2008 Highlights

2008 was a hard year. We battled skin cancer, lost our beloved kitty and dealt with Mae's increasing understanding of her adoption. But it was also an exciting year. Ted started 1st grade, Sam learned to ride a 2-wheeler, Mae started preschool, Obama won the presidency and we decided to sell our house. Enjoy this 7:30 movie of our year. Happy New Year! (after 7:30, it's over... the song keep playing though. I'll fix that eventually.)

2009 Resolutions

I have a few resolutions for 2009, all in the same vein and all for the same purpose: simplicity. In some areas, this means simplicity in our home (consistent de-cluttering, not buying new, small daily routines to keep the house clean, crock pot meals, etc) and in other areas, this means simplicity in my daily life. I need more calm, more routine, more structure. I did very well this summer, when the kids were in camp almost every morning. I do well with a few hours alone in the morning. I get my run in, my laundry started, my dinner prepped, and some light cleaning done. But when the little ones aren't at preschool, or on weekends, it all falls apart. 

Thus, my 2009 resolutions:

• Wake up at 6:30am. 
• Decide on, if not prepare, that night's dinner.
• Get laundry started and kids up and fed. Don't forget vitamins!
• Run or walk with Ole every single day. No exceptions but illness.
• Since we will probably sell this house in the first half of the year, keep the house in order by doing a little bit every day.
• Do not buy anything new. Buy used, borrow or do without (huge exception here is the kids' birthdays.)
• Continue with the 2K/month savings plan. 
• Clean out the freezer of CSA meals by April 1. This requires nothing more than planning my meals: defrosting a pre-made meal and popping it into the crock pot in the morning...how hard can that be?! 
• Learn to sew. I want to make my own gift bags, re-attach a button, hem or take in/let out waistbands, and other simple things that I should know how to do, rather than buy more.
• Keep our budget updated. I'm using PearBudget (Quicken is what Paul prefers, but I like the planning Pear does for you.)

The kids have some fun stuff going on next year. Mae is going to take a break from Gymnastics, but will keep swimming with Judy. Sam too. Sam is also going to start piano lessons with Bestemor. Ted is going to continue with TKD and will start Stroke School at Lakeshore with SwimAmerica. The director of SwimAmerica is also the main coach of Rock Creek Flyers, so Ted is excited to 'get ready' for the summer. I plan to get this house sold! And continue with TKD, running and perhaps squeeze in a few yoga classes. Paul is playing soccer again and has a very rigorous training program he's created. Ole plans to have a walk every day, so we'll try and help him out with that. And Orestes plans to nap every day. He's kept the same New Year's Resolution every year with great success.

Happy 2009 everyone!! 

warm and cozy!

This is my hand, happily pecking away at the computer. Yesterday was a balmy 60 degrees, but it's back in the 20's today, so the house is a mite chilly. I only feel cold when I'm sitting and I'm sitting now. I'm going through our budget, organizing the kids' schedules for next year, paying bills, cooking garlic dip in the crockpot (mmmmmm!!!) and other sundry household tasks. For anyone living in Boulder, you really should pay a visit to Blue Sky, a Horizons-parent-owned specialty gift shop on Pearl Street. It's so cute. I found these cozy elbow gloves (? what do I call them?) yesterday and couldn't resist. I might return and get some more for cute gifts for friends. Only friends who keep their houses chilly though. As you can see, they let the fingers come out (and type) but they go all the way up to the elbow! I have them on over my sweatshirt. LOVE THEM!!!

After I finish up the bills, I'm going to post about our New Year's Resolutions. Do you have any? Do you make New Year's Resolutions? I do and I love them. Last year I didn't really make one. It's a good thing. It was a really hard year. I'm working on the video for the year, but iMovie upgraded itself and I'm confused.

Simple Woman's Daybook

One of my resolutions for 2009 is to take time in the morning to plan my day. I did this for a while with the Daily Docket and loved it, but I do better on the computer and not as well on paper these days. I came across this the other day and thought it would be a perfect way to start the week. 


FOR TODAY DECEMBER 30 ...
Outside my window... are trees whipping and lashing in the wind
I am thinking... about my next crockpot (re)creation
I am thankful for... my cozy home
From the learning rooms... I'm waiting for Michael's to post their sewing classes
From the kitchen... wafts the nourishing aroma of cinnamon oatmeal, cooked all night
I am wearing... my snuggly new blue jammy pants and a Panicking Poultry T-shirt
I am creating... order in my home by putting things in their place
I am going... to take Ted to camp at Har HaShem
I am reading...  An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England (for bookclub)
I am hoping... the wind will cease so the kids can go ice skating today
I am hearing... wind wind wind
Around the house... are Legos, everywhere
One of my favorite things... is a warm mug of chai
A few plans for the rest of the week: include putting away the Hanukkah decorations and de-cluttering the rest of the rooms
Here is picture thought I am sharing...

photo by gumbylives

seriously

We keep our house on the chilly side. (I know that's a terrible pic!). 62 during the day (6am-10pm) and 52 while we're sleeping. While there is a fun challenge to go with it, the Freezer Yer Buns over at CrunchyChicken, we would probably do it anyway. Like under-5 minute showers, composting and recycling, it's just part of what we do anyway. BUT! People have reacted so strongly recently (not Aunt Nancy, btw, she was very supportive!) that I just wanted to point out that 62 is not cold! yes, you need socks on and probably a sweater too, but it's December, people! Plus, our kids are obviously not freezing, so don't call Social Services on us just yet.



We had a wonderful surprise today ... a HUGE box of presents from G'ma and G'pa Kessie! Tons of pics on moeltini. Mmmm!!!!! Thanks, Mom & Dad!

silent and stealthy

Just look at that face. Mmm hmm. This morning, a tearful Sam woke me up: "Why did you throw away my candy house, Mama?" Uh oh. Did Ole eat it, I wondered aloud. Paul got up to check and a few minutes later returned. "Yup," he said. Turns out he not only ate Sam's house, but mine and Mae's as well. Only Paul and Ted's survived the Midnight Ole Massacre. Now you know. 

Much Ado About Crockpots

I've been using my crockpot almost every day for the past month. Always for breakfast (funny how oatmeal always comes out... fancier breakfasts have flopped), and often for dinner too (chili, soup etc.). So you can imagine, can't you? my incredible excitement at finding A Year of Crockpotting. It's a little sad, because she's on Day 362, but it's also pretty awesome to have 362 days of posts to drool over. She makes everything in the crockpot! French Toast, ready in the morning, awesome dips, fondues, standard meals, and even brownies! Basically, she's shown that most anything can be done in the crock. Rockin'.

Needless to say, I've been burning the midnight oil catching up on all 362 days! I hope that when the year is up, she continues to add to her blog. What a treasure for so many people! Plus, her sense of humor is fantastic. 

Tomorrow I plan to head down to the "cellar" and see what all we have down there. It's time to start planning the meals to use up all those goodies. Squash, carrots, beets, potatoes, turnip and beans...now to munch them up! Not to mention the copious greens I froze, ready to add deliciousness to our soups and such. Mmm... It's going to be a tasty winter. 

I have 2 crockpots, both from the Salvation Army. They are both "new" to me. It's a funny story. I had my own (used it all the time in Chicago) but after finding one with a removable, dishwashable crock, I donated it. Then, the cord exploded one day! So, I returned to choose another one. There weren't any with removable inserts, but for $2, I figured I could make do. Then, a few weeks later, after realizing that I was using my crockpot every day and sometimes twice a day, I picked up a smaller one (perfect oatmeal size). So, I had two and now I have two again. Both old, 80s models. Only High, Low and Off. But they work and I love them. Someday, maybe I'll get this fancy one. 

Mmm...

Today was the day. Our 2nd Annual Graham Cracker House-Off was a success. Sam liked it when the tornado hit his; he was displeased with his architectural skills, or lack thereof. Everyone else had a lot of fun. Pics on moeltini. And no one ate theirs! I sense tomorrow morning might include a sugar rush.

Fun times

We went skiing on Wednesday. The weather report reported -20 with windchill. It was cold and incredibly gusty. I tried to take video but all you can see is swirling snow. Most of Eldora was closed, but Little Hawk and EZ were open, so Nancy and Ted did quite a few runs. We took the ski bus and that was an adventure too. Today we went to the zoo. It was a balmy 52! Pics on moeltini. Tonight we played a rousing game of dreidel and had delicious latkes. I have finally discovered my perfect latke recipe. Hooray! Since today is Christmas Day, I fixed Mel's traditional oyster stew too. Nancy and Paul both enjoyed the meal.

Happy Hanukkah!

Tonight is the 3rd night of Hanukkah. We spent the day literally hanging out at home. It was one of the slowest days ever but everyone seemed to be ok with that. After lighting candles, we opened presents and the kids were in heaven. Lots and lots of cute pics on moeltini. Skiing tomorrow!

Nancy's here!

Aunt Nancy arrived today! The kids were extra-excited just for her. I think she's overwhelmed. I know we are, so how could she not be? I arrived home from my rehearsal at 9:30 and everyone was asleep. Geesh!

As if that wasn't enough excitement, we discovered a leak in the ceiling, had a plumber out and will have the drywall replaced tomorrow. It's never dull around here!

We plan to ski on Wed & Thu. I'm not sure how I'll do on Thu, after singing midnight mass, but we'll see. Maybe we'll just do a half day. Lift tickets are so $$$ that I want her to get her money's worth! Ted is very excited to do the Fun Zone with her. And Sam *seems* excited to try out the Magic Carpet. With half day K, I bet they won't ski next year. I'd like to get him introduced to it this year, just to gauge his interest.

Tomorrow we'll probably head to the boys' favorite place on Earth: the Science museum. They both love the Space Odyssey exhibit as well as the dinos. I may stay home to let the drywall guy in; Mae isn't as into the museum as the boys. She's still sick. I took her in again today and she's officially on oral steroids as well as Albuteral 3x/day. He wants to try and kick it out of her lungs aggressively. Her O2 levels were much better (96!) but he's still hearing crackling and wheezing in her chest. We'll re-check her in about 10 days. I can't believe how healthy Ted is. Love that booger blaster!

I was looking through old photos on iPhoto to find a pic of Aunt Nancy, but I just couldn't resist this shot too. Nut balls, all three of them.

Green Belt! and reading fun

Tonight at class I earned my Green Belt! Woo hoo! I've been stuck at Camo Belt for a while now, so it felt good!

Yesterday Ted brought home a book from school called "Power and Glory," a book about a boy playing a videogame, in a "in the house that Jack built" style. Sam loves hearing it. (Try to ignore Mae crying in the background. Heh.)

not pneumonia

We had quite a scare yesterday. Mae's had a mild, unproductive cough for a few weeks now. It started getting worse on Monday and by Tuesday night she was clearly pretty sick. I kept her home Wednesday and took her in to see Dr. Roy, our "Boulder doctor", in hopes of some preventative measure (ginger? garlic?) He looked at her (noted she was breathing pretty rapidly), took her temp (102) and listened to her lungs (sounded crackly), took her O2 levels (83..below 90 is not good), and used the nebulizer on her in the office. "I think she has pneumonia," he said. "Go get a lung xray right away. Tell them to rush the results and call me back asap." Yikes! Off we went to Boulder Community, where we waited eons but eventually got in and got the xrays. 30 minutes later, Dr. Roy called me back to said that she didn't have pneumonia after all, or asthma, but viral bronchitis. So, no antibiotics, use the nebulizer, and wait a week. She seems better today, thank goodness. She is so good about her treatment, and her own little dinosaur mask. She also has eyedrops, since her eyes are goopey, in hopes of keeping away pinkeye.
*collective sigh of relief*

Blue Belt!

Ted tested for his Blue Belt today. This was his first testing as a K4K. He did the 1st half by himself, then had help on the 2nd half. We need to work on his confidence in doing it himself. Luckily, they are repeating In Wha 1 next cycle, so he should have no problem getting the 2nd half on his own. The big deal is learning how to keep going when you forget or are unsure. It's OK to stop and think, but not to lose focus. It's a lot like acting. "Don't break character" is the mantra. The same is true here. He did a great job though, for his very first time doing anything alone. A Blue Belt! Very very cool. 

The videos are of his self-defense and board breaks. Mr. D wanted him to do a jump front kick, but he had told him last class that he preferred to do a regular one. And then he did the jump front kick anyway! Rock on, big kid! 

Gymnast in training

Mae had her "Winter Fest Performance" at gymnastics today. It was refreshingly simple, just a run through of their routines for the parents. No real stress, other than the number of parents with video camera on the floor (usually we are banned to the waiting area.) I didn't get very good video but here's her "Stick!" that you do after finishing a routine. Cutie!! She has a pretty serious cough so she'll probably stay home from school tomorrow. We gave her Children's NyQuil tonight (just 1 tsp), in hopes of helping her not cough all night. I doubt either of us have had a decent night's sleep in 3 nights now, with her coughing all night long. Send her get well vibes!

-6

Yup. That's the temperature today. Ole looks sad, but we are not going out in this. After safely maneuvering Ted to school (only 10 minutes late! Not bad.), I returned home to warm up the house. I started the laundry and turned on the oven. 3 hours later and we have Curried Pumpkin Soup for dinner with roasted pumpkin seeds to sprinkle on top, Caramelized Apples and Turnips (a side dish for days to come, since I love it and Paul doesn't), a 2nd baked sugar pie pumpkin in the freezer and some hot chai in my cup (homemade soymilk and local Bhakti chai). A delicious and warm way to spend this day. I have 3 pairs of socks on and my feet are cold after sitting down for 5 minutes. Yikes. Folding laundry is up next, then heading back to Horizons to volunteer in Ted's classroom. No recess today - I bet the kids are WIRED! Stay warm, everyone! 

more bullets?!

What can I say? Paul's been sick and we've had a crazy week! I PROMISE there will be pics soon. 

• Ted is testing for his Blue Belt on Tuesday. He is also going to start in the Leadership program in January. Notice the nifty striped collar and yellow patch. Kewl.
• I am testing for my Green Belt. Yikes! I can't make the testing (Xmas reh) so I'll do it in class next week.
• Paul's been sick again. He's on the mend now but this one was a douzy.
• The engineer from the warranty company is scheduled to come out on Jan. 14. I am annoyed that we have to wait that long for someone to re-do a report that's already been made, but whatever. If it's all covered, it will be all worth it! 
• Sam had a fabulous day at preschool today. They prepared latkes and ate them for snack AND played dreidal with real chocolate gelt. And Sam got gimel. So he got tons of gelt. He was talking about it all afternoon. Cutie. 
• Mae has been more ornery that usual. Hmm. Marilyn comes next Thursday for Mae's first EMDR session. Should be interesting!
• Our friend Epin received her referral for her baby yesterday! Pax is soooo cute! Hana Hu is very excited to be a big sister. The excitement is so strong for those of us watching them prepare...I remember how incredible the wait til travel is. 
• We've discovered a meal we'll all eat!! It's fish tacos. The kids eat the fish sticks, shredded cheese and tortillas separately while Paul and I make tacos complete with salsa/soy mayo sauce and cabbage. Truly delicious and easy.  

That's all folks! 

yes, we're alive!

It's been a busy few days. Who thought I'd go to bullets for this one? If I had won a penguin trophy, it'd be yours, because you're right! But I didn't. Win the penguin. 'K?

• House hunting goes on. Paul refuses to look at a house if it only has 1 bathroom. I refuse to look at townhouses. So far, we only have a few houses we agree on. Which probably won't be still for sale in a few months anyone. Fun evening chit chat though.
• Our house only needs minor work on one foundation wall. Should be quick and under warranty. Hoping for a "ready to list" date of March 1 now. As long as we're in before K starts, I'll be happy. 
• Friday I scored this eco lunch pack for Ted at Horizons' Art Fair. I purchased his Laptop Lunchbox for his first year of preschool, in September of 2004. Only now, 4+ years later, has the lid cracked. It's no big deal and it's still usable, but since he goes to school every day, it'll be nice to trade the lunchbox out with this sack 'o coolness. Friday night we went to Red Robin for dinner, after collecting Sam from Jason's. He had gone swimming and fell asleep at the restaurant, transferred to the car and to his bed, and never did eat dinner. We thought he was getting sick but he seemed fine all weekend.
• Saturday we had our Hanukkah-themed chavurah at the Seigals. It was a blast, as always. The latkes, blintzes and donuts were delicious, as was the mulled hot cider with rum and the acorn squash soup (my contribution). The kids did really well, although we stayed too late as we always do.
• Sunday Ted was supposed to ski with Josh and Cathy, but he was so tired in the morning we both agreed to wait til he was more rested. He had Sunday School while I ran the Colder Boulder. Results will be up tomorrow but I am fairly certain I ran it in under 30 minutes. I promise I'll figure out my stopwatch for the next race. I simply don't think about it....I think I am the only one in that category. I waited in a short line for a wonderful massage afterwards...ahh. The kids played at HHS for a loooong time in the mild weather, Paul and I snuck naps in, and we put up our Hanukkah decorations. A pleasant weekend all around.
• Tomorrow Ted has his follow-up with Dr. Fleischer at National Jewish. He's had a cold for a week now, so I'm curious to see if they put him on any "when he's sick" routines. I also have to pick up the music for the Xmas service I'm singing. Then Bookclub at night. We're reading The Audacity of Hope (Obama). I've listened to it, and really enjoyed hearing him speak. I think it might have been a slow read, but it's really good to listen to. 

So that's what's been going on here. Phew. 

poop and pee

This morning the kids had to re-do some writing assignments. Turns out one of the 1st graders wrote pee and poop on each line yesterday. Mm...hmm. "Ted is such a leader," Elizabeth said. "Whatever he does, the other boys follow." If we could just get him to do the right thing, we'd all be set! 

Mr. Thumpy

Tonight we heard a very loud thump. I thought maybe one of the kids had fallen out of bed. But no, it was just our neighborhood raccoon. Isn't he cute? He is gigantic... the fattest raccoon I've ever seen. He loves our birdseed! (Yes, I brought it inside for the night!)

Our realtor came by this morning to look at our house and to give suggestions. Basically, wipe down the walls, doors, cabinets and baseboards. Touch up the paint in spots (don't have to repaint white! Woo hoo!). Replace the carpet. She checked out the closets and garage, basement and cabinets. She also gave me the best compliment I could ever hope to receive. "You guys don't have a lot of stuff," she said. I can live on those words for a long time. I feel like I am always striving to "clear out the clutter." It was so incredibly empowering to hear someone recognize it. She said she hasn't seen anyone with kids (i.e., bikes) able to fit both cars in the garage. She thought the closets looked great because we don't have a lot of clothes, so they look very spacious. I am very encouraged and think showing the house will be less work than I imagined. Keeping it clean (actually, getting it completely show-ready clean in the first place!) will be the major challenge. Tomorrow I get bids for the re-carpeting, the only real expense in the process, for now. I think I'll go room by room, wiping clean with hot soapy water one day and touching up the paint the next. By the time we finish cleaning this house up, we won't want to leave after all!