Several of you have asked how I am feeling, and I appreciate that very much. I am finally returning to normal. I no longer have any coughing or pneumonia. Unfortunately, I now have asthma; the doctor thinks this was triggered by the initial virus. I am learning to deal with the asthma, and my symptoms are improving. I was able to exercise three times last week. I hadn't been to the Y since November, and I normally go 5 times a week. It was fun to see workout friends I hadn't seen in several months.

As far as the asthma is concerned, I am trying to control it and learn my triggers. I think my Wallflower is a trigger, and this makes me sad. You may remember it was one of my favorite Christmas gifts. I have unplugged it for now, but I am going to try it again in a few weeks to see if I react to it. I really hope I am wrong. I know that is such a minor thing, but it makes my house cozy and comfortable—and it makes me happy.

Again, thanks for all your kind comments. My husband wants to celebrate because we have gone two weeks without any doctor visits. We hadn't done that since October. I hope the Baseballs and Bows house is finished with sickness for a while!

Labels: General

I am a list person. I really like to be organized, and I find satisfaction in crossing tasks off as I complete them. In December, however, I had a list that was overwhelming. In the second half of 2008, I let several cleaning jobs slide, and then I was faced with the realization that 40 people were coming to my house for Christmas. I made a really long list of everything that needed to be done, and then I spent several weeks staring at it. For one thing, the list was so long that I felt paralyzed. Additionally, I was sick, and I didn't feel like doing any of it.

Although I couldn't change the sickness part, I could have controlled the length of my list. If I hadn't put off so many things, I wouldn't have needed to do it all in December. At the end of January, I decided to get back on top of my cleaning jobs. I wanted a manageable system that would help me stay up-to-date with my cleaning. I don't want the super long list again.

I decided to try Motivated Moms. I had seen this system recommended on other blogs, so I paid $8 through PayPal and printed my own schedule for 2009 (I chose the half-size planner; you can see the options here). I am excited to say that I have stuck with it for a month. In this system, there are chores that are done daily, like wiping the kitchen counters, and there are assigned tasks for each day, like cleaning a light fixture or organizing a closet. The great thing about Motivated Moms is that you can jump in and get started at any time. Additionally, there are only a few tasks each day, which makes it very manageable. Saturdays have very few assigned tasks, so I sometimes use the weekend to catch up on any jobs I didn't complete during the week. Of course, there are days when things slide, but it is easy to get back into the game and keep going. Some of the jobs don't apply to our home, and there are some adjustments I have made to fit my needs. These changes are very easy to make.

If you are looking for a better way to manage your home, check out Motivated Moms. I am very glad I did!

Labels: General

My Best Girl has been asking to take ballet, but I've put her off for a while. My Favorite Boy didn't start participating in any activities until he was five, and I am in no rush to add more events to our schedule. Last week, however, I found out about a class in a neighboring town. They had two spots open in their Monday morning preschool class: a perfect fit for my Best Girl and her best friend from church. The program is very reasonably priced, and we decided to go ahead and participate while we can take advantage of daytime classes.

On Saturday, we told my Best Girl that she would be able to go to ballet class on Monday (it's really a creative movement class, but don't tell my Best Girl). To say that she was excited would be an understatement. She repeatedly thanked us, and she spent the rest of the day twirling and leaping around the house.

On Sunday, she asked, "Do I get to go to ballet today?" We said, "No, that's tomorrow." She replied, "Only one more day until the greatest day of my life."

I doubt she'll pursue ballet for long, but she certainly has a knack for the dramatic arts.

On Monday morning, she woke me up at 6:10 to say, "Mom, I don't want to watch any TV this morning. We need to get started on my hair for ballet class." I assured her that three hours was plenty of time for both My Friends Tigger & Pooh and fixing her hair. With about 15 minutes to go, she couldn't wait any longer, so she sat in the car by herself until it was time to leave.

Here's the prima ballerina before entering class.

Here she strikes her version of a ballet pose with her best friend.

Here she says, "No more photos, please. No more. A ballerina can only take so much."

My Best Girl had a wonderful time in her class, but I hope it wasn't the greatest day of her life. To experience that at age four would mean she has many years of average days in her future. Somehow, I have the feeling that the best is yet to come!

Labels: My Best Girl

Lately, I have felt that there is just not enough time to read all the books I want to read. Just the other day, I told my husband, "There are too many books and too little time!" Because he does not share my obsession with the written word, he just laughed and rolled his eyes.

This is the pile on my nightstand. I have several others waiting in the wings.

I am currently reading The Book Thief. I first read about this book in Lisa's review at 5 Minutes for Books. I encourage you to read Lisa's take. I am sure it will hook you as it did me.

Up next are A Promise for Spring by Kim Vogel Sawyer and The Secret by Beverly Lewis. I'll be reviewing these soon.

In my nonfiction pile, I have Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends and How to Be Like Walt. I usually read nonfiction much more slowly than fiction. I read a chapter here and a chapter there. Making Brother and Sisters Best Friends is a great book for Christian families. It is written more for the brothers and sisters than the parents. My Best Girl is a bit young for it now, but I plan to use it as a family read-aloud in a few years. For those of you who visit my blog regularly, you know I love Disney. After reading Carrie's review of How To Be Like Walt, I had to pick this book up at the library. Reading about Walt's life is truly fascinating.

That's my pile for this month! To see what others are reading, visit 5 Minutes for Books!

Labels: Books

Every day, I try to instill principles from God's word into my children's hearts. Some days I can see that they are grasping these truths, while on other days, I know we have work to do. (I realize that this is a lifelong process; I continue to work on my own heart as well.)

This morning, we were talking about overcoming evil with good (Rom. 12:21). My Best Girl responded excitedly, "That means if someone tries to get me to do something bad, I will do good instead!" Happily I said, "That's exactly right."

Then, my Best Girl said, "So, if Maleficent tries to get me to do evil, I won't do it. If she wants me to prick my finger, I will run the other way!"

Ah, yes. She's four. Hopefully, she'll be able to apply this lesson to other situations. I doubt Maleficent will be at preschool today.

FYI: Maleficent is the villain in Sleeping Beauty.

Labels: My Best Girl, Small Talk

My Best Girl loves to accessorize.

So, during a recent visit to the library, I picked out Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. I knew my Best Girl would share Lily's excitement over three jingly quarters, movie-star sunglasses, and a musical, purple plastic purse. My Best Girl liked Lily's story so much that we are now reading more of Kevin Henkes books. We currently have Julius, the Baby of the World, Wemberly Worried,and Chrysanthemum. We are looking forward to reading Lilly's Big Day, Chester's Way, and other Kevin Henkes books soon.

In other Kids' Picks news, my Favorite Boy and I started Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone yesterday. I haven't read any of the Harry Potter books because I was waiting to read them with my Favorite Boy. We'll let you know what we think!

You can find more Kids' Picks at 5 Minutes for Books.

Labels: Children's Books

Mom, wake up. Dad has cards for us, but we can't open them until you are in there.

On Saturday, I woke up to my Favorite Boy whispering these words in my ear. I forced myself into the kitchen, and was pleasantly surprised to see that my husband had bought cards for both kids and me. Later in the day, my Favorite Boy and my husband brought me these. My Favorite Boy picked them out; he was very proud of them.

I gave both of the kids a photo book that I made on Shutterfly. The books included pictures from each month in 2008 along with brief passages to tell about the events, growth, and changes that took place throughout the year. (Thanks for the idea, Rachel!) I was pleasantly surprised when my Favorite Boy loved his. He has shown it to anyone willing to sit down and look at it, and he has already asked me to make him one for 2009. My Best Girl made it to the month of April in her book. At that point, she noticed her jelly shoes in one of the pictures, and she was off to look for them. I wasn't too discouraged by her reaction. I know she will treasure the book in the future.

For a special Valentine's Day treat, we ate lunch at Captain D's and went to Krispy Kreme. Yes, we are high class when it comes to dining. Honestly, I am not sure it is legal to eat that much grease in one meal. Of course, the kids were thrilled with these picks. My Best Girl asked if she could wear her Minnie costume because the colors were "just perfect" for Valentine's Day. After considering the fact that we were eating at such fancy establishments, I relented. She was thrilled.

Two Happy Kids at Captain D's


Enjoying the Donut Making Process at Krispy Kreme

All the glazed donuts were heart shaped for Valentine's Day. And, for the second time in one week, we were lucky enough to arrive when the "Hot Donuts Now" sign was on. At one point, the kids let me know that the donuts were sticking to the machine. My Best Girl went down to the register and said, "Excuse me! The donuts are smushing!" The employees acted quickly to avert a donut catastrophe, but you can see the mess they pulled from the machine sitting on the silver ledge.

My daughter now thinks she is a donut-saving hero. I don't know if there is such a thing, but I guess she could travel the world in her red and white polka-dot dress rescuing the world from donut disasters.

We had a wonderful Valentine's Day. I hope you did as well!

Labels: Family and Friends, Fun, My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy

We have had a busy week. Some events have been fun and exciting; some have been unwelcome intrusions. Here's a summary of what we have been doing.

Monday

Low: I started the day by taking my Favorite Boy to the doctor before school. He has a stubborn sinus infection. The doctor prescribed a 20-day course of Augmentin to knock it out (my FB completed a single course of Omnicef a few weeks ago). I am thankful my kids are troopers when it comes to taking medicine!

Highs: The weather on Monday was beautiful. It was sunny and in the 70s. My Best Girl and I enjoyed our weekly outing with friends from church: story time at Barnes and Noble and lunch at McDonald's. We also hit Krispy Kreme in the evening. That is one of our favorite treats!

Tuesday

High: I hosted my second Vicious Valentine Party on Tuesday night. It was a fun and entertaining evening with friends. Because my husband was out-of-town for the first half of the week, he escaped this girly event, but my kids told him all about it. My Favorite Boy said, "Dad, those ladies laughed so loud! We could hear them upstairs!"

Wednesday

Highs: My husband returned home on Wednesday, and we went to church. Other than that, I don't remember much!

Thursday

High: My Best Girl had her Valentine's Day party at school. She especially enjoyed licking the icing off her cupcake and exchanging Valentine cards with her friends.

Low: My Best Girl woke up from her nap with an ear infection. Thankfully, the doctor's office had a late afternoon appointment available, so we rushed over there. Now, the kids can enjoy their antibiotics together.

Friday

High: I headed to my Favorite Boy's school for his party on Friday afternoon. Because I am the room mom in charge of parties, these events are a mixture of work and fun. The former teacher in me always kicks in, however, and I end up having a great time. Unfortunately, my Favorite Boy was a stinker about having his picture made with me.

This was our week in a nutshell. Although we can't seem to stay well this winter, we are thankful for the many wonderful events we enjoyed with our friends. When we look back on this time, I know it will be the positive events that remain in our memories!

Labels: Family and Friends, My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy

News about the dismal economy is everywhere. On Monday morning, I read some particularly distressing information. Yahoo had an article about ten companies that may not survive 2009. When I noticed Krispy Kreme on the list, I was aghast! I don't want any businesses to close, but there is only one Krispy Kreme. Other doughnuts are not the same! In order to help, the kids and I headed to our local Krispy Kreme on Monday evening. We were delighted to see this as we pulled into the parking lot.

There aren't many things that melt in your mouth like a hot, glazed Krispy Kreme. Of course, we didn't stop there. We had to choose a few other favorites as well.

I urge you to join us in the fight to save Krispy Kreme! You can purchase a doughnut for less than a dollar; and, these lovely hats are free.

Labels: Family and Friends, Fun

Here are a few snippets heard in my car today:

Best Girl: I just can't wait until I die!

Apparently, she is really looking forward to Heaven, and she is really excited to see all the jewels there. I just hope she doesn't arrive before me! In the past 24 hours, however, she has fallen down the stairs in the garage, scraped her face on the concrete in a parking lot, and run into a wall (her face looks like she has been abused). I may have to carry her to keep her from more bodily harm.

Also heard in my car today:

Best Girl: My school is the best because we get to play before we do work.

Favorite Boy: Well, at my school, you have to do like eleven pages of work every single day.

Best Girl: Wow. I don't ever want to go to that school!

Yes, those first grade teachers are practically slave drivers.

Labels: Small Talk

On Tuesday, the 5 Minutes for Books Classics Bookclub discussed I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. I planned to write a detailed post about this, but I ran out of time. In lieu of a detailed post, I will direct your attention to the 5 Minutes for Books podcast. Jennifer, Melissa, and I discussed the book over the phone on Saturday, and I invite you to listen to our conversation. You may not enjoy my rambling, but you might get a kick out of my southern accent.

In our podcast, we primarily talked about the genres of memoir and autobiography, and we also discussed how the book deepened our understanding of life in the segregated south. I hope you will take the time to listen, as long as you promise not to laugh at me too much! The discussion is a little longer than we planned. I am sure we will improve our timing in future podcasts.

In the last week, I also reviewed Eats, Shoots & Leaves, The Scrambled States of America, and Until We Reach Home. If you are interested in any of these titles, click over to 5 Minutes for Books to read more!

Labels: Books

It's been 10 weeks today since I first felt sick, but I am now getting answers and heading in the right direction. This past week was very frustrating, but I finally heard from my pulmonologist about my CT scan (I was supposed to hear from her last Tuesday). I do have pneumonia, and I am on a stronger antibiotic. It may take more than one round to knock it out, but I feel like I am improving slowly.

I truly hope I am reaching the end of this illness! I am ready to get back to normal. I spent Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's sick. Perhaps I'll be healthy by Valentine's Day.

Now, if only I can convince my husband to recognize Valentine's Day as a real holiday...

Labels: General

On Super Bowl Sunday, we attend evening worship services and then watch the game with friends from church. The same family hosts us all every year, and we have a great time. Last night, we had one in our midst who bleeds black and yellow (is it yellow or gold?), so most of the other men were cheering for the Cardinals simply to give him a hard time. He emerged victorious.

I didn't see a single play (or commercial). It's not that I don't like football, but the crowd usually segregates with the men surrounding the television and the women surrounding the food. For me, the highlights of the game were the buffalo dip, wraps, cheese balls, chicken wings, cake, and Oreo balls! I'm sure you won't see those featured on any ESPN highlight reels, but I look forward to Super Bowl food every year.

Of course, after we got home I enjoyed Super Bowl heartburn. I don't know why I think I can still eat like a teenager without feeling the effects. Next year, I'll remind myself to do better, but I'll be kidding myself. And since I am already looking forward to next year, I have to say, "Go Titans!"

Labels: Family and Friends, Fun