Quick Takes Friday

1-
Christmas was exhausting around here...maybe I'm a wimp, but three solid days of family celebrations was a bit much. On Christmas Eve we hosted both sets of parents and both sets of siblings, plus hubby's grandpa and great uncle. I made German food and our exchange student made wienerschnitzel (which was eaten much faster than my sauerbraten, so maybe next year I'll switch) then we had my family's (Norwegian side) tradition of hiding an almond in rice pudding. The person who finds the almond gets the prize, which then must be shared (I'm sure that's just something my grandma insisted upon...) This year hubby's brother got the almond. Then, for Christmas, my parents came to our house in the morning and we did our gifts and their gifts, then we went over to MILs house, where we did more gifts and had a Christmas dinner of prime rib, then in the evening, the girls and I went up to my parents hotel (an hour drive away...they are kinda nuts!) to swim, and then had sandwiches at the hotel restaurant. The next morning we went to church, then started to get ready for hubby's extended family Christmas. Fortunately, the girls and I got to go home for several hours in the middle of the party because hubby had to feed the cows, but after a good long nap for the girls and some down time for me, we headed back into town for the rest of the party.


2-
Between the three Christmases, our house kinda looked like Christmas threw up all over it...(well, parts of it still look this way!) Charlotte got 15 barbie dolls (okay, two of them were boys, and most of them were Disney princess barbie type dolls). Eva got a ridiculous amount of stuff, too. The playroom was messy enough that I didn't want them to take all their new toys in there until I got it cleaned out. Well, it took me more than 3 hours with a tall kitchen bag worth of trash and an overflowing tall kitchen bag worth of giveaway, but it looks beautiful now! (I should have taken some before pictures, but I couldn't bring myself to do that!)


3-
I won a copy of the book "Smart Martha's Catholic Guide for Busy Moms" by Tami Kiser over at Catholicmom.com and that book was definitely my inspiration for getting the playroom taken care of...I thought a few of her ideas were just mindblowingly good, so I'll list a couple here. I am only halfway done with the book, and it is just awesome. I highly suggest you buy it (or at least get on the paperbackswap list for it!) I took all of the girls puzzles out of their broken boxes. I cut a small picture out of the box, I took sharpie markers, and for each puzzle I put a certain color mark on all of the puzzle pieces, the picture of the completed puzzle and the sandwich bag the puzzle is in. This way, if the girls dump together two or more puzzles it will be much easier to separate them into the right package...plus the sandwich bags (our biggest puzzle right now has 100 pieces...with bigger kids it might make more sense to use gallon size bags) take up far less space. I took this a step farther and got rid of all the nice wooden boxes that Melissa and Doug toys come in, and packaged the toys in gallon zip top bags. For instance, we had three different sets of lacing cards, and the cards hardly ever made it into the boxes, and the strings were just all over. All three sets plus the strings fit in a gallon zip top bag. So do all our viewfinder discs and view finder, etc.) I am also implementing the tip that if I tell the girls to clean up, and they don't do it, or leave stuff out, I will put it in a special basket in my closet, and they will have to do chores to get them back (she has her kids pay for stuff, but mine are still kinda little for that, so I'll just make them do more work!) An idea that I haven't implemented yet: Keep a trash can or hamper lined with a trash bag in your closet for giveaway items. Then when the bag is full put it in the car and take it buy the thrift store (of course, it's not quite as easy as that when you are as far away from a thrift store as us, but I love the trashcan with liner idea!)


4-
We are planning on having family over tonight for new year's eve. I had originally intended to make appetizers and call it good enough, but before I knew it, my MIL had talked me into making prime rib instead (the farm was given 3 by a vendor, so each household technically should get one...of course, I have never made a prime rib before, so I am crossing my fingers that it's not too hard!) We are planning on ringing in the New York new year this year...since the girls have been going back and forth between being sick and healthy.

5-
Speaking of sick kids...I didn't make it to Mass for Christmas. Charlotte started throwing up a couple of hours before midnight Mass, and so someone had to stay home with her, and then hubby had to work Christmas morning (the cows don't take a day off) so I might have been able to leave our exchange student at home with both little girls and gone to Mass in the morning, but I thought that it would probably be better if I were to stay home and make sure the girls were feeling okay before we started going to even more Christmas family stuff. They are still not at 100%, but they seem to be taking turns on who feels the worst (yesterday it was Eva, today it is looking like Charlotte is feeling worse.)

6-
The kids weren't the only ones that got way too many Christmas presents...hubby and I did, too. My favorite gift was a Kindle from MIL...I have been having too much fun finding free books for it. Currently I am reading The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky. I haven't bought any kindle books yet, because I am trying to figure out what I would like most. Any suggestions?

7-
I really, really, really need to get to cleaning the house since I am having people over tonight, but part of me is saying "eh...they're family!" so they know what my house looks like. But, I guess it would be nice to start the new year with a clean house, so I guess I should go get started!

More quick takes at Conversion Diary!

Quick Takes Friday

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Last night, my bible study had our Christmas party. It was a ton of fun, the hostess did fondue, we did an informal cookie exchange, and we opened secret sister presents. Well over a year ago, we tried to do an absolutely horrible study titled "Praying with Women of the Bible" by Bridget Mary Meehan (I would link to it, but I don't want anyone to think that I am recommending it...I do notice it is available on Kindle now, though...) we made it through two chapters, on the day we were supposed to do chapter 3, I pretty much was willing to beg them to do something...anything else! I felt fairly responsible for the book, because I had suggested it...I hadn't read it, but one of the women who used to be in the group had gotten a copy from someone in her family who thought it was great...she suggested it, we decided we didn't want to do it then, and I put the book on my paperbackswap list. Well, it is very well known how much I hate this book. Last year, at Christmas, part of my secret sister gift was a copy of this book wrapped up with a note and some money so that I could go buy a book (she said I was an intimidating person to buy a book for!) Well, this year, my current secret sister ALSO wrapped up her copy, and it was part of my Christmas gift. I am pretty much figuring I am doomed to see two more copies of the book before everyone has run out of copies.

2-
Tonight (hopefully) hubby and I are going on a date, out for dinner and then to see the new Harry Potter movie. Our religious anniversary (the date of our church wedding) is tomorrow, so it will be his anniversary present to me. I have to say hopefully because he ate the last little bit of cookie dough raw that I didn't roll out and bake...AND that cookie dough had been in the fridge for more than a week...maybe two...so, he's paying for his really dumb move and not feeling to great. He is at work though, so I guess hopefully he will be well enough to go out tonight (although he may not want to eat!)

3-
Today is going to be our last official day for school this calendar year. I am way behind on crafty-type projects in our History curriculum, so we'll do some of those over break. We've already stopped working on Seton Religion, Math U See, and Handwriting without Tears. I'm looking forward to a nice long break (three weeks) and some time to get the house all clean again (okay, it's not too bad, but getting pretty cluttered, and I haven't really vacuumed the commercial door mats in the mud room or mopped out there in a while, and our bathroom could really use a cleaning!)

4-
I am working on our Christmas letter. I swore off Christmas letters a couple of years ago, when one of hubby's relatives started bad-mouthing me because of my Christmas letter from the previous year. But, since I didn't send out any Christmas cards last year, and we've had so many changes, I feel as though I owe an explanation to those people who we don't see very often. So, I'm working my way through writing one that will go to friends and my side of the family only. It is in a newsletter format, and I am trying to make all of the subheadings song lyrics, because deep down, I am a giant dork!

5-
Okay, it's been a while since I posted a youtube video on this blog, and I already shared this on Facebook, but I just think it is pretty hysterical (not quite as funny as the turbotax rap, but I think I am one of the few who rolls around on the floor laughing during that one!)


6-
In the "our local school district is dumb" department...our exchange student found out that she doesn't have to take final exams because she hasn't missed much school...so if we were okay with that, we had to sign a form (that came in the mail yesterday) that had to be turned in today. Now, I personally thought that final exams were supposed to show how much the kids had learned or hadn't learned. But instead, it is based upon how much school you attended or didn't attend. Of course, it appears that any absences from class for school events (like sports) don't count against you, even though you were clearly not in class. Our exchange student missed several class periods 7 to 9 times during softball season, but she still qualifies for skipping finals. But, if someone had a sickness that took them out of class for even half that many days, they would have to take finals because they missed class...never mind sports kids missed WAY MORE actual class that the kid that was ill...Maybe dumb policies like this are another good reason to homeschool.

7-
Well, it seemed like there was something I thought would make a great seventh quick take. I should have just typed a number 7 and written it out, because now I can't remember what it was...oh well!

More quick takes at Conversion Diary!

Small Successes

Well, we have been extra busy around here the past couple of weeks (like pretty much everyone else, I bet) but here are a few of my small successes this week:



1-
I hate that I always have to put this as a small success, but I went to confession at our parish penance service on Tuesday. It felt really good to do so, but I always dread confession so much...I really should do it more often.

2-
I made snacks for girl scouts last week. Banana muffins for 26 girls...and I managed to squeak 27 muffins out of a double batch, so Charlotte could have one too. The girls really seemed to like them. Disturbingly, it appears that I have not made muffins in quite a while, because I could not find my muffin tins, and thought perhaps I had gotten rid of them before our move (they are in rough shape), but it turns out that my MIL borrowed them long enough ago that I forgot that they were ever in this house.

3-
Went to a doctor's appointment that I have been putting off for about 9 months. I had a full blood workup done (which cost $1500, a big shock since our insurance now is an HSA plan, and we have to pay the first $6000 out of pocket, although we do get a reimbursement from the farm, but that's every 6 months) and I ended up cancelling my next appointment when we were supposed to go over the blood work...and then it took me about 3 months to get an appointment that would work out (Since this doc is about 3 hours away, I really try to get appointments coordinated with my MIL's doctor appointments, which is easier said than done!) So, I found out that most of my blood work is fine, but I am now on a OTC vitamin D, because my levels there were low, so here's hoping OTC works, or when we recheck my blood work in 3 months I'll be moved to a prescription vitamin D.

More small successes at Faith and Family LIVE!

Quick Takes Friday

1-
Eva lost her second tooth last night...and by lost, I mean hubby pulled it out. That's tooth number two where the adult tooth was growing in behind the baby tooth. Both Eva and MIL thought that she should have the second one pulled by the dentist, too. The "tooth fairy" (I tell Eva that Daddy dresses up in a tutu when he is the tooth fairy) left a bonus. Thankfully I had a little cash, or the tooth fairy would have to leave an IOU. So, Eva was happy to find $1.50 this morning...it was either that or a $5, and we thought that would be a bit much.

2-
Thanksgiving really messed up my library schedule (which is that I go in every Thursday and try to get books for the following week's preschool topic. I guess the good news is that SIL works at the elementary school library and is willing to bring me home books when I forget or can't find anything at the library. This week, I had her bring me some books, but she couldn't find enough books about nursery rhymes in her library, so on Monday I went to the public library. The librarian found me another book, plus a few collections of nursery rhymes, and put a book on hold for me that she thought would be good, but was out with a daycare family and was due at storytime on Wednesday. So, yesterday I dropped off the DVD we checked out on Monday(they are only good for 1 week) and the librarian had two books waiting for me. I also completely forgot to look for books for next week's topic (which to be honest, I haven't checked to see what it is yet...gotta be more organized at some point.)

3-
We've been trying to plug away at school, but getting back to a regular schedule is proving to be difficult after thanksgiving and while recovering from sickness. Eva had a reaction to her Amoxicillin, and so now she's on benedryl and has an allergy marked down on her chart. With all the calling and waiting for calls from the doctor's office (not to mention the Girl Scouts and errands in town yesterday afternoon) we didn't get any school done yesterday. We did car schooling on Tuesday to take MIL to a doctor's appointment, so we'll need to do some school today, and possibly might do some more school tomorrow. Our exchange student has the day off today for a teacher inservice, so my little girls have to do school, but she doesn't have to go. I don't think the little girls have figured out she's still here, which is good, otherwise Charlotte would probably go wake her up.

4-
Hubby and I are taking a mini-vacation as our Christmas gifts to each other. I booked the hotel yesterday, so there is no looking back. He has to go to a Knights of Columbus state meeting in January, so I booked a room in the same hotel for two nights before the meeting, and we are leaving behind the girls and the exchange student. Eva and Charlotte will stay with MIL and FIL. SIL will come over here to stay with our exchange student. It's not in the most exciting venue on the planet, but it should be fun to have some time away from the farm.

5-
Speaking of the farm...our bottle calves are being weaned right now, so before too long we will have no personal cows. Of course, one of hubby's uncles has a whole bunch of cows on the circle by our house, so we won't be cow-less. Our poor cats, who seem very attached to the cows, might be a little sad to see them go.

6-
On my to do list - call the vet to have the cats spayed and neutered. Take the car to the body shop (again). The day after I got the chips filled on the windshield (1 week after I got the bumper replaced), I hit a pheasant driving to bible study. It cracked the cover on my passenger side headlight. Well, the headlight has been working sometimes and not working sometimes. On our way home from church and seeing the movie "Tangled" last weekend, we got pulled over for a nonworking headlight. So, I guess I really need to get it taken care of...but I am a little afraid of what I might do to the car next if I take it into the body shop again...

7-
We are going to have a very busy Sunday this week. We usually go to Mass on Saturday nights, but Eva and Charlotte are going to sing the offertory hymn with the Religious Education program, I am substituting as cantor (and MIL is lector, both positions sit on the altar for the whole Mass here...so I really hope hubby and SIL are willing and able to come and sit with and help with the kids). Then, in the late afternoon the Religious Ed classes are having their advent program, followed by a dinner (and Santa...as much as I have pleaded that we don't need Santa at a church thing, no one listens...) Then, at night, hubby and I are teaching our first virtual NFP class online. It looks like we'll have one couple in California, one in Texas and us here in Colorado. I am really hoping it all goes well and that the technology isn't too much for us!

More quick takes at Conversion Diary!

Small Successes

Well, it's Thursday again already. We've been having a very busy week, and Eva has a pretty nasty looking rash right now, and I'm afraid she might be having a reaction to her antibiotic...

So, on to my small successes:

1-
I am DONE Christmas shopping! The only person I might buy a few more small items for is our exchange student (I think I only have one stocking stuffer for her right now), but hubby is done, Eva is done, Charlotte is done, our parents are done, hubby's person for the sibling swap is done, and my person for the sibling swap is almost done (he wants a book that doesn't come out until December 15th, so I'm waiting to see if it will be available on Amazon, since straight from the publisher they are charging $8.50 for shipping). I also haven't gotten food products for stockings, but I do have chocolate coins waiting for St. Nicolas Day.

2-
I started back up with scrapbooking in the last two weeks, and I figured out that I am three pages away from finishing family album number 2! I do still need to get some photographic evidence of some occasions (like Charlotte's 2nd birthday and Christmas 2008...) and add them to the album, but I went ahead and ordered album #3 from Creative Memories this week.

3-
I had a mommy-daughter day with Eva yesterday. She asked for a one on one day, so Charlotte went to some church stuff with grandma, and Eva and I stayed home. We made lunch, made cookies, she read me a book, watched some VeggieTales silly songs, played bananagrams and pet detectives, watched VeggieTales story of St. Nicolas, ate some cookies, I read her a book, colored pictures, played Candyland, and just pretty much had a good time doing what she wanted to do. Charlotte had a great time with grandma, too, so it all worked out well.

More small successes at Faith and Family LIVE!