Monday, October 1, 2012

Not fair.

SKIP TO THE END>>>

Breakfast - Joe's O's, raisins and apple slices for them {not that they ate any!} / 1 apple slice for me b/c who has time for more than that on a school morning?
Shower - yes!! v. brief, but still.
Preschool drop-off - made it on time, got  #1's hands washed {to the little preschool punks who cut in line and your moms who did nothing about it: I bid you a mild 'grr.'} signed him in and exited gracefully without a tantrum from shoeless #2 - almost.
Health Coach visit - took "before" measurements and pictures. It's going to be SO GREAT when I can see how far I've come. {just keep telling yourself that!}
Job Opp - I talked with a friend at Women's Conference on Saturday who thinks there's an openning at her work in the child care room at a fitness center. It would mean I could take my kids with me, get a free workout and get paid, too! I picked up an application this morning after dropping off #1.
Job App - Talked for too brief a minute with Allison (!!!) for a reference. Man! Do I hate filling out an application. But for this job, it would be worth it for sure!
Breakfast - take 2 - a cranberry chocolate chip whole wheat and granola apple sauce cookie for me and #2 {made yummier by the fact that TBS made them!}
Preschool Pick-Up - went great. According to #1's teacher, he's using nicer words, but he's one in a batch of four or so boys who can't keep their hands to themselves. {A nice way of saying he hits, right? nice....}
Lunch - hotdogs, cheese slice, whole wheat tortilla and peaches for them {a little more success this time!} Tomatoe, ham and cheese wrap for me. {Washed down with Orange Cream Soda - yum.}
Tidying up - had my work cut out for me, but got quite a bit done. The boys did some too. #1 is quite the excellent helper. #2 is more work, since I have to physically make him pick something up and put it where it goes. Little pill. :oP
Naptime - I'm avoiding the FACT that #1 is over naptime. It took the boys an hour to fall asleep because they were playing together instead. I finally had to remove the covetted Buzz from the room and sit and read to myself in there to get them to fall sleep.
Writing time - got a bit done but it was severely hindered by the naptime. I gave it a break and now I'm blogging.

THE END>>> How unfair is it that on top of the exhausting craziness that has comprised the mere seven hours that I've been awake, I am also now feeling periodical??!??!? 

It's not fair, I tell you. It's just plain. not. fair.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Share and share alike*.

In the case of my two and three-year-old...

soooo not happening.
I'm not sure if FutureFineYoungMan#1 is enjoying the lollipop or the gloating** more. The only thing for certain is that FFYM#2 is DeVaStAteD. 

Until....
"Hey!..."
 
Just one way to make this better: mend one's sorrow by sacrificing the other's joy.
{parenting at it's best, no?}

The understated, sad expression on FFYM#1 kills me.
 
As for FFYM#2: ~Nuttin' wrong wit' dis Morton. Nuttin' wrong wit' dis. -Horton

After another trip through the check out line at Tillamook, all was again right and balanced {'cept the budget} in the universe.
 
Note to self: duh. What did you THINK was going to happen?
 

- - - - - - - - -
*To be clear: this was not staged for the purposes of blogging fodder***. That's definitely not how I roll. I'm really just this naive. Or was. Before this invaluable lesson in child development.
**He should be in acting classes... as the TEACHER! ;o)
***Once the drama started, I couldn't help but snap pics****.
****I've been undecided about whether to post pictures of the FFYM's faces on here*****, but I'm letting that paranoia go.
*****Afer all, that's why I made my other blog private and started a new one******.
******Things change*******.
*******By now, I'm just laughing at the thought of someone actually reading the gratuitous footnotes of footnotes. {it's late- I'd laugh at just about anything right now.}

Today's Accomplishments: OT with #2^ , made zucchini bread, window shopped a kids consignment shop, had TBS buy The Goose Girl for book club^^, "made a restaurant" in the backyard for lunch time, FHE^^^, had a rare mothering treat (#2 woke up early at naptime from a bad dream and he fell asleep with me on the couch. sweet sleepy snuggles filled my mothering bucket.) made dinner, met with my health coach, blogged.
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
^- the kid has amazing puzzle skills, fo' real.
^^did I mention it's for the book club that meets tomorrow night? No, I'm not a speed reader. Just a hopeless optimist -my crazy, mad, superhuman skills are going to kick in at any minute.....
^^^about gardening. :o) after the lesson and songs, we played a game where we were all a vegetable and grandpa was the gardener, and when we got dirt and water and sun, we started to grow (think snow man song). Sounds like I made it up, right?

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

I don't live with my parents! ;o)

My dad retired in June of 2010, and he and my mom were going to spend their time between all their kids who have been scattered to the four winds. Their home-base was going to be in Utah with one of my brothers, so they moved away from Oregon and headed east.

Meanwhile...

I was eight months pregnant and staying home with my one-year-old and TheBoyScout was about to leave for seven weeks of Boy-Scout-Camp-directing fun. {oy.}

So I said to my parentals, "come and stay with me for the summer, and then go to Utah..."

They did and we all liked the arrangement so well that they stayed. In my house. The one we purchased in 2007. {read: I'm not a vagrant waif!}

Fast forward ten months, when we got word of a potential transfer to Portland. In HIGH hopes of living in the northwest again, I "staged" my home and put it on the market for an inevitable and unavoidable short-sale.*

We got a job offer in Portland, found a buyer for our home, got approved for the short-sale and moved our butts outta Pocatello as fast as our three vehicles could take us! within a six week period.

Because we SHARE a home with my parents, as my mom likes to word it, we are all able to afford a nicer home than we could separately, I have the distinct priviledge of staying home with my kids, and we are all living happily ever after.

People are boggled by our living arrangement. They delicately ask how it works. So, being the shy, reserved, mincer of words that I am (!) I tell them:

I run the house so my mom doesn't have to.*** Which suits us both perfectly. My mom and I combine our decorating resources and furniture to our mutual taste and satisfaction. My boys have a room, TheBoyScout and I have a room, my parents have a room, and we have a bonus/craft/guest/writing room to boot.

If it weren't for the fact that our prayers were all answered by this arrangement which was by no means sought out but never-the-less fits us all like a glove, I wouldn't have believed it possible myself.

My parents don't have to worry about upkeep**** and are free to serve as Employment Resource Center Missionaries, and come and go on day trips and road trips as they please.

I am free to stay home and try to figure out the whole "nurturing of children" thing.

TheBoyScout, being the magnanimous, ever-patient, and wonderful man that he is***** gets along perfectly with all of us, including his mother-in-law. Who, of her own right, is an awesome and amazing person too.

I'm not exagerating, and I'm not sugar coating. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but when Heavenly Father answers a prayer, its better to take the answer and run! ;o)

- - - - - - - - - -
*We all felt SO blessed to have everything click into place as if it was all meant to be, despite the lousy housing market and the fact that we purchased our second** home during the height of the property value bubble.
**Please believe me when I tell you I am not a vagrant waif! :o)
***She has health limitations that preclude her ability to do all the things her willing little spirit wants to do!
****Though my dad (bless him!) does the dishes and the yard work more than any of the rest of us...
*****Seriously don't know how I got so blessed as to rope him into marrying me and LIKE it too!

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

"I've got some good news and some bad news."*

Today's Accomplishments: went grocery shopping with the boys and survived the worst and longest-lived public tantrum of my whole young life as a mom**. Made beef stew from scratch, and hid broccoli in it. Checked the budget.*** Blogged. Made breakfast cookies ala my new Health Coach.**** {Kate is a mom at the same preschool, and she's already started teaching me how to be a better (and more health-conscious) cook/baker.*****}

What you missed while I was away: I cleaned the bathrooms yesterday,****** re-organized the craft/guest/writing room after the onslaught of old "new" items found during the re-organization of the garage, worked on the binding for the table runner last Wednesday, started ripping stitches out of said runner yesterday,******* survived first "full day" of preschool - despite not being able to find it when it came time to pick up FFYM#1. Threw away the cute paper flower wreath mentioned previously, because FFYM#2 got his hands on it and ripped it to pieces and literal shreds "re-arranged" things quite a bit. Started re-reading Twighlight.******** Took a day trip to Tillamook and the beach at Seaside with the boys and grandma and grandpa.

CHEEEEEEESE!!!
(Tillamook Cheese Factory)*********
 
Last week:
 
FFYM#1: Mom, I have some good news and some bad news.
Me: (laughing from surprise) What's the bad news?
FFYM#1: The bad news IiIiis... (drawn out for effect) we didn't get to go to the museum today.
Me: (still laughing) And what's the good news?
FFYM#1:The good news IiiiIiis... (drawn out for affect) we could still go to the pool.
Me: {note to self: must pay better attention to the shows my kids are watching.}

And so, in the words of FFYM#1, I have some good news and some bad news.

The good news iiiiiiis... that I sold my awesome washer and dryer********** on Craigslist last week. The bad news iiiiiiiiis... that during the move the door on the washer must have been bumped and the new owners couldn't get the cycle to start. They bought a cheap part online, installed it and the washer worked fine. All parties were happy and the whole transaction was a success. Whew!

(FFYM#1: "Mom, do you have some more good news and some more bad news?")

Yes, I do.

The bad news is that we accrued quite a bit of medical debt over the summer and I'm broke. The good news is that between the proceeds from the sale of my awesome washer and dryer and robbing from the food budget for the next few months, we'll have it paid off and be less broke. :o)

(FFYM#1: "And do you have some more good news and bad news?")

Yes, I do.

The bad news is that we cancelled Dish Network this week. The good news is that we cancelled Dish Network this week.

(FFYM#1: "Mom, do you have some more good news and some more bad news?")

Yes, I do.

The bad news iiiiis.... that it's past my bedtime. The good news iiiiiiis... that now I get to go to bed.

- - - - - - - - - -
*This is FutureFineYoungMan#1's favorite phrase this week. It's very cute. He gets it right every time, he's smarter than me. Then he asks if I have any bad news and good news. This game goes on for several minutes, until finally, we're both out of news of any sort. :o)
**Can't say for certain that I didn't throw a worse one myself at that age. (or an older age for that matter.)
***Have done several times, actually. Quicken is awesome now that I've gotten the hang of tracking everything.
****So excited to be supporting an up-and-coming entrepreneur and health expert!! We are working out a trade of sorts. :o)
*****Praise be! Heaven knows I need the help!
******Take no note of the fact that I haven't mentioned cleaning the bathrooms in the four or so weeks I've been blogging here. :o| 
*******Was I supposed to know that you sew the binding on WITH the batting and backing at the same time? :o\ 
********I can't help myself. :o` 
*********Yes, I took the picture and THEN removed my kids from the hazardous zone behind the hand rail. :o?
**********Since we share a house with my parentals,*********** we have been using their newer, high effeciency machines.
***********It's a long story - sounds like fodder for a future post, but in the meantime, don't judge me. It's not what it sounds like... ;o)

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

I will never forget!

9/11/2011  The FutureFineYoungMen and TheBoyScout checking out a real fire truck!

Learning the ropes!
 
 
Last year, we took the boys to deliver cookies to our firehouse, police station and the EMT's at our hospital, in honor of the many acts of service and sacrifice between strangers on 9/11/2001 at the WTC and the Pentagon. We also had an opportunity to provide dinner for a stranger. It was a GREAT DAY! I loved starting this family tradition with all my boys.

We're doing a repeat this year, as soon as TBS gets home from work. I love it when an opportunity to do something nice for someone else comes up. I'm hoping to teach my boys to love it too.

On 9/11/2001, I had only lived in Annandale, VA - a short 20 minutes south of DC - for nine months. I was a nanny, and I was taking 18-month-old Alex to the library that morning. When I couldn't find the book I was looking for, I went to ask for some help. Several women were huddled together over something on a work counter behind the main counter. I waited a moment, but when no one offered to help me, I said, "excuse me," and I was shooshed by several of the women who kept their eyes glued to something. Then one of them said her husband worked at the Pentagon. That's when I saw the radio, though I had no idea what they were listening to, or what her husband working at the Pentagon had to do with the children's book I was looking for.

When I got back to the house a little after 10am, I turned on the Today Show. Katie Couric's voice was saying that the South Tower had just fallen. From the ticker at the bottom of the screen, I learned what she was talking about. I was watching the live coverage of billowing smoke overtaking downtown Manhattan from across the Hudson, and I couldn't make sense of it.

The words weren't sinking in. I kept waiting for the smoke to clear and for both towers to become visible.

Then the coverage changed to a live report of what had happened earlier at the Pentagon. Then there were reports about a plane heading for the capitol building. It took me a couple of minutes to register what was actually going on. My brain literally wasn't connecting what my eyes were seeing with the words that were cramming into my ears. Once the realization started sinking it, all I could do was cry. By then, they were replaying footage of the South Tower collapsing.

My cell phone rang and it was my good friend Rebecca asking me to call her parents in Utah and let them know she was okay. She worked for the Dept. of the Interior, and had been evacuated from the government building she worked in. Her cell phone hadn't been able to dial through to them, so she tried me. She said there were tons of people filling the streets, police cars and army trucks swarming into traffic, and she couldn't believe what she was seeing in person, but she was fine. She was going to try to get home. After speaking with her parents briefly, I watched as the second tower fell. Again, my brain was sluggish. There was nothing in my experience as a human being that I could relate the images and sounds and sentences of those long minutes to. There was no frame of reference for my mind to pigeon-hole it into.

I didn't know it at the time, but my future husband was working in downtown DC at the Hart Senate Building for Senator Craig that morning. It was only his second day as an intern there. He'd moved to DC from Idaho the week before. He was one of the countless people who had been evacuated and forced to walk home when the Metro (subway) was shut down. It took him and a few of his new co-workers several hours to reach the closest of their apartments.

Alex's dad worked for the National Science Foundation, and had also been sent home. Rebecca and I and several of our friends gathered together in the afternoon at a local restaurant to watch the news together and (of all things) eat nachos. That night, we attended a prayer service with our congregation and received words of comfort from our Bishop.

For most of the next three days, none of us could stay away from the TV. People weren't allowed back to work. Planes weren't flying overhead. Regularly scheduled programming - literal and figurative - had been interrupted indefinitately. The footage was heart-breaking. Endless replays of the events, stories of family members missing, desperate loved ones searching and crying and puting up posters and pleading for help. Firemen streaming into downtown Manhatten and others coming away from "the pile" covered in who knew what.

Finally, on Friday, we all agreed we could take no more. We threw together a plan to get out of town and go camping in the Shenandoahs. It was the best decision I could have made. No radio, no TV, just time with friends and nature. We were reminded that even though things would never be the same - we would never be able to get those images out of our heads - the most important things were still true. Seeing, hugging, talking to a loved one - those are the most precious gifts we'll ever get to take for granted in this life. The world, though suddenly full of real threat and menace, was also still beautiful and full of good people who would sacrifice their own life to try and help another get out of danger.

When we got back into town, our hearts had been lifted - some. Sunday night, we got back together and went to see the Pentagon for ourselves. We could only get as close as the hill at the street corner across from the parking lot, but we could see the American flag draped over the terrible hole and we could see the equipment and men who were still at work there.

A couple of weeks later, when flights over the DC area were allowed to resume, the sound of a commercial airplane overhead was chilling for the first while. When I flew home for Christmas, it was weird that for the first and last half hour of the flight out of and into Dulles Airport, no one was allowed to get out of their seats. It was weird looking around the plane and knowing that so many people just a few months before had taken for granted that they would be landing in their destinations.

This morning, on this eleventh anniversary, I gave my husband an extra hug and kiss as he left in his shirt and tie and suit pants to go to work. I couldn't help the lingering thought of all those people who didn't know it would be their last ever good-bye kiss that morning. I can't imagine, and I don't want to.

This afternoon, as I sit writing what has become a lengthy and somber post for my silly little blog, I know how lucky I am to have my loved ones all around me. There are many things I wish I could forget about those long sorrow and tear-filled days. Since I can't forget, I'll remember to be grateful for my family, my health, my safety, and the comfort that God pours out on all of us when we need it most.

- - - - - - -

Monday, September 10, 2012

Home Making

Today's Accomplishments*: Got FutureFineYoungMan#1 to his first day at school, did speech therapy with FutureFineYoungMan#2 and his therapist, got four loads of laundry through the system, did a hard-core clean on the kitchen/main floor, blogged, posted pics to facebook**.  :o)

{I would be concerned about the child to bapckpack size ratio, except its just for carting rain gear and a tricycle helmet to and from each day.}
{I trimmed down two Wyler's drink mix canisters, sorted out crayons into rainbow order, applied tacky glue liberally and the rest is straight forward.}
{applied the tacky glue a little too liberally, so had them dry on plastic plates over night.}

{whipped up accompanying cards on my Cricut in no time, and voila!}

{Not sure why Blogger flipped this picture on it's side, but this is what I was doing last night at 10pm when I remembered that I wanted to make teacher treats and hadn't gotten to it yet. Thank you Pinterest posters for the idea!}
{We filled it with pencils and chocolates. The FutureFineYounMan was feeling a little nervous at this point.}

My two cents about home-making:

A lot of it I love, the best of it I cherish, some of it I do with a bit of a grudge, and some of it I just plain don't do.

Today, I loved watching FFYM#1 enjoy a new experience at a new school and I'll admit I loved being the mom who had a teacher treat ready. I loved watching FFYM#2 play with new toys and use new words with his therapist. I may not have chosen to be a stay-at-home mom, but I LOVE it never-the-less.

When I went to get lunch on the table, I realized how woefully neglected my kitchen sink had been, so while the kids were noshing, I remedied the ick with a brillo pad, scrub brush and comet.

That, of course, got me on a roll, so I'm taking a break from a pretty good fit of scrubbing/sorting/folding/organizing fun. I LOVE having a tidy and clean house, I LOVE organizing and being organized, and I LOVE the day to day playful and fun moments with my boys.

I obviously LOVE me some fun beautification and craftiness.

Cleaning, however, is one of those things that I do, but don't LOVE doing {to say it nicely}. If I LOVED it as much as I LOVE crafting, I would get way more if it done way more of the time.

As for cooking - well - that is something I leave to TheBoyScout whenever possible, because he is MUCH more consistenly good at it {read: his dinners are always edible and never a waste of groceries}.

As for baking - I have a LOVE/hate relationship with that for sure. I LOVE baking and the feeling I get while watching my family enjoy the treats. I HATE the fact that I lose all self-control and eat more than my fair share.

What is your favorite thing about making your house a home? What are you willing to confess is a home-making weakness of yours?

- - - - - - - - - -
*Like every mom I know, I am pretty hard on myself about not getting everything done that I want to for my husband, my kids, my church, myself, etc. so this is to help me see things more positively when I look back. 
**It's only 2:20pm, so we'll see how the rest of the day plays out.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Organizing Fun

Today's Accomplishments: survived a public piano performance*, re-arranged virtual {Blog} furniture, uummm - that's about it.
{Since I didn't know how many songs I would need to fill the time before/after, I coded the ones I could play well, fairly well, and only right handed in case of absolute desperation to fill the time!}

Last weekend, I insisted that we {TBS, my dad and I} remove all items from the garage, sort through the boxes, toss/donate** as much as possible and put the surviving belongings back in organized-by-category and fully-inventoried ways. The only method for accomplishing this was "Clean Sweep" style - complete with tarps laid out on the lawn and topped with boxes piled by category***.


I don't think we won any fans in the neighborhood that day**** but I can get two cars in the garage now, to say nothing of knowing where to find an autumn garland/wreath when I need one*****.

- - - - - - - - -
*I was asked to play for the baptism of one of my primary lovelies. I can't tell you how many hours I spent neglecting my kids practicing "The Fourth Article of Faith" and "When I am Baptized" this week. I had to play prelude/interlude/postlude too. I must say, my prayers were answered, because I didn't run screaming mid-tune when I messed up. Repeatedly. At least they know better than to call me to play the piano in church now! (I have legit performance anxiety. A LOT of it.)
**The ice cream truck lady stopped to ask if we were having a yard sale (as did several other people) and I said she (they) were welcome to pilfer the "donate" pile. So she did. She got 4 bar stools, we got two popsicles. Fair enough.
***Do you hear banjo music playing? My dad was worried people would think we were gypsies. I'm sure they did. But it was worth it!!! :oD
****It was one day, people. Seriously, did anyone else watch Clean Sweep? If not, have you seen Hoarders?? I rest my case.
*****I love decorating for fall. *sigh*

Friday, August 31, 2012

Posting pictures

Today's Accomplishments: got inspiration for the chapter I've been writing that will make it MUCH better(!), went to Costco and STUCK TO THE LIST*(!!), took pictures for my blog, posted pictures on my blog, made a banner for my blog. :oD

When I'm done with this post, I'm heading to the library - big thanks to the parentals who are making strawberry and black berry jam today, and will watch my boys when nap time is over so I can escape! - to write. The awesomeness of this no-calorie treat is too extreme to do justice to with mere words. Were I not so camera shy right now, I would just post the picture of the ridiculous grin on my face! Okay, okay. I'll post the picture that FFYM#1 took of me a moment ago...

 
the ONLY thing i love about this picture is that it was taken by FFYM#1. (yup, that chin is the reason for the whole grain tortillas in my fridge and the ache in legs from weight lifting and treadmilling.)

I will be taking this bag with me to the library, which I made at the advent of Crafty Wednesday a few months ago. For me, it is the PERFECT mommy bag/purse. I can sling it over my shoulder and be hands free to corral the FFYM when we're out and about.

Mom getting vege and the fruit she and dad are bottling today. LOVE that she loves making jam!

This is the goings-on in my kitchen just now. Note to you: I am upstairs in my writing room. This is latest episode {no small sadness to my mom} of my mom trying to get me to bottle food for food storage. Sorry mom, I'm focusing on my strengths just now, and food prep isn't one of them! Maybe next year?

My two cents about posting pictures: It's about time**.
- - - - - - - - - - -
*I did NOT buy the Jake and the Neverland pirate halloween costume that FFYM#1 would have given his blankie for. I did NOT buy the awesome picnic table for the boys that was a major steal at 29.99. A less-fun shopping trip, to state the obvious.
**This is a new blog, so we'll see if I can keep it up!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Crafty Wednesday

Today's Accomplishments: worked out {believe it!}, got eyes dilated for the first time- -resulting in a prescription for eyeglasses, hosted crafty Wednesday, ordered glasses, played play dough with the FFYM, wrote some more story (!).




This idea came from the craft that one of my fun friends was working on this week! I pulled out my cricut and my big shot and ran with it!!! :o) I need to reinforce the back of the wreath, and then find a home for it!

My two cents about Crafty Wednesday:

LOVE. IT.

A few months ago, I invited a couple of friends over during the FFYM's nap time to work on whatever project they had in the works. It was a lot of fun and it's the reason I've gotten so much craftiness into my otherwise diaper-ridden days. There are seven of us in the mix and counting. The women range in age from twenty-four to fifty-six-ish, and we have varying personalities and backgrounds, which means we have a lot of fun getting to know each other. Not to mention its GREAT to get things off my crafty 'to do' pile*.

Today, since my pupils were still freakishly bulbous, I put aside my own crafting aspirations (completing the table runner mentioned earlier) and opted instead to help Crystal with her craft project: turning (literally - I pun.) green and black "hair" into dreadlocks for the cyperpunk costume she's wearing to the local Anime convention this weekend. {Now that's variety for you!} I found a new skill, and if I ever needed to, I could turn (again - stop me!) to selling dreadlocks on etsy. :oP

- - - - - - - -
*It would be wrong of me to indicate that the five-years-in-the-making pirate halloween costumes have seen the light of day, or to mislead you into thinking that I've finally gotten around to working on the camp shirt quilt I promised to TheBoyScout as many years ago. No-no. The advent of crafty Wednesdays meant the possiblities for NEW crafty projects was far too enticing to waste on OLD crafty projects**.
**Sadly, the demands of my pocket book these days (see opthomologist appointment mentioned earlier) are now demanding that I pilfer the OLD project pile. C'est la vie. A camp shirt quilt will come in handy very soon!

Monday, August 27, 2012

Weakness

Today's Accomplishments:  Speech therapy for FFYM#2 {super fun!}, successful shopping trip to the local Goodwill {resulting in dress-up hats and a new game for the boys}, ummmm blowing my budget on a $9 combo meal for ONE PERSON at Burgerville*.

The Weekend's Accomlishments: Lots of fun in Primary working on the upcoming program {the kids are earning ingredients for banana splits- one for every song they earn a "performance ready" score for.}, fun family outing to the park, managed an entire Saturday {and Sunday goes without saying} without spending money**!!

{One of my weaknesses is rushing the bedtime routine. As a consequence, I learned I had a cavity during my recent dentist's office visit. So I asked them to print out a copy of the pictures of said cavity (it grosses me out too, believe me!) and made this to put in my room. Now, on the nights that I can't convince myself to keep up my new habit (three weeks strong, go me!!) I just flip over one of these flags and see the motivation I need to keep flossing. A clever use of my craftiness, if I do say!}


My two cents about my own weaknesses:

I look for them. Constantly. I find them frequently. I try to change them ad nauseum. It's exhausting and generally not productive.

In the words of FFYM#2: I think I need to be "aaah done." For a little while, that is.

That doesn't mean I'm giving myself a pass on being lousy at menu planning/grocery shopping/cooking. It doesn't mean I'm going to stop hoping for the day when I have the optimal morning routine down, complete with exercise, scripture study, physical therapy and writing. I'm not turning my back on one day being a better thank-you card sender, phone caller, or birthday fun wisher. Most importantly, I will still be hoping to one day be a person who carries herself with more grace, thoughtfulness and poise, and less insecurity, fear and self-denegrating***.

In the meantime, however, I'm taking the excellent advice of my husband and putting MORE of my energy into identifying, honoring and strengthening my strengths.

Revolutionary thinking, no?!

- - - - - -
*It is just a dang good thing I don't have any other expensive bad habits!! Sheesh.
**Apparently all that pent-up retail frustration only leads to spending $9 on a combo meal for ONE PERSON at Burgerville!! Rosemary chicken sandwich, I hate love hate you.
***Does it count if self-denegrating is a strength that I want to weaken??

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Oh poop*.

Today's Accomplishments: tracked the budget and balanced the bank statement, convinced FFYM#1 to get the poop out**, got the car washed, restocked the pantry and fridge.

{{Made these silhouettes in June, during a far-from-bloggin phase. L-O-V-E love them, and love paint.net for making it possible! Got the tutorial here!}}

Here's my two cents about the current desperation need to convince a three-year-old that going #2 doesn't have to be as bad as all that:

I don't like it. Neither does he. Prunes, anyone?***

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*And other useful imparatives.
**Not as in "get the heck out"- -think more literally here. TMI - but hey, it has been the biggest accomplishment of the day.
***There are so many things to love about mothering.  Sneaking prunes into otherwise kid-approved foods is pretty high on my list right now. Ssh.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Hope gurgles occasionally*

Today's Accomplishments: OT for one of my Future-Fine-Young-Men, two more loads of laundry through the system, made a healthy dinner replete with vegetables and made-from-scratchness- -then followed it up with a made-from-scratch batch of oatmeal cranberry chocolate chip cookies, researched foster parenting, skulked on facebook.

{{Clearly not one of my more productive days, so here's a picture of the plaque I made on Saturday last, but didn't blog about:}}
{Bragadocious Alert: It cost exactly nothing, since in all my crafting wisdom, I recognized the potential of the board at Goodwill a number of months ago, ($2.99 from my April budget) and I have cute Stampin' Up! paper coming out my nose. The mug hooks survived my jewelry organizing project.}


Here's what I think about Hope:

Against my own pesimistic (if not better) judgement, I am choosing to HOPE that my current campaign to exercise less more and eat more*** less will garner better results than the last four have. Here's to hoping also, that it is possible to lose weight (again!) and keep it off (this time).

I also HOPE that the toddler potty training set-backs** that have gone on here lately will come to a swift and abrupt end. {read: pleeease, please, please, PLEASE in the name of already-tenuous motherly sanity- -make it stop!}

May I also just say that I LOVE the fact that "faith, hope and charity" are the order of the day, rather than "know, apply and exemplify." There is hope for me yet!

Hope you****'re having a good evening/night/sleep/midnight snack.

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*A more accurate assesment in my case than conveying that it 'springs eternal.'
**I am sparing you the gratuitous details. You're welcome.
***Did you see the part about the cookies I made today? Yup.
****Obviously, I am addressing you, TheBoyScout, as you remain my only reader to date.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Pen Pals

Today's accomplishments: I started and completed a seven-generation family history fan chart to display. {Wouldn't you know, I wrote it in ink, and messed up. More than once. Thereby continuing the unending tradition of making my home-made treasures look REALLY home-made.} The Fine-Young-Men-In-Training and I "played school" today, which was a lot of fun- -though not at all productive. I got three loads of laundry through the system. I spent an hour on family history, only to discover that the duplicate name I thought I was so conscientiously going to correct, is too large to fix. {"Newbies." [insert eye-rolling here.]}

{Today's motherly regret snafu* misstep: I fed my children Top Ramen for dinner (yes, really.) with canned carrots. Both a hit. The positive response was not sufficient to quell my feelings of guilt- -it most definitely made them worse.}

My two cents about pen pals:

A. I had a french pen pal in the ninth grade, and though it only began as a manditory "Beginning French" requirement, I never-the-less enjoyed getting mail that was post-marked all the way in France.

B. My brother's wife's brother {yup.} was my pen pal beginning just before ninth grade and ending somewhere during our senior year. He quoted lyrics from They Might Be Giants in the margins and Harry Connick Jr. in the text. What was there not to love about those letters?

C. I just finished reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society- -as mentioned previously- -a wonderfully fabulous fictional book of letters written by (sometimes reluctant, sometimes pious, sometimes whole-hearted) always entertaining pen pals. Delicious.

And now to finally come to my point. I met a very funny woman and fellow writier, while dispensing wine** at the wedding of the daughter of a friend last month. She was visiting from Canada, and we had a very easy and lively conversation about shrimp molds gone awry and writing fiction. So imagine my delight when I received an actual email after exchanging email addresses a month ago! And even though she was mistaken in the place of our meeting {I have never, in fact, been to the Ausberg Fortress music workshop in Seattle!} she had the right person. Whew.

Could it be? A new pen pal, and with the prospects of discussing music and writing no less?

Mais oui!

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*I didn't know that "snafu" was an acronymn for a military phrase containing profanity. Now I do. And so do you. You're welcome.
**I was merely filling in at the literal last minute when my friend (who didn't want alcohol to be served at the wedding in the first place thank-you-very-much) was left high and dry by the person who had agreed previously to serve the wine that the groom's family provided. I myself, never having had a drink of alcohol in my life, volunteered in order to spare my friend any further stress on that already overly stressful day. The groom's father (a genuine frenchman in the flesh!) had to show me how to use a cork screw and how to pour the right amount in the right way. I had a fabulous time meeting people, and trying something new, which may come in handy in my fiction one day, though rest assured will not come in handy in my personal life. Serendipity indeed that it lead to meeting a fellow authoress!

Friday, August 17, 2012

Is this thing on?

Today's Accomplishments In No Particular Order: pieced together a quilted table runner, survived the uncharacteristic HEAT, survived a play-date with my Fine-Young-Men-In-Training, went swimming with TheBoyScout, finished reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and published the first post for my (hopefully) last new blog.



Here's what I think about starting yet another this sure-to-be-awesome* blog:

I realize that my world views are not being sought by anyone** and yet, here I go, starting what will be the sixth incarnation of my narcissistic ego-centric superfluous witty blogosphere rant-stand.

I can't help myself.

I haven't advertised this blog yet, I don't think I will for a while. For now I'll get to know the place a bit and maybe rearrange the furniture a few times.***


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*I better expect my blog to be awesome, or else why bother, right?
**TheBoyScout gets a healthy dose of them anyway- -bless him!
***TBS can insert his thanks here:_______, since it is only metaphorical and virtual furniture and not the real thing.