If you read Laura's comment on my last blog and are also wondering if I'm done with my Christmas shopping, the answer is, no, not exactly. What I said was that I bought the last of the gifts I wanted to get for the KIDS. I am done buying gifts for Kalena and Will. However, I am also mostly done with the rest of my shopping. I have 4 or 5 gifts left to get, and I know what I'll be getting for at least 3 of those. This is my favorite part of Christmas shopping: waiting for the gifts to arrive. I know you're dying to know, so here's my Christmas shopping method:
1) Decide what to get people. This requires a list for some people, not for others. Usually I only get a list from Brian.
2) Price shop. Mostly online, although I did check ads while I was looking at toys for the kids.
3) Order stuff. Or go to the store to pick it up, whichever is cheaper. I usually find stuff online for less, but this year I found most of the kids stuff in store.
4) Wait for online orders to arrive. This is my favorite part because I feel like I'm getting something done every time I get a new package, even though it's just the mail.
5) Wrap gifts. Alright, this isn't really a shopping step, but you do have to do it. I like to wait and wrap all my gifts at once when I'm in a wrapping mood. Feels extra productive and you only have to get all that crap out one time.
How do you shop?
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
I'll just think of it as getting paid to go through all that crap
In all my cleaning/purging/organizing, there has been one place I've been diligently avoiding: our file cabinet. While it was never especially organized, it became a black hole for unopened mail and random papers during our move. Then it sat in storage for over a year where, believe it or not, it got even MORE disorganized. Anytime we needed something we thought might be in there we shuffled through papers and stuffed them back in without any attempt at managing them. We moved it out of storage and into our house and I've been trying not to think about the mess that was waiting for me in there. But it's been bugging me lately, so today I decided to get to it.
The only saving grace is that it's just two drawers. I don't even want to think about dealing with four drawers of this mess. Anyway, I emptied it all onto the floor, mail, papers, paid bills, receipts. I even found a coaster in a pair of scissors in there. (I know, what?) And then I started going through it, one paper at a time. Trash, recyclable, file, shred, and crap that shouldn't have ever been in there. And, as much as I felt like it was a waste of time to open all the mail, I did it. If I haven't needed it for the last 16 months, why would I need it now, right? But I opened it all anyway, mostly to make sure I wasn't just trashing stuff that needed to be shredded. And THEN! Then I opened one generic looking envelope and out fell a $25 gift card to Toys R Us! A reward from my insurance company for participating in their "Healthy Pregnancy" program. (Don't worry, the accompanying letter assured me that the $25 would be added to my taxable income as per IRS requirements. Thanks so much, right?) 10 minutes later the $25 was spent at Toys R Us online on the last of the Christmas gifts I wanted to get for the kids. Nothing like a little unexpected reward to make the work seem worth it.
If nothing else, this will guarantee I never throw away unopened mail.
The only saving grace is that it's just two drawers. I don't even want to think about dealing with four drawers of this mess. Anyway, I emptied it all onto the floor, mail, papers, paid bills, receipts. I even found a coaster in a pair of scissors in there. (I know, what?) And then I started going through it, one paper at a time. Trash, recyclable, file, shred, and crap that shouldn't have ever been in there. And, as much as I felt like it was a waste of time to open all the mail, I did it. If I haven't needed it for the last 16 months, why would I need it now, right? But I opened it all anyway, mostly to make sure I wasn't just trashing stuff that needed to be shredded. And THEN! Then I opened one generic looking envelope and out fell a $25 gift card to Toys R Us! A reward from my insurance company for participating in their "Healthy Pregnancy" program. (Don't worry, the accompanying letter assured me that the $25 would be added to my taxable income as per IRS requirements. Thanks so much, right?) 10 minutes later the $25 was spent at Toys R Us online on the last of the Christmas gifts I wanted to get for the kids. Nothing like a little unexpected reward to make the work seem worth it.
If nothing else, this will guarantee I never throw away unopened mail.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Back to the dinosaur museum
We went to the dinosaur museum today, for the first time in awhile. We haven't been going because of the nap schedule around here. Winter hours at the museum (winter being October to May) are 10 am to 4 pm, and because it's actually in Fruita, it's about a 20 minute drive from here. SO. A museum trip means I need to leave the house by 3 or it's not worth going. Usually the day goes like this: up at 6 ish (both kids), Will goes down for his first nap around 9, and sleeps until 11 or 11:30. Once he's up it's almost lunch time, then after lunch Kalena goes down for her nap, usually about 1 pm. Will has his second nap between 1:30 and 2 and by the time both kids are up it's generally close to 3 (sometimes later.) Which means no way are we getting out of the house by 3. Which means no dinosaurs.
But today! Today I thought, daylight savings means the schedules are off, I'll let them nap early and we'll go to the museum this afternoon. Kalena was excited, Will was excited (alright fine, Will has no idea what's going on) and we were ready to go. I just needed to stop for a minute at my parent's house on the way. When we turned the corner into their neighborhood, oh MAN. You would have thought I told Kalena that instead of seeing the dinosaurs she was going to be tortured for the rest of the afternoon. She just WAILED. Despite my reassurance that we were just stopping for a minute, that she didn't even have to get out of the car. She wasn't happy until we were leaving the house, back on the way to her beloved dinosaurs.
I guess I need to do those errands on the way home from the dinosaurs. WHOOPS.
But today! Today I thought, daylight savings means the schedules are off, I'll let them nap early and we'll go to the museum this afternoon. Kalena was excited, Will was excited (alright fine, Will has no idea what's going on) and we were ready to go. I just needed to stop for a minute at my parent's house on the way. When we turned the corner into their neighborhood, oh MAN. You would have thought I told Kalena that instead of seeing the dinosaurs she was going to be tortured for the rest of the afternoon. She just WAILED. Despite my reassurance that we were just stopping for a minute, that she didn't even have to get out of the car. She wasn't happy until we were leaving the house, back on the way to her beloved dinosaurs.
I guess I need to do those errands on the way home from the dinosaurs. WHOOPS.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
First photo of the teeth
I think I mentioned that Will is getting four teeth. Interestingly, the four he's getting in are the two middle bottom ones and his top two lateral incisors. (Yeah, I had to look that up.) So he's not getting his two front teeth, he's getting the ones on either side. It makes him look like a little vampire whenever he opens his mouth enough to see the top two. They're like little fangs. I tried to get a picture of ALL the teeth, but the best I could get was the bottom two.
Hopefully now that they've all broken through he'll get back to sleeping better again.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Feeling old
I have a hard time getting rid of books. Even books I don't like. Even textbooks. Or, maybe especially textbooks since they're so ridiculously expensive. (I couldn't sell mine back to the school bookstore because I usually ordered paperback versions from Amazon.) But, as we get settled in here I've been in purging mode.
I used to be very, um, let's say sentimental, about stuff. I didn't like to throw things away, even if it wasn't something I used often. Or ever. Then one day I woke up and I wanted to get rid of stuff. I wanted to sort and clear out and throw away and donate. I wanted stuff GONE. I have no idea why they change in attitude, but there it is. This happened not too long before I was laid off, so while I got some sorting done, and we threw out quite a bit of stuff before we moved, there was still lots of stuff we needed to go through. And what better time than while I'm unpacking? Well, recently I made it to our boxes of textbooks.
I will be keeping a few (ones I have referenced from time to time) and getting rid of the others. Most of them I haven't used since I took the class (and since I started the college in 2001, that's been awhile...) In fact, some of them are so old I found DISKS that went with them. Not CDs, actual disks. Nothing like realizing the technology I used in college is COMPLETELY outdated to make me feel old. Definitely want to throw that stuff away. Anything making you feel old today?
I used to be very, um, let's say sentimental, about stuff. I didn't like to throw things away, even if it wasn't something I used often. Or ever. Then one day I woke up and I wanted to get rid of stuff. I wanted to sort and clear out and throw away and donate. I wanted stuff GONE. I have no idea why they change in attitude, but there it is. This happened not too long before I was laid off, so while I got some sorting done, and we threw out quite a bit of stuff before we moved, there was still lots of stuff we needed to go through. And what better time than while I'm unpacking? Well, recently I made it to our boxes of textbooks.
I will be keeping a few (ones I have referenced from time to time) and getting rid of the others. Most of them I haven't used since I took the class (and since I started the college in 2001, that's been awhile...) In fact, some of them are so old I found DISKS that went with them. Not CDs, actual disks. Nothing like realizing the technology I used in college is COMPLETELY outdated to make me feel old. Definitely want to throw that stuff away. Anything making you feel old today?
Friday, November 5, 2010
How we got the baby to sleep through the night
The short version: by using a comfort object.
Oh, you wanted more detail than that? Fine.
So, at 9 months I was worried that Will wasn't sleeping enough. I wasn't so much concerned by the not sleeping through the night (I really think kids will sleep through the night whey they are ready.) But in addition to not sleeping through the night, he was going to bed late (around 10 most nights) and getting up early (between 6:30 and 7) and only napping for 45 minutes twice during the day. I discussed with his pediatrician and she agreed, not enough sleep. We discussed the various theories on sleep and agreed that it depends on temperament of both parent and child. (Most helpful discussion ever right?)
In the end what she recommended doing was getting him a comfort object. We settled on a teddy bear and started giving it to him every time he nursed or we put him to bed. I also co-slept with him and the bear for a week or so. Then we moved, and started putting him to bed at 7. He cried some for the first few days (10 minutes or so) but it got better after that. For awhile I worried that he was going to cry every night when we put him down because he got so used to The Routine that he would start to cry as soon as he was done nursing. But he got over that, and now he goes to bed without a fuss most nights.
It is true that sleep begets sleep. Going to bed earlier led to sleeping through the night (after a few days) AND better naps. He has been waking once in the night recently, but I blame the FOUR teeth that erupted in the last 2 weeks.
So there you have it. Questions?
Oh, you wanted more detail than that? Fine.
So, at 9 months I was worried that Will wasn't sleeping enough. I wasn't so much concerned by the not sleeping through the night (I really think kids will sleep through the night whey they are ready.) But in addition to not sleeping through the night, he was going to bed late (around 10 most nights) and getting up early (between 6:30 and 7) and only napping for 45 minutes twice during the day. I discussed with his pediatrician and she agreed, not enough sleep. We discussed the various theories on sleep and agreed that it depends on temperament of both parent and child. (Most helpful discussion ever right?)
In the end what she recommended doing was getting him a comfort object. We settled on a teddy bear and started giving it to him every time he nursed or we put him to bed. I also co-slept with him and the bear for a week or so. Then we moved, and started putting him to bed at 7. He cried some for the first few days (10 minutes or so) but it got better after that. For awhile I worried that he was going to cry every night when we put him down because he got so used to The Routine that he would start to cry as soon as he was done nursing. But he got over that, and now he goes to bed without a fuss most nights.
It is true that sleep begets sleep. Going to bed earlier led to sleeping through the night (after a few days) AND better naps. He has been waking once in the night recently, but I blame the FOUR teeth that erupted in the last 2 weeks.
So there you have it. Questions?
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The perks of having two
Nothing makes me smile quite like finding my kids playing happily. Together.
Kalena likes to pat Will on the head and tell him, "It o-tay bay-bee."
Obviously they don't always get along so well, but it's a beautiful thing when they do.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Normally I'm more on top of things
Confession: I didn't vote yesterday. I'll wait while you pick your jaw up off the floor. Done? Okay.
It's not that I don't care, although, it seems that voting these days is mostly a matter of picking which person or policy I hate the least. The truth is, I'm not registered to vote in Colorado. That's right, we've been back in Colorado for almost 16 months but I'm still registered to vote in Texas. WHOOPS. And maybe I would have been more motivated to GET registered as election time approached if that weren't just the BEST excuse to not deal with people wanting me to take pamphlets or sign petitions and such.
Anyway, I'm sure I'll be registered by the next election. Maybe before then I'll also get around to ordering Will's official birth certificate. Oh yeah, still haven't done that either. Apparently I'm a bad citizen AND a bad mother. What a day.
It's not that I don't care, although, it seems that voting these days is mostly a matter of picking which person or policy I hate the least. The truth is, I'm not registered to vote in Colorado. That's right, we've been back in Colorado for almost 16 months but I'm still registered to vote in Texas. WHOOPS. And maybe I would have been more motivated to GET registered as election time approached if that weren't just the BEST excuse to not deal with people wanting me to take pamphlets or sign petitions and such.
Anyway, I'm sure I'll be registered by the next election. Maybe before then I'll also get around to ordering Will's official birth certificate. Oh yeah, still haven't done that either. Apparently I'm a bad citizen AND a bad mother. What a day.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Back in the technology dark ages
Remember when I told you I got an iPhone? (Back in this post.) Well, I did get one, or rather my brother in law Jonathan was nice enough to give me his old one when he got a new one. ANYWAY. While I would love to actually use it as a phone, moving into a house meant cutting back expenses which meant no new iPhone calling plan. So, it's essentially the same thing as having an iPod touch, which is also pretty awesome. As a side note, if you're interested in winning at Words With Friends, my user name is Elsha3 and I'm on a losing streak right now.
Back to the point. Cutting back on bills also meant cutting Brian's iPhone from our plan. We planned on cutting back to one line and getting me a new phone since mine was getting pretty glitchy. But when I went to do that I found out Brian's 2 year contract on his iPhone wasn't up yet. There was only a month left on it, so we figured we'd just wait the month instead of paying the early termination fee. Well, the month is up tomorrow and not a minute too soon, because this morning the screen on my phone died. Interestingly enough, the *phone* part of my phone works fine. I can make and receive calls, but that's all. I can't see who's calling, or get voicemail or text messages (kinda hard to read a text with no screen), I can't see missed calls, I can't look up numbers. It's a little weird.
But you know what the crazy part is? This is how all phones USED to be. Remember that? Back in the day when your phone was attached to your wall and had a cord and when it rang you answered it with NO IDEA who was on the other end? And if someone called and you weren't home you couldn't tell they called? (For those of you who are wondering, yes, I am old enough to remember a time when our home had no answering machine.) And when you dialed a number it didn't pop up on a screen anywhere for you to double check that you'd dialed correctly? Well, I know it felt normal then, but let me tell you, it sure feels weird now! Anyway, if you call me in the next couple days and I don't answer, be sure to call me again later because otherwise I'll NEVER KNOW.
Back to the point. Cutting back on bills also meant cutting Brian's iPhone from our plan. We planned on cutting back to one line and getting me a new phone since mine was getting pretty glitchy. But when I went to do that I found out Brian's 2 year contract on his iPhone wasn't up yet. There was only a month left on it, so we figured we'd just wait the month instead of paying the early termination fee. Well, the month is up tomorrow and not a minute too soon, because this morning the screen on my phone died. Interestingly enough, the *phone* part of my phone works fine. I can make and receive calls, but that's all. I can't see who's calling, or get voicemail or text messages (kinda hard to read a text with no screen), I can't see missed calls, I can't look up numbers. It's a little weird.
But you know what the crazy part is? This is how all phones USED to be. Remember that? Back in the day when your phone was attached to your wall and had a cord and when it rang you answered it with NO IDEA who was on the other end? And if someone called and you weren't home you couldn't tell they called? (For those of you who are wondering, yes, I am old enough to remember a time when our home had no answering machine.) And when you dialed a number it didn't pop up on a screen anywhere for you to double check that you'd dialed correctly? Well, I know it felt normal then, but let me tell you, it sure feels weird now! Anyway, if you call me in the next couple days and I don't answer, be sure to call me again later because otherwise I'll NEVER KNOW.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Third year in a row
It's November (already, not sure how that happened) which means-- NaBloPoMo again!
This is where I pretend like I have readers who actually want me to post every day. (Besides my sister Kari, who actually DOES want me to post every day.) I know you're all thrilled.
I feel a little unprepared this time around, the last two years I've done it I've had a list of topics I knew I wanted to post about. This year I have like one. Well, I'm sure I'll find something from this thrilling life that I lead. BE READY!
This is where I pretend like I have readers who actually want me to post every day. (Besides my sister Kari, who actually DOES want me to post every day.) I know you're all thrilled.
I feel a little unprepared this time around, the last two years I've done it I've had a list of topics I knew I wanted to post about. This year I have like one. Well, I'm sure I'll find something from this thrilling life that I lead. BE READY!
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