un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq,

SIX (which is kind of anti-climactic since it's spelled the same in english and french...and here I was trying to show of my 8th grade french class skills...)

I was going to do a mid-month "do something" update but that will have to wait until tomorrow since a half-birthday is ever-so-much-more important :)

do something january: mid month update

**January 26, 2009**I'm keeping the original title (and post date) so you can see that I started working on this post like, um, 10 days ago. I actually had it pretty much done 10 days ago. I know you make time for the things you love but clearly, my blog is not on that list. I wish it were...like I wish exercise and regularly scheduled hair cuts were.

So who is with me on this still? Despite my lack of updates, I've actually made some kick-ass progress on my January goal. I haven't stuck *exactly* to the schedule every day but I've done pretty well and I wouldn't be embarrassed by any drop-in company :) Well, not embarrassed by my house at least ;) Here is what I went with for my schedule:

pick up daily; at least one load of laundry daily
monday - upstairs bathroom
tuesday - kitchen/clean out fridge/meal plan + grocery list
wednesday - groceries
thursday - dusting/vacuuming (I will NEVER be able to spell that word on my own)
friday - downstairs bath/laundry room
saturday - mop
sunday - strip beds

I also finally followed through with creating chore and behavior charts for the boys so they've been put on a regular chore schedule as well. They're doing great with it and it's making my life so much easier in the process.

Sticking to a schedule and a well-timed lull in "work" has had the unintended affect of creating a serious purge desire (less to clean and maintain!) Since the start of the year, I've also:

- shred paperwork (3 grocery bags full or old bills/receipts + another bag full of contracts and check stubs) I've been saving this stuff for like 3 years. I know, ridiculous. I never remembered to buy a shredder after our last one broke though. I did think to add it to my Christmas list though (thanks, mom!)
- donate clothes...I'm pretty good about doing this fairly regularly. Two more bags were donated this month though.
- cleaned and organized the pantry
- cleaned a bunch of junk out of Izzy's closets
- cleaned out the closet in the playroom/spare bedroom
- went though a metric butt ton of old magazines...tore out pages, filed them and donated the carcasses to the paper recycling bin at Jake's school. It helped that I had a supportive partner cheering me on. This pile is only about a third of the total. I may have a problem.




One with outrageous lashes.

So, with February just a few days away, I'm trying to decide on a new goal. More on that Sunday! I'd love to hear where you guys are at. Feeling good about your progress?

one week in...

2009 - a week in the books. How is yours going so far? I think everyone here is happy that school is back in. Ready for the tail end of winter (which I know is still far, far away but once the new year hits, we can be hopeful, right?)


This little girl had a bath in the BIG tub yesterday. Well actually, it was the little tub in the big tub (rather than the typical little tub in the kitchen sink routine we had up to this point) Because she is just so damn BIG that we can't do kitchen sink baths anymore. And although she technically can sit up, falling down is ever-so-much-more fun. These pictures were from right after her bath when she's so soft and good-smelling and happy. I always take these pictures after her bath :) Tonight, we start cereal. I always hold off until 6 months but she's just 1 week away from that mark and so completely pitiful every time we eat that I'm giving in a few days early. Tonight/tomorrow I'll be making some baby food to freeze so we have lots of veggies on hand for the coming days and weeks.

She breaks my heart with her adorableness.

So hey, did you know I have a couple of BOYS as well? They don't show up here as much because every attempt at capturing them in their natural habitat invariably ends up with a variety of goofy faces including but not limited to scrunched up eyes, hands over the face and some sort of visible tongue.

But look! Here they are anyway. Playing with the completely awesome microscope that mister J got from his grandparents (this was how we spent New Year's Eve day...before we all went to bed around 8 pm. We're crazy like that :)


But wait people, there's more!

Do you KNOW what those ARE?!?

SEA MONKEYS!

We haven't broke into them yet but we will...oh, we will.

January 1st always marks the day the holiday decorations come down. So far, everything is put away but the "big" tree. So, I figured this would be a good month to establish a regular cleaning & shopping schedule.

The rest of the day will find me finishing up the decoration storage, putting away all of the CLEAN laundry so I can start fresh with everything put away and a general sweep of the house. I already did a pretty thorough cleaning of the boys' playroom after Christmas to get rid of all of the broken/missing pieces/junky happy meal type stuff. Then later on I'll establish my schedule and get my grocery list started - so fun! ha.

I figure starting off the year with a not-as-fun month will encourage me to go strong so I can reward myself with a more exciting task next month! Plus, it will be nice to not freak when we find out guests are coming. I'd prefer a generally acceptable house as opposed to the "oh-shit-we-have-company-coming" emergency scramble cleaning I'm accustomed to ;)

So, for those of you playing along (and I'm so grateful that some of you are!) I'd love to hear what you've settled on for January!

Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all!

do something...

I don’t make resolutions. I'm too ADD to focus on a single objective for 12 months. I don’t want to feel bad about failing at something that should inspire me to better myself. I don't like trying to sum up my personal goals in one or two all-encompassing cliches. And "be a better person in every way possible" seems like kind of a lot of pressure to put on myself. But in the end, that's what we all want, right?

So, in 2009 I resolve to do something. Every month. Evaluate my life, where I'm at, what I'm doing, what area I feel needs immediate improvement and establish an intention for that month. It'll be a personal challenge to learn something new, get something done or just meet a goal that I've set for myself. Some will be fun...others will hopefully help me establish a routine that I hope to maintain.

I have a tentative list of things I might do but it's fluid and could change as the months go by. There is no set order to them and I've yet to decide what goal number one will be but I'll decide today and let you know tomorrow. You know, to keep me accountable. This is my tentative list of things I could do:

• maintain a cleaning/shopping schedule for one month (deep clean the bathroom every Monday; baby laundry every Friday; grocery shopping every Sunday...that type of thing)
• write a letter every day (this could be to friends or family or to my kids)
• cook a different meal every night - to force me to try some new things. we rarely eat out (OK, never) but no take out or fast food for dinner for a month. I'm good at meal planning and only shop once every 7-10 days but I tend to stick to the same things over and over
• learn to sew
• learn to screenprint
• finish the baby room (I know, I know)
• finish the boy room (even worse, I know, SHEESH)
• Christmas done in Nov (cards, shopping, wrapping...crafty stuff is still OK in December)
• journal every day (NOT blog...I will never commit to blogging every day)
• hang stuff - all of the frames, art, shelves, etc that I've accumulated but not hung
• mini-remodel of our half bath (paint/accessories)

So, there you have it. I'd love for one or two of my 5 readers to pledge to do something with me in 09. You know you want to.

so I'm really good at this sharing stuff, huh?

I have been doing stuff. I'm just lazy with the blogging bit.

Also, I have other important things to keep me busy.

Like this.
And this.
And this. (um, not for the profanity-phobe...but hi-freaking-larious.
And then there's this.

Sigh, so much to do every day.

5 months...

Tuesday, she turned 5 months old.

Today, she is miserable with a cold and pink eye. And yet, she still smiles.

Thursday, I took her into the doctor to get a prescription for eye drops. She gained a full pound since her check up just two weeks ago.


Which is weird because we can't detect even an ounce of pudge on her.

;)

Yesterday, she learned to wave hi and takes great delight in us reciprocating. I predict lots of waving in the coming days.

Which is fine by me.

Snow day yesterday meant I did not get out to finish my shopping. And, it means one extra day tacked onto the 16 consecutive days of nonstop brother in-fighting. Bummer (seriously.) We were bums. Today, a few craft projects (cardstock reindeer are under construction right now) and cookies. I'm also doing a few last minute simple crafty kind of things to include with the purchased gifts. I made my mom promise not to check out the blog until after Christmas so I could share them here (the finished product and the files.)

This is just a simple 5 x 7" calendar. I printed it on photo paper and added a sheet of magnet paper to the back for Proper Refrigerator Display Purposes. The circles aren't on the file I have here for download - those are just a way for my parents to know what days C works so they can plan stuff when he is off! Two files - the png is with the patterned paper and colors as shown - just drop in the photo. The psd is layered so you can choose your own digital papers and colors. Have fun!
png file

psd file

Oh! Also, I don't like to pimp myself out here on the blog but I have a kit at 2Peas to create a year's worth of calendar desktops for your computer. Would be a quick and easy grandparents gift or stocking stuffer for your spouse. Here is a preview (click the preview to take you to the kit on 2Peas.)

not to be forgotten...

• loves to stick out her toungue and blow baby raspberries
• reaches to be picked up or held
• knows her name and will turn when you call her
• can sit for a few seconds at a time (longer and longer everyday)
  
• 26 1/4"
• 16 lbs 15 oz
• (yes, that puts her in the 90th percentile)
  
• loves to jump in her activity center
• can pick up small toys and play with toys on her activity center
• is such a little love bug I have to remind myself not to squeeze her too hard!
• loves chewing on her sleeves
• cheeks grow daily
• talks in the sweetest little voice ever
  
• has a kick butt mohawk going (but not nearly as good as Zack's was)
• rubs her eyes when she's sleepy (can't fool me, missy!)
• is ridiculously, outrageously clingy...ahh, 4 months.
  

the final countdown...

(Image from Pioneer Library System's flickr)

feeling good about our Thanksgiving prep (now Christmas, that's a *totally* different story.) There were a few things I wanted to post but I do still have some stuff left to do today and how many of you are blog-hopping today, anyway?

I did want to mention one thing though because I think it's a great idea - especially since most of my 11 readers are scrapbookers ;) NPR has teamed up with StoryCorps and deemed tomorrow the National Day of Listening. A day when you sit down with a relative or other loved one and record a meaningful conversation with them. You can see more information on StoryCorps website and listen to some of the conversations NPR hosts have recorded for airing over the course of the last week here: NPR National Day of Listening

How many of you have a really great depth of knowledge about your grandparents' (or even parents') lives pre-you? Aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends. Choose someone special and sit down with them for some quality conversation. All 4 of my biologic grandparents are gone. I really wish I would have done this with them. I'd love it if even one of you took the challenge.

4 months...

Well, hello there...I'm flirting with you. Aren't I pretty?

I'm a showoff. See me sitting up?

Here's looking at you!

I like to drool. And pull mommy's hair. And I reach for people now too :) My bouncy farm activity center is awesome - I can spin my duck toy and make the music go when I jump like a little madman in it.

My mommy has these at the top of her knitting list. Every little papoose needs some Thanksgiving moccasins, right?

Hope you had a good weekend - we have snow - wheee!

ooh la izzy...

I'm starting to remember how much fun it was to dress up dolls when I was younger :)

(click it for bigger)

my camera died after 5 shots

*sob*

they were all good ones though :) (why does red always look so funky in big blocks?) As was the weather. hope you all had a good one too!

I wasn't going to share this...

Because although I'm very interested in politics and this election, I'm *not* interested in swaying people's opinion. Either you have good reasons for voting for your chosen candidate (whomever that may be) and I totally respect that. OR, you have some crappy, twisted, ill-informed reasons for your choice in which case, you're not going to listen to what I have to say anyway :)

It's too cute not to share though and I love that both boys are interested in the election process as well. They've asked to go with us when we vote and who am I to say no? I hope as they get older, we can help them maintain a healthy interest in the political process and the importance of fully informed voting.

yeah? so?

Even my "mama" felt the need to point out that I haven't updated in a bit. You wanna make something of it? (though, I do love that my mom really did finally leave a comment...even if it was to "mother" me ;)

I'm not really posting much with this either. Just wanted to say that 3 months ago today, we welcomed this little girl into the world:



Now, we have this one:



Isn't life sweet?

zucchinis gone wild...

This is what happens when you let your garden go unpicked while you traipse off on a two week vacation. Squash run amok. You know that zucchini multiply like rabbits, right? Another couple of days of growth and the national guard may have had to be called in.

This post will be full of randomness...FYI :)

You guys have been rickrolled, right? Kind of random and juvenile and you wonder if the perpetrator just c/p the wrong link? (I'll admit though, the song is still rather catchy. Carlos Barack Rolled me last night - I laughed my butt off. I don't care what your political leanings are. This is some funny stuff :D



We all know that Flickr is a great time waster. I could spend weeks there, bleary eyed and caffeine hyped, admiring all the talent and "WTF were they thinking" inspired photos. It does my heart good though, to know that groups like this exist. Don't ask me how I found it because I forget. Really now, everything *is* better with bacon though, no?

I want to make some of these for the babies room.

I hope this works because I despise getting all of those wasteful phone books delivered to me - I NEVER use them!

Big combined birthday party BBQ on Monday for both boys. Have I planned or prepared at all? You know the answer. Cupcakes will be involved though. How cool are these? Too cutesy for my purposes but so pretty. I do have this book though so I'm sure we'll have something fun for them :)

OK, work to do...a rainy day here so perhaps I'll clean the house (groan)

so help me little girl...

If all of this fussing and hand gnashing and drooling means you' re teething already, well, I don't know what but I *won't* be happy. The good news is that the 10% of the time you were happy today, you were making all kinds of adorable cooing noises and squeaks. More of those, please!



Really hoping I come back to this post 6 months from now when you really ARE teething and laugh at myself for thinking it might be happening so soon.

happy 1 month, baby girl

1 month has passed already. feels as if you've always been here though; you my dear, were a seamless integration :)

• you're definitely just coming off a growth spurt - you ate like a champ for about 3 or 4 days (you always have but there was a noticeable difference) I have a feeling we'll be very surprised by your growth at your dr. appointment on Monday! ** OK, I started this post on the 16th (when she turned a month) but am just finishing it up today...1 month stats: 22 3/4" and 11 lbs 4 oz (no wonder I've had a relatively easy time dropping the pregnancy weight :p)
  
• you've been much more alert the past few days - I'm guessing this goes hand in hand with the growth spurt! you've got a lot of head control and are constantly turning your head to follow voices and light.
• you love your baths and diaper changes - never cry for either.
• you seem to be losing your hair at about the same rate as me...good thing we both had quite a bit to begin with!
• your brothers are big fans :)
• I could go on but I'm getting lazy and you're in my lap getting hungry (shocker!)
  

not technically perfect...

but I still love it! One of my biggest challenges each day is making sure these boys stay off of Iz long enough for her to eat/sleep/rest in peace! Any opportunity to hold her while she's alert and not fussy, they JUMP at. She's pretty tolerant of their excessive and smothering hugs and kisses though. We'll see how long it lasts before she starts getting her revenge!

A quick layout share too...I've been doing a series of templates for download at 2Peas and this layout was the result of my most recent. I'm embarrassed to even calculate how many photos I've taken in the past 3 weeks. It's been extravagant, to say the least :p


And finally, just a couple of links :)

• Being the child of the 80s that I am, I almost squealed when I saw this. You're a big fat liar if you aren't thinking "I pity the fool that doesn't buy my onesie!" after looking at that link.
• Knitting a few of these for recent and impending babies (there are so many!) SO cute and SO easy!