Wish You Didn't Get So Many Sale Notices
Well, one thing you do is look longingly at the amazing ads that are going up for Thanksgiving weekend and think, "If only I had the energy . . . and if only I didn't care about spreading sickness."
Call and Cancel Your Plans for Thanksgiving
And feel inexpressibly grateful that you have such nice friends that they offer to bring you dinner on Thanksgiving even though they tell you not to worry about contributing, and even though they are already feeding eight adults at their house, and even though their family is coming into town from north and south to share this meal with them so they could be covetous of their time with them.
Look Longingly at Your Birthday Gifts
Um, this has more to do with the fact that my parents' gifts arrived six days early than it has to do with me being sick, but the fact that I may be lounging around the house for the next six days will make the temptation to open them ever so much greater. Not that I will do it, of course . . .
Sleep a Lot
The kiddo has been sick since about Saturday. Yesterday, I went to the doctor and she gave me decongestant for him. Huzzah! (This did not happen last season when he was sick because he was too little for meds like that; there are just so many things to love about having a one-year-old.) Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, I was lucky to get him to sleep a half hour 2-5 times a day. And when he wasn't sleeping he was right on the brink of tears about 90% of the time. Happily, now that he has medication, he sleeps (and isn't an emotional mess) and his daddy and I get to sleep too. Thank goodness that Dad has a vacation. I have already taken two naps today, and I am lucky to ever manage one nap when I'm healthy because my body revolts against "laziness."
Read! Read! Read!
A while ago, I looked at my Goodreads.com list of books to read and thought I should start whittling away at it, so I put a bunch of books on hold at the library. I have now read The Book Thief and The Hunger Games. I am currently reading The Professor and the Madman and have started The Tipping Point, though I haven't been impressed with the second one. Gilead and Catching Fire are now sitting in the house, waiting in line. Patrick is reading Catching Fire, and since that ones a sequel to The Hunger Games, it may get moved up in front of The Tipping Point for me, which, honestly with all these other books waiting in my house, might be tipped right back to the library.
Reading has been a relief because I was starting to get stir crazy. I wanted to get out of the house but I didn't want people to hate me and my sniffly baby. The kiddo has gotten stir crazy too, but he's holding up better now that he's getting naps. So, all in all, life is working out all right for us despite pounding headaches, runny noses, and achey bodies. Even so, we do hope they pass soon, especially for Patrick who has exams starting in exactly two weeks and feels an urgent need to study but not an urgent enough need that it overpowers his even more urgent need to sleep and rest.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
A Story of Success
Today was an exceptionally great day. I washed laundry, put away the clean dishes, made a call about insurance, made a doctor's appointment for the munchkin, went to the grocery store, went to Target, went to the library and played with Caleb inside and out, watched the kiddo walk more than he ever has before, made the most successful dinner I've made in weeks, had family night (Family Home Evening, aka FHE) together, got invited to our friends' house for ice cream, saw some friends we rarely see, and heard some good news to round out the evening.
But my story of success is most specifically about my grocery shopping experience. An enormous fad among our friends here is what is known as "couponing." I jumped on the bandwagon about two weeks ago. Though I missed out on two little workshops on the subject, I got starter tidbits from two different friends who made it, so I determined to get started. My first shopping experience was not delightful, to say the least. First, I had a one-year-old who screamed every time we were in an aisle alone together and then smiled coyly every time he saw anyone else, two-faced little bugger. This was especially unpleasant because it was not a busy time at the store so I was listening to him scream about 90% of our trip. Second, I didn't have very many coupons. Third, I had to buy meat which is not, as it turns out, a common couponing item.
My second trip was hardly less stressful, though I was able to leave the acoustics at home with his dad. Though I did have more coupons and my bill was not hiked up by meat, my stomach started hurting and I spent what felt like a decade on every possible item determining what was actually covered by my coupon and what would be cheapest due to couponing and sales. (Math and I have a stormy relationship so this is not a fast process for me even with a coupon. Headache, headache, headache.)
Despite these first two painful experiences, I was comforted to attend a workshop with the local couponing queen and be reassured that it does take time but that it is worth it -- after all, she estimates that her famiy of five spends $200-$300 a month on groceries and that includes diapers and personal hygiene items. As that is currently about what we spend for the three of us, I determined to persevere. It helped that I could see her set-up and hear a few more of her tips. I may never master it as she has, but her knowledge is valuable no matter how you apply it.
And, in any case, I've been fully converted today. Why you ask? Because I spent $.30 -- yes, that's right-- $.30 on two jars of Ragu spaghetti sauce. (For those of you who suffer from math dysfunction as I do, that is 15 cents per jar.) That's all I bought today because I will go back to take advantage of Farm Fresh's double couponing deal (a $1.00 coupon goes to $2.00) on Wednesday, but today was the last day I could use the store's coupon, so pairing that with the manufacturer's coupon, and the fact that Farm Fresh doubles up to $.99 the rest of the week, and VOILA! I'm a believer! Apparently, all it takes is one good experience to get addicted. Feel the savings. Taste the savings. Be the savings.
We added this picture just for you, Kathleen.
But my story of success is most specifically about my grocery shopping experience. An enormous fad among our friends here is what is known as "couponing." I jumped on the bandwagon about two weeks ago. Though I missed out on two little workshops on the subject, I got starter tidbits from two different friends who made it, so I determined to get started. My first shopping experience was not delightful, to say the least. First, I had a one-year-old who screamed every time we were in an aisle alone together and then smiled coyly every time he saw anyone else, two-faced little bugger. This was especially unpleasant because it was not a busy time at the store so I was listening to him scream about 90% of our trip. Second, I didn't have very many coupons. Third, I had to buy meat which is not, as it turns out, a common couponing item.
My second trip was hardly less stressful, though I was able to leave the acoustics at home with his dad. Though I did have more coupons and my bill was not hiked up by meat, my stomach started hurting and I spent what felt like a decade on every possible item determining what was actually covered by my coupon and what would be cheapest due to couponing and sales. (Math and I have a stormy relationship so this is not a fast process for me even with a coupon. Headache, headache, headache.)
Despite these first two painful experiences, I was comforted to attend a workshop with the local couponing queen and be reassured that it does take time but that it is worth it -- after all, she estimates that her famiy of five spends $200-$300 a month on groceries and that includes diapers and personal hygiene items. As that is currently about what we spend for the three of us, I determined to persevere. It helped that I could see her set-up and hear a few more of her tips. I may never master it as she has, but her knowledge is valuable no matter how you apply it.
And, in any case, I've been fully converted today. Why you ask? Because I spent $.30 -- yes, that's right-- $.30 on two jars of Ragu spaghetti sauce. (For those of you who suffer from math dysfunction as I do, that is 15 cents per jar.) That's all I bought today because I will go back to take advantage of Farm Fresh's double couponing deal (a $1.00 coupon goes to $2.00) on Wednesday, but today was the last day I could use the store's coupon, so pairing that with the manufacturer's coupon, and the fact that Farm Fresh doubles up to $.99 the rest of the week, and VOILA! I'm a believer! Apparently, all it takes is one good experience to get addicted. Feel the savings. Taste the savings. Be the savings.
We added this picture just for you, Kathleen.Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Ode to October
One of our great adventures in October was going to the William & Mary football game. Note to all moms unfamiliar with this game: a live football game with a toddler isn't the place to learn about it. I was completely oblivious to what was going on 99% of the time. It seemed that every time I looked up nothing was happening and every time the crowd cheered, I was focused on the kiddo. So it happens that I remain completely ignorant on the issue of football strategy, terminology, and, well, everything else even slightly football-related.
After the Tribe's win, Patrick and some friends got together and played some flag football themselves. One thing I love about my husband is that he's really much more interested in playing than in watching (though he does like to watch it as well). Loving to play football as he does, Patrick was very excited beforehand about this informal game, and he wasn't disappointed afterward either-- he had a great time.
While Patrick played football, Caleb and I played in the leaves. Near the end of the game was when Caleb learned the sign "go." It mostly involves moving your hand to point, so it isn't too difficult. We played a game where Caleb signed "GO!" and I would run with him, then I would say, "Stop," and we would stand still. He learned the sign quickly this way because it turned out to be such a fun game for him. Overall, a very successful time period for us all.
Another vocabulary word I missed last time was "bubbles," or rather "ba-ba(s)" (the "s" isn't consistently there). We played with bubbles a lot this month because we came across goodies from last years Halloween with a little pumpkin bubble container.
This picture just makes me think that Caleb is becoming a little boy. (Okay, I admit I threw a block in his pocket so he would reach in to retrieve it, but I think it makes him look so big. He's less and less a baby all the time, even though he isn't technically "toddling" much yet.)
As mentioned in a previous blog post, we also hosted aunt (er, great-aunt) Jenny this month too. She came to visit us after checking out the Funny Farm in Wisconsin. We spent two fantastically fun days touring CW (Colonial Williamsburg) and learning all about the Randolph's, the capital building, and the Governor.
Oh, and we learned about the jail where Jen was incarcerated. Not a pretty thing to be carted off to the noose, as it turns out. Eeew.
Caleb and Jen bonded and are now buddies. It didn't hurt that she gave him fantastic maraccas from her recent trip to Peru. She also bought and read him Goodnight, Moon. It's now a good pre-naptime storybook. She also played the GO!-game with him (mentioned above). I got a video of that, but it didn't turn out well at all, so it's not gonna make the cut. And she just generally gave him a lot of attention and smiled at him a lot which is basically Caleb's idea of heaven.
At the very end of the month, our friends Jason and Melissa invited us over for a Halloween party. Here's Caleb posing in his adorable costume. The vest and pants were inherited from his uncles (my brothers). The shirt was a thrift buy that Grandma bought him. The mocassins came many months ago from my aunt and uncle as a gift with an appropriate matching outfit. And the hat was a Dollar Tree acquisition. The rocking horse belonged to me (and my brothers too?) when we were kids and my parents offered to send it our way when we made the move. All in all, this costume cost us $1. We call that success.
Here Caleb is with his most familiar friends. This is the best I managed with them. I have new respect for photographers of children. What insanity! They were all generally happy at least, but they are also all mobile and wiggly, so they weren't exactly posing for the doting parents and their glued on lenses. Ah well, you get the idea.
And now that Halloween is over . . . on to CHRISTMAS! I love the beauty of fall and the fun of Halloween, but I adore Christmas. I love carols and decorations and the food and the parties and the vacation and the presents and the family and the friends -- all those magical, marvelous parts of Christmas. I admit we have even set up our tree prior to Halloween one year. I don't forget Thanksgiving, I just see that as more build-up to Christmas time. I know some people think it's silly, but, hey, after I'm dead if my kids roll their eyes remembering that I celebrated Christmas ridiculously long I'll be so pleased to have that listed among my quirks.
Hope you're October was as fantastic as ours and hope you are as excited about the holidays as we are.
After the Tribe's win, Patrick and some friends got together and played some flag football themselves. One thing I love about my husband is that he's really much more interested in playing than in watching (though he does like to watch it as well). Loving to play football as he does, Patrick was very excited beforehand about this informal game, and he wasn't disappointed afterward either-- he had a great time.
While Patrick played football, Caleb and I played in the leaves. Near the end of the game was when Caleb learned the sign "go." It mostly involves moving your hand to point, so it isn't too difficult. We played a game where Caleb signed "GO!" and I would run with him, then I would say, "Stop," and we would stand still. He learned the sign quickly this way because it turned out to be such a fun game for him. Overall, a very successful time period for us all.
Another vocabulary word I missed last time was "bubbles," or rather "ba-ba(s)" (the "s" isn't consistently there). We played with bubbles a lot this month because we came across goodies from last years Halloween with a little pumpkin bubble container.
This picture just makes me think that Caleb is becoming a little boy. (Okay, I admit I threw a block in his pocket so he would reach in to retrieve it, but I think it makes him look so big. He's less and less a baby all the time, even though he isn't technically "toddling" much yet.)
As mentioned in a previous blog post, we also hosted aunt (er, great-aunt) Jenny this month too. She came to visit us after checking out the Funny Farm in Wisconsin. We spent two fantastically fun days touring CW (Colonial Williamsburg) and learning all about the Randolph's, the capital building, and the Governor.
Oh, and we learned about the jail where Jen was incarcerated. Not a pretty thing to be carted off to the noose, as it turns out. Eeew.
Caleb and Jen bonded and are now buddies. It didn't hurt that she gave him fantastic maraccas from her recent trip to Peru. She also bought and read him Goodnight, Moon. It's now a good pre-naptime storybook. She also played the GO!-game with him (mentioned above). I got a video of that, but it didn't turn out well at all, so it's not gonna make the cut. And she just generally gave him a lot of attention and smiled at him a lot which is basically Caleb's idea of heaven.
At the very end of the month, our friends Jason and Melissa invited us over for a Halloween party. Here's Caleb posing in his adorable costume. The vest and pants were inherited from his uncles (my brothers). The shirt was a thrift buy that Grandma bought him. The mocassins came many months ago from my aunt and uncle as a gift with an appropriate matching outfit. And the hat was a Dollar Tree acquisition. The rocking horse belonged to me (and my brothers too?) when we were kids and my parents offered to send it our way when we made the move. All in all, this costume cost us $1. We call that success.
Here Caleb is with his most familiar friends. This is the best I managed with them. I have new respect for photographers of children. What insanity! They were all generally happy at least, but they are also all mobile and wiggly, so they weren't exactly posing for the doting parents and their glued on lenses. Ah well, you get the idea.
And now that Halloween is over . . . on to CHRISTMAS! I love the beauty of fall and the fun of Halloween, but I adore Christmas. I love carols and decorations and the food and the parties and the vacation and the presents and the family and the friends -- all those magical, marvelous parts of Christmas. I admit we have even set up our tree prior to Halloween one year. I don't forget Thanksgiving, I just see that as more build-up to Christmas time. I know some people think it's silly, but, hey, after I'm dead if my kids roll their eyes remembering that I celebrated Christmas ridiculously long I'll be so pleased to have that listed among my quirks.
Hope you're October was as fantastic as ours and hope you are as excited about the holidays as we are.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)