my desk calendar and realized that this is the last week of January. Really? I've already fallen 27 days behind? Sometimes it feels like I move in slow motion while the world around is spinning at a furious pace. I wish I could be as productive as some of my teacher friends, but I honestly don't know where they find the time. I am booked from the time I wake up, till the time my husband pries the laptop from my hands at night.

Throw in birthdays, baseball, family visits and whatever social obligations that have squeezed themselves onto the calender and I think maybe I'll be out of this tunnel by March... oh wait. Nope, that's when we start spring break/easter plans. Uggggghhh! Here are just a few of my half finished projects/ to do list items:

I bought this hideously mistreated storage bench off craigslist this summer. Yes, I said summer. After many battles with the Mr over it, I finally agreed to just get rid of it. Until I came home to find this... (right beside his new power sander)

And how far has that storage bench progressed? After three types of sandpaper, a steel bristle pad and a layer of paint stripper, here's the back.If anyone has any suggestions how to get the green paint off, please let me know. It's driving me crazy!

When we tired of breathing the paint chip filled air of the garage, we decided to tackle the 3-D puzzle of the Sydney Opera House the Mr had received many Christmases ago. The problems began when trying to read these.

Let me just save everyone else the headache and say that if the puzzle has directions, you should just walk away. Walk. Away. It looks so pretty and tempting and such a team building activity...Then it turns into a frustrating mess of puzzle/cardboard/throw away pieces. Progress has grounded to a halt and I refuse to do anymore work on it.

Oh look, it's the kitchen table. Formerly known as the crafting table. But after much cajoling, and because who doesn't love to put together IKEA furniture on their 3 day weekend, I talked the Mr into my very own desk. In his very sports oriented office.

It fabulous no? It even has little spindle-y dividers on top that I can put my ribbon on. However, the creating of a space for me, meant that the entire office had to be re-arranged. Furniture, computers, bookshelves, all the "extra" items that wandered in (you know what I'm talking about). And of course, I needed to organize all my stuff...

I'm still bringing boxes of scrapbook paper downstairs (from my closet where they were hidden away) and have found lots of little goodies that I totally forgot about buying. I may even be inspired to do a little goodie bag giveaway soon.

So, I know there's a light, it's just getting really hard to find it when both my morning and evening commute are in the dark.