New Year's Resolutions - Quarter 1

I'm not usually one to make these.  I tend to make short term goals throughout the year.  So I am going to make goals for the first three months of the year and then come back and revisit at the end of March. So here are my 1st quarter resolutions:

• Clean my house more often.  I'm talking dusting, bathrooms and those sort of more detailed cleaning things.  We're pretty good at keeping the floors clean and not keeping too much junk around, but I have to admit I loathe cleaning the bathrooms.  So goal 1: more cleaning.
• Purge:  I love getting rid of stuff that takes up space in my house that I don't use.  The first of the year is the best time for this.  I can reflect back on the whole year and think of when I actually used stuff.  On my list are old toys and clothes of Harpers, holiday decor that I don't use, random things on the storage room in the basement and anything else that I can find.  Bye bye random dust collectors.
• Home repairs: Joe and I are thinking of putting our house for sale by owner this spring to see if we can sell without the added costs of an agent.  In order to have the best luck we have a lot of little things to do: patch and sand random spots in the wall, touch up painting in several rooms, call a plumbs to get a leak in our guest shower fixed, and a biggie...new carpet in our whole upstairs.
• Train for another half marathon.  I have to admit, I really liked running the one in the fall, and I want to shave some time off my pace.  The hardest part is going to be battling any snowfall.  I really hate running on a treadmill, it's so boring.  So hopefully I will get some decent running days in this winter.  Last winter was a great one for running, so maybe I'll have a little luck this winter as well.

That sounds like a lot.  I better get started!

Happy New Year!

Love/Hate

Time for another Love/Hate Relationship!

Christmas Decorations:

Love: I love how festive you make my house feel.  Christmas season makes me so happy.  We always get a real tree which makes our house smell fantastic.  Our ornaments are a collection of memories for all the traveling Joe, Harper and I have done.  Also ornaments from our Christmas in July wedding.  Putting out the decorations allows me to enjoy all those wonderful memories.  All the lights on the tree in in various garland makes the house glow in a warm and welcoming way.  All in all I love putting you up each year.

Hate: Uggghhhh...I hate taking you down.  The process takes forever and it's so messy.  Somehow I never have enough space in the ornament box, even though I haven't obtained any more than I had three weeks ago.  Detangling all the lights from the tree cause a shower of needles that I have to sweep up.  There are copious amounts of glitter from sources I can't identify that are impossible to clean up.  I always need a new rubber maid tote of some kind.  Why oh why can't santa's elves out you away for me?

What are you loving and hating this week?

Holiday Time Memories

Opening Presents Christmas Morning; Teaching class with her new easel; Big bite of cinnamon roll Christmas morning; "Daddy helps a little bit"

Helping Grandpa open his presents (my sisters individually wrapped a whole carton of cigarettes), Opening her new dollhouse from Grandma, "too many presents from grandma"; putting out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer because"I think reindeer like carrots"

Chocolate brownie with Henry (her daycare boyfriend); making cinnamon-applesauce ornaments; Harper's first snowman; doing a puzzle with Daddy at the coffee shop.

I hope you and your families had wonderful holiday seasons and are gearing up for a fantastic New Year!

Savoring the Moment

Yesterday we went to a family party at my Cousin's house so with all the excitement Harper did not take a nap. She did rally well until she hit a wall at 7:00.  So we headed home and of course she fell asleep in the car.  When we got home I got to enjoy the amazing event you see here.  My little girl snuggled with me and slept on my chest.  Something she hasn't done in probably about a year.  Even thought I should have been putting her to sleep in her own bed, I soaked it up.

Passive Agressive Letters: Christmas Rant

One of the very first blogs I started following, How to Survive Life in the Suburbs, is having a monthly rant that I just knew was made for me.  Stephanie makes me laugh all the time, but her passive aggressive letters are the best.  Thought I'd join in on the fun.

Dear Wrapping Paper,
Why can't you all be made with the grids on the back.  Although I am a math teacher, my ability to cut in a straight line is severely lacking, so the additional help is quite a sanity saver.  The OCD in me hates when the paper is crooked.
Thanks!
Designated Present Wrapper


Dear Crazy Parent,
I know that you have the best intentions when wanting your child to sing in the 2-3 year old concert at the daycare our lovely children both attend.  The rest of us, however would love to be able to hear our darlings singing instead of the screaming/crying your child is doing.  They obviously do not want to participate in this adorable performance.  Is it so important that you make them?  I'm sure they will grow up to be well-rounded and well-adjusted even if they didn't get to sing Jingle Bells at their Tiny Tots concert.  Plus, my blackmail video for Harper's further dating life is now garbled by the background noise of an unhappy kid.  Maybe hold off til next year....
Signed,
Trying to be laid back Mom

Dear Christmas Cookies,
Is there anyway you could be less delicious so I wouldn't want to scarf you every night.  Or maybe keep your delicious factor, but somehow have the caloric content of celery.  I'd really like to take a day off of running, but you just seem to keep finding your way to my mid-section.
Signed,
Christmas Cookie Monster.

Have any Christmas themed rants?  Join In!

Check Me Out

I guest posted over at Ashley's Blog, The Domestic Wannabe.  She has a great blog about her life as a mommy to Ryann and a soon-to-be second time momma.  Thanks for letting me guest post Ashley!

I have the best kid

Today it was raining when I picked Harper up from daycare.  So we had to run to the car.  She asked me "Why don't we use a brella mommy?" I told her I didn't have one.  "We should go buy one at the grocery store?"  That's where we buy everything apparently.  So we get home and she says to Joe "Daddy we got all wet cause we don't have no brella.  We need to buy a brella"  Joe showed her two and she decided one was his and one was hers, but "Mommy doesn't have one, we should buy her one for Christmas."  So sweet.  Anyway, the next 20 minutes were spent with her repeating the following diatribe about umbrellas. "We need a brella when it's raining, we hold it over our head, then the rain gets on the brella and not on our heads.  We need a brella in my cubby so we can have it if it's raining because then we hold it over our heads and the rain gets on the brella and not our heads."  You get the picture.  Who knew she had so much knowledge about umbrellas.

The best part about this story is as I left for the gym it was still raining so I said " I don't have an umbrella, Harper can I borrow yours."  Her answer..."Sure mommy, you put it over your head so the rain don't get on your head.  Love you!"  She just melted my heart right then.