I've been brainstorming lately. One day a week I am "officemom" and I catch up on the business' finances/admin. Now, a portion of that day is devoted to "Christy's business". It's nameless. I don't know what it will be. This is my second office day with time to brainstorm.
I would like to get a kid's story published.
I would like to start a homeschool-ish blog.
I would like to edit or proofread.
I would like to sell knits/crochets/embroidery on Etsy or something (that would perhaps require more time than I have).
What would you do if you had a business? Or do you already have a business?
Showing posts with label musings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label musings. Show all posts
Monday, April 19, 2010
Saturday, December 05, 2009
It's About Time
I guess I ought to start moving that Halloween post a little further down the page since Christmas is nearly upon us. I'm sure my loyal readers (is it three now?) have missed me. Incidentally, there's a crumb or something underneath the space bar on my laptop, making this a challenging post indeed.
The only reason I'm finding time to write is because I forgot to take my night-time Thera Flu at a decent hour. And since my body is a little bit wired from the day-time Thera Flu it was tough to fall asleep. So I'm waiting for my night-time dose to kick in!
I would here like to give a little "TheraFlu" plug. Have you heard of it? Have you taken it? The night one tastes better than the day one, but it's an amazing invention. My throat felt like sandpaper, my head pounded, my nose ran, and then - nothing! I keep thinking I'm totally better until I forget to drink it and the symptoms begin to return. Anyway, if you must be sick, be sick with TheraFlu. It'll get you through. (did I just write a jingle?)
Holidays are upon us and I'm still going to class twice a week with church stuff two other nights a week and homeschooling during the day and trying to maintain a home...I confess, just the laundry is getting done, and only minimally - so don't drop in for a visit. Basketball practice starts next week (I'm so excited, the boys haven't played sports yet!) So that's what's up and how did we get so busy?
I will make an effort to write more, but I can't make promises. I do have some post ideas though...
The only reason I'm finding time to write is because I forgot to take my night-time Thera Flu at a decent hour. And since my body is a little bit wired from the day-time Thera Flu it was tough to fall asleep. So I'm waiting for my night-time dose to kick in!
I would here like to give a little "TheraFlu" plug. Have you heard of it? Have you taken it? The night one tastes better than the day one, but it's an amazing invention. My throat felt like sandpaper, my head pounded, my nose ran, and then - nothing! I keep thinking I'm totally better until I forget to drink it and the symptoms begin to return. Anyway, if you must be sick, be sick with TheraFlu. It'll get you through. (did I just write a jingle?)
Holidays are upon us and I'm still going to class twice a week with church stuff two other nights a week and homeschooling during the day and trying to maintain a home...I confess, just the laundry is getting done, and only minimally - so don't drop in for a visit. Basketball practice starts next week (I'm so excited, the boys haven't played sports yet!) So that's what's up and how did we get so busy?
I will make an effort to write more, but I can't make promises. I do have some post ideas though...
Monday, October 12, 2009
Don't Be This Guy
When a sweet (perhaps the sweetest) almost-six-year-old rides past you in a wobbly fashion and proudly says, "I can ride my bike now!" don't be the guy who says:
"Wow. How old are you?" "Five and a half, almost six!" "My daughter learned how right when she turned five. I just took off the training wheels and off she went!"
My son, completely absorbed in his new-found bike riding joy, didn't hear our neighbors comment. But his mother did. She said, "that's great. They learn so fast." She wanted to say, "why don't you just knock him off his bike and step on him! who cares about your daughter right this second? why do you feel compelled to make my FIVE YEAR OLD son feel like he learned to ride a bike late?" (she might even end that tirade by sticking out her tongue).
What kind of person wants to make a little child feel like less than he is?
While we're at it, don't be these people either:
The complete stranger who walks past on a neighborhood walk. The boys all wave cheerily at her. She seems cheery herself: "Hi boys! Did your mother put your sunscreen on this morning?" What? What happened to, "what a great day for a walk!"? are you the sunscreen police or something?
or the complete stranger at church who comes up to admire your newborn - or so you think. She actually accosts you with: "where's his hat? what were you thinking? it's freezing out here. he'll catch his death!"
These are all comments that I receive freely from certain people. But it's not the general public's concern as to whether my children have sunscreen or hats on OR NOT. The general public should just admire my children and move on.
"Wow. How old are you?" "Five and a half, almost six!" "My daughter learned how right when she turned five. I just took off the training wheels and off she went!"
My son, completely absorbed in his new-found bike riding joy, didn't hear our neighbors comment. But his mother did. She said, "that's great. They learn so fast." She wanted to say, "why don't you just knock him off his bike and step on him! who cares about your daughter right this second? why do you feel compelled to make my FIVE YEAR OLD son feel like he learned to ride a bike late?" (she might even end that tirade by sticking out her tongue).
What kind of person wants to make a little child feel like less than he is?
While we're at it, don't be these people either:
The complete stranger who walks past on a neighborhood walk. The boys all wave cheerily at her. She seems cheery herself: "Hi boys! Did your mother put your sunscreen on this morning?" What? What happened to, "what a great day for a walk!"? are you the sunscreen police or something?
or the complete stranger at church who comes up to admire your newborn - or so you think. She actually accosts you with: "where's his hat? what were you thinking? it's freezing out here. he'll catch his death!"
These are all comments that I receive freely from certain people. But it's not the general public's concern as to whether my children have sunscreen or hats on OR NOT. The general public should just admire my children and move on.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
"Ominous"
Last night in my accounting class someone said the word "ominous" when they meant "ambiguous". No big deal. I'm sure I use the wrong word frequently. I'm also pretty sure I'm the only one who noticed. And, no, I didn't bring it to anyone's attention - until now.
So I jotted down what I thought ominous means, "impending, in a bad way". And I jotted down what ambiguous means, "unclear, could go either way". Very huge differences. I confirmed my definitions in the dictionary.
ominous - menacing: threatening
ambiguous - open to more than one interpretation
I just think it's kind of funny:
"This accounting book presents the equation in a sort of ominous way."
Response? "Yes, it can be a very menacing accounting book."
So I jotted down what I thought ominous means, "impending, in a bad way". And I jotted down what ambiguous means, "unclear, could go either way". Very huge differences. I confirmed my definitions in the dictionary.
ominous - menacing: threatening
ambiguous - open to more than one interpretation
I just think it's kind of funny:
"This accounting book presents the equation in a sort of ominous way."
Response? "Yes, it can be a very menacing accounting book."
Monday, September 14, 2009
did you know...
...that my melon baller is for right-handed people? Of course I had to get the fancy one. The one with the little scooper-outer inside that swings across the whole interior and plops the melon out onto the beautiful platter you're using for your lovely food display. (kind of like an ice cream scoop). Turns out that scooper-outer only works when you're using your right hand.
I've owned my melon baller for over six years. I've only used it three times, each time giving up. Each time embarassed that I'm the idiot who can't figure out this simple kitchen tool. Until tonight. Tonight I tried it with my right hand, and though it took me considerably more time, a little ball was made, chopped cleanly and easily out of the melon, and plopped softly onto the serving dish.
You can bet I'll be keeping my eyes open for a simpler melon baller. One without the scooper-outer included. Although I can't say my usefulness in the kitchen completely depends upon this particular accessory...
Incidentally, in first grade were you the right-handed kid who always got stuck with the green handled scissors for the leftys? Cuz I was the lefty who learned how to cut right-handed since there were never any scissors for me. I know, it's sad.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Words
These are words I love that I heard a lot in Bali (mostly). They're mostly English and Australian words since not too many Americans travel all the way over there.
"kinder": so practical, almost nobody over here refers to kindergarten as kinder - we always have to say the entire word. Why? because no-one would know what we were saying? because so many other commonly used words begin with "kinder"?
"nappy": just sounds more fancy than diaper. In Bali I'd find myself asking in my broken Indonesian where the diapers were and they'd just look at me like I was crazy...until I remembered and said, "I mean, the nappies."
"cheeky": a way cuter way of saying sassy. I guess I'd rather my child be cheeky than sassy.
"lolly": our friends from New Zealand referred to all candy as lollies. I never thought to ask what they call a lollypop.
"mozzies": I specifically remember a girl from England on our honeymoon cursing the "mozzies" while swatting them off her skin. (mosquitoes). Most of these words I don't use, but this one has stuck.
"bangers & mash": I just think this sounds funny. It's a popular English breakfast of sausages and mashed potatoes. But the name for it is so dramatic, and maybe sounds a little indecent at first.
"tidak apa apa": this is Indonesian and is said all the time. It means "nevermind", but people use it like we would say "no problem" or "no sweat".
"sudah": also Indonesian, means already. I just thought it was interesting how much this answer was used. From what I could tell, it was used more than "yes," and I'm sure there's some deep cultural meaning for this, but I don't know it. You might say "sudah", when a new friend asks you if you're married (which is pretty much the first question out of someone's mouth), or maybe to "did you go to the store today?" "sudah". etc.
"electric": this is actually from Kyrghystan, where the electric goes off frequently. It, too, sounds fancy.
I just like these words. But I don't use (most of) them. If I was in Bali I would, but I'm not, so it would just be funny.
(Jen, I'll bet living in Australia, you hear these words all the time...probably say them too.)
"kinder": so practical, almost nobody over here refers to kindergarten as kinder - we always have to say the entire word. Why? because no-one would know what we were saying? because so many other commonly used words begin with "kinder"?
"nappy": just sounds more fancy than diaper. In Bali I'd find myself asking in my broken Indonesian where the diapers were and they'd just look at me like I was crazy...until I remembered and said, "I mean, the nappies."
"cheeky": a way cuter way of saying sassy. I guess I'd rather my child be cheeky than sassy.
"lolly": our friends from New Zealand referred to all candy as lollies. I never thought to ask what they call a lollypop.
"mozzies": I specifically remember a girl from England on our honeymoon cursing the "mozzies" while swatting them off her skin. (mosquitoes). Most of these words I don't use, but this one has stuck.
"bangers & mash": I just think this sounds funny. It's a popular English breakfast of sausages and mashed potatoes. But the name for it is so dramatic, and maybe sounds a little indecent at first.
"tidak apa apa": this is Indonesian and is said all the time. It means "nevermind", but people use it like we would say "no problem" or "no sweat".
"sudah": also Indonesian, means already. I just thought it was interesting how much this answer was used. From what I could tell, it was used more than "yes," and I'm sure there's some deep cultural meaning for this, but I don't know it. You might say "sudah", when a new friend asks you if you're married (which is pretty much the first question out of someone's mouth), or maybe to "did you go to the store today?" "sudah". etc.
"electric": this is actually from Kyrghystan, where the electric goes off frequently. It, too, sounds fancy.
I just like these words. But I don't use (most of) them. If I was in Bali I would, but I'm not, so it would just be funny.
(Jen, I'll bet living in Australia, you hear these words all the time...probably say them too.)
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Red Lights
Today was a wonderful day. I had the boys and we drove up to Yuba City (about an hour's drive) to see Charlie's aunt and uncle. We had a blast, but due to all kinds of factors - none of my boys got an afternoon nap. After an hour of swimming and fun times eating and playing with Uncle Steve and Aunt Mary, we were worn out. So we piled in the van and began the hour-long drive home.
Did you ever have a "green light" day? I have. I love those days. When fate is on your side, the gods are working for you, love is in the air, and you are not going to be late because every single light on earth is green when you arrive at the line. Those are good days.
I can't really remember having a "red light" day. Not once. But I think that's what I would call today. Before driving up to Yuba City we had an unusual amount of driving to do, and even the lights we hit this morning were red....
...but you should have seen the lights we hit tonight! The two littlest boys took a short nap and were awake and fussing. Charles was sweetly trying to calm Daniel down. And I was dutifully trying to get home. But I don't think the stars were properly aligned or something.
I have never in my life hit so many red lights. Not ever. Even those little neighborhood lights that never turn red - you know, the ones where one car exits the neighborhood every two hours? Those ones turned red. Fire station lights turned red. Lights that had just turned green turned red. It was insane.
But I didn't freak out. Because I was onto God, oh yes, I knew that just this morning I had prayed for patience. So I got some practice today. (note to self: don't pray for that again anytime soon.)
Anyway, my sweet mom saved the day by driving over and meeting me and the tired little children in the driveway when we got home. And she helped me get everyone into bed peaceably. Wonderful.
Monday, July 13, 2009
A Blessing and A Curse
Cell Phones.
Good for:
1. arranging meetings
2. setting up dr. appointments
3. cancelling dr. appointments
4. locating someone you're trying to meet at the mall
5. finding Mom after losing her at Walmart
6. asking your husband to put dinner in the oven because your grocery store/library/bank/post office trip is lasting longer than expected.
Of course, if you've got a fancy-schmancy "smartphone", they're good for so many more things than listed above.
Not good for:
1. any conversation lasting more than 2.1 minutes
and isn't that what phones are supposed to be for?
So we're the fam that only has cell phones. Maybe someday when the boys are older and there are teams and teachers and friends calling we'll get a landline, but for now, I'm too cheap to pay another $25/month for something we don't really need. 25 bucks is 25 RiteAid single scoop ice cream cones or admittance for three adults and four kids to the local swimming pool or three visits to the lake or a lot of groceries, or...
...back to the phones. They're okay if you can take the time to sit down somewhere in the house where there's no interference and have a normal conversation. But you can't do that now, at least I can't seem to. You've got to do the dishes, or you're bathing the kids, or you are at the store with all of the kids in tow and you thought it was going to be a quick conversation but it's not. So even though you want to be profound and wise and available what really happens is this:
You're talking to a friend and you both get excited and end up talking over each other on accident. And you're both saying, "oh - um - go ahead, no- you were saying...Oh! Your mom is dying? - no, no, oh, the baby's crying. Oh yeah, go get her." and you're hoping your friend doesn't think you're an idiot.
and then she says something and the phone cuts out and you aren't sure whether or not to say "What?" rather loudly because of the deafening background noise or just pretend you understand exactly how she's feeling...
and then you lose someone, but you're not sure if they can still hear you, so you end up talking to yourself. "okay, um, I can't hear you anymore. Can you hear me? If you can hear me, I'll talk to you later. 'K, bye."
It's a new world. One with cell phones. And even though I don't always love them, they're very convenient. I'm working on longer pauses to avoid talking over my much-loved friends. And I just have to confess right now, I don't know anything about the whole text messaging world. I think I've sent two. Kind of on accident.
Good for:
1. arranging meetings
2. setting up dr. appointments
3. cancelling dr. appointments
4. locating someone you're trying to meet at the mall
5. finding Mom after losing her at Walmart
6. asking your husband to put dinner in the oven because your grocery store/library/bank/post office trip is lasting longer than expected.
Of course, if you've got a fancy-schmancy "smartphone", they're good for so many more things than listed above.
Not good for:
1. any conversation lasting more than 2.1 minutes
and isn't that what phones are supposed to be for?
So we're the fam that only has cell phones. Maybe someday when the boys are older and there are teams and teachers and friends calling we'll get a landline, but for now, I'm too cheap to pay another $25/month for something we don't really need. 25 bucks is 25 RiteAid single scoop ice cream cones or admittance for three adults and four kids to the local swimming pool or three visits to the lake or a lot of groceries, or...
...back to the phones. They're okay if you can take the time to sit down somewhere in the house where there's no interference and have a normal conversation. But you can't do that now, at least I can't seem to. You've got to do the dishes, or you're bathing the kids, or you are at the store with all of the kids in tow and you thought it was going to be a quick conversation but it's not. So even though you want to be profound and wise and available what really happens is this:
You're talking to a friend and you both get excited and end up talking over each other on accident. And you're both saying, "oh - um - go ahead, no- you were saying...Oh! Your mom is dying? - no, no, oh, the baby's crying. Oh yeah, go get her." and you're hoping your friend doesn't think you're an idiot.
and then she says something and the phone cuts out and you aren't sure whether or not to say "What?" rather loudly because of the deafening background noise or just pretend you understand exactly how she's feeling...
and then you lose someone, but you're not sure if they can still hear you, so you end up talking to yourself. "okay, um, I can't hear you anymore. Can you hear me? If you can hear me, I'll talk to you later. 'K, bye."
It's a new world. One with cell phones. And even though I don't always love them, they're very convenient. I'm working on longer pauses to avoid talking over my much-loved friends. And I just have to confess right now, I don't know anything about the whole text messaging world. I think I've sent two. Kind of on accident.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Summer, A Poem
As a follow-up to the Seasons post, today I remembered a little poem I wrote in 6th grade, and I managed to dig it out of the closet. It's an Elizabethan Sonnet, which, loosely, means that there have to be a specific number of syllables per line and certain lines must rhyme with certain other ones.
"Summer"
Of all the seasons I recall,
Winter, fall, summer, and spring,
I love the summer best of all.
When nature calls and robins sing,
It's the time for school to end.
Time to swim and time to run,
A time to play with your best friend,
A time to frolic in the sun.
Before you know it, summer's ending
It's giving up,
And surrendering.
It's leaving the golden cup,
Giving it to fall,
No matter what, I still love summer best of all.
There you have it. My feelings haven't changed. Though I do considerably less frolicking in the sun than I did then. I'm not sure what the "golden cup" had to do with anything - except that cup rhymes with up, and those two lines had to rhyme.
Incidentally, this poem won 2nd place at the Oakview Elementary writer's fair. A brilliant piece of work, if you ask me. Not sure exactly what I was up against...
"Summer"
Of all the seasons I recall,
Winter, fall, summer, and spring,
I love the summer best of all.
When nature calls and robins sing,
It's the time for school to end.
Time to swim and time to run,
A time to play with your best friend,
A time to frolic in the sun.
Before you know it, summer's ending
It's giving up,
And surrendering.
It's leaving the golden cup,
Giving it to fall,
No matter what, I still love summer best of all.
There you have it. My feelings haven't changed. Though I do considerably less frolicking in the sun than I did then. I'm not sure what the "golden cup" had to do with anything - except that cup rhymes with up, and those two lines had to rhyme.
Incidentally, this poem won 2nd place at the Oakview Elementary writer's fair. A brilliant piece of work, if you ask me. Not sure exactly what I was up against...
Friday, February 13, 2009
New Post
Sometimes Charlie and I play a game wherein we use as many "trendy" big words as possible. An example sentence follows:
I am currently inundated with a plethora of amalgam to do.
Including, but not limited to -
1. bookkeeping
2. taxes (this is particularly daunting, as I have decided to do both business and personal myself this year.)
3. cleaning the bathroom and kitchen (is this really necessary today? perhaps not)
4. getting three boys ready for the day
5. getting three boys through the day
6. cleaning up breakfast
7. having a good and cheerful attitude
8. duh, laundry!
9. finishing this post to tend to afore-mentioned children! (who might, or might not be fighting over a Batman car).
Hasta.
I am currently inundated with a plethora of amalgam to do.
Including, but not limited to -
1. bookkeeping
2. taxes (this is particularly daunting, as I have decided to do both business and personal myself this year.)
3. cleaning the bathroom and kitchen (is this really necessary today? perhaps not)
4. getting three boys ready for the day
5. getting three boys through the day
6. cleaning up breakfast
7. having a good and cheerful attitude
8. duh, laundry!
9. finishing this post to tend to afore-mentioned children! (who might, or might not be fighting over a Batman car).
Hasta.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
37 weeks
...in which we find that the baby seems perilously close to falling out every time I get up to walk somewhere.
Less than three weeks to go! I was more than ready for both Charles and Thomas to come into this world. And I am very excited to see this little guy. But I think that now I have a slightly different perspective. Once I have him, he'll be a newborn for a few weeks, and then he'll be a tiny baby, then a crawler, a walker, a one-year-old, two-year-old, three-year-old - and all of a sudden he'll be eighteen or something insane like that!!!
So I'm not as desperate to have this baby as I was with the older two. Yes, I look forward to being able to sleep on my tummy again (or just sleep again, which I realize won't be happening for the next few months at least). Yes, I look forward to being able to pick up Charles and Thomas, to running, to not being huge and unwieldy, to being able to paint my own toenails. But I also already feel nostalgic about the tiny baby he'll be for oh-so-short a time.
Less than three weeks to go! I was more than ready for both Charles and Thomas to come into this world. And I am very excited to see this little guy. But I think that now I have a slightly different perspective. Once I have him, he'll be a newborn for a few weeks, and then he'll be a tiny baby, then a crawler, a walker, a one-year-old, two-year-old, three-year-old - and all of a sudden he'll be eighteen or something insane like that!!!
So I'm not as desperate to have this baby as I was with the older two. Yes, I look forward to being able to sleep on my tummy again (or just sleep again, which I realize won't be happening for the next few months at least). Yes, I look forward to being able to pick up Charles and Thomas, to running, to not being huge and unwieldy, to being able to paint my own toenails. But I also already feel nostalgic about the tiny baby he'll be for oh-so-short a time.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Travels, Pregnancy, and Baby Wraps
Now we're staying at Gull Lake in a fun old cabin. Charlie is refinishing some of the product that we shipped over last summer while we were in Bali. We plan on being home sometime next week.
I did see my doctor before we left. And, just in case you were wondering, he agreed with me on my due date with hardly even a sideways glance. I felt kind of silly for being so concerned about it. I had all of these visions of doctors and nurses telling me we had to induce or schedule a C-section because they assumed the baby was overdue. Now, don't get me wrong, if the baby comes well before July 7, I'll be the last to argue (although I would like him to at least wait until July 1).
So far the medical community I've been exposed to seems to respect those who choose to do Natural Family Planning. He just asked me if I knew when I got pregnant and said "You're right, it doesn't make any sense for your due date to be that early." Needless to say, I'm pleased with my doctor, too.
I am also thinking about how much more I like being pregnant with my third baby. A friend and I were talking about that. We were speculating that maybe it's because we know it goes by a lot faster than it seems. Maybe since we've already done it a couple of times we get the sense of time's fleeting presence. You think you're going to be pregnant forever, and then all of a sudden the baby you were carrying is four years old. I'm also thinking that having two little ones to take care of makes the time fly by too. I often find myself at the end of the day standing up from taking off someone's shoes or giving baths and rubbing my tummy, then thinking to myself: "Oh yeah! I'm pregnant!"
Of course, now that I'm in my last two months, it's getting harder to forget that I'm pregnant. Now the thought goes more like, "Oh yeah! Pretty soon there's going to be another little sweetie to love on!"
And I've been researching wraps for carrying the baby around after he's born. My friend Michelle has this awesome one, and carries around her 25lb baby on her front without any back problems at all. She pretty much sold me on the one she is using. If a girl can carry around a baby who is that big for a few hours with little discomfort, I'm thinking that's the wrap for me!
Has anyone had any experience with wraps? I have narrowed it down to the Ella Roo wrap, or the Moby D. Michelle uses the Ella Roo one, and I've seen online that the Moby D is comparable, any thoughts?
I did see my doctor before we left. And, just in case you were wondering, he agreed with me on my due date with hardly even a sideways glance. I felt kind of silly for being so concerned about it. I had all of these visions of doctors and nurses telling me we had to induce or schedule a C-section because they assumed the baby was overdue. Now, don't get me wrong, if the baby comes well before July 7, I'll be the last to argue (although I would like him to at least wait until July 1).
So far the medical community I've been exposed to seems to respect those who choose to do Natural Family Planning. He just asked me if I knew when I got pregnant and said "You're right, it doesn't make any sense for your due date to be that early." Needless to say, I'm pleased with my doctor, too.
I am also thinking about how much more I like being pregnant with my third baby. A friend and I were talking about that. We were speculating that maybe it's because we know it goes by a lot faster than it seems. Maybe since we've already done it a couple of times we get the sense of time's fleeting presence. You think you're going to be pregnant forever, and then all of a sudden the baby you were carrying is four years old. I'm also thinking that having two little ones to take care of makes the time fly by too. I often find myself at the end of the day standing up from taking off someone's shoes or giving baths and rubbing my tummy, then thinking to myself: "Oh yeah! I'm pregnant!"
Of course, now that I'm in my last two months, it's getting harder to forget that I'm pregnant. Now the thought goes more like, "Oh yeah! Pretty soon there's going to be another little sweetie to love on!"
And I've been researching wraps for carrying the baby around after he's born. My friend Michelle has this awesome one, and carries around her 25lb baby on her front without any back problems at all. She pretty much sold me on the one she is using. If a girl can carry around a baby who is that big for a few hours with little discomfort, I'm thinking that's the wrap for me!
Has anyone had any experience with wraps? I have narrowed it down to the Ella Roo wrap, or the Moby D. Michelle uses the Ella Roo one, and I've seen online that the Moby D is comparable, any thoughts?
Thursday, August 30, 2007
"Me-wi-ca" I mean, "America"
Charles (after some thought): "In Mewica the floors are soft."
Me: "What do you mean? The floors outside or inside?"
Charles: "Inside."
Yes, there are many carpeted floors in America. Not too many here. Okay, once in a while you might see a rug, but that's about it. Funny that that's what Charles had to say about the whole thing.
Right now, if you ask him where he's from he says "Bali".
But he is pretty excited about our upcoming airplane ride to California.
Me: "What do you mean? The floors outside or inside?"
Charles: "Inside."
Yes, there are many carpeted floors in America. Not too many here. Okay, once in a while you might see a rug, but that's about it. Funny that that's what Charles had to say about the whole thing.
Right now, if you ask him where he's from he says "Bali".
But he is pretty excited about our upcoming airplane ride to California.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Fanatic
I have a confession: I have always been, and still am, a fanatic when it comes to keeping toys together. Somewhat of a Toy Scrooge. My Barbie's hair was never un-brush-able. I didn't lose her rings (though sometimes my mom rescued a mini high-heel from near vacuuming). My doll's clothes were never lost. My play-dough colors were NOT mixed. I did not waste my water-colors, spreading reds and greens pell-mell across the browns and yellows. It's pretty safe to say that I lost very few pieces of my toys in my growing up years, and the toys were very orderly. Nobody taught me this.
I babysat all the time and always wondered when I went to read a book, how a mother could miss her kids coloring all over it. How could she not have noticed her kids ripping the pages up? Now I know the answer. She was probably trying to make herself presentable and decided that the sacrifice of one little book was worth it.
Now I'm a mother, and I am still the perfectionist I was as a child. Do you want to know how long I have kept some stickers before finally calling enough, enough? Too long. I quickly gave up on keeping the play-dough the same color as the lid. And I let Charles do whatever he wants with the water-colors, even though that means that the yellow is almost completely gone, while the other colors will live to paint many more pictures. These were huge challenges for me.
Our books are no longer what they once were. Some are ripped. Some are bent. I have a lot of respect for whoever invented "board books", but they still can't last forever. And I get a little upset with myself inside: "Christy, how could you let the boys do this? Who gave us this book? They spent money on it, and now it's got no cover!..."
I'm learning to let it go, but I do have a catalogue of toys MIA. I'm keeping my eyes open for...
one Elmo/Cookie Monster phone
a puzzle piece
4 Hot Wheels cars
and a pair of blue swimming goggles
where can they have got to?
and if you see Thomas' orange pajama shirt, drop it by - he threw it over the balcony this morning and it's making me crazy to only have half of a set.
I babysat all the time and always wondered when I went to read a book, how a mother could miss her kids coloring all over it. How could she not have noticed her kids ripping the pages up? Now I know the answer. She was probably trying to make herself presentable and decided that the sacrifice of one little book was worth it.
Now I'm a mother, and I am still the perfectionist I was as a child. Do you want to know how long I have kept some stickers before finally calling enough, enough? Too long. I quickly gave up on keeping the play-dough the same color as the lid. And I let Charles do whatever he wants with the water-colors, even though that means that the yellow is almost completely gone, while the other colors will live to paint many more pictures. These were huge challenges for me.
Our books are no longer what they once were. Some are ripped. Some are bent. I have a lot of respect for whoever invented "board books", but they still can't last forever. And I get a little upset with myself inside: "Christy, how could you let the boys do this? Who gave us this book? They spent money on it, and now it's got no cover!..."
I'm learning to let it go, but I do have a catalogue of toys MIA. I'm keeping my eyes open for...
one Elmo/Cookie Monster phone
a puzzle piece
4 Hot Wheels cars
and a pair of blue swimming goggles
where can they have got to?
and if you see Thomas' orange pajama shirt, drop it by - he threw it over the balcony this morning and it's making me crazy to only have half of a set.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Question For You
We just got the notice from the post office that a package is waiting to be picked up. I'm terribly excited. I have been since my mom and sister-in-law suggested the possibility of it's existence and asked for ideas of what to send.
Some of the things that are coming: all-natural lice-repellent (see this post); dark chocolate M&Ms; some fun crafty things for the boys.
My question is this: If you were outside of the U.S. what do you think you would miss most?/When you've traveled, what did you miss?
I can understand that you might not be that excited about lice repellent, but what WOULD you be excited about?
We are pretty lucky in that there is a huge Western population here, and consequently a huge availability for imports, but they're terribly expensive and often hard to justify buying.
My friend Monica and I saw a guy with an In'N'Out t-shirt the other day. Monica expressed both of our thoughts accurately: "That's just not fair." How dare he tempt us with memories of In'N'Out? Oh well, we both will be home in the fall, and you can guess one place our families will head.
Some of the things that are coming: all-natural lice-repellent (see this post); dark chocolate M&Ms; some fun crafty things for the boys.
My question is this: If you were outside of the U.S. what do you think you would miss most?/When you've traveled, what did you miss?
I can understand that you might not be that excited about lice repellent, but what WOULD you be excited about?
We are pretty lucky in that there is a huge Western population here, and consequently a huge availability for imports, but they're terribly expensive and often hard to justify buying.
My friend Monica and I saw a guy with an In'N'Out t-shirt the other day. Monica expressed both of our thoughts accurately: "That's just not fair." How dare he tempt us with memories of In'N'Out? Oh well, we both will be home in the fall, and you can guess one place our families will head.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Children's Books
English board book with pictures of various animal's feet:
To Whom Do These Belong?...
an American board book with same pics would be entitiled:
Who's Are These?
or the "Redneck" book:
Them There Feets Go To Who?
I just think maybe I'd sound a little more educated if my parents had bought me British children's books.
To Whom Do These Belong?...
an American board book with same pics would be entitiled:
Who's Are These?
or the "Redneck" book:
Them There Feets Go To Who?
I just think maybe I'd sound a little more educated if my parents had bought me British children's books.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Home (for now)
I often wonder if the boys will get confused that I call so many places "home". Since we are constantly traveling, we are constantly going to a different home. So when Charles wakes up in the car and asks, "Where we are we?" (in his adorable three year old way), and I respond, "We're home!"; what is he thinking? He never really reacts, so I assume home means something different to him than it did to me growing up.
When I was little (and even now), home was the brown house with three big steps leading up to it. It is the place we always went back to. We never moved. We never left for longer than a two week vacation.
To Charles and Thomas, home is where we are staying for the moment - whether for three days or six months. Sometimes it's their grandparent's house, often it's a hotel, and once in a while it's a cabin in the woods (yay, Cardinal Village!). I've taken to clarifying, lest the boys wonder: "We're home! at Grammy's!" or "We're home! At the Bali hotel!" I try to use words they will understand. For a while (our longest stint yet), we rented a condo by the beach. We called that our "beach house", so that when we traveled Charles could refer back to it.
All in all, even though we are nomads most of the time, it seems that the boys are fine with it. They don't get upset when I say "we're home!" and ask, "Well, where is that, Mom? WHICH home?" They just know that when they're "home" they're with Mom and Dad and they'll be taken care of. I think I worry because I know what it means to me. I get a little homesick. I have read some articles that say this much change isn't good for little ones. But, guess what? It's great. The boys are happy. They are right on target compared with other kids their age. There are some things they do better and some things they do worse than their peers. It's all good. They exceed at making new friends and finding exciting new things/places. They aren't shy.
So here's to our new "home", for four entire months! We are staying in the same place we were last time, the Sanur Paradise Plaza Suites.
When I was little (and even now), home was the brown house with three big steps leading up to it. It is the place we always went back to. We never moved. We never left for longer than a two week vacation.
To Charles and Thomas, home is where we are staying for the moment - whether for three days or six months. Sometimes it's their grandparent's house, often it's a hotel, and once in a while it's a cabin in the woods (yay, Cardinal Village!). I've taken to clarifying, lest the boys wonder: "We're home! at Grammy's!" or "We're home! At the Bali hotel!" I try to use words they will understand. For a while (our longest stint yet), we rented a condo by the beach. We called that our "beach house", so that when we traveled Charles could refer back to it.
All in all, even though we are nomads most of the time, it seems that the boys are fine with it. They don't get upset when I say "we're home!" and ask, "Well, where is that, Mom? WHICH home?" They just know that when they're "home" they're with Mom and Dad and they'll be taken care of. I think I worry because I know what it means to me. I get a little homesick. I have read some articles that say this much change isn't good for little ones. But, guess what? It's great. The boys are happy. They are right on target compared with other kids their age. There are some things they do better and some things they do worse than their peers. It's all good. They exceed at making new friends and finding exciting new things/places. They aren't shy.
So here's to our new "home", for four entire months! We are staying in the same place we were last time, the Sanur Paradise Plaza Suites.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Where, Oh Where?
Where, oh where have I been? We visited my parents for a few weeks, and for some reason I couldn't log in to my account on their computer. Though you may think of me as a computer-savvy chick, you are woefully mistaken. I was unable to ascertain the reason for the problem.
BUT...I did get to visit with my parents, grandparents, and my brother's family. It was fun for the boys to see their cousin Aubrey - who was recently diagnosed with Celiac disease (a disease which doesn't allow the person's body to process gluten). The last time we visited she had just been diagnosed and was still in a lot of pain. Consequently, she was very shy and still a little bit sad. This time she was a completely new little girl. She is talking great (she turned two in November), and was so excited to come play with the boys. It was wonderful to see her feeling so good, and be so active around us.
Charlie has been travelling almost the whole time we've been home. He has done two trade shows and just got back from spending time in Mexico with one of our buyers. Kind of fun. I missed him lots, but I had lots of family around during all of his trips to keep us busy.
So that's us. We're all recovered from jet-lag and the boys are officially not sick. Yay! We look forward to spending some time with our friends in the mountains while pursuing a sales route for fishing "Opener" in April. (I never even new what "Opener" was until we lived in the mountains for a few years- for those of you who might not be terribly familiar with that sport: "Opener" is the first day that fishing season is "Open", not too hard to figure out, I guess.)
BUT...I did get to visit with my parents, grandparents, and my brother's family. It was fun for the boys to see their cousin Aubrey - who was recently diagnosed with Celiac disease (a disease which doesn't allow the person's body to process gluten). The last time we visited she had just been diagnosed and was still in a lot of pain. Consequently, she was very shy and still a little bit sad. This time she was a completely new little girl. She is talking great (she turned two in November), and was so excited to come play with the boys. It was wonderful to see her feeling so good, and be so active around us.
Charlie has been travelling almost the whole time we've been home. He has done two trade shows and just got back from spending time in Mexico with one of our buyers. Kind of fun. I missed him lots, but I had lots of family around during all of his trips to keep us busy.
So that's us. We're all recovered from jet-lag and the boys are officially not sick. Yay! We look forward to spending some time with our friends in the mountains while pursuing a sales route for fishing "Opener" in April. (I never even new what "Opener" was until we lived in the mountains for a few years- for those of you who might not be terribly familiar with that sport: "Opener" is the first day that fishing season is "Open", not too hard to figure out, I guess.)
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Good Ole' Jet Lag
Have you ever had jet lag? Have you ever had it with small children? Just wondering.
Upon returning to the States we decided to "power it out" and try to get over the jet-lag quickly, rather than taking the week or two that has been normal for us. We thought we would forego naps with the idea that the boys would be so tired at bedtime that they'd sleep right through the night. It was a good thought, and now we'll regroup and find a new philosophy for next time.
The conflicting schedule looks something like this: while waking up in California, it's the middle of the night in Bali. When going to bed at Grammy's, we are going down for afternoon naps over there. Two in the morning here equals dinnertime in Bali. You can understand our difficulties.
Most books I've read recommend beginning to alter your schedule several days before travel. Not a bad idea. I've contemplated this method and decided that either way I'll be entertaining my kids until late in the night, so why not wait until it's necessary? Also, sometimes the 30 hours of travel before jetlag sets in is a jump-start to sleep upon arrival. I like to call my method the "cold turkey" method. I just need to make some adjustments.
The last two nights the boys have been awake from about midnight to four or five in the morning. It doesn't help that our usual dinner-time falls in this time frame. We have succeeded in keeping daytime naps short, but those short naps have yet to succeed in making long night-time sleep. Thankfully, Charlie's parents are very understanding and Charlie's mom is somewhat of a night-owl herself. Last night she took Charles on a two a.m. walk to check out the chickens and the flowers they planted yesterday. A wonderful adventure for a three-year-old. At least it's not too much work for us, since our bodies are on the same schedule as theirs.
Today things seem to have come to a head. Thomas fell asleep on the porch swing with Uncle James amidst several bustling cousins. He proceeded to nap in a lawn chair on the porch. Charles was playing with a flashlight in our room before dinner. Charlie went to check on him and found him asleep on the rocking chair - flashlight in hand. Thomas woke up for a quick walk and some dinner, then requested to lie on the couch where he fell asleep watching us eat.
Here's hoping our two boys sleep through the night, and that we can sleep through, too.
Upon returning to the States we decided to "power it out" and try to get over the jet-lag quickly, rather than taking the week or two that has been normal for us. We thought we would forego naps with the idea that the boys would be so tired at bedtime that they'd sleep right through the night. It was a good thought, and now we'll regroup and find a new philosophy for next time.
The conflicting schedule looks something like this: while waking up in California, it's the middle of the night in Bali. When going to bed at Grammy's, we are going down for afternoon naps over there. Two in the morning here equals dinnertime in Bali. You can understand our difficulties.
Most books I've read recommend beginning to alter your schedule several days before travel. Not a bad idea. I've contemplated this method and decided that either way I'll be entertaining my kids until late in the night, so why not wait until it's necessary? Also, sometimes the 30 hours of travel before jetlag sets in is a jump-start to sleep upon arrival. I like to call my method the "cold turkey" method. I just need to make some adjustments.
The last two nights the boys have been awake from about midnight to four or five in the morning. It doesn't help that our usual dinner-time falls in this time frame. We have succeeded in keeping daytime naps short, but those short naps have yet to succeed in making long night-time sleep. Thankfully, Charlie's parents are very understanding and Charlie's mom is somewhat of a night-owl herself. Last night she took Charles on a two a.m. walk to check out the chickens and the flowers they planted yesterday. A wonderful adventure for a three-year-old. At least it's not too much work for us, since our bodies are on the same schedule as theirs.
Today things seem to have come to a head. Thomas fell asleep on the porch swing with Uncle James amidst several bustling cousins. He proceeded to nap in a lawn chair on the porch. Charles was playing with a flashlight in our room before dinner. Charlie went to check on him and found him asleep on the rocking chair - flashlight in hand. Thomas woke up for a quick walk and some dinner, then requested to lie on the couch where he fell asleep watching us eat.
Here's hoping our two boys sleep through the night, and that we can sleep through, too.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
I'm back! With lots to say!
I have been internet-less for way too many days, now. It gave me a good opportunity to see how this little website is keeping me from getting too homesick, because I might have had just a few pangs.
Guess what? We found a place!!! Who would have thought that renting a house would have been so tough? We searched for days and weeks and things kept not working out. It turns out that "rental" has many different meanings: 1. rental villas: for rich vacationers who can pay anything from $1500/month to $1500/week; but they're ready to move in to, and have EVERYTHING you need or 2. house rental: very cheap ($2,000/year and up), but requiring long-term commitment and maybe some slight remodeling. We really wanted option number two, but don't have a few months to wait around while things are fixed up, nor do we have a lot of cash and time to be finding furniture/arranging telephone and internet hookups/buying all appliances, etc.
So after a number of days chasing down every rental we could find, we had a family meeting, revamped our budget and our plans, and decided to go for the VERY low end of the rental villa spectrum. I would just like to say that things take longer here. We found three rentals that worked for us and that Charlie talked down to a great price. Three separate times we thought we would be moving out of our hotel the next day, and three separate times we were wrong. Finally we saw an add for a hotel that had two bedroom suites with kitchens. We drove over there, checked it out, and the next day we moved in. Charlie got us a great price and we have two pools, a playground, kid's club, a full gym, a shuttle to the beach and grocery store, and housekeeping all at our fingertips. This was all a huge selling point for us as I don't have my international driver's license yet, so when Charlie is out working I am kind of rooted to our place. Staying at the hotel is giving me and the boys more options when Daddy is at work!
Whew! What a crazy time. In the midst of that we were very blessed to meet a great couple that is heading up a YWAM campus here, and they graciously let us stay on the base while we were looking for a spot. We got to know the base staff and our new friends better, and the boys had fun with all the new people fussing over them.
On another note, we now have a kitchen, so I have been faced with the challenge of cooking in another country. My homesickness might have manifested itself during our trip to the grocery store. I found myself near tears more than once as I wandered up and down the aisles wondering what things were. "Here is a spice packet for 'nasi goreng'. I know that is fried rice. But is it spicy or regular? I don't know. What does 'bumbu' mean? Does it mean 'spicy'? I don't know." I gazed longingly at the boxes of western cereals - $7, I remembered how much the boys like Quaker granola bars - $10, I nearly fainted when I saw a box of Annie's Macaroni and Cheese for $8...and so I bought some local stuff and western stuff that apparantly has factories on this side of the world. I can buy Ritz crackers from the States at $8/box, or buy a smaller box with Arabic writing on it for $1.50.
We are all learning. I have made two meals here. Each consisting of fresh salad and an Indonesian dish. Yesterday I did make nasi goreng, and the other day I did some other rice dish. We bought a rice cooker, and I think I will be using it a lot. Thankfully, the boys LOVE rice and noodles, two things in plentitude here. (Nasi goreng and Mie Goreng -fried rice and fried noodles - are the main dishes around here - I daresay the "National Dishes")
Guess what? We found a place!!! Who would have thought that renting a house would have been so tough? We searched for days and weeks and things kept not working out. It turns out that "rental" has many different meanings: 1. rental villas: for rich vacationers who can pay anything from $1500/month to $1500/week; but they're ready to move in to, and have EVERYTHING you need or 2. house rental: very cheap ($2,000/year and up), but requiring long-term commitment and maybe some slight remodeling. We really wanted option number two, but don't have a few months to wait around while things are fixed up, nor do we have a lot of cash and time to be finding furniture/arranging telephone and internet hookups/buying all appliances, etc.
So after a number of days chasing down every rental we could find, we had a family meeting, revamped our budget and our plans, and decided to go for the VERY low end of the rental villa spectrum. I would just like to say that things take longer here. We found three rentals that worked for us and that Charlie talked down to a great price. Three separate times we thought we would be moving out of our hotel the next day, and three separate times we were wrong. Finally we saw an add for a hotel that had two bedroom suites with kitchens. We drove over there, checked it out, and the next day we moved in. Charlie got us a great price and we have two pools, a playground, kid's club, a full gym, a shuttle to the beach and grocery store, and housekeeping all at our fingertips. This was all a huge selling point for us as I don't have my international driver's license yet, so when Charlie is out working I am kind of rooted to our place. Staying at the hotel is giving me and the boys more options when Daddy is at work!
Whew! What a crazy time. In the midst of that we were very blessed to meet a great couple that is heading up a YWAM campus here, and they graciously let us stay on the base while we were looking for a spot. We got to know the base staff and our new friends better, and the boys had fun with all the new people fussing over them.
On another note, we now have a kitchen, so I have been faced with the challenge of cooking in another country. My homesickness might have manifested itself during our trip to the grocery store. I found myself near tears more than once as I wandered up and down the aisles wondering what things were. "Here is a spice packet for 'nasi goreng'. I know that is fried rice. But is it spicy or regular? I don't know. What does 'bumbu' mean? Does it mean 'spicy'? I don't know." I gazed longingly at the boxes of western cereals - $7, I remembered how much the boys like Quaker granola bars - $10, I nearly fainted when I saw a box of Annie's Macaroni and Cheese for $8...and so I bought some local stuff and western stuff that apparantly has factories on this side of the world. I can buy Ritz crackers from the States at $8/box, or buy a smaller box with Arabic writing on it for $1.50.
We are all learning. I have made two meals here. Each consisting of fresh salad and an Indonesian dish. Yesterday I did make nasi goreng, and the other day I did some other rice dish. We bought a rice cooker, and I think I will be using it a lot. Thankfully, the boys LOVE rice and noodles, two things in plentitude here. (Nasi goreng and Mie Goreng -fried rice and fried noodles - are the main dishes around here - I daresay the "National Dishes")
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