Stuology

I just got all the kids presents that I intend to get today from the comfort of my recliner. I picked out the small giftss: a glass pitcher with a lid their size so they can pour their own juice, some leather work gloves for Ada to wear when she helps bring in wood, some brightly colored tiny garden tools to replace the green and brown ones that camouflage into the yard when Ada leaves them out in the grass. All of those are items that Ada got really excited about when she was looking through the catalog I picked up at school. I also picked up a vegetable chopper, which is a small butcher-shaped knife that is wavy so they can cut crinkly veges. It may be a little easier to use than the paring knife. I picked up chopsticks, but not the regular kind that Ada got excited over. I got the kids kind that are hooked together, one for each kid. I got then each a placemat: one with the US states and one with a world map. I picked up fraction magnets, a book and a game because there is only so much CandyLand I can take. I picked up a few stocking stuffers while Jay was with me at Target. One day they will catch on to this Santa farce just due to me buying the stocking stuff while they are with me. Whatever.

Mac has one bigger gift for them he has in mind. I don’t know if he has ordered it yet. The only thing I wanted to get Jay was shoes. He’s back down to one pair that fits. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to get some new chucks.

I woke up this morning to about 1/2 inch of snow on the ground. I can still see parts of my grass. The driveway was covered, but parts of the road was still visible. You know what I did? I left a few minutes earlier than I usually do, and I drove a little slower. I still managed to get Ada to school a minute earlier than their requested time^*.

When I got home, I checked out the paper. Surprisingly, there were school closings. It isn’t fun to go out in cold, wet snow, but it isn’t impossible. I did it. Lawrence, however, wasn’t one of them and there is one person who can’t fathom why the Lawrence school district didn’t cancel school in this weather. They question why school administrators put their precious little babies at such risk. This person even declared that if anybody died on the road today, he/she was going to picket the last day of school to remind them that a life was lost because they didn’t cancel school today to save one less day of school in the summer.

Really? Why are people turning into such whining pansies? Why can’t they just not make the logical decision to plan to start their day a little earlier since meteorologists have been warning for more than 24 hours that we could get around 5 inches of snow. Why do school administrators have to make the decision for parents to keep kids safe? If parents feel this is such terrible, dangerous weather, can’t they make the decision themselves to keep their children safe? If someone dies on the road, why is it school administrators fault? Do they control the weather? Do they decide that someone go out without appropriate tires? Or drive too fast? Or talk on their phone while driving? Even if your gripe is that it could get dangerous in the afternoon, couldn’t you just leave early and pick up your kids if that happens? If you gripe that it makes you leave work, wouldn’t you have not been at work anyhow if they had canceled school?

I know that some people have grand plan for their kids, and I used to think that I really didn’t. I realize that is wrong. I do. I do not care what their hobbies are. I do not care what their career decisions are. I only care that they can make their own decisions. I care that when they do, they accept the consequences, good or bad, and that no matter what, they are in control of their lives. They may not control all external factors, like the weather, but they do control how they handle those factors. That’s pretty much my job as a parent.

*School starts at 8:30am when the kids go outside. They go outside whether or not your child is there. If you don’t get there in time, you can bring your kid a little later for the start of indoor time, or you can just have them go straight outside. The earliest that they request you bring your kid is 8:20am. I shoot for the earliest time just in case something happens so Ada still gets there to go outside with her class on time.

Here are items that I grabbed for cooking this week. We will see how it pans out.

Tonight: Pad Thai.

Sometime this week: a pork roast, probably with an apricot & ginger marinade and chicken fingers, Mac’s favorite.

I also picked up a standing rib roast. ‘m going to learn how to cook one properly. I’m trying my wild rice and mushroom dressing for it. I also picked up some purple fingerling potatoes, something I only see at the farmer’s market and never at the store. Color me surprised to see it in the store.

It is also getting close to time to start cookie baking. I’m making a banana chocolate chip because Jay brought a bunch of ripe bananas to me this morning.

Oh, and I forgot to mention. Friday is sushi night! There are no exceptions to that.

James – Christmas 2009

I focused my energy on the photography room the end of last week. Except for the photography equipment, which is cluttered due to a lack of any storage devices to keep it neat and organized, I got the place cleared out. On Saturday, Mac and I changed the backdrop from black to white. I set up and played with my RF flash triggers as well as played around with different types of lighting: with one and two lights, using shoot through and bounce umbrellas and even a honeycomb grid.

Today, I took some photos of the kids for holiday cards. I decided on a butterfly set-up, using a silver reflector to bounce light back up. It wasn’t perfect due to kids that like to wander a bit, but it wasn’t bad.
I need to get some industrial clips to replace the only clips I had — chip clips — to hold the white muslin taut so it doesn’t drape. Wrinkles are easy to get out using dof, but draping isn’t. The chip clips just wouldn’t hold. I also need to find something for the bottom so little kids pattering feet doesn’t disrupt the backdrop as much either. I did look at seamless paper, but the price was really painful.

I took some photos with Christmas lights. I couldn’t shoot in the dark, but the overhead light looked terrible as well. I finally decided to use my modeling light from my strobe and crank up the ISO. I was impressed with it. ISO2000 on my 5DMII has about the same amount of noise that I get from ISO800 on my 20D. I loaned that body out, or I would have taken one to prove it.

Jay was easier to photograph than Ada. She was more squirmy and wanted to pose. She also didn’t want anything done to her hair. That was a battle I chose not to fight so I didn’t have crying, red swollen eye photos.

I really can’t call Jay a toddler either. I can’t believe how much he just looks like a boy. The only thing he has left of his toddler looks is the little bit of baby fat still in his hands and thighs.

I know I’m his mother, but, “OMG, look at my handsome blondie bear!”

Here is the set.

I hate thinking of titles.

I use the plastic Itso storage containers in the kids playroom to organize their stuff. They work great when the kids actually put toys in them. A friend gifted me some extra small storage trays that I was going to use downstairs for more toy and craft storage with the purchase of more white containers. One day, I had what Ada likes to call “A Great Idea!” I was tired of the shelf of gloves and hats and scarves in the closet. It is no wonder I cannot find matching gloves when I’m reaching in a big pile of assorted winter accessories, all of which are way above my head. I used those small storage trays and sorted all the hats, gloves and scarves. All I had to do was reach up and grab the appropriate container, giving the kids a chance to grab the correct accessory of their choice.

It was working great except that stacked on each other, they would be prone to falling over. And some people in the house didn’t understand my organizational scheme, so it was hard to find things again once the items got mixed up since they are still above my head and my only clue to the bin’s contents were from the items peeping over the top.

Today, Jay and I took a trip to Target after dropping off Ada. I picked up one white storage bin, a shelf insert and two big plastic trays. My intention was for two, but the other two storage bins on the shelf were cracked and there was only one shelf anyhow. I got home and attacked the trays with the label maker. Ada has one big one that is holding her hats, gloves and scarves. Jay has the other big one holding his hats and gloves. I kept my gloves in a small one, and I used one small one that I labeled “Missing ” for lost items. All that is left was bins to mark:

• Scarves
• More Scarves
• Even More Scarves

There would be one marked “OMG, Just How Many Scarves Does One Person Need” had I not removed a few scarves in my initial organization. There are all small trays, and I rolled the scarves, so perhaps it isn’t all that bad. I do plan on getting another white container with two more big trays. For scarves. I won’t label until then. After that is organized, I will use the rest of the small trays downstairs.

Oh, for Mac, there is one tray that contains his one pair of black gloves and one black hat. How boringly simple

I wasn’t feeling like putting a lot of effort into cooking since we got back from the four Thanksgiving Dinner Tour. I made sloppy joes w/ queso. I made Mexican casserole, which I’m sure the likes of Rick Bayless would question me on what parallel universe I live in that has food like that in Mexico.

I felt a little differently today, even though my feet were achy from all the Hauling of Stuff I did today. My original plan was to make a wild rice and goat cheese ravioli today and a prime rib with a wild rice and mushroom stuffing tomorrow. However, we got to the store and Ada decided to make some bad decisions which caused her to have one of her meltdowns. I didn’t make it past cart selection before I had to pick her up and just leave. Without a store trip, I looked at what I had and decided to make a goat cheese, cranberry and walnut ravioli with a walnut cream sauce. Yeah for the big bag of walnuts. Boo for the lackluster results. Next time, I will leave out the walnuts in the ravioli and make a different sauce. Tomorrow is now up in the air.

We have been having more of a snack at lunch than an actual put together lunch. It is easier to let the kids pick out a fruit, protein and vege (at times) than to make a lunch-type meal. Today both Ada, Jay and I make a tuna salad to eat on crackers: yellow fin tuna, sun dried tomatos, grated parm, olive oil, and salt. We at it on top of crackers and had it with some sliced white cheddar. Jay brought over some garam masala to add to the dish. I pretended to add it. I had them taste as we went along.

My battery will be dead in about one minute, so this is the end of this post.

I’ve been reading even more on Love and Logic which is the method that is used at Raintree. I want to fully use it at home. It is a change in thinking than how I was raised–sort of–and it is very easy to revert to that “I Don’t Want To Tell You Again” behavior. Yeah, that phrase. You have all heard it. Well, I have anyhow. You would be amazed to step into Ada’s Montessori classroom. The children, all ages 3-5, are all so well behaved. The goal of Love and Logic is to raise responsible children by giving them the ability to think, make decisions and accept the natural consequences of those decisions. It has been a shift from being what they describe as a Drill Sergeant Parent. I’ve had to shift a lot with Jay, and while we both still have issues every day, I’m spending a lot less time feeling frustrated with him over correcting his 2-year old behavior.

Ada’s bigger lesson today was over getting her coat on this morning. Ada’s SPD does mean I need to adjust the method with her a little, but this morning, she had a little over 10 minutes to get her coat on. I looked up the temperature with her, which was a 25-degree windchill, told her that it was cold outside and that if she didn’t get her coat on by the time we left, she would be really cold going to school without it. I didn’t demand that she put it on, and I didn’t put it on for her. I kept reminding her that she might want to put it on because we will leave even if she hasn’t. She blatantly refused to put it on. The before me would have demanded that she put it on or assisted her in putting it on and just tolerated the meltdown. The new me just said, “Okay, that’s your decision.” Then I had her get in the car without her coat, shoes and gloves. Then I purposely parked at the end of the parking lot, although in the front row, so she had to walk the entire length of the sidewalk without shoes, a coat and gloves. She wanted me to carry her, and I just said, “I’m sorry, I can’t. I have to help Jay.” She complained about being cold, but walked the entire way into the school. And that wind was cold.

I did sneak her coat, gloves and shoes into the car while the kids where piling in, so I was able to go back out and get them so the teacher could handle it and give Ada another opportunity to decide to put them on. When I picked her up, I just asked her if she thought it would be a good decision to wear her coat tomorrow. She said, “Yes, it’s cold!”

We’ll see how tomorrow actually goes, but at least today, there was no frustration on my part and no crying on Ada’s part and maybe, just maybe, she learned something. It’s fine to let them experience consequences when they are very young and the fallout is minor. It is much better than waiting until they are older and the consequences for their bad decisions are much, much worse. A couple of people gave me a glance that said, “Look at that poor girl.” I wasn’t putting her in danger. I was letting her experience discomfort. Society will enjoy Ada more as she gets older if she has to spend five minutes in 25-degree weather under-dressed when she is four.

About 15 minutes ago, the reality that today is the first day of December sunk in. It seems like it was yesterday when Ada was constantly talking about her Halloween costume, and she started doing that in August.

Here are three more things: Ada made me a crown today in school. I’m about to go downstairs and dig through the storage area under the stairs. I hope I make it out without any avalanches. My skin is so freakin’ dry. Thanks, furnace.

That’s about all I have to say.

I’m feeling tired, dizzy and crippled with a headache. I’ve managed to do a few small things, but mostly, I’ve been sitting around reading and catching up online.

My big mistake for today was turning on the television. I wanted to watch one show that was recorded, which I did, but after it was over I started mindlessly flipping when I came across a show on A&E called Hoarders. I am amazed at the way these people are living. Their house and yard are filled floor to ceiling with junk. They have lost spouses. They have had their children taken away. Despite this, they just cannot depart with their crap. In the process of cleaning up, they are freaking out about ripped up scraps of paper. They can’t let anybody touch anything without getting visibly upset. It’s a disease that you only hear about once somebody dies by being crushed by their own junk. They feature two people per show, and so far, it appears as if only one person actually was mostly successful in getting some of it cleaned up. The rest of them don’t get much done and turn down the further help offered. It is just amazing. The hired help to haul off junk has to have nerves of steel, or at least, they don’t show them ever losing it. You can see exasperation in their faces when they get chewed out for not treating the landfill of a house as a tomb filled with treasure though.

Speaking of, my next area of my house that I’m going to de-clutter is the storage space under the stairs. I’m thankful my house isn’t even close to as bad as the people in this show.

Here is all the house tasks, aside from normal cleaning, that have gotten done since I stopped working 50 hours / week:

• Had the outside of the house painted. This was all done by my BIL and a friend.
• Installed new outside house lights and house numbers.
• Painted the kids’ room and shelves, the kids’ bathroom, the downstairs hallway, the kids’ playroom, the unfinished trim in the living room and the door to the garage. All the majority of this was done with the help from my BIL. I did some painting, but mostly moved stuff out of rooms and kept the kids away.
• Cleaned out and defrosted the garage freezer.
• Cleaned the kids’ bedroom carpet.
• Cleaned the playroom carpet
• Got rid of all non-fitting kids clothes except for some more recent stuff thanks to a mini growth spurt from Jay.
• Removed a couple of bags of excess toys. Ada got to help in picking out toys that are no longer played with. I picked out all the baby toys.
• Cleaned out and organized my closet. There is now room for everything without it being cluttered.
• Cleaned out and organized my dresser. There is now room for everything without it being cluttered.
• Cleaned out and organized my bathroom shelves. There is now room for everything without it being cluttered.
• Cleaned out and organized the coat closet. There is now room for everything without it being cluttered.
• Cleaned out and organized the laundry closet. There is now room for everything without it being cluttered. I also mopped the floor.
• Picked out one trash bags of books to remove from my home. They were all old tech books whose information was close to useless. I bet I can find more books if I could only reach the shelves in the office.
• Cleaned out and organized the kitchen cabinets. I found some food that had expired. However, I need to do another quick organization of the spices and the cans.
• Clean out and organize the guest room closet. It is where summer clothes and excess suit cases live.
• Replace almost all the gold door knobs with silver door knobs. I have two more door knobs that I need to go buy.

Mac climbed up into the attic to get the Christmas decorations yesterday. There is nothing in the attic at all except holiday decorations. We have gotten rid of it all. No more cribs. No more car seats. No more containers of clothes. Nothing. It’s awesome.

What I still have on my list:

• Find someone and get estimates to fix the wood floor in the kitchen. The finish is almost completely worn off, the wood is exposed in some places and the stain is even worn off. And I hate the color.
• Find someone to help me install new light fixtures in the kids’ bathroom. It is my ongoing goal to get rid of all the freakin’ gold, cheap, early 90s decor in my house.
• Actually, I’d like to replace the bathroom fixtures in all three. However, I’m not sure yet what I want to do with our bathroom and the downstairs bathroom. I’d like to have our bathroom completely remodeled, but I’d need to be bringing home money before we pay for that.
• And more gold: I’d really love to get rid of the gold ceiling fan in the living room. And replace it with one that has a light. That is all I can imagine the extra light switch in the living room that doesn’t appear to do anything is for. One turns on/off the fan and the other turns on/off the light in the fan if it had one.
• Clean out and organize the storage area under the stairs. I know there are things under there that can leave the house.
• Clean out and organize the office. This really needs to be with help from Mac because most of it is all spare computer parts of his. There is stuff stacked up such that I can barely even walk around in there. I’d really love to use my desk, but I just cannot stand being in there it is so crazy cluttered.
• Sell all my cloth diapers. This part of my life is over.

I love that my TODO list is smaller than my DONE list right now. I can actually see an end to all this madness. Once the clutter is gone, then I can set up a schedule to help keep the house cleaner and more organized always.

This post was my break from cleaning. I really need to go and scrub the kitchen floor while Jay is taking a nap. It is much easier that way.