Shooting for normal or something like it

It was a long Memorial Day weekend filled with food and fun but now it's time to return to the grind and find a new norm. I'm looking at a complete upheaval at work, finding childcare for 3 during the summer and the upcoming magazine release. Life is a little chaotic to say the least but I'm trying to find a new normal. I've done so well with judging my own diet that I haven't been calorie counting using the Myfitnesspal app. But, I have done my best to make healthy choices when eating out or at a family member's house or just eating small portions and trying to fill on fruit or veggies. I'm waiting until the weekend to weigh in and get a more current weight since I've also avoided that. Between water weight and excess salt intake it's crept up and it makes me nervous.

So we got some things done around the house this weekend. Outside, so the inside has suffered drastically. Laundry as piled up and dishes are still in the sink. Nothing new. The outside work isn't fully completed but I'd like to share a shot of the house now, because I'm just so stinking proud.

New color on the left, old on the right. We went with a high gloss black and it's very chic. I'm looking forward to the door being repainted and a new light installed. Looking good though.

I'm going into work today and I'm pretty much looking at a sit down with our CEO's. I suggested a change in my hours but I'd like to know what they want future wise. I like having a tentative plan. It makes Dr's appointments easier etc. Especially since dentist appointments are coming soon.

FitBit, yeah, that has been awful. I'm really trying but most days I just don't have time to get on that treadmill and when I do have time I'm just so worn out. Gram is STILL in the hospice and Pa is still on his own. I've been trying to see both and get things done all over the place that it's stretching me thin. He doesn't make much mess, but I've been spending 2 or 3 hours over there on my off days and the housework between there and here just keeps piling  up. No word on when Gram comes home and I'm biting my nails trying to figure out if our current sitter will take the boys this summer and if so, would they take Grace too?

It's Tuesday and for now, due to forces beyond my control, I'm on a limited workout schedule. So, I'd like to get my 30 in at the most and try to get my steps back up to a minimum of 10,000 a day. No more sitting at work and more walking if at all possible on my lunch break.

And finally, I'd like to just vent about a comment that was recently made by another Myfitnesspal user. I will not put a name on here, but the comment kinda stung. To paraphrase the other user's words, "What makes these people so special?" While the other user has lost a lot of weight, and the other user is also a mother, employee and student etc., I never set out to compete with anyone. This was my journey about me. I never set out to get any attention for my actions. It was my sister who wrote the local paper and the local news station that contacted her to interview me. I also garnered the attention of Women's World Magazine through that newspaper article. They also sought me out, not the other way around.

To answer the other users question, I don't know. I'm not special. But I've done something that for some reason people find inspiring. I'm not claiming that I am unique or that my story stands alone. I'm doing my best to encourage others, and if sharing my story does that how can that be a bad thing?