As you may know I am a devoted fan of Swagbucks. Being a cheap sort of person I am all about free money. Since there is no down side it was made for people like me. In the interest of full disclosure if you sign up through my link and then actually use the search engine they credit me matching swagbucks up to the first 1,000 you earn. It doesn't cost you anything and is a sort of win/win but now you know the dirty secret. I don't really like you; I just want to earn a whopping $10 to Amazon from you.
The really sad truth is that I could not care less about Amazon and I'd probably pay you $10 just to read this blog. Yeah, I am that needy. (And NO that wasn't an actual offer!)
Right, the point. Well one of the gadgets I treated myself to this year with Swagbucks was a Kindle. I wouldn't have spent my money but OPM was perfect for such a luxury item. I ended up loving it. In hindsight I may have preferred the Nook so that I could use in in Barnes and Noble but the sad truth is that I mostly buy "free" books off Amazon because I mostly read cheesy romance novels and lowbrow mysteries. I have a $150 device loaded up with garbage novels. Gotta love the irony.
So imagine my surprise when I turned it on and found the: 2011 US Government fiscal budget, Tomas Payne's Common Sense, Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography, and Memorable Thoughts of Socrates! Say what? Where is my cheesy historical romance? Socrates? REALLY? What kind of sick joke is this?
At which point Hubs confessed that he saw "Harry's Kindle" on Amazon and thus tried to load his own books. The smoke started whisping out through my ears and he said, "I thought it was mine!"
"OK, I can see where you might be confused," I said. "Except, you don't HAVE a Kindle!" Thus followed a long and noisy argement involving apps, iphones, Amazon accounts and which emails had been set up under which names for who only knows what reason ages ago and pretty soon the only thing I was sure of was that my Kindle now had actual literature instead of trashy novels. Blah!
Kudos to Hubs for employing my favorite argument strategy! If you can't convince 'em, confuse 'em enough until they give up and leave you alone. Before you suggest we share the Kindle, the whole truth is that in 4 months he hasn't picked up a book once. I might read trash, but at least I read. He intends to read but never actually gets around to it. Now I just have to figure out how to get that stuff off my Kindle. Cause you can load deep thoughts but you can't make me think 'em! Bring back my lonely cowboys and misunderstood Dukes. Socrates will have to wait, I prefer bulging muscles and smoldering looks. And to be fair, Socrates probably would have preferred Hubs if rumors are true.
background
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Time Management 101
The new year is a perfect time to think about how to make the next year better than the last. So what would I do if I walked the walk? How can you survive a deployment or other separation, or just plain old life?
Have a plan-have at least a basic idea of what you want to get done.
Have a back-up plan- because let's face it, how often is life smooth enough for the first plan to work? For example, I want to get the laundry done, all our school subjects and mop the floors before dinner. Back-up plan: wash whites and sweep floor, aim for reading, writing and math. Then later, maybe kids can do history and science while I mop.
Accept help- when people know you are working short handed they always offer to help. But usually it is in a generic "If you need something, call." format. I suggest you do just that. Call. Sometime you just have to be humble enough to know you need help. Maybe you can share car pool duties or have a kid visit the neighbors for an hour so you can concentrate on paying bills. Don't think you have to be Supermom. You don't get more gold stars for surviving alone.
Don't Run on dead batteries. You don't expect your phone to work when the battery is dead, right? How can you be both mom and dad if you are beat? Take the few precious minutes you can scrape up and un-apologetically do something to bolster yourself. Pray, exercise, take a hot bath, whatever helps you find your center again.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. No I'm not discussing the garbage here. Reduce all extra commitment and activities possible. While you are down to just one, don't try and do everything you did as a pair. Streamline the social clutter and you won't be stretched so thin that changes bring mayhem. Re-use your resources in creative ways. Mom shouldn't be the only one in the family doing more. Maybe sons can do more household chores like washing cars or weeding. Even young toddlers can be taught to match socks. If they aren't great at it at least they are happy and safe playing the matching game while you fold laundry. Recycle your energy as much as possible. Strive to not waste time or energy unless it something your family really prioritizes. This is not the time to take up new hobbies or start new volunteer time.
Laugh. Learn to see the humor in any situation. It beats crying when things go wrong. Call a friend and have a chuckle about the newest issues and you'll feel better and gain more perspective on how to best tackle the challenges.
Line up your ducks- while it is never possible to anticipate every contingency there is no reason not to take care of the obvious ones. If your finances are straight, your wills are current, powers of attorney are drawn up, house, car, and family maintenance is up to date, you greatly reduce the odds of disaster striking. If it does, at least you will be in the best position to cope.
Finally, remember that this situation is temporary. Every member of the family is experiencing stress and anxiety to different degrees. Extend each other the grace to be patient and hep each other as much as possible. With Him, all things are possible.
Have a plan-have at least a basic idea of what you want to get done.
Have a back-up plan- because let's face it, how often is life smooth enough for the first plan to work? For example, I want to get the laundry done, all our school subjects and mop the floors before dinner. Back-up plan: wash whites and sweep floor, aim for reading, writing and math. Then later, maybe kids can do history and science while I mop.
Accept help- when people know you are working short handed they always offer to help. But usually it is in a generic "If you need something, call." format. I suggest you do just that. Call. Sometime you just have to be humble enough to know you need help. Maybe you can share car pool duties or have a kid visit the neighbors for an hour so you can concentrate on paying bills. Don't think you have to be Supermom. You don't get more gold stars for surviving alone.
Don't Run on dead batteries. You don't expect your phone to work when the battery is dead, right? How can you be both mom and dad if you are beat? Take the few precious minutes you can scrape up and un-apologetically do something to bolster yourself. Pray, exercise, take a hot bath, whatever helps you find your center again.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. No I'm not discussing the garbage here. Reduce all extra commitment and activities possible. While you are down to just one, don't try and do everything you did as a pair. Streamline the social clutter and you won't be stretched so thin that changes bring mayhem. Re-use your resources in creative ways. Mom shouldn't be the only one in the family doing more. Maybe sons can do more household chores like washing cars or weeding. Even young toddlers can be taught to match socks. If they aren't great at it at least they are happy and safe playing the matching game while you fold laundry. Recycle your energy as much as possible. Strive to not waste time or energy unless it something your family really prioritizes. This is not the time to take up new hobbies or start new volunteer time.
Laugh. Learn to see the humor in any situation. It beats crying when things go wrong. Call a friend and have a chuckle about the newest issues and you'll feel better and gain more perspective on how to best tackle the challenges.
Line up your ducks- while it is never possible to anticipate every contingency there is no reason not to take care of the obvious ones. If your finances are straight, your wills are current, powers of attorney are drawn up, house, car, and family maintenance is up to date, you greatly reduce the odds of disaster striking. If it does, at least you will be in the best position to cope.
Finally, remember that this situation is temporary. Every member of the family is experiencing stress and anxiety to different degrees. Extend each other the grace to be patient and hep each other as much as possible. With Him, all things are possible.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Attack of the Killer Turkeys
Tomorrow is the last day of my daughter's tutoring group. As much as both of us love the group I am ready for the break. This is not a typical homeschool co-op group. It is not all touchy-feely do your own thing when you feel like it sort of group. This is a hard core, toe the line, or else sort of group. The kind of group that makes you think you may be the worst parent in the history of the world. They all feed their kids balanced organic food (locally grown of course--but only when their own garden is unable to grow something-say kumquats or low fat buffalo burgers)without any preservatives or red dye #3. They do messy art projects, sew their own clothes (that could be sold in high end department stores) and experiment with lasers, radioactive materials and basic surgery. They speak 3 languages, including Latin and have been doing Calculus since infancy. They read Aristotle in Greek.
Of course I exaggerate. Radioactive materials are restricted.
Seriously, though, these kids (and their VERY dedicated moms!) are amazing. I am not sure how or why they let us join although I suspect it falls under the heading of "charitable works for the less organized."
I mention all this only to illustrate why the house was in an uproar tonight. Tomorrow is our end semester party and thus we must bring in a treat.
No ordinary treat will do. It must be tasty, healthy, and amazingly creative. Not that they expect such, (well, ok, they probably do) but because then I will be able to say, "See! Sure we still have trouble conjugating our verbs and yes! we do occasionally forget that V says W in Latin, but darn it all we are amazing cooks! That is what takes up all our time!"
In order to have time for THE PROJECT we had cold cereal for breakfast and eggs for dinner. I also told the kids if they mentioned that to ANYONE Christmas was canceled this year! Once the day's cooking was over D2 and I went to work.
Rather than waiting for my muse to speak, (my muse being mostly mute) I did what any super-mom does and googled cute party ideas. I found this.
Cute, and easy enough for D2 to assemble.
There were just a few problems.
I forgot to get Whoppers, and peanut-butter cups. Also the frosting was tinted blue.
But no problem I found some Hershey Kisses and figured we could adapt a bit. In the end, there were candy wrappers scattered across the kitchen, streaks of blue frosting on the chairs, table, and the cat. One Oreo had been mushed under foot and then tracked around. I found candy corn in my fake flower centerpiece.
I think the Turkey won this round. The turkeys fought the good fight though.
I plan on telling the other moms that this is no big deal, just the final project on our in depth study of Picasso and abstract art.
Don't judge me.
The best part is that a room full of kids raised on organic carob and quinoa is going to be fed Oreos, candy corn, Kisses and frosting from a can! Oh yes, and blue # 2. It's ok, I am still CPR certified when they go into sugar arrest.
Of course I exaggerate. Radioactive materials are restricted.
Seriously, though, these kids (and their VERY dedicated moms!) are amazing. I am not sure how or why they let us join although I suspect it falls under the heading of "charitable works for the less organized."
I mention all this only to illustrate why the house was in an uproar tonight. Tomorrow is our end semester party and thus we must bring in a treat.
No ordinary treat will do. It must be tasty, healthy, and amazingly creative. Not that they expect such, (well, ok, they probably do) but because then I will be able to say, "See! Sure we still have trouble conjugating our verbs and yes! we do occasionally forget that V says W in Latin, but darn it all we are amazing cooks! That is what takes up all our time!"
In order to have time for THE PROJECT we had cold cereal for breakfast and eggs for dinner. I also told the kids if they mentioned that to ANYONE Christmas was canceled this year! Once the day's cooking was over D2 and I went to work.
Rather than waiting for my muse to speak, (my muse being mostly mute) I did what any super-mom does and googled cute party ideas. I found this.
Cute, and easy enough for D2 to assemble.
There were just a few problems.
I forgot to get Whoppers, and peanut-butter cups. Also the frosting was tinted blue.
But no problem I found some Hershey Kisses and figured we could adapt a bit. In the end, there were candy wrappers scattered across the kitchen, streaks of blue frosting on the chairs, table, and the cat. One Oreo had been mushed under foot and then tracked around. I found candy corn in my fake flower centerpiece.
I think the Turkey won this round. The turkeys fought the good fight though.
I plan on telling the other moms that this is no big deal, just the final project on our in depth study of Picasso and abstract art.
Don't judge me.
The best part is that a room full of kids raised on organic carob and quinoa is going to be fed Oreos, candy corn, Kisses and frosting from a can! Oh yes, and blue # 2. It's ok, I am still CPR certified when they go into sugar arrest.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
There's One in Every Family
And in mine it's my sister. Oh I know what you are thinking. Surely, Nancy you must be the nut-ball. There can't possibly be TWO in your family! And you would be right on both counts. But that's not what I mean at all.
Just the opposite really.
I can't explain it, but the facts don't lie. Never mind crazy Irish Catholic dis-functionalism, this girl has her ducks in a row. She is actually one of those people who would drive you nuts: perfect family, amazing career, and she is the same single digit size she was in college!
I know! It's not right. I would surely hate her except for one thing: I admire her too much. See she is also caring, forgiving, and tolerant. All areas in which I myself fall infinitely short.
She is the sort of person who can nose dive into a sewer and come out clean with a handful of diamonds. She can be presented with problems that would send any sane person running for chocolate and liquid solace. But her? She just grits her teeth, and digs in. Then she not only conquers, she makes it look easy.
She is also the person who can take any obnoxious person, especially her annoying big sis, and handle them with grace and charm. She seldom gets the credit she deserves inside the family,which is why I am utterly thrilled with her current success. In our defense, you can hardly expect a bunch of mules to appreciate a thoroughbred in their midst. It screws up the curve.
Anyway, I am as always, in awe of her. She makes me wish I was a better person. I guess you can simply say she's my hero.
Just the opposite really.
I can't explain it, but the facts don't lie. Never mind crazy Irish Catholic dis-functionalism, this girl has her ducks in a row. She is actually one of those people who would drive you nuts: perfect family, amazing career, and she is the same single digit size she was in college!
I know! It's not right. I would surely hate her except for one thing: I admire her too much. See she is also caring, forgiving, and tolerant. All areas in which I myself fall infinitely short.
She is the sort of person who can nose dive into a sewer and come out clean with a handful of diamonds. She can be presented with problems that would send any sane person running for chocolate and liquid solace. But her? She just grits her teeth, and digs in. Then she not only conquers, she makes it look easy.
She is also the person who can take any obnoxious person, especially her annoying big sis, and handle them with grace and charm. She seldom gets the credit she deserves inside the family,which is why I am utterly thrilled with her current success. In our defense, you can hardly expect a bunch of mules to appreciate a thoroughbred in their midst. It screws up the curve.
Anyway, I am as always, in awe of her. She makes me wish I was a better person. I guess you can simply say she's my hero.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)