65 in 365 Month 2 Update

This will be a list of 65 things I want to accomplish in the next 365 days. (No, I didn't come up with this idea myself, I borrowed it from this Foster Mama, along with some of her items.) I'll update the list once a month (that's the first thing on the list). Completed items are in italics.

Update the 65 in 365 once a month (2/12)
Come up with 65 goals for the year (30/65)
Complete Sophie's baby album
Complete 2009 annual album
Attend at least 5 StrollerStrides classes a month (5/2/12)
Girls Night Out (or Mom's Night Out) at least 4 times (1/4)
Go to the movies every other month (0/6)
Finish reading 6 books (0/6)
Try 26 new recipes (0/26)
Make our wills
Come up with a system for backing up digital photos
Make bed everyday; complete after 30 days, will restart counter when I miss a day (0/30)
Have date night once a month (1/12)
Build a snowman
Join a moms group
Set up a cleaning schedule and follow it; complete after 3 months
Have lawn guys come on a regular basis
Take Wrangler to Kady the groomer 6 times
Purchase a jogging stroller for Paul to use
Put items in JBF Consignment sales, 2 sales each sales season
Make and stick to a weekly menu and grocery list; complete after 5 weeks
Decorate the tabletop tree for each holiday or season (snowflakes, hearts, green and gold beads, eggs, flowers, red and blue stars, apples, Halloween, fall leaves, Christmas)
Update a blog everyday or at least average one new post each day (59/365)
Go on a scrapbooking retreat
Attend a scrapbooking crop every other month (1/6)
Complete 150 scrapbook pages (66/150)
Sign Sophie up for swim lessons
Attend one playgroup event each month (3/12)
Take Sophie to library storytime each month (2/12)
Attend a local Chinese New Year event

Show Us Your Life: Collections

So, over at Kelly's Korner this week, we are showing our collections. Those treasures and knick-knacks that we truly love. My collection is elephants. It started when my great-grandmother passed away. My grandmother gave me about a dozen little figurines that had been great-grandmothers. These included several elephants, plus some dogs, bears and cats. When my sister came along 7 years later and got her own room, I divided the collection, keeping all the elephants for myself and giving her everything else. There was truly no reason why I did it that way, probably just being a little Type A for a 10 year-old. From there people started giving me gifts that were elephants.

At one point I tried to count how many I had (several hundred), but there came a time when I moved from one apartment to another that I decided to box most of them up and put them in storage. When we decided to have children, I decided that the nursery had to have some sort of elephant theme, then I could bring out some of those elephants from their storage boxes. Before we even decided on the adoption, I had chosen our crib bedding (and purchased it before we even completed all the paperwork). After we got pregnant, I went up in the attic and started going through each of the boxes, pulling out items that could go in the nursery.

Some of the originals

Humidifier for the nursery

More on top of the changing table unit

For the art table

Antique ashtray

Scrapbooking Meetup

I found a scrapbooking group through Meetup.com that has crops once a month near my house. I joined the group and signed up for the February crop. I organized my stuff and made sure Paul could be home with Sophie, then drove about 5 minutes to this woman's house. I got there and had a little freak-out moment. What was I doing showing up at a stranger's home? They could be an axe murderer. (I don't know why "they" are always an axe murderer, any murderer would be bad.) Anyway, called Paul to tell him I was there, that all the contact info was on the bulletin board, and that if I didn't call in hour to dial 911 and come find me.

It was all perfectly fine. I walked in with another couple of ladies (I know, I know, they could have been axe murderers, too). We had a good time, everyone was very nice, I did call Paul within the hour so the police didn't get called... and I completed a dozen pages. It was great to get out and know that Sophie was spending quality time with her Daddy. Maybe I'll host one month, then I can be the axe murderer!

Southern Snow Storm

It is unbelievable the weather we are having here in Texas. We had about 8 inches of snow fall here at our home. This is our poor tree. I didn't think it was going to make it when we first moved in. We have to replant it several times when it has toppled over, and now it's weighted down by the snow.




I had Paul take my picture when he finally made it home from work.


And one more reason why I hate snow...(the other being how it ruined my Christmas Eve plans), Paul had Valentines Day flowers to be delivered to work on Friday, but had to reschedule them since the church was closed. Blasted snow in Texas!!!!

Getting Organized

I found this website by a lady with tips on getting your life organized. She has lots of routines, lists, and schedules already set out for you. I am trying some of them, because although I don't like clutter, cleaning my house is the last thing I ever want to do. So I need a little motivation and schedule to get it done. I'm also having a hard time finding time to finish anything...her advice-set a timer for 15 minutes. Do what you can in that time then stop. Eventually it will all get done. I figure if I feel really overwhelmed Sophie is good for about 15 minutes of Exersaucer time or cruisin' in her Jeep, and I'll be able to get something done. (My main project right now is getting everything ready for the consignment sale.)

So, anyway, Monday's are "Plan & Play Day". You are supposed to plan your week then take sometime to play. That's what we did. I figured out the dinner menu for the week, what errands needed to be run, and some phone calls I need to take care of. Sophie played in her Jeep while I planned. After that, I got out the moon sand and let her play for a few minutes. She doesn't like it too much because we wouldn't let her eat it! She did finally figure out how to squeeze it between her fingers.

Tomorrow is supposed to be "Errand Day". So I'll go to the grocery store and get some Preschool shopping done. Hope y'all are having a great week.

Car Wreck

First, we are all okay!



I went through a red light on our way to a playgroup. It was raining and I didn't have time to stop by the time I realized the light had changed. The airbags didn't deploy so I am assuming that means the impact wasn't so bad. No one was hurt (not even the next day which I expected). Sophie was completely unfazed by the whole thing. A very nice lady stopped to help me which was good because I was pretty freaked out. I couldn't get Paul on the phone, then a fire truck showed up. I expected police but not fire engines. I called Dad and he came from work to wait with me for Paul. I did eventually get Paul on the phone (and have remedied the situation, I now have his bosses secretaries number as well as the front security desk). Paul was able to stay home with us the rest of the day. I really appreciated that, I was in no shape to be alone. He was also able to go ahead and get everything set up with the insurance company and auto shop.

I was very nervous the first time I had to drive Sophie the next day. Now we are in a rental and have a new car seat, so things are back to normal. Plus we have XM radio in the rental...all the kids music you could ever want!