Bathtime Take Two

Bath. Check. PJs. Check. Turn my back for one minute...

Hi Mom. Told ya, I wasn't done with my bath...

Aren't I cute?

"Story"

It's been a busy summer! Emily has been busy walking running, exploring and talking! Mommy has been busy chasing the happy little scamp! Which means we have been having too much fun to blog. (Also translated as Mama is exhausted!)

Now that Emily can talk, we've been having even more fun reading. One of her words is "story" or "store-ee." She points to a book and says "store-ee" and then does the sign for please. (Makes this storytime mom very proud. Sniff.)

Here's one of our favorites: Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton

Me: A cow says...

Emily: Moo!

M: A sheep says...

E: Baaaa

M: Three singing pigs say la, la, la! "No, No!" You say...

E: NO!

M: Pigs say...

E: Kk! [oink in Emily-speak]

M: ...little dogs go..

E: Ffff! [Woof]

M: ...and cats and kittens say...

E: Eow [Meow]

M: Quack, says the duck

E Kk! [quack]

M: ...a horse says...

E: Nay

M: It's quiet now, what do you say?

E: Store-ee

Mud

Finally, after many days of rain, we had a dry and warm afternoon! A perfect day for an impromptu stroll at Herrick Lake Forest Preserve. Two duck mates gave us a friendly, if nonchalant, welcome and demonstrated diving for their dinner. Emily was impressed. She also enjoyed inspecting the dandelions which were in full bloom.

Watching her toddle along continues to be a joy. It wasn't long ago that she was just leaning to stand!

She loved exploring and feeling the grass under her feet. I had to smile to see all the mud she got on her. Another first!

When she reached the top of a hill, she decided that she did NOT need my help. First, she turned herself around to slide down it. Then she crawled down. Then she was determined to fall  walk down by herself. Considering said hill ended at the lake, this called for a fine balancing act of restraint and reflexes on my part. Especially when she also wanted to crawl along the edge of the lake. "Oh, look at the time!" I said at this point. "Time to go home." Mud is one thing. Taking a dunk in pond scum is quite another!

As I was driving home, the memory of the mud made me smile again and think of a favorite picture book. I'll have to find it at the library to share with Emily.

Mud by Mary Lyn Ray; Illustrated by Lauren Stringer.
Here's the summary on the book jacket. "As winter melts into spring, the frozen earth turns into magnificent mud." I remember the book really capturing the joy of waking up from a long cold winter and diving into spring. Ray writes about mud, "Stir it. Stick it. Dig it. Dance it." We got a first taste today. I can't wait to do more!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Mama was busy, so Emily climbed up into the rocker to read.

Bears Hugs

Emily has been noticing bears a lot lately. She'll point them out in all of her books. Whenever she sees one, she hugs herself. It's so cute when she gives herself a "bear hug." She's been especially enjoying these two books:

Bear at Home by Stella Blackstone; illustrated by Debbie Harter.
The bright, cheerful colors and bold illustrations got Em's attention. The illustrations are whimsical but realistic. Bear gives us a tour of his home, showing off toys and books and goes through his day, cleaning up, taking a bath and going to bed. His mischievous black-and-white cat keeps him company.

Bear's Birthday by Stella Blackstone; illustrated by Debbie Harter.
Bear has a birthday party and invites nine of his friends. They celebrate with musical chairs, hide-and-seek and of course, cake and presents! It's also a counting down from 10 book as our friend kitty plays with all the balloons and they disappear one by one. We are looking forward to finding the other books in this Bear series.

Pajama Party

Today Emily and I went to a Pajama Party. The kids (and some of the moms) came in their pjs and had a blast playing (or in Emily's case, reading--makes this storytime mom proud). The moms chatted and we all noshed. A very fun playdate.

It was even more special because it was part of a MOMS Club service project. The group has collected new pajamas and books for needy children to donate to the Pajama Program.  This program was started to provide new pjs and books for children in crisis. Many of these children have never been snuggled at night, been read a bedtime book or own pjs. 

Bedtime is such a special time to snuggle and let our little ones know they are cherished. We read to them to connect, to help them dream, for so many reasons. This program helps children who rarely get those things. It's a program I had never heard of and touched my heart, so I wanted to share. More information about the Pajama Program can be found at www.pajamaprogram.org. If you need a smile, check out some of the pictures of the children who have received their very own pjs and books. What a difference simple things can make.

If you know about other literacy charities for children, feel free to email me or post in the comments. I'd love to hear more about them.

Clever Little Bear

Right now Emily's favorite thing to do is to read books. Sit down within 5 feet of in the same room as her and she will insist you read to her. She'll either go to the reading chair with a book and grunt imploringly (and insistently) to come and read. Or she'll hold a book and streeeetch her arms with the book toward you. (I am convinced this is meant to draw you toward her with the magnetism of the book and the force of her considerable charm.) Or she'll bring a book to you and drop it in your lap with a sweet and inquiring look. How can anyone resist this? 

Here's one we've been reading often: Number One, Tickle Your Tum by John Prater. It's a counting/rhyming book that is perfect for the toddler who is starting to mimic. The picture on "Number eight stand up straight" reminds me of Emily when she first started to stand. The last page is her favorite because big bear gives clever little bear a hug. She points at this and hugs herself. This would be a great choice for even older toddlers, since there are actions to imitate, like walking in a line, and jumping. The illustrations are simple and appealing. We are looking forward to finding other Baby Bear Books by Prater.

It's Official.

Emily is a walker. As I was saying in a previous post, we thought, this is it, any day now. It wasn't until about 10 days ago that she started to take a few controlled steps. Luckily both Mommy and Daddy were there to see it the first time she did this! Then a week ago, bam! 10 steps in a row. There's no stopping her now. I've spent the last week chasing her. Now she even pivots and changes directions! It's so fun to see how excited and proud she is.


My husband and I asked each other, "You took a video, right?" "Uh, no, I thought you did!" Oops. So, here's a video of our walking pro, day 10.

Hugs and Kisses

Emily loves to give hugs and kisses. She, of course, gives the best ones to Mommy and Daddy. When she snuggles in, it's the best feeling ever! Even her slobbery open-mouthed kisses are wet and wonderful.

She also likes to spread the joy. She collects her stuffed animals and dolls and hugs each one. Then she gives them to me to hold and hug.

The sweetest though is when Daddy comes home. He'll pick her up to hug and kiss and then give me a kiss, too. She will then firmly turn both of our faces toward each other and urge us to kiss again. Lots of hugging and kissing going on at our house!

Here are two sweet books about love.

I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak; Illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church. This book in rhyme is about all the things to love:  "your happy side, your sad side, your silly side, your mad side." I am sure I love it more than she does, but it's a great excuse to sit and cuddle. Her favorite parts are putting her bare feet on top of his and hugging herself when he hugs his bear.

How Do I Love You? by Marion Dane Bauer; illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church is a companion book. Her Daddy and I gave this to Emily on her 1st Birthday. It's a beautifully lyrical story in rhyme with delightfully joyful illustrations. It's a more sophisticated book that I can imagine reading to her for years to come. It's pure poetry with lines like "I love you as the waking bear loves the smell of spring." The last verse sums it up: "I love all that you will be and everything you are." Awww. Excuse me while I go find a tissue.

My Little Bunny

I was having a salad today at lunch and Emily insisted on having some. So I handed her a leaf to try. I didn't think she'd like it, but I've been wrong before. After all, she loved tuna for the longest time. She took it happily and nibbled away, taking dainty bites. She reminded me of a little bunny. After each nibble, she took the piece out of her mouth to make room for the next. She went through four big leaves like this, eating not a bit, but enjoying every second.

Here's a picture of my little bunny from a year ago.

Easter 2011

See how she's grown!

Easter 2012

Walking and Talking, Clapping and Tapping

Someone said a wise thing to me recently. "Walking is a long process." As new parents we were convinced several times (starting at nine months) that she was on the verge of walking. She'd pull herself up or take a step around the couch and "she'll be walking any time now!" We laugh now at our naivete. We're in no rush for her to walk; we're enjoying the stages as they come. But we eagerly await every little thing she does.

It's amazing how each day brings something new. As I was saying in this post, Emily recently learned to clap. She even knows the word for it. If we say "clap" or "yay" she'll often clap in response. A couple of weeks ago (you know, when I started writing this post) she was just starting to stand for a second or two by herself. Then one day, she pushed herself up and clapped with an excited smile before quickly holding on again. It's crazy how such a "little" thing is such a big, happy, proud moment for all of us!

Yesterday we played a game where I tapped my feet, then clapped, then raised my hands and said hurray. I kept doing it and encouraging her. She thought the tapping was fascinating, kept pointing or patting my feet to do it. Then she would clap and put her hands up with me. I could almost see the wheels turning in her head.

Yesterday was a big day because she also became a standing pro. She was crab walking (another newish thing) and pushed herself to a standing position and stood proudly for about 10 seconds. She did this all afternoon, sometimes practicing, sometimes doing it unconsciously. She even picked something up without holding on. There's so much we do without thinking, but it's so new and wonderful for them (and those of us watching).

I was thinking that she might really, truly be on the verge of walking. I was also thinking, I hope her Daddy is around when it happens because he is just as excited about everything she does as I am. So this morning, I get up and Daddy proudly tells me that she took two steps! Little stinker, she did it without me!!

To make up for it, when she saw me, she crawled over using her first word "Mama-mama-mama." Music to my ears.

Happy Spring!

As a full-time SAHM, it's easy to lose track of what day it is. With the weather so wonky, it's even more so. If I didn't look at a calendar it would be easy to think it was the first day of summer rather than spring! Not that I am complaining, I am a pretty big wimp when it comes to cold weather.  I am especially glad for the warmer weather now, because in addition to a solid case of cabin fever, our house has been fighting round two of let's-share-our-bugs-with-each-other. Poor girl had an ear infection/cold/fever for two weeks while the adults fought our own bugs. Then because that was so much fun, we did it all again, this time with a double ear infection. Still, I am thanking my lucky starts it wasn't worse. We finally feel we are all healthy (enough) to enjoy the beautiful gift of sunshine.

And here is another ray of sunshine...

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Today would have been Dr. Seuss's 108th birthday.

In honor of today, here is a Seuss book we enjoy. I thought I knew most of his work, but I had never heard of this one.

 My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss, (paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher) is an introduction to feelings for a young child. It is told in the delightfully positive way for which Seuss is known. Each day is a different color/emotion/animal. We have the board book version, and while it's not very concrete for a very little ones, neither are emotions. In some ways the actions and associations ground emotions while still being silly and lyrical. I love the language in it, it's one I don't get tired of reading to her. For now she likes the color in it. I can imagine when she's older asking, "Are you having a yellow day ('a busy, buzzy bee')?" or a "Green day ('cool and quiet fish')?"

As for today, have a "Bright Red Day" and "kick your heels" for Dr. Seuss's birthday!

Naptime

When Emily was about four months old we could put her in her crib awake. She would sweetly smile, turn her head and go to sleep. We were thrilled.

That lasted about 2 weeks.

Now she can be completely asleep -- it doesn't matter for how long--and she will sense when we move anywhere in the near vicinity of the crib. Screams. Move away--peaceful angel.  Make the same movement toward anything else. Silence. Move toward the crib. Shrieks. Move away. Sigh of contentment. (How do they know?)

So when she falls asleep in her high chair, I take a picture. To be used as blackmail  a reminder of her adorableness later.

She does take naps in other places too, her favorite being anyone's willing arms... Failing that, she'll sleep in her bouncy chair.

Lucky for us, she sleeps through the night and has for several months, barring an odd night here or there. But a few weeks ago, for about a week, she was ready to party all night after sleeping for 5 minutes. We finally got out the carrier. Some pictures are worth a thousand words.

Wordless Wednesday -- Baby Blogger

Baby Blogger

Hold on a sec, I gotta get this down.

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's a cold day and the ground outside is covered in snow. The perfect day to stay inside and snuggle with my sweetie. Here are two books we have enjoyed to day to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Baby, I Love You by Karma Wilson; Illustrated by Sam Williams. The refrain "Oh my baby, I love you!" make snuggles and hugs irresistible. The adorable babies in it are hugging a little dog. (so cute.) The "baby" is both the baby being read to and the dog baby being loved.

Emily's Aunt J gave her Clifford, We Love You! by Norman Bridwell for Valentine's Day. Emily's eyes got really big when she saw it and sat mesmerized as I read it to her. Then she read it to herself for a long time after, turning the pages. No matter that it was often upside down at the time! This one is extra special because the little girl who "loved that pup...loved him so that he grew up" is named Emily. This is one for my Emily to "grow" with.

Do you have a Favorite Valentine book to share?

Project 52 Update

I have to say this project 52 has been very motivating! And it's been a great way to get organized and prioritize things. I've already started a P52 for 2013! The liberating thing is, instead of an even longer (and demoralizing) list of things to do, I can give my self permission to not do those things this year. It can be on the list for next year. Nice.

So here's my update.

4. Get a manicure DONE!

Went on a girls-day-out! Brunch, manicure, coffee shop, girl talk! So much fun!

7. Gather 25 books for Advent Calendar 7/25 gathered

8. Complete 12 monthly fitness goals 1/12 done!

Nothing very exciting or earth shattering, but I completed the first challenge.

9. Complete 12 monthly health and wellness challenges 1/12 done!

The Great Sugar Fast was (mostly) a success. I only cheated a couple of times toward the end of the month but I savored the sugar when I cheated. And that was the point after all. I have no intention of giving up sugar forever, but wanted to get rid of the crazy cravings and bad habits. More work needed on that front but by and large I did what I set out to do.

February's challenge is to have at least 5 servings of fruit or vegetables a day. After I have a least 5, I can have a small bit of sugar. So far this is working!
 

10. Read 36 adult/YA books 4/36 read! 

11. Re-read Voyager so that I can read Scottish Prisoner DONE!

So good to revisit and old friend and discover a new one! Now I have to wait until 2013 for the next installment. Sigh. But that will give me time to re-read the books that lead up to next one. 

14. Overhaul closet DONE! 

15. Dance at least 6 times 2/6 

16. Write 100 Blog posts 4/100

Ugh, I have to get going on this! I've been spending lots of time doing all the other P52 things that I've neglected the blog. Ironic. It hasn't helped that our internet has been on the fritz for a while. And yes, that's the excuse I am going with.

20. Read Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover & discuss with husband DONE!

So, we haven't completed the TMM, but that wasn't the goal. It's going to be a good tool to get going on the priorities we have for this year. For those of you who are familiar with Ramsey's steps, we are starting with step #4. We don't have any debt except our mortgage payment, but going from two incomes to one has been an adjustment. So we have some work to do in the areas of budget and financial planning.

26. Find new dentist DONE!
 

27. Organize pantry DONE!

30. Continue weekly date nights 7/52
These have included dancing, Caribou Coffee, dinner out, and the Alpha Marriage Course (which I highly recommend. Email me if you are interested in hearing more).

31. Birthday letter to Emily DONE!
 

33. 1^st Birthday party for Emily DONE!

(Will blog on this later.)
 

34. Get a professional massage DONE!

Had a great Mom's Night Out and got a massage. Ahhh...

36. Curtains for Living Room DONE!

43. Use chocolate fountain! DONE!
Well, sorta. Brace yourself for the tale of woe...I bought a chocolate fountain at Goodwill for $5 (such a deal!) but never tried it out because it takes a bit to use one properly. So for Emily's birthday party, I got the chocolate and all the fixings. Strawberries, pound cake, peanut butter pretzels....is your mouth watering yet? Time comes for the party and I think I've tested the motor properly to see that it does in fact work, but mommy brain must have kicked in because while the motor made a noise it didn't actually turn the mechanism. This was extremely obvious once I had the melted chocolate in the fountain. Anyway, we had chocolate fondue in the crockpot instead of the fountain. :-( Still tasted yummy... Oh, well.

47. Fix Bathroom Wall paper DONE!
Here's another, "sorta". I did in fact fix the wallpaper, but now it's back to looking not so great. It really needs to be removed but that won't happen this year. So I am counting this as done even though I'll probably need to do it again. If I can figure out a better and still easy way to do it.


So, 12 done in 6 weeks! Woo hoo!

There will be some weeks I won't get any done, and since some goals are monthly, I can't finish them 'til the end. It feels great to have gotten a strong start on these things. 


Anyone else want to share their success of a P52, a goal or a resolution?

Simon Says

The other day Emily was eating dinner and as usual was telling me about her day or what she thought about her dinner or some philosophical idea she had. I really have no idea what she was saying because I have not yet learned the complex language of toddlers. But she really had a lot to say. Then she started playing with sounds. To the uninitiated, all her babbling might sound like nonsense. But there is a difference, sometimes subtle, between communication and sheer joy at making noise. Sometimes when she is playing this game, I play along and try to imitate the noise she is making. This often makes her laugh.

This particular day, after imitating her a couple of times, I made a different noise. She paused and echoed it back. It's so cute when she does this, but usually she it doesn't last long until she's on to something else. But this day was different. Each time I made a different noise, she paused and did her best to mimic me. Then I shook my head, which is one of her new things, and she did it back. On to nodding and then the big challenge, clapping. Clapping is something she's only done a couple of times. But she was game and paused just a bit before clapping with a huge grin and giggle. She was so proud of herself for clapping she did this the rest of the night. It's now become her new favorite thing. It's especially funny when she she is in the middle of doing something else and tries to clap at the same time.

It's just such a sweet and cherished thing to have these moments together. All these little accomplishments and connections. So blessed... I am clapping with her every step of the way.

Furry Friends

Emily loves touch-and-feel books. I can remember a few months back when she really started to notice them. She would tentatively touch the book with one finger and find the spots that were different. She had this look of wonder and satisfaction on her face as she found each one. My favorite memory is when I found her reading this book.

Quack! Quack! has bold photographs of farm animals. Each animal has one spot that is furry or soft and they've done a great job making it look and feel like the animal. One day she was sitting with the book flat on the floor. As she turned each page, she leaned over and kissed the special spot. The duck's belly, kiss; the pig's nose, kiss; the dog's ear, kiss. Since the spot isn't in the same place on every page, she'd have to lean a bit one way or another to find the spot. It was so sweet to watch her give her little open-mouthed kiss to each animal! Sometimes when we read the book together, she still gives them kisses. I'd love to know what is going through her little mind!

Baby/Toddler Book Club

Today Emily and I went to a Baby/Toddler Book Club. This was such a fun playdate idea! It was developed by Mommy T, a very creative mom, who hosts it monthly at her home. It's generally the under 3 crowd, but all ages are welcome. Kids play and moms chat for a while, until it is time for the books. There is a snack and sometimes a simple craft. Everyone is encouraged to bring their favorite book from home based on the month's theme. Today's theme was animals and Mommy T had a collection of stuffed animals that the children could choose to hold while the books were being read. Then the moms all took turns sharing their books.

Emily was more interested in emptying the stuffed animal bin than listening to books today, but Mommy T did get her attention when she let her pet the textured touch-and-feel book she was reading. When I worked as a librarian, I often had to reassure parents of little ones that it doesn't matter if it seems their child isn't listening. Even when they don't sit still and pay attention to the book, they are still taking it in. Being busy is an important part of the way they learn. Emily enjoyed touching all the animals.

She did suddenly stop and intently look and listen when Mommy T read

Moo, Baa, La, La, La by Sandra Boynton.
I don't know if it was coincidence or because we have this book and read it a lot, but Emily was very interested for the whole story. If you haven't read Sandra Boynton, you need check her out! Her books are simple and very funny for both children and adults. This one is a story in rhyme with lots of chance for making animal noises.

Another book that was shared today was Poke-a-Dot! Old MacDonalds's Farm
This is the traditional "Old MacDonald" song with a twist. Each two page spread has different animals--10 cows, 9 pigs, etc. There is a button to poke to help with counting all the animals. The older children took turns counting on each page. The singing got Emily's attention and she looked at me and smiled several times.




The baby/toddler book club is an event we will attend regularly. I plan to host my own sometime, too! Thanks, Mommy T for the fabulous idea! (Read more about her book clubs and other creative ideas at thismomcreates.com)

Project 52 -- 2012

Over the past few months I have been reading various blogs that have referred to "Project 52" and my interest was piqued. I loved the idea of having a list of 52 things that you planned to get done in a year. While it's not essential to have exactly 52 things, the idea is to break down the year into weeks and have reasonable and achievable goals. This is so me. I love this idea! Project 52 is the invention of Karen Peterson and Jennee Thompson@ apeekatkarensworld.com. You can read more about it here.


Since this is the time of year for the traditional New Year's Resolutions, I thought I would share my first project 52 with you.

II

1. Plan a future vacation
   This may not be a vacation *in* 2012, but we are planning a vacation, one way or the other!
2. Attend a Women of Faith Conference
3. Try Xtreme Trampolining
   This looks like so much fun!
4. Get a manicure
   It's been a few years, way overdue.
5. Redeem gift cards
6. Create Christmas action plan by October
   Note I said "action plan" not "everything will be done by Oct!" It will be my mini-project 52 for the holiday season. Instead of the 1002-things-I-want-to-do-and-think-I-have-time-for-but-what-was-I-thinking!-It's-already-Christmas-Eve!-stress-and-guilt, I will have a plan for a reasonable amount of things to do and enjoy the season. (I say this now.) Check back with me next December to see how realistic this one was.
7. Gather 25 books for Advent Calendar
   Check out this post about it.
8. Complete 12 monthly fitness goals
   Each month I'll have a mini challenge to complete, like 10 minutes on the rebounder 3X a week, or go for a 20 minute walk 5 days a week. Learning from past failures, I am going to make them reasonable. Instead of have-to-do-the-ideal EVERY DAY, it will be baby steps in the right direction. Especially if I give myself a daily goal, if I have a 90% success rate, I'll be happy.
9. Complete 12 monthly health and wellness challenges
   Ditto # 8. These will be things like a salad-a-day or take my vitamins or drink x amount of water, journal, pray, etc.. My first one is probably going to be the hardest, though. I am giving up SUGAR. Pray for me and my family! I will probably be a beast, the sugar fiend that I am. I have been preparing for it all week by loading up on all the junk food in the house. Kind of like a week long Mardi Gras. I am the only one who eats this stuff and we don't want it to go to waste, right!?! I'll be honest though, I am not reading labels (much)-- I am only giving up the obvious junk food that has sugar in it. I figured January is a month to be motivated to do NY resolutions, so I figured I'd take the plunge now. 
10. Read 36 adult/YA books
    As a book lover, you'd think this one would be easy, but I am now a mom. I also tended to read more children's books in the past. 
11. Re-read the Outlander book Voyager so that I can read Scottish Prisoner
    Those of you who are fans of this series know how long these books are. They are also highly addictive, but I can't take a weekend away to just read, much as I might want to!
12. Fix Jewelry and watches
13. Mend clothes
    I have so many things missing buttons, it's ridiculous. First, I have to find the needle and thread. This could take awhile.
    
14. Overhaul closet
15. Dance at least 6 times
    I can hear my friends saying, "What, only 6!" You used to dance once a week! Well that was a few years and a baby ago....I'd love to dance more than that, but baby steps, people, baby steps!
16. Write 100 Blog posts
17. Journal at least 12 times
18. Finish family devotions book
19. Make wrapping paper station
20. Read Dave' Ramsey's The Total Money Makeover and discuss with husband
21. Balance budget and follow it!
22. Discuss finances/retirement with hubby
23. Sell timeshare
24. Do will/power of attorney/discuss plots
25. Update all insurance, etc. paperwork
26. Find new dentist
27. Organize pantry
28. Get eyes checked
    Trying to be proactive with this one. With all the times Miss E grabs my glasses, it will be good to have an extra pair. Will see if I really am proactive, though!
29. Find at least one good babysitter that's not family
    A somewhat regular babysitter would let me get some of these P52 things done!
30. Continue weekly date nights
    My husband and I have been having weekly date nights for a few months now. Most of them are very low key, like sitting on the couch for 30 minutes and having a hot drink together. Even if we stare at each other for the whole time, that counts! But we try to at least talk to each other, before we fall asleep on the couch...
31. Birthday letter to Emily
32. Start Memory book for Emily
33. 1^st Birthday party for Emily
34. Get a professional massage
35. Create a 30 Day menu (and use it!)
36. Curtains for Living Room
37. Remove wall paper from Master Bathroom
38. Sell antiques
39. Do paint touch ups in Dining Room
40. Have 1 dinner party
41. Have 1 game night
42. Go to a play
    As a result of one of our date nights, I found out that my husband actually likes going to plays. How did I not know this!! (I thought he just went with me for my sake. Huh. We are so going to a play now.
43. Use chocolate fountain!
44. Learn a Christmas carol on the mountain dulcimer
45. Get oil change
    My poor car. When I worked full time (before Emily) there were things I did automatically. Go to the dentist, get oil changes, things like that. Now planning is SO different! As a result, I have no idea when the last oil change was on the car...
46. Plant herbs in spring
47. Fix wallpaper in bathroom
48. Mail St. Jude's cards
49. Get free credit scores 3 X (1 each quarter)
50. Do photo face book for Emily
    This is an idea I got from my friend AR. You make a book out of face shots of family and friends, especially the ones that don't live close. Then  you read it like other books and when family comes to visit, the child knows them. My husband's parents live more than a few hours away, so this will be a fun way for them to connect.
51. Clean car (wash, vacuum)
    See #45...
52. Celebrate my half-birthday doing something silly.
    Mine only happens once every four years after all! 
    
    

    So that's my list. To help myself get these things done, I've put each one on an index card, punched a hole in the card and clipped them together. Now I can write notes, progress, etc on each card. It's portable and easily sorted if I want to work on some at the same time.

    
    

    

    
    

    So, do you have any New Year's Resolutions? Want to join the Project 52 challenge? Good luck!
     

    Have a happy and healthy New Year!