December 2010 Recap

Here we are at the end of another month and yes, another year. The usual phrase, where did the time go still applies. Crazy. But life is good. First I will introduce my monthly recap and then perhaps if my memory allows, a more succinct yearly follow-up. My December daily/ advent etc didn't quite go as planned [well maybe it did - but I had hoped to do better =( ] Anyway, enough of that. Here goes:

Exercise: I actually did okay in this area. That is thanks to getting up at 6am with Mitchell and Cierra and being a little more disciplined then usual. It involved the elliptical trainer and the treadmill. No outdoor running in this weather baby!

Books: I leafed through a few more baby sleep books (doing much better in this area though); CK Magazine, and little else. I did read Baby Led Weaning by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett. It was an easy read and actually makes a lot of sense. We are attempting to go this route with Mitchell. I was feeling really down about not reading "for me" though so I picked the most opportune time (2 days before Christmas) and started reading Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers . I finally finished it yesterday. It was really good.Emotional - I had a few good cries! I have the sequel on hold at the library. Exciting news here too - I have already downloaded some ebooks onto the ipad. I can't wait to explore those! I also cancelled my audible.com membership after I finished up my available credits. I've been wrestling with the notion of paying for books I'll read or listen to once when they are available for free at the library or now on the Internet. Regardless, I now have lots of reading available for the new year (like that's ever been a problem).

Entertainment (TV, Movies, Live Events):

• The Office, NCIS, Parenthood, Modern Family, 19 Kids and Counting, and a few miscellaneous TLC specials I had taped


• Polar Express, Elf, Toy Story 3 (LOVED it), Scooby Doo, 10 Items or Less


• Kids play "Back to the Manger"x3 productions

Special events:

• Helped out with Salvation Army Christmas kettle (3rd)


• Church Christmas dinner (where we were 1 of 3 families with young children) (4th)


• 5 bus snow days for Cierra (6th, 7th, 8th, 14,th, 16th)


• Baby Group 8th Christmas party (18th)


• Family Skate (19th)


• Matthew's 8th birthday and party (22nd)


• Sarah, John and Macy up to visit from South Carolina (23rd-29th)


• Christmas services


• Matt in hockey camp (27th-31st)


• extended family photos (27th)

Travel:

• Al, Marlee, Mitchell, Sarah, John and Macy to see Sean and family (27th)

Financial:

• Snow blower fixed


• Christmas


• birthday parties (Matthew to Chloe - remote control car)


• dedication to adoptive family at church; meal to 2 families (new baby, to-be mom on bed rest)


• Drew changed cars (used Clark's audi in meantime and got a Volvo.....)

Household Changes: n/a

Health:

• Marlee - fever at end of month


• Mitchell - teeth #3, 4, 5, 6; first antibiotic for infection in right cheek (11th); 20 lbs 10 oz; fever at end of month

Other: n/a

What happened to advent? and Christmas recap

Well what can I say. Here it is Janaury 5th and I am just getting back into things. I failed miserably when it came to keeping it all up for Christmas. By that I mean all of my aspirations for Advent and family togetherness and daily activities. But we survived. I think the kids have gained some good new memories. And I guess in the end I kept it simple. Real simple. By not doing much at all. I guess you could say I lost my mojo which is all too common around here. Lesson learned? Don't stop planning for the half way point assuming you'll have time to plan the second half. It doesn't happen. And 4 variations of advent? A little too much. Next year we will be focusing on a lot less. Trust me.

That being said, we had a great Christmas!!!
Highlights? My sister and her husband and my new niece came up for a week. Macy is lovely and it was really nice to see her new parents in action. They are doing well! We went down to see my brother and his family as well and I really enjoyed the 2 hour car ride to just talk. We all need that once in a while.

As for Christmas, the kids got their usual loot despite the fact that we keep meaning to do less. I look in Matt's room and literally turn around and walk out. I am overwhelmed. I am SOOOO glad we didn't do birthday presents from friends again this year. It could be worse. What is actually worse is that he gets that hoarding gene from me and my side of the family. I am not sure how to help him with it. Matt did get his DSI XL (he has been sure to correct us on that name a few times btw - despite the fact that we all know what it is already bud!). He also got lego, clothes, a calendar and a Guinness World Records book. All he recognizes that he got is the DSI. Oh and he loves his new housecoat too. Go figure.

Marlee got a large barbie dollhouse. NOT the official Barbie one but the imaginarium one. We really pondered over this one but thought it was sturdier and that she would like the elevator. After it was assembled she did tell us it wasn't the one she wanted. Uh huh I thought so. But (as we discussed with her) once it is assembled there is no taking it back. She also got some clothes and assorted dolls and clothes. Her big haul was in a HUGE crate filled with craft supplies from my mom. She is set for crafts for the year. Now we just have to figure out where to store it all.

Mitchell was jipped by us. He got Sophie the giraffe. He did love the wrapping paper and being a part of it all. AND he is only 9 months old. He got a tonne of great clothes from family as well as a few toys - some keys, a book and a talking book as well. He is more than happy.

Cierra fared well as well. She got a new tv, some DVD's, clothes, books and more. AS long as some had Hannah Montana and Eclipse faces (which they did) she was happy. Oh and did we mention that she watch Eclipse 8 times one weekend while she was away? that's what her holiday is all about!

Drew and I didn't do too badly either. Poor Drew - he never fares quite as well as me. But then that is because he spoils me. What can I say. I am happy he gets a bonus from work. He TOTALLY surprised me by getting me an ipad!!!! I had talked about how some day I'd like to get one - it seemed like something up my alley but that the cost was above our means for a while. So it was a big surprise to get one. And then I also got the one thing on my list I had really been wanting - a digital frame. Not only one but three!!! And they say communication is strong in our family! We will be putting them all to use though. There are more than enough pictures to share around the house. I particularly want to add my digital scrpabooking pages. It's a great way to show them off. Drew got a variety of clothes - sweaters primarily, some gift cards and the usual scavenger hunt to find them. I like to think it is more for the kids but it also spreads out his gift a little since there aren't usually too many ideas when his list is seen by the rest of the family.

We joined both of our families at my parents house for dinner and fellowship on Christmas day.

And a happy 9th month Mitchell (backtrack to see more on that)

All in all though it was a pretty good Christmas break. We had several days following where we literally did nothing. Total pajama days, no work, a lot of lounging. It was great. Also no family picture by the tree or the fireplace or anywhere for that matter. No Christmas letter written or mailed either.

We may have been a little too lazy because some of us (mainly me) ended up getting sick. We need to remember to get outside too for some fresh air! Mitchell's fever ended up being about 2 new teeth but Marlee, Drew and I have all had sore throats, headaches, chills and coughs. We've been getting to bed early and I have even been taking naps during the day. Must be bad when that happens. Hopefully this will pass soon. As for now I have to admit that I am glad that the kids are back to school and we can get the house back into shape. It needs some work! Not to mention purging. TTFN!

Mitchell is 9 months old!

• [20 lbs 10 oz] (December 11th)
• 28.25"
• wearing 9 and 12 month clothing [prefers nakey butt though =)]
• scooting around commando style
• sitting well - working on transitioning from sitting to moving
• not overly interested in being contained (jumperoo or exersaucer)
• very easy going temperament - generally only cries when he needs something; everyone comments on how happy he is
• waving and clapping, heil (close to "all done" and "more"?)
• Sleep routine (2 1/2 - 3 hour morning nap; 1 hour late afternoon nap; down for bed between 7-8:30 at night; feeding at midnight and 4:30 am; up at 6 am) Not everyone's dream but I'm happy with it.
• nursing on demand and doing baby led weaning - trying basically all of the foods that we eat. No more puree!
• EC - getting hits most mornings, selfishly missing poops at the end of his naps - he seems to make a sound (probably going then, and then settles for 1/2 hour more sleep!). He is now scooting around on the floor ON his potty - cute! He really likes nakey butt time and squawks when I put his diaper on.
• gained teeth #3,4 (13th and 15th)
• first antibiotic for infection inside right cheek (December 11th)
• first fever
• first time stayed home with Nana and YaYa while we went to evening Christmas party 6-10pm
• first time meeting cousin Macy
• first Christmas - loved the paper and his noisy toys

Saddened by the loss of babies in the blogworld I read this week - I am forever grateful for this little guy in our lives and that we have the love of God eternally. We all love you buddy!!!

Happy Birthday Matty!!

I've now been a mother for 8 official years. Wow. And what have I learned? I still have a lot to learn. That's what.

I still need to learn...

• To be patient. More.


• That my voice doesn't have to raise a few octaves when I am speaking to my kids.


• To get money (? that's Matt's answer - more on THAT later)


• To have more joy (more on that later too)


• To remember that it doesn't last long. And I will wish for it back. Even the tough stuff.


• To remember that hair is only hair and eventually it will be cut (right?)


• That he is a typical young boy - in every manner of the word.


• That he is very much like me (which can be a good and a bad thing)


• That when you teach independence - it means he will want to assert his independence (right?)


• That there is no better job in the world.


• That there is nothing I'd rather be doing.


• That I can still learn a lot more and work towards being a better mom and parenting is an ever-learning experience.

Phew. Now that that is done, we'll get on to the good stuff. Who is Matt right now at the ripe old age of 8?

• "I'm a boy. I am your son. That is who I am."


• Who wants to abandon his booster seat (which he now can on occasion)


• Weighs 60 lbs and is 51" (4 ft 3") tall


• Is involved in Sunday School, play practice, ice hockey


• Has at least one after school play date a week


• Is into shaggy long hair, thumbs out and open mouth pictures


• Is into being very loud!


• Who enjoys school and learning


• Who still loves lego but also Wii, and mostly his new DSIxL


• Who fiercely loves his brother and SOMETIMES his sisters too

And a few of his favourite things (in his words):

What is your favourite cereal? fruit loops (which he like never gets!)

What's your favourite TV show? Scooby Doo

What vegetables do you like best? corn

What toy would you never give away? wii

What do you take to bed at night? nothing

What's your favourite game? Super Mario galaxy 2

What's your favourite book? 39 clues book series

What is your favourite candy? gum

What's the last thing of yours that Mom displayed? wii signs

Happy Birthday buddy! We are so proud and glad to have you as our son!

Good Food Box - December

I picked up our bin today. Here is what we got:

• 10 lb bag of white potatoes
• 2 lb bag of carrots
• a green pepper
• a bulb of garlic
• a butternut squash
• a cabbage
• 5 macintosh apples
• 3 clementines
• 1 red onion
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 head of ???

All for $10. Paid for at the beginning of the month. Picked up at the end. Good deal. Now I just ahve to figure out what to do with the cabbage. Drew is not too fond of the cabbage roll casserole recipe - the only thing besides cole slaw I know how to make with cabbage. Any ideas?

computer issues

We have had computer issues. For about a week and a half things were getting really slow and then slower and finally hardly moving at all. My ipod touch froze. The laptops. The desktop. Everything. Drew did some investigation. The next day we discovered we were in need of a new modem. Problem solved. Thank you! And yes pastora - I am defintily impatient when it comes to this area.

wonder

Friday December 10 - 'wonder' It's a Wonderful life and we're going to tent it! We're camping out tonight by the Christmas tree!

Picture: Wheat
Scripture: Ruth 1: 15-2: 3
Reading: Ruth and Naomi had lost all the people they loved. Naomi's two sons--one of them was Ruth's husband--had died, and Naomi's husband had died too. Naomi had been living in Ruth's country, far from her family, and so Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem. Ruth could have stayed in her own country with her own family, but she chose to go to Bethlehem with Naomi.
Naomi was so sad that she thought that God had forgotten her. In the days of the Bible, most women couldn't get jobs, so women would go the fields and take the grain that the farmers left behind. Ruth went to the field to gather grain, and there she met Boaz, a relative of Naomi's, who took care of them. Boaz and Ruth married and had a son, and Naomi was happy. She knew that God had not forgotten them, even when she had been sad.
Talk about: When did you feel really sad? What can make you happy?
Prayer: Holy God, thank you for being with us always.

falalalala

Thursday, December 9 - 'falalalala' - let's crank the Christmas music. Pick your favourite Christmas song and dance while we do our clean up. As a bonus tell mom one new song each to download from itunes.

Picture: rope
Scripture: Joshua 2: 1-21
Reading: The Israelites were ready to enter the land that God had promised them. They sent two men into the land to find out more about the land. It was very dangerous to go into the land; if the people who ruled the land had found the two Israelites they would have been killed.
Rahab saved the lives of two of God's people. She hid the two men in her house and then helped them to escape. She knew that God had promised the city of Jericho to Joshua and the Israelites, and she believed that God is a powerful God.
Brave Rahab honored God because she believed in God's power. In return, the Israelites protected Rahab and her family. Rahab hung a red rope from the window in her house so that the Israelites would remember to protect her. And God remembered Rahab and took care of her for the rest of her life.
Talk about: Tell about a time when God gave you courage to help someone.
Prayer: Dear God, give us courage to help others.

I just wanted to say...

• Thanks for picking up my pictures at Costco this week
• Thank you for putting up with the "mess" in our bedroom
• Thank you for snowblowing the driveway yesterday before going to work
• Thank you for coming home and immediately making dinner yesterday because I ??? (what was I doing again?)
• Thank you for encouraging me when I felt I "didn't accomplish anything" yesterday
• Thank you for taking interest in yourself to stay fit and run - even in -24 degree weather. I wouldn't.
• Thank you for putting out the garbage today
• Thank you for taking time away from work to get my winter tires on for me today
• Thanks for sharing your sunny d with me
• Thank you for being you
• Thank you for loving me!

(some credit for inspiration to Rebecca Cooper Real.Life.Scrapbooking)

delight

December 8 - 'delight' - Grab your hot chocolate! We are leaving for play practice a little early so that we can look at the Christmas lights. What colours are your favourite?

Picture: tablets
Scripture: Deuteronomy 5: 1-22
Reading: God wants us to be good to each other. God wants us to treat others the way that we want to be treated. To help us to understand how to care for each other, many years ago God gave Moses the ten best rules for living. These rules are called the Ten Commandments, and they are still good rules for us today.
Not everybody likes to follow the rules. They think rules keep them from having fun. But God gave us the rules not as a punishment, but as a way of helping us to show God that we are thankful for what God has done for us. God wants us to do good, and will help us to do the right thing by guiding us to the right path.
Talk about: What rules help your family to live together and be happy?
Prayer: Righteous God, thank you for giving us rules to guide us.

Glory

Tuesday, December 7 – 'glory' - Give glory to God for our many blessings. Find 5 toys each that we can pass on to others

Picture: coat
Scripture: Genesis 37: 1-36; 50: 15-21
Reading: Sometimes even love cannot protect us from bad things. Joseph was loved very much by his father, Israel (Jacob), but Joseph's brothers hated him. And so they sold him to a man who made him a servant and even put him in prison.
But God had given Joseph a special gift of understanding dreams, and Joseph was able to use his special gift to help others. He was rewarded for his help by being given a very important job. While he was doing this job, he again met his brothers, who did not recognize him. Even though Joseph could have been mean to his brothers, he chose to help them. He knew that even though he had gone through some terrible times, God had been with him through everything, and God still expected him to do good things.
Talk about: Who can you be kind to today?
Prayer: God of forgiveness, help us to be kind even to people who make us angry.

twinkle

Monday December 6 - 'twinkle'
Our decorations are missing something. We'll decorate the mantle today and have a special Christmas story (read on) by the fireplace. Don't forget the stockings! Today is also Saint Nicholas Day. Read the history of Saint Nicholas. Tonight before you go to bed, put out your shoes with some carrots and apples in the them. See if there is a surprise in the morning.

Picture: ladder
Scripture: Genesis 28: 10-22
Reading:Jacob had not always been a good person. He had done some unkind things, but instead of saying he was sorry, Jacob ran away. He lived away from his family for many years, but now it was time to meet with his brother. He had to face up to the things he had done wrong many years before.
When Jacob ran away from his family, he may have thought that he was running away from God, too. The night before he was going to see his brother, God spoke to Jacob in a dream. God reminded Jacob of promises God had made to Jacob's father and grandfather, and that those promises were meant for Jacob, too.
Jacob thought that he had run away from God, but God was always with him.
Talk about: How do you know that God is always with you?
Prayer: Remind us each day, God, that you are with us.

Memory Monday - crafting through the years

I recently listened to the Paperclipping Round Table Episode 31 where it questioned
"Why do some people dabble in a variety of paper crafts (and other types of arts and crafts) while others stick to a very specific craft? What is it that attracts you to some crafts but not to others? Which did you start with and why did you branch out?"

I certainly fall into the first camp and it got me thinking about all of the different crafting experiences I have been into and how that has evolved for me.

Here is a trip down memory lane:

Remember the fabric painting (I made a few quilts and bibs from these)?


Cross stitching (I loved Ziggy!)
Rug hooking (I made a few pillows and some small rugs)

And then there was

• embroidery (some table cloths - I didn't last too long with this one)
• making doll furniture (more on that another time)
• knitting (sweaters while on night shift in university)
• sewing and mending
• colouring and cutting - file folder games for work

which has now led to

• card making
• scrapbooking and of course
• blogging.

As I look around me, I have definitely gotten my influence from my mother. Ever since I can remember, she has been "creating".

There were

• silk screened Christmas cards
• banners for church
• embroidery
• making dolls (includes embroidery)
• smocking (dresses)
• sewing and mending (clothes, costumes you name it)
• pottery (dishes, vases, decorations)
• Macrame
• upholstery (recovers furniture)

And I'm sure there is more! Awesome thing is is that she is still crafty - she sews more than anyone I know. She occasionally pots and still makes Raggedy Ann dolls for anyone having a baby. Thanks mom for the inspiration!

Oh - one another note - I loved the comment from the show where (I think) Izzy reminded his son? that "back in our day when we wanted to learn I had to go to the library" (not like these days with google at our fingertips) oh yeah and we had to WALK 10 miles to get there too! Such a good show- thanks for the memories!

festive

Sunday, December 5, 'festive'
Let's make this place a little more festive! What do we need to do that? Figure out the clues and find 5 pieces to get you started in the family room.

They are colourful and can sometimes twinkle. It rhymes with plight. _ _ _ _ _ _
Some are big and some are small. Some are short and some are tall.
Some stand alone and some in a group.
Some inside and some on the stoop. D _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
We need this to hang the balls. We use it to fish with.
Deck the halls with boughs of holly falalalalalalalalalalala. We need some greenery!
Ring ring ring your _ _ _ _ _ ring them loud and clear!

Picture: ram
Scripture: Genesis 22: 1-14
Reading: Isaac was a special boy, and his father, Abraham, loved him very much. But Abraham loved God even more than he loved Isaac. One day God asked Abraham to take Isaac on a journey. Abraham obeyed. God also asked Abraham to kill Isaac as a sacrifice, as a way of showing how much Abraham loved God.
Abraham was sad, but he knew that he had to obey God. He trusted that even though he was being asked to do something terrible, God would make everything right. As he was getting ready to sacrifice Isaac, God sent an angel to stop Abraham and save Isaac's life. Then Abraham sacrificed a sheep as a way of honoring God, and to thank him for saving Isaac's life.
Talk about: When did you feel protected by God?
Prayer: Protect us, dear God, when we have to do things that make us sad

family

Saturday, December 4 - 'family'
Unscramble the word to see where we are going to dinner tonight. God has given us so many wonderful people to fellowship with - people that we can in fact call family. Tell mom or dad the names of at least 5 different families that we fellowship with regularly.



We went to church for the annual Christmas dinner. It was an awesome roast beef and chicken dinner with broccoili, salads and potatoes. There was cake and apple crisp for dessert. The kdis did really well for an hour and then, well, they didn't. It is amazing how well they can get along with each other and then totally not. At this point they were not getting along and were well, a little rough with each other.

Picture: cradle
Scripture: Genesis 21: 1-7
Reading: Have you ever wanted something so much that you thought you would die if you didn't get it? It's so hard to be happy when we focus on the things we don't have, instead of the things we do have.
Sarah wanted a baby more than anything, but even though she prayed a lot and tried everything she could think of, she didn't have a baby. As she got older she finally decided that God would not give her a child. But then God gave Sarah a son, and she named him Isaac. Sarah was very happy and grateful to God for giving her a wonderful son when she had given up on her dream.
Talk about: How has God answered your prayers?
Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for answering our prayers.

service

Friday, December 3 - 'service'
"Ring-ring-ring your bells ring them loud and clear! To tell the people everywhere that Christmas time is here". Tonight we head to Walmart to man the Salvation Army Christmas Kettle .
What a night. It was a really good experience. We certainly learned a few things though. 3 hours is too long for the little guys. Drew was dreading Walmart but thank goodness it was there and not Zehrs because there was a MacDonald's which killed 45 minutes for them. Cierra and I started while Drew had dinner with the kids. Drew then took a turn while I had dinner and got some photos developed. Drew then walked around with the kids while Cierra and I manned the bell. He came back after 1/2 hour exasperated with them so I took over while he and Cierra continued on. I have to say that Cierra was truly amazing. She was there the longest out of all of us. She didn't complain at all and I think she boosted the givings by at least 30%. She said Merry Christmas to just about everyone - and just about everyone responded - positively. And many came back to donate I'm sure because of her. I was so impressed. We went back afterwards to buy a magazine to thank her. This is definitely something that she and I will come back to do again - and I think she could do an additional sitting with her 1:1 worker. I think we might wait another year or two for the other guys although I am still glad we did it and that we were all able to do it as a family. (Btw Mitchell was amazing too. Drew had him for the first bit and then I had him in the sling at the door for about 45 minutes. Not a squawk).

Picture: tent and camel

Scripture: Genesis 12: 1-7
Reading: Sometimes God asks us to do things that are hard to do. God asks us to be good when it would be so much easier--and sometimes more fun--to be naughty. God asks us to go places and do things we'd rather not do.
God asked Abram to take a long trip, and to leave behind the place that Abram called home. But in return, God made promises to Abram. God promised that Abram would be blessed by God. Abram still had problems and struggles, especially when he forgot to listen to God's directions, but God kept all of the promises made to Abram. Most importantly, God was Abram's friend forever.
Talk about: Name some ways that God shows you what God wants you to do.
Prayer: Holy God, help us to obey you and do the things that you want us to do.

goodwill

Thursday December 2 - 'goodwill'
Help us help others by putting out all of our items that are no longer needed for pick up today. Take a moment to thank God for all of our blessings and pray that these goods will in turn, bless others.

Picture: rainbow and ark

Scripture: Genesis 6: 11-14; 7: 17-8: 3; 9: 8-13
Reading: When people sin, or do wrong things, God is sad. There came a time when there was so much sin in the world that God had to find a way to remove sin from the world. So he asked Noah to build the ark and to save his own family, as well as the animals, because Noah and his family remembered God. Then God sent rain and the world flooded, and God destroyed all the people and animals that were not on the ark.
When the flood was over and Noah and his family were safely on dry ground, God made a covenant, or a promise, with Noah. God promised not to send another flood that would destroy the world. As a sign of this promise, God put a rainbow in the sky. Even in a sinful world, God still loves us and keeps his promises.
Talk about: Can you name a promise that God has kept?
Prayer: Thank you, Almighty God, for keeping your promises.

'december'

Wed Dec 1. 'December' -
2 clues to read for DAILY DECEMBER.

1)Backtrack a few days to get the full story.
it explains what we're doing in all its glory.
As we begin the month of December,
there are a few things we need to remember.
We're keeping the reason clear in our sight
But chocolate candy still has it's own right.
To go along daily, you each need to find.
Your own special calendar - a one of a kind.
Go back to your beds and have a good look.
Under beds, amongst clothes or with a good book. Good luck!
[chocolate advent calendars hidden in each of their rooms]

Wait don't stop - There's more to find.
A 4-letter word ~ a toy comes to mind.
Look high. Look low; with things that "go".
Another treasure each day, wrapped with a bow. [lego advent calendar - in toy car]

The kids loved the scavenger hunt to find their chocolate calendars. Of course they had to have them before school. Cierra didn't have enough time to find it before school but I got a good shriek after school when she found it. The Lego advent calendar looks like it is going to be a big hit too. Marlee gets to open the even days (because she is 6) and Matt gets to do the odd days (because he is 7).

Picture: serpent and apple

Scripture: Genesis 3: 1-19
Reading: Yesterday we read about the perfect world that God created, including perfect people. Today we read in the Bible about Adam and Eve, and how they disobeyed God. God had given them everything, and had only asked that they not eat the fruit of one special tree. But Eve and Adam did eat the fruit. The fruit made them understand certain things, but eating it brought sin into the world.
God still loved Adam and Eve, but he had to punish them for disobeying him. God sent them out of the beautiful garden, and they had to work for their food. God also made a promise to Adam and Eve: that God would always love them.
Talk about: What kinds of things do we do that make God unhappy?
Prayer: Mighty God, keep us from doing things that make you unhappy.

November 2010 Recap

Here we go again! Now we are counting down the days with advent until Christmas and the New Year's and we can start it all over again. In the meantime, here is a recap on all that we have done in the month of November:

Exercise – a few runs, a few elliptical, some swimming

Books, Magazines Read – I survived the Shark attack of 1912; Mothering, Creating Keepsakes

Entertainment – TV, Movies, Live events seen –
- Paperclipping Round Table podcasts,
- Modern Family, Big Break,19 Kids and Counting
- Babies; Children from Heaven; The Buttercreme Gang; Meet Bill; The Baxter; Barbie in A Fashion Fairy tale;

Special Events –
- birthday parties (Catherine D, Alyssa, Leilah and Brennan, Natalie)
- parent teacher interviews
- Santa Claus Parade (20th)
- skate event through Nana's work (21st)
- Drew work Christmas party (27th)
- Melissa's work party (28th)

Travel – n/a

Financial (significant/ unusual purchases, gifts) -
- deposit on new kitchen cabinet doors
- birthday parties (mosaic crafts, silly bands, barbie mermaid movie and dolls, toy story chalk, gift cards)

Household (renovations/ changes etc)-
- electrical done (bathroom/ kitchen nook)
- light switches on main floor changed
- water softener fixed!!!
- preparing for new kitchen cabinet doors
- garage ready for winter and van to be put in

Health/ Development -
Drew - skin doctor appointment
Alison - wart on thumb ewww!!!
Matthew - Dr B appointment for zittles
Marlee - tooth out; eye appointment
Mitchell - sitting independently, exploring fingers, tongue; creeping
Cierra - sore foot

Other
- Beatles music added to itunes
- November To Do List a success

That's it in a nutshell! Now I'm off to finish my month-end tasks!

How did I do with my productivity?

November is now over and I have to say that I am very pleased with my productivity this month! It wasn't great for hobbies or for relaxing but I did get almost all of the things I wanted done checked off.


1. jewelery holder - up and in use at the back of our storage closet in our bedroom


2. Mending - just have sewing by hand to do and since I didn’t watch tv all month – that is when that will get done (that and it is only mini gloves – still deciding whether I want to do them at all!)
3. Kids art work
4. Plastic bag recycling
5. Sort Matt’s outgrown clothing for Mitchell
6. Purge kids toys in playroom - didn't get to this one. Hopefully they can help me this month
7. Receipts
8. Cierra’s receipts
9. Cierra’s inventory - still want to go back a few years and enter dates received but not a big deal for now (Doesn't it look nice and organized? I now have a list of everything she owns)



10. Label Cierra’s photo albums
11. Sort scrapbooking letters a-z
12. Scrapbooking inspiration files - still need more sorting but they are in hanging files and contained
13. Get rid of VHS tapes (this pained me to know they will be sitting in a landfill for eternity but on the other hand they are out of my house. Another reminder of why we are buying a LOT less DVD's and books when we can borrow them instead).

14. Garage bucket
15. Cierra's magnet boards (immediately covered with some pictures of Twilight)


16. Tissue paper
17. Cierra morning routine pictures
18. Mitchell’s food list
19. Update health books
20. Print out family mission statement - it is printed but ideally I want to scrapbook it and frame it - later=)
21. Mitchell’s dev’t list
22. Scrapbook pages into albums
23. Label LOM albums


24. Marlee’s 6 year photos in frame
25. Move frames upstairs
26. Kids school photos in frames – still waiting for Marlee's photos to come back from school
27. Dust hallway landing –thanks Drew!
28. Pull out fridge and clean
29. Safe church – something! –bought band aids, band aid bags and booked a date for training
30. FORGET IT!!!! I did do LOTS of other stuff

like... making bum wipes for a soon-to-be-new mom


...and FINALLY fixed this wood project that I am NEVER going to do. I think I got it about 5 years ago and planned on painting "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord" Yeah - my style has changed and it is not going to happen. Of course then it fell apart and I can't even give it to Goodwill that way. So it sat. Until this week. Bye bye!



and more.

So what does December bring? Advent and Daily December or something along those lines.
A birthday or two. A visit from my sister and her family (and my new niece!) and hopefully back to some me time.

What has this taught me? What does procrastination serve? Most of these tasks didn't take very long and some, like the receipts, take even more time the longer you wait. In my "ideal life" I devote a night every week for finishing up certain projects. And as usual, it doesn't often happen! Oh well, it did this time.