Here's a quick tip for saving money on all the birthday gift madness your kids inflict on you...
(I haven't learned the art of saying "I'm sorry but - insert child name - won't be able to make it, but thanks for the invite".)
This is what a friend of mine does. Her daughter is only ten months old, so she can get away with it, without being hounded by her own child. (Me? I'll have to wait until A & J are BOTH in school full time so they're not shopping with me, and there to wail, whine and wallow in the misery of Mean Mommy Aways Says No.)
Anyway, my thrifty friend has a "gift closet", and any time she sees something on sale, she buys it and hides it in the closet. She never, ever, ever (did I mention ever?) pays full price for kids' gifts.
This is definitely on my to-do list for the future...
10.22.2008
10.21.2008
Blog Book - The Self Publishing Option
Ohhhh!!!! Look what I found:
http://www.blurb.com/create/book/blogbook
I've been toying with the idea of taking this blog and putting in paper format as a keepsake for my kids.
I used to scrapbook, but don't really have time anymore (blogging is faster and easier 'cause you don't have to have anything printed). Then it occurred to me that if Blogger ever shut down, and my PC (with all the post e-mails) crashed, I'd lose all my content.
Another neat thing about blogging is that quite often you record little moments and thoughts that you (or I, anyway!) might not scrapbook about. It's like a daily journal of your kids life.
I think I might do it... I just have to figure out where the cut off should be. Maybe a yearly book - we're getting close to the of 2008, so maybe in January of 2009 I could create a 2008 book?
I'll keep you posted on what I decide, and how it turns out...
http://www.blurb.com/create/book/blogbook
I've been toying with the idea of taking this blog and putting in paper format as a keepsake for my kids.
I used to scrapbook, but don't really have time anymore (blogging is faster and easier 'cause you don't have to have anything printed). Then it occurred to me that if Blogger ever shut down, and my PC (with all the post e-mails) crashed, I'd lose all my content.
Another neat thing about blogging is that quite often you record little moments and thoughts that you (or I, anyway!) might not scrapbook about. It's like a daily journal of your kids life.
I think I might do it... I just have to figure out where the cut off should be. Maybe a yearly book - we're getting close to the of 2008, so maybe in January of 2009 I could create a 2008 book?
I'll keep you posted on what I decide, and how it turns out...
10.19.2008
Inspiration, GI Jane, and My Daughter
Demi Moore really kicked some serious, um, butt in the movie GI Jane. (I loved that show - I watched it about ten times.)
The training scenes were particularly impressive. The determination and relentlessness with which she pursued her goal of Navy Seals acceptance was inspiring. She was like a snarling dog with a bone - seemingly unable to release her obsessive grip.
Kind of like... like... oh let me see here... my 5 year old daughter and the monkey bars!!! Day in!! Day out!! Up, down, backwards, forwards.... flipping!! Hanging!! You name it - she'll try it and she won't quit until she's conquered it.
Why just as I was writing this (in a notebook to be blogged later) she tripped in the gravel while running from one play structure to the next. She fell palms open, slapping the sharp stones with all her 39 pounds behind her.
"Owwwwww!!!!" she cried.
I put down my notebook and went over to her, but by the time I'd crossed the 30 or so feet between us, she'd brushed the jagged rocks off her palms and said:
"It's OK Mommy - it doesn't hurt that much. Not enough to stop playing on the monkey bars!"
Which leads me to the realization that I don't need some high budget Hollywood creation for inspiration. My very own long haired, pint sized spitfire provides plenty of it.
The training scenes were particularly impressive. The determination and relentlessness with which she pursued her goal of Navy Seals acceptance was inspiring. She was like a snarling dog with a bone - seemingly unable to release her obsessive grip.
Kind of like... like... oh let me see here... my 5 year old daughter and the monkey bars!!! Day in!! Day out!! Up, down, backwards, forwards.... flipping!! Hanging!! You name it - she'll try it and she won't quit until she's conquered it.
Why just as I was writing this (in a notebook to be blogged later) she tripped in the gravel while running from one play structure to the next. She fell palms open, slapping the sharp stones with all her 39 pounds behind her.
"Owwwwww!!!!" she cried.
I put down my notebook and went over to her, but by the time I'd crossed the 30 or so feet between us, she'd brushed the jagged rocks off her palms and said:
"It's OK Mommy - it doesn't hurt that much. Not enough to stop playing on the monkey bars!"
Which leads me to the realization that I don't need some high budget Hollywood creation for inspiration. My very own long haired, pint sized spitfire provides plenty of it.
Off To The Park
Ahhh!!! Another sunny sunny Sunday: a Pajama Day spoiled by perfect play outside weather!! Only this time, they're dragging me to the park...
What, the back yard that's big enough to fit a second house, complete with a Sunray play structure, Dora playhouse, and trampoline, isn't good enough for ya? Huh? Huh? Waddya mean the Sunray trapeze bar isn't big enough and you have to go to the school playground to use the monkey bars there? Aren't you at school five days a week already? (Oh, and could ya just sit still for five minutes??)
(sigh)
I guess I'm walking to the school yet again... (they're lucky I love them ;-)
What, the back yard that's big enough to fit a second house, complete with a Sunray play structure, Dora playhouse, and trampoline, isn't good enough for ya? Huh? Huh? Waddya mean the Sunray trapeze bar isn't big enough and you have to go to the school playground to use the monkey bars there? Aren't you at school five days a week already? (Oh, and could ya just sit still for five minutes??)
(sigh)
I guess I'm walking to the school yet again... (they're lucky I love them ;-)
10.18.2008
Kids Are Good For Your Health
As I was writing this post on my Last Ten Pounds blog, I was reminded yet again how my kids have improved all aspects of my life, not just my health (in the case of that post, they help me out by being the "candy police" - if they weren't following me around watching everything I do, I'd be eating more of the Halloween candy ;-)
Having kids is almost like reliving your youth, with the added bonus that you can abstain from those parts of youth you were happy to leave behind.
Like for instance, because of my kids and their school skating trips, I'm forced to lace up and learn the sport myself, only without the self-conscious worry and peer related stress I would have had as a pre-teen. A friend of mine enjoys the same music as her twelve year old, but listens to the songs she likes, rather than the songs that tell other tweens that she's "cool". You get the idea.
LOL not to mention the fact that I could write an entire blog, never mind one line in one post, about the increased physical activity I've had since having kids. So although some days it feels like they've taken ten years off my life, in reality they've probably added ten years :-)
Having kids is almost like reliving your youth, with the added bonus that you can abstain from those parts of youth you were happy to leave behind.
Like for instance, because of my kids and their school skating trips, I'm forced to lace up and learn the sport myself, only without the self-conscious worry and peer related stress I would have had as a pre-teen. A friend of mine enjoys the same music as her twelve year old, but listens to the songs she likes, rather than the songs that tell other tweens that she's "cool". You get the idea.
LOL not to mention the fact that I could write an entire blog, never mind one line in one post, about the increased physical activity I've had since having kids. So although some days it feels like they've taken ten years off my life, in reality they've probably added ten years :-)
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