Christmas, Pt. 1

Christmas came early this year since we weren't going to be at home on Christmas morning...

Lovely oogles her new sewing kit. 

Entertainment for the car...Don't judge me by the mud marks on my door.  They weren't there the last time I cleaned....

Christmas, the next morning.  I decided I like a 12-days of Christmas kinda thing.  They spend so much more time "bonding" with their new toys/gifts. 

Can you tell?

And this pic just made me laugh.  Snugglebug will hate me one day when she realizes how many people will have seen this pic.Whuut?

And for those of you truly detail-oriented, you may have noticed the pink basin in the background of above pics.  That's because after Lovely oogled the sewing kit and emptied it, she said, "Ohhh, I wonder what goes in first.  I know; this.  Now, what should...I feel like I'm going to throw up."  She acted perfectly well prior to this, mind you.  But, she stood, ran to the throne-room, and got sick.  She got a fever afterward, but she only was sick once and was better by morning, thankfully.

And then I got sick in the car.  Yay, me!  But, it was gone within a few hours.  Snugglebug felt sick, too, but my Canadian lovin' in-laws told her to drink buttermilk.  Get this:  it worked!  She escaped the illness!

Have a merry illness-free Christmas!

Perdita

A Fond Farewell....(no, she didn't die)


We finally found a new home for Lovely's guinea pig, Perdita.  Although it was difficult to sell her, it was something that had to be done, for Perdita's sake and mine.  I've been coughing/sick for five months.  Count them:  FIVE MONTHS.  I don't know if it is all due to Perdita, but my throat did start to close in the last time I had to deal with her cage.  As in breathing became difficult.  Very difficult. 

Yes, Lovely adored her.  However, in a round-about way, this is her way of getting what she really wants:  a puppy.  Yes, you read that right.  I have officially lost my mind and promised the girls a puppy.  Her daddy has lost his mind as well, obviously.

Not just any puppy.  A puppy from W. Virginia.  Yes, you read that right.  We will be driving five hours to pick up this puppy.  One of my old friends (I hesitate to mention just how long I've known her now) has a dog with a litter of cute, mostly lab puppies.  We have already picked out our newest addition, named her, and shopped for her.  I had to take Lovely to Rural King to shop for doggie things after we dropped off Perdita--Lovely was sobbing in the backseat.  Hmmm...more manipulation?  naaaaaah.

2011 Teach Gift: Yummy Hand Scrub

I would LOVE to take credit for this easy, simply yummy smelling hand scrub, but alas, I found the idea here.  After racking my brain, I could not come up with a decent gift for my daughters' teachers and (since I've subbed there a lot lately), the aides.  And then I found this.  Can everyone say ahhhhhh. (I realize that is a question, but a question mark displays a bit of anxiety, so I chose to use a period because it's a done deal of relaxation.)

First, I ran to Walmart and scoured the aisles for glass containers.  I finally found some for $1.95.  Next, I bought some sugar, some ribbon, some 3D stickers, and Dawn Hand-Renewal dish soap (which I happen to use anyway.)  The recipe called for mulling spices, but because I am ignorant in the spice department, I rejected this ingredient (especially after I called my mom and her only answer was to "google it."  I know what they are now, but I'm still rejecting them.  I'm suborn like that.) Sooo....

I poured some white sugar into the containers:

And then I dumped the sugar into a mixing bowl and added the dish soap until it seemed like a consistent gooey mess.  Mix well. Then, because I rejected the mulling spices, I opted for peppermint because who doesn't like peppermint during the holidays?  I thought I was being all original 'n stuff, but then I found an alternate "gardener's hand scrub" on a link from that website.  It used peppermint.  Go figure. 

I managed to pour most of the concoction in the jars...

And then I decorated them all pretty-like.

I added tags that said "(insert girl's name) Hand Scrub.  Made with sugar, spice and other things nice." And then Lovely proceeded to tell everyone they are candles. hmph.

For the main teachers, I placed each in a cute holiday bag, along with an eye mask, a mesh sponge in their favorite colors, and an old-fashioned ribbon bookmark with a pretty charm on it and my daughters' names with the year in puff paint.  I added a card last, and wrote a cute (and likely corny) poem that listed the various objects in the bag. 

Now, can I do the same thing next year if they are still in charter school?

Birthdays and the Like

Lovely is a lovely seven. years. old. now!  Sheesh!  Girl, you gotta stop growin'!

For her b-day, she asked for a doll that looks like her.  Me being the cheapskate that I am refused to buy an American Girl doll that only came in pjs for a mere 100 buckaroos, so I found a babysitter My Generation doll that would do.  Lovely's happy.  'Cept for the lack of other clothes, that is.  

On Lovely's b-day, we had a party in the frigid park with her classmates and other friends from school.  Yes, it was supposed to be in the 50s.  It wasn't.  Never mind.  The kids all had fun and I only got a little sick afterwards...

Here is Snugglebug sticking a tail somewhere on the donkey.  I had no idea this was a gals-only kinda game, but none of the boys at the party opted to play.  Hmmm...

We did a How to Train a Dragon kinda theme...kinda...Here is Lovely with her cousin and the cake that was amazingly the easiest cake I have ever designed--out of cupcakes!  Woot, woot!  And, it was yummy, too!

What would a party be without the gifts?  Lovely raked it in, and then took fo-eva to write the thank yous...but they did finally get done...finally.

Sisters.  What can ya say?  They love, they yell, they push, they pull, they hit, they smack.  They're great when one has to use the bathroom in a restaurant, tho, since they can travel in twos.  Here is one of those rare sister-lovin' moments. 

And this is at g'ma's house.  What could it be???

DarthLovely, of course!  Yes, my nerd of a daughter wanted a Darth Vader mask for her birthday.  What could I say?  I knew it was meant to be when I picked it up, pushed the button, and it said, "I find your lack of faith disturbing." --One of my all-time fave quotes from the dark side.

And to round out the fall and bring in the holidays, here are the girls dressed as a cowgirl and her horse, although Snugglebug looked more like a horse on top of a horse. 

Happy Holidays!

Teacher Gifts

Help!  I just realized I only have one more weekend before school is out and I'd like to give the girls' teachers presents.  However, I'm drawing a complete blank.  What on earth can I make/give that is a) cheap b) presentable c) useful?  I need three gifts....(sigh)....

FALLing Fast

Whooosh...that is the sound of fall speedily transitioning into winter.  It is also the sound my mind makes as it is boggled by the lack of time around here. 

Lovely is now taking violin lessons and she is playing basketball.  Perhaps I am pushing my childhood desires for extracurricular activities off on her, but she seems to be enjoying it.  I had always read that extra activities such as this can boost self-esteem, so let's see how it works.  Snugglebug is in basketball as well, but because of her age, she won't start playing until the actual games begin in December. 

My first three classes at a real university are swiftly coming to an end.  I still love teaching; I'm just disappointed to only have one scheduled for this spring.  Because of this, I'm once more desperately on the job search.  And because of this, if I get a job with a conflicting schedule, I will be forced to take the job that pays more.  (sigh).  I've been subbing an the girls' school as much as possible lately-- seven days this month alone, and this is during a month with a holiday break.  Also, I am only available 3 days/week, so I only have the possibility of subbing 12 days max. 

Needless to say, my house is atrocious.  Seriously, horrendous.  And I want to decorate for the holidays.  However, it is difficult to reason decorating a house when the house is so dirty I've lost the dust spray.  Yes, it's that bad.  Any cleaning volunteers? 

I've also been thinking of starting a new blog-ish site that I can use for my CV, but I'm wondering where I can dig up the time.  Also, I'd like to design some writing classes at the community center for this spring--one for homeschoolers and one for adults.  Oh, and did I mention I need to work on getting published myself?  Every time I see my culminating project on my flash drive, guilt shoots directly from my eyes through my body to my toes, which are buried under the mass of papers, clothes, and other debris inhabiting my house. 

Maybe I just need a clone?  What do you think?  If you could clone yourself for one day, and one day only, what would you have your clone do? 

Out Sick

Just a quick note to let you know I'm still alive...barely. 

I've been sick.  For two weeks.  TWO WEEKS.  Yeah, not fun.  I've been sounding like all the patients combined in an old-fashioned TB sanatorium.  Iron lung, anyone? 

So, I finally got to the "Express Care" yesterday and stopped at Meijer for some meds.  Did I mention how much I HATE Meijer now?  Twenty minutes turned into thirty, which turned into fifty.  Fifty minutes to fill my prescription.  Yeah, I coughed on everything I could find in a passive-aggressive rebellion, so make sure to wash your hands the next time you visit that store. 

Now, during my slow demise and even slower return to the land of the living, I've had some very interesting (and strange) thoughts run through my mind:

1.  What does the cough of a mute person sound like? 

2.  Why is the pharmacy usually located at the back of a store?  Are the stores really equipped with medical personnel to resuscitate local TB patients?  Next time you head to the pharmacy, take the most indirect route--someone may have coughed all over everything. 

3.  Is milk really necessary for cereal?  I mean, it's usually at the back of the store, too .

4.  What can really be classified as dinner?  If you serve your children healthy fruit, can that be a meal?

5.  A vaporizer that quits working right after you replace the filter, fill the tank with water, plug it in, and climb in bed should be smashed into tiny pieces and the manufacturer should receive individual pieces in the mail every year, delivered directly to their home address, until their backyard looks like a scene from Narnia's icy kingdom. 

6.  Do people really notice how many days you wear the same outfit?  I mean, I usually can't remember what I wore yesterday, except for the strewn remnants across my bedroom floor. 

7.  I really don't have a number 7.  I just don't like the number 6. 

Have a cough-free day, everyone!

The Perfect Post

I just noticed the date of my last post.  I...just...didn't see it until now?

Ok, I avoided looking until now.  Why, you ask?  Because I want to write the perfect post, of course.  You know.  The side-splitting, laughter inducing sentences with a contemplative undertone. 

Problem is, those just don't come out of my little (big) mouth...nor are they formed from the tiny keys overwhelmed by the pressure by my fingers.  Bumm-er. 

So, instead of prolific prose or giggly zingers, I'm going to make a to-do list for this week.  How many of you make to-do lists?  I make them, and then I realize everything I left off of them.  Then I make a new one.  Then I forget where I placed both of them (old-timers strikes again).

Here's my list for the weekend (that is, until Tuesday because that's when I'm actually required to wear clothing that half-way matches as I speak coherently (hahahaha) in front of 40-some college freshmen.

Source:  vi.sualize.us

1. Rework syllabi calendars--obviously, I thought I had no life when I planned the originals.  Oh, wait.  I don't. Ok, maybe I just want to sleep more.
2. Grade essays.  Grade essays.  Grade essays. 
3. Wash, iron, hang, & tag clothing/toys for a kids' sale. 
4. Call about a couple more job opportunities (how many others can I infect with my grammar par-tic-u-larities?)
5. Write some lesson plans.  Yep, I actually write this stuff down before it spews out of my mouth.  
6. Clean the bathroom.  I'm waiting on my gas mask and commercial-grade plastic suit to come in, which is a perfectly good excuse for shutting the door and ignoring what may be growing inside (ewwwwwww).  
7. Re-design my daughters' doll house before they redecorate the entire thing with colored markers, tiny pieces of toilet paper, and chewed-up straws.  As we all know, one person's trash is my daughters' treasure.  

What's on your to-do list this week?  

Source:  free-avatars.com

 

MIA

Yes, I've been MIA for a few days, so here's a brief run-down on the low-down (or whatever)...

Can I just say, I teaching?  I spent so many years doing jobs I coulnd't wait to leave, so I'm still in shock that I've found something I really, honestly enjoy!  Ok, so not all my classes are the greatest, but I had another really great class tonight and I glided to the parking lot on an adrenaline rush after it was over. 

On the sleeping front, the little gals have been a bit better in bed--perhaps first-week-of-school jitters has worn off a little?  On my next problem front, Ms. Snugglebug is having issues with the truth, as in, she doesn't like telling it.  While I was away tonight, she drew with pink marker all around her mouth and told my mom, "Nooooo.  I didn't do it."  And yet, it was all over her hands.  My mom's reaction?  I think she had difficulty containing the giggles. 

Oh, before I end this "life in brief,"  I have to tell you about the giveaway on Allison's site.  To celebrate 400 posts, she is giving away several skeins of yarn...woot woot.  Definitely check it out!

Vacation 2, Pt. 3

While on the Heritage Trail, we stayed at Das Essenhaus, a name that I pronounced differently an infinite number of times.  It was a very nice hotel/conference center, but large, so if you are looking for the little quaint getaway, this won't exactly meet your expectations.  However, the staff was extremely friendly, we were given a room on the first floor directly down the hall from the pool & exercise rooms, it was very clean, and there was a nice breakfast included the next morning.  There were quilts everywhere {including a quilt show}, a classic car show every Thursday in the summer, and several shops. 

This was in our room {I tried to take a pic of each quilt I saw}:

View from our room:

Snugglebug snugglin' with her new sock monkey...that I already had to sew once we got home.

Lovely being lovely {and showing off her new froggy watch}.

And last but not least, the travesty that occurred in my arteries from the abundance of home-cooked, family-style dining: 

Thoughtful Thursday: Getting Kids to Sleep

Not the girls' room..but cute :)

I have a secret to share with you...and a pet peeve.  My daughters don't sleep.  Ok, they sleep when it's really, really late...into the late morning.  But, they just don't like going to bed.  What's the secret, you ask?  I don't like going to bed, either. 

Since school began for the girls, they have to get up much earlier than normal.  This results in me gently saying, "Wake up for school," to tickling, to throwing the covers back, to pulling their warm bodies toward the cool edge of the bed, to bouncing the bed, to finally yelling, "GET UP!  YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE!"

Now, I know all you homeschool moms don't have quite the same issue {luckies}, but my question for today is: how do you get kids to sleep?!  And then how do you get them up in time in the morning? 

These are the issues I'm facing:

• We have a small house, so the girls share one bedroom
• We have small rooms, so the girls share a double bed
• They talk, tickle, fight, and cry for at least an hour after I put them to bed
• If I put them to bed earlier {no matter how early they got up that morning}, they talk, tickle, fight, and cry for more than an hour after I put them to bed

This is what I've tried:

• Placing a body pillow between them.  Result:  Pillow is pushed/kicked/folded/climbed on
• Putting the girls to bed horizontally instead of vertically.  Result:  They complain because their legs now hang off the bed.
• Removing stuffed animals that they sleep with.  Result:  They never sleep with anything and are no longer allowed to sleep with anything.

Here is our routine:

• Restroom trip
• Goodnight kisses for Daddy
• Prayer
• Goodnight kisses for Mommy
• Bible audio plays on my iPod (and yes, I've explicitly warned them not to talk over God.  It works to start with...)
• Continual warning outside their door to be quiet
• Opening door, walking over to bed, and telling them to be quiet
• Threatening them with anything I can possibly hold over their head {figuratively} to entice them to listen

I'd like my bloodpressure to stay down tomorrow night, so have any thoughts, tricks, or tips? 

For more information on kids and sleep, I found this NY Magazine article really interesting. 

I Talk To Everyone...Whuuut?

Snugglebug surprised me yet again yesterday.  We went out for an early dinner with my mom since I had the first of two orientations last evening.  When someone was leaving, she started talking to me about twins, asking (as just about everyone does) if my girls are twins.  When she left, Lovely asked who that was and after I told her I didn't know, Snugglebug dropped a bombshell and said, "You talk to everyone." 

Whuut?  I have never, never, ever been accused of that.  I am the shy person who {im}patiently waits behind everyone else to ensure they are finished talking before I begin.  In fact, I looked around when I arrived at my orientation last night and wondered who on earth I would talk to, or if I would talk with anyone (I did, by the way--after a while).  Yet, I'm happy Snugglebug thinks I talk to "everyone."  I don't want my girls feeling as uncomfortable in crowds as I felt growing up, nervous about going anywhere because there would be "people."  Now, I just hope I can keep this "talkative cover" going ;) 

Money Matters Monday: Savings Solutions & SmartyPig

I'm testing a new "day of the week" that needs to be prioritized in my life:  Money Matters Monday.  I know--it doesn't exactly offer the thrill of a zip line through the Amazon, but money woes can upset your stomach like a 50 mile rollercoaster on steroids over Lake Erie, so buckle-up and maybe you'll find something interesting :)

I don't know about you, but I'm terrible at saving money lately.  To add to my money-saving woes, my bank recently implemented new fees that are withdrawn if you don't carry certain balance minimums in your accounts.  New fees fueled new anger, so I quickly closed my savings account, only to move my savings into my checking, which resulted in *unintentional* spending of my savings! 

So, I began searching for:  a) a higher than average interest yielding account, b) a no/low-fee account, and c) an account that is easily accessible, yet difficult enough to discourage needless withdraws of money.  I found this with SmartyPig, so now I'm going to be your guinea pig :) 

Currently, balances under 50K {over?--only in my dreams!} earn 1.10% APY with a minimum $25.00 initial deposit and a minimum of a $250.00 goal. 

What is a goal, you ask?  SmartyPig is savings for goals, so each account sets up certain goals to save for {I don't believe there is a limit to the amount of goals you set}, over a set period of time.  Once you reach your goal, you can withdraw your money, or let it stay in the account an accrue more interest. 

SmartyPig deposits your money in BBVA, an FDIC insured bank, in your name.  You can withdraw your money using gift cards, money/debit cards, or placing the money back into your originating checking/savings account. 

How do they make their money?  Mostly by customers redeeming gift cards at various businesses.  I don't see any secret fees as of yet, but I've only made a small deposit with a short-term goal.  Once the goal is reached, I'll see if there are any hidden fees by closing out my goal.  There you go--you're very own money guinea pig! 

Here's what they have to say for themselves:

Michael Ferrari, of www. smartypig, a social banking website aimed in part at 25-to-35-year-olds, said the average savings goal is $5,000 and about 70 percent of customers reach the goal. SmartyPig’s intent is to help people save for specific goals, from a home remodeling project to a flat-screen TV, and it recently launched a mobile application for smartphones that automatically posts updates on Facebook and Twitter every time users put money aside for their goals.

Now, I'm not opting for the publish sharing of my balance/goal, or for contributions, so you'll have to check that out for yourselves if you decide to.  Otherwise, watch my blog and wait to see if I reach my goal and how it works best!

Vacation 2, Pt. 2

Elkhart Visitor's Center

The pic below was taken in the...

Women's restroom, of course--where else?

There were quilts hung everywhere at the center.  This one showed how even scrap thread can be used in a quilt:

I thought of S & me when I saw this quilt, but I'll have to do some more research on the name.

Lovely volunteered for her part in the pic below:

I loved the colors found in the quilts, but I especially liked the one above.  I would have loved to have purchased one on our trip, but hundreds of dollars for a quilt I have not.  This visitor's center is supposedly the beginning of the Heritage Trail, a 90-mile loop of towns and farms through Amish country.  During the trip, I surmised most people living there must be very content--"for sale" house signs were extremely rare. 

Vacation 2, Pt. 1

So I just got finished blogging about vacation in June, and now I double-whammy you with a blog about our vacation in August.  It might appear we are always taking trips--oh, how I wish that were true!

My mom and aunt wanted to take a trip because they were feeling free and restless and, knowing school would soon be tying the girls and me down, I kindly offered to drive tehm to their destination.  We chose to go on the Heritage Trail in northern Indiana, starting in Nappanee and making a loop.  Here is our first stop after leaving Elkhart {I'll post pics from the Elkhart Visitor's Center next--I have to keep you on your toes--chronological order is overrated}. 

Linton's Enchanted Gardens

{well worth the stop}

They had these crazy houses all over teh place, and the girls adored them.  The one below reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. 

This was the one the girls could play in.  The trunk opened up, and I only hoped it didn't lead to the "pit of despair" {Ok, maybe a small part of me hoped it would so I could climb down, too}.

This sign was attached to the playhouse.  My children are official wildlife.

"Hey, Mommy, take a pit-chur of me in my Chinese house!"

"Take a pit-chur of the one with the funky head," directs Snugglebug.

"Who you callin' "funky head," Messy Hair?" asks teh Funky Head.

"Has anyone seen my brush?  Awww, brushes are overrated."

The gardens even included an alien with green goop udnerneath the body.  The girls really enjoyed this one--I guess they take after their mother more than I thought--not that I'm partial to green goop, or anything :)

Well, until the next landing...or abduction...