12.15.14: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Dear Friends and Family,

We had a very productive yet very enjoyable weekend. We went to two birthday parties and one Christmas party. We got new haircuts for P and me. Hers looks precious. Mine would look better if I lost some weight. We got our eyes examined. We went to the park. We finished our Christmas shopping, almost. And, I fell asleep on the couch to the smell of Christmas.

And, now, it's Monday. After two weeks of grinding away at our task list and at Mr. mouse over Christmas stuff, I'm beginning to feel more calm and collected. I feel like we've got time and space to breathe and relax.

It's a busy week this week, but I feel like we can get to done. Today, I need to go shower and then buy one last gift for Mr. mouse. Then, I think I'll pick up some wrapping paper on the way home and start wrapping P's presents. I'd love to get a couple under the tree before I pick her up from school.


Cheers!
mouse

12.01.14: Monday after Thanksgiving

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Monday and after five days off I'm a little behind in getting back in the swing of things. In other words, it's 10am and I am still in my pajamas and reading my to do list for the day. That's okay. The house is pretty much back in order and the fridge is sadly under control. So, I'll eat breakfast and try and get on with my day. I'm super excited because I have a plan for our Christmas cards. I just need to bully Mr. mouse into agreeing with me.


Cheers!
mouse

11.24.14: Quiet Weekend, Short Week

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Monday and it's Thanksgiving week. We had a quiet weekend which is always nice. Saturday, I went to a friend's house to make soap. Mr. mouse and P went shopping.

Sunday, we went to church. Then, Mr. mouse went shopping with a friend while P and I went to a birthday party. P had fun running around with the girls and I always enjoy a nice chance to catch up with the other parents.

Now, it's Monday and I'd like to try and stay on top of the week. Lots of little things to do. Let's see...

1. empty dishwasher
2. get ready for day
3. ***eat breakfast***
4. do invoicing
5. work through pile on kitchen counter
6. catch up on emails
7. back up hard drive
8. pack for dance
9. eat lunch
10. pick up P
11. drop off maracons and book
12. dance class
13. work on math problems with P
14. feed P dinner
15. bathe P
16. put P to bed
17. capture expenses for the day
18. figure out what to do with the extra $200 that Mr. mouse earned

Lots of odds and ends. We'll see how far I get on the list.


Cheers!
mouse

11.17.14: Concentrating on Walking

Dear Friends and Family,

I've learned that when I'm walking I need to focus on walking. I shouldn't be thinking about things I need to get done or things I've gotten done or decisions I need to make or decisions I've made or anything, really, because when I do, that's when I sprain my ankle like I did on Friday. And, spraining my ankle puts a big damper on everything because everything is more difficult when you're less mobile.

Focus on walking, mouse.

The weekend? Well, like last weekend we played at home. I'm not sure this is something I want to become a long term trend, but for a couple of weekends it's a good way for P to play with the toys we have at home and for us to spend time interacting with her. It's also a good way to save money. We're getting ready for the holidays.

P's been building like mad with her Legos. She's great at following all of the instructions which come with a set. But, for P, that's only the starting point. Then she builds on top of the set with random pieces we have lying around. It's the best of both worlds, being able to follow directions and being able to use creativity. It's fun having time to do this. I'm glad we were able to foster a love of play in P.

And our budget? We're right where we need to be heading into the second half of November. We've got $13 for the day which includes some coffee concoction when I meet some parents tonight to discuss the year book and one $3 bus ride to drop off P this morning and maybe a treat for P. Assuming Mr. mouse packs lunch, we'll be fine for the day. In a prior world, I would have been appalled at $13 but that's what budgeting has taught us. In a prior world, we could have easily spent more than $13 for the day. Let's see: $2 treat for P, $3 bus ride, $10 lunch for me, $10 lunch for Mr. mouse, $3 in snacks for Mr. mouse, $5 at Starbucks, $12 parking, $45 total for the day. And, we wouldn't have thought twice about it. I'm glad we're on a budget. It's been a valuable lesson.

Today's shaping up to be a good day. I already checked on our library books and submitted P's application for Saturday school. I might actually try to tackle parts of the house today.

1. pack school bag
2. drop off P
3. get ready for day
4. make bed
5. ***eat breakfast***
6. clean up house, until 11:30am
7. eat lunch
8. pack dance bag
9. prepare for yearbook meeting
10. clear through emails as time allows, back to 3/30 if possible
11. pick up P
12. go to dance class
13. go to yearbook meeting
14. relax and enjoy the rest of the day

It feels good.


Cheers!
mouse

11.10.14: Birthday Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

It was Mr. mouse's birthday this past weekend. And, as a special treat, we took him out to celebrate. It was also P's half birthday and we were celebrating a new job for a close friend. So, lots of happiness in the air.

What else did we do over the weekend? P had class Saturday morning. We took fall pictures Saturday afternoon. The whole family napped. Then, we went to family swim Saturday night. P got some good time in the pool working on her breaststroke kick.

Sunday, we had church followed by lunch. Then, I took our friend eyeglass shopping and for a haircut. We ate cupcakes. We ate dinner. We folded laundry. It was time for bed. And, that was our weekend.

My day today? Why I'm glad you asked!

1. get ready for day
2. make bed
3. ***eat breakfast***
4. reconcile quick books
5. go to bank
6. buy birthday present
7. check soap ingredients
8. eat lunch
9. pack dance bag
10. clean up house, as time allows
11. pick up P
12. go to dance class
13. enjoy the rest of the day

Not as hectic as last week. And, for that, I am grateful.


Cheers!
mouse

11.03.14: 11:44am and Blogging

Dear Friends and Family,

I think I'm about 5 hours behind schedule. But, I'll manage for the day, I think.

We got in super late last night and then Mr. mouse and I took some time to get ourselves set up for the week before going to bed. So, I got up late and it cascaded from there. Still, I plan on eating breakfast at some point today since that's my one accomplishment for the day.

Why did we get in so late last night? Well, we were in Austin over the weekend at the F1 race. As usual, we had a great time catching up with friends in town. And, the weather for the race could not have been better. It's a quick trip, but one that I'm glad we made.


Cheers!
mouse

10.28.14: Time to Step Back

Dear Friends and Family,

We had a fun weekend. Saturday, P went to class. We got haircuts. We went to a birthday party. Sunday, we went to church. We had lunch at home celebrating a friend's new job. We went on a play date with one of P's best friends. We blissfully enjoyed the amazing seventy degree weather Mother Nature provided.

And, now, it's Tuesday and I realize I need a new Top 3. There was a pile of stuff I wanted to accomplish when P went back to school. And, I haven't made a lot of progress on any of it. I think I need to figure out what I need to focus on.

#1: The Budget

We've made a lot of progress here. In fact, after much measuring, I'm comfortable adding $100 a month to our budget. November and December won't be easy with the holidays, but I'm eager to continue to try and make progress on this front.

#2: I Don't Know

This is the problem. Outside of my budget, I feel like I'm wandering aimlessly through the day until P comes home. I feel like I need more focus. Perhaps I'll go work on the kitchen until inspiration strikes.


Cheers!
mouse

10.13.14: 26.2 Miles, Minimal Preparation

Dear Friends and Family,

Saturday was a busy but typical fall day. P went to class. We met up with out of town friends for pizza. We went to the Botanic Garden to take fall pictures. We went shopping for sneakers. We bought a Halloween costume on eBay.

Sunday was a typical marathon Sunday for us. We got up early. We tagged our runners. We made our signs.

Except it wasn't a typical marathon Sunday at all... Because Mr. mouse decided Saturday night that he would attempt running the marathon. Yep. Armed with minimal preparation, brand new sneakers, an armband for his phone, and his Ventra card, Mr. mouse headed out Sunday morning to run his first marathon.

I wasn't at all sure how it would go. But, we saw him at mile 15 and he looked good. We saw him again at mile 19 and he was still hanging tough. That's when we realized there's a decent chance that he could finish it. And, he did. It took a little over six hours. But, considering he had done almost no preparation, it's still an achievement. His knee is a little sore this morning. Other than that, I guess it's a check mark on a bucket list.


Cheers!
mouse

10.06.14: Caught Up on Sleep

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm not sure where the weekend went. Let's see.

Saturday, we had a play date with one of P's friends from summer camp. She came over with her mom and dad and little sister. The girls disappeared upstairs to play and the parents hung out with us in the kitchen area. I guess they've reached that age where the parents don't need to monitor the situation. I guess it means they're growing up. I also think it makes the time feel like it's going faster. Because there are days where they're with you but not really interacting with you. So, while you still have 365 days in the year, your days together become fewer.

Saturday evening, we went to a birthday party. P had a lot of fun and asked at the end of it if she could get a scientist lab coat like the birthday girl did. I think that would involve having a birthday party at the venue and I'm not sure I'm willing to go there yet.

Sunday, I went to brunch with some friends I see once a quarter. Then, I slept the whole day away. P ate lunch. She went on a bike ride. She played with Legos while Mr. mouse went shopping. And, apparently, I slept through all of it. Somehow, after sleeping from 1 pm to 6 pm, I was still tired enough to fall back asleep at 11 pm. Huh. I guess I needed the sleep. But, I am a little sad I missed the play time with P.

Guess I'll need to make up for it this week.


Cheers!
mouse

09.29.14: Where Did September Go?

Dear Friends and Family,

It's September 29 which means we're now racing towards the end of the year with no brakes on the car. I've got so many things on my mind.

First, there's the budget. We've been on a budget since July and I'll be honest, although it feels good to know that we're not spending more than we've got, on a day to day basis it's the most god awful buzz kill ever. Fortunately, there's two days left to September before the accounting gods refill our petty cash kitty. So, we've got $16 to our name until then. I don't think we're living paycheck to paycheck since we put away money each month for P's school and for taxes and for future expenses. But, I can see how the stress of a budget can make people frazzled. After all, we know ours is only so serious. If we really need gas for the car or food on the table or money for medical expenses than the budget can go out the window. We're really trading off our leisure activities recognizing we can't go out to eat at the drop of a hat and recognizing we can't buy every cute outfit we see when P's drawers are overstuffed. Still, I'm so looking forward to October 1 when we reset our budget. $16 to cover the next two days. We have food in the fridge and gas in the car so we should be in good shape until then.

Next, there's the week ahead. I finally have time to myself. Yes, the week is still hectic, but outside of Friday I have the days to myself while P is in school. That's the most wonderful feeling in the world. I'll finally have time to spend on work and the house and my health and the to do list. If I don't make progress this week I need to revisit my plan because it means we're not set up for success.

Next, there's the weekend. We spent Saturday at home organizing the house and practicing handwriting which is good because P's handwriting had gotten atrocious and we didn't have that much money left in our budget. Sunday, we went to church, and then the park, and then a supermarket, and then a baseball game. P actually watched most of the game. It was a perfect summer weekend even if it was the last weekend in September.

Well, P just left so I need to get started on my day. Wish me luck.


Cheers!
mouse

09.15.14: Apple Picking Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

The weekend... Well, I can't remember Saturday all that well. We had house cleaning in the morning, lunch, and then I napped while Mr. mouse and P went bike riding.

Sunday, was a most perfect day. We went to church and then we went apple picking. Several friends from P's school made the drive out to pick apples with us. It was warm, but not too warm, sunny, but with just enough cloud cover, and breezy without being windy. We picked apples, ate a picnic lunch, and then lounged on the grass while the children played. P had a meltdown near the end which I wish we could have avoided, but it wasn't enough to ruin my day. The kids found a frog and after many attempts they caught it and one of the boys kissed it.

There wasn't as many apples as last year. I think it had something to do with the brutal winter we had and the less than stellar summer. But, we bought plenty to munch on throughout the fall.

Now, I'm off to my day. I think I should take my contacts off. They're bothering me.


Cheers!
mouse

09.08.14: First Full Week at Home

Dear Friends and Family,

It was a perfect weekend, weather-wise. And, while we didn't do anything hugely exciting, we enjoyed the days with P. She went on a couple of bike rides. She went shopping with Mr. mouse at a craft fair. She played at a block party circus. Nothing hugely exciting, but we enjoyed it nonetheless.

And, now, it's my first week at home. I'm feeling good. I've got some clean up to do and some organizing to do. But, overall, it feels good.


Cheers!
mouse

09.02.14: The Very Last Day of Summer Vacation

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Tuesday. We're back from vacation. And, it's our very last day of summer vacation.

It's been a great week. We spent a weekend back in our first work town visiting friends. It's been 20 years since that first summer in our first work town. It was fun driving along the same roads, remembering life in 1994 which does not seem all that long ago.

Then, we went on our end-of-summer vacation. This time, instead of going to a far flung location, we went to Seattle to visit a host of friends we have in the Pacific Northwest. We got to spend a lot of time with my cousin and my two year old nephew who is technically my first cousin once removed.

This was also a mile marker trip. A year ago, I quit old work only to be persuaded into staying on part time. While the money was good, I've realized many times over that I shouldn't have agreed to stay on part time. I didn't have enough time to do anything right, splitting my time three ways. And, ultimately, I spent a lot of time detoxing from what ultimately was a less that satisfactory transition from old work.

Still, in taking this trip, I realized two very important things. I only lost a year. I am, now, where I could have been last year. And, while a year lost is a year lost, I can take comfort in having lost only a year. I am so glad not to be splitting my time three ways going forward. And, the other thing I realized was that while there was a lot of toxicity related to old work, I still had a good year. P made new friends. I made new friends. And, we had a great summer together. There's so many happy memories. The year wasn't a total waste.

So, my friends, we're headed into our last day of summer vacation. P's bag is packed. We have orientation in an hour and half. Then, P and I have one last day together before we head off to kindergarten.


Cheers!
mouse

08.18.14: Catching Up

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Monday and I'm feeling good.

We had a fun weekend. Saturday, we took P to the lake to see the air and water show. Sunday, we went to a friends house for a wonderful Sunday get together.

I also had a chance to talk with a girl friend who might be interested in hiring me and with a guy friend who might also be interested in hiring me.

So, instead of spending too much time here, I think I'll go work on some business proposals this morning.


Cheers!
mouse

08.11.14: P's Bike Accident

Dear Friends and Family,

Another week another bike accident. This time it was P. There was blood everywhere. We took her home and washed her up and let her cry herself out watching videos on my lap. Then, we assessed the damage. It seemed like all of the bleeding was from her mouth. And, the bleeding had stopped. Her left hand had some pretty nasty cuts on two of the fingers, but they weren't bleeding any more either. So, we debated the emergency room vs. keeping her at home. In the end, keeping her at home won out because we thought the rest in a familiar setting would do her more good than sitting in an emergency room.

We took her to the doctor on Sunday. Looks like P has a partially detached frenulum. We called the dentist today. They're okay looking at it on our regularly scheduled appointment later this month.

The fingers continue to mend a little more each day. And, P's swelling (on her lip) is slowly going down. She can go swimming on Wednesday. And, outside of taking it a little easy, we should be okay for the next two weeks which is good because I think we'd all be a little bummed if we were stuck inside for the last two weeks of summer vacation.

I'm just glad everything seems to be okay.


Cheers!
mouse

08.04.14: House Party at the Mouse Pad

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Monday. We had a fun filled weekend with friends visiting from out of town. Joseph came down from his place as well. The house was packed. We didn't have enough chairs. But, we had so much fun. Friday, we dinner in the house. Mr. mouse made steak and chimichurri sauce. We had pie and ice cream for dessert.

Saturday, we split up. The boys went to an all you can play arcade. And, we took P to the zoo. We spent the afternoon on the deck watching the sunset. P fell asleep. We ate tacos for dinner before splitting again. A group of four went out to a concert. The rest of us hung out at home.

Sunday, we went to church together which is always nice. Then, we came home for lunch before splitting up again. Mr. mouse, P and I went to a baseball game. Our friends headed out to a music shop before driving home. Joseph headed out for a bike ride.

It would have been a perfect weekend, except for the fact that Joseph fell from his bike and we had to take him to the hospital to have it looked at. Everyone's okay. Just made for a complicated Sunday evening.


Cheers!
mouse

07.28.14: Last Weekend in July

Dear Friends and Family,

We had a fun weekend enjoying what I love about summer. P rode her bike. We met with friends for dinner. We went to the lake and played in the sand.

At church, the homily was about treasure and false treasure.

And, my first thought was about Mr. mouse and all of the stuff he insists on keeping in the house. He finds safety and comfort in all of the stuff. I don't think it provides any safety or comfort. In fact, for me, it's false treasure. It weighs me down and keeps the house weighed down and hides the house and the state of the house from me.

But, then I looked inward and realized I have my own example.

I've been focused on the budget for July. We have four days left to July and $151 left for the month. But, the budget by itself is a false treasure. The real treasure is teaching P about money. And, teaching P and reminding me that we can have fun without always spending money. We can have picnics in the park and go swimming at the park pool and play in the park playground. And, it's as much fun as eating lunch at a restaurant near the park or cooling down at a water park with an admission fee or playing at a place with an admission fee.

We can have fun by being creative instead of buying things to entertain us. I think that's the real treasure I've unearthed in having a budget. We'll continue on this experiment for August. August will be tougher because we need to buy P clothes and shoes for school. But, that might be a learning exercise too. It's not like clothes aren't for sale in September and October. We can assess what we need and buy over a three month period instead of picking up everything that strikes our fancy in August.


Cheers!
mouse

07.21.14: Lake Swimming

Dear Friends and Family,

Saturday, we spent the day doing stuff with P. She had dance in the morning. Then, we ate lunch and headed out for passport applications. Then, we went to the mall to pick up swimsuits, but it looked like the tops didn't fit so we returned them. Afterwards, we went to the park and picked up acorns and played in the climbing structure and on the swings. P's gotten really good on the swings, which only serves as another reminder that I've got a big kid in the house. We came home to eat dinner because we're a little behind on our budget.

Sunday, we drove up to a friend's house for a birthday party on the lake. P spent the entire time in the water or on a float. I love spending time in the water, but by the time we were done, I felt a little water logged. It's been a long time since I spent a full day in deep fresh water. It might be high school. I can't recall. Anyway, she had a lot of fun and I had a lot of fun. And, she's forgiven me for letting her capsize at the end. She was on a float with a friend. I thought her friend's dad had them, he thought I had them, and just as we realized neither of us had them, they fell off their float. They both had on life vests so they were fine, but the shock of it all upset the two girls. Well, P's forgiven me.

Now, it's Monday. I've got one folder left to back up on to an external drive. Once that's done Mr. mouse can start modifying the external drive to meet his needs. And, once that's done, we can upload it into the cloud. I think. I'll have to give some more thought to the process later today.


Cheers!
mouse

07.14.14: 5GB and Counting

Dear Friends and Family,

The weekend... The weekend... The weekend...

Oh! I remember! Saturday morning was a flurry of activity. We went to get our haircut. We went to dance class. We got the house cleaned. We wondered if the rain would ever stop.

Then, P did stuff with Mr. mouse while I napped. When I woke up, we attempted the passport, but the line was absolutely dysfunctional, so we left and went to the birthday party. P had bunches of fun dressed up as a princess. She got made up. She got sprinkled with fairy dust. She got her nails polished for the first time. She sang and danced to Frozen. Wow.

We met up with Uncle Joseph for dinner before heading home for the evening.

Sunday, we went to another birthday party. Then, we went to a baseball game. It could not have been a better game. The sun was shining. We had great seats in the shade. P ate her ice cream while we watched a relatively high scoring game. In the end, we didn't really care who won or lost, we were just happy to be in the sun enjoying a fine summer day.

And, now, it's Monday. And, I'm using Mr. mouse's computer because mine is slowly copying over file after arduous file from our NAS drive to our new cloud drive. At the rate we're going, it'll be 160 days from now when we're done. No way! Way.

When's the best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago. When's the next best time? Today.


Cheers!
mouse

07.07.14: Carnivaled Out

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Monday and everyone's a little groggy in the mouse pad.

We spent three days soaking in the sun and celebrating the Fourth of July with our friends. Friday, we went to a carnival with two of P's friends, their four respective parents and our friend Uncle Joseph. We rode rides until everyone was hungry. Then, we went to Panera for a late lunch followed by a stop for frozen yogurt. Afterwards, the caravan of four cars wound our way down the highway to festival number two for the day. Yes, we were attempting two festivals with three kids.

Normally, we wouldn't try this, but with weather constraints, this was the only way it was really going to work out. And, work out it did. We put the kids into wagons and strollers. We loaded up the lawn chairs and bug spray. We walked over to the festival with fingers crossed that the hot air balloons would launch. And, they did! Granted it was about a half dozen balloons, but still, they launched. We ate random food for dinner. The kids got their faces painted. We watched the balloon glow. And, then, we waited the long wait for the fireworks. The kids did well with the wait. After the fireworks, we loaded everything back up and walked back to the car. P was asleep before we reached the expressway.

Saturday, we went back to the carnival for more rides. P was exhausted by the time we were done. And, because we had the all-you-can-ride pass, we went back for another day of rides on Sunday. We are carnivaled out.

It goes without saying that it's nice to spend time with friends. P is also easier to entertain in a larger group. The wait for fireworks would have been INTERMINABLE without other kids. And, the next day, the two friends were asking after each other, so I'm hoping we can do more events in the future as a threesome. That would be a lot of fun.

Now, it's off to school. And, I am going to venture into the world of Fly Lady to see if that will help me get our house organized. We will see.

Oh, the other thing I started? A budget. Or, rather, a tracking of actual spending. We'll see if it helps. It can't hurt. So far, one week into July, we're slightly overspent. We've only got $15 for today. Mr. mouse will use $5 of that for his train rides, so that leaves $10 for the day. As long as we all eat in for all three meals, we'll be fine. And, that will leave us close to neutral for tomorrow. Yeah!


Cheers!
mouse