August/September Goals

August is ending and September beginning. The weather is beginning to cool too (thank goodness). It's time to review monthly goals!

Here is what I had for August:
Personal Goal: Bible Study daily. I'd like to pick up where I left off on the gospels.
My Bible study was a bit hit or miss. I did begin again. I also decided to bring up reading through Mark as a family on vacation. We got a bit more than half way though and...well, you know how family vacations are. After about a week him I continued it. Doing good!
Fun Goal -Camping vacation.
Well that one was easy! We'd already planed the trip before the month began. We went, and had fun.
Learning Goal -We are going to work on potty training, but that is likely not to be finished. We won't work on it until we are back from the trip. I think we'll work hard on letters this month.
This is coming along. We did several letter activities on the trip. He is really more interested in letters now than he has been. He's doing pretty well with capitols, but we haven't worked on lower case. We also started potty training. *sigh*
Resolution Goal -I'm going to have to figure out where we are, but I want to work on the Christmas goals. I don't think I'll have time for this with going out of town. Perhaps we'll work on the nail biting.
I'm doing well on my resolutions goal! I stopped biting my nails on the trip. It took a week after we got back to get in for a manicure, but my nails are looking good now! I just have to make it to get a "refresh" in a week or so.

Now for September goals.:
Personal Goal: I'm going to work on the Bible study again. I'll combine this with the nails. That will give me a good 6 weeks with no biting.
Fun Goal: I'm thinking we'll try roller skating this month. We are also going to go to each of the museums we have memberships with as well.
Teaching Goal: Potty training! Yikes! We began last week, but that is what we are learning this month. I'll also continue with the letters.
Resolutions Goal: I think I'll pick back up on my sampler quilt. No reason to drag that project into next year!

How about you? Do you have any resolutions you are just beginning to remember? Do you have a goal for the month?

Potty Training: Day 5

Saturday there were plenty of accidents. Nothing remarkable other than trying to poop in the back yard. Sunday morning I woke up and felt very little stress about the potty training thing. He had a couple of accidents in the morning, and it didn't really get under my skin. I knew we'd get there. Then *presto* he tells me he needs to go, we rush to the potty, and he did it! Three times! There was an accident in the middle somewhere, and I think one after that too. It didn't matter...he'd done it. After that I realized that part of the stress was that I was afraid he wouldn't go on the potty for me, then I'd take him to Jared's parents house and he wouldn't have a single accident. Well he finally went for me and the stress was off. This morning he did it again. Then I took him over, and he had an accident and then peed in the front yard. When I got over there to pick him up I took him to poop in the potty and that was it. I know it can't all be downhill from here, but I do think the hard part was the first 3 or so days.

Potty Training: Day 2

Oh man!! Potty training sucks! We are on day 2. I am having him clean his own messes, and it's a good thing too. I don't know what I would do otherwise.
Today we had 5 accidents. I asked him every 5 minutes if he needed to go to the bathroom. That means that 5 different times I'd just asked him if he needed to potty when he peed on my floor. Argh! This is worse than yesterday!
Yesterday I don't actually remember how many accidents we had. I have got to think it was less than today. I can hardly stand to hear myself talk this evening. Certainly not him. Bah! I have no idea how much longer this will take. I will have Monday half off though.
Jared's mom gets him on Monday. What do you want to bet that he has no accidents AT ALL then. Jared and I never fight. We are really easy going, but this is getting under both of our skins. I'm so exhausted tonight.
I hardly have energy for anything. Sorry this post sucks. If you are still reading, I'll leave you with the good stuff.
Man, I love him so much! Bedtime always brings it into perspective too. Hopefully we will be done soon and I'll have something to say.

Vacation

To do this weekend (so far)

Edited: I'm crossing items off as I complete them, and adding items as I think of them.

Sweep/Mop: *Den *Kitchen *Dining Room *Game Room *Entry *Hall *Bathroom *M’s room *My room *Office
* Change sheets * Pickup * Laundry * Clear Table * Call Bank * Dishes * Dump packets * Clean bathroom * Put Away Laundry * Clear counters * Clean laundry room * Clean off futon * Litter box * Post Pictures to blog * Download photo book software * Work on photo book * Download dad’s pictures * Get Diapers/Wipes * Meal Plan * Grocery Store * Visit mom & Dad * Return Hard Drive * Art exhibit for Jessica * Make baguettes for Monday * Talk to J about motion detector for Mamaw & us * Change Tablecloth

It is now the end of the day Sunday, and I completed most of the list. Not too bad. I didn't do any of the sweeping and mopping so now the house needs it more than ever. I'll have to do it tomorrow.

We've been on vacation!

We had a fantastic time, but no posts. No internet, or phone service! Yeah, I'm one of those who thinks that makes a good vacation. I'm slowly getting pictures downloaded, and I'll post about it this week.

Resolutions Revisited

In my last post I said that I wanted to look at my resolutions again and see how I was doing...Here it is!
(I haven't looked at these in months! Current progress is in blue)


* Meal Planning Goal - I already do well with this, but I'm not ready to drop it from my goals yet.
~Meal plan for each week.-Doing great.
~Plan a vegetarian meal once a week.-Doing ok here. It's rather unintentional, but it happens.
~Plan for leftovers.-I've really gotten back in the swing of this one. No problem.
~Cook once every 2-3 months for the freezer.-I don't do this at all - need to work on it.
* Weight Loss Goal
~Plan healthy meals and snacks. We eat healthy, but I don't plan snacks. I need to.
~Weekly weigh ins.-I'm weighing in almost daily.
~Weekly photo of progress (at least until goal is reached).-Not happening. I did for a while, but talk about depressing.
~I have a goal for 15lbs in the first 3 months of the year.-I've lost about 6 pounds this summer. Nothing before that really.
~I think once I hit the 15lb goal I'll have 5 more to go, but I'll re-evaluate.
* Cleaning Goal
~Help Miles pick up toys every night before bath/bed.-We are doing this every couple of days instead. He's doing really well.
~Give Miles chores (put away jacket, clear place after meal, unload his cups from dishwasher).-I'm still inconsistent on this. I need to work on it.
~Keep floors clean (swept & mopped) - I do this pretty well, but needed it in writing.-Still doing ok. Not great, but ok.
~Keep horizontal surfaces cleaned off. - Jared has a tendency to move things from Miles and put them...wherever. This makes it hard, but how nice to have a home where you are never worried about opening the door.-This will need work for a very very long time.
~Schedule? Monday/Thursday laundry Tuesday floors Wednesday work Friday pickup for weekend? - Six lists?-Nothing here. I had one up and running for a while, but then I upped the days I was working.
* Bible Study Goal
~Have a daily Bible study.-I did well with this for a while. I need to get back to it.
~Read the Bible in a year - after having trouble getting started I've decided to begin with the minor prophets.-Nope. I did the gospels daily for a while, but not anymore.
* Stop Biting Nails
~Paint Nails.-I need to work on this more. They are really bad right now.
~Stop biting for a week or two.
~Grow enough nail to get manicure without embarrassment.
~Get manicure.
~Maintain manicure every 4-5 weeks.
* Work Goal
~Set up childcare for Monday and Wednesdays.-Done
~Work!-Done
~Think of this as time to do something different but less important than my "full-time job."-My boss commented the other day that she thinks I still identify myself as a full time mom. I told her I really like my job but for now I do.
* Picture Goal
~Complete 52 of 52 challenge.-Nope.
~Try to take pictures of Miles at least three times a week.-I'm probably doing this but haven't used this as a yard stick like I should have.
~Take Mother's & Father's day pictures this year!-Mother's day - check - Father's day - nope.
* Gardening Goal
~Use garden for each gardening season of the year.-So far so good. I have a small fall garden already planted.
~Use items grown in the garden for food and gifts.-Done.
~Make home made jalapeno jelly for gifts!-Not yet, but we'll see.
* Budgeting Goal
~Jared and I still need to sit down and work on this one! I think we are going to make a full budget soon. We are dragging our feet.-Still dragging our feet.
* Sewing Goal
~Finish quilt sampler.-Nope. No progress here!
~Take another quilting class?-I'd like to get back into this but I want identifiable progress in the other quilt first.
~Finish Miles' baby blanket (now that he's no longer a baby).-Haven't touched it.
*Christmas Goals
~Hand make at least 5 Christmas gifts this year.-Haven't started.
~Work on one every other month.-Nope.
~Keep running Christmas gift list all year.-Not really.
~Try to have complete list by early/mid October.-I wish!
~Buy 3 stocking stuffers a month (16 stockings to stuff).-Nope. I really really need to do this one! I have 16 stockings to stuff!
~Create Thanksgiving Tree/Jessee Tree.-I haven't started this, but I still have time.
~Complete Advent activities.-Same here. Haven't started, but I have time.
* Organizational Goal
~Simplify my space (I.E. have a closet with some space in it).-I've cleaned out my closet. I need to clean the bookshelves too.
~Work on closets this year - I'd like to have a place for everything. Everything may not always be in it's place, but at least it will have one!-Still working on this.

August has begun...

I'm always for trying new things. I wasn't big on New Year's Resolutions, but since I've had this blog, I've done it for two years in a row. We'll see how that's going later this week. For now I'd like to think about some goals for each month. I'm thinking a personal goal, a goal of something fun to do with Miles, a goal of something to teach Miles, and a resolution goal to work on. I'm starting to really work on the resolutions late so I know they won't all be reached this year, but I can work on them. That is what they are for though, isn't it?
Personal Goal -
Bible Study daily. I'd like to pick up where I left off on the gospels.
Miles' Fun Goal -
Camping vacation.

Miles' Learning Goal -
We are going to work on potty training, but that is likely not to be finished. We won't work on it until we are back from the trip. I think we'll work hard on letters this month.
Resolution Goal -
I'm going to have to figure out where we are, but I want to work on the Christmas goals. I don't think I'll have time for this with going out of town. Perhaps we'll work on the nail biting.