25 Days of Christmas - Our Family's Calendar

Last year, I posted about some of the Advent ideas I have. This year, I plan to use all three of my Advent calendars. Candy surprises will be in the "calendar" with the little boxes to open daily, I have daily scripture I plan to read each day in the scrapbook-looking calendar, and I'll put little slips of paper in each day's pocket of the hanging calendar with a fun activity for the kids and I to do (some days with Mike) that is Christmas related. I always start out the month of December with great expectations of baking, crafting and visiting fun places, but life tends to successfully get in the way if things aren't on the calendar.
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So I made a list of 25 things I want to do, sat down with my calendar and assigned dates to each activity. I confirmed everything with Mike and now we're set! To get your creative juices flowing, here is our plan:
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Day 1 - Make a Chain Link Countdown to Christmas
Day 2 - Make Peppermint White Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Day 3 - Build a Gingerbread House
Day 4 - Attend "Cookies and Milk with Santa" night at Ryan's school
Day 5 - Go to Home Depot's Kids Workshop to build wagons with Daddy
Day 6 - Grandma's church Christmas kick off event w/ petting zoo and bounce houses
Day 7 - Ice Cream Cone Christmas Tree craft
Day 8 - Go to the $1 Store and let the kids pick out anything they want
Day 9 - Load the kids into the car in PJs with warm cocoa and drive around town looking at Christmas lights
Day 10 - Family Movie Night - "Home Alone"
Day 11 - Take the kids shopping for Christmas gifts for each other
Day 12 - Christmas craft day - make ornaments, candy cane reindeer, look up other ideas on Family Fun's website
Day 13 - Go to the McCormick Train Park
Day 14 - Make homemade Christmas cards for teachers and family
Day 15 - Pick 2 angels from the tree at the mall (each child's age) and have the kids shop for them
Day 16 - Family Game Night
Day 17 - Family Movie Night - "Polar Express"
Day 18 - Go to Glendale Glitters
Day 19 - Christmas camping by the tree
Day 20 - SNOW DAY in Flagstaff!!!
Day 21 - Bake for neighbors including Oatmeal Caramel Bars and Chocolate Oat Bars
Day 22 - "Lunch with Santa" at local shopping center
Day 23 - Bake Sugar Cookies
Day 24 - Bake a birthday cake for Jesus and decorate sugar cookies (our new Christmas Eve tradition from last year)
Day 25 - Read the Nativity story from the Bible
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If you have older kids, there are plenty of service-related activity ideas that will help them get away from the "me, me, me" mentality by seeing others less fortunate. You could volunteer at a soup kitchen, sing Christmas carols at an elderly home, bring cookies to the children's ward of a nearby hospital, buy gifts for a needy family or take sandwiches to an area where the homeless congregate.
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When I was growing up, my mom used to "adopt" an orphan (are they still called that?) for the holidays. They'd come live with us for a few weeks and we'd include them in all of our family activities. I would suggest someone of the same gender as most of your kids and their age or younger. It was a really cool experience.
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Do you have any additional activity ideas for December?

Bring on the Christmas Season!

For many people, Christmas in Phoenix takes some getting used to. Growing up in Kansas City, I'm used to frigid temperatures, watching the news before school to see if there would be a snow day and warming up the car 5 minutes before leaving the house. Visiting my mom in Phoenix during college included wearing flip flops to finish Christmas shopping, laying out in the backyard to add color to my pasty skin and taking long walks in the sunshine to burn off extra holiday calories.

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Regardless of the fact that it was 77 degrees for yesterday or that Kaylin and I wore sleeveless shirts on a holiday where I grew up wearing sweaters, I'm so excited that today officially means it's "the Christmas season." I love singing "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas..." along with the radio, knowing that Phoenix has seen snow exactly twice since I moved here 12 years ago. I love that my blood has thinned out so much since moving here that 65 degrees means dressing my family in long sleeves and a jacket. I love that Ryan got to actually ride the bike his uncle bought him a couple years ago ON Christmas. I love putting lukewarm cocoa in my kids' sippy cups to drive around to look at Christmas lights that look like this:



Yes, people proudly string lights on their palm trees and saguaro. I used to think it was pathetic, but now I can finally admit that it looks cool!
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No matter how you spend your Christmas season, jump on the bandwagon and plan some fun things to do with your family throughout the month of December. Crafts, baking, movie nights...it doesn't need to cost a lot, but be intentional about slowing down and creating some memories!

Back to Being Intentional

I've gotten into some bad patterns over the last few months. I have no idea when it happened; it's probably been a gradual transition, but I need to retrain myself. My expectations have gotten too high. I've stopped praising Mike and the kids for doing what I've decided in my head is "their job." I'm too quick to criticize if something isn't done to a certain standard. I've had trouble biting my tongue and letting things go. I can't imagine I've been much fun to be around!
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Lately, I've had some great chats with girlfriends who have older kids. I am so thankful for their advice, experience and wisdom. After talking through some of my recent struggles, I realized that somewhere along the line, I started slacking off. My standards for Ryan and Kaylin have become a minimum expectation with no praise or reward for success, but plenty of correction and consequences for failure. I have not been the grace-based parent that I'd like to be. I have been subconsciously steering them toward good performance instead of shepherding their hearts. I'm sick of barking orders and getting little results. I'm sick of feeling stressed and having a household that is tense, not one filled with joy and peace. I'm sick of being the mom that's difficult to please.
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Today, that changed.
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Two years ago, I discovered the Accountable Kids program and fell in love. Ryan transformed into a compliant, confident, responsible three year old who needed little prodding or reminding. We stuck with it for quite a while, even got Kaylin into it when she turned two, but sometime last year, we fell out of the habit of following the program and today it was reintroduced.

The kids are SO excited to earn rewards for doing their regular chores, finding ways to serve others and obeying the rules. I am excited that I won't need to nag them to pick up their toys, make their beds or brush their teeth. They are accountable to their chore boards and will be praised for accomplishing the tasks instead of always hearing what they forgot to do. I'm so glad we're back on track here!
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This system is great on so many levels. Not only will it keep them on task with chores, but it has incentives for certain habits we're working on (for Ryan: waking up dry and for Kaylin: staying in her room after lights out), incentives for doing extra chores (helping cook dinner, clean dishes and other tasks that aren't their "typical" daily chores), and incentives for listening and obeying the first time they are asked to do something. The incentives are things they that value, including watching the banished tv, getting gum or having a special date with me or Mike.
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Things are already so much calmer in our house. There's consistency between Mike and I with consequences and the kids know their expectations and boundaries. Love. It.
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A random issue that we've had problems with recently is dinner. We've tried to teach the kids to stay seated unless they ask to be excused, not to interrupt while someone else is talking and to have some other simple, basic table manners. But lately, dinner has been a joke. The kids have been extremely hyper, Mike's still coming down from his day at work, I'm spent after a long day of mommy duty and now we get the added thrill of Jason being fussy during that strange 5-7pm "witching hour."
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This week, my friend Melissa gave me the greatest suggestion: it starts with three M&Ms in front of each person at the dinner table. When someone interrupts another person talking, they give that person an M&M. If one of the kids gets up without asking to be excused, they give Mike or I an M&M. If someone is ungrateful or rude ("...this smells gross!"), they give us an M&M.

We tried this last night and it was AWESOME. The kids really got into it and even Mike had to give each of them an M&M for interrupted them at one point. Ryan actually raised his hand every time he wanted to talk instead of impulsively blurting out whatever was on his mind. It was the most pleasant family dinner we've had in weeks.
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The last thing I've decided to be intentional about is curing Kaylin of her newest habit of putting her fingers in her mouth during the day. Not sucking them, just a lingering fingertip around her lips somewhere or a nail between her teeth. With all of the germs going around and how often she's in and out of the backyard where everything is filthy, I want her hands out of her mouth.
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I've tried gently reminding her, but it's an unconscious habit now, so I needed to take it to a new level. Gloves were suggested to me and she doesn't mind wearing them at all. I'm hoping this nuance will vanish as quickly as it appeared.

(can anyone say, "jazz hands"?)

Buttery Sandwich Cookies

I had the pleasure of experiencing these delicious little cookies at a friend's baby shower. I made them for my cookie exchange this weekend and had to swat Mike's hand away to keep him from eating too many. (he suggested we call it a "cookie keep" instead of a "cookie exchange" so we don't have to share our bounty) Anyway, here is the recipe. Enjoy!

COOKIES:
2 cups butter, softened (4 sticks)
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
4 cups flour
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Cream softened butter, gradually adding flour, then cream. Roll onto a generously floured surface, approximately 1/4 inch thick, and cut into 2 inch circles (or another small cookie cutter shape). Prick each cookie with a fork three times and back for 7-9 minutes at 375 °. (I baked 2 cookie sheets to save on time and they turned out great)
* I found these cookies to be VERY delicate, so I froze them after they cooled slightly, which helped them hold up while I frosted them.
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FILLING:
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1.5 cups powdered sugar
4 T. heavy cream
2 t. vanilla
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Combine filling ingredients and spread between two cookies.
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Yields 50-60 sandwich cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutter.

White Pizza Pinwheels

I made this appetizer for our Italian-themed dinner party last weekend and everyone loved them!

2 - 8 oz. cans crescent rolls
1 - 8 oz. pkg cream cheese
1/4 cup prepared Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup pureed spinach
2 T. prepared pesto
2 T. garlic powder
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
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Preheat oven to 350°. Grease two cookie sheets. Unroll crescent rolls, do not separate them, and press perforations together to make one large rectangle. Mix filling ingredients together in a large bowl and spread onto each rectangle. Roll up like a jelly roll and place in freezer for 15 minutes for easier slicing. Cut into 2 inch slices and place pinwheels cut side down onto baking sheets. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Why I Make My Bed

My house has been a pigsty lately. I rally everyone together to pick everything up and it's a disaster again within the hour.
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When I walked into my bedroom yesterday, it looked so cluttered. I remember reading once that when the bed is made in a bedroom, it tends to look more tidy because the surface area of the bed is so much of the room. This thought popped into my head at that moment and, although I wasn't convinced it would do much good, I decided to make my bed (My bed is unmade most days anymore because I take so many naps, which is very unlike me. The unmade bed, that is...not the naps.)
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I instantly felt better. There was still a basket of folded clothes on the floor. There was still a huge pile of dirty clothes waiting for the laundry basket to be emptied so they could appear contained. There was still a grocery cart and baby stroller that the kids had dragged upstairs from the playroom...last week. My dresser was still piled high with baby stuff, clean clothes that needed to be put away, hand-me-down clothes that needed to be packed up, congratulations cards from friends, random cords from our new video monitor, even birthday party supplies that have lingered from this summer.
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But because the bed was made, the room didn't seem like such a train wreck.
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I realized that there are certain things that help areas of my house "feel" clean to me. As I said, in my bedroom, it's my bed being made. In my bathroom, it's Mike's stuff (brush, gel, deodorant, razor, etc) not being on the counter. (I found a great way to contain it all a few months ago that has made a world of difference!)
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In my bedroom, my dresser is my catch-all.

Upstairs, it's the desk at the top of the stairs.

In my kitchen, I have a small, but packed, "junk counter" that only gets on my nerves when I can no longer fit things on it. Unfortunately, that is it's current state today. The junk counter is my area of transition for paperwork, my dumping ground for my purse and camera and the place where I throw random odds and ends until I have time to find them a permanent home.

I'm one of those "a place for everything and everything in it's place" people. But not to the extreme. For instance, in my kitchen, I need the counters to be clear for it to feel clean. As long as the dishes are at least in the sink in my house, they don't bother me. For most people, the dishes have to be in the dishwasher, but as long as they're at least in the sink, I'm fine. (until they start overflowing onto the counters...) Either the sink OR the dishwasher can be the "place" for the dirty dishes.
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Would I like my house to look like it's staged for a magazine photo shoot? Absolutely. But at this stage in my life (with little kids, toys and baby stuff everywhere) that's unrealistic. I have baskets scattered and hidden throughout my house to contain much of the mess. It helps the kids be able to quickly help pick up their toys, no matter what room we're in.
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One thing I learned while thinking about this yesterday is that I need my desk clean in the office. I've always known this, but have decided to commit to cleaning it off every night before going to bed. There's no reason for me to be on the computer and have non-office stuff staring at me. I mean really...did you see what was in that picture above? My day planner and some Thank You notes are the only office-appropriate things on that desk. A Krispy Kreme hat, new office supplies, hand-me-down shoes for when Jason is older, Barbie shoes, a storybook, a bib, tissue paper and a card from a recent baby gift and Ryan's dirty socks. Dirty socks, people. On my desk. EW.
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Think through the areas of your house that help it feel clean to YOU. I challenge you to focus on straightening those areas today so your home feels a little more calm. We're about to get into the whirlwind of the holiday season, so thinking about this before life gets chaotic might keep you a little more sane for the rest of 2009!

Snug as a Bug

On our way to a dinner party this weekend, Mike grabbed my coat for me. But it was the wrong coat. It was my "big girl" coat from over 10 years ago. Not only was I heavier when I bought it, I was still living in Kansas, wearing big sweaters and college sweatshirts under this coat. In Phoenix, people throw on a coat over a thin t-shirt, not a bulky sweater.
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When I put it on to sit around the fire in the backyard with the group, it was huge - even post-pardum. Then I got an idea. Do I look a little pregnant in this picture?

Oh, there's a baby in there, all right. But he's ON my tummy, not IN it. I decided to tuck Jason inside the coat and zip him up (with room at the top for him to breathe, of course) so he would stay warm. It worked like a charm.

I literally just unzipped my coat for that picture. He stayed in there for over two hours, snug as a bug in a rug. Who needs a sling???

#54 - Allow the kids to have dessert before dinner

Mike's parents bought him a fire pit for his birthday and we built our first backyard fire tonight. It was finally chilly enough to pretend it's fall this weekend!

We ate a late lunch and no one was really hungry enough for a meal, so we decided to bum some marshmallows from a neighbor friend and roast them for "dinner." I know...SO not me, right?

And if we're doing this, why not do it right and put them on some graham crackers with leftover chocolate bars from Halloween?

Dinner is served. It occurred to me as we were enjoying our sugar high that this family event crosses another item off my list of 101 Goals in 1001 Days. Does it count that I let the kids have dessert FOR dinner, not just BEFORE dinner??? Yeah, I think so, too. #54 is officially accomplished!

A Day in the Life...with THREE

I feel like today is the first day I tackled real life with all three kids. Of course, with Ryan in Kindergarten during the week, I guess it won't really be "my life" until school is out for the summer. (He was off today for Veteran's Day.) Regardless, I had a crazy busy day and successfully managed it with all three in tow. And I'm about to collapse with exhaustion...
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7:00am - Fed Jason, Mike left for work, argued with Kaylin about wearing a black shirt and jeans for our baby photo shoot.
7:30am - Breakfast.
7:45am - Ryan and Kaylin started a cutting project with 1/4 inch pieces of paper all over the kitchen table and floor. I didn't have time to deal with it and was grateful they were occupied while I made sure we had everything we needed for our morning out. Diapers - check, wipes - check, pacifier - check, sack lunch with ice packs - check, camera - check, coupons - check, extra shirt for me (just in case) - check, water cups for everyone - check, coloring books and crayons - check, M&Ms to bribe the kids to cooperate during the photo shoot - CHECK.
8:00am - Drove across town for Jason's newborn photo shoot. Jason slept, the kids watched a movie, I daydreamed of a nap...
8:50am - Arrived at our destination, unloaded everyone and everything from the van.
9:00am - Stripped Jason down for his naked baby pictures. (No child porn here - his bits and pieces were covered the whole time!) The kids colored peacefully in the other room.
9:15am - With plenty of pictures of Jason crying, I took a break to feed him. The photographer took pictures of the older kids in the meantime.
9:35am - Jason peed through a beautiful, thick, fluffy, white baby blanket and all over me. What did I expect with him diaper-less for an hour? Thank goodness for the backup shirt.
10:00am - Photo shoot ended, loaded back into the van. (pictures to come soon...she's sending me the CD after she edits the best of the shots)
10:30am - Decided that since Jason was fed and sleeping and everyone was piled in the car, we should run some errands. Gave the kids an early lunch in the car since they were magically starving knowing that there were still M&Ms left in the bag.
10:55am - Dropped off kid clothes to a friend, ran into my aunt cleaning her house. Showed off the kids, talked about Thanksgiving, went along my merry way.
11:00am - Returned jeans for Kaylin to Target. I can't find jeans that fit that girl's body. Suggestions?!?!?
11:15am - Went to Trader Joe's. They were sampling hot apple cider; it tasted like a little bit of Christmas in a tiny paper cup...
11:30am - Drove to the new Krispy Kreme that actually makes donuts on site. The line was out the door with so many kids being off school for the holiday today. My kids watched the donuts bake and get glazed along the conveyor belt and we all enjoyed a hot, glazed, little round piece of heaven. Or two. The Voice could be heard very faintly, but was pretty muffled with the sounds of me moaning over the donuts I was shoving in my face.
12:15pm - Headed home and fed Jason. The kids made cards for Mike's birthday on Friday and Ryan made a birthday card for his teacher tomorrow.
1:25pm - Kaylin went down for a nap, Ryan went to his room for a quiet time, Jason drifted off to sleep on my bed and I gladly laid down next to him.
1:30pm - Woke out of a dead sleep realizing that I'd signed Kaylin up for a free trial Gymboree class at 2:30. So much for my nice, long uninterrupted nap...
2:10pm - Ryan woke me up, per my request. Woke Kaylin up and changed her, loaded Jason into his car seat.
2:30pm - Dropped Kaylin off at Gymboree, drove back home.
2:45pm - Ryan watched a cartoon while I fell back to sleep.
3:40pm - Took Ryan to Taekwondo.
4:00pm - Fed Jason while Ryan was in class. Met a nice mom who just moved to Phoenix. We exchanged numbers.
4:25pm - Ryan's class ended, quickly loaded the boys into the van.
4:30pm - Barely made it on time for pick up at Gymboree. Exchanged pleasantries with the owner as she tried to sway me into signing Kaylin up for a month of classes.
5:00pm - Pulled into the garage as a friend dropped off a hot, homemade dinner. I love my friends and Food Tidings!!!
5:30pm - After eating, I cleaned up our mess of a kitchen. Dishes, fallen rice from dinner, craft items and tiny pieces of paper all. over. the. floor.
6:00pm - Folded and put away laundry, made lunches for tomorrow.
6:30pm - Someone came over to pick up some of my maternity clothes that I was sick of that I posted on Craigslist. Pray for that sweet girl...she was only 18 and seemed so scared!
7:00pm - Sat down to feed Jason and blog while Mike put the older kids to bed.
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And here we are. I can't believe I ran around town with all three kids for four hours this morning. I also can't believe Jason slept through it all! He took all of his naps in his car seat today with the exception of 30+ minutes on my bed with me. Poor kid. I guess this is what everyone means when they say kid #3 is naturally more flexible. He did manage to stay on a loose version of his schedule, though!
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Last night, I barely got 2 hours of sleep at a stretch, hence the attempt to take 2 naps today. I'm topping Jason off with some formula tonight to try to get him to sleep a little longer. I'm barely functioning right now!!!

"The Voice" is Back

For most of the last 9 months, I have had free reign on food. At first I was a little careful with what I ate, but it didn't take long for me to let go of the food guilt. Thankfully, my sweet tooth wasn't out of control and I didn't crave french fries or milk shakes or anything calorie-laden like that. I ate junk, just in moderation.
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I didn't notice this until a couple of months ago. For the first time since childhood, I had no food conscience. I mean literally...at all. Because I got full so quickly (and we're talking post-Thanksgiving-dinner full after almost every meal, complete with heartburn and acid reflux) I didn't overeat at meals. I ate desserts almost every day and never thought twice about grabbing a second cookie or cupcake. If I wanted it, I ate it. If I was satisfied, an unnecessary second serving never "called" to me like it has my whole life. There was virtually no temptation because I didn't banish anything from my diet. I still ate healthy (oatmeal for breakfast, salads for lunch, lots of balance and nutrition) but for the first time in my life, I ate whatever I wanted with no guilty conscience.
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I baked constantly and would have a bite or two of my creation, then either give the rest to friends and neighbors or have to wrap it up and put it in the freezer so it wouldn't get stale on the counter.
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But now, it's back. I call it, "The Voice." I practically hear it audibly when I reach for a piece of candy out of the kids' Halloween buckets. "Put it down...you don't need that. You don't even really want it. This pregnancy weight will hang around forever if you continue to make choices like this..." My mom's homemade apple pie calls to me. The sugary granola bars (that were on super sale and purchased for special treats only) - they also call to me. Healthy snacks like apples or almonds or yogurt no longer satisfy me. As soon as I gave birth, things switched back to reality.
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And it stinks. I'm already anxious to have my body back, yet I know that it will take months for that to happen. Lots of people have made comments that I look great for just having a baby, but it's all a facade. Creative camouflage, if you will. I'm still wearing stretchy maternity pants and am resisting going back to a button/zipper combo with every fiber of my being. But I'm very ready to get back into shape. I'm ready for energy again. I'm ready to feel good about myself. I want to feel comfortable in my own skin, which I did when I was pregnant (lumps, curves and all) but now all that skin is so...loose. Stretched out. Soft. Jiggly. Blech - it grosses me out even thinking about it...
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I feel hungry almost all of the time. Likely because I'm nursing, yes, but it's a very undignified feeling to be in the fridge and pantry all day long. Nibbling. Looking. Snacking. Sneaking a handful of this or that so my kids won't see what I'm eating 30 minutes before dinner, when they aren't allowed to eat.
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I realize it's been 2 weeks since I had Jason...I do give myself some slack. "Nine months to gain it, nine months to lose it" as they say. Whoever "they" are. But The Voice is getting on my nerves. I want to shove a sock in The Voice's mouth. Can I please enjoy another piece of pizza without you piping up, conscience o' mine??? That second Tootsie Roll isn't going to hurt anyone. But The Voice just won't. shut. up.
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Maybe I need to put several intentional snacks into my daily routine. I used to eat whenever I felt like it, but I find myself hungry an hour before dinner, eating a mini-meal, then a whole meal at 5:00, complete with dessert, whether I'm full or not. And The Voice always shakes it's head in disgust at me. "Tsk, tsk, tsk...such a lack of self control. Again!"
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I wish The Voice would give me a break for a few weeks. I'm not allowed to work out yet, I surely shouldn't be allowed to diet yet. I wish it would keep it's thoughts and opinions to itself!!!

Gymboree Affordability

My kids wear a lot of hand-me-downs. New clothes are usually bought on the clearance rack at the end of last year's season, but as a rule, I have no problem buying clothes off Craigslist, at consignment stores or paying friends for their kids old clothes. And my kids don't care whether their clothes are old or new...YET.
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Last week, the temperatures got low enough here to send Ryan to school in a long sleeved shirt and I was hit with the realization that all of his shirts from last winter are WAY too short for my growing boy. I decided to bite the bullet and buy him some shirts from Target. $10 each shouldn't seem like much, but knowing they were full price about killed me as I approached the register. (yes, I realize I'm being dramatic...) I justified the purchase because I found a clearance rack and swiped up a bunch of $1.24 short sleeved shirts for him for the spring.
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Dropping Kaylin off at school the next day, I noticed this one little girl in her class who always looks so cute and put together. Her hair is always perfect with identically matched hair bows. I mentioned something to her mom and she sheepishly said, "I'm kind of a Gymboree-aholic." I quickly decided that she must have money that I don't have to spend on her kids clothes and practically tuned her out. (yes, I just admitted to that...don't judge me, I'm extremely sleep deprived) She went on to say that she waits for their 30% off sale and that's when she stocks up. "Only 30% off?" I thought. "That's nothing! 30% off a $75 outfit is a joke!" I just kept nodding and smiling, wishing I had that kind of money to dress Kaylin and the boys. She said that the 30% off sale is going on right now and she can usually turn around and sell the outfits on eBay for most of what she paid for them.
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That's where I snapped back into attention. (I obviously wasn't completely ignoring her if I got this far into the conversation, right???) I've had friends tell me that they buy their kids' clothes at Gymboree on clearance and resell them on eBay for around the same price, but I've always had a hard time believing that the math added up. I've even gone into the stores to look for deals and I always walk away unimpressed. I can't find the sizes I want or need and the tops never have matching bottoms so outfits are incomplete...I just didn't get how it worked out for people.
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When I explained all of that, this other mom said that she shops online for that exact reason. I had nothing better to do for the next 2.5 hours, so I went home and peeked on Gymboree.com.
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Sure enough, they have a 30% off sale going on, but it's not only on full priced items...it's also on their clearance stuff. Light bulb moment - I was starting to get it!
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I looked through all of the sale items and added a bunch of winter clothes into my cart for Jason. Then I looked through Ryan's sizes and found cute (and inevitably more durable than Target) shirts for around $8 after the discount...cheaper than Target and better quality! I was so excited. The Target shirts still have tags on them, so they are going back for sure. I also found him some corduroy pants and a lightweight jacket. Ironically, I didn't like any of the girl clothes that were on sale. I'm not into panda bears or kitty cats or guitars and all of the cutest stuff wasn't cheap enough for my taste. But my boys will be well dressed!
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Not only did I get the 30% off, but they have a "free shipping on items over $100" deal going on through Sunday AND for every $50 you spend, you get $25 in Gymbucks to spend during a designated time frame in January. (Can anyone say, "after Christmas sales" - ?)
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When all was said and done, I got Jason 6 long sleeved onsies with 3 pair of coordinating pants and 2 pair of matching socks and I bought Ryan 3 long sleeved shirts, 2 pair of pants and a jacket all for $109, tax included. 16 items for $100!!! Things I can resell on eBay for much more than I'd get for Target resale clothes.
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I am so excited for my package to come in the mail. And for the weather to cool back off enough to put my boys in their new duds! For those whose ears are perked and are on their way to Gymboree.com, HAPPY SHOPPING!!! And to Gymboree...you're welcome for the free advertising. Feel free to hook me up with a little appreciation gift, wouldja?

#53 - Go to a concert/comedy show

My 101 Goals in 1001 Days list has been neglected for months. I haven't consciously thought about trying to cross more items off of the list, though I'm still determined to finish every item!

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I bought tickets for Mike's birthday to see a hilarious Christian comedian, Tim Hawkins, who performed at our church last night. My cheeks still hurt and I cry laughing at some of the jokes as I think back on them. So many comedians stoop to being raunchy to get a laugh; hearing 90 minutes of good, clean humor was beyond refreshing.
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I've seen lots of Tim's bits on You Tube and even posted a couple here back in September. Seeing him live with all new material was a great way to spend a date night.
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And we even got to leave all three kids behind. Yes, already!!! My mom came over and I was prepared to take Jason with us (she was a single mom to just me, after all...hitting her with three seemed, well, mean) but she insisted on keeping him at home.
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We returned home to a homemade apple pie (which she made with the kids), a kitchen sink free of a single dish (I'd left her a huge pile from dinner as we rushed out the door, plus all of their pie mess), two bathed kids tucked into bed, a baby sound asleep, a squeaky clean kitchen floor (FYI: she might be part robot) and she even helped Ryan do his homework (that somehow barely got started before dinner). So yes, Mom...to say the least, I was and am incredibly impressed!!!
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What a great night out. An easy way to cross #53 off my list! If you get a chance, search some of Tim Hawkin's videos on You Tube. They aren't nearly as funny as his newer stuff, but you'll still get a great laugh!

How Random!

I happened to notice at least three different people in three random cities who found my blog by Googling "creative blog title ideas." Just this weekend alone! So I Googled it and it turns out that this blog post comes up second on the list of 5,950,000 potential matches. SECOND?
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Very odd...more so that people are Googling that exact phrase. What are the chances?

Comment Love

Since announcing little Jason's arrival, I feel like I have finally "met" some of my readers who have been lurking in the shadows of my blog. Thank you for coming out of hiding! Especially you international gals. "Hi" to Jackie in New Zealand, Monique in Australia, "pourprey" in Brazil...so nice to meet you! I still wonder about my faithful reader in Papua New Guinea (yes, I see you out there), Croatia, the Northern Mariana Islands and so many other fun places. Thank you for reading so faithfully. Please don't be afraid to say, "Hello!"
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I have to say that I love getting comments. I love hearing what you have to say, reading your encouragement and even hearing your opposing points of view. And it's amazing how many opposing points of view have surfaced in the last week! If there's one thing moms are passionate about, it's their opinions about parenting.
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I'm not even touching the baby-scheduling debate, but what threw me for a loop was that I had NO idea there was such a controversy out there about circumcision. Absolutely no idea. Just like I was clueless about vaccine concerns when I was pregnant with Ryan. When people began asking me if I was going to vaccinate, I stared back, dumbfounded. "Of course I am," I thought. "isn't that what you DO when you have a baby?" Then we began talking to friends, reading up on the Internet and doing some digging to find out what the fuss was all about.
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But honestly, friends...until reading the comments on my post the other day regarding circumcision, I had no idea there was a movement against it. If you are as clueless as I was, go back and read some of the comments for and against circumcising newborn boys. There was quite a little debate going on!
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All food for thought, I say. Thanks for bringing this topic to light, Caroline. Now that it's on my radar, future decisions wouldn't be as much for Biblical reasons as it would for social reasons. I can't imagine Mike agreeing not to circumcise any future boys. Kids are teased enough; I know he wouldn't want our son to be a spectacle in the locker room down the road. But who knows? I am one who likes to go against the grain!
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Keep the comments comin'. I love them all! And I have pretty thick skin, so say whatever you want...it's difficult to offend me. (PS - that was not a challenge! No need to go and try to offend me, okay? We can all still be nice...I am continuing to try to balance out my hormonal, sleep deprived, post partum self, after all.)