Thursday, October 7, 2010

Maximize Your Mornings Challenge- End of Week Overview

So, Wednesday morning went well. But that was not because I got up and got all of my morning routine done. TDaddy had to go to a conference in the city so since he had to leave early to take the train, I had to get the shower earlier than usual. Because I got in the shower earlier I was out earlier and so had more time to get myself and the kids ready. Then more time pressure was taken off due to the fact that we didn't have the usual 8am teacher devotions because of an evening parent teacher meeting on Tuesday night. All of that combined to a low pressure morning. Totally until the previous wake-up-late-dash-around-madness of the morning before.

Thursday. Not so much. I didn't wake up late, but it was the first morning this season that when I woke up it was kind of cold and the temperature made me want to stay under the covers. And I have to admit that that is precisely what I did. I did my Bible reading, on my phone, under the covers. Not exactly the quiet time I had planned. By the time I was in the shower, Tboy was crying about not wanting to get dressed, Tgirl was tattling on him, and TDaddy was already getting frustrated. All this by 6:45am. So not exactly a great start. Every time we have a morning like this I can't help but think that had I been up and ready before everyone else and have prepared the day for them in prayer would that have made the difference?

Friday was better. Got up, read the Bible, got to the gym. I only had time for a short workout, but some exercise is better than none, right?

TDaddy went to a screen writers' conference this weekend. So we all got up at 5 to take him to the airport. I did not get up earlier than the family, in fact, my alarm didn't go off and TDaddy had to come wake me. And I have to admit to settling the kids in front of the PBS kids channel and going back to bed until it was time to get up and get going to basketball and soccer.

Sunday was better. No gym (can't leave the kiddos alone). But I got up and read and prayed and got going on time.

So overall, the week was rather a mixed bag, a couple of good days and a couple of not so good days.

Guess I will have to keep trying! :)

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

A New Cousin!

One of my (3) brothers and his wife had their first baby! We are so excited!

Tgirl and Tboy have older cousins on TDaddy's side, but they are much older and live 2 states away. But on my side of the family, they are the only children. They have a few second cousins, three who are much older, and two closer in age who live far enough away that we only see them a couple of times a year. We have been hoping for first cousins since my first brother got married 8 years (I think) ago.

I am delighted to be able to get a good baby fix but not have to return to sleepless nights. (Neither one of my babies was a good sleeper.) It's been 5 years since we had a baby in the family, ok, since I had a baby, and I am more than ready for another one. But I don't really want to personally raise another child. Unless God has a different plan, it appears that I now have my hands full. So it is definitely time for my brothers to step up and give my parents some more grandchildren! :)

I must say that Tcousin's parents had another baby a year and a half ago. However, sweet little G was taken from us before he was born. Tcousin's birth is that much sweeter for all of us after losing G.

Tgirl is delighted that Tcousin is a boy. She wouldn't mind a girl, but also rather likes being my mom's only granddaughter so far. She is also looking forward to babysitting in a few years.

Tboy is delighted because he has always been fascinated by babies, he points them out to me whenever we see one at the store, etc. He was very excited for Tcousin to be born and in the last month or so of my SIL's pregnancy would talk about all the things he plans to teach Tcousin: baseball, riding a trike, and climbing up and bouncing down stairs on his bottom to name a few. So I did my best to prepare him for how small Tcousin would really be when he was born. And how little Tcousin would be able to interact with Tboy. As in, the baby won't be able to talk or walk or run for quite a while.

Which lead to multiple discussions of what babies CAN do. They sleep, and cry, and wet their diapers, and eat lots of snacks of milk because they have tiny tummies. And then after you feed a baby they get bubbles in their tummies so you have to burp them and sometimes, if they are like Tboy, they spit up a lot after they eat.


Tboy's very serious response to babies spitting up..."Yeah, then you have to hold them over the garbage can (to catch the "throw up" in his mind) ...
...and hope you don't drop them in!"

"Maximize Your Mornings"

Inspired To Action Button
I have joined in the challenge going on over on one of my favorite blogs, Inspired to Action. The challenge is basically to establish an effective morning routine which includes: 1)getting up early/on time/when the alarm actually goes off, 2)exercising, 3)spending time with the Lord, and 4)planning. The idea is that if as a mom I get up before the rest of my family to take the time to take care of myself, spend quality time with God, and prepare for the day, the day will run more smoothly and purposefully.

I could use more purpose in my life and a little less flying around by the seat of my pants putting out fires and feeling stressed all the time. :)

The only problem? Since starting 3 days ago, I have woke up with a migraine on day one. Day two? Set the alarm wrong on my phone and it didn't go off early enough. And on day three, today? I woke with a start at 7:10. The kids and I aim for 7:30 to be out the door, no later than 7:45. God was gracious and we left the house at 7:43. However, I was supposed to throw together the ingredients for crock pot lasagna for dinner tonight. So no coming home to a hot meal courtesy of the crock pot!

Thank the Lord that tomorrow is another day!

It will be better.... right?

Just So You Know...

There is no kissing allowed at school. We may love our buddies, but there is no kissing at school!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Catching up...

Good grief! It has been over a month since I last blogged! And a crazy month at that.

We started back to school. Tboy is in kindergarten this year and had a rather difficult transition. You see, he was coming to the same school as Mama and Sister and so thought that (of course!) that meant he would get to see us, especially me, all the time. But in reality, it doesn't actually work that way. Our schedules don't match up at all. The only times I see him are Monday and Wednesday afternoons at choir and Friday mornings at Chapel. This made him sad, which is understandable and ok. What is not ok, is that he decided that the solution was to cry/scream very loudly so that I would hear him (in his mind, I couldn't in reality) and come to him. This didn't work, no matter how many times he tried it. So on day 6 of kindergarten, my baby was sent to the principal's office. After two days of going to bed right after dinner (and missing soccer practice the second day and reading books and snuggling both days before bed) something clicked and he realized that the crying wasn't working and so stopped. He has been well behaved ever since. Whew!

Tgirl is in 5th grade and her class is the "big guy" on campus. She has started playing basketball, is still dancing ballet, tried out and got into the school choir, hates math, and loves her teacher. TDaddy has been delighted with both her interest in basketball and the talent that she has shown. While she isn't the least bit aggressive with the ball and will have to learn to be more so on the court, she is a good shooter and has enjoyed herself so far. Hormones have begun flowing and we are now navigating the ... shall we say "interesting" waters of parenting a preteen.

Teaching a new grade level means lots of extra work day to day. As each new event, subject, time of year comes up I am starting from scratch researching and creating assignments, flyers, letters, visual aides, etc.

My maternal grandfather passed away. He lived a full life (he was 88), was in an increasing amount of pain in the last couple of years, and as he was a believer in and follower of Jesus he is now in a much better (pain-free) place. But we who loved him and are left behind for now miss him very much.

My dear sister-in-law gave birth to my kids' first cousin on my side of the family. It was a tough, long labor but my sweet little nephew is finally here! My brother and sister-in-law lost their first child to Trysalmy 18 (pretty sure I spelled that wrong) nearly 2 years ago and it has been a difficult road for them to travel (difficult to watch as well). Tnephew is a huge answer to many prayers!

These have been a few of the highlights of this last month...

Highs and lows...

While I hate to make any promises of renewed time and energy for blogging for fear of failure... I shall try! :)

Saturday, August 14, 2010

It's Almost School Time!!

Summer is definitely over!

I never did get my menu typed up on here last week. I made it last Saturday. But then Monday morning right before our first teacher meeting of the school year, my principal pulled me aside and told me that I would be teaching 3rd grade (I've taught 5th the last two years) in a new classroom, which is across the street from my old one.

So, to put it very mildly, it was a rather busy week. :)

Meetings galore, packing, moving, unpacking boxes, taking the boxes back across the street and packing them up again, and attending more meetings is what I have done all this last week. I never did get to the store to buy what was needed for what I planned for our dinners. Instead it was all about looking in the freezer and pantry and finding what I could that would be fast and easy.

TDaddy has been wonderful. Monday and Tuesday I picked the kids up from daycare, came home and started dinner and then he let me go back to school to work for a couple more hours. Wednesday I had to leave work early to take Tgirl to ballet. After inhaling fast food for dinner and driving all the way there (a 30 minute drive with lots of stop lights) we spent about 40 minutes in the bathroom with Tgirl having stomach cramps, that I think were due to eating food that was a bit too spicy too fast, we turned around and came home to go stand shivering in the cool wind and watch Tboy's soccer practice. Thursday and Friday were full days of meetings as my stress level has begun to rise. The shock of all that needs to be done in the next two weeks has worn off and now I am just feeling rather frazzled and not at all sure that I can get everything that needs to be done, done.

Welcome back to school! :)

A Visit to an Art Museum

Last Friday, the kids and I got to go see "The Birth of Impressionism" at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco. It was so much fun!

Ok, so Tboy wasn't crazy about it, but he didn't hate it either. And if we hadn't had to wait in so many lines before we got in to see the paintings he would have done much better. As it was, he kept trying to sit down on the ground every time Tgirl and I stopped in front of a painting and I ended up giving him my iPhone to keep him busy so that he wouldn't start whining about wanting to leave.

One of the things that I liked most about the outing, besides how amazing it was to see the original of paintings that I have seen in books, on stationary, etc for most of my life, was watching Tgirl discover the art. She was fascinated by it and could have spent a lot more time standing looking at all of the paintings had I not been hurrying her along concerned her brother might explode.

I did learn how useful the audio guide it when visiting a museum. I hadn't been planning on renting one. They were $7 a piece and after buying the museum tickets, I just didn't think we needed to be throwing money all over the place. But as we stood in the second line waiting our turn (after standing in another line for nearly 45 minutes, including 30 minutes after our time of entry on our ticket) and my little natives were starting to get restless, I bought one audio guide and told them that we would all take turns listening to it and sharing it.

Which worked ok. Except, both kids were rather impatient with each other when it wasn't their turn.

So I bought another one. Each kid had their own and I just looked at the paintings. Then, when the boy gave up on the art and I gave him my phone, I got to listen to the audio guide and it was definitely worth it. I learned so much more, the narration definitely enhanced my experience. And from watching my girl honestly enjoying art that was made over 200 years ago, it was absolutely worth it.

So even though we got lost/missed our turn about 4 times on the way there and once on the way home (thanks to my horrible sense of direction - hooray for the GPS on my phone!) and the parking garage was full so we had to drive up and down the surrounding streets, trying not to get lost again and ending up having to walk rather a long way from the parking spot we ended up getting into the museum, it was a great outing and a wonderful experience!

Monday, August 2, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

We are easing out of the summer schedule and back into the school schedule this week. I am in my classroom (and have childcare) for Monday - Wednesday and we have activities planned for Thursday and Friday. Next week the kids will be in childcare all week and I am back for real with meetings, a firm morning arrival time, etc.

While the new year is always an exciting opportunity to start fresh, it is still a bit sad to be leaving the relaxed days of summer behind.

This week on the menu:
Monday: birthday party for my sister in law at my mom's
Tuesday: fish and chips
Wednesday: chicken alfredo
Thursday: meatloaf and mashed potatoes
Friday: grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches
Saturday: dinner out with my siblings and spouses
Sunday: grilled chicken and baked sweet potatoes

Monday, July 19, 2010

Swimming Lessons

We finished up swimming lessons for the summer last week. It was a very successful session.

Last year we skipped the swim lessons altogether. Tboy had tubes put in his ears last May and we were a bit leery of ear infections. Tgirl is a little fish and was already pretty water safe. Since we didn't feel that we were hurting Tgirl, the new tubes combined with the fact that Tboy takes after his dad and isn't a huge fan of water anyway, we thought it best to skip for just one year.

So I wasn't sure what to expect this year.

Tboy loved his teacher. She did a great job of knowing when to back off and when to push him. He ended up letting her dunk him completely under water several times and is progressing along in his willingness to put his face in the water. Another positive is that he discovered that a little water on his ears isn't a bad thing, so baths and washing his hair have been easier.

Tgirl was amazing. She was in level 2 for 2 summers and this was her first time in level 3, which has three different levels built into it. The third day of lessons she was promoted up to the top level 3 group. When she got her 'report card' she passed the level altogether!

So proud! :)

Menu Plan Monday

Whoops! Missed last week on the blog completely.

Here is this week:

Monday: grilled chicken with corn, rice and caesar salad
Tuesday: creamy penne and squash with broccoli and rolls
Wednesday: crockpot beef with BBQ sauce with corn on the cob and rolls
Thursday: campout at Grandma's with my brothers and sister-in-law - hot dogs, corn, watermelon and smores
Friday: pizza salad and bread sticks
Saturday: eggs, sausage, toast, and fruit salad
Sunday: crispy almond chicken

Monday, July 5, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

It is Monday again already! Where does time go?

This week promises to be fairly busy. In addition to our summer home school lessons, weekly trip to the library, and other normal weekly activities, the kids start two weeks of daily swimming lessons today and we have a playdate, a birthday party, a day with an out of town auntie, a Pampered Chef party, and quite possibly Tgirl's first sleepover with friends.

It is a week of lots of leftovers - mainly things that we had previously and I froze half of for later. This week is later! :) So we shall find out ....

Monday: frozen pizza (it is getting in the way in the freezer and needs to be eaten up)
Tuesday: beverages - we are going to my in-law's for a family dinner as my sister in law is in town from 'up north' and I am in charge of beverages
Wednesday: turkey divan
Thursday: taco cornbread bake
Friday: chicken and rice taco fiesta
Saturday: breakfast for dinner - cause the boy has been asking for it :)
Sunday: pepperoni loaf - the first new recipe of the week

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Why We Should Be Allowed to Play Wii

This afternoon Tgirl and Tboy presented TDaddy and I with the following list (complete with stick figure illustrations):

"We think we should play Wii because
1. In the Star Wars game we have to work together to be able to pass the level.
2. It helps us get our energy out before we go to bed.
3. It helps us exercize."

Combined with no whining or fighting for the rest of the afternoon, their presentation was successful and TDaddy even let them stay up 20 minutes late playing.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

Monday: leftover Swedish meatballs
Tuesday: taco cornbread bake
Wednesday: crockpot turkey breast
Thursday: squash and sausage cassarole
Friday: turkey divan
Saturday: baked focaccia sandwich
Sunday: pizza

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

Whoops! I missed Monday! Between starting summer, which makes the days of the week blend together a bit, and Tgirl, TDaddy, and I all being sick (AGAIN!!) at the end of last week and over the weekend, my sense of time has been a bit discombobulated.

Anyway, here is the menu plan for this week:

Monday: crock pot lasagna
Tuesday: Swedish meatballs
Wednesday:Chicken and Rice Taco Fiesta
Thursday: meatball sub sandwiches
Friday and Saturday: TDaddy and I are going away for a couple of nights to celebrate our 15th anniversary! :) The kids will be staying with my mom. :) Hooray for grandparents!!
Sunday: Father's Day celebration at my parent's house - I'm not yet sure what I will be bringing

Saturday, June 19, 2010

My Boy, the Next Iron Chef

So while his sister was sick in bed, Tboy and I decided to make banana bread. Because as he said, it is his favorite. We had so much fun!

He did a great job. Tboy stood on a chair in the kitchen and showed me which measuring spoons to use, pouring everything in the bowl after I measured it. He did all the mixing (with the exception of me doing a final mix to make sure all the ingredients were incorporated off the bottom of the bowl). And amidst all of this, didn't spill a bit.

He was so cute in his apron, a full Winnie the Pooh apron. We talked about tying it on as a half apron, "like real chefs," but he decided it was more important to protect Woody and Buzz on his Toy Story Tshirt. When it was time to check the bread in the oven he had to put the apron on again, this time folded over like a half apron. He was so cute I had to take a picture of him. As I was getting the camera out and turning it on he stood there with his fists on his hips, a serious expression on his face. But when I went to take the picture, he wouldn't put his fists back on his hips because, "Mama, I'm not a REAL Iron Chef yet!"

Has he been watching too much Food Network?

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Sick AGAIN!

So it is the first real day of summer vacation. Father's Day is only a couple of days away.

I had a fun day planned. We were going to run some errands getting the Father's Day presents and supplies for making presents that we need. Then we were going to Grandma's house to make our presents and run around in the backyard (the kids, not me). Then this afternoon I was going to head over to the gym and get all signed up.

Why, you may ask, am I writing in past tense?

Because none of it happened.

Tgirl is sick again. Fever this time. Thankfully, her tummy isn't too upset, she isn't really eating, but she isn't throwing up at all. At last check, she was at 102.3.

Sigh.

So we said at home. We put off the plans for the day until tomorrow. She is in bed, calling me every few minutes or so. Until I gave her the portable DVD player.

I've done some cleaning, not a great deal, but a little. And Grandma came over and chatted for a while. But it isn't what I had planned for the day and I am feeling a bit frustrated. Especially as it is nearly dinner time and she isn't feeling any better.

And then,

TDaddy came home early from work and headed straight to bed. Not feeling well.

So it is the boy and I holding out against the germs.

What are our chances do you suppose? Sharing a single bathroom and our usable, germ free space shrinking.

Sigh.

Working on my attitude.

It could be much worse. At least these are just common germs. Nothing really serious. And at least no one is throwing up right now. That is a very good thing!

Perhaps they will both be feeling well in the morning?

Monday, June 14, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

I have to admit that I have not been great about sticking to the meal plan the last few weeks. Between the illness, the end of the school year, and the little heat waves I have made the plan each week and then haven't gotten to the grocery store so ended up eating out of the pantry and freezer quite a bit. Sometimes this worked with the plan, sometimes not so much.

But, today, I am feeling a bit like Old Mother Hubbard as my cupboards are rather bare. And not just the cupboards. We are running out of everything from laundry soap to toothpaste, to paper towels, to dish soap, to jam and peanut butter, to hand soap, to milk. Hmmm, I see a soap trend going on here. If I don't get to the store soon, I am going to have one dirty family! :)

Well, here is the plan for the week. I am hoping to stick to it! :)

Monday: easy Hot Pockets and broccoli (will grocery shop after work so I need something quick and easy for the kids while I am busy putting everything away)
Tuesday: french toast sandwiches
Wednesday: chicken salad in pita pockets
Thursday: hash browns, eggs, fruit, and toast
Friday: crock pot lasagna
Saturday: burritos in enchilada sauce
Sunday: out for dinner for Father's Day :) Yeah for TDaddy!!!

School's Out!

Yeah!!

I am working in the classroom this week to close things down and do end of year analysis, but no more students. And while the kids are in daycare this week, we aren't super pressed for time in the morning which is wonderful!!

One of my tasks for this week is to fill out the summer calendar. I have the basics in place, VBS, swim lessons, library reading program, summer 'home school,' I'm joining a gym. Now I need to fill in with playdates, field trips, cleaning, and organizing.

I can't wait! :)

Do you have any plans for the summer?

Monday, June 7, 2010

Illness and Mommy Guilt

AARRRGGHHH!

We did such a good job as a family avoiding germs this winter. TDaddy and I each got one severe cold that knocked us out completely for a day and a half. The kids got a couple of random, minor colds. But for the most part, we stayed well.

But the last couple of weeks... different story. Flu, croup, head colds, fever, flu again. I think I am cleaning things pretty well as while they are alternating being sick, they aren't getting the same sicknesses. And I am thankful that they are taking turns getting sick (one at the beginning of each week for the last 4 weeks now), it is easier to take care of them, but it stretches things out so much longer.

I don't know if the weird weather this year is playing into it, winter pretty much stayed with us until this last Saturday and then suddenly it was summer weather!

Anyway, poor Tgirl is the one currently out of commission. She woke up at 5 this morning and has been throwing up off and on ever since. Thankfully, Papa was able to come over and stay with her today while Tdaddy and I were at work. I felt horribly guilty not being there for her to hold her poor little head, but just couldn't see being able to stay home today on the last regular day of school.

So I made her a nest in the living room, left out plenty of plastic bags to line her little trash can, and left her with Papa. I went to school, collecting and inspecting textbooks, having 5th grade graduation practice, and feeling horribly guilty.

Menu Plan Monday

We are in the final stretch! This is the last week students are here at school. I have another week of work after that, but we are closing in on the finish line. :)

Monday: spaghetti with broccoli and garlic bread
Tuesday: baked salmon, mashed potatoes, and corn
Wednesday: chicken salad in pita pockets
Thursday: fast food on the run (last tball practice and ballet)
Friday: pizza and green salad
Saturday: tball pizza and swim party after the last game of the season
Sunday: birthday party at a science museum

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

As if all of the May/June Madness were not enough, Tboy is battling croup. We have successfully lived through 3 nights of it, so hopefully we only have 1 or 2 more to go. Since it started Sunday night, I was very grateful for the Memorial Day holiday from school. We didn't spend it as planned, but I only had to take one day off to be with my boy and his fever and daytime cough yesterday. TDaddy is with him today, and Grandma always has him on Thursday and Friday so we are set! :)

So, this is a belated Monday Menu Plan as it is already Wednesday, but my sleep deprived brain just couldn't handle it before today.

Monday: pizza and green salad
Tuesday: tilapia tacos, corn and rice
Wednesday: hash browns, eggs, fruit, and toast
Thursday: fast food on the run (tball practice and ballet)
Friday: tortellini, beans, and green salad
Saturday: hamburgers and hot dogs from the fundraiser for the local school district's athletic program
Sunday: dinner at Grandma's

Monday, May 24, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

As Kat (from the blog Inspired to Action) says, it is May Madness. Tons of stuff to do and events to attend all leaving this mama feeling rather frazzled.

Although, as a teacher getting the stress and crazy-busyness at both home and work, I would like to amend her title to May/June Madness.

So it is suddenly Monday again and time for a new menu plan. On the plus side, TDaddy and I are trying out a CSA and this Friday will be our first delivery of fresh fruit and veggies from a nearby farm. Yeah!

Monday- chicken taquitos and salad
Tuesday- mini turkey sandwiches, mashed potatoes and broccoli
Wednesday- (grocery shop after school)cereal, toast, and fruit
Thursday- (tball practice and preschool graduation)fast food
Friday- (TDaddy leaves for Washington) waffles
Saturday- pizza at birthday party #2 for the day
Sunday- Salmon, mashed potatoes, CSA veggies

Sunday, May 23, 2010

The joys of parenting

It is truly amazing how far projectile vomit can travel!

(and where you can find it the next morning...)

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Ballet Spring Concert

Last Saturday was Tgirl's ballet spring concert. Her ballet school did 3 different ballets so the concert had 2 intermissions. It was long! Nearly 2 1/2 hours!

First the big girls (7th-12th grades) did Peter and the Wolf. It was a fun one and nice to have the narration. Tboy really enjoyed it and was paying attention very well, asking questions mid way through about the different instruments that represented the different characters.

Then the big girls did act 2 of Swan Lake. There were 73 swans total. They were never all on stage at the same time but when they did run through and there were swans running simultaneously on the back and front of the stage it was very impressive looking. After Tgirl was done with dress rehearsal on Friday night Tboy, who was with us for that rehearsal, was very fascinated by Swan Lake and we ended up staying for the whole rehearsal of it. He kept asking questions about why the "bad bird," the prince, and the "beautiful bird" were doing what they were doing and was very impressed with how strong the prince was to be able to lift the "beautiful bird" above his head multiple times. He was less impressed with Swan Lake in the actual performance. I don't know if actually understanding the story and having seen it once before made it less fascinating, or if he was more antsy as he had to sit still and quiet during the actual performance, unlike dress rehearsal.

Finally, the little girls (3 year old - 6th grade) did The Seasons Op.67. Tgirl was a snowflake in Winter. She did an excellent job and it was fun to see some real growth and greater confidence in her dancing as compared to her last performance (Nutcracker). Tboy was very good (this was only his second ballet performance that we have bought him a ticket) but was more than ready for it to be done.

As for TDaddy...he is such a good sport and good daddy! While I know he will do anything for his girl, I'm sure he had no idea when he took me to the SF Ballet once when we were dating that the performance of Romeo and Juliet would be only the beginning of hours and hours of watching ballet. :)

Monday, May 17, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

When I am feeling overwhelmed with all the work that needs to be done,like today (most of which should be done right now!! or preferably yesterday), it does make me feel a little bit more in control of things to have my menu planned out. It becomes the one thing in my day that I don't have to think about. Just follow the plan... :)

Monday: Hamburger Helper (with precooked meat from the freezer), green beans and salad
Tuesday: eggs in a hole, hash browns, and fruit
Wednesday: pot-stickers, rice and broccoli
Thursday: fast food on the run (t ball and ballet night)
Friday: pizza, fruit, and carrot sticks
Saturday: quick dinner of baked chicken nuggets before a friend's wedding
Sunday: BBQ chicken, potatoes, and salad

Friday, May 14, 2010

Sigh, She Has My Eyes

Tgirl that is. She has inherited my nearsightedness.

She has talked about how it would be fun to have glasses for a couple of years now. But thankfully, her eyesight didn't require them.

I started wearing glasses at the age of 6. Was thrilled to get them. Until I walked into my 1st grade classroom that first day and the first classmate I saw called me "four eyes."

Then I hated them.

And proceeded to go through countless pairs of glasses. I needed updates on my prescription yearly at least. And in between the updates, I'm sure my mother must have thought that I must have been lying awake at night planning new ways to lose my glasses. You know, the ones that were supposed to never leave my face.

I started wearing contacts at age 10 to slow down the deterioration of my eyesight and ever since have worn my glasses as seldom as possible.

Tgirl had some headaches last year so I took her in to see the eye doctor. When he dilated her eyes she freaked out. I had not realized that your vision gets blurry when your eyes are dilated (my vision is always incredibly blurry) and so hadn't thought to warn her. The doctor didn't warn her either. She threw up all over the exam room in her panic.

In then end, after practically pinning her down so the doctor could finish the exam, we left having been told by the doctor that she could use glasses, but her prescription was so slight that if she was his daughter, he wouldn't bother with them.

I breathed a sigh of relief and put the matter out of my mind. Until about a month or so ago when she started complaining about the words to the songs on the big screens at church being blurry.

So back to the eye doctor we went. This time, thankfully, she was prepared for the dilation. No throwing up! :) But, this time, the doctor said she was definitely nearsighted and needed to wear glasses all the time.

So we picked out some cute frames and waited, Tgirl with bated breath, for the glasses to arrive.

We picked them up on Monday after school. For the rest of the day, and into Tuesday, she was busy going back and forth between looking over the top of the glasses and through the lenses, commenting on how much sharper her vision was with the glasses.

"Look at the trees! Now it is just a green blob," looking over the tops of the glasses. Then looking through the lenses, "Now I can see leaves!"

I am trying to ease my mommy guilt for not getting the glasses sooner by keeping in mind how much sharper my vision is every time I get a new prescription.

Thankfully, no one has called her "four-eyes." Yet.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

It is a busy week this week. (I know, I know, what's new about that?!?) :)

Trips to the eye doctor, Tboy's Mother's Day Tea (his last one :( at preschool before he starts kindergarten next year), and Tgirl's ballet spring concert is this weekend, which means blocking and dress rehearsals at the theater and then being at the theater all day Saturday for the last rehearsal and then the two performances.

Monday: meatballs, noodles, and green beans (ended up having grilled cheese sandwiches last Friday after helping to build the float for the parade Tboy's t ball team was in last Saturday)
Tuesday: scrambled eggs with cheese, toast, and peaches
Wednesday: hot dogs with macaroni and cheese and broccoli
Thursday: sandwiches on the run
Friday: fast food on the run
Saturday: out to dinner between ballet performances
Sunday: celebrating Mother's Day and Spring Birthdays at my mom's (my dad will be home from his travels by then - he was gone on Mother's Day) I will be baking the strawberry birthday cake

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Keeping Activity Equipment Organized

Laura, over on I'm an Organizing Junkie, had a great post today about packed activity bags. http://orgjunkie.com/2010/05/storage-star-packed-activity-bags.html

I use a similar system of keeping bags for Tgirl's ballet and bowling, Tboy's soccer or Tball (depending on the season), Tboy's days at Grandma's (she watches him 2 days a week and he goes to preschool 3 days a week), and our summer time pool bag. These all live in the kids' closet. The sports equipment bag (for example the Tball bat bag has his cleats, 3 mitts, balls, bats, and his correct team hat) lives in the back of my minivan. As it is currently off season for soccer, the soccer bag (with ball, soccer cleats, and shin guards) is in the garage.

It is great to know exactly where to put uniform/practice clothes when they come out of the laundry. Then the night before the activity, the bag gets laid out with the clothes, and nothing gets forgotten!

The only downside is when you are so reliant on the system and you do something crazy - like switch cars with your husband. Then you have none of the needed equipment when you arrive at practice. (sadly, speaking from experience)

Menu Plan Monday

Ok, so I am thinking that if I publish my menu every week, then I will definitely make one, right?

All part of the "getting my life organized" plan. :)

Monday: cheese ravioli with broccoli and garlic bread
Tuesday: eggs, hash browns, peaches, and toast
Wednesday: frozen bean and cheese burritos baked with enchilada sauce and Mexican rice
Thursday: tball and ballet day - fast food on the run
Friday: meatballs, noodles, and green beans
Saturday: my birthday - surprise me, family :)
Sunday: TDaddy-made omelets (yum!!)

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

A Life Well Lived

The past month or so I have been pondering this idea in one form or another.

"What exactly does a life well lived look like - for me?"

The answers I have been coming up with show how very far I see that I need to grow. However, is not acknowledging the fact that you need to grow the first step?

I need to become more organized: with my time and my space.

I need to become more purposeful. Why am I doing what I am doing? What motivates me to live this crazy, fast-paced life? Am I the kind of wife and mother I want my daughter to one day become?

Is God happy with what I am doing with all of the blessings He has given me?

My next step is to take action on these things.

I have started a few small steps.

I aspire to keep moving forward, sometimes slowly, and perhaps sometimes quickly. But always moving forward. Because there is no standing still in this life.

I am sure that, sooner than I realize, my time here will be over.

When I stand before God, I do so want to be able to say, "You gave me this. And here is what I added to it."

I dread having to say, "You gave me so much. And I wasted it all."

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Making Memories

Last night we sat around the table having a normal dinner. With normal school day conversation.

How was your day? What did you play at recess? What did you do at circle time?

You know, normal.

Near the end of dinner TDaddy pulls out a little voice recorder. He uses it for work to record meetings, etc. that he will need details of later. He had caught almost the entire dinner conversation on tape.

And suddenly, what had just happened and seemed so normal seemed precious and wonderful.

We sat there and listened to the entire thing. Baths were put off, the evening scurry of shutting down one school/work day and getting ready for the next was put on pause and we listened. To ourselves. Laughed at the silly things we had said. Just sat there, the boy cuddling on Daddy's lap and the girl on mine.

I felt a bit teary.

While it was so normal for now, I know that all too soon that recording will sound like the distant past, "'back in the day' when the kids were young."

I spend so much time rushing around and trying to accomplish all that needs doing. It was wonderful to sit and just savor the now.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

When I Grow Up...

Ever since Christmas, when the kids got the game Lego Star Wars for the Wii, we have been into Star Wars around here.

This weekend we decided that Tboy was old enough to watch episode 3 (A New Hope, the first one that was made).

After watching it, Tboy announced that he has decided to be an actor when he grows up.

So he can be in Star Wars.