Guest Post: Throwing Your Daughter a Great Birthday Party

I've never had a guest post on my blog before but thought it might be fun to try one.  Lisa from The Party Works has some fun ideas for little girls' parties that I thought you might enjoy......

For the first couple of years birthday parties are more like a gathering with cake and lots of photos.  That is to say that 1, 2 and 3 year olds don’t really have themed parties so much as an occasion for families and a few friends to gather and celebrate their turning another year older.  Once they turn 4 or 5 it’s time to think about what kind of birthday party you want to throw for your kiddo, where they can invite their little friends and enjoy games or crafts and party favors.  Here are a few ideas for throwing your little girl a wonderful party that she will never forget!

Princess Theme

Really girly girls love to get dressed up with a tiara and wand and prance around holding court.  Decorations for the princess theme are easy to find and the tiaras and wands make great party favors to send home with your guests.  Bowls filled with sparkly costume jewelry for the girls to accessorize with can be set out among the snacks.  A craft station with lots of glue, glitter and little jewels for the girls to decorate an item of your choice, such as their own tiaras or felt princess bags. 

Tea Party Theme

Go to a thrift store and pick up a few sun hats, the bigger the better.  Note the theme in the invitation and have the girls wear their Sunday best.  Make little crust-less cucumber sandwiches and break out a tea set (plastic is best), with saucers, teapot and sugar caddy.  The girls will love the cute little finger foods and giant hats they get to pick out.  If the birthday is in the spring months this is ideal for setting up small tables outside with little vases full of flowers and place cards for the guests.

Lisa is a guest post blogger who loves throwing her kids birthday parties and has tried both Princess and Tea Party for her daughter and used Super Mario party supplies for her son.

Really???

I took Tinker to her pediatrician a month or so ago for what I thought might be croup. The visit itself run me about $75. Not bad, right? For the peace of mind that your child is getting the oxygen they need, probably not going to die and that somebody besides you has diagnosed your child with a fairly routine ailment, I think it's ok.  Except this...

A few weeks later (after the bill had been paid), I get another bill from the pediatrician. It's for $14.73, an odd amount especially considering the visit bill had already been paid in full.  I call the accounting department and they tell me that that all of the charges hadn't been submitted when the bill was paid and that the $14.73 was the charge for using the pulse oximeter.  Do you know what this is? It's that little thing they put on your finger that tells you your oxygen saturation.  True, this is not a reading I can get at home since the pulse ox I use for work is for adults but this is my gripe...

The doctor sees patients...
I see patients...

The doctor charges per visit...
I charge per visit...

The doctor monitors vital signs...
I monitor vital signs...

The doctor routinely uses a pulse oximiter on her patients...
I routinely use a pulse oximiter on my patients...

The doctor charges for each use of the pulse oximeter...
I consider it part of the visit fee to use the pulse oximiter...

Why didn't they charge me for using the thermometer, the stethescope and every other object they utilized during the visit? Why just for the pulse ox?  It is just another device to measure vital signs!

I am so irritated about this that I actually laughed when the billing creature told me what it was for.  Wow, I thought. Now that's really getting down to the nitty gritty.  Am I going to be charged for the lollipop next?

I sound like my dad. Frickin' doctors.

No More Meal Stress

Scenario:  Yesterday (could be any day in my life though)

It's 5pm. I just walked in the door. I'm exhausted...the kids are spider-hugging my legs...I'm lugging what feels like 2 week's worth of vacation-luggage which is in fact all the crap I take to work every day...I need to pee...The Marshmallow will be home any minute hungry...all I want to do is climb in my bed and pretend I am single and child-less.

In actuality, what used to be one of my day's worst challenges is set in front of me. What do I make for dinner?  Do you remember this post? About e-meals?  It's been about 6 weeks since I found this wonderful website and am still TOTALLY RAVING about it because it has literally changed so many things in my life.  Like I feel like a good wife and mother, am feeding my family healthy foods, I'm in control of a big huge stressor every day and we eat together every night because there's actually something on the table to eat!  Since I've been using e-meals, I've found that there are several similar services out there. I don't know about them because I've never used 'em but what I do know is that e-meals is now tried and true for me/us and one of my favorite things things in the world.

I got home a few minutes early today which really just meant 4:30. Still not much time to figure out what to make, defrost the meat, wrastle up whatever it is I'm going to make for the main meal and that's not even talking about sides!  Unfortunately for me, The Marshmallow is NOT a one-dish meal kinda guy.  Too bad because I really really love casseroles. They are the ultimate in comfort food for me but The Marshmallow is a total "course" guy. Like as in first, second, third or the meal at least has to have several components.  Blah blah ya, suck fest for me at 5pm on my typical day. Too Bad Marshmallow. Eat yer freakin' Tuna Surprise and be happy you got sumpin' right?  Well, I'm a wife who aims to please. Who knows what'll get me right?  heh heh.

Anyway, tonight it's 4:59 and instead of standing helpless in my kitchen, I am blogging.  It's because not only do I know what's for dinner, it is practically all ready.  There is about 5 minutes work left to be done when The Marshmallow walks in the door and I can look like June Cleaver in my Bear Claw boots sans dress, hair, figure and attitude. 

Here's what's the main course tonight: Pasta Carbonara

 

Served along side this yummy bacony, garlicy, pasta-y yumminess will be fresh, steamed green beans and garlic cheese bread. Yesterday after a hellacious day we had Cajun Talapia, parmesan-roasted broccoli and pasta salad.

And all I did was print, shop for 1/2 hour and throw a little something together.  This working mom and her family are eating like I don't work 30 hrs a week outside the home. And that's something to shout about!

Tinker's Three!!!

Today my littlest turns three.  She was born at about 7:30 AM February 18th, 2009. I remember that day like it was yesterday.  I look back on those pictures from her birth and recollect vividly the first time she was placed in my arms. That little tiny body snuggled up to me - so perfect and the answer to my prayers.

We've had a lot of crazy times since then as I've gotten to know her. She's headstrong, stubborn, passionate, dramatic, fierce, and more and more loving every day. She has a hilarious sense of humor which makes it a lot easier to be a  member of this family. She refuses to be potty trained, can't wait to start pre-school, adores her big sister, is scared of shadows, calls Natalie "Lallie", has a wonderful little singing voice, and climbs like a monkey.  I love this little girl with a tenderness that can break my heart. To walk in her room at night and see her silent and serene and beautiful, it makes me so grateful that I was lucky enough for her to come into our family.

There's some questions going around that you can ask your kids on their birthday. I've done this a few times with Bugs but never Tinker. She's really only barely at an age where she can answer them. 

Nicole is three!!

What is your favorite color? purple

What is your favorite toy? elephant

What is your favorite fruit? candy

What is your favorite tv show? Bubble Guppies

What is your favorite thing to for eat lunch? a cheese sandwich

What is your favorite outfit? um, i dunno

What is your favorite game? the eating game

What is your favorite snack? fruit snacks

What is your favorite animal? an elephant

What is your favorite song? Choose The Right

What is your favorite book? Hello Bee, Hello Me.

Who is your best friend? You, (mommy)

What is your favorite cereal? Ice Krippies

What is your favorite thing to do outside? ride a big old bike when I grow up like Lallie.

What is your favorite drink? milk

What is your favorite holiday? Halloween

What do you like to take to bed with you at night? elephants

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Ice Krippies

What do you want for dinner on your birthday? cupcakes

What do you want to be when you grow up? Big

Today, we started the day with birthday balloons then hit Chuck E Cheese for lunch where the kids spent a couple hours playing games. This was Tinker's choice - she couldn't wait to see "The Big Mouse".  From there, we went to Build a Bear. Gateway was packed because of an Olympic remembering event going on and we waited in line for probably 45 minutes just to stuff the bear.  We usually let the kids pick what we have for dinner but seeing as Tink only eats "loodles" (her favorite are the Wagon Wheel variety), we'll probably have something the whole family can agree on like ... peas.  haha jk.

Happy Birthday Tink.

God Must Love Girl Scout Cookies

Two weeks have flown by during which time Bugs and I have been devoted to selling Girl Scout cookies in her efforts to reach a certain goal. They sell themselves but it's still a ton of work! 

We had two order forms nearly completely filled out, the second one filled out by spending hours this past Saturday driving all over town as Bugs went door to door. She was insanely brave for a 7 year old asking complete strangers to buy cookies. I was so proud of her because that's some serious scary stuff!  She always took the rejection with a smile and I would want to punch the person in the nose. Just kidding - ok, maybe one or two times.  Easy Mother Hen!

Yesterday sales officially ended and the order forms were due back to the Troop.  Problem was, I hadn't seen that 2nd form since we got home on Saturday and it had been nagging at me for a couple of days.  So when it was time to drive them over and drop them off, I couldn't find it anywhere. Anywhere. 

Have you ever let your child down? Bigtime like this?  I was not equipped to come clean with her innocent little brave face that I had screwed up so royally and lost all of her hard work.  I was SURE I was the one who had lost it, thinking it very likely that I accidentally threw it away and the garbage truck came this morning.  I was totally freaking out looking everywhere I could think of. I finally stopped and tried meditating through my steps on Saturday which only made me freak out worse.  So I said a quickie prayer and immediately afterward, I was sure I said to myself, "Find her lunchbox and it'll be right with it." Bugs had her lunchbox in the car with us so she could eat her lunch while we were out selling.  But I really did think it was my own voice - it was a good idea but it was MY idea, right?

A few minutes later, I was in her room and I looked under her bed, I think subconsciously looking for her lunchbox.  There was the lunchbox...and right next to it was the order form.

It wasn't until later did I remember that simple sentence in my head, "Find her lunchbox and it'll be right with it."  What I imagined at the time to be my own good idea is not so easily passed off as luck.  I've never had a prayer answered so clearly.  But there's no other explanation.  I am humbled.

Ruffle Skirts - They're Addicting

A couple years back I made a whole bunch of ruffle skirts for Bugs when she was 5 and now they no longer fit her. To buy them brand new, it is outrageous what they cost especially when you consider it takes probably $5 worth of remnant fabric and a few hours of time to make a better product than what can be purchased!

Problem now is that Bugs has grown. She  has grasshopper legs like The Marshmallow and the skirts are way too short for her gangle legs (isn't that descriptive?)

I have a hard time buying patterns for ruffle skirts because there are so many free tutorials. But beware, some of them are LAME with poor directions, inaccurate measurements etc, etc, etc. Take for instance the one I made last night.  I've made a lot of ruffle skirts so I knew where this woman was going wrong and made attempts to correct mistakes. But it was too far gone and while my result is wearable, the dimensions are screwy and I'd be better off unstitching it and adding a bit more fabric to make it more comfortable, let alone modest since it's really just too short. That's what I get for sewing when my kids are in bed and not available for try-ons.

The reason I tried this tutorial instead of going with one I already liked was that my very favorite tute I did a couple years ago was one I could not find for the life of me. I was sure I'd printed it off or bookmarked it somewhere but it was nowhere.  This is the skirt.We get compliments on it wherever we go.  Tink wears it now and it is adorable on her but I really wanted to make one for Bugs too! 

I finally did a new search adding "2009" to my search terms and it was the 2nd google result!  This was today and I am sooo happy! I'm definitely going to print it off and save it on my harddrive this time because it's tried and true and a total favorite.  So, if you're looking for a very excellent tutorial that is excellent for beginners (it was the very first one I ever made) then this one is for you. Not to mention that it has stood the test of time. It's been through two children, the washer numerous times, lots of ironings and play times.  Not a single stitch is coming out of place.  It's a very full skirt with lots of fabric but that's what makes it so cute.  Now that I have the tute again, I'm going to make several of these. Even as a beginner, I noted in my blog post that it only took me 1/2 a day to make it. Now that I'm a tiny bit more seasoned, I'll bet I can whip it up in just a couple 2-3 hours easy.  Now that's what I'm talking about.

Here's the link to the tutorial:
http://www.polkadotchair.com/2009/09/sydneys-skirt-tutorial.html

Have fun!

Vaseline Report

I wanted to let you know the final results of my foray into Vaseline expulsion from the other night.  I have rarely demonstrated such diligence into any particular effort. Time is too precious at this point.

My efforts at removing 2 oz of Vaseline from my beautiful microfiber duvet were...successful 100%.  I didn't even want to open my eyes to do the final inspection after all efforts were exhausted. I did a final wash in the washing machine and let it dry on the line but once it was dry, I peeked at it through squinted eyes to see what I was left with. Because at that point, I would be left with whatever was there. I had no more ideas, no more effort.

This is what I tried and I do NOT know what was successful exactly but that the entire combination eventually did the trick. I'm putting this out there for posterity and the desperation of some random woman out there who wants to save her prized ... whatever it may be after her toddler discovered Vaseline.  Vaseline....  it's viscosity must be that one temptation that can not be overcome by any amount of toddler will power. I speak from experience (two toddlers who have stuck pudgy hands down deep into pots of the stuff).

I.......
1) cried.
2) washed with Tide & OxyClean on hot (do not dry)
3) scrape all remaining Vaseline off with a butter knife
4) dab vigorously with alcohol
5) spray hydrogen peroxide generously and lightly scrub
6) spray all spots with WD40, let sit for 18 hours (less is probably fine - I just didn't get back to it before then)

At this point I was highly alarmed at the "stain" that the WD40 left and thought I'd have a new disaster to deal with  so I...

7) doused the whole stain with dish soap, plunged it into a bathtub of hot water and scrubbed like a woman from 1870.
8) let sit in the hot water until the hot water wasn't hot anymore
9) threw it all into the washing machine AGAIN and washed for a normal cycle on hot with Tide and Oxyclean.
10) Line dried

I think it looked better than it did before.  Whew!  I think that Vaseline will forever be on the list of items not allowed in this house ever again upon risk of hanging.  I'm serious.

Vaseline - Not a Mother's Friend

or perhaps a 3 year old and quiet time are not a mother's friend. Either way, my oldest came to me while I was otherwise engaged (enjoying the fact that my children were occupying themselves which should have been the first sign of chaos), to inform me that Tink was sitting on my bed covered in Vaseline.

Reverse to about 8 months ago when I finally allowed myself to purchase a beautiful new Duvet cover plus sheets and the whole nine yards for my King sized bed. I only mention the size because the bigger the bed, the bigger the investment. And yes, it was a heavy investment, one I had been thinking about for a long time but knew it was going to break the bank.  So I'm totally in love with my duvet which is a stormy blue sort of micro-fiber and is soft as a baby's bum.  It's one day I wish my bed wasn't made because who gives about white sheets? Vaseline stains wouldn't even show up!

That [precious] child of mine had vaseline caked all over her face, stuffed clear to the brim of her entire ear, and slicked into her hair like Pomade from the seventies, at least. It covered her shirt and her hands were practically webbed. But all of THAT is easy to clean compared to the mess on my beautiful duvet [that is only a possession, nothing at all compared to my daughter who is of greater worth than all my material wealth...] that brings me such joy at night. To my credit, I did not yell at all.  All I said was, "was that naughty or nice?" she says, "naughty" and I have to smile at her tiny, greasy face that is so precious and beautiful and curious and trouble-some.  These are not the times when I lose my cool fortunately.

I immediately laundered the items on high heat. Whether or not that was recommended, it was instinct. Pre-treat and high heat for oil.  It did not work...at all.  There was still vaseline residue all over even.  On to rubbing alcohol...rubbing each and every spot and there are millions.  This worked for about a 50% improvement.  Next...hydrogen peroxide which worked considerably better but my elbow grease is running out. Where can you buy that stuff...I need some more NOW!  Currently I'm waiting the alloted 10 minutes with the WD40 takes a crack. I'm also testing ChemDry carpet cleaner, and will move on to baby powder, baking soda and mixtures of all sorts of things should these solutions prove fruitless.  It's 10pm.  I'm wearing out.

For the record, the child is not yet 3. She will be 3 in about 3 weeks. Just this morning at a store I commented to a store clerk that I hoped that 3 would be better than 2 and that it was seeming a possibility as her behavior is starting on an upward trend.  I either should have immediately found some wood or just kept my trap shut seeing as how the day ended up.

I almost forgot, my first line of defense was to plop the kid into the bathtub where I thought I washed her well. She was squeeky.  However later when I got around to putting her to bed, I picked her up to nuzzle her neck and stuck my nose into a glob of Vaseline in her hair. I guess I didn't lather her quite enough.  She looked like a greasy homeless child as she went to bed.  At least she's happy.

Impressive Dedication

The other day I was at the rec center waiting for a spin class to start. I have to get there about 15 minutes early sometimes to make sure I get a bike and this day the previous class wasn't out yet so I sat outside the room waiting.  In the area where I was sitting is also the prep area for the skating rink.  It was 5:45 AM and it was dark outside, the rec center was practically deserted.

After a few minutes, in comes this girl about 14 years old. She trudged slowly in carrying a huge and obviously heavy duffel bag slung over her sagging shoulder. She had bed hair and her eyes never left the floor. She was obviously wishing she was still in bed.  But she sat down, pulled off her big cozy boots and proceeded to dig into the depths of the duffel bag to pull out her ice skates.

When the girl had gotten one of skates on, I noticed someone else coming into the area. This was a tall, thin woman wearing sweats and a huge down coat that looked like she had dragged her comforter off her bed and into the car with her.  A hat covered her bedhead and she carried a large soda and a chocolate covered doughnut wrapped in a greasy napkin. She set these down on the table next to me and sat on the bench across from the girl to help her put on her other skate. They talked softly as they worked together to get the girl ready to go out on the ice.

I had nothing else pressing going on so I watched what was obviously a frequent occurrence in these two peoples' lives.  They had the drill down all the way to the greasy doughnut.  I was impressed with the young girl because at that age, to have found something she was willing to sacrifice sleep for is paramount to establishing necessary self-discipline and confidence (both of which are not necessarily high on the priority list of a typical 14 year old).  I was struck by the fact that although she probably wanted to keep sleeping that morning, she still found the inner strength to show up. To Be There. To Just Do It.  I started feeling a little less sorry for myself for sitting there at 5:45 to ride a bike - a recreational task that likely won't do much for me other than make me breathe really hard and make me sore tomorrow.

What's more, I was equally as impressed with the girl's mother who I ended up talking to more later on when her daughter went out onto the ice.  This mother could have easily made the decision early on that before-dawn lessons were too much to ask. That it just went above and beyond what she should have to do to be a good mom.  But there she was. She Was There. Doughnut in hand. She was Doing It.  Putting herself out there - making herself uncomfortable for a totally unselfish reason.  Being there for her daughter.  It almost made me cry I was so proud of her. But also I had to consider my role as a mother. Would I easily make that decision? Would I be that doughnut-toting, 5:45 AM, help-my-daughter-with-her-skates, give-up-my-own-sleep mom?  Would I? Or would I say, can't we take a lesson at another time?

Turns out this girl has lessons 7 days a week. 3x a week they are early in the morning. It was almost an every-day occurrence.  She said they weren't necessarily on the "fast-track" to competition anymore due to an injury but that they were still serious.  Even more applause.  I just don't think I could do it.  I could be selling myself short, who knows. We all do "what we have to do", right? Given a similar situation and it's what my daughter really wanted, perhaps I'd Be There too.  But right now, an 8:00 piano lessons once a week sometimes feels over the top.  I've got room to grow.

Way To Go Doughnut-Mom!

e-Mealz - I'll Take The Help

Over the past few years, I have gradually made the transition from being more of a stay-at-home mom to more of a working mom. It's not a transition I took lightly and even still the growing pains keep me up at night. I fret and cry when my children do monumental or even non-monumental things with the babysitter (Sandra - may the Lord transfigure her because she's worth her weight in gold). But, I have paid off over $15,000 worth of debt in the past year and so if I'm going to work so hard, and be removed from my children, at least the money is well spent. I can't say at this point in my life if it is worth the justification but it is important to get out of debt and I am making some hopefully temporary sacrifices that the whole family feels.

On Sunday, my biggest goal of the day was to plan a month's worth of meals, get the grocery list prepared and thereby feel more in control of family meals, seeing as Pizza and Fend-for-Yourself are common menu items around my house. But, as I sat down to do work on this enormous and usually un-achievable task, a documentary came on TV about Groupon (I LOVE Groupon). So in my natural MO, I procrastinated the meal-planning and headed to the Groupon site where they were having a deal for e-Mealz. What the...? $29 for a year's worth of meal plans and grocery lists. You'd have thought the Lord was watching over me and having pity on me!

I thought $29 (50% off) wasn't a bad price to pay to try out what they were touting. I gave it a try. I downloaded a PDF file that has 7 meal plans including recipes and grocery list. The meal plans were from scratch meals that did not include pre-packaged items. All meals include a vegetable at least and sometimes have two sides, and none of the sides are ..."warm up a can of beans" which I love.

The only thing I didn't love was the dropdown menu where you choose your grocery store. The only one for this area was WalMart so I choose that one. They said they'll be adding Smith's soon but there's also a generic shopping list with no associated prices. For the WalMart list, they were able to list all of the prices and brands which made shopping very easy. I do prefer to shop at Smith's however. The grocery list was divided into section of the grocery store, i.e. frozen, produce, refrigerator, baking goods, etc. My grocery trip lasted 1 hour. I got everything on my list and I spent $75 after removing items I already had on hand which were several.

This week, the menu items included Swiss Chicken, Stir-Fry Beef, Barbeque-Bacon Hawaiian Pizza, Chicken Pasta Salad on Romaine, Baked Talapia (can't remember the rest). Sides included Parmesan Roasted Potatoes, warm rolls, fresh zucchini & asparagus salad. Everything was made from scratch including the teriyaki sauce for the stir fry. I am 6/7 meals and so far my 7 year old AND 2 year old (and finicky husband) have enjoyed every single meal. Perhaps even more, they have enjoyed that I am cooking a real meal and we eat together at the table. BONUS!

Better yet, I can switch my plan from 3-6 people to 1-2 at any time or back and forth. I can even choose Whole Foods grocery store.

After I went shopping, I came home and prepped a few items that would help me on busy evenings. I cooked a lb. of ground beef, steamed 2 cups of rice, cooked some bacon and chopped up some sirloin steak. This week was the test. I worked 4/5 days and each evening at 5pm when I walked in the door, it was easy for me to prep a quick meal and have dinner on the table by 5:45 easy. All the meat was defrosted because I refrigerated it all instead of freezing it, knowing I'd be using it within the week. That was a HUGE help.

Next week's meals include:
Chicken Tetrazinni
Beef Burgundy
Sausage and Zucchini Soup
Russian Chicken
Seared Catfish Subs
Sloppy Joe's
Slow Bake BBQ Chicken

Each week will include an "Easy Meal" and this week there is a crock-pot meal, a 30-minute meal, and a Slow Bake meal. I like these distinctions next to the name of the meal so I can decide which meal to cook which night depending on the time I have.

I recommend this to ANY person who struggles trying to stay ahead of the game, figure out what to cook and do so in a creative and edible manner. I rave this service. In one week, I have reconnected with my family and providing them with a part of me that I think they deserve.

Woohoo!

Reading Challenge 2011

In 2011, I participated and completed a challenge on GoodReads to read 104 books before Dec 31. That equates to 2 books per week and can be any genre and any format.

I'm a avid reader and yet the thought of reading this many books in one year was a little daunting, and so the challenge seemed like an interesting and yet challenging task.

I finished the challenge on Dec 30; I was worried I wouldn't finish. But, I did finish with what seemed like seconds to spare. All of the books I read were actual novels, and a few of them were kid novels that I read to Bugs.

I'm memoralizing this experiece on my blog because it was much harder than I thought it was going to be. And not a little stressful. I even got to the point at times when I resented my challenge because many of my "free" moments had to be dedicated to reading in order to keep the consistency of appx 2 books/week. At times I got ahead, and then other times I got behid. A few times I read incredibly long books and had to make up for it by finding novels that were shorter.

I learned a few things about myself during this experience that I felt important to document.

1. I'm shallow. I read and only truly enjoy foo-foo novels that entertain and help me escape. If they are too thought-provoking, realistic, or slow my interest waned and the GoodReads rating was poor.

2. I evetually figured out that I do enjoy some non-fiction. I read a few books about WWI, the legal system, etc. and found that I felt better about myself after the book was finished, as if I had accomplished something instead of escaped to Never-neverland.

3. I like to read but it's not the only thing I enjoy. Many other interests were side-lined this year, forsaken for a book. This really go to wear on me. So before this challenge I thought that I would always opt for a book over most other things. Now, I know that while reading still ranks high, it does not always surpass all other activities. I do like to still particpate in my life.

4. I don't need a challenge in order to read. And I don't want one. I read enough to meet any reasonable challenge and anything more than that is simply not healthy. My poor family!

Thanks to GoodReads, 75% of the books I read were sheer winners. I found myself rating book after book 4 and above. This is because of the awesomeness of GoodReads and one's ability to ascertain easily whether a book is going to be a good match for a reader. I have compiled a huge list of "to reads" that I know will meet this same percentage of success because I have amassed a group of "friends" (mainly people I don't know but that I DO know have my same interests in books) who I can peruse their booklist and compare our tastes and then stock my list with the ones that are a good fit for my style. If you find yourself slogging through lame book after book, you need to get on GoodReads. I am a broken record about this.

If you're interested in the list of books I read in 2011, and you aren't my friend on GoodReads, you can go to this link to see them all. Toward the end of the year I started listing my ranking. If you would like to create a GoodReads (www.goodreads.com) account and add me as a friend, my username is AmyNielsen. My books are tagged and one of the tag is 2011 booklist so you can also see all of the books there as well, except one is missing and I can't figure out which one. The latter method is preferred because then you have access to all of my ratings and I do an extensive review for each book.

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/511793-amy-s-2011-challenge-booklist

Now that the challenge is over, I am still reading but have added a great deal of non-fiction to my reading list. I'm currently reading a book about the Civil War battlefields which is amazing. But I can now make better use of my Netflix account, do a little scrapbooking, cleaning, baking and a variety of other activities. It will be nice to round out my life a little bit. This past year was super fun with all the reading but balancing will be a great experience too. Onto the next...

Helplessness Defined

On Friday it wasn't totally hot outside, but it was in my driveway. And I'm sure it was extra hot to 2 year old Tinkerpot, dressed in a long-sleeved shirt buckled tight in her carseat...locked in my car in the noonday sun. The moment I let go of the handle, I knew that I had not only locked my car keys into the front seat of my car, but I also locked my purse and cell phone there also.  I wore a short sleeved shirt and standing there next to her, I was sweating and not just because I was helpless.

I was just leaving to do a few errands and I left the back door open just in case Bugs came home from school and I was delayed for a minute or two so she could get in. If I hadn't done that, I'm sure I don't know what I would have done.  However, it was still bad. I raced inside through the back door and called Triple A. But I only have one phone in my whole house because who uses their land line anyway? And the phone I have is not a handset. So, while I was racing through information to get the number, and then trying to convey the urgency to the AAA operator, I was stuck INSIDE while my poor baby was out in the driveway alone and hot and crying and not knowing what was going on.  I was dying. 

I finally was able to go back out there but that was just the start of a 15 minute wait until the police and the AAA guy came. During that time, I toyed constantly with the idea of breaking through the window. At one point, I was able to get Tink to release the bottom buckle on her belt and she was able to wriggle out enough to take her shirt off.  At this point, she was sweating and flushed and I was freaking out. Her eyes leaked tears but she was so brave and her eyes locked with mine the whole time like she knew it was serious.  But although she was 75% out of the seatbelt and able to reach the door handle and door lock, I could not bring her to understand how they operate. (she knows now).  That was the most infuriating part - knowing her hands were on the door lever and lock button but unable to get her to engage.  And my frustration transferred to her because she started to cry again and I knew I had to just stop encouraging her to keep trying.  It was too upsetting.

I'm so grateful that it wasn't July or August. Had it been, I would have broken that window, no question.  I'm also so grateful for the two men that came as fast as they could knowing that a child was locked in a hot car.  They were so nice and worked so quickly.

After getting Tink cooled off and both of us calmed down, we went on only one errand.  To Ace Hardware where I made about 4 extra car and house keys.  I will not stand helpless outside a car again watching my child suffer.  It was unbearable.

A Few Changes Around Here

They're actually kind of big in terms of impact to the scheme of things.

First of all, I downsized my company.  I let go of about 1/3 of everything (employees, contracts etc.) and am now focusing my efforts geographically in a more efficient area.  I will be working more strategically now.  I've been doing this for 2 weeks so far, and I am a new person.  I feel amazing!  I wish I'd done it earlier but I learned some valuable lessons about priorities.  This was an extremely difficult decision to make and if it weren't for the Lord, I wouldn't have been able to do it - decide or implement the changes. It was frightening even if the money is the same. Here...on the other side of the decision, I can see how much I was guided and protected and I'm so grateful.

By changing the way I work, I have freed up my time to enable me to spend more of it doing things that I love.  Like spending time with my kids...quality time.  I was able to spend time with them before but I was constantly checking my phone, answering calls & texts and stressing out the whole time about work I needed to be doing.  That was wretched!

This change has also enabled me to have time for other interests of mine, like going back to sewing. My poor sewing machine has sat on my sewing desk very neglected for almost a year and I've been so sad about not having the time to play.  I was getting into it so much right before my life got out of control.  I'm back now...with plans.  Today, I made the girls these cute little swim cover-ups out of bath towels. I had one just like it when I was a girl.  I've been wanting to make these ALL summer. Too bad summer's nearly over but they'll be great for next summer too.

The last thing is that joined our stake orchestra. I haven't played my flute in years, like 15 of them. I believe I played at my grandpa's funeral in 1996 but since then haven't done much besides pick it up now and then and blow into it.  It was in rough shape when I pulled it out of the case but had it repaired and it's good to go.  I'm amazed at how much I suck!  But, I'm also amazed at how quickly it's coming back to me and how good it feels to be playing in an orchestra again.  I've spent many years sitting in an orchestra and it was so great to do it again; feel part of that group. And I actually have time to practice...daily even! My fluting muscles (hehe) are not in shape and I'm having a great time working them out :)  Wanna see a funny picture? I think I was like 15 in this picture.  Shortly after I decided I was too cool to do this anymore and have always regretted that decision but that's hindsight.

All in all, things are getting better by the moment.