bullets

• We inherited an outdoor cat to solve our mouse problems from some friends who moved away.  Our outdoor cat has suddenly become an indoor-sleep-on-Rufus's-bed-22-hours-of-the-day-until-I-put-her-out cat.  My husband likes We like her though. 
• I've decided that my favorite daytime listening Pandora station is "70's easy listening" - there is rarely a song I don't love.  I know, I should work in a doctor's office.
• I'm seeing my sweet Squirt blossom at four and a half years old.  I agonized over the thought of him going to Kindergarten this fall, but now I think he's really ready.
• Two weeks ago a dear friend and I set up a "let's meet for dinner come hell or high water" night.  That night was last night.  It was blissful.  We ate lots of food including fried green tomatoes.  We talked and talked and laughed until the restaurant closed and then we walked to my car, I drove her to her car, and we talked for another 30+ minutes.  I left with a smile on my face.  It was a treat.
• Fifth grade homework sucks.  I hate that projects become MY work and I wind up caring more about his responsibilities than he does.  Then again, I thought that midnight feedings sucked until I was on my third and fourth child and then they were easy.  So maybe fifth grade will be like that.  Or maybe not.
• I hate the school science fair.  Please refer to my previous bullet.
• My kids are so hungry when they come home from school.  Today I have dinner prepared for them at 3:30 so we can eat for real and then a snack later.  I'll report back with how that works.
• One of my older children still wets the bed at night and I've gotten my hands on a "potty pager" to try to train the stubborn child out of the habit.  Last night was the dry run, except it wasn't dry, it was wet, more than once, and he hates wearing it.  I hate pee, so there.
• The first part of January was spent painting Mrs. Nesbit's room, and since we've lived in this house six and a half years and I've been looking at dingy not-so-white walls and ugly light fixtures in my bedroom, I just decided to push on through and paint that room too (which happens to be a rather large bedroom).  Ceiling, trim, walls, outlets, light switches, and light fixtures are all new now.  I was an aching, messy, paint covered, non-showering woman on a mission for an entire week, but it is done and I love it!  Now we are drooling over the thought of new carpet, and I hate to drool.
• Because I know you're wondering, our adoption paperwork is in the final stages and we look on track to leave for China on March 14th.  My waves of anxiety have started regarding our/her transition and I'm clinging to the proven fact that God works good through the hard stuff in life.  Not that I wish it to be hard, but I want more of God for sure, so pretty much I can't lose, right?
• The ski season has been a total BUST so far and I am actually praying for several big, powdery snow storms to crush our little town so that I can frolic on the slopes sufficiently before I bring a precious two year-old home from China.  Have you ever known me to pray for snow?  It's bad, people.

tips from a cheapskate

Dear Garage Sellers,

I'm writing to give you some helpful tips to make your garage sale a profitable success.

People like me who shop garage sales are cheap.  They are looking for a deal, or a steal, you could say.  The reason they get out of their warm beds early on Saturday mornings is because of the deals to be found.

Charging five dollars for a Hardy Boys book is just guaranteeing that I will laugh at you the buyer will put the book back.  It matters not that you paid over ten dollars for the book.  You are selling it at a garage sale, and buyers expect to pay under a dollar for a book.

Make deals!  If I'm holding an armful of stuff someone is interested in several items of clothing and you've marked them as two dollars a piece, cut a deal.  Motivate the buyer by throwing one in for free or coming down to a dollar or a dollar fifty.  If you stick to your price, I will only buy my very favorite pieces the buyer will most likely only buy what she cannot walk away without.

If you have less than 20 items to sell, and eight of them are miniature Christmas ornaments, don't bother advertising for or even holding a garage sale.  You'll most likely spend your morning getting a lot of drive by's.

If your goal is to get rid of your stuff, then get rid of it.  If you think your stuff is worth more than anyone else's junk retail prices, then maybe you should just open a store.

Good luck.  I'll see you next Saturday.
A Local Cheapskate

no particular topic

I have been so scheduled this school year that I'm very much enjoying the randomness of summer.

Have I mentioned that summer has arrived in Park City???  Have you heard my "Amen!" from the mountaintops?

I have many "facebook-esque" updates, not one being worthy of an entire post - so here they are.

• We bought our community pool membership for the summer.  I've realized another great benefit to not having any itty babies - naps are optional!  I can see that we are going to be poolside nearly every day this summer.

• Except when we're beachside, which is just one month from tomorrow!!!  I cannot wait to be with my siblings and my nieces and meet my new nephew.
  
• Isn't he adorable?  He's smiling because my brother just told him that he gets to meet me next month!!!
  
• Speaking of vacation, my sister and I are trying to lose a few lbs before we plant our butts in the sand.  We've both had success with this before.  It isn't easy or a magic potion.  It is about making food choices that keep your blood sugar relatively constant throughout the day.  That plus the 30 Day Shred - I'm one focused girl right now.
  
• It is hard to quit my sugar addiction.  I miss sugar.  Oh, and white bread and chocolate chip cookies.  I'll stop there.
  
• I've also given up my nightly occasional glasses of wine.  I (jokingly) told my beloved that when we are at the beach I'm going to drink like a sailor.  He said that he is all for it.  I have no idea why ;-)
  
• My big boys have been staying up too late and getting up at their regular time.  Pretty much a formula for grumpycrabbybickeringandfighting.  My solution has been to give them a 1 mg tablet of Melatonin with dinner.  Asleep by eight o'clock.  Thankyouverymuch.
  
• My in laws were here visiting and thank the Lord for them because my boys got to get all things their mom doesn't do adventurous and messy and anything to do with gardening out of their systems.  I love my mother in-law because she exposes my children to things that I have absolutely no creativity energy gift for.  She comes out to visit with a well thought out plan of the memories she wants to make with the boys and I get a rest they all have a hoot.  Today was a sad day when we all had to say goodbye.
  
  
  
• I watched my boys tried to ride an old baby tub down our stream (which is ice cold snow melt) in their underwear.  Video to come.
  
• I've realized (again) that there aren't any television shows worth watching in the summer.  I am on a mission to read three books.  Book reviews to come.
  
• My baby Squirt is turning THREE this month.  He has been telling anyone who will listen, "My bir-day is Elmo bir-day!"  Aunt Louie is coming from Atlanta for the big day and that is the only reason I can't wait.  When I ask him who will be my baby if he is a big boy now, he says, "I don't know." in the cutest voice you have ever heard.  Little does he know that he'll always be my baby.
  

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

what cartoons are good for

A conversation my beloved and I overheard in the car tonight:

Sauce:  "I know what a record player is."

The Hunter:  "Oh yeah?"

Sauce:  "It's something that's on Tom and Jerry."

The Hunter:  "Oh yeah!  Tom turns it on to play music!"

Who said cartoons are a waste of time?  Our kids are learning history!

ta-da!

Money is pretty tight around here (I'm sure pretty much anyone can relate). 

Our 12 year old furniture has taken a beating since our men have entered our family, so I decided to try to update the look of our living room a bit by refinishing our tables.

Thank goodness for my crafty friend Katie, who taught me via text message how this process should be done.  Busy moms have a hard time actually connecting live on the phone!

Before:

 

An attempt to show how beat up the coffee table was:

And after weeks of trial and error work and a big fat mess in the basement:

Unfortunately, there is a matching armoire that needs to match the new look but I have no idea where I'll find the time!

jack of all trades

And a master of none.

That is going to be the most recent job title on my resume when I go back to work outside the home someday in the future.

In the past week I have:

• Attempted to refinish our living room furniture via sandpaper and stain.  I solicited vague instructions through texting a friend I wish could come do the project for me I could see more and just dove into it. 
  We hosted Bible study at our house last night an I'm hoping the compliments weren't fake lies blowing smoke up my you-know-what anything but genuine.  I think it will make an improvement to our out of date living room at the very least.
• Prepared meals, cleaned up messes, taught school and shuttled kids to activities.
• Refused to accept lower than usual water pressure in our home and after a few days called the local water company to come check on our pipes. 
  After checking the meter at the street, they generously came down to our basement utility room and pointed deep into our disgusting crawl space to our "PRV" or pressure regulating valve. 
  Now, when we first moved in four years ago, I made a public declaration told my Beloved that I would N.E.V.E.R. be venturing into the dark, dirt filled crawl space for any reason under the sun.  Yet, somehow I still found myself crouching down in the dirt praying that dead people wouldn't pop up from the ground with various plumbing tools in one hand and a flashlight in the other to seek out the above-mentioned PRV and remedy our water pressure problem.
  The water guys asked, "Are you the mechanic in the family?"  I looked at my Beloved and laughed as I replied, "We don't have a mechanic in the family!"
• Prepared meals, cleaned up messes, taught school and shuttled kids to activities.
• Endured negotiations with Honda an un-named van manufacturer to get my SECOND new transmission installed under warranty after the first new one we paid $3600 for a mere three months ago started malfunctioning.
• Prepared meals, cleaned up messes, taught school and shuttled kids to activities.
• Fell behind on my "Mountain of Laundry Saturday Madness" when I took some time to chill with these girls.  It fills me up to connect with these women - and I came home feeling like I had done 1000 sit ups because my gut was sore from laughing so hard.  She may seem all sweet and innocent, but Ashley is the queen of sarcasm and one-liners.  OK, they all are just hilarious and I love them. 
  Beyond humor, they are full of wisdom and encourage me to be a better mother, wife, and friend.  They challenge me and inspire me and I wouldn't be the woman I am without them.
• Prepared meals, cleaned up messes, taught school and shuttled kids to activities.
• Endured and gritted my teeth when my Beloved's decision to get all the kids' ski gear out of the basement closets and set up for this season turned into pulling every blasted thing out of each closet, cabinet, and crevice of storage in the basement for "pruning."  Suddenly there was a pile as tall as me and just as wide of, "things to make decisions on." 
  I have no problem clearing out junk and giving away things we don't need, but when he holds up my junior high school yearbook and says, "Do you ever look at this?" I tend to object because although I may not take it out and admire my zitty brace-face, my grandchildren might want to.
  Don't erase my existence, man.
  An answer wasn't necessary when he suggested we put the bouncy seat in the give away pile.  The look on my face made him find a place for it in the back of the storage closet.
• Prepared meals, cleaned up messes, taught school and shuttled kids to activities.
• Realized that my stand alone freezer in the garage was not keeping our antelope meat completely frozen.  I procrastinated as much as I could, but then I got the appliance repair service out here to fix it so we didn't waste all that food.

These are just a few things off the top of my head, but I think I'm not alone in feeling like it is a daily challenge to keep all my plates spinning.

Simply keeping the house from looking like a tornado hit it, and making meals and cleaning up the aftermath, as well as getting the kids where they need to go is a lot.  But adding extra projects like furniture staining and water pressure repairs can really throw the balance off.

And imbalance is hard to manage.

Multi-tasking becomes a stay-at-home mom's middle FIRST name.  My days are so full and any extra request for my time, effort, or attention can sometimes be overwhelming.

I wind up feeling like I'm not really good at any one thing.

Can anyone relate?

a simple woman's daybook

Mary at Owlhaven posted this one, so I thought I would tag along.

For Today…

Outside my window… a wonderful roaring stream

I am thinking… that it is a constant struggle to put my family's wants before my own

I am watching… a mule deer hunting show on the outdoor channel because summer TV stinks and hubby needs to clear out the DVR

I am thankful for… living in a beautiful place with my men who all adore me

From the kitchen… not much - I need to get more serious about my meal planning.

I am wearing… tan shorts, cute, $10 brown top from Costco and of course, a fleece (evening chill has set in)

I am reading… Luke's Story

I am praying… for others mostly.  For healing and protection.

I am creating… a crocheted baby blanket (as always) that I have no idea who it will go to

I am looking forward to… camping this weekend, then beach with my family in late July

A picture for today...  my shiny forehead me, my mom, my 87 year old grandpa, my sister and my cutie pie niece all smiling just to be together again after my sweet grandmother's memorial service a couple of weeks ago.

random thoughts

I must post in bullet points today because none of these items are significant enough to make up a post of its own.

• I just finished preparing THREE Thanksgiving dinners. We are hosting our friends Erin and Dave and their family tomorrow after we had out of town company cancel on us (do we stink?).
  We just finished dropping off the other two dinners at the homes of two families who otherwise weren't able to have a meal this year.
  We.are.thankful.
  That's an understatement. God has been so good to us. I am so grateful that I have the ability to go to the grocery store 17 times to prepare these meals, fill up our tank of gas to drive and deliver them and hug all four of my children, hug my husband a little harder :-) , and then all have a meal of our own together. (run on sentence anyone?)
• In reference to the above point - have I ever told you that I don't really like to cook? Today I would be happy to never have to look at, prepare or eat food again.
  But now it is time to make dinner. Hmmm.
• Squirt is doing this ADORABLE nodding game that I promise to get on video soon. We ask him a bunch of questions like, "Do you love your mom?" He nods yes. "Are you really cute?" Nod. "Do you have stinky pants?" Nod. "Are you funny looking? And randomly, he'll shake his head no. We all love to play the game and we get a lot of family laughter out of it.
• Also, have I mentioned how much that baby boy loves his teddy bear? We call him "Mr. Bear" and as much as we try to keep Mr. Bear in the crib for something to look forward to at nap and bedtime, occasionally, he is dragged all around all day.
  
• Hubby has the entire week off of work and I must say that my workload has been cut by half because he has been so helpful with the children (not so much with the food preparation, but I'm okay with that). We love having him around the house. Do you have to go back to work next week Honey? Oh yeah, the grocery thing and that pesky mortgage. We'll miss you!
• We saw the two hour premier of "24" a few nights ago and had never seen the show before. Our project this week is to stay up way too late watching all the past seasons of the show on rented DVD. So far, I don't know what hole we've been living in that has prevented us from watching it all along. Love it!
• Last week Hunter's literature unit allowed us to pick from a selection of novels, and we chose "Ramona Quimby Age 8." Anyone remember the raw egg on the head episode? Hunter must have read that chapter seven times.
  Ramona's mom accidentally gives her a raw egg in her lunchbox instead of a hard boiled one. The fad at school is to crack hard boiled eggs on their foreheads and, well, you can imagine what happens.
  The boys LOVED that part of the story, so last week we made egg salad for lunch and I had them all crack the egg shells on their foreheads. We had a good laugh and for that moment I loved homeschooling. That warm and fuzzy feeling comes and goes.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday!