Thursday 13: Money-pits

While we are beginning to save money for a possible move/home addition in the future, I have been paying a little closer attention to where all my money goes. Does your money fly out of your wallet at these things too?!

1. Anything at Target. I go in for a "few things" (let's say "gray eyeshadow and whole milk" for instance) and end up with 2 scarves, a baby bathing suit, and a rubbermaid tub. Crap. Forgot to get the milk.
2. Gas. I only get it about every 10 days, but when I see the numbers inching toward $50, it makes me want to puke. My friend and I recently reminisced about how we paid $10 a tank in high school.
3. Snacks for baby. When she doesn't eat what we eat (unless its El Vaquero!), I find myself constantly in need of "food for Larkyn". Half the cart is probably food just for her.
4. Knit dresses. I wear them almost every day in the summer. Can't walk past a cute one without contemplating it inside my closet.
5. Fast food breakfast. I LOVE IT. Especially Wendy's, which really deserves its own post.
6. Clothes for Larkyn. I have gotten much better in the last 18 months (yes, she had a full closet before she was born). But I still just loving buying her a tee shirt or two if I am anywhere near Gymboree. Or a bag full of playclothes from Once Upon a Child!
7. Carryout dinner. Dinners around here do not receive a good reception. I don't have the time or the desire to spend the evening in the kitchen, so we do a lot of carryout. Deliciously expensive.
8. Cable! I hate the cable/internet bill. But I would dearly miss it if it was gone.
9. Supplies for projects. I do usually follow through with making the project, but then I have the surplus paper, ribbon, etc. around forever.
10. Credit card bills:o( I will be paying those for a long time.
11. Oh, which reminds me...student loans. Ugh.
12. The entire dairy section at the store. You name it...yogurt, cheeses, milks, it all jumps in the cart.
13. Ah yes, babysitting. We love Miss C and our babysitting arrangement is perfect. but it will be nice to have the summer to save that money for a while!

Wednesday in pictures

Alert! Wednesdays are going to have a new look. Making the Picasa collages was way too much work, sorry. And I need words! I'll just caption them and hopefully they will take on a little more meaning for you as well.

Fun at the water table with her sweet rash guard bathing suit.

Trying out the new ladybug pool daddy got her. She preferred to play outside of it since the hose water was freezing. Swimsuit courtesy of Auntie Kate.

Roses from one of my students. So sweet. They came wrapped in a big picture he colors of Cars 2:o)

Memorial Day at the zoo. It was so hot it actually felt like we were in Africa with the leopard and gorillas.

5 Love Languages

Have you ever heard of this before? It is a book that looks a little chachi to me, but someone was talking about it at work. Among the other 99.9% of other people discussing 50 shades. Anyway, it is similar to figuring out your personality type ("Relator" here), which I have done many times in the last decade or so. Helps you understand people in your workplace and people in your lives. It doesn't mean at all that you and the "others" can't co-exist, in fact, you are supposed to complement one another. It just helps you understand them and coexist in peace.

Photo and following list found here

Anyway, here are the 5 Languages. Which one are you? I can see how identifying which one your partner, parents, or older children are can alleviate misunderstandings and frustrations. I would be language numero uno. I don't see one for "give me graham crackers", which would be my daughter. Now go speak the language to your loved ones and have a peaceful week!

• Words of Affirmation

  Actions don’t always speak louder than words. If this is your love language, unsolicited compliments mean the world to you. Hearing the words, “I love you,” are important—hearing the reasons behind that love sends your spirits skyward. Insults can leave you shattered and are not easily forgotten.

• Quality Time

  In the vernacular of Quality Time, nothing says, “I love you,” like full, undivided attention. Being there for this type of person is critical, but really being there—with the TV off, fork and knife down, and all chores and tasks on standby—makes your significant other feel truly special and loved. Distractions, postponed dates, or the failure to listen can be especially hurtful.

• Receiving Gifts

  Don’t mistake this love language for materialism; the receiver of gifts thrives on the love, thoughtfulness, and effort behind the gift. If you speak this language, the perfect gift or gesture shows that you are known, you are cared for, and you are prized above whatever was sacrificed to bring the gift to you. A missed birthday, anniversary, or a hasty, thoughtless gift would be disastrous—so would the absence of everyday gestures.

• Acts of Service

  Can vacuuming the floors really be an expression of love? Absolutely! Anything you do to ease the burden of responsibilities weighing on an “Acts of Service” person will speak volumes. The words he or she most want to hear: “Let me do that for you.” Laziness, broken commitments, and making more work for them tell speakers of this language their feelings don’t matter.

• Physical Touch

  This language isn’t all about the bedroom. A person whose primary language is Physical Touch is, not surprisingly, very touchy. Hugs, pats on the back, holding hands, and thoughtful touches on the arm, shoulder, or face—they can all be ways to show excitement, concern, care, and love. Physical presence and accessibility are crucial, while neglect or abuse can be unforgivable and destructive.

Thursday 13: American places I want to go

 I'd rather spend my money on traveling than anything else. Actually, if I never got another gift again and instead got to buy plane tickets and hotel rooms, that would be just fine! Here are the places that are still on my must-see list. Any opinions?

St. Joseph's, Michigan

1. Hawaii- The plane ride does not excite me, but I'm sure it is worth it. Supposedly a good vacation with kids, too.

2. Key West- This is probably much more doable than Hawaii. The food, the drinks, the pink houses, oh my!

3. Seattle- The culture! The food! The coffee!

4. Portland (maybe do it in the same trip as Seattle?)

5. Savannah- Looks like the perfect place to stay for Christmas. I once spent Christmas in nearby Charleston and the weather was perfection.

6. Alaska (cruise)- We better go see those glaciers before they are gone!

7. Virgin Islands- I couldn't even tell you all their names, but I'd like to see the less inhabited ones for a mama/daddy trip to unwind.

8. Napa Valley- Do I really need to explain?

9. San Francisco (Round 2)- Went once when I was 5 or so and would love to go revisit everything as an adult.

10. Cape Cod- I've never been to the beaches of New England.

11. Puerto Rico- I was running out of ideas and remembered that we "own" PR. Incredible beaches and rainforests? Yes please.

12. West Michigan beaches- I've never actually been to Michigan. No, I am not THAT big of an OSU fan to avoid it, but the opportunity has never presented itself. Can you believe this is Michigan?!

You can't make this ___ up

My friends, it has been one of THOSE weeks. I thought it *might* give you some entertainment to be a fly on the wall in my last 24 hours. It's either laugh or cry, and I do not have time to cry!


Yesterday evening:
-Get home with baby and groceries at 6:00
-Put groceries away while "cooking" chicken Caesar salad for dinner
-Eat dinner while baby repeatedly goes after the dog food for her dinner
-Decide that this will not appear on our menu again and eat Pop Tarts and cereal
-While washing dishes, dogs go absolutely bonkers when they see the neighbor's dog
-Go to let dogs in, baby dumps over dog's water onto the poor hardwood floor for the 456th time
-Fold laundry while baby is content for a few minutes
-Put over-tired baby to bed early and clean up the living room, which is destroyed
-Look at the dog "nested" in my laundry, which is now all over the place
SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP
-Baby wakes up an hour early, so I get ready while she is awake (foreign to me)
-Dog jumps off bed, flattening out baby and leaving scratches on her (she is OK, but SCREAMING)
-While standing at the sink, wondering where the sippy cup is, hear baby drinking out of it with day-old milk. More screams. 
-Take baby to sitter, go to work (no details here because a kindergarten classroom is an alternate universe that we can discuss later)
-Pick up baby, who "has not slept well all day"
-Make dinner to serve when daddy gets home...?
-Daddy gets home, within minutes, his phone is gone and we realize baby is in the bathroom about to do her favorite thing: throw stuff in the toilet. Run and yell, scaring baby but (I kid you not) catching the phone while it is being dropped in. 
-Discover that extremely cranky baby has a horrific diaper
-While pondering "What caused THIS?" and stripping her down for a bath, realize that baby has peed on the bathroom floor
-"Where's dinner?"happens. I write this post.

You can't make this up. Ladies who have children, you know. Ladies who don't, I know you still have days like this. Men...you never will have days like this. Ever. Because we prevent it from happening!

And now, for your viewing pleasure, I will indulge you in a little clip I like to call "Larkyn goes to kindergarten". Hold out til it is completely over. Now don't you wish you were a fly on THAT wall?

Mama Monday: You puzzle me

Note to Larkyn:
Happy 13 months! Here you are in your birthday chair, which we can use for our pictures now.

As soon as you start speaking in phrases, I wondered if you could clear up a few things...

• Is your body wired a different way, to recognize weekends as the days to wake up early and M-F as the days to sleep in?
• Does food taste different when daddy or grandma feeds it to you? Just wondering why you can eat an omelette for dad and scream when I gave you a bite of scrambled eggs?
• Speaking of that, is there some magic ingredient in dog food that I missed that makes it delicious?
• How do you learn so fast? It took me months to learn some of the harder yoga poses, and you went from a few steps to running in less than a month!
• Do you really care what's on TV, or are The Backyardigans and The Bachelorette all the same to you?
• Is any book ever going to be as good as Pat the bunny?

 

• And finally, where did you learn your dance moves? 

Thursday 13: Why I love summer

OK, time to try something new! I am linking up at Aunie Sauce and you know I love a list. Link up and give it a shot once a week to clear your mind and tell us a little more about yourself.

I have 9 school days left til summer is here! I do love my kiddos, but I know they love summer just as much as I do!

1. Being with Larkyn every day! I can't wait to see what she has to show me in the next few months.

We love our new water table!

2. No alarm clocks. 

3. Going places on a weekday during the day. No more crowds and lines when I want to go grocery shopping, to the bookstore, library, or zoo (well, there are always crowds at the zoo).

4. Trying new restaurants. It's time to knock out a few more breakfast joints on my list, and now I have 7 days instead of 2 to try them. 

I'll use this fabulous birthday gift from Julie as my guide!

5. Going to the best place on earth. Larkyn is the same age I was when I started going...

This year she will actually be able to walk in the sand herself

6. SYTYCD!!!

7. Organizing the house. On the list: bedroom storage and basement de-cluttering (which was supposed to happen pre-baby. Ha!)

8. Reading a book a week. I miss books so much! These are up next...

9. Playdates with friends and their kids. I promise we won't bring a contagious disease this time.

10.  Wearing summer clothes without a dress code. Hooray for skirts, no socks, and flip flops!

11. Going to see another race with Matt. This is not officially on the books, but I am so hoping it will happen this summer. 

At the last race, it was so cold that it snowed! We hope to avoid that in July.

12. Trying some new recipes in the kitchen. When is there time during the school year? Pinterest board of delicious items I haven't made, here I come!

13. Having the stress level go down about 160 notches without the worry of TIME. Oh summer, how I've missed you.