Hmm...

About a week ago, maybe more, James sent me this link:

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/09/talkers-block.html

My Boy knows me well, and this really hit home with me.

But, you can see I haven't exactly posted *every* day like I'd like.  I'm working on it.

In completely unrelated news, today I kept track of my time.

Try it--it'll open your eyes.

Tomorrow I'm going to keep track of my time AND try monotasking.

Hmm.  I'm not sure I remember how to do that.  :)

On being flexible...

Last week, Kayci went to the annual Cubs cheer clinic.  It's a fun afternoon when elementary school kiddos get to work with the Cub cheerleaders and learn several cheers and a dance, and then they perform at a football game.  Well, last night was the football game.  Kayci was stoked--she knew the cheers, she knew the dance, and she'd done it all before, so she was really comfortable with us dropping her off at the fieldhouse with the other kids.  She did such a great job, too!  For some reason we didn't take any cameras, but just believe me, she looked so cute out there and she didn't miss a beat. I was so proud of her, and just in awe of how much more coordinated than I am she is!

And then...when she came up into the stands, it was obvious she was miffed.  Beyond miffed.  Not talking to us, not taking any compliments, not having any of it miffed.  As it turns out, there was a mix-up down on the field.  We noticed that Kayci was in the back of the group when she was in the front of the group last week, but we didn't think anything of it--if anything, we were grateful because we could see her better.  Oh, but she was MIFFED.  The thing is, when she finally did talk about it, she wasn't upset because she wasn't front and center--she was upset because she was expecting to be one place and ended up in another.  She is so articulate once she calms down, and I'm always interested in hearing what's on her mind.  Last night?   She said, "it's just hard for me when I think things are going to be one way and then they turn out a different way."

Wow.  How many of us, as grown-ups, feel the same way?  (My hand's up.)  This was a great teachable moment, and I reminded her of all the times I've given slinkies to my team as "happies."  Of course she remembers, because she usually scores one.  I told her why I give out slinkies:  as a reminder to "be flexible."  And how when we're flexible, we can bend with the situation and make it work...without breaking.  But when we won't bend, it just hurts...and sometimes, we can break.

image:  Amazon

I don't know if she walked away feeling any better, but I woke up with this on my mind this morning.  You see, yesterday I had a very, very long meeting with our CPA.  It turns out, Daddyboy and I were so focused on paying off our debt, we didn't pay our estimated taxes as we should have.  So, it's gotta get paid, and it's time to pay up.  Only, we don't have enough in our tax account so now we're going to have to find some money...and money, quite frankly, is already plenty tight around here.  

Driving home yesterday, I just wanted to cry--it doesn't matter that we knew that it was coming, and that it's our own fault--I'm just so tired of worrying about money.  Wah.  But the truth of it is, we are incredibly blessed.  Our budget each month is just exactly enough to cover what we need and allows us to do fun stuff as a family. And it allows us to give freely, which is very important to me.  When I'm not being the "I want more!!!!" brat, I understand all of this and I am so grateful because I know it's God's math that makes it all work, because if it was just my math, we'd be broke 2 days after payday.  (You know it's true.)  

So, once again, it's time for me to bend.  Here I thought we'd pay off our debt and have *all* that money to save for a house, catch up on things we've been wanting to buy, etc.  Nope--exit my highest paying job.  Okay, so we reevaluated, and it's working.  Phew.  But now it's time to "give to Caesar what is Caesar's..." and it's time to bend again.  We'll find the money--it'll be the money we usually take our fall weekend trips with, James' freelance money, a big chunk of our Christmas money, etc.  I'm even thinking of a part-time job, but that's last resort.  We'll find it.  It'll hurt, because we wanted to DO and BUY with that money.  But, we screwed up--and this whole tax thing has been a monkey on our back since I left the classroom.  Every year we pay, every year it hurts.  But this is the end of it, because we've found a wonderful CPA (one of Dave Ramsey's ELPs if you speak FPU) who has really been helpful in holding up a mirror and letting us see where we can make better choices.  She's made a huge difference in the way we do things, just since April.  I haven't talked about this with many people, but the whole getting our taxes in order 12 months a year thing has been the last piece of the financial puzzle that we needed to work on.  It was one area where I was still doing the, "if I don't think about it..." thing that got us into debt and kept us there for so long.  It's kind of ironic that in focusing so much on paying off one debt we essentially created another debt to ourselves and the IRS, no?  Maybe I'll laugh when it's paid off, right?

It's gauche to talk about money, I know.  Now you know the truth:  we are not rolling in it here in the little green house, and we struggle to make good choices with what comes our way each month.  But, we're working on it.  And I know from talking to LOTS of my friends that some of you struggle, too, and have made the same exact mistakes we have.  That's why I talk about money here on my blog--because if you're not in control of yours, I hope this will help you get in control of yours.  And if you have any tips for me, please, for the love, tell me!  :)  

And now, it's time for me to go celebrate October with my family--I could say this every season and I probably do, but I love, love fall!  The kids have been looking at pumpkins and skeletons and stuff in the stores, and I've been telling them--when it's October, we'll decorate.  So, this morning we're going to try making pumpkin pancakes and then we're going to start decorating for fall.  What a great weekend to be home!    

So, it's not homemade...

Tonight is the big fundraiser for Noble's school. I've known for a while that we are responsible for providing a homemade cake or pie. Like, over a month--plenty of time.

I had big plans to make a brownie cake (a fun & special family recipe).

Then I got really busy with work and PTO and you know, life, so I asked James to make his yummy pumpkin pies. So that was the plan this week.

This morning I realized my poor Boy was double-booked...we'd planned for him and Noble to bake the pies this morning, but James has a 6:30 am Bible study on Thursdays. Whoops. He graciously offered to miss it and bake the pies, but no way--I'm a rule follower and a team player and all, but sometimes you've just gotta play the hand you're dealt. This week? The hand was no time. Is homemade more important than time in the Word? Um, no.

So, I thought about what I would like. And that lead me to strawberry shortcake, which wasn't quite do-able, but it gave me an idea...




Sliced strawberries (with fruit fresh, since it's several hours before anyone will eat this) and cubed angel food cake. My thought was that it could be a little picnic, so I included spoons. I'd totally buy this for my family--I like that you can just add some strawberries to each jar and have self-contained, individual servings.

So, it's not homemade. But it only took 40 minutes out of our day (which includes shopping, cleaning and drying jars, cleaning and slicing berries, cutting cake, pitting it all in jars, cutting fabric, making the tag and cloth bow, delivering it), which is exactly what the doctor ordered today. It's not fancy, but it's fun. So, it's not homemade, but it's done, and I'm pleased with our contribution. :)

Long Day

It's been a long day today.

At 5:40 am, I was getting ready to leave for work when Noble woke up.

N: Mommy, I wet the bed.

M: Oh, it's okay, we'll wash your sheets.

N: It was your bed.

And that pretty much set the tone for the day. :)

A Year Ago...

This is a picture Kayci took a year ago.  What's funny is, she could have taken it yesterday--I wore those sunglasses just today, Noble wore that shirt yesterday...sometimes it feels like time is just standing still, then I'll blink and they're a year older.  Or, more likely, I'll go to get one of the dressed and realize that overnight, everything's too short.

Time is funny that way.  I enjoy life the most when I am fully present in each moment, not worrying too much about what happened before or what's coming next.

I'm determined to write something on this blog every day...I apologize in advance if it's mostly crap.  :)  Tomorrow I'll tell you why!

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda...

This afternoon I had 3 hours all to myself.  James is watching the game with Johnny, Kayci's at a cheer clinic, and Noble's napping.  I realized this yesterday, and I have to admit, I kind of stressed about it a little.  I'm forever saying, "I never have time...I never have time to myself..." and here was a big chunk of time.  So, I thought I'd work on Kayci's art scrapbook, because I'm tired of a big tub of art in our bedroom.  Then I got into a book on procrastination this morning that I've been trying to read for months (ironic, no?) and I thought, you know, I'm going to finish this book.  So I did, and took lots of notes along the way (cause that's how I roll.)

So here I am, in the last 15 minutes of the fabled 3 hours, and I can't really tell you that I've accomplished anything.  But I've enjoyed sitting here listening to music and reading and writing and thinking and planning...and the rest will come.

That voice in my head keeps saying...you should be

(image:  Graphics Fairy--awesome, right??)

But, that's on my Monday to-do list.  Besides, I like cleaning when I have the house *all* to myself--that way everyone comes home to a clean house and I get to enjoy it before they start messing it up, i.e. living in it. 

Ahh...so that's enough blogging for now.  I just heard Noble's feet hit the ground.  Happy Sunday! 

Party Time!!!

Noble has 3 friends' birthdays to celebrate today, 1 next week, 3 the next week...he's so happy, and is still talking about the party last week. He thinks it's really cool to see his school friends when it's not school time, which makes it fun for us to make time for all of these parties.

I love giving gifts, but I don't love buying random toys just for the sake of taking a gift. Don't get me started. :)




I was picking up shirts a few weeks ago, and I thought, why not do shirts for gifts? They cost about the same as a toy, and I hope they will get a lot more use than a random toy. So, I talked to the moms, got sizes and color preferences, and made shirts. I've gone back to vinyl, which is another post...it's so much fun to see the designs come to life!




I hope Noble's friends--and their Moms!--enjoy. Not that it's about me, but I've sure enjoyed putting these together. I'd better get moving, or we'll be late for party #1! Have a great weekend!