Sad Mouse

Dear Friends and Family,

Woe is me.

March is gone. The weather has been crappy. I don't enjoy work. I'm on a million and one medicines for my ear. My thyroid is back out of whack. My budget experiment has been an abysmal failure. And, I just got a crappy letter from a company that reminds me I really didn't make the progress I've wanted to on my idea.

On a positive note, our retirement account did well, hard not to with stock indexes hitting record highs. Still, I guess I need to focus on the positive.

I still have decent health, although it could be better, it could be a lot worse. Mr. mouse and P have excellent health. We're both still gainfully employed. I love my family. My family loves me. We have a roof over our heads and an emergency fund for emergencies. It's Friday.

Perhaps, I need to think about this in chunkable pieces.

1. I will take my medicine for my ear. I will assess how it is doing when I finish my course of medicine. Outside of that, it is not currently in my control.
2. I do not control time or weather. Outside of my control.
3. My thyroid is out of whack. I will take medicine. I will take vitamins. I will adopt a dairy free lifestyle. I will eat TUMS instead for calcium.
4. I will see if we can make progress this weekend on our budget. If I make it through today, which I should, then I will be able to see if we can make ground this weekend. We ended last weekend $257 in the hole. Realistically, I will try to end this weekend only $180 in the hole.
5. I will call the company I got the crappy letter from and see what my options are. I don't want to pay $205 and then have my policy cancel on May 1 if I don't make the progress I need to make in April. I don't think they want to either. So, I'll call and see what my options are.
6. Work. What to do about work. Ideally, I'd like to work through September when P starts school. That means five more months. The months fly quickly. Still, I don't enjoy work. This one I need to think about. But, given all of the above, I'm not going to think about it now. I'm going to at least wait until after my ear clears up.

So, my top three for today. My ear. My budget. The phone call.

Okay. I feel marginally better. The house is a disaster, but I feel marginally better.


Cheers!
mouse

In Search of Normalcy

Dear Friends and Family,

After so many abnormal weeks, I'm looking for a plain Jane ordinary week. A week without a doctor's appointment, a week without jury duty, a week without Mr. mouse traveling, a week without something school related. A week without five days of bad traffic for no good reason. A week where everyone in the mouse house is healthy. A normal week where Monday to Friday we just do our normal mouse family thing.

Perhaps next week will be such a week. We have nothing on the docket school wise. We have nothing on the docket travel wise. Perhaps next week will just be an ordinary week.

Yesterday, we had a mix up on meeting up points. I picked P up early and brought her home after my doctor's appointment. I tried calling Mr. mouse repeatedly but did not leave a message. Mr. mouse called my desk phone since he didn't want to call my cell phone, and then took the train out to meet us for mail and dinner. Then, Mr. mouse was talking to someone or another from work and missed my call and didn't get off by the house and ended up in the suburbs somewhere and had to take the train back home. Hassle and a quarter and to rub salt in the wound, now we're $9 in the hole for the week.

This may be why I'd love a normal week. All these random things throw the budget completely out of whack. There's the $15 in medicine from yesterday, and the $7 in parking. There's the $14 in parking when I was on jury duty and the extra $3 in train fare when I was on jury duty and the $2 for a bottle of water since they don't let you bring in water bottles.

A normal week. That's all I want.


Cheers!
mouse

Jury Duty

Dear Friends and Family,

I walked out of the house just after 7 o'clock and walked to the bus station. I took the bus to the transfer point and transferred to another bus. It was nice being outside even if the wind was a little brisk. I took the second bus to the courthouse and arrived with approximately 15 minutes to spare.

I went through the metal detector and sent my bag through the x-ray screening. I walked around a little bit looking for the jury assembly room. I presented my papers and drew a lot for my panel (panel 37) and took one of the many comfy seats they had lined up in the room.

I read some papers I had meant to read for my idea. I began watching Breaking Dawn Part 2. At 9:30, they played a ten minute video for us telling us what to expect for the day. Then, they announced that there was only one jury trial in the courthouse for the day. And, we settled in for the wait.

The room was quite large and the seats spread out. They played one TV for people who needed entertainment. There are restrooms and vending machines. And, there were three quiet rooms if the TV bothered you. All in all, not a bad place to spend a day. They allowed laptops, electronic books and smart phones. Or, at least, they didn't disallow them. But, definitely no cell phone conversations.

I nibbled on trail mix. I bought a bottle of water for $1.25. I watched the rest of the movie. It was 11:30. I ate a sandwich. At 11:45, I moved to one of the quiet rooms. And, just as I was getting settled, they announced that the defendant had pleaded guilty in the one jury trial of the day, so we were all dismissed.

I collected my check for $17.20 and headed out to take the bus home.


Cheers!
mouse

Jury Duty

Dear Friends and Family,

I received a letter in the mail about a month ago for standby jury duty. I called yesterday and was told, yes, please report to the courthouse today.

I've decided to take the bus to save the money for the week.

I'm bringing with me:

1. notebook and brick
2. blackberry
3. personal cell phone
4. ipod
5. my kindle with my books
6. Mr. mouse's kindle with my movies
7. a paperback book and a 21 page document on my idea
8. headphones
9. coins
10. lunch and snack

Hopefully it's not too painful.


Cheers!
mouse

03.25.13: Budget Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

I explained our budget to P so she was very diligent this weekend about spending money. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about her parents.

I thought the weekend would be flush with cash after the belt tightening of the weekday. Alas, after we paid for the gas bill, my haircut, the house cleaning, the dry cleaning, and the groceries, we were in the hole for the weekend. This highlights how lax we've gotten with our spending. Because, pre-budget, we would have thought nothing of going out for a meal or two and doing something with P on both days.

I guess I need to be cognizant of having haircut and house cleaning on the same weekend. And, the gas bill will hopefully go down once we have some decent weather. This week will be impossible if I get jury duty. Or rather it will be impossible if I get jury duty and Mr. mouse rents a car to do drop off. We'll see what we decide once I call tonight to see if I need to show up. Looks like driving will take 20 minutes, public transportation will take an hour and 20 minutes. But, mass transit is "free" since I'm merely swapping with Mr. mouse whereas renting a car is definitely not free.

The rest of the weekend was fun. Saturday, Mr. mouse took P to the art museum (free) and we went to the park on Sunday (also free). The highlight of the weekend was Sunday night when P and I pretended we were in an auto race. We raced. We stood and made Mr. mouse sing the respective anthems. We sprinkled each other with pretend champagne. We stood for our photos. We sat for our press conference and made Mr. mouse ask us questions. For our last round, P used her baseball helmet for a racing helmet and offered me her baby doll's knit cap for a racing helmet.

I can only imagine what the pictures will look like.


Cheers!
mouse

52 Things Will Leave the Mouse Pad (Round 2) Update

Dear Friends and Family,

It's a new year. And, I'm beginning another round of my clutter diet. The goal? I am going to try and have 52 things meaningfully leave the mouse pad this year. It's a purposeful decision to remove something that has found a home in our home. I'm evicting unwanted tenants.

There's different questions different people use to gauge what should stay and what should go. There's do I still love it, does it serve a purpose, when did I last use it, etc. My guiding light question will be knowing what I know today, would I buy this today?

The List (most recent departures listed first):

1. We're sending over a box to my cousin's little boy. He just turned one. It's a wonderful opportunity for us to shed some toys P is done with. First is a large zoo my brother got her for her second Christmas.
2. Next is a small zoo Mr. mouse's folks got P for her second Christmas.
3. There's a bucket of blocks P got from my parents.
4. There's a set of bowling pins from Auntie Janet from P's second birthday.
5. And, last but not least, there's a puzzle Mr. mouse bought once when we were traveling. It's got four little puzzles each with four pieces.
6. I've been sick for three days now and so I'm going to focus on something small for today. My friend Pete offered me $50 for my four year old crib and mattress. P's slept in it almost every night since she was three months old so we've gotten full usage out of it. It'll be a little sad, but she loves her big girl bed so I guess she's ready for the change.
7. We had a small refrigerator sitting on our landing. It used to be in Mr. mouse's office until they moved offices and sneaking a refrigerator in got too complicated. Then, we used it for parties on the deck, on occasion. However, it's latest use, gathering dust while sitting on our landing for the last four years, didn't seem like its best use. So, when we learned the nursery room that P stays in when I go to church needed a refrigerator, we dropped it off.
8. I'm writing about clutter because sometimes it's easier to focus on a small thing than to try and process a storm going on around you. And, I am truly getting rid of something so I have the slight endorphin rush from progress against clutter. This one is almost comical. I have 12 Disney coffee mugs I bought in 1994 so almost twenty years ago. Actually, I bought close to two dozen mugs, but donated a batch some years ago and kept only my favorites. The colors are them are really nice. The feel of them is really nice. I haven't used one ever. They're still new in box. I found a friend of a friend who has a car with a vanity plate of Disney Lover. I am going to give the last 12 mugs to her. I am still sad to have these mugs leave the house. I don't use them. They sit above my stove in the cabinet. They need to go. Would I buy them today? Possibly, if I came across them somewhere. The problem is, I don't think I'd come across them anywhere today. So, I guess I couldn't or rather I wouldn't buy them today. Be strong, mouse, let them go.
9. The next two are almost trivial. I almost feel guilty counting them. Yesterday, I went into a bin of light bulbs we had and I found a plant bulb from the pile of random bulbs that sit in our garage. I brought it into work and gave it to my friend who now uses it to light up the plant I gave her. (see below, second from bottom)
10. I brought a bag of P's swim diapers to school. We've been most excellent about managing diaper inventory and diaper transitions to not have spare diapers, but swim diapers are a different story. On numerous occasions, we bought a pack of 12 to use one at the hotel pool and brought 11 home. Since P doesn't need swim diapers anymore and since we forgot to bring them to my sister who does, I brought them into school and gave them to the two year old room, for those times they might need them.
11. junk: old telephone and two routers
12. useful, just not for us: sandwich maker
13. junk: three plastic cups
14. useful, just not for us: bagel slicer
15. useful, just not for us: more aqua globes
16. useful, just not for us: two winter coats
17. baby gear: two baby gates
18. baby gear: three baby gates
19. books: five or more kid books
20. toys: two noise makers
21. toys: Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders
22. toys: elephant pull toy
23. toys: peg puzzle with farm animals
24. toys: two bags of blocks
25. useful, just not for us: house plant
26. useful, just not for us: exercise ball

The tally from 2012?

1. junk: 15
2. useful, just not for us: 14
3. toys: 11
4. baby gear: 7
5. odds and ends: 3
6. books: 2

We'll see if I can get to 52 this year. I'm cautiously optimistic.


Cheers!
mouse

$20 to See Me Through the Day

Dear Friends and Family,

The first week on a budget is always a rude awakening. Do we really spend that much money unawares? Sadly, apparently, the answer is yes, we do spend that much money unawares.

After Day 1 when I unthinkingly bought 6 Lean Cuisines and Mr. mouse took a taxi home, we were down to $80 for the remainder of the working week. A haircut, gas, and a visit to the doctor's office brought that number down to $20. And, here we are, Friday. If we make it through today, the clock starts again. (Weekday budget, separate weekend budget.)

With $20, I'll probably get mail on my own and save the $6 train ticket for Mr. mouse. That leaves $20 for dinner for two vs. $14 for dinner for three. Any money left after dinner will do in the gas tank.

I'll wake up tomorrow feeling wealthy. Wealthy enough to pay the gas bill.


Cheers!
mouse

Reining in Game of Thrones

Dear Friends and Family,

spoiler alert: I'll be talking about characters from the last published book. So, if you're not caught up this will clue you into who is still alive and/or significant.

The books are getting too long. The plot lines are getting too complicated. I can't see how the author is going to possibly tie up all the loose ends in the next two books unless the next two books are monster tomes that take many, many years to finish.

Here's a suggestion. Have some odd disease ravage the land and unequivocally kill all the characters except any character with a Y in their first name. Then, all the plot lines with the dead characters go away. There's still plenty of characters left to fight over the throne. But, we don't have to worry about the Wall anymore. They'd all be dead. We don't have to worry about Theon or Rickon anymore. Dead and dead. We'd lose the Jaime and Cersei stories. Dead and dead. Brandon. Dead.

See how much simpler this would be?

And, there'd still be plenty of people left to fight it out. You'd have Queen Margaery, Princess Myrcella, Queen Selyse, and Daenerys Targaryen. And, you'd get Alayne Stone and Arya Stark. And, Tyrion Lannister, Petyr Baelish, Ser Brynden Tully, and Varys would all make the cut. And, last but not least, Prince Trystane, Nymeria, and Tyene would round out the cast of characters.

Plenty to keep an interesting story line without complicating the writing.


Cheers!
mouse

Another Breakfast Ritual Gone

Dear Friends and Family,

Last night, we drove by the diner we always go to on Saturday morning, and it was closed. P was very sad.

The last time we were there was a couple of weeks ago, when we spent extra time drawing before going sheet shopping for the big girl bed. I'm glad we spent the extra time there.

I've got lots of fond memories. When P was first learning to talk, she'd call out every morning on the way to school, ham, pancakes, syrup, gamja, when she saw the diner. That's her favorite meal there.

We discovered P's love of ham there when I ordered an Eggs Benedict once and she ate all of the ham from the dish. She discovered waffle fries just a couple of trips ago when I ordered them and she liked them.

And, now, the restaurant is empty and all we have left are a bunch of pictures and our memories. When we drove by last night, the sign was down and all the furniture was gone. P was crushed.

We'll have to think of a new breakfast routine for the Saturday mornings when the cleaners are in the house.


Cheers!
mouse

Budget, Sigh

Dear Friends and Family,

Every so often I put myself back on a budget, to remind myself that we need to watch what we spend. It also helps me sort through what I really need and what I buy because it's convenient.

We started a new budget yesterday. And, one day into it we spent 62% of the spend we have allocated for the week. Fortunately, I set up the budget as weekday budget that's supposed to go Monday through Friday and weekend budget for Saturday and Sunday. And, I hit Monday for subway and toll money so we have that covered for the week. Still, what's left will cover a mail night (train ticket, dinner, and gas) and that's about it.

It's good reminding myself that money isn't something that grows on trees.


Cheers!
mouse

03.18.13: Recovering

Dear Friends and Family,

I spent almost the entire weekend sleeping getting over a cold I've had since sometime Tuesday. Sunday was the first night I read to P since almost a week ago. Mr. mouse has been a trooper about being a solo parent while I slept, tried to sleep, and tried to get better.

Saturday, we went to the symphony. P enjoyed it enough that she was eager to go to the third show in the series so I bought tickets for it.

Sunday, we went to bar for the opening race of the 2013 F1 season. P got a giant cotton candy and was happy to see her favorite driver come in 9th. I love her.

And, that's about all I remember from the weekend. Oh, we had friends over for dinner Saturday night. P's room is a little more manageable. The crib is officially out of the house. It wasn't as sad as I thought it would be.


Cheers!
mouse

52 Things Will Leave the Mouse Pad (Round 2) Update

Dear Friends and Family,

It's a new year. And, I'm beginning another round of my clutter diet. The goal? I am going to try and have 52 things meaningfully leave the mouse pad this year. It's a purposeful decision to remove something that has found a home in our home. I'm evicting unwanted tenants.

There's different questions different people use to gauge what should stay and what should go. There's do I still love it, does it serve a purpose, when did I last use it, etc. My guiding light question will be knowing what I know today, would I buy this today?

The List (most recent departures listed first):

1. I've been sick for three days now and so I'm going to focus on something small for today. My friend Pete offered me $50 for my four year old crib and mattress. P's slept in it almost every night since she was three months old so we've gotten full usage out of it. It'll be a little sad, but she loves her big girl bed so I guess she's ready for the change.
2. We had a small refrigerator sitting on our landing. It used to be in Mr. mouse's office until they moved offices and sneaking a refrigerator in got too complicated. Then, we used it for parties on the deck, on occasion. However, it's latest use, gathering dust while sitting on our landing for the last four years, didn't seem like its best use. So, when we learned the nursery room that P stays in when I go to church needed a refrigerator, we dropped it off.
3. I'm writing about clutter because sometimes it's easier to focus on a small thing than to try and process a storm going on around you. And, I am truly getting rid of something so I have the slight endorphin rush from progress against clutter. This one is almost comical. I have 12 Disney coffee mugs I bought in 1994 so almost twenty years ago. Actually, I bought close to two dozen mugs, but donated a batch some years ago and kept only my favorites. The colors are them are really nice. The feel of them is really nice. I haven't used one ever. They're still new in box. I found a friend of a friend who has a car with a vanity plate of Disney Lover. I am going to give the last 12 mugs to her. I am still sad to have these mugs leave the house. I don't use them. They sit above my stove in the cabinet. They need to go. Would I buy them today? Possibly, if I came across them somewhere. The problem is, I don't think I'd come across them anywhere today. So, I guess I couldn't or rather I wouldn't buy them today. Be strong, mouse, let them go.
4. The next two are almost trivial. I almost feel guilty counting them. Yesterday, I went into a bin of light bulbs we had and I found a plant bulb from the pile of random bulbs that sit in our garage. I brought it into work and gave it to my friend who now uses it to light up the plant I gave her. (see below, second from bottom)
5. I brought a bag of P's swim diapers to school. We've been most excellent about managing diaper inventory and diaper transitions to not have spare diapers, but swim diapers are a different story. On numerous occasions, we bought a pack of 12 to use one at the hotel pool and brought 11 home. Since P doesn't need swim diapers anymore and since we forgot to bring them to my sister who does, I brought them into school and gave them to the two year old room, for those times they might need them.
6. Apparently Mr. mouse got motivated. Out went a cable modem box, an old telephone, two routers, and "some other stuff."
7. It comes out of the woodwork. Clutter. I decided to donate a unitasker. I have a sandwich maker. It makes sandwiches. You butter the outside, you put something yummy and meltable on the inside. You wait the requisite amount of time and voila! Golden brown and delicious on the outside, hot and gooey on the inside. Except, a pan and our bacon press does the same thing. And, I don't eat many sandwiches with cheese. And, the sandwich maker makes is a little too brown on the outside. Still, it's childhood memories headed to Goodwill.
8. More clutter coming out of the woodwork. I peeked inside a cabinet we never use. I know that all of the stuff in it needs to eventually make its way out of the mouse pad. For today, three plastic cups with a baseball logo on one side and a supermarket logo on the other are going to Goodwill. We'll never use these cups. I didn't even know we had them until I looked into the cabinet.
9. And, at the last minute, I decided to add the bagel slicer to the things headed to Goodwill. If the bagel is that hard, I'm not sure I want to be eating it. Why do I suddenly feel two rounds of 52 won't be enough?
10. Erin, at work, LOVES the aqua globes she got from me as a white elephant gift. I have one more box of three in the basement. I think I'll bring them in today for her. I hope that's all of the aqua globes we have in the house. I'm beginning to think Mr. mouse has hoarder tendencies. I hope he never spirals out of control.
11. useful, just not for us: two winter coats
12. baby gear: two baby gates
13. baby gear: three baby gates
14. books: five or more kid books
15. toys: two noise makers
16. toys: Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders
17. toys: elephant pull toy
18. toys: peg puzzle with farm animals
19. toys: two bags of blocks
20. useful, just not for us: house plant
21. useful, just not for us: exercise ball

The tally from 2012?

1. junk: 15
2. useful, just not for us: 14
3. toys: 11
4. baby gear: 7
5. odds and ends: 3
6. books: 2

We'll see if I can get to 52 this year. I'm cautiously optimistic.


Cheers!
mouse

Final Tally 3 Out of 5

Dear Friends and Family,

We got our final letter last night.

P was accepted to the school where we bombed the interview. So, that brings the final tally to a very satisfying three acceptances for five applications. Definitely feel like we have a choice. So, ultimately, the six months of school tours and essays and interviews and play groups and screenings were worth it.

Today we're off to see one of the schools P was accepted to. Tomorrow we're off to see the other. The one we heard from last night isn't really in the consideration set. Both Mr. mouse and I like the other two more.

I couldn't be happier.


Cheers!
mouse

Time to Go on a Budget, Again

Dear Friends and Family,

I realized yesterday that we need to get back on a budget if P's really going to private school. The tuition is a little less than a house payment. Fortunately, we don't have a house payment. So, this should conceptually work out fine. We should be able to afford school on two salaries. We should be able to afford school on one salary.

On a side note, Mr. mouse got his bonus on Friday, so I need to do some math to figure out what goes where.

One option is to use the money to pay for our most recent trip. Another option is to save the money for retirement. Another option is to use the money to pay for P's first year of school. Choices, choices.


Cheers!
mouse

03.11.13: The Final Countdown

Dear Friends and Family,

This is the week, the final week in a long and sometimes arduous journey. This week, after much contemplation, some prayer, some discussion, and perhaps one or two more school visits, is the week we accept one of the schools that accepted us last week. We'll send in a deposit and begin a whole new journey of transitioning P from her current school to her new school in the fall.

We can worry about scheduling play dates until next week. We can worry about scheduling P's birthday party next week. We can worry about work next week. This week, we need to focus on making the right decision.

With that being said, I realize this decision isn't final. If, for some reason, we're not happy, we can always withdraw P from the school we chose and look at our next best options. We're still responsible for the care and education of P. The school is a partner in the process, but we're not going to abdicate our responsibility. And, we're still responsible for talking to P, learning what she likes and doesn't like about school. I'm hoping we can nip any problems in the bud. I'm hoping she shares with us.

All that being said, this is the week we make our decision. Deposits are due by Friday, so we have this week to decide.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: The weekend was easy. The cancelled a weekend trip so we had all sorts of time left to enjoy at home.

52 Things Will Leave the Mouse Pad (Round 2) Update

Dear Friends and Family,

It's a new year. And, I'm beginning another round of my clutter diet. The goal? I am going to try and have 52 things meaningfully leave the mouse pad this year. It's a purposeful decision to remove something that has found a home in our home. I'm evicting unwanted tenants.

There's different questions different people use to gauge what should stay and what should go. There's do I still love it, does it serve a purpose, when did I last use it, etc. My guiding light question will be knowing what I know today, would I buy this today?

The List (most recent departures listed first):

1. We had a small refrigerator sitting on our landing. It used to be in Mr. mouse's office until they moved offices and sneaking a refrigerator in got too complicated. Then, we used it for parties on the deck, on occasion. However, it's latest use, gathering dust while sitting on our landing for the last four years, didn't seem like its best use. So, when we learned the nursery room that P stays in when I go to church needed a refrigerator, we dropped it off.
2. I'm writing about clutter because sometimes it's easier to focus on a small thing than to try and process a storm going on around you. And, I am truly getting rid of something so I have the slight endorphin rush from progress against clutter. This one is almost comical. I have 12 Disney coffee mugs I bought in 1994 so almost twenty years ago. Actually, I bought close to two dozen mugs, but donated a batch some years ago and kept only my favorites. The colors are them are really nice. The feel of them is really nice. I haven't used one ever. They're still new in box. I found a friend of a friend who has a car with a vanity plate of Disney Lover. I am going to give the last 12 mugs to her. I am still sad to have these mugs leave the house. I don't use them. They sit above my stove in the cabinet. They need to go. Would I buy them today? Possibly, if I came across them somewhere. The problem is, I don't think I'd come across them anywhere today. So, I guess I couldn't or rather I wouldn't buy them today. Be strong, mouse, let them go.
3. The next two are almost trivial. I almost feel guilty counting them. Yesterday, I went into a bin of light bulbs we had and I found a plant bulb from the pile of random bulbs that sit in our garage. I brought it into work and gave it to my friend who now uses it to light up the plant I gave her. (see below, second from bottom)
4. I brought a bag of P's swim diapers to school. We've been most excellent about managing diaper inventory and diaper transitions to not have spare diapers, but swim diapers are a different story. On numerous occasions, we bought a pack of 12 to use one at the hotel pool and brought 11 home. Since P doesn't need swim diapers anymore and since we forgot to bring them to my sister who does, I brought them into school and gave them to the two year old room, for those times they might need them.
5. Apparently Mr. mouse got motivated. Out went a cable modem box, an old telephone, two routers, and "some other stuff."
6. It comes out of the woodwork. Clutter. I decided to donate a unitasker. I have a sandwich maker. It makes sandwiches. You butter the outside, you put something yummy and meltable on the inside. You wait the requisite amount of time and voila! Golden brown and delicious on the outside, hot and gooey on the inside. Except, a pan and our bacon press does the same thing. And, I don't eat many sandwiches with cheese. And, the sandwich maker makes is a little too brown on the outside. Still, it's childhood memories headed to Goodwill.
7. More clutter coming out of the woodwork. I peeked inside a cabinet we never use. I know that all of the stuff in it needs to eventually make its way out of the mouse pad. For today, three plastic cups with a baseball logo on one side and a supermarket logo on the other are going to Goodwill. We'll never use these cups. I didn't even know we had them until I looked into the cabinet.
8. And, at the last minute, I decided to add the bagel slicer to the things headed to Goodwill. If the bagel is that hard, I'm not sure I want to be eating it. Why do I suddenly feel two rounds of 52 won't be enough?
9. Erin, at work, LOVES the aqua globes she got from me as a white elephant gift. I have one more box of three in the basement. I think I'll bring them in today for her. I hope that's all of the aqua globes we have in the house. I'm beginning to think Mr. mouse has hoarder tendencies. I hope he never spirals out of control.
10. Two winter coats, both gifts from Mr. mouse's folks to me for the holidays, I wore one coat until it died on me and I'll never wear the other one unless my life depended on it.
11. baby gear: two baby gates
12. baby gear: three baby gates
13. books: five or more kid books
14. toys: two noise makers
15. toys: Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders
16. toys: elephant pull toy
17. toys: peg puzzle with farm animals
18. toys: two bags of blocks
19. useful, just not for us: house plant
20. useful, just not for us: exercise ball

The tally from 2012?

1. junk: 15
2. useful, just not for us: 14
3. toys: 11
4. baby gear: 7
5. odds and ends: 3
6. books: 2

We'll see if I can get to 52 this year. I'm cautiously optimistic.


Cheers!
mouse

School Decision Letter Update II

Dear Friends and Family,

We heard from three more schools yesterday. P got into one more school and got wait listed for the other two.

I'm convinced schools don't send out rejection letters anymore. They just wait list everyone. That way, they avoid the drama associated with rejected parents crying and screaming in the office begging for a spot. Instead, those parents need to stay on their best behavior waiting to see if a spot opens up.

Us? We're officially at the point where we need to make a choice. Before, the choices were:

• send P to school A
• don't send P to school A

Now, it got a little more complicated.

• send P to school A instead of school B
• send P to school B instead of school A
• don't send P to either school A or school B

I think we're down to those two schools. We're not going to get into the school where we had the obnoxious interviewer; and, at this point I'd prefer A or B or that school. And, I'm not motivated to finish the application for the school that requires a retest in junior kindergarten. It's the furthest, drive time wise, from everything. And, there's the two public schools that we're not going to wait on. So, we're down to those two schools.

Realistically, unless something changes dramatically in the next week, we'll be putting down a deposit at a school.

So, on Thursday morning, we didn't really have a choice. Today, we do.

Time to start thinking. I think I'd like to visit the schools again next week if possible.


Cheers!
mouse

School Decision Letter Update

Dear Mr. mouse and Mrs. mouse,

The Admission Committee has reviewed P's application, and I am pleased to extend an offer of enrollment into our junior kindergarten (AM) for the 2013-2014 school year.

!!!

Yes. After six torturous months of school tours, recommendations, essays, interviews and play dates, not to mention financial aid forms, we got news. And, to top it off, we got into the first school we heard back from. Life couldn't be better.

I still believe admission is not a yardstick by which we should judge our children. I love P the same. I have the same faith in P's capabilities. This is more about education options and choices we make about where we live.

I am glad we do not have to contemplate a move to the suburbs in the next year. The public schools in our neighborhood is okay, but it's nothing to write home about.

I'm just glad. If seven rejections follow, I'll still be glad.

What started as a tree of 480 options close to a year ago has resolved itself into two options. The only variable left is when I leave my current work.

I know where P will do (did at this point) her three year old program. I know where P will do her four year old program. I know that means we don't have to look for a five year old program. I know that the school she attends is now open to the community so if I get fired she can still finish her three year old program there. I know so much more than I did a year ago. It was a painful year of uncertainty, but we made it through as a team. We are blessed.

Simplicity is a lovely thing.


Cheers!
mouse

$150 Well Spent, I Think

Dear Friends and Family,

I met with an accountant a couple of weeks ago. And, he said he would review my taxes (work, not personal) for $150. He didn't find any major changes, but I feel better knowing that I didn't go too astray in the work I did. There's a couple of changes I need to make and then I think I'm ready to file, which is a good thing since business taxes are due March 15th and it's already March 6th. I think I need to knock this out this weekend since weekdays come and go without much getting done around the house.


Cheers!
mouse

Waiting

Dear Friends and Family,

We got our first letter yesterday. Mr. mouse waited for me to get home. We took a picture of it. We opened it. It said the dates had moved for some schools. We should expect a letter on March 15th.

I had been expecting sometime in April, so March 15th is earlier than I expected. So, the letter was just an FYI.

Now, we just have to get motivated and finish up the last application.


Cheers!
mouse

03.04.13: What I Learned at Church

Dear Friends and Family,

The weekend was busy. We got a lot done, and, of course, that feels good.

We cleared off the kitchen counter, moving everything onto the living room couch. Then, we moved back chunks of stuff at a time making some progress on controlling the clutter. We just need to keep at it until we clear off the couch now.

We bought big kid sheets and a big kid pillow for P. Mr. mouse moved the mattress from the basement up to P's room. She's sleeping on the big kid mattress now.

And, despite some misgivings, we went to church on Sunday. I'm glad I did.

The father spoke about a lot of different things. What did I learn? I realized there's a lot of things I know I shouldn't do, yet I do. And, there's a lot of things I know I should do, yet I don't. I need to do a better job not letting either of those happen. Yet, even as I strive to be a better person, I need to remember I will not be perfect. And, when I fall short of perfection, I need to forgive myself and be okay with it.

This is what happens when you let a Buddhist go to church. Oh, and the Eucharist? For me, it's a reminder that it's just as important to feed the soul and it is to nourish the body.


Cheers!
mouse