May 23, 2006

Tuesday's Fun Markoffs

Okay, today went well so far. The last MAJOR thing I have to do is fold my clothes---but ya know, I've been eyeing them, and I KNOW they will get done TODAY. :-D Haven't gone out to the store yet but - gasp! - the cake is ALL DONE, frosted and made up for my lovely hubby. How? you ask...I MADE the frosting. I figured, I'm feeling good, adventurous, the clean up will be quick, why not? So I looked up vanilla frosting recipes and found a GREAT one. Of course, my first (well, second, but that's because I thought what I did eventually do the sugar and water in was too big, and the directions are a bit shotty) attempt went molasses (very hard molasses...uh, yeah...), but I figured out when was the right time, and poof now I have enough frosting. I swear, I can never get store bought to go that far. And it's so easy to add other things to it...you know, like coloring (got that), flavoring (added vanilla and chocolate---wonder what that raspberry syrup would taste like? Hmm, maybe I'll make a cake for myself next week....it is after all MY birthday...and EXPERIMENT!!!), etc, and get it how you want it. I think it turned out very well. Took pictures too :-D I think I'm sold on making my own frosting!!! It's my second favorite kind (my first being the Light and Creamy over at Tops/Martin's). I'll post the pictures sometime, definitely on my blog later :-D

Breakfast - done
Dressed - done
Fly Mission
Fold T underwear and the sheets - done
Wash & Fold my clothes - half done
Get out a 3 ring for my "How Harry Met Sally's" (connections of who, what, where, when, why for stories) - done, just gotta fill it, LOL!!!
Kage Baker info for "obit" - done, first draft was today's writing, even worked with it a little more earlier
Make cake - done
Get frosting - done (made it)
Dinner = something for T---maybe steak? we'll see - next thing I'm going to tackle :-D - ended up being his hamburgers :-D

Monday's Milage Markoff 2 and Tuesday's Fun

WHB
- vac (needs it anyway) - done (swept the kitchen too)
- garbage (almost done already, LOL) - pretty much done
- change sheets (after T gets out of the bed!!!)
- grab the duster :-D - done
- polish mirrors and doors....hmmm - yup, just had to find the windex!
Fold/wash more of T's clothes - almost done
Declutter my desk - done
Go to teeth cleaning appt. - done
Change sheets - done
Fold T & P's clothes - done
Dishes - done

Enough with the alliteration. :-P Yesterday went fairly well. I even did the Mission. I made today's list last night. But, I've got more than the usual stuff---I'm also going to make my husband a birthday cake. So I'm going to have to run to the store to get the frosting that I forgot yesterday :-\ Oh well. :-) Today's list....

Breakfast
Dressed
Fly Mission
Fold T underwear and the sheets
Wash & Fold my clothes
Get out a 3 ring for my "How Harry Met Sally's" (connections of who, what, where, when, why for stories)
Kage Baker info for "obit"
Make cake
Get frosting
Dinner = something for T---maybe steak? we'll see

May 22, 2006

Monday's Milage Markoff 1

WHB
- vac (needs it anyway) - done (swept the kitchen too)
- garbage (almost done already, LOL) - pretty much done

- change sheets (after T gets out of the bed!!!)
- grab the duster :-D - done
- polish mirrors and doors....hmmm - yup, just had to find the windex!
Fold/wash more of T's clothes - 1 load in the washer (gotta reboot), socks and underwear are next!
Wash P's clothes (today's the day :-D) - yup, just gotta fold!
Declutter my desk - done
Go to teeth cleaning appt. - done

And I got a page of writing in. I went through and just did did did the stuff, and then sat down and worked on my story. I might try to work in another few words, so I can get started on my entry for this month's "assignment" in the InkWell thing in the Writer's Digest :-) I've got what I want to do, I just have to sit down and do it. :-) It's something I'm going to need to sit in front of the computer (with my notebook) for! :-)

Monday's Milage

Okay, yeah, that sucks, but it's all I could come up with right now. Didn't look at the thesaurus. :-P

So, today's a day to get back on track. The last couple nights have been a bit difficult---P seems to have some congestion or something, and he feels a bit warm this morning (though that could be because he had just woke up from a short nap, and he had his pjs on just before I felt his head). I've given him some Dimetapp to work on the congestion, we'll see how it works later on today. He's not been wheezing at night, more a really good snore, but it's got me a bit worried---since it means I'm up half the night with a guy who is just barely asleep half the time :-( Oh well, time to work on it is all :-) Otherwise, he's so adorable---he's getting better at standing without holding on to anything :-D

So my list for today...I'll just list the stuff, instead of explaining what I need to do. Otherwise, this email would go on forever, LOL

WHB
- vac (needs it anyway)
- garbage (almost done already, LOL)
- change sheets (after T gets out of the bed!!!)
- grab the duster :-D
- polish mirrors and doors....hmmm
Fold/wash more of T's clothes
Wash P's clothes (today's the day :-D)
Declutter my desk
Go to teeth cleaning appt.

I don't know if I will get in even 5 minutes of writing, but I will try. Maybe make that my goal or reward for doing all the rest :-D

P, buddy, you're comin' with momma!! :-D

May 20, 2006

Saturday's Siesta

If you take a look at my link (click on the title), you'll find that today's title's actually a bit appropriate. I feel like I COULD take a midday nap right now, LOL. Last night was a bit difficult cause someone kept waking up. But we got through it. No big deal, we just have to get to bed earlier tonight. I think we can do that :-D

It feels good knowing that my house is looking better, on its way to being out of the CHAOS. :-D The bathroom looks so much better---I did the last two missions for the zone this week, which was the bathroom and another room. I didn't do the other room, but I did the bathroom---the floor and the tub and sink. It looks 100% better. T and I were taking our shower, and remarking how much better the floor and tub looked. It made me feel good that he was impressed :-D I'm probably not doing it just how FLYlady does, but I'm doing it my way and the best I can. And I'm getting it done. That's the important thing. And it feels good. I don't have anything today that I feel I have to get done cause I didn't do it during the week. Well, maybe I could do some of the WHB, but that's okay too. I'm not in a hurry to get it all done. I'm happy how it is right now. And I'll feel better as things go along. And I got a page of writing in yesterday---nothing's better than that :-D I'll probably not do any writing today, but only because we're all home :-D

May 19, 2006

Friday's Frolic updated

Bathroom Missons (did the medicine one last week anyhow, but I could do a few others. Like the floor :-|) - half done. I will get the rest (the tub and the floor) done when D gets home
Fold/wash T's clothes - 1 load folded, and one each in the dryer and washer (which need to be rebooted)
Post yesterday's emails on blog - done

Dinner= ? (something with ground beef---beef broccoli casserole that I found online? would need to pick up a few other things, I don't think I have the philo dough in the freezer anymore, so maybe not) - might talk to T. I need to check about the philo/pastery sheets in the freezer. I'm pretty sure I ditched them because I didn't foresee a time I'd ever use them, but you never know.

And the most important thing---I got one good page of writing done. I'm not the kind of writer who can sit and compose on the computer. There are some advantages to that---for instance, a delete button---but I know that I would spend more time playing online games than I would writing, so it's not an option. Plus, there's just something about writing your work out long hand. I like penpalling too, and I can't stand writing letters out all the time on the computer. There's only one penpal I'll do that for, and it's cause she's autistic and can't read my handwriting. Otherwise, my penpals get one typewritten letter---the intro letter---and that's it. My next goal with writing is to look into freelancing and/or contests. I know I want to make a Writer's Digest contest at some point---I wanted to try for the short shorts one they had some months ago, but never did sit down and write anything out. I'll have to look through my copies of Writer's Digest and my Writer's Market. :-)

Friday's Frolic

Yeah, I really need to get my thesaurus out. Ha ha, and today I plan on doing that for more than one reason. I rushed through a few things---picking up a little, folding what of T's clothes are in the dryer, filling up the sink, and I'm not going to spend too long on here either. I want to sit and write, so I can have at least 15 mintues (oh, that's one thing I will go more if I can, LOL) of doing SOMETHING. I'm going to look over the old stories I have in my notebook, and see if the one story, that I've been thinking about again, has more gas to it. Otherwise, I'll open one of my text books from my Creative Writing classes, and see what comes out. I had one exercise, where you pick 10 letters and write a sentence with those letters, and it was fun. I'll see about others :-D

So, today's list...

Bathroom Missons (did the medicine one last week anyhow, but I could do a few others. Like the floor :-|)
Fold/wash T's clothes
Post yesterday's emails on blog

Dinner= ? (something with ground beef---beef broccoli casserole that I found online? would need to pick up a few other things, I don't think I have the philo dough in the freezer anymore, so maybe not)

May 18, 2006

Thursday's Time Out

Yeah. Today I'm not feeling too well...I was miserable all last night, and I've got a nice little cough. I'm not feeling well all over. So, today I'm going to take it easy and just rest. Sometimes we need that. I've done so well over the last few days, it's not going to hurt to take a little time out :-)

Any time P goes down for a nap, I'm going to too. And I'm not going to do any major cleaning, I'm not even going to work on T's clothes. I'll just do the minor stuff---the dishes, getting ready, and I've got to go out to the post office. That's it. No more. Dinner too of course....but I'm not going to stretch myself out. I'll mainly work on my current project, the flowers for my friend's wedding this summer :-)

May 17, 2006

Wednesday's....Wanderings???

I've got to get that thesaurus out. I'm running out of synonyms for adventure.

Here's my list. It's early enough, I haven't started it yet...unless you count the item that I didn't put on but had to do, namely alerting the resident manager about the toilet and basement. Yeah, I mentioned that last night....so, I did, and he made the call. All done...well, they're not here yet, but I'm no longer worried...

Garbage
Vac floor
Check Zone
Fold blue and yellow baskets
Finish with T's clothes
Make Spanish Rice (start about noon)

Yeah, looks good. Not too much. :-)

May 16, 2006

Tuesday's Time Out

Vac Floor
Fold blue basket
Wash T's clothes (in the washer as we speak!) - there's a load in the dryer, and more to come. I don't like the smell coming from the basement. Put it this way---the bathroom's been dealt with upstairs. But I don't have anyone living under me, so....*eww*....And you have to think, whoever did a roughshod job on the toilet upstairs put the one down here in too. I'll catch the resident manager when the kids get on the bus in the morning.
Bills (shred some) (find old electric bill----or the current one!!) - found the electric bill, the check's written, the gas bill's been counted---they will go out (one electronically, the other in an envelope) on Thursday :-D

Shopping list/go shopping - done

I've not done too bad. T has been leaving his clothes, washed, in baskets in the wash room. Cause he'd get admonished to not turn on the light when P was sleeping when daddy got ready for bed, and it's hard to see the difference between good dark blue shirts/pants and holey ones. I ended up folding all his shirts and pants and "under" shirts. I'm not going to do the same with his underwear, LOL. But I wanted his clothes looking better in there. Didn't fold the blue basket, and added another basket to it. I found one with my clothes, washed, that had been in the bags from the car, and they are clothes I've been looking for. Now I know where they went. :-|. I've got fixin's for my mom's Spanish Rice, so my dad's coming over for dinner tomorrow. It sounds like it's an all day prep thing. Which is good, now I can do that!!! :-D

P had his first plate of spaghetti with us tonight. Wow, he just sucked that stuff down!!! He loved it!!! Too cute. I have a few pictures. Then of course he got tossed right into the bath. Well, he loves that too. Yup, pictures. He's figured out how to splash. I love that. Of course, there will be a day I don't, but it's cute now, huh? :-)

Okay, almost time for bed. I'm going to have some chocolate---in the form of chocolate milk---then brush my teeth and go to bed.

Oh, and I've already got my list for tomorrow. You get to see that then.

Tuesday's Trek

I'm getting creative here....I'm not just giving the emails one sort of subject title. Something tells me I'm going to be taking out that notebook soon!!! :-)

Well, I'm still a bit tired today. I'm not getting to bed as soon as I'd hope, but that's just another thing we have to work on. I have to say, though, I think overall the house is coming together. Not perfect, not exactly how I want it, but it's coming together. :-)

I like how my bedroom looks now. I want to keep that going. Today I think I'm just a bit tired though. I'll keep to the basics---that which I need to do, and that which I have listed. :-) So, my list...I prepared today's last night, again. :-) I'm going to add one thing to it, though, that I don't already have on there, cause it needs to be done as well. :-)

Vac Floor
Fold blue basket
Wash T's clothes (in the washer as we speak!)
Bills (shred some) (find old electric bill----or the current one!!)
Shopping list/go shopping - done partly (I can go to the Quality website and draw up a list. Is that a good thing? :-\)

Okay, gonna tote the box of bills into the living room. Take care all :-)

Fold P's and my clothes was also on the list, but I did that last night before I went to bed :-D

May 15, 2006

Monday's Journey's high points...and low

Garbage (so happy to find out this is part of WHB) - done
Bedroom (? - cause I didn't know if Tom would want to) - done
Check Zone (yeah, I'm going to clean around my toilet later in the day :-)) - checked it, didn't do it --- yet! I'll do it when I go take my shower. I can only fit that in at night. Otherwise, he and I get up in the morning and we go go go. Well, we sit sit sit, but I have to watch watch watch. On the days I HAVE to take a shower in the morning, someone always watches him --- his sister, his dad. My dad a couple times.
Fold blue basket - not yet, on tomorrow's list
Wash P's clothes (as well as mine if I get the chance, which has become Tom's too....) - washed, not folded, neither are T's clothes
Bottom of stairs (frankly, the worst part of this is just all the STUFF that has accumulated to be brought upstairs. That's T's job---he's the big strong man in the family, so...I've already told him exactly what I want brought upstairs) - yeah, it's T's job, so I'll wait until he does it and then I'll address it. He's been working on putting door stops on the kitchen cabinets (okay, maybe I guilted him into those :-|), so I won't try to "guilt" him into the stuff at the bottom of the stairs.
Bills (shred some) (I've got to sort these. I think they become part of tomorrow's list) - gotta go through them, and if I can't find the current electric bill (it's not in the sorter. Why's it not in the sorter?!?!?!?), I will call and do it over the phone cause I'm pretty sure you can.

I seem to remember a mention about Flylady doing a "Price Book". I've looked all over the site where I think it might be. I'd like to do one (the notebook I want to use is right here next to the computer).

Now, I need to go knock my kid out with nursing. This might take a half an hour to do right, or it might take all evening. I'll try it in the bedroom, instead of the couch, cause I really don't want to have to keep bringing him back out, but....:-\ This is all trial and error.

I need chocolate...

(When this was posted in an email to the group I subscribe to in this area, someone commented to me that it was entertaining to read :-))

Mother's Day and Monday's Adventures

Mother's Day went smoothly. I ended up deciding that we'd go out for dinner---it's my day to begin with, so why do I NEED to be the one to cook?? We went to the local chinese buffet---cause I had a desire for it...? Before that, my daughter had her last concert of the year for the group that she's a part of. She'd not going to be doing it last year, even though my parents offered to pay for it as part of her birthday present, because we have no idea right now if we're still going to be living here next school year. I haven't even renewed her Girl Scout membership here because of that. That's okay, I'll just find out where the council is out in Colorado or Wyoming, wherever we decide to light, and get her into it there :-D It was really sweet what they did. Because it was on Mother's Day (the one lady said they didn't know if it was a good or bad thing, LOL), each of the kids in each group went out at the end of their set and gave their mothers carnations. Mine's a real CARnation cause it's still out in the car, but I'm going to add it to the floors my husband gave me on Friday "just because." Then, for the first level (that D's in), the director gave gift certificates for those kids who had perfect attendance. My daughter was one of them (duh. She's been "tardy" to that---and school---a couple times this year, but she nearly always gets perfect attendance at school. Even my sister's wedding won't end it for her at school. It's not much, I think, other than for this special, because it's what's expected. :-| Health issues don't count.) The gift certificate is for a local book store. Which I think is kinda funny---I finally found the gc that she got from her godparents several years ago that I had lost (oops), and she got one from school for something---reading, or getting a 100% on her spelling test, which she is now doing again cause we're putting the time in for it (blush...bad mommy and daddy)---so now she has $17 in gift certificates to use there. And I might get her a couple books for her birthday over and above that! LOL!!!

Next---Yeah! The bedroom is done. By that I mean---I finished the "cushion" for under the bed, so I could put just the mattress and box spring on the floor (the last time that was done, with the old mattress set, was cause the frame had broke. This is to prevent serious injury to P in case he might fall off the bed at night or when I'm asleep and he wants to be mobile and he's spent the night in with mommy), last night. I presented it to T (well, told him), and he said we might as well do it then. So, it got done. The floor got picked up (ugh---so much stuff!), swept, the sheets got changed (gotta get the WHB hour in more!!! Double UGH!), the bed, crib and night stand got placed (those are the only things that could be/had to be moved). Now my husband is happily napping in there. I've got wash to do now (like I didn't before, ha ha....but now it's all of his clothes that were on the floor :-(( Double triple UGH!!!!! But, I'd rather wash them....). And I've sorted through the rest of the garbage that came up off the floor. :-D Now I just have to get the last of the things to their places, and we're done :-D

So, here's the list I made (last night) for today.

Garbage (so happy to find out this is part of WHB)
Bedroom (? - cause I didn't know if T would want to)
Check Zone (yeah, I'm going to clean around my toilet later in the day :-))
Fold blue basket
Wash P's clothes (as well as mine if I get the chance, which has become T's too....)
Bottom of stairs (frankly, the worst part of this is just all the STUFF that has accumulated to be brought upstairs. That's T's job---he's the big strong man in the family, so...I've already told him exactly what I want brought upstairs)
Bills (shred some) (I've got to sort these. I think they become part of tomorrow's list)

The floor could use another vac again, so I think that might end up being on tomorrow's list. No one said that everything has to be done on the same day---and I know some people don't do it all on the same day for their own various reasons. Now that I feel well, I need to get this stuff going :-) That way, when I feel like crud again I'll know it's not all that hard!!! LOL!!!

I really don't know what's gotten into me with this though. I don't know if it's "Spring Cleaning" or what. I've often wondered, while I was thinking about all of it, if I'm just feeling that much better, or if there's more. Like, one thing I've wondered is if the universe is trying to tell me something---and I get the feeling it's something big. Like the landlord coming over for an inspection. He hasn't done that in a while .... I don't know what emoticon to put for that ... and if I get into this and get the whole house better, and get my routines down, then when he shows up, I won't have to do much work.

May 13, 2006

Saturday's Adventures

Bible verse presently commanding my attention:

Proverb 31:10-31

I'm going to work on cleaning again today. I've got so much energy now to just go go go go go. I want to get this place into gear!!!

So far I've started the sink for dishes, and I've cleared the fridge of a bunch of old stuff, got together a garbage bag because of it and put that outside with the others for when my husband comes home (which should be any time now). I also washed down 2 of the shelves and have the drawer soaking right now. I don't know what it is...I'm even doing this through a cold I thought for sure would make me want to sit all day. :-| Yesterday I thought for sure I'd just spend all day on the couch, watching tv and crocheting, along with occassionally pulling someone up on my lap to eat, but then I was walking by the futon for some reason or another, and I started sorting through the basket and boxes there. Then, last night when I got off the phone from my mom, instead of going to bed like I wanted to, I did a bit more cleaning. Part of that was putting the first set of garbage bags out for my husband, but then I did other things too. And I'm not nearly as tired as I think I would be. I must be sick, ha ha ha...:-|

Anyhow, here's my goals for the rest of today....

Fold P's clothes
Vac the floor
Sort the basket with papers/envelopes/etc
Sort thru the box of pens and markers and toss the dead ones
Wash the basket of laundry on the futon
Dishes
Fling through my purse
Stock diaper bag (wipe out pocket from jars of baby food that were in there too long :-S)

That should take me most of the day. Oh yeah---also, I want to get a walk in...so....

Take a walk with family!!

Wanting to clean or not, I should get to bed at a decent hour. Padraic's going to sleep fairly easily for at least 4 hours at night, then when I come in he comes over with me. I don't like that---cause I'm coming in at the end of those 4 hours. I want it where I'm going to sleep as soon as I lay him down or shortly after. I guess it's just a habit I've got to start!!! I was going to sleep when he did for the first few months after he was born. Let's see if I can get back into that!

Oh, and too cool---my stitches are now out. I pulled one out last night, then 2 more today. I thought he had put 4 in, so either my count was off, or I swallowed the other one, LOL!!!

May 11, 2006

Lookin' up

Things are starting to look better around here. Okay, so my husband only really sees that I'm moving stuff from boxes to baskets and back again---but I'm not going to be doing much more of that, especially after I get said baskets sorted out tomorrow.

Of course, I have to go and get sick once I start feeling better. My daughter had a sore throat (not terribly bad, but enough to mention it) last week, and now my husband and I are miserable, and my son doesn't sound all that great with his coughing sometimes. I'm not taking much of anything for it---maybe a spritz of nasal spray here and there, because of breastfeeding---but my husband is still miserable on the nasal decongestant. And I've got the little guy on some nasal stuff too.

Speaking of breastfeeding....

Things are still going great for us. He's always eager when he sees the source of his lunch (snack, breakfast, dinner, midnight snack, etc). I'm so proud of us for going so long. And I'm not going to stop until he's ready---or we absolutely have to! I'll try for the pump again, if I ever have to go to work, and we'll just see from there :-D

May 10, 2006

Getting back on track!!!!!

Things are coming back together now. :-D

On Monday I had my tooth pulled. I feel SOOOOOOOOOOO much better now!!! I've already started working on cleaning out around the house. Today I managed to get 2 bags of garbage ready, post 4 listings on Freecycle, and run to the credit union to transfer some funds to make sure that things don't bounce. I'm concerned some things might end up hitting a bit sooner than I expected, and the LAST thing I need is to get a bounced check!!! :-(

But, my tooth feels a whole lot better. A bit odd at the moment, but better none the less. :-) I was a real chicken when we were waiting for the thing to numb. I know I felt the nerve let go when it did, but it could have been worse. I wasn't as numb as I eventually got when we tried for the root canal, but I wasn't as numb as I wanted to be. :-\ But, my mom and I talked after, and she pointed out (again) that she was always a chicken when it came to getting her teeth done, and I had been thinking about that. I told her that I was really clucking!!! Cause I was. I was SOOOOOOOO close to just aborting it, because I wasn't comfortable with how numb it wasn't, but it's a good thing I didn't. :-D

My goal with this apartment is to baby proof it! I know it might seem a little late---the kid is now 11 months after all---but it still needs done!!! And it's getting there bit by bit!!! :-D