Has it seriously been since August that I posted? What a shame!
We are settled into our new home and enjoying it quite a bit. I'm still trying to find places for things. Going from a larger home to smaller is a challenge, but one we joyfully welcome. It feels great to get rid of things!
We closed on our short sale on Wednesday this week! Yay! We no longer have to think about the old home with the exception of all the special memories we had there. :)
I am now 27 week pregnant, 28 tomorrow, and the same exact back pain I had with B is back for this one too. If I don't stand or sit in one place for a while I do fine, but if I'm super active or do too many dishes at once I can feel my back tensing up. It probably has a lot to do with the stress of my day as well. I always try to get in a cup of raspberry tea with honey and my vitamins in the morning with a good protein for breakfast.
My little B is growing like a weed and it is a challenge for me to keep him busy.. the evil temptation of computer games and tv wins mommy over too often, but we are striving to take less and less time a day to get off the terrible addiction. We are learning a letter a week. This week was E and next week will be F. That sounds like it would be a good post in itself showing our specially activities we do every week.
We are so excited for baby #2 to come. We are tirelessly looking for a boy name! We are picky on meaning and we both have specific desires on it being unique, but not weird. Both of our definitions of "weird" seem to be different though. HAHA.
Financially we are so blessed. We are not out of debt, but if Jake keeps his job for the next year we are very confident that we will easily be out of debt completely in a year. We are so looking forward to that, but we know new life challenges will come along as usual. :-)
It is hard not to start drooling over land yet. We do desire to have a place out in nature, but we need to enjoy the transition time we are in. Right now we are transition to go from 1 to 2 children, which, from what I have heard, is a big step! Mama will need to learn even more selflessness! Children are so good for our adult character development.
This is probably a good place to close for now. I will try to make my posts more frequent and short and include pictures!
Showing posts with label Goal setting/planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Goal setting/planning. Show all posts
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Busy Life Update
1) I am now 18 weeks pregnant! :) I am hungry a lot and trying to pace my energy. I hope to be making homemade contour diapers like these to prepare for baby.
2) We are selling our house by short sale. It is coming along slowly but surely. The bank is being sure to drag its feet, but we have a great negotiator who knows what to do to make the process move as quickly as possible.
3) We bought a mobile home for $4000 and it wasn't a major junker either. It was dirtier and grimier as I'll get out, but as far as condition, very nice. It has a pantry and a walk-in master closet and also a sunroom. Three things I don't have in our current 1200+ sq foot house. It is in a nice park right near both our parents. They do not allow felons or sex offenders as residents in the park so we know it will be a safe place for our children. We are fixing it up and should be moving in soon. We need to paint the kitchen and put floors down in the living room, hallway, and Jake's office. We also need a master bathroom vanity. I'm looking forward to having time to settle in before the baby comes in January.
4) I will be trying to keep a Montessori approach to homeschooling this year for my 3 year old, but also adding materials and books that interest him while encouraging shapes, colors, numbers and letters. Right now he has spurts of "I need to learn my letters!", but when I start to teach him he gets extremely playful and imaginative and loses site of the actual letter. (probably because he is an overly entertained child.) I will need to focus on one letter a week and find different applications and activities for that letter. He is also big into learning about his skeleton. My friend and I are also planning some field trips for a small group of mommies and preschoolers. I'm very excited to get B out on a regular basis for social interaction and learning!!
5) I hope to do 2 bible studies this fall! One is an inductive study on Revelation and the other is a book study on Nancy Leigh DeMoss' book "Choosing Gratitude" which my sister is leading at her house. I just need to find someone to watch B while I'm at my sister's Friday Mornings. My main desire in bible study this year is that God would give me a heart change that will change my thoughts and behaviors, not just my head knowledge. And not just a temporary change, but a real change that will last more than a week or two! It is easy to learn something new. The real challenge is living by that new knowledge. It takes work. Knowledge does not produce immediate and automatic life change. We have to act upon what God compels and convicts in our hearts.
What does your fall look like? What are you planning? What goals are you setting for yourself?
2) We are selling our house by short sale. It is coming along slowly but surely. The bank is being sure to drag its feet, but we have a great negotiator who knows what to do to make the process move as quickly as possible.
3) We bought a mobile home for $4000 and it wasn't a major junker either. It was dirtier and grimier as I'll get out, but as far as condition, very nice. It has a pantry and a walk-in master closet and also a sunroom. Three things I don't have in our current 1200+ sq foot house. It is in a nice park right near both our parents. They do not allow felons or sex offenders as residents in the park so we know it will be a safe place for our children. We are fixing it up and should be moving in soon. We need to paint the kitchen and put floors down in the living room, hallway, and Jake's office. We also need a master bathroom vanity. I'm looking forward to having time to settle in before the baby comes in January.
4) I will be trying to keep a Montessori approach to homeschooling this year for my 3 year old, but also adding materials and books that interest him while encouraging shapes, colors, numbers and letters. Right now he has spurts of "I need to learn my letters!", but when I start to teach him he gets extremely playful and imaginative and loses site of the actual letter. (probably because he is an overly entertained child.) I will need to focus on one letter a week and find different applications and activities for that letter. He is also big into learning about his skeleton. My friend and I are also planning some field trips for a small group of mommies and preschoolers. I'm very excited to get B out on a regular basis for social interaction and learning!!
5) I hope to do 2 bible studies this fall! One is an inductive study on Revelation and the other is a book study on Nancy Leigh DeMoss' book "Choosing Gratitude" which my sister is leading at her house. I just need to find someone to watch B while I'm at my sister's Friday Mornings. My main desire in bible study this year is that God would give me a heart change that will change my thoughts and behaviors, not just my head knowledge. And not just a temporary change, but a real change that will last more than a week or two! It is easy to learn something new. The real challenge is living by that new knowledge. It takes work. Knowledge does not produce immediate and automatic life change. We have to act upon what God compels and convicts in our hearts.
What does your fall look like? What are you planning? What goals are you setting for yourself?
Monday, January 24, 2011
Preschool Daily Themes
In my last post I mentioned that I have been doing daily themes. This helps both my son and I try to maintain a healthy routine in each day. He really responds well to it. I also see a general comfort and happiness in us doing all these things together. Even though he is an independent personality and enjoys playing by himself, he also naturally needs a healthy dose of "togetherness" that, I believe, is programmed into us as people.
By no means am I as structured as I should be. It really is not my bent to have the same routine every day. Pushing toward being disciplined and on some sort of healthy routine for B's sake is challenging. There is a real sense of accomplishment, though, when I see him responding so positively to these things.
Here is a list of our current daily themes, but are subject to change if I feel one is not working quite as well.
Music Monday - Mainly just giving general emphasis on music in each activity/game/craft and perhaps making up songs as we go. This is also a day for learning about different musical instruments.
Truck Tuesday - We us his transportation toys to talk about them and what they do. We also talk about jobs like firemen, policemen, etc.. Just being casual with it and having fun. This day also includes getting out the hot wheels track and crashing and doing mini monster truck rallies. All in a days work!
Water Wednesday - While I see great potential for this day we do lack a lot of water world/oceanic type toys, but there are tons of water games online. I still haven't quite thought through my general purpose of this day, but I don't think it really has to have a specific purpose. What matters, at his age, is that he is seeing new things and learning. Plus, I don't need to over analyze these themes anymore than I already have!
Animal Thursday - Sorry for the break in the fun alliteration. I could not think of another good T word that could be broadly applied. Any ideas? This is just an animal exploration day. We have lots of fun books and many games to choose from. Not to mention "Go, Diego, Go" is a great resource for learning animals!
Fun Friday- This is really just a miscellaneous do whatever we want day. If I think of anything he would like to learn during the week then I'll throw it in here. It's also an opportunity for us to kind of just take it easy because our weekends tend to be so busy.
The results I am hoping to see from this is B getting a good grasp of the days of the week and to introduce him to "school time" in our mornings. We need to transition to this routine as we prepare for homeschooling and mom needs to learn this just as much as he does!
Here are some books I am interested in. There are so many great ideas out there! I don't know how I will ever choose. Maybe I should see which books are at the library first. (especially the expensive ones. What's up with the one that costs $200? I suppose if your seriuos into your homeschooling curriculum that's not a bad price. That is only if it is worth it)
By no means am I as structured as I should be. It really is not my bent to have the same routine every day. Pushing toward being disciplined and on some sort of healthy routine for B's sake is challenging. There is a real sense of accomplishment, though, when I see him responding so positively to these things.
Here is a list of our current daily themes, but are subject to change if I feel one is not working quite as well.
Music Monday - Mainly just giving general emphasis on music in each activity/game/craft and perhaps making up songs as we go. This is also a day for learning about different musical instruments.
Truck Tuesday - We us his transportation toys to talk about them and what they do. We also talk about jobs like firemen, policemen, etc.. Just being casual with it and having fun. This day also includes getting out the hot wheels track and crashing and doing mini monster truck rallies. All in a days work!
Water Wednesday - While I see great potential for this day we do lack a lot of water world/oceanic type toys, but there are tons of water games online. I still haven't quite thought through my general purpose of this day, but I don't think it really has to have a specific purpose. What matters, at his age, is that he is seeing new things and learning. Plus, I don't need to over analyze these themes anymore than I already have!
Animal Thursday - Sorry for the break in the fun alliteration. I could not think of another good T word that could be broadly applied. Any ideas? This is just an animal exploration day. We have lots of fun books and many games to choose from. Not to mention "Go, Diego, Go" is a great resource for learning animals!
Fun Friday- This is really just a miscellaneous do whatever we want day. If I think of anything he would like to learn during the week then I'll throw it in here. It's also an opportunity for us to kind of just take it easy because our weekends tend to be so busy.
The results I am hoping to see from this is B getting a good grasp of the days of the week and to introduce him to "school time" in our mornings. We need to transition to this routine as we prepare for homeschooling and mom needs to learn this just as much as he does!
Here are some books I am interested in. There are so many great ideas out there! I don't know how I will ever choose. Maybe I should see which books are at the library first. (especially the expensive ones. What's up with the one that costs $200? I suppose if your seriuos into your homeschooling curriculum that's not a bad price. That is only if it is worth it)
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
"Be a fountain, not a well" Jan-Feb 2011
January and February can be difficult months when you live in the frigid north. I remember last year having very little sunlight in these two months. It helps to actually consider these difficult months and plan ahead how to keep from being frumpy and slumpy and letting the glooms win you over. Being inside as much I as I am it helps to do some switcheroos and change some things up to freshen up the house. Not only that but it is good to have some things to look forward to and set fun goals so the that the months go by quickly and before you know it your spring projects await you.
Below are some things I have done and plan to do this season to keep myself on the up and up this wintry season.
What I have done so far:
-Room switcheroo with my "office" and son's room. This was a big organizational step for me because the rooms work SO much better this way. I am loving the new setup.
-Vitamins! I don't always remember my vitamins, but we try to make it a regular thing at lunch everyday to take our vitamins.
-Play with my son
-Keep the house clean (It is a such a mood lifter to have the house nice and clean in the evening)
-Good times with friends (Sledding, card games, meals together)
-Daily Bible Study - This is by far the most important thing for me to keep perspective in each day. It is really easy to think.. "this is just another day to live and I can just go on yesterdays insights", but God has given us great purpose in each day and I need to seek out how I might bless others and give a testimony for my Savior Jesus Christ in each day.
Some plans for the rest of January and February
-Work out - I need to get my heart rate up for the sake of cardiac health. Working out everyday is a difficult goal for me, but I should at least 2-3 times a week.
- Consistent healthy meals I say consistent because I tend to go through spurts of healthy eating and then I revert back to butter, sour cream, and greasy foods. Watching calories is a great to way to inspire myself to eat healthier
-Continue structured play with my son. Since I have done more planning in the last week or so with what toys my son plays with (daily themes for toys, movies, and games) I see him more happy and accepting of our daily routines. This will make for a happier mommy if I keep it up!
- Complete my planned crafts. One of these crafts is to make gorgeous wall art for practically nothing. I have been inspired by a few craft blogs on how I might be able to dress up my drab walls with the recycled materials. I also have some fun flannel material that I found for $3 a yard to make pillowcases for my body pillow.
- Go on a thrift store shopping spree with $20 and find a bunch of awesome clothing. I love finding really nice name brand clothing gently used for $2-$5 a pop. It is quite gratifying and fun to get new clothes this time of year.
- Limit computer game time to after housework is complete. Not only will it not take up my time and be the resource for procrastinating, but it will motivate me to work faster and complete my other daily goals.
What is your favorite thing to do to beat the winter blues?
Below are some things I have done and plan to do this season to keep myself on the up and up this wintry season.
What I have done so far:
-Room switcheroo with my "office" and son's room. This was a big organizational step for me because the rooms work SO much better this way. I am loving the new setup.
-Vitamins! I don't always remember my vitamins, but we try to make it a regular thing at lunch everyday to take our vitamins.
-Play with my son
-Keep the house clean (It is a such a mood lifter to have the house nice and clean in the evening)
-Good times with friends (Sledding, card games, meals together)
-Daily Bible Study - This is by far the most important thing for me to keep perspective in each day. It is really easy to think.. "this is just another day to live and I can just go on yesterdays insights", but God has given us great purpose in each day and I need to seek out how I might bless others and give a testimony for my Savior Jesus Christ in each day.
Some plans for the rest of January and February
-Work out - I need to get my heart rate up for the sake of cardiac health. Working out everyday is a difficult goal for me, but I should at least 2-3 times a week.
- Consistent healthy meals I say consistent because I tend to go through spurts of healthy eating and then I revert back to butter, sour cream, and greasy foods. Watching calories is a great to way to inspire myself to eat healthier
-Continue structured play with my son. Since I have done more planning in the last week or so with what toys my son plays with (daily themes for toys, movies, and games) I see him more happy and accepting of our daily routines. This will make for a happier mommy if I keep it up!
- Complete my planned crafts. One of these crafts is to make gorgeous wall art for practically nothing. I have been inspired by a few craft blogs on how I might be able to dress up my drab walls with the recycled materials. I also have some fun flannel material that I found for $3 a yard to make pillowcases for my body pillow.
- Go on a thrift store shopping spree with $20 and find a bunch of awesome clothing. I love finding really nice name brand clothing gently used for $2-$5 a pop. It is quite gratifying and fun to get new clothes this time of year.
- Limit computer game time to after housework is complete. Not only will it not take up my time and be the resource for procrastinating, but it will motivate me to work faster and complete my other daily goals.
What is your favorite thing to do to beat the winter blues?
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