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...

The things we go through for blogs...

Phew!  I can't believe how much time I just spent working on this header thing.  I think technology is getting way ahead of me--I can't believe I created my own website at one time using HTML that was self-learned!  Now, I'd just throw my hands in the air and run screaming from the room!  {Are you hearing the echos of my frantic footsteps?} 

I think I'll just stick with what I have for the time being.  I created it in Photoshop Elements, and although I took a Photoshop class at one time, that was before any babies, and boy has my memory evaporated since that time!  So, even if you don't love my header, would you mind telling me what you do like about it?  lol  The funny thing about it all is that I only have 10 followers {although the 10th in anonymous}, and I rarely receive comments/feedback, but I cherish blogging and having an outlet with written memories of our daily life.  For those who comment, thank you :)

In other news, the girls' school is going well.  Lovely LOVES school--she thinks the math games are AWESOME and she adores the science experiments {sounds a bit nerdy, now that I think about it, lol}.  Honestly, I don't know whose child she is.  I wasn't a fan of math, despite advanced placement, and I really didn't like science.  Maybe we just didn't do such cool stuff in 1st grade?  Snugglebug, on the other hand, tells me she likes school, but she never says she has a great day.  She makes friends easily enough {including a new best friend whom she doesn't know the name of}, but she always forgets what she did in the day.  However, once she recovers from temporary amnesia, her face lights up as she sings "Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" from school or she remembers something she did. 

Now, about me.  I have been procrastinating yet again.  I just haven't had energy.  Nope, none.  I exercised a little this morning, but that was after I went back to bed after dropping off the girls.  Then, I fell asleep as Lovely was watching one of the original Star Wars tonight {I never thought I'd have a girl who loves Star Wars--that sounds a bit nerdy, too, lol}.  I need to get my 2nd class planned, but I've only made it to pg. 20 of the teacher's manual--30 pages to go and then a schedule to create.  My goal is to get the entire schedule finished tomorrow so I can type up the syllabi by Monday night.  However, I have two orientations to attend this week, as well, in the evenings of course.  I'm looking forward to them.  I've spent the last 16 yrs in jobs that I just waited to "finish," so I pray this job is one I want to continue doing.  I loved teaching before, but the situation just wasn't working, and S & I fought a lot of battles those 17 months.  Yet, I was brought to tears by students who thanked me, who said they never felt like the teacher cared before, who said they never felt they could be as open in their writing before.  And to think:  As a child, I always said I didn't want to be a teacher.  Hmph.  Which leads me to my question of the blog post:

What have you been called to do that you never thought you could/would do?