Monday, 14 April 2008

Update on "the list"

Here are the items on my list to tackle:
  • Put away fake tree and better label ornament boxes.
  • My office/craft room: need more baskets.
  • Lil'Bug's room: need room for all her new loot. Need to change out 2T to 3T clothes, pack and label the 2T crate. Hang her wall art. (Thinking about framing her art and hanging it....)
  • My bedroom: finish painting the trim, find (make?) better window treatments.
  • Paint hallway (fine, this has been on the to-do list since 2004.....)
  • Paint laundry room.
  • Paint hall, bathroom, and laundry room trim. Hang wall art.
  • .......(cue drums of doom) the north bedroom: right now a staging area for pre-packing and all other "stuff". Clean out, set up spare bed. Maybe paint the walls. Maybe. Hang wall art.
  • Then paint middle parlor. Oh yeah, find good colour for that room. Gah.
  • * edited to add * Stain and seal the hallway floor, wash curtains, and bedding.
  • Clean out car
  • Does it ever end? Gah.
(red means done! Blue means in progress)

I thought I had posted another updated list in March, but now I can't find it!

Friday, 11 April 2008

Friday Fun and Movie Review

We had a busy day with lots of driving today. We took Dearest to work, then went to the mall play place (which is AWESOME (empty) at 8AM, mall opens at 10). We met friends and played until almost 11. We then headed to the library and then to lunch with Dearest. Fun stuff. Dropped him back at work and headed home. Too much driving and definitely time to switch vehicles.

Back at home we watched the movies we picked out at the library. I have to say, the one Disney movie picked really surprised me: Cinderella III. It was a neat twist with lots of action, actual character development (which I felt was lacking in the original, save for the mice and maybe the Fairy Godmother), and a great twist at the end. Better animation than most of these sequels as well. We'll watch it again later in the week.

Bah, why kid myself. At the direction of my 3 year old, we will likely watch it 30+ times before next Friday's return to library deadline.

Tuesday, 8 April 2008

Baby Update: 32 Weeks

Well, 32 weeks is here. I have to say today was one of my most disappointing care visits. There was trace amount of sugar in my urine. I gained 3 lbs, not 2. I have a history of GD in my family, often severe and late onset. Now the OB wants to see me, but not for those reasons. Just because they couldn't let me get away with just seeing a non-attending Midwife. It's not like the Dr. I will see will likely be attending either. Either way, I'll be birthing the baby not them, but the whole hoop jumping thing undermines my confidence. I'm tired and cranky and tired.

I also will likely not be able to drive after this week. Why? Well, I'm 4'10 1/4"- not quite a midget but really, really close. This means I have the seat of our car adjusted so I can reach the pedals and see out and the combination has my belly almost to the steering wheel. Not comfortable but definitely not safe either. Luckily the weather is warming up so we can be outside in our awesome but needs a lot of work back yard, but we will miss park days and that will be very upsetting to Lil'Bug. Looking into another option for driving, we took Dearest's beloved truck in for an oil change and look over........

Right. We had an extra paycheck coming in this month. The repair bill is 13$ off of the entire amount. All are things that MUST be fixed or the truck will catch on fire or the front axel will snap or the steering wheel fly out the window while driving down the interstate. Hmph. And the repair guy said all are things the truck was about due for anyway and it could be worse. It could be. It could have done all of those crashing while on fire things or we could have spent the extra income before finding out the bill total......so all in all a blessing. Right? Now the problem is getting in and out of the truck for me with huge belly is a big deal. If we do switch vehicles I will likely only drive to 1 or 2 park days (weather willing) a week and that's it. Also, we'll save money switching vehicles because of gas prices and me not going out and about as much.

So, today I cried. I am frustrated about lots of things and then I feel guilty because I should be joyful and then I cry some more. I never cry, but the last three days it's been like Alice in Wonderland when she floods the world. It's hormones. Hormones + laundry = tears. Ugh.

Monday, 7 April 2008

Growing Naturally

Growing Naturally (in my sidebar) is just what I needed! Basically, we aren't homesteading yet so we don't quality for the homesteading homeschooler webrings or forums BUT we are steadily moving towards that life and we value many of the same things. We are not alone!

What drew me to this project were these lines:
That being a child who is familiar and fascinated with rocks, birds, mosses,
squirrels, tracks, lizards, bugs, rivers, seashells, frogs, ducks, or mud puddles is a
Grand Thing To Be.
AND
In catching frogs -or trying to- and chasing lizards.
AND
In leaving a couple of weeds in our gardens alone because the beneficial spiders
call them home.
AND
We believe in painting outdoors.
In collecting acorns and pine cones.
In compost.
And earthworms.
Why? This is my Lil'Bug to a T. She is a child of the outdoors, of mud, of barefoot delight in the sunshine. She is my muddy hippo. When the boat was mentioned at breakfast, she lit up and insisted on going tonight. It is raining and she doesn't care. She wants to plant seeds even though the frost date is 40 days away. She splashes in every puddle she can.

I want to honor all of those things, for her to learn from life, and to nurture every joy she has. This project seems perfect for us. :) There will be a new label. There will be new adventures. There will be a gingham "spinning" dress!