As sad as it sounds, I'm experiencing a vacation day of sorts because of a hurt back. For years I had this back pack on an off, and most of the time it would take 3-4 days until I felt back to normal. Then about five years ago my family and I began getting chiropractic adjustments regularly, and things got better. It was gradual, though, so I can remember three years ago having pain at the same time as I had bronchitis which then turned into pneumonia. Good times, good times.
Over the years I've stopped thinking of myself as someone with a bad back. Yoga, stretching, and chiropractic have really helped eliminate the pain I used to expect a few times a year. And so yesterday afternoon when I felt that little twinge that told me something was wrong, I was caught off guard. The reason for the pain probably has to do with me moving heavy Christmas boxes in the garage yesterday, and now in addition to the pain I have this guilt that my decorations won't be up today and tomorrow as I planned.
What I decided is that a day of true rest might help my back heal more quickly, so I informed my husband at 8 that I'd be staying in bed all day, and so far I have. My oldest son has played waiter, coming in with an imaginary notepad and a great British accent, asking what I'd like. Minutes later he came into my room with a fried egg sandwich, glass of water, and a bowl of Panda Puffs.
I'm reading American Wife, by Curtis Sittenfeld and I'm thankful it's a big book, because I've been glued to it since last night and still have about 50 pages left to go. This computer break was taken not just to catch up on my Facebook friends,but to force me to slow down on the book and enjoy the rest of it.
So, while I'd prefer not to be dealing with this back pain, I'm happy to have my laptop, a book, a tall glass of water, and some solitude. And later when I'm bored out of my mind, I will ask my son to bring up my recipe books so I can weed through the recipes I no longer want to make, and then I'll address and stamp our Christmas cards.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Vaccines
Without getting into all of the sordid details, I have a fear of getting my children vaccinated. I know all of the reasons for vaccines, but the bottom line is that the heavy metals scare the crap out of me. I've read pages and pages of research to support both sides of the vaccine debate and yet I still feel that rather than making a truly informed decision, I'm burying my head in the sand.
My five year old had about six vaccines, spread out over 7 months and only one dose at a time. We rejected any combination vaccines, and then when it was obvious to me at a year that he was speech delayed (he had no sounds at all besides Dada and Mama), we stopped completely and never went back.
The baby is almost 15 months and hasn't had one vaccine. She has been enrolled in an early intervention program since April that addresses her low strength issues. A PT comes to our home once a week for an hour long session, and although she is doing great and has made incredible strides, she is still not walking and so she qualified for six more months of services.
It seems risky to me to vaccinate kids that have neurological delays; it's like asking for trouble as far as I'm concerned. But on the other hand, now that they are both older and their immune systems are a little stronger, I think often about how nice it would be to know they are protected from something like pertussis.
We have a 15 month check in two weeks and I've promised myself that I will make a real decision before then. One of the ways I plan to do that is by finally reading the Vaccine Book by Dr. Bob Sears; a friend recommended it a few months ago and it's been sitting on my shelf ever since. Once I make a decision I know I'll feel confident in it.
My five year old had about six vaccines, spread out over 7 months and only one dose at a time. We rejected any combination vaccines, and then when it was obvious to me at a year that he was speech delayed (he had no sounds at all besides Dada and Mama), we stopped completely and never went back.
The baby is almost 15 months and hasn't had one vaccine. She has been enrolled in an early intervention program since April that addresses her low strength issues. A PT comes to our home once a week for an hour long session, and although she is doing great and has made incredible strides, she is still not walking and so she qualified for six more months of services.
It seems risky to me to vaccinate kids that have neurological delays; it's like asking for trouble as far as I'm concerned. But on the other hand, now that they are both older and their immune systems are a little stronger, I think often about how nice it would be to know they are protected from something like pertussis.
We have a 15 month check in two weeks and I've promised myself that I will make a real decision before then. One of the ways I plan to do that is by finally reading the Vaccine Book by Dr. Bob Sears; a friend recommended it a few months ago and it's been sitting on my shelf ever since. Once I make a decision I know I'll feel confident in it.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Black bean brownies
Sounds pretty gross, doesn't it? My friend Gina and I were talking about brownies and how they are a weakness of ours, and she suggested a tip she learned at Weight Watchers. When making a box of brownies, instead of the oil and eggs, add a can of black beans. Can you imagine? The good thing about this is you're lowering the fat considerably and upping the fiber big time. Since all three of my kids tend to um, how can I say this delicately? Since they tend to get a bit backed up, I am always trying to increase their fiber intake.
Normally I make Barefoot Contessa's Outrageous Brownies , but in a pinch I'll buy Ghiardelli brownie mix. It's pretty close to BC's, and much less time intensive. So today that's what my husband picked up, and although I normally bake with my 5 year old, I made the brownies on my own so he wouldn't see the secret ingredient. No one even noticed anything was different. It's hard to believe, but I'll make them like this again for sure.
When Jessica Seinfeld's book was all the rage, I made a few of those recipes, including cookies made with chick peas. Over the years I've hidden vegetables in things like tomato sauce, but Jessica inspired me to try chicken tenders and fish fillets dipped in sweet potatoes and squash as well as pancakes made with an orange puree of I'm not sure what. Most of the time the boys realize that something's different, which is why I was surprised the black bean brownies went over so well.
Normally I make Barefoot Contessa's Outrageous Brownies , but in a pinch I'll buy Ghiardelli brownie mix. It's pretty close to BC's, and much less time intensive. So today that's what my husband picked up, and although I normally bake with my 5 year old, I made the brownies on my own so he wouldn't see the secret ingredient. No one even noticed anything was different. It's hard to believe, but I'll make them like this again for sure.
When Jessica Seinfeld's book was all the rage, I made a few of those recipes, including cookies made with chick peas. Over the years I've hidden vegetables in things like tomato sauce, but Jessica inspired me to try chicken tenders and fish fillets dipped in sweet potatoes and squash as well as pancakes made with an orange puree of I'm not sure what. Most of the time the boys realize that something's different, which is why I was surprised the black bean brownies went over so well.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
No Garbage for a Year
Recently while skimming one of the six homeschool yahoo groups I'm subscribed to (what can I say, I'm a bit obsessive), something about garbage caught my eye. A poster was asking for recommendations for the best waste removal companies in the Atlanta area. She went on to say that for the past year her family had only had one bag of garbage a month, and so rather than pay for a weekly service, she took her garbage directly to a dump. But now they were generating more garbage, a whole four bags a month, and the dump was now charging and she thought it might be cheaper to pay for a service that would pick up.
Normally garbage is not a very exciting topic to discuss, but because of how a)competitive and b)environmentally conscious I am, I needed to know more. I asked how many were in her family and how she managed this feat. As I waited for her reply, I thought about the mounds of garbage we throw out each week, even with composting, cloth diapering, recycling, and trying to limit what comes into our home in the first place. But one bag of garbage a month? I convinced myself that she was single, worked long hours, traveled a lot and ate most of her meals out of the house.
Imagine my surprise when I heard back from the no garbage lady and she informed me that hers was a family of five, just like mine! The big difference between her family and mine is that they are vegans and we most definitely are not. But still...how much garbage does being a carnivore generate?
Thus began my garbage research. I started talking to like-minded people trying to find out how much garbage they had each week or month. A woman at a homeschool group, who has a family of six told me that they had two bags a week. My competitive spirit kicked into overdrive and I began studying what type of garbage we had the most of each day.
I quickly realized that we could and should be recycling all of our paper, rather than just newspapers and magazines as we had been. I set up recycling boxes under each desk in the house to help with this process and so far it's working well. Next I moved on to food garbage. The garbage lady mentioned that they cooked everything from scratch, which she felt reduced the amount of waste, but I cook from scratch too, so that didn't make sense. I looked at my waste removal company's website and found out that we can recycle cardboard too, so now our cereal and cracker boxes get thrown into the recycling bin.
Even with these changes, there is no way we could only have one bag a month! So for now my goal is to be more aware, to take the empty egg cartons to Publix to place in their egg carton recycling bin, and to get our weekly garbage down to 4 bags.
Normally garbage is not a very exciting topic to discuss, but because of how a)competitive and b)environmentally conscious I am, I needed to know more. I asked how many were in her family and how she managed this feat. As I waited for her reply, I thought about the mounds of garbage we throw out each week, even with composting, cloth diapering, recycling, and trying to limit what comes into our home in the first place. But one bag of garbage a month? I convinced myself that she was single, worked long hours, traveled a lot and ate most of her meals out of the house.
Imagine my surprise when I heard back from the no garbage lady and she informed me that hers was a family of five, just like mine! The big difference between her family and mine is that they are vegans and we most definitely are not. But still...how much garbage does being a carnivore generate?
Thus began my garbage research. I started talking to like-minded people trying to find out how much garbage they had each week or month. A woman at a homeschool group, who has a family of six told me that they had two bags a week. My competitive spirit kicked into overdrive and I began studying what type of garbage we had the most of each day.
I quickly realized that we could and should be recycling all of our paper, rather than just newspapers and magazines as we had been. I set up recycling boxes under each desk in the house to help with this process and so far it's working well. Next I moved on to food garbage. The garbage lady mentioned that they cooked everything from scratch, which she felt reduced the amount of waste, but I cook from scratch too, so that didn't make sense. I looked at my waste removal company's website and found out that we can recycle cardboard too, so now our cereal and cracker boxes get thrown into the recycling bin.
Even with these changes, there is no way we could only have one bag a month! So for now my goal is to be more aware, to take the empty egg cartons to Publix to place in their egg carton recycling bin, and to get our weekly garbage down to 4 bags.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Volunteering
A few months ago I mentioned that I'd agreed to co-chair our school's Auction, which aside from the capital campaign is the biggest fundraiser they have each year. Although it was a tough decision at first, because of how time consuming it is, I set up firm parameters with my co-chair, parameters that will allow me to fall asleep at night without worrying how to price the sterling silver necklace that was donated for silent auction.
My co-chair is great; she's like me two kids ago with boundless energy and great ideas. She's incredibly organized and well connected. I'm enjoying working with her immensely.
The event will be at the Marriott in Alpharetta, a location we have held Auction in the past. The space meets our needs perfectly, the price means we will be able to turn a profit on ticket sales, and the community is happy we've selected it again. It's so nice to be involved with something so exciting.
Tonight at dinner I was discussing some of the details with my family, and one of my children asked why I wanted to spend so much time on planning this big party. I was stumped for a minute and then I found my words and shared with him how important I think it is to give back to a place that gives so much to our family.
There are many benefits of being involved, such as getting to know the families at school, supporting the dedicated staff, and being an important part of our children’s education. My main reason for volunteering is that, along with a group of very committed parents, I am helping to change the world where my son spends his days.
My co-chair is great; she's like me two kids ago with boundless energy and great ideas. She's incredibly organized and well connected. I'm enjoying working with her immensely.
The event will be at the Marriott in Alpharetta, a location we have held Auction in the past. The space meets our needs perfectly, the price means we will be able to turn a profit on ticket sales, and the community is happy we've selected it again. It's so nice to be involved with something so exciting.
Tonight at dinner I was discussing some of the details with my family, and one of my children asked why I wanted to spend so much time on planning this big party. I was stumped for a minute and then I found my words and shared with him how important I think it is to give back to a place that gives so much to our family.
There are many benefits of being involved, such as getting to know the families at school, supporting the dedicated staff, and being an important part of our children’s education. My main reason for volunteering is that, along with a group of very committed parents, I am helping to change the world where my son spends his days.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Delicious Living
At the end of May we visited my husband's family in Florida, and one day while we were there I ran into the food co-op, called Ever'man's. Each visit I try to get there at least once, because otherwise we'd all subsist on fast food and meals at chain restaurants like Red Lobster and Ruby Tuesday's (MIL's personal favorite). I can't go a week eating that way and neither can my kids. I picked up some yummy things like Thai dumplings and an avocado sandwich on sunflower bread, and on the way out picked up a free magazine called Delicious Living.
That night back at the hotel, I read the magazine cover to cover and realized it was my kind of mag; about organic/natural living but not in your face, and not the more commercialized type of natural living magazine that seems to be popping up more and more lately. I entered an online contest that ended the next day, and was for a year's supply of free children's products made by companies like Nordic Naturals, Santa Cruz, Nature's Path. I enter contests and I've won a few over the years (Free weekly flower delivery for a year was probably my favorite.), but as I entered this one I knew I had no chance since it was a month long contest and I was only entering once the last day of the month.
So of course I won, I was one of ten lucky winners. This week I got the box of a "year's supply" and while it was more like a month's supply, we were so excited. The boys and I have been anxiously awaiting the UPS delivery for the past month. There are all types of vitamins, including the fish oil my 5 year old takes, a few 10 packs of boxed juice (banana, which no one liked, but it's great in the morning smoothies with frozen strawberries!), coupons for free Panda Puffs and Gorilla Munch, and four jars of peanut butter. Pretty cool for the small amount of time it took me to enter the contest.
Thanks Delicious Living! The link to the magazine is on the right; they have a great blog and most months they offer some type of contest. Good luck!
That night back at the hotel, I read the magazine cover to cover and realized it was my kind of mag; about organic/natural living but not in your face, and not the more commercialized type of natural living magazine that seems to be popping up more and more lately. I entered an online contest that ended the next day, and was for a year's supply of free children's products made by companies like Nordic Naturals, Santa Cruz, Nature's Path. I enter contests and I've won a few over the years (Free weekly flower delivery for a year was probably my favorite.), but as I entered this one I knew I had no chance since it was a month long contest and I was only entering once the last day of the month.
So of course I won, I was one of ten lucky winners. This week I got the box of a "year's supply" and while it was more like a month's supply, we were so excited. The boys and I have been anxiously awaiting the UPS delivery for the past month. There are all types of vitamins, including the fish oil my 5 year old takes, a few 10 packs of boxed juice (banana, which no one liked, but it's great in the morning smoothies with frozen strawberries!), coupons for free Panda Puffs and Gorilla Munch, and four jars of peanut butter. Pretty cool for the small amount of time it took me to enter the contest.
Thanks Delicious Living! The link to the magazine is on the right; they have a great blog and most months they offer some type of contest. Good luck!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Three Months?
I could go on and on about how busy we've been since last I posted, but I'm sure that's implied. Instead I'll just catch up on where we are now.
Our house is still for sale, I am still planning to homeschool my oldest, the middle child is enrolled in private K, and the baby turned one three weeks ago. I am doing much better with eating and preparing healthy foods, but I'm not where I need to be yet, nor am I exercising as much as I should be. But I'm trying not to beat myself up and instead focusing on what I have accomplished. Such as:
1. Being the queen of storage bin organization.
2. Initiating a total deck rehaul, which included staining an hour a night for five nights.
3. Planning a big party for my daughter's 1st birthday, including an intricately beautiful cake.
4. Starting to map out a curriculum plan for homeschool.
5. Agreeing to co-chair our school auction for the second time.
6. Negotiating a killer deal on the facility for said auction.
7. Being an adult and realizing that a Caribbean cruise was not in our best interest financially at this point in time.
Next month's project, other than teaching my kid, is to paint the front door and continue my Total Photo Organization project, started in February, abandoned for a few months and picked back up again in June. I am putting all photos prior to June 2004 (when I began using a digital camera exclusively) on CD. This has involved going through old albums and choosing anywhere from 100-200 of the year's best pictures, taking them to Target and waiting five days for them to be done. Last time, Target decided they no longer offer this service but after many phone calls and complaints, I got them to do it one more time. Yay me! Now I'll be moving my business to Walgreen's, and after careful consideration, have decided to scan negatives instead of photos, since the clarity should be better. This will be a little more time consuming, I think, but worth it in the end. I am halfway through 2000 so I have four more years of post-kids pictures. After that I'll tackle the four years of pre-kids life with my husband, and if I'm super ambitious, I will scan all of my childhood photos.
I'm tired just thinking about it. At night all I have the energy for is a chapter each in two books I'm reading, Positive Discipline for Teenagers, and It's All Too Much, which is essentially about how American homes are overloaded with crap. One of the most shocking things for me to read is that Peter Walsh thinks I should get rid of all of my storage bins. His rationale is, if you're not using it and haven't used it in a year, there's no need to keep saving it. Not sure if I agree with Peter, but we have at least decided to look through bins that haven't been opened in years, and we have a garage sale scheduled for next weekend.
Our house is still for sale, I am still planning to homeschool my oldest, the middle child is enrolled in private K, and the baby turned one three weeks ago. I am doing much better with eating and preparing healthy foods, but I'm not where I need to be yet, nor am I exercising as much as I should be. But I'm trying not to beat myself up and instead focusing on what I have accomplished. Such as:
1. Being the queen of storage bin organization.
2. Initiating a total deck rehaul, which included staining an hour a night for five nights.
3. Planning a big party for my daughter's 1st birthday, including an intricately beautiful cake.
4. Starting to map out a curriculum plan for homeschool.
5. Agreeing to co-chair our school auction for the second time.
6. Negotiating a killer deal on the facility for said auction.
7. Being an adult and realizing that a Caribbean cruise was not in our best interest financially at this point in time.
Next month's project, other than teaching my kid, is to paint the front door and continue my Total Photo Organization project, started in February, abandoned for a few months and picked back up again in June. I am putting all photos prior to June 2004 (when I began using a digital camera exclusively) on CD. This has involved going through old albums and choosing anywhere from 100-200 of the year's best pictures, taking them to Target and waiting five days for them to be done. Last time, Target decided they no longer offer this service but after many phone calls and complaints, I got them to do it one more time. Yay me! Now I'll be moving my business to Walgreen's, and after careful consideration, have decided to scan negatives instead of photos, since the clarity should be better. This will be a little more time consuming, I think, but worth it in the end. I am halfway through 2000 so I have four more years of post-kids pictures. After that I'll tackle the four years of pre-kids life with my husband, and if I'm super ambitious, I will scan all of my childhood photos.
I'm tired just thinking about it. At night all I have the energy for is a chapter each in two books I'm reading, Positive Discipline for Teenagers, and It's All Too Much, which is essentially about how American homes are overloaded with crap. One of the most shocking things for me to read is that Peter Walsh thinks I should get rid of all of my storage bins. His rationale is, if you're not using it and haven't used it in a year, there's no need to keep saving it. Not sure if I agree with Peter, but we have at least decided to look through bins that haven't been opened in years, and we have a garage sale scheduled for next weekend.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
House on the market is hard
Have you heard of the book Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six Word Memoirs? In case you haven't, here's the Amazon review: Can you describe your life in six words? That's what the editors of storytelling magazine SMITH asked readers in 2006; the results, though decidedly uneven, make for compulsive reading and prove arguably as insightful as any 300+ page biography. Taken as a whole, this cascade of quotes from contributors famous and unknown creates a dizzying snowball effect of perspectives and feelings. Highlights from professional writers and artists include journalist Chuck Klosterman wondering, "Nobody cared, then they did. Why?"; pop singer-songwriter Adam Schlesinger lamenting, "We still don't hear a single"; and comic strip artist Keith Knight illustrating "I was a Michael Jackson impersonator." At their best, these nano-memoirs evoke the same kind of rich emotional responses as a good story: 9 year old Hannah Davies considers herself "Cursed with cancer. Blessed by friends"; Zak Nelson says "I still make coffee for two"; Scott Birch claims "Most successful accomplishments based on spite." Some entries read like bumper stickers (Rip Riley: "No wife. No kids. No problems"), and others are just plain weird (Amy Sedaris: "Mushrooms. Clowns. Wands. Five. Wig. Thatched"), but this compelling little book will have readers and their friends hunting for favorites and inventing six-word self-definitions of their own. This review in six words? Read. Enjoy. Pass it on. Repeat.
Right now mine could be house for sale leads to divorce. It's killing us, I tell you! In an effort to keep the house show ready most of the time, we are rarely relaxing. At night after we do the usual clean up there's a deep clean to do, papers to file away, laundry to fold and put away, our desks to straighten, etc. It is really stressful to leave the house knowing that while you're gone someone might come in, and if they do you want them to have a good impression of not only your house, but of you.
In my search for a new house I've been to at least two places that were completely messy, dirty, and cluttered. In one there were plates of half eaten food on the kitchen counter, dirty diapers on the floor, and laundry spilling over the beds. Last week we walked into a lovely from the outside house only to find beds unmade, the toilets peed on and overflowing garbage. I hope no one ever sees my house that way.
But because of this pressure to have everything just right, I am on edge and snapping at everyone. The least little thing out of place makes me uptight, because I know there's a good chance I'll be the one picking it up or putting it away.
We're going away for Spring Break and I hope lots and lots of people view the house while we're gone, leading to an offer so we can stop showing it!
Right now mine could be house for sale leads to divorce. It's killing us, I tell you! In an effort to keep the house show ready most of the time, we are rarely relaxing. At night after we do the usual clean up there's a deep clean to do, papers to file away, laundry to fold and put away, our desks to straighten, etc. It is really stressful to leave the house knowing that while you're gone someone might come in, and if they do you want them to have a good impression of not only your house, but of you.
In my search for a new house I've been to at least two places that were completely messy, dirty, and cluttered. In one there were plates of half eaten food on the kitchen counter, dirty diapers on the floor, and laundry spilling over the beds. Last week we walked into a lovely from the outside house only to find beds unmade, the toilets peed on and overflowing garbage. I hope no one ever sees my house that way.
But because of this pressure to have everything just right, I am on edge and snapping at everyone. The least little thing out of place makes me uptight, because I know there's a good chance I'll be the one picking it up or putting it away.
We're going away for Spring Break and I hope lots and lots of people view the house while we're gone, leading to an offer so we can stop showing it!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
House Hunters
Yes, I love the show, but my post is really about the house hunters that seem to wander into my home whenever they want. Case in point, the situation I blogged about that took place the first weekend the house went on the market. Bad timing, to say the least. To add insult to injury, when my realtor called the buyer's realtor to get feedback on the house, she claimed she'd never been here, even though I talked to her and she left a business card.
Yesterday was an off nap day for the younger kids, so they were both tired. I made dinner early and had everyone upstairs and ready to wind down by 6:30. I was trying on clothes, walking around barely dressed when I walked into the bathroom to, well...use the bathroom. The door chimed, indicating someone had opened the door. Babe? I called out thinking that my husband had made it home early from a business trip. "No, this is Jenny from XYZ Realty, we're here to tour your home." Ack!
I weakly responded by telling her that I had not been contacted that I would need a few minutes so I could straighten up. Most of the house was fine but the kitchen looked like a war zone. I told them I was mortified by how messy the kitchen was, but that they were welcome to come in. I promised the boys ice cream from the Bruster's down the road, and we hopped in the car. By the time everyone was buckled and we pulled out, the realtor and the couple were leaving. I was pissed.
On the way home from the ice cream shop I called my agent to ask what had just happened and to know why she hadn't she contacted me. As it happens, she is listing the home of my cousin and his wife, who live on a street with a name similar to ours. She told them to leave the house from 5-7 instead of me. Funny in an I Love Lucy type of way, I guess.
Yesterday was an off nap day for the younger kids, so they were both tired. I made dinner early and had everyone upstairs and ready to wind down by 6:30. I was trying on clothes, walking around barely dressed when I walked into the bathroom to, well...use the bathroom. The door chimed, indicating someone had opened the door. Babe? I called out thinking that my husband had made it home early from a business trip. "No, this is Jenny from XYZ Realty, we're here to tour your home." Ack!
I weakly responded by telling her that I had not been contacted that I would need a few minutes so I could straighten up. Most of the house was fine but the kitchen looked like a war zone. I told them I was mortified by how messy the kitchen was, but that they were welcome to come in. I promised the boys ice cream from the Bruster's down the road, and we hopped in the car. By the time everyone was buckled and we pulled out, the realtor and the couple were leaving. I was pissed.
On the way home from the ice cream shop I called my agent to ask what had just happened and to know why she hadn't she contacted me. As it happens, she is listing the home of my cousin and his wife, who live on a street with a name similar to ours. She told them to leave the house from 5-7 instead of me. Funny in an I Love Lucy type of way, I guess.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
It's a Birthday!
Tomorrow is the big 5th birthday. It should be a great day, with a jumpy party at Monkey Joe's and lunch out at Nirvana's, a local restaurant with a nice private party room. There will be 8 guests, and a few siblings. My husband took the day off and we're letting our oldest take the morning off from school so he can jump and help celebrate. Justice League toys will be the biggest hit of the day, I'm sure. A few people have bought Webkinz too, which he'll be thrilled about.
This house for sale thing is overrated. It is so stressful trying to keep it perfect all the time. If I have some warning (like at least an hour) it isn't a big deal to make it look "show ready" because it's pretty well organized and I'm trying to clean as I go more now. Maintaining that level is tough, and what I'm really worried about is leaving the house for an extended period of time and getting a call that someone is on their way over. I don't want to worry that the toilets haven't been flushed or that there are dishes in the sink, or worse yet, dirty clothes on the floor somewhere. So I'm busting my ass trying to make it look great every time I leave the house. In fact, right now I should be cleaning the kitchen, as I baked cupcakes and made icing, and there is confectioner's sugar and flour all over the counter and stove.
It's a crappy day here, like so many we've had lately, gray and rainy. At least it's not cold, but eh, I can't stand this type of weather. I need the sun. Thankfully tomorrow is SPRING and my flowers are blooming and it will be sunny with a high of 68, I believe.
The timing of Easter this year conflicts with Luke's birthday and so I've not bought one thing for their Easter baskets (must make list of candy to buy at Whole Foods tomorrow). I am not sure what to do about the baby; I know the boys will be disappointed if she doesn't have a basket, or something, but there's nothing she needs. It seems silly to spend money on more toys or another little Sigg bottle for her.
Saturday night my husband and I are going out to celebrate a friend's birthday. We haven't been out alone like this in years. My mom is going to come over and stay with the kids for a few hours, thankfully. We can't stay out too late because the baby will wake up around midnight and want to nurse. But we can definitely make it for a late supper and dessert. I'm not much of a drinker, but if I go out alone with friends, as I often do, I can't even have one drink if I have to drive. The thought of having maybe TWO champagne cocktails or martinis is really making me look forward to Saturday.
This house for sale thing is overrated. It is so stressful trying to keep it perfect all the time. If I have some warning (like at least an hour) it isn't a big deal to make it look "show ready" because it's pretty well organized and I'm trying to clean as I go more now. Maintaining that level is tough, and what I'm really worried about is leaving the house for an extended period of time and getting a call that someone is on their way over. I don't want to worry that the toilets haven't been flushed or that there are dishes in the sink, or worse yet, dirty clothes on the floor somewhere. So I'm busting my ass trying to make it look great every time I leave the house. In fact, right now I should be cleaning the kitchen, as I baked cupcakes and made icing, and there is confectioner's sugar and flour all over the counter and stove.
It's a crappy day here, like so many we've had lately, gray and rainy. At least it's not cold, but eh, I can't stand this type of weather. I need the sun. Thankfully tomorrow is SPRING and my flowers are blooming and it will be sunny with a high of 68, I believe.
The timing of Easter this year conflicts with Luke's birthday and so I've not bought one thing for their Easter baskets (must make list of candy to buy at Whole Foods tomorrow). I am not sure what to do about the baby; I know the boys will be disappointed if she doesn't have a basket, or something, but there's nothing she needs. It seems silly to spend money on more toys or another little Sigg bottle for her.
Saturday night my husband and I are going out to celebrate a friend's birthday. We haven't been out alone like this in years. My mom is going to come over and stay with the kids for a few hours, thankfully. We can't stay out too late because the baby will wake up around midnight and want to nurse. But we can definitely make it for a late supper and dessert. I'm not much of a drinker, but if I go out alone with friends, as I often do, I can't even have one drink if I have to drive. The thought of having maybe TWO champagne cocktails or martinis is really making me look forward to Saturday.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Decisions
Never has decision making been as hard for me as it has been the past few months. Especially as it pertains to my children, it is so important to me that I make the right decision. Of course there's no way to know if what we choose really is the best path, but sometimes I anticipate that feeling that will let me know we chose wisely.
There are school decisions (private or homeschool), medical (vaccinate or not), home (the most we can afford, or conservative choice), financial (vacation or savings), food (organic or not), and the list goes on and on. Although I know I can't operate this way, sometimes I wish I was the type to go with whatever is suggested by the expert in each field.
If so, I'd be sending my kids to the public school up the block since everyone raves about it. They'd all be up to date on all vaccinations, we'd live in this house forever, we'd have enough in savings to afford lots of great vacations having saved over $100k in tuition over the past 7 years, and we'd buy whatever is on sale at the grocery store.
But I wouldn't be happy. Although I'm no martyr, I'd much rather skip vacations this year if it means giving my kids the education I want them to have, or the size home I feel we need.
We did make a decision about next year's schooling, which is a huge weight off our (my) shoulders. We will continue sending our second son to private school for K, and homeschool his big brother at least for one year (5th). This decision was made partially due to finances and partially due to the fact that we've not been impressed by his experience in 4th this year, and want to avoid the same for next year. Middle school is reportedly much better at the school, so we plan to send him back the following year.
More on homeschooling in another post.
There are school decisions (private or homeschool), medical (vaccinate or not), home (the most we can afford, or conservative choice), financial (vacation or savings), food (organic or not), and the list goes on and on. Although I know I can't operate this way, sometimes I wish I was the type to go with whatever is suggested by the expert in each field.
If so, I'd be sending my kids to the public school up the block since everyone raves about it. They'd all be up to date on all vaccinations, we'd live in this house forever, we'd have enough in savings to afford lots of great vacations having saved over $100k in tuition over the past 7 years, and we'd buy whatever is on sale at the grocery store.
But I wouldn't be happy. Although I'm no martyr, I'd much rather skip vacations this year if it means giving my kids the education I want them to have, or the size home I feel we need.
We did make a decision about next year's schooling, which is a huge weight off our (my) shoulders. We will continue sending our second son to private school for K, and homeschool his big brother at least for one year (5th). This decision was made partially due to finances and partially due to the fact that we've not been impressed by his experience in 4th this year, and want to avoid the same for next year. Middle school is reportedly much better at the school, so we plan to send him back the following year.
More on homeschooling in another post.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
First Time
Yesterday our house was finally listed on Realtor.com. I'm not exactly bowled over by the ad our agent wrote, nor was I happy that the pictures weren't there from the start. Today the pictures went up but there are a few that should be there that aren't, and two that shouldn't be and are. Frustrating.
My almost five year old seemed like he was coming down with something for a couple of days, and woke up at midnight on Thursday throwing up all over his bed (and his dad, who was sleeping in there because we were anticipating a puke fest). Thankfully he never threw up again, but he was out of it until mid-morning today. He definitely needed to be home yesterday and not at school, and he was low maintenance so no trouble at all, but damn, I had so many things I wanted and needed to do outside the house. Instead we laid around watching too much tv (him) and eating too much chocolate (me).
This morning I ran out to do a few errands sans kids and came back to find that the baby was still sleeping (3 hours total, which never happens for her morning nap). I took advantage of the "free" time and swept the garage, cleaned the kitchen, and started laundry.
At about three the doorbell rang and it was a realtor with our FIRST showing. Except she didn't call ahead and I had a sleeping baby, a recuperating child in his pj's, and a messy house. Oh, and a hole in the ceiling, the project that my husband was working on when he ran out to Home Depot to pick up a reciprocating saw. Great timing. I was so glad that I had at least done the little bit of clean up in the morning, because otherwise I would have been mortified and had to turn them away.
I asked them for 10 minutes and then I ran around like a chicken with her head cut off. My 10 year old helped me by loading crap into the back of my car, and I was able to do a lot in those 10 minutes. I couldn't tell if the couple liked the house or not, but it was a good dress rehearsal that helped me to realize that I really need to clean as I go from now. Gotta work on that.
My almost five year old seemed like he was coming down with something for a couple of days, and woke up at midnight on Thursday throwing up all over his bed (and his dad, who was sleeping in there because we were anticipating a puke fest). Thankfully he never threw up again, but he was out of it until mid-morning today. He definitely needed to be home yesterday and not at school, and he was low maintenance so no trouble at all, but damn, I had so many things I wanted and needed to do outside the house. Instead we laid around watching too much tv (him) and eating too much chocolate (me).
This morning I ran out to do a few errands sans kids and came back to find that the baby was still sleeping (3 hours total, which never happens for her morning nap). I took advantage of the "free" time and swept the garage, cleaned the kitchen, and started laundry.
At about three the doorbell rang and it was a realtor with our FIRST showing. Except she didn't call ahead and I had a sleeping baby, a recuperating child in his pj's, and a messy house. Oh, and a hole in the ceiling, the project that my husband was working on when he ran out to Home Depot to pick up a reciprocating saw. Great timing. I was so glad that I had at least done the little bit of clean up in the morning, because otherwise I would have been mortified and had to turn them away.
I asked them for 10 minutes and then I ran around like a chicken with her head cut off. My 10 year old helped me by loading crap into the back of my car, and I was able to do a lot in those 10 minutes. I couldn't tell if the couple liked the house or not, but it was a good dress rehearsal that helped me to realize that I really need to clean as I go from now. Gotta work on that.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Where has the time gone?
My time has gone into getting our house ready to sell and researching where we really want to live. We have painted rooms, installed new sinks and faucets, installed new light fixtures, had our carpets cleaned, had shingles and siding repaired, and just today, thanks to a storm that blew through Tuesday morning, had a tree removed.
If I knew without a doubt that we'd get back what we've put into fixing our house up, I probably wouldn't complain. As much. But with the market the way it is and our neighborhood's value not appreciating much in the five years we've lived here, things are not looking as good as I'd like. And of course we need to turn some sort of a profit in order to make an upgrade possible.
Ever the optimist, I have decided that we'll have an offer in three weeks, at which point I'll start seriously looking. We'll get the price we want and then the people we'll buy from will cut us a deal, like 10% off the list price. We'll happily move into our new home with no snags, and then I'll slowly decorate to my heart's content. Stop snickering, it is certainly possible that things will work out the way I want.
What else? My computer sort of died earlier in the month. I was able to save my hard drive but I've not yet figured out how to use the hard drive enclosure I purchased to transfer files from old computer to my new laptop. I hate not knowing how to do things and between this and figuring out some of the new programs on my laptop, I'm feeling a bit out of sorts.
In the middle of that fiasco my Palm Pilot battery died, which meant I lost all of my addresses and account numbers and other assorted personal data. The only other thing that could have gone wrong is that I would have lost my cell phone. Which I did! For two days I felt completely disconnected from my friends and family and then one day as I was walking past the living room, there it was in plain view on the sofa. My almost 5 year old claimed he'd put it there (because I talk on the phone too much?) but he doesn't generally do stuff like that so I'm just not sure.
I gave up sweets and lattes for Lent, as the ever vigilant Catholic that I am. Giving up lattes was easy, sweets not so much. I made it six days, at least! I'm doing better, back to my normal, with menu planning and cooking for the family but I'm making some poor choices for myself.
More soon.
If I knew without a doubt that we'd get back what we've put into fixing our house up, I probably wouldn't complain. As much. But with the market the way it is and our neighborhood's value not appreciating much in the five years we've lived here, things are not looking as good as I'd like. And of course we need to turn some sort of a profit in order to make an upgrade possible.
Ever the optimist, I have decided that we'll have an offer in three weeks, at which point I'll start seriously looking. We'll get the price we want and then the people we'll buy from will cut us a deal, like 10% off the list price. We'll happily move into our new home with no snags, and then I'll slowly decorate to my heart's content. Stop snickering, it is certainly possible that things will work out the way I want.
What else? My computer sort of died earlier in the month. I was able to save my hard drive but I've not yet figured out how to use the hard drive enclosure I purchased to transfer files from old computer to my new laptop. I hate not knowing how to do things and between this and figuring out some of the new programs on my laptop, I'm feeling a bit out of sorts.
In the middle of that fiasco my Palm Pilot battery died, which meant I lost all of my addresses and account numbers and other assorted personal data. The only other thing that could have gone wrong is that I would have lost my cell phone. Which I did! For two days I felt completely disconnected from my friends and family and then one day as I was walking past the living room, there it was in plain view on the sofa. My almost 5 year old claimed he'd put it there (because I talk on the phone too much?) but he doesn't generally do stuff like that so I'm just not sure.
I gave up sweets and lattes for Lent, as the ever vigilant Catholic that I am. Giving up lattes was easy, sweets not so much. I made it six days, at least! I'm doing better, back to my normal, with menu planning and cooking for the family but I'm making some poor choices for myself.
More soon.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Moving on up
Our home has become too small for us. It seemed so big when we we first viewed it, almost 5½ years ago. Then I got a positive pregnancy test the day before we closed on the house. Even with two kids it worked. We turned a small under the stairs closet into a really cool toy closet, where all the toys with little pieces were kept. Little by little we added more and more small storage bins and shelves for that closet, and before I knew it, all of the board games were taking up the space where my serving dishes once were stored.
Then came along the littlest one, and although at first the plan was to have her share a bedroom with her 4 year old brother, we realized quickly that the combination of a baby who was a light sleeper and a boy who takes 2+ hour naps and talks in his sleep at night was not a good one. So, she's been living in our room for the past 6 months, which is not too bad, if not for the lack of privacy and space! My husband and I each gave up one drawer in our dresser for her clothes, and I gave up one long rack in my closet. The changing table is arranged with all types of storage containers for diapers, socks, crib sheets, and towels. One shelf of our bookcase, once occupied by my favorite books, now holds board books that we read before bed. So, it is time.
Problem is, with two kids in private school $$, my husband coming off one of his worst fiscal years ever, and it not being a seller's market, it's not a great time for us to think about moving.
Tomorrow I'm calling the mortgage company and getting preapproved. Friday our realtor is going to come over and confer with us on what we need to do to get our home ready to sell. I think we're looking at: Painting the kitchen, including cabinets and ceiling, painting the laundry room, installing new sinks and faucets in all three bathrooms, and repairing siding that a bastard woodpecker pecked the hell out of. Aside from that, lots of decluttering must happen. We are going to rent a storage space and dump the majority of our extra crap in there. Storage bins really excite me, I love to organize and label them. I'm pretty well organized with the clothes bins, but I'm throwing out and donating a lot of random crap that are in others. Last New Year's Day the boys and I went through toys and stuffed animals and put a lot of stuff away. Anything that they've not asked for in the past year is being thrown away once I determine it's not something that the baby will want/need. Nothing worse than searching eBay for an obscure toy that you *used to have and threw away in a fit of organization. I will also make an attempt to plant some flowers, but with the extreme drought we're in, I don't know how well anything will do.
Wish us luck!
Then came along the littlest one, and although at first the plan was to have her share a bedroom with her 4 year old brother, we realized quickly that the combination of a baby who was a light sleeper and a boy who takes 2+ hour naps and talks in his sleep at night was not a good one. So, she's been living in our room for the past 6 months, which is not too bad, if not for the lack of privacy and space! My husband and I each gave up one drawer in our dresser for her clothes, and I gave up one long rack in my closet. The changing table is arranged with all types of storage containers for diapers, socks, crib sheets, and towels. One shelf of our bookcase, once occupied by my favorite books, now holds board books that we read before bed. So, it is time.
Problem is, with two kids in private school $$, my husband coming off one of his worst fiscal years ever, and it not being a seller's market, it's not a great time for us to think about moving.
Tomorrow I'm calling the mortgage company and getting preapproved. Friday our realtor is going to come over and confer with us on what we need to do to get our home ready to sell. I think we're looking at: Painting the kitchen, including cabinets and ceiling, painting the laundry room, installing new sinks and faucets in all three bathrooms, and repairing siding that a bastard woodpecker pecked the hell out of. Aside from that, lots of decluttering must happen. We are going to rent a storage space and dump the majority of our extra crap in there. Storage bins really excite me, I love to organize and label them. I'm pretty well organized with the clothes bins, but I'm throwing out and donating a lot of random crap that are in others. Last New Year's Day the boys and I went through toys and stuffed animals and put a lot of stuff away. Anything that they've not asked for in the past year is being thrown away once I determine it's not something that the baby will want/need. Nothing worse than searching eBay for an obscure toy that you *used to have and threw away in a fit of organization. I will also make an attempt to plant some flowers, but with the extreme drought we're in, I don't know how well anything will do.
Wish us luck!
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