Stealin' an idea for Friday's 10.
Here are updates on my 2008 Self-Improvements. Maybe if I did this every week, I would actually remember I have these goals. Don't worry, I won't really...
*Prayer - slight improvement, still a long way to go.
*Weight - haven't lost any yet, but being more intentional.
*Water - not to 64 oz./day yet, but drastic improvement. I've never been to the bathroom so much in my entire life.
*Exercise - improving. Still don't like it much, but it's going to get better because I've found a walking partner. Too bad she has to go at 6:00 a.m. Ouch. It's much nicer with a friend, though!
*Contentment - oohh, still struggling.
*Focus on others - I'm trying to figure out a way to be intentional about this. The days just pass me by and there is no difference from before. Working on it...
*Getting creative - Hah. I have a scrapbook day scheduled, does that count? Ten hours of it on Jan. 26.
*Budgeting - Again, working on it. Does spending $400 over budget two weeks ago give you any indication of my progress?
*Job decision - At this moment, leaning toward it. Who knows what tomorrow's leaning will be.
*Giving Thanks - I think this is getting better! I am very thankful fo MANY things in my life.
Two more goals to add:
*Cleaning - Get organized weekly and take it in small steps.
*School - Scope out a Master's program. I didn't say start one, just scope one out. Maybe start...we'll see.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
$$$
Because I know you are all DYING to know...the tooth fairy does still arrive even when there is no tooth under the pillow.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Enter Tooth Fairy
A few days ago my son told me his tooth felt "soft". He had just been to the dentist, so I assumed it wasn't rotting before our eyes. When I asked him if it felt loose or wiggly, he started testing it out and determined that very possibly he had his first loose tooth. This was quite exciting to my son since his friend had just lost her first tooth and had a great visit from the tooth fairy. He was seeing big green dollar signs.
Thus began the questions about the tooth fairy. Ugh. You have to understand that neither my husband or I grew up in families who promoted the tooth fairy, Santa Claus, or the Easter bunny. Not that they thought they were the root of all evil, they just didn't make a big deal out of any of that.
We are now realizing how much fun that can be for the kids. We have several little kid friends who are sharing their pure joy of visits from Santa, the tooth fairy, etc. However, we also have very close family members who choose not to do any of it. These cousins know that there is no Santa Claus, and that loosing teeth means you're growing up, so mom and dad celebrate with you and give money or a small gift.
Today at lunch we were talking about the tooth fairy concept with this family (minus the kids) to get their thoughts on the matter. Our kids and theirs spend time together weekly, so sometimes it's hard if we take two totally different paths on big issues. Anyway, I told my husband that we were going to need to figure out how we were steering this tooth fairy thing.
Precisely four hours later I hear my son wailing at the top of his lungs. He was 3/4 the way down the stairs and his cousin was standing at the top. His little cousin had thrown a car down the stairs and hit my son smack in the mouth. I saw blood and thought he had a fat lip. But as soon as he opened his mouth, I realized his tooth had been knocked completely out. I guess it really was loose.
The weird thing was we couldn't find his tooth ANYWHERE. I don't know what it is with this kid swallowing foreign objects, but that's the only explanation we have for the missing tooth.
Even more important than that - we now have exactly 2.4 hours to solve the tooth fairy dilemma.
Thus began the questions about the tooth fairy. Ugh. You have to understand that neither my husband or I grew up in families who promoted the tooth fairy, Santa Claus, or the Easter bunny. Not that they thought they were the root of all evil, they just didn't make a big deal out of any of that.
We are now realizing how much fun that can be for the kids. We have several little kid friends who are sharing their pure joy of visits from Santa, the tooth fairy, etc. However, we also have very close family members who choose not to do any of it. These cousins know that there is no Santa Claus, and that loosing teeth means you're growing up, so mom and dad celebrate with you and give money or a small gift.
Today at lunch we were talking about the tooth fairy concept with this family (minus the kids) to get their thoughts on the matter. Our kids and theirs spend time together weekly, so sometimes it's hard if we take two totally different paths on big issues. Anyway, I told my husband that we were going to need to figure out how we were steering this tooth fairy thing.
Precisely four hours later I hear my son wailing at the top of his lungs. He was 3/4 the way down the stairs and his cousin was standing at the top. His little cousin had thrown a car down the stairs and hit my son smack in the mouth. I saw blood and thought he had a fat lip. But as soon as he opened his mouth, I realized his tooth had been knocked completely out. I guess it really was loose.
The weird thing was we couldn't find his tooth ANYWHERE. I don't know what it is with this kid swallowing foreign objects, but that's the only explanation we have for the missing tooth.
Even more important than that - we now have exactly 2.4 hours to solve the tooth fairy dilemma.
(He's going to love us someday for this picture.)
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Panic Attack
Sunday I was sitting in church listening to a sermon on loneliness. A fairly long sermon, I might add. Thirty-five minutes into it, I looked down and realized there was no wedding ring on my finger. Instant moment of panic.
I was sitting with a friend since my husband was home with sick kids, and I leaned over to tell her I didn't know where my wedding ring was. After a brief moment of sympathy, she said, "You are going to be really lonely."
Great. Did I take it off and set it somewhere? Did it slip off somewhere? I've been needing to get it re-sized for sometime now, but just haven't done it yet.
After church I went home and started a meticulous search for my ring.
On the kitchen counter? No
On the bathroom counter? No
On the nightstand? No
On the dresser? No
I called my mother-in-law because I remembered taking it off at her house two days prior. Is it on your kitchen counter? No.
I ripped apart the bed, the piles of laundry, checked every pocket of everything I had worn for the past two days. When I thought I had looked EVERYWHERE, I told my husband. He was graciously frustrated about it, as I expected him to be.
I gave up my search for awhile, and when we got home from small group later that evening, there was a message on the answering machine. After listening to it, my husband came into the room with a half-smirk, half-annoyed look on his face. For a moment I thought someone had located my ring. Nope, the message said that his coat - WITH HIS WALLET IN IT - had been found in the weight room at the high school. He hadn't even realized he had left it there the day before. I have to admit, although I was hoping that my problem had been solved, I did feel a tad less guilty that he had just done something that could have been equally - or more - financially disastrous than me losing my ring. Of course, his was safe and sound at the art teacher's house. We really aren't typically irresponsible people. Really.
Monday was serious cleaning day in attempts to locate the missing ring. After hours of looking, I had to give up for awhile.
At 4:30 in the afternoon, I hear the voice of an angel from the basement.
"Hey mom, I found your ring!!"
In the basement? Sure enough, there it was in the middle of the family room floor, surrounded by tons of little toys. He had stepped on it on the way to the train table. Why didn't I think to look there?
I have no idea how it got there, when it got there, or why it was there. I don't really care. I only know I will be making a trip to the jewelry store in the very near future.
I was sitting with a friend since my husband was home with sick kids, and I leaned over to tell her I didn't know where my wedding ring was. After a brief moment of sympathy, she said, "You are going to be really lonely."
Great. Did I take it off and set it somewhere? Did it slip off somewhere? I've been needing to get it re-sized for sometime now, but just haven't done it yet.
After church I went home and started a meticulous search for my ring.
On the kitchen counter? No
On the bathroom counter? No
On the nightstand? No
On the dresser? No
I called my mother-in-law because I remembered taking it off at her house two days prior. Is it on your kitchen counter? No.
I ripped apart the bed, the piles of laundry, checked every pocket of everything I had worn for the past two days. When I thought I had looked EVERYWHERE, I told my husband. He was graciously frustrated about it, as I expected him to be.
I gave up my search for awhile, and when we got home from small group later that evening, there was a message on the answering machine. After listening to it, my husband came into the room with a half-smirk, half-annoyed look on his face. For a moment I thought someone had located my ring. Nope, the message said that his coat - WITH HIS WALLET IN IT - had been found in the weight room at the high school. He hadn't even realized he had left it there the day before. I have to admit, although I was hoping that my problem had been solved, I did feel a tad less guilty that he had just done something that could have been equally - or more - financially disastrous than me losing my ring. Of course, his was safe and sound at the art teacher's house. We really aren't typically irresponsible people. Really.
Monday was serious cleaning day in attempts to locate the missing ring. After hours of looking, I had to give up for awhile.
At 4:30 in the afternoon, I hear the voice of an angel from the basement.
"Hey mom, I found your ring!!"
In the basement? Sure enough, there it was in the middle of the family room floor, surrounded by tons of little toys. He had stepped on it on the way to the train table. Why didn't I think to look there?
I have no idea how it got there, when it got there, or why it was there. I don't really care. I only know I will be making a trip to the jewelry store in the very near future.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Conversations with a 1 year old
Yesterday was a day for interesting conversations at our house.
8:00 a.m. - I hear my 1 year old talking in his crib.
Him: "He's frustrated."
Me: "Did you just say frustrated?"
Him: "Uh-huh."
Me: "okay.......who's frustrated?"
Him: "Kito's (his stuffed bear) frustrated."
Me: "Why is Kito frustrated?"
Him: "I don't know."
10:00 a.m. - while playing with playdough in the kitchen.
Him: "I want dessert."
Me: "Did you say you want dessert?"
Him: "Uh-huh."
Me: "What dessert do you want?"
Him: "I don't know."
4:00 p.m. - after his nap
Me: "Hi! Are you ready to wake up?"
Him: "Uh-huh."
Me: "Oh, I smell a dirty diaper. Who has a dirty diaper?" (I don't know why we say things like this.)
Him: Pointing to his piggy bank, "Piggy has a poopy diaper."
Me: "He does? What should we do about that?"
Him: "Let's change him."
Me: "How are we going to change piggy?"
Him: "I don't know. Piggy's dressed. He says oink oink."
8:30 p.m. - on the way home from grandma's
Him: "Mama, I have a question for you."
Me: "You what?"
Him: "I have a question for you."
Me: "OK. What question do you have for me?"
Him: "I don't know."
I can already predict his answers to some of life's most important questions...Why are you late? Where is your homework? Who made such a mess in here? What are you supposed to be doing right now?
Him: "I don't know."
8:00 a.m. - I hear my 1 year old talking in his crib.
Him: "He's frustrated."
Me: "Did you just say frustrated?"
Him: "Uh-huh."
Me: "okay.......who's frustrated?"
Him: "Kito's (his stuffed bear) frustrated."
Me: "Why is Kito frustrated?"
Him: "I don't know."
10:00 a.m. - while playing with playdough in the kitchen.
Him: "I want dessert."
Me: "Did you say you want dessert?"
Him: "Uh-huh."
Me: "What dessert do you want?"
Him: "I don't know."
4:00 p.m. - after his nap
Me: "Hi! Are you ready to wake up?"
Him: "Uh-huh."
Me: "Oh, I smell a dirty diaper. Who has a dirty diaper?" (I don't know why we say things like this.)
Him: Pointing to his piggy bank, "Piggy has a poopy diaper."
Me: "He does? What should we do about that?"
Him: "Let's change him."
Me: "How are we going to change piggy?"
Him: "I don't know. Piggy's dressed. He says oink oink."
8:30 p.m. - on the way home from grandma's
Him: "Mama, I have a question for you."
Me: "You what?"
Him: "I have a question for you."
Me: "OK. What question do you have for me?"
Him: "I don't know."
I can already predict his answers to some of life's most important questions...Why are you late? Where is your homework? Who made such a mess in here? What are you supposed to be doing right now?
Him: "I don't know."
Saturday, January 5, 2008
My Ten
Whew. I made it through my crazy week. Reading everyone's goals for 2008 has inspired me, so I'll jump on the bandwagon and write my list of self-improvements for the year.
1) Prayer - more of it, more often, more about others and less about me.
2) Weight - less of it = new clothes in my closet.
3) Water - I drink way less than healthy amounts each day so I'm on a mission to form a new habit. 21 days is all it takes, right?
4) Exercise - 2007 was better than any other year for this, but I have a ways to go yet.
5) Contentment in the area of material possessions - "I will be thankful for what I have. I will be thankful for what I have. I will be thankful for what I have."
6) Focus on others - My "to do" list too easily stands in the way of remembering to send cards, check in on others, and just get the focus off of myself. I want this to change!
7) Get creative - At the very least, work on catching up my kids' scrapbooks.
8) Budgeting - Somehow try to find a balance between having a positive attitude about it, living within our means, yet not letting my entire world revolve around it.
9) Make a big decision - job or no job? job or no job? It always comes around every year!
10) Give thanks more often - for my husband, my kids, my extended family, my friends, my church family and more.
1) Prayer - more of it, more often, more about others and less about me.
2) Weight - less of it = new clothes in my closet.
3) Water - I drink way less than healthy amounts each day so I'm on a mission to form a new habit. 21 days is all it takes, right?
4) Exercise - 2007 was better than any other year for this, but I have a ways to go yet.
5) Contentment in the area of material possessions - "I will be thankful for what I have. I will be thankful for what I have. I will be thankful for what I have."
6) Focus on others - My "to do" list too easily stands in the way of remembering to send cards, check in on others, and just get the focus off of myself. I want this to change!
7) Get creative - At the very least, work on catching up my kids' scrapbooks.
8) Budgeting - Somehow try to find a balance between having a positive attitude about it, living within our means, yet not letting my entire world revolve around it.
9) Make a big decision - job or no job? job or no job? It always comes around every year!
10) Give thanks more often - for my husband, my kids, my extended family, my friends, my church family and more.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Too Much To Do, Too Little Time
Well, it's January 2, and I've finally managed to get the Christmas colors off my blog.
At the rate I'm moving, I'll be able to start on my New Year's Resolutions around March 23.
And by the looks of my "to do" list, I'll be able to relax for a few minutes sometime near August 17. If I'm lucky.
At the rate I'm moving, I'll be able to start on my New Year's Resolutions around March 23.
And by the looks of my "to do" list, I'll be able to relax for a few minutes sometime near August 17. If I'm lucky.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)