What Makes Me Happy Today

1. Surprise gifts from friends, I cannot wait to get this hung on my wall!  Also, the bag of supplies for impromptu banana splits, homemade pizzas, memorial stones,,, I have some pretty amazing friends!!
2. Thoughtful acts of kindness.  Tim straightened & put a cemented plastic 'sleeve' in the ground for my clothesline, tilled the garden again, & filled our sandboxes w/200# of play sand while I was working my last Monday night at my part time gig! What a Guy!!
3. A room full of sleeping littles, because it means we finally got adequate fresh air, physical movement & outside time this morning to exhaust their seemingly endless supply of energy.
4. Laundry on the line! Oh this is my favorite thing this time of year, getting to hang the laundry out. I think I wrote about it last year.  I love the physical-ness of it, the bending, lifting, stretching, puzzle piecing to get it all to fit sometimes,  & then the smell of everything is like my reward. *contented sigh*
5. The new phone w/internet that I resisted for so long.  I love being able to sit in the yard or at the park & be able to read blogs, view my photos on Kodak, keep up w/email or play words w/friends while listening to the littles play.  Even if I only got it because I accidentally dropped then drove over my beloved blackberry (that I had only owned since December) & Tim didn't give me a choice in what I was getting next, he was upgrading me to a touch screen.
6. Attacking the to-do list from last year.  Sadly it seems to take us a year to realize something REALLY DOES need done.  Examples: the clothesline stood at varying degrees of a tilt all of last year & this spring b/c the ground was so soft + the wet laundry so heavy= it leaned, we have sand in the sandboxes that have been empty since we moved here in '07, I am cleaning closets-selling things (mostly things I had intended to hang on the walls but have since changed my mind) on facebook swap site, now, can't wait to see what's next! one of those things from my Twelve in '12 list?
7. Blogging!!!! What a relief to be back! Now, to learn how to transfer photos from the phone to the computer to post or learn to post from phone. but either way, means MORE PHOTOS to be taken!!

I can get so carried away making lists!  What fun this was to make a list of what's making me happy today!  I do believe its safe to say I. Am. Back!

Today I will:

Today I will: (as inspired by)

• clean my childcare kitchen
• shred the zucchini as I have been planning to every.day.this.week.
• take the kids out to play TWICE
• NOT stress the lack of ScrapPink registrations coming in
• NOT stress the interview visit this morning
• NOT stress the unfinished projects in the childcare
• Love the weather
• NOT stress the sewing class tomorrow
• Remember I am not in charge of my life, that things work out much better when left up to Him

Ok so you know by now that I love a good list, & I can list on for days so I will just stop right there :)
I hope you have a fabulous weekend!! can you believe September is NEXT WEEK? I cannot!

Summer :)

I love the change of seasons!! Each one has its own novelty that keeps is oh so special from the others (in Iowa anyway). Summer is our season of activity around here. Lawns need mowed, flower gardens need added to, weeded & loved, planters need freshened, the veggie garden needs tilled, planted & tended, outside projects GALORE! Not to mention our camping/boating weekends *dreamy sigh* Looooooooooooooooove them!!! With those fun weekends comes the prep, upkeep & planning of the boat & supplies on the off weekends & evenings. Our local Farmer's Market starts next Saturday!! Oh how I love the Farmer's Markets!! Summer also means no school so I have to try to keep the kids from getting bored. Last year, I was able to plan a few morning movies @ the local theater, this year I am planning weekly events! Every Friday we are going somewhere & doing something & during the week we are hitting at least one local park paired w/a picnic lunch! My favorite holiday is the 4th of July! I love the local parade, patriotic decorations, traveling carnival that comes to town, hosting my family BBQ after the parade & catching up w/Tim's family @ their annual gathering, fireworks, all.of.it. August brings the Iowa State Fair! With it's concerts, food, walking, animals, food, walking, art, food, walking, friends, food, walking, displays, food, walking, OK you get the picture! We used to joke that I eat my way thru it :) *whew* It really is no wonder I am ready for Fall when it arrives :)

Along w/all of this I have a 'few' special projects I'd like to complete sometime this summer. I have printed some plans from Knock off Wood I'd like to build, I'd like to disassemble & paint the handmedown desk I use in the childcare, I have a pile of frames in the hallway I'd like to hang, I'd love to get some color on these walls in the childcare, and I plan to explore at least 2 new farmer's markets. This is just a tiny list of 'want-to-do's' for this warm season ahead. This list I have on a jumbo stickie hanging on my calendar, you should see the master list I have in word :)

What are your summer plans? Please Share!

TGIF!!

Seems I completely missed posting yesterday OOPS... I was doing so good!! :S ah well. here's the photo collage from Wed & Thursday.

Looking here you will see Lots of kid stuff... niece K loving on itty bitty A, itty bitty B not so itty bitty anymore! littes A&B reading books together! I am so glad I braved the paint & checked the mini-well off my to-DO list :) I love it black!! then ended my day w/some scrappiness :)
Yesterday, I captured mom's old house, our shadows while walking, the 3 littles picking flower petals off the sidewalk 'for me', B watching, afternoon paperwork & snack @ the picnic table :D me reading Breaking Dawn(almost done :)) the mushrooms Tim found yesterday.

Today is the last day of WITL!!! wow this week has gone fast for that project! next I will need to get it into a book form! that may take a bit longer. I AM almost done w/Tim's surprise birthday chapter. its raining today so the photos may be a bit different-more tasks, less fun.

Oh the weekend!!! 3 cavities filled tomorrow, mushroom hunting, yard work, picking up a used tiller, hopefully some down time & finishing this book!! :)
What will your weekend include??

Happy Hump Day!

We got Garden in last night! GET OUT!!!! this is the earliest we have EVER gottten the garden in the ground!! I AM GIDDY (can you tell??) LOL It was a total surprise to go over to that property (which will forever more be referred to as Ayers Lot) grumbling about having to do more clean up work (the brush has gotten out of control) & discover the garden tilled YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.. so we hustled & loaded a truck load of brush & multifloral rose, picked up our tools & headed to the tree dump. After that we swung thru Fareway for onion sets, green beans, corn & radish seeds. ahhhhhh how I love to play in the dirt!!!! love love love it!!!!!! photos to come :)

This weather is absolutely blowing me out of the routine!!! we are already on our summer schedule of playing outside all morning, w/morning snack out there, then coming in for lunch & crashing then right back outside w/another picnic for afternoon snack. altho I think I'll bum them a bit & have snack inside THEN go out. but anyway.. LOTS Of outside time & none of us were quiet ready for it so its taking some adjusting. :) currently all 8 are out COLD .. this is the first time in MONTHS I've had a totally quiet quiet-time. appreciating it!

how does your to-do list change when the weather does??

We've already done alot of work @ the Ayers Lot this week, removed the chimney from this house (removed the wood stove when we moved in but left the chimney w/false hopes of reusing it soon), we've walked almost every evening for a week, I am brainstorming flower beds @ this house as well as the veggie garden @the Ayers, I have a birdhouse I want hung, want to get hanging pot hooks for around the fence, need some hooks on the fence for their jackets & bags, need to seal said fence, want to build a bench for inside the foyer, and maybe another for the front step (while they wait for the bus), another picnic table would be nice, OH & a clothes line is a necessity!!! I need to paint my planting cupboard that's out back, its under the deck but not exactly out of the weather & made of WOOD. You most definately won't hear the word bored out of us this summer!! In our 'free time' we plan to be @ the lake every other weekend Memorial-Labor Day weekends!! yay!!!!!

So since the first of the year, I've really been sucked into blogs that reuse, upcycle, rescue, other people's 'trash'. I've been inspired yet terrified to try anything. I have created some things from the crafty blogs but nothing recycled. So while @ the Ayers Lot, I snooped around in the shed that has always been a catch all & found 4 wooden frames... hmmm I feel like I've posted about this.. ah ok.. I just checked & all I did was mention them :) so here's some photos of the frames I found.

First, here's the white/gold dude that I can't get sanded down so thinking I'll just paint him black :)

nastiness!!!! TO....................

BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!! SIMPLE :) great starter project.

Wow.. they are STILL asleep!!! :) wishing I could go lounge in the sun or shut my eyes or something equally as relaxing.... oh well.. back to blog hopping!!!

Tuesday True Confessions

• ACCOUNTABILITY: this area sure has grown in 11 months!! Food wise I have fluctuated ALOT. yesterday was a good day!! 5 f/v, 2 dairy, 80oz of water, took my vites & the morning .5 mile run as my exercise.. today should be similar. About today....it is the full mile day of my challenge & I decided (as the alarm was going off @5) that I'd wait to do it after work, while Tim is finishing up supper tonight. Last night I got a nap in during that time so tonight I will have plenty of time to run the full mile & shower. Enough w/the Guilt already Kim! sheesh!
• APPRECIATE: I APPRECIATE that I have a wonderful husband that shares in the house & cooks! I APPRECIATE our friends that like to get together all year long. I APPRECIATE that I have a full house of child care families.
• I got on the scale today & am UP from before I started running.. what the heck????
• I am bribing myself to run w/protein shake after each run but ONLY after each run :)
• I feel tired & sluggish since I didn't run today. learning my lesson!
• I need to vac the child care carpet today.
• I am late sending off Scrap Pink things.
• I am dreading sorting receipts for tax prep UGH!
• I didn't do ANY-THING on my to do list last night!!
• I finished my December Daily book!! I might even get it scanned in today.

I have some catch up to play this morning along w/some Wiggles to dance to :) Hope your day is productive as well as enjoyable! :)

ahhhhh Thursday...

I hit the ground running this morning! a bit sore from the chiro yesterday but feeling SOOOOOOOO much better!! :) Pretty darn good for caffiene free! Mom & I got the gift bags all packed (w/what's here anyway) & then I finished making the name tags for the bags. OH SO CUTE!! SEEE....... not bad for having to improvise in adhesive b/c our wal*mart SUCKS & can't be consistent in their inventory. oh well. their loss.

I totally got sucked into the new show Eastwick last night. Definitely just a 'fun show to watch'. It helps that it has Lyndsay Price in it from Lipstick Jungle (still missing that show!! *sniff*) I remember the movie from teenage years -think I need to re-watch it but this show is a good one. hope it stays. Speaking of TV. NCIS got started Tuesday night & I missed them due to darts so I was able to watch them in bits & pieces online @ nap time yesterday. & tonight is GREY'S ANATOMY!!!!!!! whohoooooooooooooooo wow I get married to my TV in the winter! I can't seem to find CBS's fall line up online anywhere but when I do & get organized I'll share my TV schedule w/ya. it might just be scaaaaaaaareeeeeeey! :)

ACCOUNTABILITY: I got my 3dairy, 4 f/v, & 96oz! GREAT DAY! hoping for a rerun today.

Today's to-do list contains the phone calls I haven't done, finishing yesterday's laundry, digging out the crown, & hopefullly getting the t-shirts while we are out getting groceries. its drizzly out this morning so hopefully we'll be able to play it low key.

Tuesday...

• one more day closer to my Scrap Pink weekend!
• dart night
• 4 phone calls to make
• laundry to finish from yesterday
• would like to make name tags for the gift bags tonight after darts
• only 2 under 2 today YAY!!! that 3rd one throws me so out of balance .. but I love em.
• first day of fall!
• its grey & chilly out again
• grilled cheese sandwiches, applesauce & milk for breakfast
• grilled cuban sandwiches for supper
• its almost soup weather
• ok off to wrap up yesterday's to do list before starting today's
• Have a good one!!

oh my Monday!

• Another day I am really not quite ready for. May have to go back to relying on caffeine to get me going in the mornings.. oh well, no choice but to hit it full speed ahead.
• To do lists made for every evening this week to be sure I am properly prepared for this year's Scrap Pink event. the weight room is officially Scrap Pink territory for another week. Last night I sat in there & sorted donations into piles, boxes & bags. quite fun really! we have door prizes, raffle prizes & gift bag stuffers! SO MUCH STUFF!
• Just when I thought I'd have this last week to get my own supplies around for Scrap Pink productivity of my own, I discover I am in need of a coffin (kleenex box) for deceased tape runners, a suggestion box, name tags for the gift bags, & need to find my fair queen crown for one of the games.
• Outside of Scrap Pink I have other things to do this week too.. get a flu shot, play darts, have a chiro appt, get my eyebrows waxed, trim my nails, & keep the laundry up. *whew* definatly going to have to follow those lists to prevent the overwhelming urge to curl in a ball & crash!!!
• no school kids to feed this morning=we r on our own breakfast schedule. hmmmm :)
• OH & did I mention I went to the dr on Saturday & got a prescription for the lovely Z-Pac as I Have bronchitis for the first time in my life? yea.. lovely huh?? So glad I went even tho I didn't want to. but the coughing while vertical is diminishing! Definate plus!
• ok off to combine the to do lists Scrap Pink vs real life & get them to exhist in harmony :)
• YOU have a great Monday! we are expecting showers that we haven't seen in almost a month! WHOA!!

YAY FOR FRIDAY!!!

what a long week!!

Bathroom progress this week: walls grouted & floor tiled :) Medicine cabinets to be hung, cabinet & toilet to be set, floor to be grouted & cleaned, walls to be cleaned, tub motor to be reinstalled, trim hung, faucets installed

weekend plans: finish bathroom & work on cleaning house.(I won't bore you w/my over organizing detailed list-just know I want to get more done than normal since we are having house guests for 10 days & hosting my family BBQ after the parade on the 4th)

since I haven't done them in a while:

APPRECIATE: I appreciate having the financial ability(ha-credit) to do the remodel. I appreciate that Tim wants it done b4 they arrive as much as I do. I appreciate that he took a break from his tunnel vision of it to till the front flower bed for me last night. (even if that means he now wants to rake it a certain way b4 I put the barrier down OYE)

ACCOUNTABILITY: I am averaging 64oz, 3 f/v, 2dairy daily. I am watching my carbs & sweets. but I am not moving more than necessary :( absolutely no excuses about being too busy!

what's on your agenda for the weekend??

woops...

sorry for the lack of posting! this morning flew past.. then we went outside when the first visitor arrived to finalize my QRS level 3 application for 2008 paperwork, Suzanna took 3 to the library, 2 went to swimming lessons, when they all started to return & the visitor left, it was time to come in to fix, serve & clean up lunch AND lay down for quiet time. Then visitor #2 came & did step #2 in my QRS level 4 application for 2009 paperwork!! whew. (if you reallllllllllly want to know all that goes into it, you can click on 'home chart' & get a .PDF file that tells a smidgen of it)

WOW!

I also came up w/a make shift schedule of the 'b4 the company comes' list. I feel way better now. gosh I wish I had some interesting photos to share but I don't. .. sorry! maybe tomorrow as tonight we are going to Lyndsey's last ball game (a niece) & working on grouting the rest of the shower walls!!!!!! way excited about that! :)

ok.. off to find something to serve for snack!
Hope everyone's day was as much better as mine! :)

another short one

here you go Steph:

• movie was great yesterday


• softball game on schedule was cancelled


• garden is tilled & pretty much weeded


• we did nothing in the bathroom last night-photos later


• Tim is off today to go to court for his 'no insurance' ticket to prove we did have insurance


• need to knock some stuff off the 'b4 the company comes' to do list today/tonight/tomorrow


• I've been working on putting pictures in the frames on the hall photo wall :)


• I have a few windows open to get some fresh air in while its cool out


• going to serve 7 breakasts


• I hope it stays 'cool' today!

ITTTTTTSSSSSSS FRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAWWWWWWWWWW!!!

today my numbers are down so I plan to pull in those decorations I have been talking about all week, planting the last seed blanket, adding water to the cc fish tank, along w/my regular daily tasks.

our weekend plans are pretty basic:

tonight depends on how Tim's day goes. after out in the heat digging yday he wasn't feeling like bathroom work last night so we will c how today goes whether we get back to it or wait till morning.

tomorrow I have a list of errands I would like to run since we are local (instead of @ the lake) but we will c how early he gets started on the bathroom. while we are working on the bathroom I also plan to knock out some of my 'b4 the company arrives' to do list :)

Sunday -more bathroom (hopefully finishing up tiling the walls atleast) & we have a list of errands we need to run in DM (pick up my wedding set FOR SHORE!!) I can't wait to share pix of the tiled bathroom!! :)

what's on your agenda?

sooooo...

• Yesterday, we got almost to the elementary school playground & it started drizzling & continued for the whole 2 hrs! lol ... we played, picnic'd & walked home in it. they all got to change clothes when they got back & slept really well :D
• During that quiet time I got a wild hair & went to work setting up a morning movie time @ the Lyric Theater here in town! I then started calling around to other providers & the local child care center & then advertized on Facebook to be sure I get my 25 minimum to qualify for the pkg deal. ($5 for ticket, small pop, small popcorn!) I had no idea it was so easy!!! I will definately stay on top of new releases & try to set something like this up more often!!
• Tim worked in the bathroom assembling & installing the tub/shower valve & I was close by for assistance cleaning off the dresser top (hot spot!) & washed the mirror :) when we were done he watched tv & I sat on the deck & read my book.
• So far I have gone over my 'b4 the company comes' list & checked the dresser top off & added a couple of easy things to it (for days I need something easy to do to show progress) its such a mind game :) & have banana mini muffins in the oven.
• Today I hope to get the flower blankets planted (I know!! get them down already!!), drag in the tote of 4th of July decorations from the garage & give the wood floor some attention.
• Tonight is Provider appreciation open house w/build our own sundaes YAY!! so I will be gone for a bit but I hope to finish the dining table & maybe a bedside table tonight! love watching that list get all scribbled up!

hopefully the sun will shine all day today!

to trip or not to trip

THAT is the question! I have no helper today-Suzanna is having a spot on her foot looked @-I will have 8 @ max, its all planned, only one infant, no school kids, maybe we'll cancel the park/trolley trip & just walk a picnic to the elementary school instead.

• I checked a couple of htings off my 'do b4 company comes' list last night while Tim was mowing :) also did a couple of weekly jobs too.... I am of the mindset most of the time that if he's moving & working around the house I should be too. so until he's done mowing/cleaning the boat out/working on the bathroom I am doing SOMETHING productive that helps the house. Even if they are just little jobs like last night-water all in & outside plants, put away 3 baskets of laundry, top off the upstairs fish tank, pick up my scrap mess in living room from working on Stacia's book a month ago, & start cleaning off dining table that has become a hotspot. he may not have noticed or appreciated but it was done & *I* feel better.


• Kicking the perfectionist to the curb for a bit! I am done waiting on the tiller for the flower beds! I am going to put down the seed blankets while the flower beds are wet from last night's rain & cover them w/potting soil & BE DONE. check it off the 'do b4 company comes' list!


• I had high hopes of shredding last night but ended up enjoying a twisted tea while I was working around the house instead then there was no way I was working out. LOL


• I have a legal pad sheet w/my 'do b4 company comes' list on it. I love to do lists! keeps me on track! so I also have a smaller pad w/my weekly list on it. I just won't break it down to daily lists b/c that's way too overwhelming for me! plus I like an option of what & when...


• Bathroom update: the light fixture is hung, the switch plate is on, the walls are painted.. just waiting on shower valve to be mounted then I think we start tiling! EEK. another new frontier for us.

Ok .. on w/the day!!!

TGIMF :)

Thank goodness its MY Friday! :)

lake prep list:

• truck cleaned out (cab & box) CHECK
• totes, picnic basket gone thru CHECK
• bags packed
• laundry done
• boat cleaned (inside & out) CHECK
• grocery list made CHECK
• firewood loaded

tomorrow we will:
*load truck
*get groceries
*

other things I like to do b4 we leave for a long weekend:
*wash & remake bedding
*take garbage + recycling out
*sweep floors
*run dishwashers
*bleach toilets
*change the cat litter
*unload photos from camera
*water plants
*

I had the CUTEST checklist w/photos post in mind but didnt' get them all taken so its a wash... maybe another time :) but I did get to paint 6 sets of feet & 4 sets of hands yday out in the yard on a blanket. FUN! we had a picnic for lunch out there too! TONS of outside time YAHOOOOO! SO HAPPY SUMMER IS HERE! yoga last night was fabulous!! B&S & I went to Janes for a drink after. YAY! I had my first good Sex on the Beach YAY Jane :)

the shrinking challenge @ the sisterhood is over :( so sad to report I only saw a 2# loss the whole 2 months! yuck! I yo yo extremely bad. what can I do? I am inconsistant as he$$ & until I figure out some consistance I am probably going to look like this. So I am just accepting part of it (kicking the anorexic girl in the gut again;)) & focusing on the eating healthy-as long as I keep a V8 in the fridge I am sure to be able to get all 5f/v in! love grabbing a glass of juice & calling it 2 servings (or 4 if I get a big glass) I cannot believe how badly I have slipped on the water. I am just not getting the full 3 bottles in & I was doing it daily for so long I have no idea what's different. exercise -what exercise? I am over it for a while. maybe when I come back from the lake I'll have a renewed sence of energy toward it. Can't wait to see what the Sisterhood has in store for the next challenge!! :) they rock!!

I have been shooting in manual for 2 whole days this week!! its been an experience & Iam loving it. can't wait to be good enough to shoot in it all the time! I will share some photos later this afternoon (mostly kid pix-be warned)

all right so there you have the good, the bad & the ugly, the lists of what to do, what's done, & what won't make it :)

off to tackle the wish list
have a great day!!

ISO

I am In Search Of: a computer job from home that lets me sleep till noon & be done by 4PM. anyone, anyone, beuller?? As much as I love the kids I think I love sleeping in more.. if I could find something to pay what I make (so we can keep what we have of course) & fit the above criteria, I'd jump!!!

In other news: Can I start the impeachment process of WINTER?? it snowed over night Saturday/Sunday & I hear we are to expect more a couple of days this week.. COMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMME ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN its been done, over rated, burnt OUT. get over it.

ACCOUNTABILITY: yesterday I finished 80 oz on my way to bed, & got 30 minutes of Fit time in while Tim was @ walmart getting painting supplies :) I also used the broom to clean a good couple of inches of snow off the van & sidewalk to go to McDonald's for brunch (chicken wraps LOL)

APPRECIATE: I do appreciate the families I have that keep my child care home full. I did appreciate the sleeping in this weekend! I did appreciate the hot water I had for a nice soaking bath last night. I so appreciate my online friends!!!!

today's to do list is to stay warm mostly. I will also find some bread to bake -oatmeal again?- laundry is started & receipts finished up as they are due out by Friday even tho I promised them today --oops! really wishing I'd saved the love seat from the landfill!! I'd have it down here, be on it, wrapped in a blanket doing receipts today! brrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Shanen-yours is done.

Oh my good thing its Wednesday!

because I just couldn't handle it if it was Monday or Tuesday again/still/only. I had a horrible training last night.. good thing is that its only every 5 years but damn I hate it w/a passion when I have it.. its Manditory Abuse Reporters Training. Being in the child care field makes me a manditory abuse reporter & they think we need training on what to identify as POSSIBLE abuse.. well they enforce that its not our job to investigate or prove but they still need to show us 20 mintues of horrifying photos of real life abused children of the 3 hour class. UGH. I ended up coming home w/an excrutiating headache that I took ibuprofen for & went to bed. I complain also that the class went until 9:30 on a week night. not that I am not normally up past that -I am. but to be out & about & not home, warm & relaxing is DIFFERENT Bordering on unreasonable IMO. ok.. now that I have that out of my system.....

ACCOUNTABILITY: I ended yesterday w/70 oz. & no Fit time :( BUT tonight is YOGA!! & hoping for some FIT time b4 it!!!

Appreciate: I appreciate that the class I HAD to take was only$5 for me. I appreciate that Tim got John to throw darts in my place last night so we don't have a make up game holding up the league. I appreciate the cupboard & freezer I am still able to pull food from :)

Yesterday I was able to get my last 3 months to balance :) WHOHOOOO noW to just total & write each family's year end receipts! then its sorting & totally our shopping receipts, highlighting & totally the bank statements, & putting it all together... this time of year I think how awesome it would be to have an accountant but I like to keep (&spend myself) the money I make LOL so its out of the question.

today I am hoping to get those receipts written & handed out, oatmeal bread made(dry ingredients already in bowl b4 Nat had a breakdown & needed me worse than the bread did), & headache kicked. wish me luck b/c today I just might need it.