Quick Projects

Jared is spending some time out of town in the next few months.  It isn't much, a few days here and there.  I'd like to have a few ideas for projects lined up so that this time can be productive.

Of course during the next out of town trip, I need to plan Miles' birthday party!

• I need to go through my fabric and sewing accessories.
• I need to go through my clothes in my closet and drawers.  I mean to be vicious about it too!
• I'd like to re-do the pantry doors.
  I want to put some board on one door painted with chalkboard paint.
  I think I want some baskets on the other door for seasonings.
• I think Miles and I can rewire the pachinco machine by ourselves.  I'm not sure though.
• I'm going to sew a holder for the remote controls.  This will also protect the side of the sofa that the cats like to scratch.
• I need to finish the trim in my bathroom.
• I'm going to sew curtains for Nicholas' room and the back for his quilt.
• This one I'm not as committed to, but I have a nativity set that I'd like to paint this year.
• I just saw an organization system for under the bathroom counter that I'd like to implement.

Just a few ideas currently on my mind to accomplish soon.

For the Year

Each year for the last several years I have made a few goals for the year.  They have been remarkably similar.  I think I'm finally accomplishing some of those things.  Some of the others are things I master at times and need to remind myself of at other times (I'm looking at you meal planning!). 

Jared is ready to begin spending more time in the Word, and I am too.  I'm going to goal myself with reading a chapter a day.  More would be great, but I'm setting a goal for one chapter.  I know it won't happen every day, but hopefully most of them!

Last year I decided Miles and I would have an adventure every month.  I think I completed that one, but I didn't track them as well as I had planned.  I'd like another try at that one.  Now I have to think of 12 adventures to have!

2012 Goals Check In

Goal Check In

Here is a review of this year's goals and where I am...

*Weight Loss:
~I will lose 10lbs in the first 3 months of 2012
I'm not sure exactly where I was at the beginning of last year, but right now I'm about 2lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight.  I'm not unhappy at all!
* Cleaning Goal~I will keep a cleaner home
NOPE!
I do usually have Miles pick up his room daily, and he has a few chores, but not too consistent.  He almost always empties the silverware, but we don't run the dishwasher daily, so it seems inconstant and he is still complaining about it each time.
How nice to have a home where you are never worried about opening the door.
* Picture Goal
~I will take more photos this year
I didn't find a 52 of 52 this year. Sad! I also lost my camera at some point this year.  I did buy another, but it was a bit later so it has been hard to get back into the habit of taking photos.
* Bible Study Goal
~I will have a daily Bible study and I will read the Bible in a year.
I did not accomplish this.  Try try again.
*Christmas Goals
~I will have a low stress Christmas this year.
I didn't get may gifts purchased before hand, but it wasn't a very stressful Christmas.  I also didn't do the advent activities I wanted to. 
*Family Goal~I will go on a field trip with Nicholas each month this year (and take plenty of pictures helping my photo goal).
I'm not sure if I accomplished this one or not.  I'm sure I could come up with something that qualifies though!

Over the next day or two I'm going to consider the Christmas season we had this year and what I want to do differently.  I have a notebook where I can keep these thoughts and still find them next year! :)  I'll also consider goals for 2013 and write something about those.

What I'm readong in June

Right now I'm a little swamped in books...and I love it! I haven't really been into a book since I read "Devil in the White City," in January of last year. Yeah, I know. I've read a couple of books since then, but not many. I just ordered several books from Amazon.com.

I just finished reading aloud "Homer Price" by Robert McCloskey. It was so cute. I ordered "Centerburg Tales" at the same time and that is more stories of Homer Price. Homer is an average boy in the 1940's. The book "Homer Price" is 6 stories from his life.

Miles is reading aloud to me "Dick and Jane and Friends."  That is still going very well.  Of course some days are better than others, but he is still reading!









Personally, I just finished reading "The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure," by William Goldman.  It was excellent!  I really enjoyed the book, but I LOVE the movie!








Currently I'm reading "In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin" by Erik Larson. So far (page 160 out of 480) it is excellent! I'm really enjoying the story. It is about the American ambassador to Germany appointed about 6 months after Hitler is appointed as chancellor. He brought his family with him to Germany, and his daughter was an aspiring writer so there are many documents from their stay.






I'm also slowly making my way through "Praying the Scripture for Your Children" by Jodie Berndt.  It is very good, and I'm enjoying the new aspect of scripture.








 I also have another Erik Larson book, "Naked Consumer: How Our Private Lives Become Public Commodities," and  "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption" by Laura Hillenbrand just waiting on my nightstand!  I'm so happy to have found a couple of books to really enjoy!

Reading Breakthrough

I know I just posted yesterday about the reading, but I just have to tell you! I think we are having a breakthrough.

I wrote yesterday that we had borrowed some easier readers; they are totally working! Miles had so much more confidence, and he didn't fight reading at all today. Not to mention he hardly made any mistakes. I would think I was a good reader if I could do it well too.
Here is what we borrowed
The pictures are so cute, and while there isn't much of a story, Miles really likes it. He can make it through a page before he forgets what he is reading!

Image courtesy of Amazon.com

New Camera and other stuff

Yesterday we got up early to get haircuts, then we had breakfast at a great little cafe.  Then we went over to a camera shop and I got a new camera!  I picked it out myself, and I'm a little proud.  Even though until now we have been a cannon family, I picked a Sony NEX 5N.  I have a few good photos, but nothing great yet.  Soon I promise!  This really looks like a great camera, I'm so excited!

Today we went to mom and dad's house.  They asked for help moving their good mattress into the new trailer; which we got accomplished.  They take off on Friday for the summer.  They had wanted to leave on Wednesday, but dad didn't think they would have it together until Thursday.  They wanted to take Anita & I out to dinner for our birthdays.  We chose La Hacienda Ranch on my birthday.

So far reading is going great this summer (keeping in mind that the summer is only 2 weeks old at this point).  We are reading for 20 minutes almost every day except Sundays.  Of course I'm still reading to Miles every day at least 20 minutes at bed time too.  I'm loving it.  I can really see progress in his abilities.  He's doing great, and we just borrowed some readers from Doris.  I'm hopeful that those will give him more confidence too (mine are a little too hard).  Math and writing are not going quite as well, but we will work on it.

Update

I guess I could have called this Whole No More.  I got to 15 days on Whole 30, then I slowly started adding in other stuff.  As of late, I've added in junk too.  I'm starting working out again (yesterday).

Miles and I made a list of stuff to do this summer.  Want to come along on our journey?
Well, I lost my camera, so you can't!  Just kidding, I'll have a new one soon.  Here is our list for the summer. 

Summer Wish List

A: Art Project, Ants, Adventure Journal B: Botanical Garden, Build a Fort, Biography, Bubbles! C: Cook Brownies, Camping, Color Hunt D: Diet Coke & Mentos, Dining Room Airplane E: Eat from the Garden, Engraving – Bureau of F: Fire Museum, Fly Kite, Float or Sink Game G: Geocaching, Garden Stepping Stones H: Hunt Bugs, Hopscotch I: Ice Cream Making, Ice Cube Boats J: Journey by Train K: Kayak, Kickball L: Library, Lowes Project, Laundry Basket Toss M: Movie with Mom, Magazine Mosaics N: Nature Rubbing, Nature Museum O: Obstacle Course Olympics P: Pet Rocks, Pajama Day, Poem Time, Paper Doll String Q: Quest Scavenger Hunt R: Roller Skate, Reading Program S: Swimming, Sprinkler Play, Scoot around the Block T: Target Practice With Water Balloons, Toy Car Wash, Trains (Children’s Med Center) U: Under the Table Fort V: Volunteer @ Missions Car Wash, Vacation W: Wind Chime, Water Balloon Catch x: Xperiments Science, X Marks the Spot Y: Yard Popcorn Fight Z: Zoo

Miles insisted that I add Legos to the list.  We have our list in a pretty frame on the kitchen counter that my sister gave us.  We are just crossing things out on the glass.  So far we have crossed off Botanic Garden, but just today we built a pretty rocking fort.  Miles wants to do it again tomorrow, so we will cross it off then.