It's Getting Harder
How long have I been at this? 14 days? Feels like 114. It seems my kids are trying to wear their clothes out at an alarming rate. Do you remember me saying Carver has busted through his pajama bottoms? Lily is close behind with her jeans. Now, whether you care or not, you are going to hear about my philosophy on clothes. About 90% of our clothes are secondhand. We're fortunate to have a great line of thrift stores where we live, they regularly have 50% off sales, and the brands I'm able to find are Gap, Gymboree, Ralph Lauren, REI, Land's End, and Columbia. I rarely pay more than $4 for any item of clothing--including snow gear. For me, clothes are something you put on your body to keep you from getting arrested when you go out in public. Also, my kids play hard, and I don't want to worry about their clothes. Lastly, it reduces our carbon footprint, which is very important to me. I'm not saying that if you buy new clothes for your kids that's bad. Hardly. I'm just telling you what we do.

So Lily has holes in 2 pairs of jeans. I swear this happened overnight. She has 4 pairs total--and I'm not going shopping until December 1st when my no-spending challenge is up. I also have no patches. Patches cost around $5, and I don't want to buy patches for jeans that are $2. Lily doesn't wear skirts or dresses, unless it's a special occasion. Her jeans are her life. So what's a mom to do? I dug around in her hair bows and clips and found some old hair ribbon. I stitched that over the hole as a makeshift patch and am hoping that will last a few more weeks. But I think when I do buy more jeans for Lily, I will hold onto this pair and use the denim for future patches. I felt a little convicted that even though we buy used, I still have a pretty disposable mentality about our clothes. I want to change that.


I am running dangerously low on dishwashing detergent. This scares me because I really hate doing dishes. I found some homemade recipes with baking soda I can try if we run out, but I'm at the rationing stage with the detergent. With the H1N1 going around, we've been blowing through liquid hand soap like candy. I don't know if we'll have enough to make it through the rest of the month. I do have bar soap, but--yuck! Two messy boys and bar soap. Not a combination I want to try.

Buying and replacing items is easy. There's no work involved, except exchanging money for goods. It's harder to stretch things, to make things last longer, to do without, and to patch up holes. We lived many years like that out of necessity. But just because we don't have to live that way anymore doesn't mean we still shouldn't try to get the most out of our dollars. I'm ashamed to admit I've become a convenient spender.

Another book I have to recommend is Nickel And Dimed. I got the audio version (from the library) and listened to it while walking the dog and cleaning house. It's one woman's attempt to live on minimum wage and not become homeless in the process. It was absolutely fascinating, and it was a great motivator in my decision to try this challenge. The author has a bit of a potty mouth, so don't say I didn't warn you.

By the way, my kids have not even noticed the challenge.

Zinabu Is Six!!!
What a sweetie pie I have. He woke up before the crack of dawn, so I spent some time snuggling with him in bed. He could hardly wait for the sun to come up. Being 6 is, apparently, a big deal. We had a fantastic day together, and I was able to do it all without spending a dime. But I don't want that to take away from the fact that I would do anything for him.

Zinabu helped me by licking the beaters, and Buddy helped Zinabu by keeping him on task.

Homemade cake. I love my bundt pan. LOVE it!!! We always make bundt cakes. Maybe because they remind me of donuts???

I have a box with party/gift wrap supplies. There were plenty of streamers and balloons, and even though red and yellow may not have been Zinabu's first color choice, he didn't care.

Goodie bags. I, personally, hate the birthday party goodie bag. Who started this? We've always been ones to have a birthday party at home, until just last year--when we moved and were showing the house and had to have Lily's party at the rollerskating rink. We reminded Z that when Carver and Lily were both in kindergarten, they had a small party (with family) to celebrate their birthdays. He was just fine with keeping it low key. I used tissue paper and string to "bag up" random treats I found around the house--unused glow sticks from Halloween, candy, a pack of gum--and voila! Goodie Bag. What kid would really complain when they get a whole pack of gum????

Silver-spray painted Burger King crown we picked up. Yes, I have silver spray paint. He wore it most of the day. He wanted a cake with green frosting, so I delivered. I freaked out when I realize I had only 5 birthday candles, so my brother cut one in half and saved me from having to light a matchstick and stick that in the cake. Note candles are pink and green. That's what I had so that's what I used. I've always felt Miami Vice was a good look for a cake.

This happy kid after opening his presents. I bought ALL of them in September when Target was putting things on clearance. I found several things on his wish list and have been hiding them in my closet. Pretty neat, don't you think? Zinabu and I both had a fantastic day. No stress for me, we kept it simple, and all Zinabu knew was that we were happy and excited for him.

What else was free? This birthday song from the cuties in Chicago. I am beyond blessed.

Day 10 (yesterday) Day 11 (today)

A very dear friend of ours is staying with us for a couple days. Silly me--I thought he was coming on Saturday. When he called yesterday morning and said "I'm on my way" I laughed long and hard at my stupidity and thanked my neat-freak personality for keeping the house clean. I was proud of me, because it would have been way too easy to run to the store and grab fancy ingredients for supper to have on hand during his stay. But I stuck to my meal plan and we ate a nice simple meal together. He later thanked me and said it had been a while since he'd had a home cooked dinner. Now that warmed my heart!!! I spent a little more time in the kitchen than I would have liked, with dinner, dessert, and getting homemade cinnamon rolls ready for the morning, but it showed me once again that not spending money really comes down to planning ahead. I had all the ingredients on hand for everything we needed--I just took the time to make it all come together.

This morning I was at the kids' school library volunteering, and the librarian (who is a close friend of mine now... she anticipated Zinabu's arrival almost as much as we did) broke the news to me that she has to go on a long medical leave. It's possible she may not be able to return to her job at all. I'm devastated and sad and sick about it. I'll see her again next week, but I want to give her a gigantic, enormous going-away present. I want to shower her with flowers and gift cards and books. But I can't. I can't spend the money. So I'm going to have to be very creative (note to self: what can I make out of pine cones?) and write her an extra long note in a card and hope that's enough. Of course, I know it's enough--she's not asking me to give her presents for Pete's sake. But the fact that I want to give her presents but can't stings a bit. Then again, maybe she'll really understand how much she means to me because I'll tell her with words and not with "things."

Tomorrow is Zinabu's birthday. He will be 6. I have cried about 50 times already that I will never have a 5 year old again.... it's killing me. I told David I want more--more kids, more boys, twins, triplets, everything. He pretended not to hear me. I'll post tomorrow about Z's "free" party.

Day 9

Guess what we did today? Stood in line with the masses and got our H1N1 vaccines. Such a glorious family moment. Shall I recap the day for you? Our county had its first swine flu clinic--there are several more to follow this week but this was the first. They opened at 10 am, so I dressed in my warm clothes and got in line at 8 am. I bet I was around the 200th person. By 10 am, when the clinic opened, there were a thousand people in line. It was a great opportunity to people-watch. Like the man 5 yards from me who could sleep standing up. Or the woman smoking with an oxygen tank. Or the woman with 7 children. She gets the gold medal for the day. I was very happy to be standing next to two other moms who wanted to discuss the Twilight saga with me. The time passes rather fast when you've got Edward on the brain. David brought our kids right at 10 and found me in line. It was perfect. The line moved quickly and the Health Department staff were all incredible. I had prepared myself that only the kids could get shots, but they asked David and I if we wanted them too so we said "Sure!" Lily is our brave one--but Carver and Zinabu were hyperventilating as they waited in line. As we got closer and closer, Zinabu's tears became more intense. When it came time for his shot, I put him on my lap and held him. I was trying to soothe him as the nurse got the needle ready, but then he screamed, "POISON DART... NOOOOOOO!" and I began laughing so hard I wasn't much help anymore. Carver was white as a sheet after his shot and I think in the future he may be a fainter. A nurse insisted he drink juice and sit in a chair for a while. Mostly, I'm incredibly grateful that we had the chance to get vaccinated. I don't take it for granted.

Best of all? The Health Department clinic was F--R--E--E!

The First Dilemma

Back in October, before I began my no-spending spree, I ordered family pictures with a "we've moved and happy holidays" message. I wanted to get these out before Thanksgiving so all our friends have our new address. So yay me for being organized and getting that checked off my to-do list. However, I did not buy stamps back in October. (Insert sound of wheels turning and head smacking against wall.) What to do? What to do?

Here's my solution. I borrow stamps from my mom and repay her in December. Fortunately my mom still buys stamps in rolls of 100, so there are plenty around. I, who email and pay bills online, couldn't find a stamp to save my life! I guess I'm fortunate there are stamps in the house, otherwise I would need to go buy them, because these letters have to go out this week. I'm also fortunate that my mom shares her stamps. Thanks, mom.

I am very surprised at how easy it is to just stay away from stores. I think it's because I know that it will all still be there on December 1st. But I had to give up on an international craft fair here in town that is supposed to be amazing--it would have been a great place to pick up a few Christmas presents for my kids' teachers, and I especially love buying items that have been handmade in other cultures. Oh well. There's always next year...

Day 6 (Yesterday) & Day 7 (Today)

It is not hard to stay out of the stores. I don't really spend my days strolling through the mall or driving from shop to shop to kill time. I spend most of my days at an elementary school, and the only thing you can buy there is a soda from the vending machine. Not exactly a huge temptation. David and I were talking that this isn't really a big sacrifice--not buying anything for a month. If I run out of shampoo, I have another bottle in the linen closet. I could lose a shoe a day for a week and still have a pair to wear next Sunday. We're clothed, fed, and content. I'm still paying for gas that goes in the car. Still paying for the cell phone. Still living a comfortable life. It would be a much bigger deal to attempt this for an entire year. One woman did, and you can read her story in the book Not Buying It.

But even though I'm not suffering too much, my list of things I'd like to buy is growing. I want to start swimming laps again and need a bathing suit that does not depend on a simple knot behind the neck to keep it up. Carver has busted through the knees of every pair of pajama pants he owns. The holes grow a little bigger every day. My bottle of window cleaner is getting low. I also don't want to sound cheap when I'm invited out to lunch and have to decline. Hasn't happened yet, but there are still 3 weeks left of this experiment. I'm afraid that come December 1st, I'll go out and stock up on everything I've denied myself for a month, and I don't want to do that. Taking the month of November to not purchase necessities should not mean going overboard in the month of December.

To reiterate what I said in my last post, not spending money takes planning ahead. If you plan ahead, you're golden. I don't foresee any reason to break my stride.

Day 5 (of nothing)

I opted to make our own pizzas on Friday night. I bought some basic ingredients (which will last a few more weeks) and used a pizza dough recipe that seemed easy enough. As usual, when you make a little extra effort and spend time together in an activity, the kids had a ball. They loved creating their own pizzas, and Zinabu even deemed it the "Best Pizza Ever!" I had always viewed Friday night pizza as my one evening off from cooking, but I was convicted by the many women in the world who have every night off from cooking because there is no food to cook. Zinabu's first family, for example.

Not spending money takes much planning ahead. So far, that's a recurring theme I'm noticing. Yesterday (Saturday) I planned the entire day ahead of time so that I wouldn't be tempted to pay for anything out of convenience. David was gone Friday and Saturday, and that right there is an occasion to spend. If' he's out of town, I would normally "treat' the kids to something. Or "treat" myself--you know, because I'm doing everything on my own. I was surprised at that philosophy... it sounds so shallow. Dropping $4 at Starbuck's for a latte or buying the kids smoothies "just because" is a dumb way to part with our cash. And honestly, it's not as if David is home all the time and I have no idea how to handle being a mom on my own.

So yesterday morning we went swimming with friends as guests at their Y. We drove home for lunch--which was bare bones, since I desperately needed to go to the grocery store--and then headed to one of the colleges here for Cool Science. It was a huge (FREE) extravaganza of science demonstrations and experiments for families. Carver and Zinabu loved the explosives that set off the race cars, and Lily enjoyed the game of bird migration. The college does this once a year, and I'd heard of it before, but I don't know if I would have been as inspired to go had it not been for my no spending challenge right now. We wrapped up the afternoon at the skateboard park, where there is also a large field. We played fetch with Buddy and the kids ran around for over an hour. F-R-, double E.

Last night I went grocery shopping and was much more sensitive to where every penny went. I always plan my meals for the week and use coupons where I can, but I was even more conscientious last night--and I must say, we saved a wad! Today is Sunday and I don't anticipate any challenges because we usually just got to church and then spend the day at home as a family. But I'm curious about what next week will bring. My biggest challenge? Zinabu's birthday!


Carver pressing the "launch" button.

Experimenting with static.

Days 3 & 4 (of nothing)

I am just a wee bit into my challenge, but I'm already aware of how many opportunities I have every day (every hour, truth be told) to buy something. While playing fetch with Buddy I noticed a garage sale across the street (I hate passing up a bargain). Searching Google news I see an ad for ebay and wonder if any Patagonia fleeces have surfaced (a favorite quest of mine). On television I watch a commercial for mascara and feel tempted to try it--and I hardly ever wear make up. Each and every moment I'm assaulted with the "chance" to spend money. I don't think you become aware of how often until you make a choice not to buy anything. What other culture lives like this?

I haven't told the kids what I'm trying. Why make them suffer? It's my challenge, not theirs. I plan to casually divert their attention should the need arise. Like this morning. Carver asked if we could go roller skating tomorrow. My response was "Ye.... er... no. Let's play outside instead." He shrugged his shoulders, but I have the feeling I may not get off so easily next time.

My next dilemma is dinner tonight. We rarely eat out, but every Friday night is pizza night. We buy a fresh-made one and bake it at home. We do it every week. Where does this fall in my challenge? I could go to the grocery store this afternoon and buy the ingredients to make a pizza at home, but I can't help but wonder if after the olives, pepperoni, sauce, cheese, and artichoke hearts I wouldn't spend more. Does a pizza count, since it's not out of the norm of what we usually do? I didn't consider this before.

One of many challenges I'm sure to face in the days to come.

Our Thankful Tree
During the month of November we try to remember what we're thankful for. In the past I've made a tree by finding small branches out in the yard and letting the kids glue paper leaves to them. This year I drew a tree on our chalk wall. Each night, after dinner, I ask the kids to think of something they're thankful for and then they get to "hang" their leaf on the tree.


This is what Zinabu has added so far... Having a family and having a great life.

What a love. And to think--he's the one who has blessed us, not the other way around.

Day 2 (of not buying anything)

Today was a fairly easy day, as I had no errands to run and therefore no stores to encounter. I spent a lot of time at the kids' school. However, I did have to cancel a haircut appointment that was scheduled for this afternoon. That's not a big deal today, but now that my hair is short it needs to be cut more frequently--so by the end of November I will be feeling pretty shaggy. Not sure how I'll feel about that.

Last night it occurred to me that Target is now having their 75% off sale on Halloween items. I ALWAYS hit this sale the week after Halloween, because my kids love to dress up so much. I love to find the odd wig, crown, sword, or cape. We have a huge bin filled with dress-up costumes, and my kids can still spend full afternoons in imaginary play. I also adore Halloween decorations--the pumpkins, the orange lights, the cute placemats. This is when I stock up for next year. So I'm trying not to think about that sale. I'm hoping that by not being in Target this week I won't see what I'm missing, and therefore won't know what great deals I'm foregoing.

(sigh)

Day 1

I wake up today to my first challenge: a hole in my favorite socks. My wool socks that I wear religiously because I am notoriously cold. David thinks there is something amiss with my circulatory system, but the socks do the trick. There's the hole--staring me in the face. I look back at it and want to throw the socks away, but I can't. These socks need to warm my feet through the rest of the month, so I double up my sock layers and get breakfast going for the kids.

Halfway through the day I have to go to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription (there's no getting around this and you can't honestly include this in the challenge). I head straight to the back to get my medicine, and am suddenly aware of Children's Tylenol on sale. And hand sanitizer. Both of which we have plenty of at home, but given the H1N1 march across America I feel like you can't turn down a good sale. I pay for just my prescription and leave otherwise empty handed.

Then the kicker. U2 tickets went on sale today for their show that's coming to Denver in June.
Whoops. Didn't plan for that. Maybe we can get nose bleed seats and buy tickets in December.

Tonight would have been the perfect night to grab dinner on the run. David has to go back to school for a PTA meeting, and I lead a Bible study at our church. My mom isn't in town, so we have to bring the kids with us to our respective duties. But instead of ordering sandwiches at Subway, I made dinner and we are eating at 4:45 before we all head back out again.

That's a chunk of change I saved today.

30 Days of Nothing

Ever heard of this? I've been tossing this idea around in my head for the last two weeks and I'm going to do it. 30 Days of Nothing is a personal challenge that means exactly what it implies: a whole month of not buying anything that is not absolutely necessary. Other bloggers I know have tried (and successfully completed) this challenge, and it was fascinating for me to read their thoughts.

A little history on our family. When we first moved to Colorado, Carver was 2 and a half and Lily was two months old. David took an enormous pay cut and I was working (sporadically) as a freelance editor. We were incredibly blessed, but money was tight. We had one car (David walked to work). It was the kind of budget that if you ran out of light bulbs but there were still 2 weeks until pay day, you went without light bulbs. When David became an Assistant Principal, I remember the joy of going to Target and buying light bulbs whenever I wanted. We are still careful with our finances and very grateful for all we've been blessed with, but I want to make sure I'm really aware of where every penny is going. Also, with Thanksgiving around the corner, the timing is right.

For the month of November I am going to do my darnedest to not... buy... a... single... thing. Disclaimer: Obviously, we need to eat. Groceries do not count in this challenge. But let it be said that this won't be the month to try new Ina Garten recipes that call for saffron threads or other such nonsense that would defeat the purpose of trying to cut back. I'll try to keep things simple. Also, I am not about to go into emergency mode and put scraps of recycled newspaper in the bathrooms should we run out of toilet paper. If we run out, I WILL BUY MORE. Lastly, if one of the cars breaks down, we'll fix it.

I'll also come clean and tell you that I spent money today. I had long-standing plans to meet a good friend for coffee this morning. It was her birthday so I treated her to a latte. And in anticipation for a birthday party Carver is invited to in 10 days, I bought a gift card at Target. But that's it. It's the evening of November 2, and the challenge begins NOW!

Before

Darth, Sylvester, and Green Power Ranger (Z chose to be the same thing he was last year! It was fantastic.)

After

Checking out the booty. We had a great night. It was the first time I got to go trick-or-treating with the kids. I'm usually stuck at home handing out candy. The weather was fabulous--considering we had a blizzard 3 days ago--warm with lots of leaves to crunch through. My brother met up with us and joined the festivities, and Buddy experienced the joy of barking at kids wearing weird costumes.

Now I'll let you in on a dark family secret: we buy our kids' candy off of them. I think I've explained this before, but I get tired of those piles of candy lingering on into December. When we get back from trick-or-treating, we have our kids paw sort through the sugar bounty and keep whatever they want. Really, we don't force them to give anything up. But the lure of 10 cents per item is fairly strong, and without fail the kids wind up keeping a handful of candy and "selling" the rest to us. I like teaching them that a little candy is OK, and there's value in making healthy choices. Stupid? Maybe. But in one week we'll be done with our Halloween candy and that is music to my ears.

Recently Overheard

Zinabu, Mr. Popular, has had 3 birthday parties to attend in one week. I'm considering hiring him a personal assistant to keep up with all his comings and goings, not to mention making sure he doesn't wear the same thing twice to all these gatherings (sarcasm, people). I was driving to the store--again--to buy a birthday present--again--and I said offhand, "I'm glad you're not invited to 10 parties.
He piped up, "Why?"
"Well," I responded, "that would be a lot of presents to buy and that's a lot of money."
"Then get to work and make some money, Mom!" (insert sound of whip cracking)

This kid can be so sensitive at times, and so very annoying at others.

Hello winter. You always make Halloween and trick-or-treating a challenge. Looks like costumes with long underwear, hats, gloves, and scarves this year.

Strange, But True
What follows may just be my strangest post to date. Every day I make the kids their lunches. None of them are real big on school lunch (well, except Zinabu who will eat anything) but if I pack their lunches at least I know--for the most part--what they're consuming. Except for the time I was helping out in the lunchroom and I saw from across the cafeteria Carver trading his organic-whole-wheat-super-expensive graham crackers for a Ho-Ho. But that's not the point. For as long as I can remember I've sometimes cut their sandwiches with cookie cutters, so they can eat their food in the shape of a heart, or a star, or whatever. I recently found this contraption.

It cuts the sandwich in a perfect circle, then you press the button and it crimps the edges so the jelly (or whatever is in between the bread) stays inside. It's actually very cool.

Perfect circle.

Perfect sandwich.

Round, slightly domed, a masterpiece. Except they remind me of something. Oh yeah... nursing pads. The kind nursing mothers stick in their bras to stop leakage.

So every day I send my kids to school with nursing pad-shaped sandwiches.

I'm such a good mom.

He's Growing On Me...

He requires way more attention than I think he deserves, but he's a sweetie. This is what he does all day while I'm working...sits at my feet and stares up at me with a smarmy expression on his face. He occasionally licks my hand and moans with delight over being in the same room with me. Go figure. The kids positively adore him, David has a running partner, and my mom just might love him the most. So he's done his job--worming his way into all of our hearts.

Weekend
I feel so blessed that we had a fantastic weekend together as a family. I'm still fighting off some kind of crud, but the weather was so beautiful I just couldn't stay inside. On Saturday we drove to Denver to visit the zoo and to meet someone that we contacted through craigslist. More on that in a bit.

In the reptile building. Very cool--especially the vampire bats, which my kids thought were great.


No trip to the zoo would be complete without standing around for 15 minutes looking for the elusive tiger, who is always asleep in the shade out of sight.


Swimming polar bears.

My mom came with us and treated us to lunch (she's the best!). On this tray you will see what she and David ordered: foot long sausages. My mom is the size of a bird, but as she said to me, "I'm really hungry." She and David packed them away with no problem... they even finished at the same time. Can you see why David likes her so much? I just watched in awe.

Carver had some birthday money burning a hole in his pocket, and he'd done some extensive research on Freeboards. They look like a large skateboard, but they have 6 wheels and mimic a snowboard. You can carve down a hill and turn 360 degrees. They're crazy expensive, not to mention hard to find. Not many people own them or even try them. We found a college student in Boulder who wanted to sell his, so he met us in Denver (at the zoo) and Carver bought his very own Freeboard. Carver is actually very good already, which surprised us because we were told it takes a long time to learn how to master it. Too bad it's not a sport you can do in high school, because he's got some real talent.

And So It Begins...

The Halloween costume drama. Let me first say that I love Halloween. I love a society that says to its children "dress up and visit your neighbors and get free candy!" What could be better than that? We fondly remember Zinabu's first Halloween. He was still mastering English, having only been with us for 6 months, and he was floored that you could ring a doorbell, say a few words, and candy would be bestowed upon you. He thought the whole event was too good to be true. I'm not big on scary costumes, because they usually completely cover your child's face and you can't see who the little cherub is under there. I LOVE when my kids create their own dress-up ideas. Do you remember last year? Lily was a "bug worker at the zoo" and she wore a khaki vest and baseball cap, to which she attached her own drawings of insects. Not the most popular costume on the block, but unique and creative. The problem I encounter each year is that my kids' creativity runs wild and every hour--sometimes every minute--they change their minds about what they want to be. At some point I have to give my kids a deadline and tell them they have to decide on their costume so we can actually start creating it. I'm thinking this weekend is going to be our deadline. Here's what's on the table so far:

A dog that can fly. A hairy dog. A pumpkin. A cat. A knight. A werewolf. An eagle. A superhero. A dog walker. A cat. A skateboarder. The headless horseman (great, Carver, like I can really pull that off). A bear...

and it goes on and on.

In defense of all the stay-at-home moms that find themselves in questionable attire from time to time, I feel the need to explain. For example, I am at this moment wearing exercise pants (grey and stretchy) a light blue running shirt, red hoodie sweatshirt, brown down vest, and sheepskin boots. No small feat, I assure you. I threw my workout clothes on when I got up because I went to the Y after dropping the kids off at school. The hoodie went over the clothes to keep me warm. Turn out it was colder than I expected this morning and while pumping gas I added the down vest I had in my car for extra warmth. Ran an errand and came home with wet tennis shoes. Took those off at the door and slipped on the boots. Haven't changed yet. Now I do admit I have my standards. I will NOT drop off or pick up the kids at school wearing pajamas. That is a big no-no. But cropped stretch pants and sheepskin boots? Heck yeah!

Here is one of those "moments" I captured on a whim. The camera was already on the counter, and I just pressed record. Z didn't know he was being filmed. We were practicing reading his kindergarten words. He is, in a word, nutty.

*when your child's skin is dark brown, and there's not much light in the kitchen, this is what happens--a shadowy figure with eyes.

Bestest

Did you ever see the movie Anne of Green Gables, where Anne and her best friend Diana danced together--quite a few times. There is something so sweet about two girl best friends. My mom and Zinabu were playing the piano and Lily and Bailey cut a rug. What started as a waltz turned into some kind of jazzy twirl, and they giggled the entire time. They warm my heart.

Did You Ever Have One Of Those Days
where you try to be Snow White and sing and trill with joy and help your children get ready for school and make a delicious breakfast for everyone and even add a Hershey Kiss in the children's lunch boxes just because you love them and then the dog barfs on the floor and you don't have time for a shower and one child remembers at the very last second she forgot to do her math homework and is convinced her teacher will never forgive her for it (so not true) so she is wailing in panic and trying to do it in the car and the youngest announces halfway to school that he "didn't put on his seat belt" so you pull over and yell (yes, yell) to "Get buckled!" and then the oldest asks to go to the skateboard park and could I please remember to pack his skateboard, helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, gloves in the car and can we please, please, please invite 700 of his best friends to come along and then you remember you didn't eat breakfast so you go back home and pour a bowl of cereal all over the counter because one of the kids is collecting Box Tops for school and there are holes cut in all the cereal boxes...

Did you? 'Cause I just did.

Eleven

Carver is eleven. His birthday was yesterday, but I am only now able to say the number aloud. Eleven. More than a decade. Two years away from 13. I don't swear, but if I did, this would be the perfect time. Your oldest child turning 11 deserves some kind of expletive because I am not ready.

He is, of course, completely over the moon about being a year older. He's got birthday money burning a hole in his pocket, he's got a big party tonight with friends, and he thinks he's the next big thing now that he's no longer 10.

He shares his birthday with an incredible man. The world is a better place for Carver to grow up in because of this man's work. (Check out The Carter Center in my sidebar links.) Two Georgia boys celebrating another year older on October 1.

About A Girl

A girl called Carver. She promptly hung up on me, but she asked to speak with him before quickly losing her nerve. I am really not ready for this. Granted, Carver thinks girls are about as exciting as moldy cheese, but still... I remember when I was in 5th grade and being in love with half the boys in my class. (sigh) I feel like stopping this crazy ride called parenthood and getting off. However, this is a very good time for me to apologize to all the mothers of the boys I called and hung up on. So, so sorry.

Laugh or Cry?

There is a Bible verse that says, "There's a time to laugh, and a time to cry." But I truly didn't know which applied this afternoon. I came home from the grocery store and Lily announced, "Zinabu did my hair!" It was something, let me tell you. I am not posting photos of what it looked like in the back because when Lily is 16 I would like her to still be on speaking terms with me. However, the giant bangs and clump of hair I found on the counter were enough cause for worry.

Oh, the pros and cons of being married to a high school administrator. The cons would take too long to list, but the pros came in handy today. It was the big homecoming parade! The parade has been a tradition in the historic part of town for years and years and it is a wonderful celebration of the elementary, middle, and high school in the area. In the past we've ridden with David on a golf cart (thrilling, let me tell you!) but the kids are all old enough to ride solo. While David was in the administrator's cart, the kids and I decorated then rode on our bikes. It was a blast, except I conveniently forgot the fact that everyone would be looking at me. You know, that happens in a parade but you don't really plan ahead about what that will really feel like. It was a little odd, and I confess I worried too much about the size of my bum on my bicycle seat. Vanity, vanity.

It was a beautiful fall day, the kids had a blast, and we stroked our kids' egos about being the center of attention. All in a day's work!

If/Then

If you beg and beg and beg and beg and beg for a dog and finally get one, it follows that then you start to beg and beg and beg and beg and beg for a horse.

Lily is giving me grey hair.

The weather turned nasty this week, which I actually love. We get a lot of sunny days in Colorado and after weeks and weeks of it, you kinda long for clouds, chill, and drizzle. The leaves in the mountains are turning and the rest of the state is close behind. I've had a bee in my bonnet to cook (see previous post)... which is probably going to be a passing phase. Let's face it, this new Culinary Cathy will probably go down in smoke with Knitting Cathy and Get-Up-Early-And-Go-Swim-At-The-YMCA-Cathy. But in the meantime, Culinary Cathy has been productive. Ina Garten is my new superhero. Most of her recipes are ones that I already make and my family eats but she makes them much, much better. I can throw together a fast Chicken Pot Pie, but I tried Ina's Chicken Stew with Biscuits and we all moaned over our spoons. I made her Beef Stew (which is ready to be heated up for tonight and uses an entire bottle of red wine, be still my heart) and when I sampled some I thought I had reached nirvana. My problem lies in the fact that it's more time consuming than I'm used to, AND I'm using twice the amount of dishes/utensils for prep work. Once I'm finished cooking, the clean up is killing me. So here is my dilemma: do I make good but easy chicken pot pie, quickly clean up, and go read a book (my true love) or do I make blissful, out-of-this-world chicken stew with biscuits (that include gobs and gobs of butter) that we all love and devour but tack on an extra load of dishes?

The jury is out.

Around Here...
For someone who doesn't like to be busy (me) there certainly is a lot of action going on (here)! School is in full swing and we are being pulled in several directions. Our elementary school is wonderful because it offers lots of after-school activities: book clubs, Spanish club, science club, sports club, etc. Well, when you have three kids, guess what? Someone is attending something every day after school. Which is a good thing. My kids get an extra hour of enrichment with their friends. If I could freeze time right now I would. Having Carver, Lily, and Z at the same place at the same time all day is a huge blessing. Volunteering is a breeze because I can see all of them in one day and really get some quality time in their classrooms.

Zinabu started chess club this week. Is he a nerd, or what? There are about 20 kids who meet after school and play chess together with the 2nd grade teacher. Zinabu doesn't know all the rules yet but he loves the game. Zinabu is also a perfectonist, which is making kindergarten more of a struggle for him than it should be. Every once in a while--should his crayon stray outside the lines--he has a meltdown. This is a characteristic that I absolutely cannot relate to. Perfectionism is so not me. At all. I'm the lady that sets the bar low. So if you have a perfectionist kiddo I'd love to hear what you do to comfort them when they flip out over the little things.

Carver chose a new instrument to try this year. The French Horn! Other than the occasional giggles when it sounds like someone with bad indigestion, he's having a great time learning a brass instrument.

Lily is Lily. Steady and predictable and perfect at school and a wee bit more emotional at home. Ahem. On the bright side, she pushes me to be a better mom. Right? RIGHT? Someone tell me that's the bright side.

As for me, I discovered something amazing (thanks to the marvelous invention of cable TV that we now have). The Barefoot Contessa. I've caught her show a couple of times, and I have to say she inspires me to cook. Something about the fact that she's so laid back... and her recipes are incredibly yummy but don't look very hard to make. Case in point: beef stew. Gah! I was salivating all over my lap. Maybe it's the fact that her kitchen looks like mine, so I can imagine myself making all her delightful recipes. Kinda like putting on a new pair of running shoes makes you feel you can run faster??? Maybe it's the fact that she's so calm and simple, it doesn't look like she's cooking anything too difficult. But for someone that gets so tired of coming up with breakfast, lunch, and dinner every single day, I think I love her.

David just returned from a fast weekend in Minnesota visiting his mom, brother, and aunt. He had a wonderful visit and dutifully found Minnesota Vikings shirts for all the kids. We are awash in purple.

And other than the fact that I am now on a quest for the perfect pair of red heels (see previous post), all is well.

Believe it or not, my next post was going to be about Buddy. About how he's growing on me and how I've kinda started to like him. About how he went from maniac spaz to well-trained and nice. Even how he has these cute little quirks like drooling when you get his dinner ready or sitting in Zinabu's car seat in the van. But I came home today to a dog that chewed up my favorite pair of shoes. Somewhere in his intestines there is a strap--with a buckle. How he got that down his gullet I'm not sure. He was also napping on my underwear--dragged it out of laundry. Was that meant to endear him to me?

A typical dinner at our house. Lily sings nonsense and Zinabu doesn't shut up.

Colorado State Fair
The Colorado State Fair, in a word, blows. Having come from Minnesota where the State Fair is second only to the Virgin Birth, Colorado's version is always a letdown. We knew this going in, though, so our expectations were pretty low. The kids had a great time, which was important.

Z somehow spoke the goose's language and could get it to honk at him.


Panning for gold. It was hot that day and sticking our arms in the water was actually a relief.


Forced smile.

The Lego station where you could build and exchange H1N1 germs. .

We were tired by mid-afternoon and took a break on the Beef Cart.

This picture cracks me up. All three kids sitting in rapt attention at the goat judging.

Carver and Zinabu waiting in line for a turn in the hamster balls.

Zinabu--so excited!!!

That's my oldest in there!

We are a family that always puts safety FIRST!!!!!!!

Zinabu and Lily, in the 5th row, having a ball.

My family--crazy socks and all, headed to the Disco Fever attraction. It was like a hypnotic force we couldn't avoid.

I am insanely behind on blogging. inSANEly. I have photos and posts coming out of my ever loving ears but it's a little hard to find the time right now. Elementary school is so fun and I love volunteering so much that I'm working at the school every day and not getting anything else done. You know it's bad when you have checks to deposit at the bank and you've put it off for 2 weeks.

So let me just say that I hope to be back to writing every day sometime this week. Whew. In the meantime, go to this darling website and spend all your money.

www.expressionary.com

Recently Overheard

Me: Look kids, the firemen are outside the store with their boots, collecting spare change for a good cause. Let's find some coins to give to them

Carver: Yay!

Lily: Yay!

Zinabu: Well, I don't think I want to give them any money because they haven't done anything for me. I mean, they've never saved my life or put out a fire I started or anything... I don't think I need to give them money because they don't work for me.

I think I know what we're working on this week.