Library Renewals online

So be it resolved….that I will severely limit my fines at the library by renewing frequently all of my books online from the library.  It seems that I always have one or two books overdue, and while I don’t mind paying since it is much cheaper than buying the book or renting the movie…it still irks me when I have a fine.  Usually because I have already finished reading the book and just haven’t returne it to the library.  Therefore I must announce my new love:  online renewal.  I have used it before, but now have decided that it is my new best friend!  Technology coupled with laziness…priceless.

Why?

We have hit the “why” stage with our oldest child.  Thankfully only one child can talk.  Everything is WHY?  Why is the sky blue?  Why is there wind?  Why is there rain?  EVERYTHING is WHY!  We try to keep patient and answer with love in our voices, but it is hard sometimes.  You want your child to be curious and learn by experiencing the outside world, but sometimes you just want….quiet.  It is also sometimes difficult to give an answer that a 3 year old will truly understand and be content with.  Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that he just wants to know the time-not how the watch is made!  Like the other day when he asked how Baby was going to get out of my stomach.  HHhmmm.   I don’t think I am up to telling the entire truth on that matter.  My husband said the baby was coming out of my belly button.  I just said he’s coming out at the hospital.   I kind of skipped over the exact how.  I think that is my right as a mother to edit the information he receives.  It’s traumatic enough to learn how you arrived in the world when you’re a teenager.  No need to start the trauma this early.  I’ve lots of years to do that to my children.  So, like all phases of child-rearing, I know the “why” phase will pass.  Until it’s the next two’s turn.  And then when it is all over, I will think back and reminisce about the sweetness and innocence of it all.  And that makes me smile today.

Motherhood

Motherhood is impending for us again.  This will be our third and probably last child.  I feel like I have been pregnant for the last 4 years-and with a 3 yr old, a 17 mo. old and now a baby due within the next month-I kind of have been.  So, while we are VERY grateful for the miracle of life, we are ready for Baby Henry to make his appearance.  We are not quite sure when he is coming except sometime in May.  Not all of his dates match up, but we’ll take him when he comes.  Of course the doctors don’t like that things don’t match up and want to read all sorts of things into it…but we just want him to make an appearance and however he appears will be loved.

It is so funny that for thousands-millions of years women had babies pretty much only assisted by other women who had had babies and NOW…..things are very different.  Yes, women and babies died sometimes…but for the most part your body knows instinctively what to do.  Amazing.  Simply Amazing.  It truly is a miracle.

Retail Therapy

So, in order to help with the national economy retail crisis…I have decided to do my patriotic duty and shop. I know it is a brave move on my part, but really, I love my country. I am willing and able in these trying times to help out. So far this week, I’ve helped out TJ Maxx, Marshalls (twice), Target (twice), Sam’s Club and Walgreens. I think of this week as MISSION BIG BOX. Next week, I will refine my shopping at the specialty stores in the area with MISSION SHOP LOCAL. Currently I am working on what I call “destroying the evidence.” That means before my husband gets home, put everything away! Luckily he’s not home until tomorrow from his vacation. Where you ask did my husband go? Oh, Vegas. With friends. Without me. The pregnant wife and mother of his two small children. So, not that I am quid pro quo type person. But really. I think a little shopping and a day at the spa (a full day at the spa) are not out line. Since after number 3 comes, I will never be alone for the next year or more. And when I say never alone, those of you with small children know what I mean. Again, I say all I am trying to do is help the economy. There’s really nothing in it for me. I mean the new bedding is for Jacob. The train decor is for the playroom. The new drapes are for the windows. Once again, it is for everyone else. I’m a giver.

And then the Kitchen…

Quick note to stay that under all of my bins in the kitchen I discovered ceramic countertops.  Okay, I had seen them previously like once or twice but now they are clear and clean.  I had at least 4 junk buckets full of junk.  Now I have none.  I have decided having a junk bucket just encourages you to have more junk!  So I will try to not have any more.   I wish I had done all this before I cooked Christmas Dinner-when I really needed the counterspace.  Oh well, there’s always next year.   I organized my junk drawers and found all the pens, calculators, and tape we couldn’t find a few weeks ago.  So, it is simply amazing.  It is like shopping at your own house without spending a penny. 

On Wednesday night/Thursday (New Year’s Eve and Day) our big plans are to organize the study.  You know all those piles of paperwork you think you need, but then never file correctly.  That is our wild night in.  Today, maybe I’ll tackle a toy/bookcase in the living room.  Maybe.  I am feeling pretty crafty.  Let’s see what happens next….

Organization!!!

Okay, with the new year approaching quickly-my New Year’s Resolution is to get ORGANIZED!  Seriously this year.  I’m not even joking.  I started with the bathroom on Saturday, and I must say it turned out very well.  Once I get the new curtains hung, it will be DONE.  It was quite a feat since we have 4 adults (my brother and his fiancee live with us) and 2 children here and all of their bathroom items in one bathroom.  We have another bathroom, but the only shower is in this bathroom, hence all of the items.  And we have no built in storage.    So, about a year ago we brought home a 6 cubby bookshelf which I thought would solve all the problems…but didn’t because then you just have open storage showing all your items.  Not what I wanted.  Not that I have any items I am embarrassed of, but does everyone who visits our house need to know what type of deoderant I use?  I think not.  So, then I started looking for baskets, but could never find the size I wanted.  Also, good storage baskets are never as cheap as I think they should be.  I thought about looking for tins and such, but taking 2 toddlers to the antique mall to search just doesn’t hold much appeal. 

So finally, like a year later, I thought what about boxes covered in fabric?  I have loads of fabric.  I used to have a source that would sell it really cheap.  I would then buy loads of it for “future projects.”  Most of which, I never did start or complete.  So, I found just regular little packing/shipping boxes, covered them in fabric, sorted out everyone’s items to a particular box….and done.  Organized in a pretty and cheap manner.  That then lead to a full cleaning of the bathroom….and now I think I should just now allow anyone to use it.  It looks so pretty.  Okay, they can use it.  But I will be on the lookout for clutter offenders.  So now I am off to another room.  Probably the study.  Our kitchen really needs some help, but it is tooooooo overwhelming.  I always leave the kitchen for last, because at least by then the rest of the house is done. 

So if anyone has any great tips…let me know.   I try to do just one room at a time, so that I feel progress.  My friend Jenny says, “start with one surface at a time, and put like with like.”  So I try to employ those rules too.  I am open to new ideas on organization however…

The Beach House

Just read The Beach House by Jane Green and LOVED it.   I’ve read most of hers, and this one was one of my favorites.  No one became a republican trophy wife with blonde highlights…the characters seemed more authentic than in some other of her books.  It was very practical in how it dealt with the characters life, as in…yeah, that’s life.  There were a few twists which were perhaps could be considered unrealistic, but since real life is surprising- I say it works. At the end one of her characters writes about being a real writer and how basically it takes discipline.  To write when there is nothing to write.  You can’t just think about writing, you actually have to sit down and write.  That’s how you get words on the page.  You have to write them.  I am summing up her words and adding in my interpretation, because, well, this is my blog.  But I immediately thought of a poem by a favorite poet, Marge Piercy-  “For the young who want to”.  In the last stanza of the poem, Marge pretty much says the same thing….

“The real writer is one/ who really writes.   Talent/ is an invention like phlogiston/ after the fact of fire./  Work is its own cure.  You have to/ like it better than being loved.

 

So don’t dream about it, think about it, ponder it….like Nike says

 

JUST DO IT! 

 

I’m talking to myself in case you were wondering.  But you can do it too.  I’m just going to actually do it this time.  I think.  At least that’s the plan.  For now.  When children are sleeping; anything is possible.  And back to Jane Green-go buy one of her books, brew a cup of tea, sit in your favorite chair and settle in to be surrounded by friends.

Mary Anne

Once a month…

It seems like I write only about once a month-whether anyone is reading this or not.  I know a lot of people are disappointed when they get to my blog and realize that I haven’t written lately.  Okay, but since no one is really going to my blog…I’m sure we’ll all be okay.  There are a lot of Adrienne Papel fans out there searching for dresses, however.  It is a great line of dresses that did very well for us in the shop.  A word of advice is that my customers felt they ran a little small especially at the bust line, so keep that in mind.  And have fun shopping!!!!

Anyway, I always think I’ll write more and then life gets in the way…diapers to change, children to feed-which reminds me-the hotdogs I was heating up in the microwave for Jake….are still in the microwave.  What a nice boy not to have come running in here yelling that he’s hungry.  So, my once a month is very short, because life just got in the way!!!

Sleeping

Ssssshhhhhh.   The children are sleeping.  I tell people that we’re on the rock star schedule.  It is 8:30 in the morning, and they are still sleeping.  I will wake them up at 9 if they’re not up.  It seems unreal for some people, but it is true.  They like to stay up late, and sleep late.  This is my schedule, too.  Whenever I run the numbers, they’re still getting about the same or more sleep than most kids, so…I just say we’re practicing for college. 

I may be the only mom who wants afternoon pre-school so that it won’t interrupt my children’s sleep schedule.  So, I’m off to make coffee before the day really begins.  Only 23 more minutes of freedom!

M

Here we go….

Well, if I have said it once, I’ll say it again….where does the time go?  April 18?  I mean really?  What have I been doing with myself?  I had no idea that children’s tv would be so engrossing that I would forget all about this blog!!!  And I had 7 viewers yesterday!  Wow!  That might be one of my highest days!  Okay, so I have been watching reality tv late at night.   I confess.  We’ll write about that later.

Well, I don’t know what I have been doing the last month, but I can tell you about last week.  Last week, Katydids and Urban Abode had their clearance sale.  Last year, I was a part of it.  This year, I had a bistro table, 4 old dining/occasional chairs, and a few other random things, so I was not a sponsor of it, but I did take a few things out to it.  So, I wanted to go out there and at least be a body and help price and move things and what not…Not a great weekend to have a sale with the torrential rain, but we survived.  Now, my bistro set sold the first day-so that was great!  A few more things sold over the next few days.  One sale, however, reassured me that I had made the right decision to close my store and NOT look back with sadness. 

I say that because everyone asks if I miss it and….I don’t.  Not at all.  I almost feel bad because I have no regrets about closing or sadness.  I miss some of the great, interesting, funny people that I met, but that is way different from missing the store itself.    Anyway, I digress…this sale in particular was for a lime green shirt priced at……ONE Dollar!  Now, I know it is a rummage, but even at rummages, clothes are sometimes priced at a few dollars, and even at Goodwill, they’re priced at a few dollars, so my price of ONE dollar seemed like a deal.  Anyway, the woman had seen the shirt earlier in the day, and now was back to ask if we still had it.  HHmmm. Then she says, “well, have these black pants I could wear it with.” 

I said, “yes, that would look great.”  It was only a dollar, so I wasn’t really feeling the need to “sell” it.

She says, “I’d better try it on.”  I think, okay, it’s just a shirt, but if you want to try it on, go for it.  So she trys in on and then starts asking everyone what they think?  I’m thinking IT’S A DOLLAR!!! It fits, you have someting to wear it with.  What’s not to like?  It’s regularly $68!!  What’s not to like?!?! 

She then asks, “would you take less?”

To which I respond, “it’s a dollar.  NO.”  I thought, maybe she thought it said $10 dollars.  She knew if was one, however.  She just thought she’d ask.  I was really thinking less than a dollar?  No.  I then told her how much it had originally cost.  She loved that part.  So after much to do,….she decided to buy it.  So now, I have ONE DOLLAR!!!!  I would have donated that shirt to Goodwill before I had accepted less than a dollar.  I mean seriously.  One Dollar.  So no, I don’t miss the strore.  And I don’t miss all the people.  Just some of the people.  But not all the people.  Not at all.

I was just glad I hadn’t audibly gasped when she asked if I would take less.  Or maybe I should have.  A point to ponder.

Good Day.