(click here to read Day 1)
Day 2 started out better than day 1, since I had a better plan, but the evening got hectic and that is when I struggled. I didn't eat what I had planned for dinner because I was busy getting dinner ready for everyone else, and then it was clean-up, bedtime routine for the kids, etc...but what I did eat was still on the safe list. Although I'm pretty sure I saw a jar of natural peanut butter staring at me from in the pantry as I was wiping off the table at clean-up (note to self: GET the kitchen painted and GET those pantry doors that my hubby just stained/finished back up!). I managed to stick with things, get some 'safe' food in my belly during the day, and now I am onto day 3.
Here is what I ate on Day 2*:
Breakfast: Cream of Rice Hot Cereal w/Cinnamon; Skillet Potatoes (potatoes, olive oil, salt)
Snack: Unsweetened Coconut
Lunch: Acorn Squash baked w/Olive Oil and Cinnamon; Rice
Snack: Peach
Dinner: French Fries (potatoes, olive oil salt) This is where I was supposed to have a soup/saute of white navy beans and diced acorn squash...
*I also drink 1 quart of water in the morning after getting up (at least 1/2 hour before eating breakfast) and then another quart or more throughout the day.
I have to point out that there are more food options than what it seems. Some items I just wasn't able to find at our local Co-op or grocer. There have been meat options; day 1-lamb, day 2-veal; these are meats I have never tried, and while I was actually willing to try them in small quantities (for the sake of getting more protein during my adventure), I was unable to find them. Day 3 includes fish - so I'm looking forward to more protein today!!!
This morning I am feeling not as energetic as yesterday, but still dealing with being stuffed up a bit, and having a phlegmy throat. It actually seemed more phlegmy when I went to bed last night, than it has for a while. It's almost cleared up now though, after drinking my morning water. It seems to clear up during the day. I'm just hoping eventually it will clear up forever!
This morning I will experience Millet for the first time. Cooked, then baked with pears and honey; looking forward to it!
Ready to start Day 3!
Friday, June 8, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
TODAY IS THE DAY: Day 1
( To read about TODAY IS THE DAY, and what I've challenged myself to, click HERE )
I've decided to do my daily posts the following morning (vs. that night) since I'm recording in my handwritten journal how I feel upon rising.
I've decided to do my daily posts the following morning (vs. that night) since I'm recording in my handwritten journal how I feel upon rising.
Day 1 went pretty well, considering I wasn't prepared, and didn't eat a decent meal until dinner time. The kids and I didn't get an early start to run our errands because we were too busy playing Hi-Ho Cherry-O and reading books :-) So, I made them lunch before we headed out. There were a few ingredients I couldn't find in our Co-op or at Cub, but the safe list of food lets me be flexible, so I will just come up with my own recipes using what I have. The kids did pretty well, considering I had to check out some new items on my list, and 'dish up' several bulk items at the Co-op. They helped pick the fresh fruit and veggies and had a great time being goofy! After we dropped off the groceries at home, we went to the "little library", which is one of the things we love to do when we can.
One new, interesting, item I bought is tapioca. I'd never cooked it before, and was a little lost. It came from the bulk bin at our Co-op, and I had no instructions so after doing a google search and not knowing exactly what type I had, I just winged it. I boiled 2 cups of water, then added 1/4 cup tapioca, simmered covered for 15 minutes, removed it from the heat and let it sit 15 more minutes. Then I added a mashed banana (per the recipe from the book). Anyone know if this sounds like the proper way to cook it? It was more of a large granular texture, vs. a bag of it that I saw at Cub, which looked like small white balls.
Anyways, here is what I ended up eating for Day 1*. All food prepared from scratch.
Breakfast: Banana Mashed w/Nutmeg
Lunch: Chopped Carrot, Chopped Celery, Banana (yikes! hadn't been to the store yet...)
Snack: Banana Tapioca
Dinner: Minestrone Soup (lima beans, parsley, carrots, celery, olive oil, water, a few twists of salt)
Shredded Carrot Salad (carrots w/dressing: dry mustard, water, olive oil, salt, parsley)
Snack: Minestrone Soup
Snack: Banana Tapioca
*I also drink 1 quart of water in the morning after getting up (at least 1/2 hour before eating breakfast) and then another quart or so throughout the day.
Since I started late in the day...I snacked a lot to make up for my morning - and I didn't want anything I made to go to waste :-) The soup was actually pretty good, for how simple it was, and the carrot salad was good but had a bit of heat after each bite - seemed to clear my sinuses a bit. The banana tapioca was a good snack (warm or cold) even though I'm not sure if that was how it was supposed to be...
This morning I feel similar to how I did yesterday morning as far as being a bit stuffed up and having phlegmy throat (these are the "normal" for me lately). Although I don't feel as tired this morning as I did when I woke up yesterday. Thankfully my minor 'setback' is better than yesterday...I still don't want to talk about it - but let's hope that after today it completely goes away, and stays away.
Going to think more about how I want to layout my daily posts; I don't want them all to be too lengthy like this one...
Ready to start Day 2!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
TODAY IS THE DAY
After nearly 6 years, I am experiencing a minor "setback" of sorts. I don't really want to talk about it, I just want to take care of it. I guess I see it as my body's way of saying "figure it out NOW". I've been reading a book about discovering food allergies (The Allergy Discovery Diet: A Rotation Diet for Discovering Your Allergies to Food, by John E. Postley, M.D.), but I have been slow to put it into motion.
I believe that you are what you eat, in a sense. For the most part I eat pretty well, but I do splurge here and there, and if I knew what makes my body 'unhappy', it would be easier to still splurge - but in a way that I know won't upset my body (modify recipes, avoid certain things at gathering, etc.). I have definitely been more aware of how my body feels after eating certain things, but without being strict about it - I haven't been able to narrow it down to what really causes me trouble.
Besides this minor "setback", I have also experienced a daily runny nose, post nasal drip, occasional sinus pressure/pain/congestion, digestive system issues, depression, fatigue, etc. Some of these came about after my pregnancies, others have just been there, or crept up on me.
Well, TODAY IS THE DAY. I'm not fully prepared (like I had hoped to be before beginning this ie: procrastinating), but that just means the kids and I will be taking a trip to the market later this morning (and I will be starving by lunchtime after my tiny breakfast, due to not having what I need for today). Ready or not...here I go!
I'd like to challenge myself to document what I eat each day, and how I am feeling overall (and post it here!).
I will start out with the Elimination Phase, which is 6 days, and avoids the 15 most common troublesome (hyper-allergenic) foods. It is designed to clear your system of antigens that are causing allergic symptoms. Each day lists (hypoallergenic) foods that are safe to be eaten, along with recipes. You can follow their suggested daily meals/recipes, or come up with your own using the list of foods for that day. After 4 days of different food items, rotation begins and food items listed in previous days show up on the list again, as well as others, so there is actually quite a bit of variety - but I like that it rotates so I can buy and reuse ingredients in the same week (and beyond for items other than fresh produce).
Day 7 starts the Reintroduction Phase, where each day one of the troublesome 15 are reintroduced. The safe foods keep rotating, and then in small amounts the hyper-allergenic food is eaten. Then it is time to be even more aware of my body, and any reactions that may occur. After completing these 15 days, there is a "recovery day", with a list of safe foods.
This will be a 22 dayexperience "diet" process undertaking adventure. Luckily this is not a "diet" diet, so I am free to eat as much of the safe foods that I need to feel full (and smaller quantities of the other 15). I have a crazy high metabolism (due to the Nail Patella Syndrome that I have yet to post about) so I need to eat a lot more (and more often) than what I like (or is possible some days). Otherwise I pretty much feel hungry all the time, even shortly after eating a large high-protein meal. I deal with weight issues that are opposite of what most people experience...but I'll wrap this up - sounds like a separate post, to me. :-)
I'm aware that it is still possible to be allergic to foods on the hypoallergenic list...but I am hopeful (and praying!) that I will clear any allergic symptoms during the elimination phase, and discover any allergies as I reintroduce the 15 commonly problematic foods.
Here is what my schedule looks like:
Day 1 - Elimination Phase
Day 2 - Elimination Phase
Day 3 - Elimination Phase
Day 4 - Elimination Phase
Day 5 - Elimination Phase
Day 6 - Elimination Phase
Day 7 - Reintroduction Phase: CITRUS
Day 8 - Reintroduction Phase: CORN
Day 9 - Reintroduction Phase: CHICKEN
Day 10 - Reintroduction Phase: OATS
Day 11 - Reintroduction Phase: EGG
Day 12 - Reintroduction Phase: WHEAT
Day 13 - Reintroduction Phase: SOY
Day 14 - Reintroduction Phase: MILK and MILK PRODUCTS
Day 15 - Reintroduction Phase: VINEGAR/FERMENTS
Day 16 - Reintroduction Phase: COFFEE/TEA
Day 17 - Reintroduction Phase: CANE SUGAR
Day 18 - Reintroduction Phase: CHOCOLATE - please don't let it be this one! :-)
Day 19 - Reintroduction Phase: TOMATO
Day 20 - Reintroduction Phase: PEA/PEANUT
Day 21 - Reintroduction Phase: ONION/CHIVES
Day 22 - Recovery Day
I love to cook and bake and eat. While it will be unfortunate to need to eliminate one or many of these foods, I realize how important it is for my body to feel good - and I'm ready to adjust my eating to accommodate what my body needs.
Here I go...Happy Eating!...Wish me luck!
I believe that you are what you eat, in a sense. For the most part I eat pretty well, but I do splurge here and there, and if I knew what makes my body 'unhappy', it would be easier to still splurge - but in a way that I know won't upset my body (modify recipes, avoid certain things at gathering, etc.). I have definitely been more aware of how my body feels after eating certain things, but without being strict about it - I haven't been able to narrow it down to what really causes me trouble.
Besides this minor "setback", I have also experienced a daily runny nose, post nasal drip, occasional sinus pressure/pain/congestion, digestive system issues, depression, fatigue, etc. Some of these came about after my pregnancies, others have just been there, or crept up on me.
Well, TODAY IS THE DAY. I'm not fully prepared (like I had hoped to be before beginning this ie: procrastinating), but that just means the kids and I will be taking a trip to the market later this morning (and I will be starving by lunchtime after my tiny breakfast, due to not having what I need for today). Ready or not...here I go!
I'd like to challenge myself to document what I eat each day, and how I am feeling overall (and post it here!).
I will start out with the Elimination Phase, which is 6 days, and avoids the 15 most common troublesome (hyper-allergenic) foods. It is designed to clear your system of antigens that are causing allergic symptoms. Each day lists (hypoallergenic) foods that are safe to be eaten, along with recipes. You can follow their suggested daily meals/recipes, or come up with your own using the list of foods for that day. After 4 days of different food items, rotation begins and food items listed in previous days show up on the list again, as well as others, so there is actually quite a bit of variety - but I like that it rotates so I can buy and reuse ingredients in the same week (and beyond for items other than fresh produce).
Day 7 starts the Reintroduction Phase, where each day one of the troublesome 15 are reintroduced. The safe foods keep rotating, and then in small amounts the hyper-allergenic food is eaten. Then it is time to be even more aware of my body, and any reactions that may occur. After completing these 15 days, there is a "recovery day", with a list of safe foods.
This will be a 22 day
I'm aware that it is still possible to be allergic to foods on the hypoallergenic list...but I am hopeful (and praying!) that I will clear any allergic symptoms during the elimination phase, and discover any allergies as I reintroduce the 15 commonly problematic foods.
Here is what my schedule looks like:
Day 1 - Elimination Phase
Day 2 - Elimination Phase
Day 3 - Elimination Phase
Day 4 - Elimination Phase
Day 5 - Elimination Phase
Day 6 - Elimination Phase
Day 7 - Reintroduction Phase: CITRUS
Day 8 - Reintroduction Phase: CORN
Day 9 - Reintroduction Phase: CHICKEN
Day 10 - Reintroduction Phase: OATS
Day 11 - Reintroduction Phase: EGG
Day 12 - Reintroduction Phase: WHEAT
Day 13 - Reintroduction Phase: SOY
Day 14 - Reintroduction Phase: MILK and MILK PRODUCTS
Day 15 - Reintroduction Phase: VINEGAR/FERMENTS
Day 16 - Reintroduction Phase: COFFEE/TEA
Day 17 - Reintroduction Phase: CANE SUGAR
Day 18 - Reintroduction Phase: CHOCOLATE - please don't let it be this one! :-)
Day 19 - Reintroduction Phase: TOMATO
Day 20 - Reintroduction Phase: PEA/PEANUT
Day 21 - Reintroduction Phase: ONION/CHIVES
Day 22 - Recovery Day
I love to cook and bake and eat. While it will be unfortunate to need to eliminate one or many of these foods, I realize how important it is for my body to feel good - and I'm ready to adjust my eating to accommodate what my body needs.
Here I go...Happy Eating!...Wish me luck!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
A Life Worth Living - PART 3: Where I Am Now
Click here to read: A Life Worth Living - Part 1: A Reflection
Click here to read: A Life Worth Living - Part 2: A Decision Is Made
Wow. This is long over due. Part 1 was written back in December, and Part 2 back in February.
The daycare business has been going ok. It has turned out to be harder on my children than I thought it would be. My daughter is more understanding that my son (she's also 14 months older than he is) but there are still days that neither of them want it to be a daycare day (because of being part-time, we normally have daycare every-other-day). Although, she plays so well with our daycare friend who is her age that she gets over it quickly because they are so busy being imaginative and creative as we play and do activities/arts/crafts/etc. My son plays well, for the most part, but on the days that he is not happy about sharing me - you can definitely tell. Even the little things set him off into a crying fit. I take extra time to give him my full attention, but some days even that doesn't help. I know this is part of being a daycare mom...but it still saddens me.
In April of 2011 I took on two more part-time children, although instead of every-other-day like my other family, their schedule was Monday through Wednesday one week, alternating with just Wednesday the other week (and occasionally a Tuesday added to it). This seemed like a great deal, but the Mon-Wed weeks became difficult because we just had one non-daycare day (instead of two), and also they needed care until 5:30 (my other family's pick up time is 4:30) even though they all came at somewhat the same time in the morning. My hubby's weekend is Sunday through Tuesday, so the Mon-Wed weeks meant that the kids and I only had Sunday as our "weekend" together, and after a while I could see too many negative changes in my own kids (potty training regression, frustration, just plain out being sad).
It must have been a day in early fall (October maybe) that I remember having a bit of a breakdown during daycare rest time. I was downstairs and I think I had called my hubby. To see the sadness in my own children was tearing me apart. I know that people say "that is just how it goes sometimes" and "kids will adjust" and "children of daycare providers will make it through", etc...
I left my job because I was saddened by not being able to spend time with my children. And now here I was in the opposite situation. My children were saddened because they were not able to spend time with just me - and I was the one that created that situation. How awful I felt. And honestly, I wanted to spend more time with just them but I took that away. I contemplated giving notice to the newer family (the extra money made things easier financially, but wasn't worth it), and after a couple incidences (not on my part, but still I don't feel right sharing them here), I knew I had to do the right thing and let them go. I continued on with my first daycare family, and after many months, things seemed to go back to what normal had been.
And now we have more good days than bad days, but we still have tough ones from time to time. I'm happy with how things are daycare-wise, although if you've read my recent post about our big news, you know that our daycare days will be coming to an end.
It will be interesting to see where life brings us next, and how we will all adjust to the changes. I have a good feeling about things, and while I know the children may have a more difficult time adjusting, I think overall they will be happy with the move.
This ends my long, drawn out "series" of A Life Worth Living, but of course life goes on, and so will this blog :-) I don't find the time to sit down and type as often as I have "posts" running through my head, but I will continue to post when I can...
Click here to read: A Life Worth Living - Part 1: A Reflection
Click here to read: A Life Worth Living - Part 2: A Decision Is Made
Click here to read: A Life Worth Living - Part 2: A Decision Is Made
Wow. This is long over due. Part 1 was written back in December, and Part 2 back in February.
The daycare business has been going ok. It has turned out to be harder on my children than I thought it would be. My daughter is more understanding that my son (she's also 14 months older than he is) but there are still days that neither of them want it to be a daycare day (because of being part-time, we normally have daycare every-other-day). Although, she plays so well with our daycare friend who is her age that she gets over it quickly because they are so busy being imaginative and creative as we play and do activities/arts/crafts/etc. My son plays well, for the most part, but on the days that he is not happy about sharing me - you can definitely tell. Even the little things set him off into a crying fit. I take extra time to give him my full attention, but some days even that doesn't help. I know this is part of being a daycare mom...but it still saddens me.
In April of 2011 I took on two more part-time children, although instead of every-other-day like my other family, their schedule was Monday through Wednesday one week, alternating with just Wednesday the other week (and occasionally a Tuesday added to it). This seemed like a great deal, but the Mon-Wed weeks became difficult because we just had one non-daycare day (instead of two), and also they needed care until 5:30 (my other family's pick up time is 4:30) even though they all came at somewhat the same time in the morning. My hubby's weekend is Sunday through Tuesday, so the Mon-Wed weeks meant that the kids and I only had Sunday as our "weekend" together, and after a while I could see too many negative changes in my own kids (potty training regression, frustration, just plain out being sad).
It must have been a day in early fall (October maybe) that I remember having a bit of a breakdown during daycare rest time. I was downstairs and I think I had called my hubby. To see the sadness in my own children was tearing me apart. I know that people say "that is just how it goes sometimes" and "kids will adjust" and "children of daycare providers will make it through", etc...
BUT
I left my job because I was saddened by not being able to spend time with my children. And now here I was in the opposite situation. My children were saddened because they were not able to spend time with just me - and I was the one that created that situation. How awful I felt. And honestly, I wanted to spend more time with just them but I took that away. I contemplated giving notice to the newer family (the extra money made things easier financially, but wasn't worth it), and after a couple incidences (not on my part, but still I don't feel right sharing them here), I knew I had to do the right thing and let them go. I continued on with my first daycare family, and after many months, things seemed to go back to what normal had been.
And now we have more good days than bad days, but we still have tough ones from time to time. I'm happy with how things are daycare-wise, although if you've read my recent post about our big news, you know that our daycare days will be coming to an end.
It will be interesting to see where life brings us next, and how we will all adjust to the changes. I have a good feeling about things, and while I know the children may have a more difficult time adjusting, I think overall they will be happy with the move.
This ends my long, drawn out "series" of A Life Worth Living, but of course life goes on, and so will this blog :-) I don't find the time to sit down and type as often as I have "posts" running through my head, but I will continue to post when I can...
Click here to read: A Life Worth Living - Part 1: A Reflection
Click here to read: A Life Worth Living - Part 2: A Decision Is Made
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Our News Is Here!
I love my little town.
I love that we can ride our bikes into 'town' to stop by the post office, or our favorite place - the meat market.
I love all the parks that are within walking/bike riding distance.
I love the fresh air.
I love the quietness.
I love that the kids' schools are just minutes away.
I love the smell of earth after a nice rain.
I love the people that we've met here.
I love when the kids and I can go to the "little library" at City Hall on the Wednesdays that we don't have daycare kids (it's open just on Wednesdays).
I love going to the "big library" on other days.
I love my yard, despite the hills and mosquitoes...and the fact I can't keep up on it.
I love the meat market...oh, did I mention that already? ;-)
I love my kitchen, despite the blue counter tops (which will no longer be blue in a few weeks!)
I love our three car garage.
I love my son's orange walls.
I love my daughter's pink walls.
I love our carpet, and the hardwood floors in the kitchen.
I love my kitchen.
I love all the hard work my husband put into finishing our basement, and making it beautiful.
I love that our basement doesn't feel like a basement.
I love the white walls in our bedroom.
I love our mission style headboard that my husband made out of a free old maple desktop...you would never know it used to be a desktop, and all it cost was some stain.
I love the wire "heart" art that my Finnish sister gave to me; it hangs above our bed.
I love my kitchen.
I love my husband.
I love our children.
I love our families.
I love many more things, but the last three are the most important to my heart. My husband and I have struggled for several years with living away from our families. When we bought our house nearly 8 years ago (in July 2004), life was a lot different. We weren't married yet (ok, so really we weren't even engaged-we were just sure of our relationship), we didn't have children, we didn't have much responsibility besides taking care of our new home, our work, and ourselves. A couple months after moving in, our first niece was born. We didn't see her as much as we'd like, but it was nice to be able to stop by my parent's house after work to see her at daycare (with my mom). By this time we were engaged, so the next year was busy planning a wedding.
In August 2005, we got married.
In August 2006 I became pregnant.
In May of 2007 our daughter was born. (As well as our first nephew in March, and another niece in July.)
In July of 2008 our son was born.
In 2009 I struggled with exhaustion from long commutes and little sleep, and felt like I was missing out on my children's early years (although thankful that they were with my mom while I worked!). (We also welcomed two more nephews, one in March and one in June.)
In 2010, I: turned 30; resigned from my job after 11 & 1/2 years; went solo to Finland for 3 weeks and lived with my Finnish "sister's" family; became a licensed childcare provider.
In 2011...hmm...well, it was pretty uneventful compared to 2010 for me, but we did welcome our newest nephew in July.
In 2012 I am: learning to live a happier, healthier life; enjoying something about each day; and happy to announce that we are getting our house ready to sell!!!
I am so nervous, scared, and excited! Although we love our home and our town, we don't love that it takes an hour and a half round trip to visit with my family, or an hour round trip to visit my husband's family. We would love for our kids to grow up with their cousins (my husband grew up with his and loved it, I didn't but wish I could have), and be able to see their grandparents more often. We would love to go on a date without having to pack the kids' pajamas :-) We would love for my hubby to be home from work in 10 or 15 minutes (instead of an hour or more). We would love to call up our siblings for a spur of the moment dinner/BBQ/scrabble game/etc or play-date with the cousins. We would love to visit more places without having to make it a day trip. We'd love to be able to pick up our town and just relocate it.
There is a downfall to moving, but at least we have a plan. Once our house sells; I am unemployed. I currently have 2 part-time children in my daycare, but the distance will not work once we move. I broke the news to the family last week. I've been wanting to post about this, but I wanted them to know before I publicly broke the news (although I've not mentioned my blog to them, you never know who may be reading!). It was so hard to be the bearer of that bad news because while they are my "clients" they are also our friends. They are the sweetest family, and have wonderful kids. Luckily they will be riding things out with us for a while. Mom is a kindergarten teacher, so summer will begin in a few weeks and then I will just have the kids one day each week. I understand that they will need to look for childcare for their younger child (the older one will begin Kindergarten and not need care) but I've let them know I am available for as long as I can be, and that if something happens real quick with the sale of the house, I am willing to help out until they find alternate care. The downfall of being unemployed is that we don't know how things will go as far as us buying a house once we sell. It is a 'buyer's market' right now so maybe it will work out without my income, but it just depends on how much we will need to pay to sell our house. At least we are in a position where we don't have to sell, so if the price isn't going to work out - then we will just have to stay here a bit longer. If we can sell for a decent price, but can't get into a house right away - then we will stay with my in-laws temporarily. Luckily I get along with them...but I've warned them that if we are in that situation...I will be taking over their kitchen :-)
So, lately we have been really busy getting the house ready. It is in mostly decent shape, but there are doors and such to be stained (in the basement), counter tops to be changed, new paint to go up, driveway to be repaired, weeds to be pulled, etc. I've already begun packing...and luckily my parent's have storage space in their basement so we can move some cabinets and furniture (and stuff) out to get the house staged for showing. We broke the news to the kids on Sunday and they seemed excited, but I know the changes will be hard for our son. He's always had a hard time whenever we have made changes to the house.
We plan to be complete with our to-do lists and put the house on the market by mid to late July. Although, if we can be ready sooner - then...the sooner the better! I am praying that everything will work out the way it is supposed to...and feel optimistic that someone will fall in love with our house and want to make it their home...
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_
If anyone has experience selling their house and wants to offer any tips - please feel free to comment here!
:-)
I love that we can ride our bikes into 'town' to stop by the post office, or our favorite place - the meat market.
I love all the parks that are within walking/bike riding distance.
I love the fresh air.
I love the quietness.
I love that the kids' schools are just minutes away.
I love the smell of earth after a nice rain.
I love the people that we've met here.
I love when the kids and I can go to the "little library" at City Hall on the Wednesdays that we don't have daycare kids (it's open just on Wednesdays).
I love going to the "big library" on other days.
I love my yard, despite the hills and mosquitoes...and the fact I can't keep up on it.
I love the meat market...oh, did I mention that already? ;-)
I love my kitchen, despite the blue counter tops (which will no longer be blue in a few weeks!)
I love our three car garage.
I love my son's orange walls.
I love my daughter's pink walls.
I love our carpet, and the hardwood floors in the kitchen.
I love my kitchen.
I love all the hard work my husband put into finishing our basement, and making it beautiful.
I love that our basement doesn't feel like a basement.
I love the white walls in our bedroom.
I love our mission style headboard that my husband made out of a free old maple desktop...you would never know it used to be a desktop, and all it cost was some stain.
I love the wire "heart" art that my Finnish sister gave to me; it hangs above our bed.
I love my kitchen.
I love my husband.
I love our children.
I love our families.
I love many more things, but the last three are the most important to my heart. My husband and I have struggled for several years with living away from our families. When we bought our house nearly 8 years ago (in July 2004), life was a lot different. We weren't married yet (ok, so really we weren't even engaged-we were just sure of our relationship), we didn't have children, we didn't have much responsibility besides taking care of our new home, our work, and ourselves. A couple months after moving in, our first niece was born. We didn't see her as much as we'd like, but it was nice to be able to stop by my parent's house after work to see her at daycare (with my mom). By this time we were engaged, so the next year was busy planning a wedding.
In August 2005, we got married.
In August 2006 I became pregnant.
In May of 2007 our daughter was born. (As well as our first nephew in March, and another niece in July.)
In July of 2008 our son was born.
In 2009 I struggled with exhaustion from long commutes and little sleep, and felt like I was missing out on my children's early years (although thankful that they were with my mom while I worked!). (We also welcomed two more nephews, one in March and one in June.)
In 2010, I: turned 30; resigned from my job after 11 & 1/2 years; went solo to Finland for 3 weeks and lived with my Finnish "sister's" family; became a licensed childcare provider.
In 2011...hmm...well, it was pretty uneventful compared to 2010 for me, but we did welcome our newest nephew in July.
In 2012 I am: learning to live a happier, healthier life; enjoying something about each day; and happy to announce that we are getting our house ready to sell!!!
I am so nervous, scared, and excited! Although we love our home and our town, we don't love that it takes an hour and a half round trip to visit with my family, or an hour round trip to visit my husband's family. We would love for our kids to grow up with their cousins (my husband grew up with his and loved it, I didn't but wish I could have), and be able to see their grandparents more often. We would love to go on a date without having to pack the kids' pajamas :-) We would love for my hubby to be home from work in 10 or 15 minutes (instead of an hour or more). We would love to call up our siblings for a spur of the moment dinner/BBQ/scrabble game/etc or play-date with the cousins. We would love to visit more places without having to make it a day trip. We'd love to be able to pick up our town and just relocate it.
There is a downfall to moving, but at least we have a plan. Once our house sells; I am unemployed. I currently have 2 part-time children in my daycare, but the distance will not work once we move. I broke the news to the family last week. I've been wanting to post about this, but I wanted them to know before I publicly broke the news (although I've not mentioned my blog to them, you never know who may be reading!). It was so hard to be the bearer of that bad news because while they are my "clients" they are also our friends. They are the sweetest family, and have wonderful kids. Luckily they will be riding things out with us for a while. Mom is a kindergarten teacher, so summer will begin in a few weeks and then I will just have the kids one day each week. I understand that they will need to look for childcare for their younger child (the older one will begin Kindergarten and not need care) but I've let them know I am available for as long as I can be, and that if something happens real quick with the sale of the house, I am willing to help out until they find alternate care. The downfall of being unemployed is that we don't know how things will go as far as us buying a house once we sell. It is a 'buyer's market' right now so maybe it will work out without my income, but it just depends on how much we will need to pay to sell our house. At least we are in a position where we don't have to sell, so if the price isn't going to work out - then we will just have to stay here a bit longer. If we can sell for a decent price, but can't get into a house right away - then we will stay with my in-laws temporarily. Luckily I get along with them...but I've warned them that if we are in that situation...I will be taking over their kitchen :-)
So, lately we have been really busy getting the house ready. It is in mostly decent shape, but there are doors and such to be stained (in the basement), counter tops to be changed, new paint to go up, driveway to be repaired, weeds to be pulled, etc. I've already begun packing...and luckily my parent's have storage space in their basement so we can move some cabinets and furniture (and stuff) out to get the house staged for showing. We broke the news to the kids on Sunday and they seemed excited, but I know the changes will be hard for our son. He's always had a hard time whenever we have made changes to the house.
We plan to be complete with our to-do lists and put the house on the market by mid to late July. Although, if we can be ready sooner - then...the sooner the better! I am praying that everything will work out the way it is supposed to...and feel optimistic that someone will fall in love with our house and want to make it their home...
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_
If anyone has experience selling their house and wants to offer any tips - please feel free to comment here!
:-)
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Big News is Coming...
I've been very eager to write about some exciting, big changes that will be coming up for our family...but, I can't until I take care of some business. Monday, Monday, Monday...I am so nervous, but hopeful that things will all work out how they are supposed to. Saying my prayers...and asking for yours...
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
I'm Addicted...
...to READING BOOKS!
I guess there could be worse addictions, right?
On Sunday I reached my goal of reading 30 books this year...and it's only May. So, I have a bit of a problem - there are still 6 1/2 months remaining this year, I have 3 books that I am 'officially' currently reading (meaning that there are some on my goodreads Currently Reading list that I've started but returned to the library because they just didn't hold my interest at the time, so I may pick them up again, or I may just cancel them from my list) and I KNOW I need to adjust my goal for the year, but I haven't decided yet what that new goal should be.
If I double it, then I will probably hit a wall at some point and put my books away for a while.
If I don't change it, I can watch my percentage continue to climb above 100% (currently at 103%, finished another book tonight) and feel so good about myself for being such an overachiever ;-) Ok, I'm really not 'like that' so I won't go with this option.
If I get through this crazy busy weekend I have coming up, then I may be in a better state of mind to come up with a new goal. I think I will go with this option for now.
A bit of non-work related work to get through tonight, and then off to bed...to read until my eyelids give out on me...
I guess there could be worse addictions, right?
On Sunday I reached my goal of reading 30 books this year...and it's only May. So, I have a bit of a problem - there are still 6 1/2 months remaining this year, I have 3 books that I am 'officially' currently reading (meaning that there are some on my goodreads Currently Reading list that I've started but returned to the library because they just didn't hold my interest at the time, so I may pick them up again, or I may just cancel them from my list) and I KNOW I need to adjust my goal for the year, but I haven't decided yet what that new goal should be.
If I double it, then I will probably hit a wall at some point and put my books away for a while.
If I don't change it, I can watch my percentage continue to climb above 100% (currently at 103%, finished another book tonight) and feel so good about myself for being such an overachiever ;-) Ok, I'm really not 'like that' so I won't go with this option.
If I get through this crazy busy weekend I have coming up, then I may be in a better state of mind to come up with a new goal. I think I will go with this option for now.
A bit of non-work related work to get through tonight, and then off to bed...to read until my eyelids give out on me...
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