2009 Resolutions

It's time for reflection. It's time for contemplation. It's time to revisit those 2009 resolutions and see how I did:
1)Plant a garden
I did plant one garden with two tomato plants that produced quite well, one zucchini that outdid itself, 2 eggplants which were promptly eaten by rabbits, and two pepper plants which did okay. Mostly, my zucchini and weeds did really really well.
2)Lose 30 lbs this year
Ahem, well what do they say about good intentions? The road to he** and all that. I'm down from where I started last year, but not 30 lbs worth.
3)Use Breadmaker all year long
Did quite well with this one. Used the breadmaker almost all year and tried a few new recipes. Found one I liked so this resolution is a success.
4)Make more meals at home
Depending on the week, this was hit or miss. I think I made more overall but could definitely do better.
5)Organize closets
I did everyone's closet but my own. And, until Hubster decides to do that with me, it's not happening.
6)Repaint bathroom, den and downstairs bath ceiling.
Finished the bathroom but no progress on the den and ceiling. There's always next year.

Not perfect, but progress. As the Nester would say, "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful". That's my life, beautiful!

Snow Angel

In the first few days we had snow, the kids had a blast outside. Lots of fresh air, rosy cheeks (both kinds!) and hot chocolate. And, our own personal Christmas angel:

Foiled Again

No, I'm not talking about cooking (foil, as in aluminum, you know?!) S had his first fencing tournament recently. Considering he has only had 6 lessons, I thought he did well. He perked up before it finished, once he won a bout. Poor guy, he lost the first five bouts, didn't score a single touch in any of them. But, he did really well in the one he did win.

In fencing, there are three blades with which you can fence; epee (pronounced ep-ay), foil and sabre. S fences with a foil. A touch is when you touch the target on your opponent with your blade (before they touch you). In foil, the target is the front and back of the fencing jacket but not the sleeves or anywhere else on the body. And you musn't cover the target. That's why in the next picture you see S grabbing his strap behind his back. That way, he doesn't get a warning and possibly lose a point. It' pretty interesting but I must say it's the only sport that a lot of the time, I can't tell who the winner is.

It's fun to watch S practice and gain confidence. And, yes, I do let him practice in the house. But only with Hubster's supervision and only in the basement. Definitely not when it's only S & C. Now that would definitely be something to foil.

School Helper

Friday was fun. I was able to go into Wolfgang's class and help with a special project. The kids made chocolate lollipops. They were so fun to watch, concentrating so hard on getting the chocolate into the molds, trying really hard not to lick off the excess chocolate that managed to get on their hands. They turned out great and we had a blast.

By the way, it was pajama day and yes, I wore jammies too and I also wore my lovely apron.

The kids liked them both and I was super comfy. And oh yea, chocolate, mmmmm.....

You Better Watch Out

Saturday, we visited with Santa on the trolley. Princess was so excited to see him, she promptly forgot everything on her list, but did manage to get it together enough to ask for a Snuggie (loftly goals for my girl). She is thoroughly convinced that this is the REAL Santa. Wolfgang didn't agree but was happy to give his list and get a candy cane.

And the days of writing a letter to Santa? Over, with a capital O. We emailed Santa this morning (www.emailsanta.com) And, almost immediately, we got a response back. And there was much rejoicing in our land with multitudes of munchkins (well, at least, my two muchkins thought it was cool).

Personal letters from Santa, life doesn't get any better.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Wolfgang's Gems this Week:
W: "Did you know that my Jewish friends light candles on the Norma?"
Mama: "Umm, did you mean menorah?"
W: "Yea, I think so."
_________
W: "Did you know that Clara went to High School in India?"
Mama: "Hmmm, are you sure it wasn't Indiana?"
W: "Yeah, maybe that's it."
___________

Reading and Writing, No 'Rithmetic

While it has been nice to see Princess reading and writing, it can be a real pain when we're trying to talk about something and not let her know. The days of spelling things out are long gone around here.

But, then, there are times like this. I found this on my door this morning.

Maggie Claus

One way to torture your dog:But endlessly entertaining for me!

Look Before You Leap

So, in the rush of the morning and trying to get ready before the kids left for school, I grabbed the water spray bottle and spritzed my hair. It helps tame those flyaways and wayward curls and trust me, in the morning, I need all the help I can get. I started combing through it and thought, hmmmm, my hair smells like there's something in it. What the heck? Then I looked down at the counter. Let me tell you, the water sprayer and the spray Resolve carpet cleaner look suspiciously the same when you're in a hurry. On the bright side, I guess I don't have to worry about high traffic marks in my hair this week.
Guess I should have labeled this post, Look Before You Spray.
Just sayin'.