Retirement Review

Dear Friends and Family,

It's March 1.

I reviewed our retirement savings. No surprise, February was a good month.

Luck has really been on our side in this for which I am grateful. We both still have jobs. We haven't had any major unexpected expenses. The stock market has been generous.

For now, we're about a third way to our retirement goal. Onward. Time to find more investments for our February savings.


Cheers!
mouse

Habit Formation

Dear Friends and Family,

Because I've always been interested in habit formation and my finger nails are bitten to nubs and there's an article floating around on habits, I've decided to...

Stop biting my nails? Nope. Start doing laundry.

Yep.

Here's my current routine. I come home. I divest myself of my "pockets" - wallet, watch, glasses, keys, camera, etc. I hang up my coat and put my gloves away. I take my phone upstairs with me and plug it in. I change. I put a pin in my hair. I come downstairs for the evening.

New routine. Same as above. Except, after I put a pin in my hair. If I'm home at a reasonable hour, as in we didn't go out for dinner, I sort through the laundry and bring a load down to wash. I load the washer and set it to clean. I put the laundry basket on the stairs to take up later in the evening. I am downstairs for the evening. Resume former routine.

Sometime in the evening when the load is done I transfer it to the dryer and set it to dry. This is new.

When I head up for bed, instead of just walking up, I bring the laundry basket back up and load the laundry on the floor (from the sorting) back into the basket. Resume former routine of brushing teeth, etc.

I think it's got a shot at working. But, what about the laundry that's now dry that needs to be taken out, folded, brought upstairs, and put away? I've asked Mr. mouse to keep that part afloat for now.


Cheers!
mouse

02.28.12: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 141.4

I gained 2.2 lbs since my weigh-in last Tuesday.

Ouch. It hurts to write that.

Yes. We went out for dinner on Sunday night. Yes. I ate some birthday cake. Yes. I dreamt of ice cream.

No. I'm not convinced I deserved to gain 2.2 pounds.

Before I overreact, I think I should give it another week to see how I do this week. If I lose, then I'll assume it's a fluke. If I don't, then I'll assume I need to readjust.

Things I'm already considering - how do I make sure I'm eating food? I'm eating mostly food, but the baked potato chips they have at work are not food. I can pack my own potato chips which are food.

No. No overreacting. Vitamins. Milk. Water. Track.

See you next week.


Cheers!
mouse

02.27.12: February Almost Gone

Dear Friends and Family,

We had a long list we needed to get through on Saturday that included sledding, a nap and a birthday party. That's ambitious. Fortunately, P fell asleep on our way out to the snow. We played in the snow for a little bit before P decided the hill was "too fast" for her. And, made it to the birthday party in good time. Phew. Disaster averted.

Sunday was a much less ambitious day until Mr. mouse decided he wanted to go sledding again. I'm not sure if he wanted better photos or to get P over her fears or what but he was insistent on going. P was trying to be a good sport, really, but you could tell she really didn't want to go. So, I offered up the park as an alternative, which brought a whole new level of happy to our P and a whole new level of ticked off to Mr. mouse.

P and I had a wonderful time in the park followed by a happy lunch and a good nap. Mr. mouse? He worked off his anger doing errands. We all went out for a happy dinner.

I don't think he realizes how hard she tries to say yes to him. I think he presses his luck sometimes. I know I do as well. But, yesterday, I had no interest in sledding either so I was more than happy to vote with P on the matter.

And, since my spring allergies are starting, I am aware we may have lost our last photo shoot of the winter. But, I'm okay with that.


Cheers!
mouse

Mouse Winter Cabin Time

Dear Friends and Family,

Some people would look on the five years I spent at the Mouse Winter Cabin as a waste of time. I didn't necessarily move my career forward. I didn't necessarily move my relationship forward. I didn't necessarily accomplish anything huge.

But, I think it was the best five years of my life. I had a chance to grow up. I met Mr. mouse straight out of school. And, I wondered if I would ever resent the fact that I never had a chance to be me. I would always be half of us, to a degree.

Those five years were a chance to be me. To grow into who I am today. I still saw Mr. mouse every weekend and I still talked to him every night, but it was still a chance to be me. And, I'm eternally grateful I had that opportunity.


Cheers!
mouse

Happiness Map Revisited

Dear Friends and Family,

It's the last week of February. How did I do on my three goals of eating right, spending time with family, and spending time with friends?

Well, I've been trying to eat right. And, I'm happy with my weight loss. I guess I continue on that for now.

On spending time with family? I've been doing that and I like doing that so I guess I will keep doing that.

On spending time with friends? Less successful. I have a trip planned to see my sister. I invited my mom to see P. But, frankly, it's a pain in the neck to schedule and then manage a calendar. I think I need to replace this one.

There's traveling which we do have lined up for later this year. And, there's work. I can either focus on current work or my idea. Perhaps, that'll be my goal for March - progress on the idea.

Okay. New Top 3 for March. Eating Right. Time with Family. The Idea.


Cheers!
mouse

Bus Day

Dear Friends and Family,

P is home with pink eye so I am taking the bus to work today. Thankfully, it's not snowing or anything so it should be a good day. I'm looking forward to the down time.


Cheers!
mouse

02.21.12: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 139.2

I lost 0.2 lbs since my weigh-in last Tuesday.

0.2 lbs. I'll take it.

First, in isolation it's 0.2 lbs. A loss is a loss.

Second, in context, it's 2.0 lbs over two weeks because I had a 1.8 lb loss the week before. And, 2 lbs over 2 weeks is fine by me. Better than fine, truth be told.

Third, in additional context, it was a miserable week from a Weigh Watchers perspective.

• Monday, we went out to buy P's Valentine's Day gifts and our milk and ate at the supermarket food court for dinner.
• Tuesday, we ran into traffic on the way home because apparently it's all the thing to eat out on Valentine's Day. We ate at the airport for dinner.
• Wednesday, there was an event at school to meet P's teachers. We ate at fast food Chinese for dinner.
• Thursday, there was an accident on the way home. We ate out late and unplanned.
• Friday, it was lunch with a girlfriend and Mom's Night Out Happy Hour.
• Saturday, it would have been a Chinese New Year party we bailed on.
• Sunday, it was the first of several Restaurant Week meals we have over the next ten days.
• Monday, it was fortunately a day to breathe.

See? In context, losing any weight is a testament to sheer luck. Hopefully this week will be a little less hectic because I really don't need any more 26 point disappointing hamburgers this week.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Tired. I woke up at 3:13 AM thinking about my weigh-in. Sigh.

02.20.12: Monopoly Money

Dear Friends and Family,

After a crazy week, I needed a quiet weekend.

Saturday, we did the usual morning routine of getting P fed, exercised, and read to. And, we went for a little walk looking for a present for my sister who is due in May.

The afternoon was spent in the laziest way possible. Mr. mouse took P for a walk and I climbed into bed and took a long afternoon nap. I needed that after the week. Really. Every day this past week was something. A nap was just what the doctor ordered.

Sunday, we went for a walk in the park. We fed the geese and the ducks while successfully avoiding the overly eager squirrel. I'm still edgy around squirrels after the squirrel incident (there was an angry mommy squirrel protecting her nest in the power meter box). Then, P napped while Mr. mouse did grocery shopping and I read book 2 of the Hunger Games.

We finished off the day by going out to dinner. P did well, but not as well as she used to. I think we need to go to some new places. She does well in places she knows. New places tend to try her. Time to continue expanding our horizons.

And, now, it's Monday. Hopefully it's a quiet week at work. I need a quiet week at work. I really do.

The title of the post? Oh. On Sunday, I looked at how our accounts were doing and we're a third of the way to retirement. It's not real money since I can't go out an spend it tomorrow and there's no telling what it'll be worth when we do retire. But, it's money that still made me happy.


Cheers!
mouse

Live Another Day

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Friday and after a most stressful week, I live to work another day.

We had another round of "cost reduction" yesterday. And, I know at some point it'll be my turn. But, yesterday, it was not.

We were estimating how many rounds I've seen in my career. And, the current guesstimate is approximately a dozen.

I'm getting too old for this. I just want to curl up in a warm bed and wait for spring.


Cheers!
mouse

Found Money

Dear Friends and Family,

Found money. You can't rely on it. You can't plan for it. Nonetheless, if you find it, don't complain. It's still money.

Mr. mouse found some money recently. No, not money on the street or a wallet or anything like that. We got a check from an account because he had been withholding dollars to pay for P's school. And, now that we've paid it we get it back. There's some tax advantage I don't fully understand. Nevertheless, if you find it, don't complain. It's still money.

Now, I just need to wrap my head around what to do with it. Do we think of it as regular income? Or we think of it as extra income? Ultimately, that helps me decide if we save the money or if the money is available for spending. If it's regular income, then I'm okay keeping the found money and using it to offset Mr. mouse's January paycheck withholding. If it's extra income, then we should save 90% of it and find a way to tighten our belts to make up for January.

I think it's regular income. We paid for school. We're getting that back. Like an income tax refund.

Even if you can't rely on it and can't plan for it doesn't mean I don't like found money. Yeah for mouse.


Cheers!
mouse

Hallmark Holidays

Dear Friends and Family,

I must have written about this before since the title auto-filled.

P came home with a bag of loot. It was nothing like the bounty that her toddler teacher bestowed on her last year, but evidence that the Hallmark holidays continue to thrive. And, last night, if we had any doubt, it was erased when we saw the army of cars headed in for dinner.

Traffic was through the roof.

Fortunately, we didn't have plans. So, I slogged through the traffic and met Mr. mouse at the airport. We had a delicious dinner of sandwiches and salad and then played with P in the playground before heading home. We had the place to ourselves.

So, despite the unexpected traffic, we had a lovely evening.


Cheers!
mouse

02.14.12: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 139.4

I lost 1.8 lbs since my weigh-in last Tuesday.

Now, that's what I'm talking about.

Actually, that's a little disconcerting since I thought I'd be lucky to eke in any loss whatsoever. I'll take it. Because, I'm not that ungrateful wretch who's never satisfied. But, it does raise the bar for next week.

What it really does is remind me that although my progress was slower than I wanted for the first month, I am making progress. This will work if I continue being focused and trying my best.

13X. I'd love to say good-bye to the 140s forever. But, somehow I think I'll see it on the scale a couple more times before I get solidly into the 130s.

Plan for the week? Track. Vitamins. Milk. Water.


Cheers!
mouse

02.13.12: Happy Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

Where do the weekends go? Oh, I know. I downloaded The Hunger Games for "free" and it took a good piece of the weekend to read through it. I think I'll have to pace myself for the next book. As it is, I need to wait until March 1 to download it since this is a Amazon Prime free thing.

Saturday, we took P to the park to go sledding, but there wasn't enough snow to sled down the hill, so we walked around in the snow instead. P has fun getting pulled by Mr. mouse and me. And, she attempted to pull Mr. mouse on the sled which was quite funny. At some point, she almost fell asleep on the sled while I was pulling her, and that's when we decided it was time to finish up. She had this groggy look of I'm not sleeping, I'm just resting, pull me some more, what's going on, on her face.

Oh, and she took a tumble down the stairs trying to walk in her snowsuit and boots, but I won't spend a lot of time on that here. Suffice it to say, I think it scared her more than anything else. And, it scared us as well.

Sunday, we took P to the museum to see the dinosaurs. But, she had no interest in them. Instead, we spent the afternoon playing in the family play lab with the drums and the pretend corn and the microscope and since we got in for free, it wasn't a bad use of the afternoon. Now, if we had paid $30 for the three of us, that would have been a different story altogether.

And, now, it's Monday. And, it's half way through February. How am I doing against my three goals?

• eating right
• spending time with family
• spending time with friends

Let's see. This weekend we went to a Mardi Gras party. That was a good time with friends. We had dinner with Auntie Janet which is more time with friends. We went to the park and the museum which is time with family. And, we'll see how the weigh-in goes tomorrow. The eating wasn't stellar, but it was within the bounds of acceptable.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: First day without a nap on Sunday. P was tired by end of day, but she made it through without a meltdown. In hindsight, I should have let her sleep at 2 when we got to the museum.

Being a Parent

Dear Friends and Family,

Work is getting precarious - as, it always seems to at some point. This time it feels more complicated because, in addition to my job which feels uncertain at best, the company feels precarious and uncertain at best. This alone makes it more complicated than before. But, on top of that, because P is at school and her eligibility is tied to my work, it feels SO much more complicated than before.

Still, after working through all of the possible combinations, I think the best course of action is to leave her at school. I say this because I don't want to transition her twice in two years - seems like a lot to ask of a two-year-old - unless I have to. I'd rather transition her once, ideally when she's four, but if it makes sense earlier or later.

Perhaps I'd be more willing to do it if one or more friends were willing to make the move with her. Then, I'd feel better about it not being as disruptive.

Nonetheless, for now, I'm knowingly leaving her at school. I am knowingly working towards my idea. I am knowingly leaving myself exposed to getting laid off or having the company close on me.

I am knowingly doing all of this. Yet, I will try not to be surprised when all of this shocks me in the end.


Cheers!
mouse

Pertussis aka Whooping Cough

Dear Friends and Family,

On Tuesday, we got an email from school that one of P's classmates had a confirmed case of whooping cough. On Wednesday, the school got a list of required actions from the County Health Board. Pick-up yesterday was somber. I'm not sure what the mood today will be.

P's got two of her five doses of preventative antibiotics in. The first she took with sad faces with me. The second she took with chocolate sauce with Mr. mouse. (I think he's vying for favorite parent status.)

Wish us luck. So far it seems a little surreal - like when we went through swine flu. But, in my head, I know whooping cough is more dangerous than swine flu.


Cheers!
mouse

Blank Mind

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Wednesday and not much is coming to mind.

Work is work.

Weight Watchers is Weight Watchers.

We've made some plans for March to see friends so that's progress on that front.

And, time with P and Mr. mouse is good.

Just waiting for a light bulb of sorts to go off in my head.


Cheers!
mouse

02.07.12: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 141.2

I lost 1.2 lbs since my weigh-in last Tuesday.

1.2 in a week? Hurray! 1 pound in the past four weeks? Boo!

This is the point last time when I got discouraged and quit tracking.

But, I'm going to try and think about this in a bigger frame. The first month is throw away data. You have a huge loss followed by, well in a perfect world, huge losses. But, in my world, a whole lot of nothing. But, I lost this week. And, if I can lose or stay flat, that's still better than gaining.

So, I will continue to drink my milk, drink my water, take my vitamins and track my food this week in the hope that next week I have more good news to share.


Cheers!
mouse

02.06.12: Being Anti-Social

Dear Friends and Family,

With a February of social engagements looming in front of us, and desperate for a good weigh-in, and unsure of my will power, and unsure of P's ability to stay away from the screen, we passed on the Super Bowl party last night.

Instead, we spent Saturday doing the last of the party clean up. And, because the weather was nice, P got to go for a walk with Mr. mouse.

And, on Sunday, we decided to go to the Science Museum, even if it was a gorgeous day outside. P loved the science museum. I can see us being regulars there which is 100% okay with me. And, I can see us getting a membership when she turns 3. She's free for now, so the break-even on membership is a lot higher than once we have to pay for her.

Sunday night, we read and played flash cards and took a bath and passed on the Super Bowl party. And, although I missed the food, I'm okay with this morning's weigh-in. So, I can't complain. Although, unlimited chips and salsa and guacamole and pizza and wings and Diet Coke would have been fun too.

I think one year I planned ahead and had chips (pre-portioned) and salsa and a Lean Cuisine barbecue chicken pizza and all the Diet Coke I could drink, and it felt good. Perhaps that'll be my plan for next year's Super Bowl.

It's not easy to forgo eating today for eating tomorrow. But, somehow, I can't see how I'll make goal without some sacrifice or change in behaviors.

Now, I need a plan for next weekend's Mardi Gras party.


Cheers!
mouse

February

Dear Friends and Family,

Looking at my happiness map, I've got a couple of options for what to focus on in February...

• eating right
• organizing the house
• doing tasks
• doing nothing
• spending time with family
• sleeping
• spending time with friends
• travelling
• working
• saving for retirement

Yep. The 10 primary activities that ultimately lead to a happy mouse.

That's not so bad. And, it all falls under four umbrellas.

1. financial security
2. intellectual challenge
3. being relaxed
4. when things look good

Top 3 for February (or until I revisit this). Drum roll, please.

Eating right has to be on the list. I need to do this and it takes time. It's, sadly, not overnight.

Organizing the house. We've made a lot of progress on this front. But, I feel like I'll be neglecting other things if I spend a lot of time here, now.

Doing tasks. Actually, our to do list is pretty stable at the moment. So, I'm not feeling a compulsion here.

Spending time with family. Always a good go to top 3. I'll keep it on the back burner and see what else pops.

Spending time with friends. That one has potential. Huh. I need to think on this one.

Travelling. I don't feel like I've got the time or the money to think about this one now. I'll wait until later in the year when we're recovered from the holidays and the IRA contributions.

Working. This one is one to think about. I think I should let the latest round of changes soak in. I have a new boss starting in a couple of weeks. I think I'll put this on the watch list for now, but it's not a priority.

Saving for retirement. This one also has potential. If I wanted to tackle this one, it's not going to be fun. I know we could be saving more. But, we're saving a lot and we're enjoying life. If we save more, in a way, we'll enjoy life less. I don't think there's a ton of fat to cut. I do think the one area we could cut back on is eating out. And, given the focus on eating right, I think that'll happen naturally without us spending a lot of time focused on this arena. There are two things I need to stay on top of - watching the investments and making sure we don't stockpile in cash. We need to be investing our dollars, not holding them in cash. So, work to be done, but not a new priority.

So, where does that leave me?

Potential Top 3

• eating right
• spending time with family
• spending time with friends

There you have it. After much agonizing and rationalizing. My Top 3.


Cheers!
mouse

February

Dear Friends and Family,

It's February. It's one month into the new year. Time slips by faster and faster.

Where do I want my February to go?

I'm not sure. It would be easy to set up four things on a to do list and then do one each weekend, but things like Weight Watchers take time.

I'm going to go all Dr. Seuss on you - there's a book I bought for myself at one point and in it he refers to The Waiting Place...

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

So, my goal for February is to figure out:

1. specifically what I am waiting for
2. what I need to do to shorten the waiting time to as short as possible so I am ready to hit the gas when I am done waiting

That is my goal for February.


Cheers!
mouse

Barely Black is the New Black

Dear Friends and Family,

After an almost record January, the mouse family is back in the black, barely.

Our 12 month rolling average is positive again. Happy dance time. Well, at least for today.

I know. It could all be gone in an instant. But, for now, it feels good to be making progress on the retirement front. I don't have grand ambitions. I don't have giant needs. I'm not overly aggressive. I just need slow and steady progress.

Here's to 2012 maybe turning the corner on The Great Recession. Maybe.


Cheers!
mouse

01.31.12: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 142.4

I gained 0.4 pounds since my weigh-in last Tuesday.

Was it the 15 dumplings? The half bag of french fries? The stress of work? "That" time of month? The Indian food?

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. And, yes.

It was a bunch of things including my first social weekend on Weight Watchers. Somehow, I'm okay with it. When I was flat last week, I felt I had tried and seen no reward. This week, I know I did things I shouldn't have. And, it's okay to see the results of it all.

Plan? Continue drinking my milk and taking my vitamin.

Next week, hopefully I have better news to report.


Cheers!
mouse

01.30.12: Happy New Year

Dear Friends and Family,

What a perfect weekend of friends and fun - celebrating the year of the dragon.

And, I've come to a realization. I need to fix my work situation. I'm unhappy and staying unhappy for the next year and a half so that P can enjoy school is not the right answer for all of us.

The question is, what can I do to become more happy? Who do I talk to? What do I change? Where do I begin?

They just announced a re-organization in our department on Wednesday and I was out on Thursday and Friday. I think I need to spend some time this week figuring out what it is I want to work on from a work perspective.

That and I need to spend some time making it happen. P's got a year and a half until she goes to school (at best, since this is assuming she goes to junior kindergarten) and that's too long to let the current situation "happen."

Thank you, dear friends, for reminding me and rejuvenating me.


Cheers!
mouse

4 More Days

Dear Friends and Family,

Still obsessed.

I think it's because I'm realizing that work needs to change. And, the more progress I make on the retirement fund the better I feel about work changing. Actually, P needs to go to school not connected with my work. Then, it all becomes 1000% easier.

Actually, the other reason I'm obsessed is that it's hard work. We can either hire a professional to do this for us or we can do it ourselves. The hardest part for me is picking investments. I've practiced long enough at saving that that part isn't hard. A sizable portion of my paycheck goes to my retirement account each paycheck. That part's not the hard part.

The hard part is that if I ignore it for a long enough time, there's a pile of cash in the account earning 0.000002% interest which isn't what I need for retirement. On the positive side, it's also FDIC insured at 0.000002% interest, so I don't need to worry about market downs with cash.

But, seriously, the part that's been tough is investing - buying things for the cash in the hope that those things appreciate faster than inflation. So, this morning I bought three more stocks. And, I upped how much I'm willing to buy for a single chunk. For instance, if I buy in $50 chunks, then I need to pick A LOT of stocks, bonds, etc. to invest all of my money. But, if I buy in $100 chunks then I need fewer and if I buy in $200 chunks I need even fewer. I think you get the gist.

So, I placed more bets this morning. Let's hope that I've got good news to report in six days (four days plus two weekend days).


Cheers!
mouse

Schools and Bullies

Dear Friends and Family,

I had a meeting at work yesterday with a bunch of the parents (read, Moms) from P's school. And, there I learned that there are bullies in P's age group. No surprise.

What I was surprised to learn was the extent of the bullying. One of the mom's told me she had to sign four reports in a single day for her daughter. As in, she got bitten or hit or kicked or something four times in one day. I told Mr. mouse kids like that should be segregated into a single room and/or kicked out of the school. The bullies, not the bullied, that is.

Then, on my way home from work, I was telling P about our Bill of Rights. Yep. I was talking to her about her Bill of Rights. And, we got to the one about undue seizure. And, P jumped in and told me that Caveman Jack took her motorcycle today and that she wasn't done playing with it and that she "took" it back.

On the one hand, I wish I could tell her that grabbing stuff from other's isn't good. But, on the other hand, if it was grabbed from her, taking it back doesn't seem so unreasonable either. What's comical is, I wasn't sure how much of my talk she was absorbing until she chimed in. Then, I realized she was listening and following.


Cheers!
mouse

01.24.12: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 142.0

I lost 0.0 pounds since my weigh-in last Tuesday.

This is when I quit Weight Watchers the last time round. I had a great first week followed by two nominal weigh-ins.

Lots of thoughts go through your head when you have two nominal weigh-ins. Lots of thoughts on things to change and try. Then, you get overwhelmed. Then, other things become a priority.

So, instead of trying everything. I will do two things this week.

First, I will continue to drink my milk every day like I did last week. Why, I don't know since it did not lead to instantaneous magic results this week. It's not a silver bullet, obviously, but I think I will continue to drink my milk every day this week.

Second, I will take my multivitamin every day this week. Sometimes it makes me nauseous. But, it's one of the Eight Good Health Guidelines. I will try it this week and see what next week's results look like.

Oh, and, note to self, Chipotle the day before a weigh-in is never a good idea. Maybe some people do okay with it. But, bringing in lunch yesterday would have probably yielded a better outcome. Live and learn.


Cheers!
mouse

01.23.12: Haircut, Barely

Dear Friends and Family,

P doesn't like getting her hair cut. There's no ifs, and, or buts about it. She's willing to attempt it to please us, but she really doesn't like it.

I'm torn. Do we give her the space to outgrow her fears and let her hair grow while we wait her out? Or, do we continue with the haircuts and hope for the best? She's so good, it's hard to not cut her some slack on the one thing she's not good with. Especially since she's afraid of it for some reason.

Saturday, since P was grounded, we couldn't do our normal routine. Instead, she went to the airport to play in their indoor playground. Doesn't seem like much of a grounding, but I didn't have it in me to come down hard on her since she was resolved to getting her hair cut on Sunday.

Sunday, we went to the salon. She braved out half the haircut, and then sobbed her way through the second half. We still gave her a haircut sticker, took her out to her favorite diner and let her open her last present since she didn't flat out refuse to get her hair cut, but I still feel bad over the tears and crying. Also back are her favorite cherry glasses and cookies at the bagel shop.

Mr. mouse's highlight for the day was taking P sledding. I wasn't sure how it'd go down, but she really enjoyed it. We went down the hill until P got tired. Then, we made snowballs and "threw" them into the fields until P got more tired. Then, we walked to the car. P was ready to pass out. But, I kept talking to her until we got home. Then, she insisted on opening her last present before falling asleep in her crib.

To round out the weekend, I got some good house organizing done and we dropped $700 on unexpected car exhaust work. It was a fun weekend. P looks adorable in her new haircut, the car sounds a thousand times better than it did on Friday, and I had a blast sledding with P and Mr. mouse.


Cheers!
mouse

$50 a month

Dear Friends and Family,

Sorry. I am obsessed with retirement planning.

This may be because work is beginning to resemble a bunch of mice scurrying across the deck of a sinking ship. Note: I saw a mouse in the parking garage the other day, and of course a cruise ship did sink, so I may have scurrying rodents and sinking ships top of mind.

I rejiggered my math to look at it a different way. I have a short list of variables: how long we'll live, how much we want for retirement each month, how much we save each month and when we retire. Before, I was keeping everything constant and calculating when we retire. Make sense? Now, instead, I've zeroed out everything and calculated, if we retired today, how much would we have for retirement each month. Still with me?

I'm happy to say, the worst case number, while MUCH lower than our goal, is enough that we would be able to keep food on the table. It wouldn't be glamorous and I'm not sure how health insurance would work and I don't think we'd be able to afford the taxes on our home, but food would be on the table.

I'm also happy to say, the best case number, while also MUCH lower than our goal, is definitely enough to keep food on the table and keep us in our current home and probably keep us from becoming too bitter about life.

And, in a third piece of happiness, I'm happy to say, by delaying retirement one more month, and doing nothing else, we have a little more each month for retirement, since our money has a little more time to grow. How much more? Somewhere between $20 and $50 a month based upon my math.

See? I'm obsessed.


Cheers!
mouse

13 More Days

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm more than fleetingly curious as to how the market will finish January. I want the market to finish up. I want to feel like I am making progress on retirement. I want cause and effect to be more tightly linked. I want to feel control.

Unlike some of my Top 3, retirement is something I can work towards. But, ultimately, there's more than an average measure of luck tossed in. I cannot control how Social Security will work. I cannot control if I lose my job tomorrow. I can control my retirement contributions, but I cannot control the market returns.

Zen would tell me to focus on what I can control and let go of what I cannot control. I make a contribution with each paycheck towards our retirement fund. I could spend that money on other stuff. I do not. So, I am doing what I can.

Still, I would love for January to end up instead of down. It would make me really happy.


Cheers!
mouse

01.17.12: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 142.0

I lost 0.2 pounds since my weigh-in last Tuesday.

0.2 pounds isn't a lot. But, a loss is a loss. And, any loss is better than staying the same or gaining. Considering my intraweek weigh-ins, I'm not complaining about a 0.2 pound loss. It's still a step in the right direction. And, it's a step closer to my next milestone of 141.X.

I still think the new point allowance is higher than my former experience on Weight Watchers. It's possible that it's different the second time around. It's possible it's different after a baby. It's possible it's different when you're older. But, I'll continue on it for now since I don't have any better ideas and it seems to be working. 3.4 pounds over two weeks is still ahead of the pound a week average I saw on the prior program.

One thing I am proud of for the week is getting in more of my dairy. I drink a cup of milk in my coffee at home and I drink a cup of milk in my coffee at the office. On the weekends, I drink a cup of milk in my coffee and then I try to get the other one in something else. So far, it's been oatmeal, cereal, and hot chocolate (the homemade kind).

I don't think it helps keep me full even if each cup has 8 grams of protein. But, it burns up points which is good.

I'm not going to over-think this any more than I already have. I'm going to try and keep my focus for the week and hope for a loss next week.


Cheers!
mouse

01.16.12: January Weekends

Dear Friends and Family,

After December, I need January. Starting with Thanksgiving, we begin the year-end frenzy of holiday commitments - cards, gifts, travel, etc. That always leave me EXHAUSTED and wondering what life is about. Then, January comes, and takes away all of those commitments.

We're free to enjoy our weekends with nothing or close to nothing to fill them up.

Saturday, we went to lunch with a group of friends we see a once or twice each year. I worked with them on a project about five years ago, but we've still remained close.

The rest of Saturday was free to play, pick up diapers, eat dinner. I can't recall because it was a free form day.

Sunday, we went to the bagel store, but no cookies since P is still grounded. We took down our tree and dropped it off at the local tree recycle center. We briefly contemplated sledding, but instead came home for a nap. P napped without going for a walk. We ate dinner. We went out and got groceries and a "kid shovel" for P.

She's really excited about the kid shovel.

And, now, it's Monday. Thankfully, it's a federal holiday, so I've got my fingers crossed about traffic.


Cheers!
mouse

Traffic Gods Strike Back

Dear Friends and Family,

Yes. It was miserable again. Yes, it was for two and a half hours from when I got out of work until we got home after dinner. Then, it magically disappeared. Yes, I knew it was coming. That's why we went out to dinner last night. Yes, I was stunned to find it no better when we got on the road to come home. No, no one is encased in carbonite.

BTW, for the record, what is carbonite? It sounds like something can exist now, as in not science fiction.

Yes, I brought home work. I wish I could say I had a fabulous evening with P, but alas, it was merely a nice evening with P.

We went out to dinner. She was more interested in looking around and talking and fidgeting in her chair. But, on the way to the car, she looked over and said it was nice eating dinner with you, Mommy. And, my heart melted.

We talked potty training on the way home. She pooped. I changed her when we got home.

We watched 12 minutes of videos on the computer - an unheard of number of videos for her while I worked.

We went upstairs and changed and read and went to sleep.

I wish we had had time for coloring and for playing and for arts and crafts and for a picnic at home, but, it wasn't meant to be.


Cheers!
mouse

Laughing Traffic Gods

Dear Friends and Family,

I won't lie. My commute is wearing on me.

Last night, the traffic gods were laughing. Remember the part of my commute that could be between 50 and 70 minutes on a bad day? Yes, out of nowhere (well, not exactly out of nowhere) it spiked from a Tuesday normal to bad to back to normal in all of 60 minutes. It's unfortunate, that it was smack dab in the middle of my commute.

If I go back to my happiness map - so much of this can be solved for. I switch jobs. Theoretically, it pays well enough that the money equation doesn't change.

I would save time which I can use for a multitude of things that make me happy - organizing the house, shopping, working, spending time with friends, spending time with Mr. mouse and P, sleeping, or just doing nothing.

So, why don't I switch jobs? Well, for awhile I was enjoying my job. But, I'll admit it. I didn't really enjoy 2011. But, before I switch jobs, I need to find a solution for P. She likes her friends. She likes her school. Her eligibility is tied to my work. Therefore, if I can find a solution for P, I can switch jobs.

She who laughs last may laugh best.


Cheers!
mouse

01.10.12: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 142.2

I lost 3.2 pounds since my weigh-in last Tuesday.

I won't say I couldn't have lost 3.2 pounds eventually without Weight Watchers. I might have. I might not have. I WILL say, I would not have lost 3.2 pounds by today without Weight Watchers.

And, now, to think about this week. What is my goal for this week? Weight Watchers thinks in larger chunks than I do.

My goal for this week? Be 142.0 or less by a future weigh-in. I know. That's only 0.2 pounds less than today's weigh-in. But, realistically, it feels like a good next goal for me.

I'm not setting a time limit since I don't know how this journey will evolve.

Then, I will set my next goal.


Cheers!
mouse

01.09.12: First Weekend Home of 2012

Dear Friends and Family,

We had a packed agenda on Saturday and a blank agenda on Sunday. P did stunning with most of Saturday, but we did get off to a rocky start with her haircut. She refused to get it cut. And, now she's deprived of her favorite diner, her favorite bagel shop, her cherry drinking glasses, a haircut sticker, and opening her last Christmas gift until she gets her hair cut.

P's first grounding. She's being a great sport about it and not sulking about the consequences. She understands there are certain things she wants that she's not getting because she was not good.

There's still a lot she is getting - stickers for potty, stickers for trying new foods (aji, pistachios, and french fried onions), stickers for trying more stuff at the park, walks with Mr. mouse, dinners out, birthday parties, her existing batch of toys and books, hugs and kisses, and only a little bit of reminder that the haircut is causing her small bumps in life. After all, there are cookies at the bagel shop.

Saturday night, we went out to dinner and I ordered the salad for the first time in a long time. I won't lie. It's not as gratifying as eating an over-sized entree with meat and pasta. But, it wasn't the end of the world either. I woke up Sunday morning and I was still alive. And, the meal was more a memory of seeing friends and laughing at P's impromptu concert than it was a memory of having eaten too much food. And, that's not a bad thing.

Actually, it was weird this weekend. With the haircut fiasco dictating breakfasts at home, and the birthday party and the Weight Watchers, we ate in the whole weekend with the exception of Friday dinner and Saturday dinner.

Fingers crossed for weigh-in tomorrow.


Cheers!
mouse

Elegant Solutions

Dear Friends and Family,

I read an article this morning - 30 Challenges for 30 Days. And, frankly, it was exhausting. I should have been inspired, but I was like, nope I can't commit to one more thing. Not one more thing. Try one new thing everyday? Sorry. That involves planning one new thing and then executing against it. Nope.

Which means now might be a good time to try and take stuff off of my plate. There's little things and big things, there's work, P, Weight Watchers, our January party, birthday parties, dinners with friends, haircuts, house cleanings, organizing the house, the idea, and the list goes on.

Okay. I will try opening my happiness map.

Here's one to think about. The complicated life that is my commute.

On good days, I drive home with P. Mr. mouse comes homes. We play. Sometime around 8 we eat dinner. We play from 8:30 to whenever we get tired. We go to sleep.

On bad days or on mail days, Mr. mouse comes out to meet us at the train station. We go out to eat dinner. We drive home. We get from around 8:30 and play to whenever we get tired. We go to sleep.

So time-wise, we're time neutral, but I'm eating out more which is costs more and definitely doesn't help my Weight Watchers endeavor. I will say it is nice not dealing with the traffic.

So, is there a better solution for bad traffic days?

Let's focus on the 50-70 minute days. Note, that's just the time for the last leg. There's more driving to get to that point. If I leave school by 6 PM at the latest and drive home through the traffic, it would be just before 8 by the time I got home. If Mr. mouse had dinner ready by 8 PM, we'd be minus the play time, but back to the same point that we would have been on a good day. So, I would trade off play time for money and my health. Sadly, even if it's not the best answer for P, it might be the right answer for me.

If I leave work by 5 PM on the bad days, and leave school by 5:30, then this makes more sense.

Let's agree, the few 70+ minute days, this doesn't make sense. Those days, I need to think of a better solution.

So, instead of a Top 3 Update, I will try this. I will check the traffic by 5 PM. If it's greater than 50 minutes, I will leave a little early to pick up P and drive home. If it's less than 50 minutes, I will leave at my normal time to pick up P and drive home. If it's greater than 70 minutes, I will arrange with Mr. mouse to eat out and drive home.

Mail? Huh. Seems silly to add dinner out just to get mail. We could either pick it up on the way home which is a colossal hassle or we could let it build up and pick it up on a day we would have eaten out anyway.

Okay. Let's give it a whirl and see if it makes life any better.


Cheers!
mouse

Weight Watchers, Again

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm back on the tracking bandwagon. And, I'm going to turn Yoda on you.

Either do or not do, there is no try. (This inspired by P's latest saying - Yummy pizza you made, Daddy.)

I remember the last time on Weight Watchers. I lost 70 pounds. I did it. Not the program. The program gives you a structure or a framework, but it's not magic. I need to own this.

And, that's how I've been approaching it the past four days. Yes, I can eat pretzels and enter it in and theoretically the math should all work out. But, if I'm not really hungry, then I shouldn't be eating pretzels - program or no program.

Perhaps that's my approach. If I'm hungry, the points will keep me from overeating. If I'm not, then I shouldn't eat just because I have the points to. I know dire things are supposed to happen if you don't eat all of your points. And, I remember on the "old" program, especially as I got closer to my goal weight, becoming like a little miser with my points. Each one was precious. But, I also remember early on, not eating all of my weekly bonus points and nothing terrible happening.

So, here's to making it stick this time.


Cheers!
mouse

Potty Training

Dear Friends and Family,

The things you're reduced to when you're a parent...

Do we go cold turkey on P and put her in underwear? Or do we continue to current saga of pull-ups? P doesn't like the potty. She'll use it if we press her, but she's not a big fan. I think it's because it tends to be messier than the diaper. And, she's had a diaper for as long as she can remember, and she doesn't understand why things can't just stay the way they are.

So, she's gotten into the habit of going RIGHT before potty. And, then giving us the "I tried" response to potty. Logically, then, the alternative to potty has to be something she likes even less than potty, which might be wet underwear. I don't think P will be a big fan of wet underwear.

Do we go cold turkey? Perhaps February is a good time. We don't have any big weekend plans. We'll work through our current supply of diapers. P will mature a little bit more.


Cheers!
mouse

01.03.12: Week Long Vacation

Dear Friends and Family,

In case you were wondering, we took a most wonderful week off from work and life. Sometimes, I think, if the time leading up to Christmas wasn't as stressful as it is, then I wouldn't need as much time to recuperate.

We opened presents with P on Friday morning. And, honestly, she was absolutely thrilled after opening her stocking - a Lego police officer and police dog that she can use in her airport security, a set of dice that she can use to make up stories, a key chain and a page of stickers. Thrilled. And, it made me wonder, why we had a deluge of gifts by the tree for her. I'm glad she's easily satisfied.

The rest of Friday as a flurry of packing. Then, we flew to Mr. mouse's folks' house. P was terrified of the cat (no surprise) and of Mr. mouse's step-sister-in-law (big surprise), but enjoyed her time with her grandparents.

Saturday, we indulged in diner food, took P to a park with a merry-go-round where we spent some creative time riding a turtle to random places her imagination dictated (a pond in Arizona with ducks was one example), began the process of returning gifts, and had dinner with Mr. mouse's dad and step-mom.

Sunday, we had brunch before heading over to see my parents and brother. P had a ball going out to the "slide park" with her uncle. And, dinner was a quiet affair at home.

Monday, we went to the park again - this time with my mom. Then, we went to a diner for lunch. And, we were going to head out to see the tree, but P was tired so we headed home. Dinner, we ate out.

Tuesday, we went to the park again. Then, we packed and my mom drove us to the airport. And, we had a quiet flight home. I think P was ready for a couple of days of downtime after the excitement and hyper-attention of spending time with grandparents.

Wednesday and Thursday, we packed P off to school and took time to get the house in order.

The living room looks amazing. I have three more file drawers to go through and the tree needs to come down soon, but other than that, it looks better than it has in the past two years.

The play area, computer area, and kitchen don't look much different. But, that's to be expected since I decided to focus on those areas which never get any attention.

Our room looks a ton better than it used to. We organized and packed away all of P's old clothes and shoes. We put all of P's books back on her shelf. And, we put away a bunch of old blankets we had piled in various stages of petrification. Oh, and I donated some clothes that I never liked.

P's room also looks a ton better. I donated some clothes that I never liked. We packed away all of the old clothes. We put all of the books back on the shelf. And, I removed a table that we no longer needed - less temptation to leave something without the horizontal surface.

And, P's bathroom. We donated three shopping bags full of hotel soap and shampoo and conditioner to a house that helps women and needs travel-sized samples of stuff. Yes!

Last, but not least, the basement. Actually, the basement took a step backward because we moved stuff down there that needed to go down there, but haven't stacked any of it yet.

Two more days off would have been great, but I'm not complaining about the progress we did make.

Friday, we took P bowling and then to the outlet malls for more returns and exchanges. Saturday, we had a normal day with a trip to the park and the library and breakfast followed by time at home, a walk with Mr. mouse and dinner at home.

Sunday and Monday, we took P to a hotel for some pool time. The pool was closed on Christmas so we promised a make-up pool day. We had a great room with a view of the train tracks (that P loved) and of downtown (that I loved) and two days of pool. P and I also had fun on the couch which turned into a spaceship - set your destination, pick your spacesuit color, buckle up, count down, blast off, drive, arrive, repeat.

And, now, it's Tuesday, and I'm off to work and P is off to school. Back to the routine. Happy 2012!


Cheers!
mouse

Too Much Fun

Dear P,

It's January 1, 2012. And, there are times I wish we could stop time and enjoy now for eternity. It's such a fun age with you and the only things stopping us from stopping time are the sad fact that even if we wanted to we can't and the happy fact that there have been times in the past when we've wanted to stop time and have been surprised at how much happiness the future holds.

You are at that magical juncture of growing into a little child - holding conversations and listening and learning and following directions. We sing songs together, we laugh together, we make up stories together. Yet, at the same time, you're still a cuddly toddler - giving hugs and kisses and declaring I love you and I need you in the sing song voice you have.

I know this next year will bring you one year closer to growing into a little girl, but for now, I am enjoying the sweet joy of you just the way you are.


Love,
Mommy

Overexcited

Dear Friends and Family,

Yay! My interface is fixed!

Last night was not a good night for P. We had lots of nos and squeals and shouted responses and time outs. I'm hoping it was because she was overexcited from her Christmas party and not because she's picking up some bad habits.

One more day and then we have some time off. I cleared my inbox yesterday. Today, I need to clear my whiteboard and my desk. And, I need to clean my desk. Then, it's time off to spend with family and with the house and the prepare for the new year.

Let's hope P is better tonight. Then, I'll be in a mood to wrap presents tonight for her to open tomorrow. If not, then we may hold off until after the holidays.


Cheers!
mouse

Only Marginally Guilty

Dear Friends and Family,

We're planning on taking P to school for a couple of days next week even if Mr. mouse and I are off from work. At first, I felt super guilty about sending P to school while we were off from work. But, in truth, I'm super excited about having two days free to get the house back in order. Yes, two days off, and that's what I am excited about.

I'm torn between diving deep into one large project (aka the basement) or spending my time across many rooms on little things that I would never have the time to do. I think, maybe, what I'll do is work in 15 minute chunks - and after each chunk of time switch rooms letting my whimsy choose the next room. It's amazing what you can do in 15 minutes to help a room.

I'm inspired by P's book. Little Miss Neat. She lives in Two Pin Cottage and everything is as neat as can be. I would like to be Little Miss Neat and live in Two Pin Cottage. I would.

My list of rooms? The living room, the play room, the kitchen, the laundry room, the half bathroom, the basement, the garage, P's room, our room, P's bathroom, our bathroom.

So excited.


Cheers!
mouse

Fun Week

Dear Friends and Family,

Something still wrong with my blogger interface this morning. I wonder if this is their way of trying to get us to upgrade to the new interface? Or, do they really think the week of Christmas preparation madness is the moment we want to attempt to learn something new? Or, is someone asleep at the wheel?

Tonight, I have the enviable task of taking P Christmas shopping for Mr. mouse's present. I waited until the last minute so she'd have less temptation to spill the beans. I also have the somewhat humorous task of helping her pick out Mr. mouse's gift. (Last night, on the way home, she proclaimed she wanted to get him a spoon. Yes, a spoon. Could it be because she was looking at her spoon at the moment? Perhaps.)

Then, tomorrow is Wednesday. And, we have P's holiday party. And, the day after is Thursday. And, then we're off from work on Friday. Yay!


Cheers!
mouse

Top 10 Needs

Dear Friends and Family,

Well, this is new. Something is wrong with my blogger interface this morning. Hello, Monday.

Over the weekend, I found a local charity and their top 10 needs align so closely with our top 10 needs that I'm hoping to take advantage of the situation and drop off some stuff with them. Is that bad?

For instance, they need toiletries. We have boxes of hotel shampoo and soap. They need new or used children's books. We have several books we never read because P doesn't like them. They need job interview clothing. I kid you not, I have my suits that I was just looking at thinking that they needed to go. They need gently used coats. Seriously? Because we just cleared out the coat closet. They need non-perishable food. We don't have a ton, but we're always looking for an excuse to get rid of something in the pantry.

Is this bad? We have this stuff lying around and I'm dying to get it out of the house because I feel like our house is overflowing with stuff. I feel like I'm taking advantage of them. We have this stuff. Would you be so kind to take it off of our hands?


Cheers!
mouse

The Toddler Christmas List

Dear Friends and Family,

In the spirit of keeping my sanity, I decided P did not need me to buy her a little bit of everything. Yes, I could make a VERY long list, patiently browse all of the sites, buy a combination of things that make me feel like I too can climb Mount Everest. And, then, do the crazy package tracking. All, in the spirit of what?

Instead, P is going to get a simplified list of things...

1. two books
2. paint plus paint brush set
3. a couple of small pieces for her Duplo collection
4. one board game
5. one set of ribbons to wave while dancing

And,

1. three pajamas (she's outgrown her current)
2. two pairs of pants (see above)
3. two tops
4. one snowsuit (also outgrown)

Still a mountain of boxes to wrap and unwrap, but within the bounds of sanity compared to the exercise I went through last Christmas and for her birthday.


Cheers!
mouse

Christmas Frenzy

Dear Friends and Family,

Not to switch gears on you, but I will. The Christmas frenzy has begun in earnest.

Tomorrow, we need to bring in P's gifts for her teachers. It's been an absolute NIGHTMARE traffic-wise this week, so we haven't had a chance to make the cards yet.

Then, sometime between today and tomorrow (um, sounds like tonight) we need to order all of our gifts or sign ourselves up for some weekend shopping. And, there's still the Christmas cards. And, the photo books. And,...

Ugh.

Honestly, I wish Christmas was about skipping all of this craziness and spending time with P. And, buying a couple of fun things for P. And, calling it a day.


Cheers!
mouse

Faith

Dear Friends and Family,

After sleeping on it, and given a chance to change his mind, Mr. mouse says he is committed to making our marriage work.

I am ecstatic.

I think he is more reflective. I know there's stuff he's struggling with. And, I'm sure there is stuff I will struggle with. But, for now, I'm glad we had the talk. I'm glad we came to an agreement. I'm glad I get to look forward to a future filled with memories together as a family.

I'm glad.

I'm also trying to figure out... How much do I try to help? How much do I just give him the space to do what he needs to do on his own?

I think I'd like to use a part of our Christmas vacation to drop P off at school and use a day by ourselves. I feel bad about sending P to school when we're both off. But, in the long run, I don't think it'll do her too much harm.


Cheers!
mouse

Alarm Clock Ringing

Dear Friends and Family,

The alarm clock has been ringing for the past 20 minutes, but Mr. mouse seems to be deep asleep so I'll let it continue to ring. Oh. There. It just stopped.

We were up late last night, talking, about stuff. The stuff from the weekend stuff. And, it was close to two before we fell asleep.

I got a lot off of my chest. But, I can't say I feel a lot better about it all. I feel like, in this one, there's no right or wrong. There's his opinion and there's my opinion. Neither is right or wrong, they're just opinions after all. I told him if he feels strongly about it, he should look for someone who agrees with him. But, he doesn't want to. The topic isn't important enough to break up a family over. Instead, he would prefer it if I changed my mind. But, try as I might, I can't or rather I won't.

I'm entitled to my opinion. I am strong enough to say, if this isn't right for you than we need to both be grown up about it and find alternative solutions which work for both of us. I'm scared to death of the thought of not being together. We've been together for the past 16 years. But, I owe it to myself to be honest with myself. I need to remind myself, this isn't about me. But, in the end, I keep coming back to questioning myself. Is this about me? And, is the topic important enough to break up a family over?

It's not easy. But, life isn't easy. And, I've overcome. And, I've persevered. And, I've always tried to stay true to who I am. I'm not easy. But, life isn't easy.


Cheers!
mouse

12.12.11: Things Done

Dear Friends and Family,

While it's not easy playing second fiddle, it is nice having Mr. mouse back home. He fixed the leak in the ceiling by replacing all of the rubber parts on the toilet in the master bedroom. He fixed the broken sockets in the kitchen by replacing the GFI outlet by the sink. And, he took out all of the trash and did all of the laundry. See?

We did have a dust up over some stuff, but I won't go into it now.

And, now, it's Monday and while we didn't finish our Christmas shopping - in fact, I don't think we've even begun our Christmas shopping in earnest, we did get a bunch of stuff done over the weekend, so I can't complain.


Cheers!
mouse

Options, Options, Options, Options

Dear Friends and Family,

Well, short of a nice Santa rally on Wall Street, 2011 isn't going to be a banner year for me to write about.

So, in thinking about this more, I think I've got a couple of options. I can wait it out since really much of it is beyond my control. Or, I can do the things within my control to change the trajectory of our retirement portfolio.

Decisions I can make? I can decide what to invest in. I can invest more aggressively. I can invest more of our portfolio. I'm going to veto both of those options simply because I don't believe it has much upside for us and it does have bucket-loads of downside for us.

Other decisions I can make? I can decide to save more. And, I think this is a viable one. We're comfortable with our budget now. Perhaps we can budget a little more carefully and send the balance in to our retirement portfolio. I'm willing to try it for a couple of months if Mr. mouse is.

Then, come January, that'll be a nice add to our sad retirement portfolio. My goal is to make my entire paycheck discretionary. We'll see how that goes.


Cheers!
mouse

Quiet Evening with P II

Dear Friends and Family,

Yes. Mr. mouse was busy again last night so P and I had the night to ourselves.

Traffic was a bear so we went out for dinner, putting a hold to our plans for a picnic for dinner. P ate lots of noodles and lots of unagi rice and was generally happy to be out at conveyor belt sushi.

We got home, did our flag puzzle, colored, and then went upstairs for hydrolysis. We read four books and then I pretended to sleep so that she would fall asleep. Except, as it always happens, I really did fall asleep for a couple of minutes. When I got up, P was asleep. I carried her into her room, went briefly into the basement for White Elephant inspiration, and fell asleep for the night.

This morning will be a little bit of an ad-hoc exercise in getting out the door. And, tonight will be a little bit of an ad-hoc exercise in getting everyone to bed. But, Mr. mouse has promised me the work craziness will be done tonight. So, tomorrow morning life will return to some semblance of normalcy - just in time for the holidays.


Cheers!
mouse

Quiet Evening with P

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse was busy last night, so I had the joy of a full evening with P.

We went out to eat pancakes for dinner. Then, we changed out of syrup-covered clothes. We hung the rest of our Christmas ornaments. We made a Lego pizza oven with a monkey on top and baked giant slices of pizza for miniature Duplo friends. We watched two songs on Mr. mouse's computer. We tied a string to a car and pulled it around the house. We read lots of books and drank lots of milk. Then, P leaned forward and collapsed on our bed and I let her sleep for 10 minutes before carrying her into her room.

I had fun. I hope she did as well.


Cheers!
mouse

Plan B

Dear Friends and Family,

I realized a very simple Plan B if my idea doesn't work. It's not a very sophisticated plan at all which makes me think it's viable as a backup plan. If my idea doesn't work, I will wait until P enters kindergarten and... wait for it... I will find a new job.

Yes. It's that simple. P will enter kindergarten in the fall of 2014 which means if I don't want to disrupt her current program, I don't have to.

Now, there's always the possibility that I can lose my job or my job can go away. Plan C, so to speak. In that scenario, P has to change schools anyway. In that scenario, I'd probably either focus on my idea or switch gears and find a new job.

Somehow, it made me feel better to realize I have options. I don't have to work in my current job until I retire. I can make a move and try something new. That might not be a bad thing.


Cheers!
mouse

12.05.11: Dentist Visit

Dear Friends and Family,

P went to the dentist and it was a partial success. She let the hygienist count her teeth and brush her teeth with a toothbrush. She let the dentist look inside her mouth. But, she had no interest whatsoever in the metal picks or the powered tooth cleaner. Still, it was a big improvement over last time when she didn't let much of anything happen beyond putting on the bib and sunglasses.

The other thing we spent a lot of time talking about this weekend is Santa. Apparently, she's learned about Santa at school and about presents and Christmas. Huh?!?! Well, I've had the first of what I'm sure will be many talks with her about it. She picked up the phone at the hotel (which we unplug the moment we step into a room) and called Santa. "Hello? Santa. I would like a car for Christmas. Bye." Yes, that is was our child says to the phone. Fortunately, she means a matchbox car, not a real one, but still.

And, last but not least, the toilet training thing may be on hold for the week. P has the nastiest of rashes on her butt and it a little overwhelmed with all of the stuff going on down there.

On one thing, she has been consistent over the past week. We're done with breastfeeding. I made it the whole weekend without the pump. I think we are officially weaned.


Cheers!
mouse

The Lost Year

Dear Friends and Family,

Well, it's not as bad as the lost decade, but, it's certainly not a good feeling.

We're on track, barring a nasty December, to break even on our retirement portfolio this year. Really, the plan is to make money, not break even, but given the environment we're in, I guess breaking even is better than losing money.

I had high hopes for November, given October's performance, but November didn't continue the trend.

Still, we are fortunate. Mr. mouse has a job that he enjoys and I have a job that if I don't enjoy at least keeps me satisfied for the moment. And, if we can turn the ship around even modestly, we should be in decent shape come somewhere between April 2019 and February 2023 which is MUCH later than December 2016 which was our original goal. But, we've done what we can. Now, we just need time.

I just keep telling myself that at some point we'll start getting out-sized gains instead of out-sized losses, but it's tough to believe that when the out-sized losses keep coming.

One thing all of this makes me realize, well a couple of things really. One, most people probably haven't even done the math. There's too much happiness which makes me assume there's a lot of bliss out there. There's too many nice cars and expensive shoes and bags to make sense otherwise. Two, most people are going to be pressed to retire anytime in their lifetime. If we, with our ability and disciple to maintain a diligent savings rate and good fortune are barely able to see retirement in future, how does the average person manage it? I can't see how the math works out.

So, even if the past year was a lost year, I'm optimistic that I'm doing what is within my control to secure our future.


Cheers!
mouse

All Full Nai Nai Parts

Dear Friends and Family,

Stop here if you're easily squeamish.

After two and a half years, I think P and I are done with a very physical bond that started before birth.

I started breast feeding because I thought it was worth a try. I continued because of a belief that the stuff in formula can't possible be as good for you as an incredibly complex natural substance. I made it through the first year thanks to a lot of luck, and some discipline, persistence and tracking.

I continued because it is a special bond. It's time alone that can't be replaced by time doing other activities together. I can't describe it. It's different.

And, after the first year, it's as easy as cake. You don't pump. You don't have to worry about the nutritional aspects. If they get hungry, you can feed them food. If they get thirsty, you can give them milk or water. If they're not growing, it's not because of the breast feeding. No pressure whatsoever.

And, that's what made it so difficult to figure out when the right time was to wean. I knew I wanted to do it sometime before she turned three, because there's a point when you're done (and different people define that point for themselves, mine was three). And, fortunately for me, P made it easy. She decided she was done. So, I've got about a week while I wind down using my old friend the breast pump.

But, I have to say, it's been a rewarding experience. It wasn't easy the first year, when the pressure can feel immense. But, it was very easy for the next year and half. And, I'm glad we got to share what we did for as long as we did.


Cheers!
mouse

December Rush

Dear Friends and Family,

It's November 29th which means there are 26 days between now and Christmas. Twenty six days to get everyone's gifts ordered. Twenty six days to do cards. Twenty six days to enjoy the tree. Twenty six days to make our photo album. Twenty six days to plan our week off between Christmas and New Years (note to self: I am fine spending those days at home with Mr. mouse and P). Twenty six days to plan the teacher's lunch. Twenty six days... How did this happen?

The question I should be asking is not how long is the list, but how can we simplify the list? Does everything have to happen in the next twenty six days? Call me a grinch, but we-all seem to make it more complicated than it needs to be in the "spirit of the holidays," which, when you really think about it, aren't really about any of what I wrote about up there.

In my perfect world, I wouldn't buy presents for anyone besides P. We would decorate the tree. We would make a handful of cards together. We would spend the week at the park, at the zoo, at the aquarium, at museums and at home. We would go to every store in town with a cart with a car in front and we'd play all day.

And, then, it'd be January, and I'd emerge from my cave of isolationism and be none the worse for the wear.


Cheers!
mouse

11.28.11: Thanksgiving Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

Where did the five days go?

We made homemade pie. We baked dinner rolls. We made a turkey. We ate a turkey. We did some online shopping. We played in the park with P. We went to a birthday party for one of P's friends. We had our two and a half year check-up. We got our flu shots. We started decorating our tree.

We continued potty training. We went to the library. We ate at our favorite diner. We decorated a box with stickers. We did the flag puzzle many times. We bought a friend who P named Yabbi.

We tossed a couch that was in desperate need of tossing. We got a new sideboard to use as a shoe rack. We cleared the kitchen island. We donated many bags of old shoes and coats.

All of which is a good lead-in to my Thanksgiving list.

I am thankful for P and Mr. mouse...

for P's health and continued development, for the things she says and the things she does, for how hard she tries, for how brave she is, for her laughs and smiles, for snuggling with her while we read bedtime stories, for the hugs she gives, for the kisses she gives, for playing together and for all the things we do together that somehow make it all worth it...

for Mr. mouse's health and happiness, for the time he spends with P, for the time he spends keeping the house in order, for the time he spends keeping our life in order and for the things he does without asking for anything in return...

for the health and happiness of my friends and family, people who make me laugh, who make me think, who love P unconditionally, who are there even if I don't see them everyday...

for work, although it may not always be gratifying, it pays the bills and allows us to save for the future, and gives us the flexibility to do the things we do...

for a common approach to life, where we recognize that life is complex and complicated, but we're both okay with consistently trying to simplify it - neither of us have the ambition to be more than we are, both of us agree that more money does not equate to more happiness, and that allows all three of us to enjoy the day-by-day pleasures that life gives if you take the moment to enjoy them.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: P's answer? She is "happy for" dada. And, after much prompting and prodding, she is also "happy for" mama (the terms of endearment she uses when she wants to show affection.)

I Would Like...

Dear Friends and Family,

P is growing up quickly. I knew from watching kids in her classroom that somewhere between two and three, kids go from distinctly toddler-like to distinctly no-longer-a-toddler. How's that for a categorization?

There's the speaking. There's the body proportions. There's the potty training. There's the confidence in running and jumping. There's the ability to listen.

And, apparently, for P, there's the ordering at a restaurant. She's been wanting to see the menu for some time now. But, last week she started wanting to order. The first time, she echoed Mr. mouse in the background. Then, on Sunday, she ordered her own cheese pizza. And, last night, she ordered soup.

And, on Sunday, when the waitress came to collect plates, she handed hers over and said, "I'm done." And, tried to do the same yesterday.

Distinctly no longer a toddler.


Cheers!
mouse

11.21.11: I Went Pee Pee on the Potty, Dada

Dear Friends and Family,

Yes. We had a play date. Yes. We went to see Trixie for her birthday party.

But, yes, the highlight of our weekend was the start of toilet training. P came home with a sticker on Thursday for using the toilet after nap. Then, she came home with four stickers for using the toilet all day Friday.

So, we tried to continue the toilet thing all weekend. We had some luck, but we're glad we kept her in diapers since it was a hectic weekend with times we forgot to ask her if she needed to go and times she didn't want to go in unfamiliar places.

But, it's a start. And, we've got a less hectic Thanksgiving, so we'll try to continue the process over the long weekend.

I won't even begin to talk about how it makes her seem even more grown up than she already does.


Cheers!
mouse

Over-Thinking to Avoid Over-Committing

Dear Friends and Family,

8 days. 8 days. I must make it through the next 8 days until Thanksgiving weekend. And, I must commit to not doing this craziness next year. I've been thinking of a weekend calendar so we don't over commit.

Breaking the year into four quarter with 13 weeks apiece... Then,

1:
2: housecleaning, manicure
3:
4: housecleaning
5: haircut, wax, manicure
6: housecleaning
7:
8: housecleaning, manicure
9:
10: housecleaning
11: haircut, wax, manicure
12: housecleaning
13:

Now, I just need to lay this up against our calendar for 2012 and see what other commitments we have. Weekends 1, 3, 7, 9, and 13 are free for travel. The other weekends are local, ideally. I think if we lay it out in advance, then the likelihood of doing something like we did this past month will go down and I won't be chanting 8 more days.


Cheers!
mouse

Piling Up

Dear Friends and Family,

It's been several weekends we've been out of town. And, we have a couple more social commitments to get through between now and Thanksgiving. Which means, Thanksgiving will be our first real break from the craziness that has been our fall. And, after Thanksgiving, we have the holidays coming at us full force - with family visits, presents, more social commitments, stuff for P's teachers, and the list goes on.

It's beginning to pile up and I realize I'm going to need to be meticulous with the to do list to come out of this in one piece.

First to do on the list? Winter boots for P. Time to go look on-line.


Cheers!
mouse

11.14.11: River City Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

We went out to Portland to celebrate the joint birthday weekend.

The flight seemed amazingly short after our Tran-Atlantic trips. And, we had a good two days out there thanks to a vacation day on Friday.

Friday, we hit the food trucks for lunch. Mr. mouse and I had a combination of burger with guacamole and cactus which was delicious, an Indian vegetarian plate lunch which was standard and a Chinese noodle dish with a nice kick of pepper. We bought noodles and chicken for P, but also bought a back-up chicken and rice.

Friday, for dinner, we had conveyor belt sushi followed by self-serve frozen yogurt.

Saturday, breakfast, Voodoo doughnuts. Lunch, Bridgeport Ale House. Snack, Stumptown Coffee. Dinner, L+L Hawaiian. Dessert, birthday cake.

Sunday, leftovers in the hotel room.

In between eating, we enjoyed the book store, the toy store, the park, the hotel pool and walking the rainy streets of Portland's colorful neighborhoods. And, in between the walking and eating, it was nice catching up with our friends and remembering that there is life outside the confines of the here and now here in the Windy City (which beckons with a reminder that it is Monday morning and I do have an early morning meeting).

But, before I leave... The foliage in Portland was gorgeous. Tons of maples in glorious shades of pink, peach, orange, yellow and red. Stunning.


Cheers!
mouse

Short Week

Dear Friends and Family,

One week off. Four days back. Two days off. Four days back. Three days off.

Yes. It's the end of the year and I am determined to use my vacation days this year. And, since it's the middle of November, that means there'll be a couple of long weekends thrown into the mix.

I have to say with the dark and now the cold, I feel like hibernating for a couple of months and resurfacing in spring. I've been giving some thought recently to what my "ideal" day would look like. In my fantasy world...

05:00 - 07:00 my time
07:00 - 08:00 everyone gets ready for the day
08:00 - 08:30 commute and drop off P
08:30 - 05:00 work
05:00 - 05:30 pick up P and drive home
05:30 - 06:30 unwind and play
06:30 - 07:30 cook and eat dinner
07:30 - 09:30 unwind and play
09:30 - 10:00 everyone gets ready for bed
10:00 - 05:00 sleep

Currently, it's:

04:30 - 05:45 my time (-45 minutes)
05:45 - 06:30 everyone gets ready for the day (-15 minutes)
06:30 - 08:00 commute and drop off P (+ 1 hour)
08:00 - 05:30 work (+1 hour)
05:30 - 07:30 pick up P and drive home (+1.5 hours)
07:30 - 08:00 unwind and play (-30 minutes)
08:00 - 08:30 cook and eat dinner (-30 minutes)
08:30 - 09:30 unwind and play (-1 hour)
09:30 - 10:00 everyone gets ready for bed (same)
10:00 - 04:30 sleep (-30 minutes)

Now, I just need to find a way to work towards my fantasy world.


Cheers!
mouse

Mouse vs. Food

Dear Friends and Family,

Yes. I am still waiting for the ah-ha moment that motivates me to lose the weight I have put on since becoming a mother. I would call it baby weight, but it isn't. This isn't weight from being pregnant. This is weight from being distracted, low on time, dealing with traffic, putting dinner on the table for P, food is lying around the office when I need a break weight.

I need to face hunger in the face and face it down. I need to be okay with it. I will not starve to death. I will be okay.

I have given myself until the end of my granola bar supply (which is a week or so away) to continue with my current approach - two glasses of milk for breakfast, some carbohydrate with one serving meat and one serving vegetable for lunch, three servings of fruit and one serving of nuts for a snack. After my granola bars run out, I will add two servings of vegetables with cheese and crackers for an afternoon snack.

Who eats this much food and is still hungry?!?!

Today, I will face down hunger and win. I am stronger than you, hunger.


Cheers!
mouse

Entities: Legal and Tax

Dear Friends and Family,

Wow, is it ever complicated. When do I get to the fun part?

Somehow, I think a lot of entrepreneurs gloss over this part and then wish they hadn't. So, here's what I've learned so far.

There's two decisions that need to be made in conjunction that define your business. There's the tax entity decision which tax people like the IRS care about. You've got three choices - sole proprietorship, partnership, some variant of corporation. Then, there's the legal entity decision which lawyers care about. As risk adverse as I am, it has to be some form of limited liability company. There's no way I want somebody to be able to go after my personal assets if this fails. Conversely, I don't want somebody to be able to go after my business assets if I fail. And, that's where it gets complicated.

A limited liability company is a legal entity, but not a tax entity. If you're a limited liability company with one member, you're a single member limited liability company. Makes sense. Your taxes are filed as a "disregarded entity" and you go from there. But, it seems like the legal protection of a single member limited liability company is a lot less than a partnership or a corporation. After all, are you really that different from a sole proprietorship, really?

If you're a limited liability company with two or more members, you can be a partnership or a corporation. Only problem is, I'm doing this alone now since my partner bailed. So, a partnership doesn't make a ton of sense.

Which leaves me with a limited liability company filing as a corporation. The paperwork burden and legal burden is the most onerous with this combination. But, I don't think the other two options really give me what I need. Therefore, I think I'll be reading 805 ILS 180 - Limited Liability Company Act in detail to see what I need to know.


Cheers!
mouse

11.07.11: Interim Week

Dear Friends and Family,

It was a busy week in the mouse house. After being gone two weekends there was a ton to do. And, next weekend we're doing Mr. mouse's birthday. And, the weekend afterwards is some combination of play date, children's theater, Trixie's birthday and recuperation. And, the weekend after is Thanksgiving. How did that happen?

Saturday, we got the house cleaned. And, P and I returned library books and played in the park and ate lunch and shopped in a little corner grocery and dropped off our custom t-shirt order.

Sunday, we played in the park, picked up our t-shirts, and I napped while P and Mr. mouse went to Target. Then, while P napped, Mr. mouse and I rearranged the living room - we took down the baby gate and put the couch back to it's pre-toddler position and determined a wedge couch we have needs to go. One bag of old coats down, several bags to go. It's a never ending battle.

Last night, P and I read books on the couch and it felt so good to be in a room that seemed like a semi-adult room vs. a barricaded accommodation for barreling toddler.


Cheers!
mouse

Little Miss Neat

Dear Friends and Family,

P has book called Little Miss Neat. Little Miss Neat lives in Two Pin Cottage. And, her key to keeping things neat is that everything has its place and everything is in its place.

I need that. I desperately need that.

If everything was in its place, I would be happy. So, let's think about this for a moment.

There can be two problems. Something is not in its place or something does not have a place. Things not being in their place is easy to solve. Things not having a place is what gets me. Like, for instance, the car seat in the living room. It used to be in Mr. mouse's car (which we sold) and now we keep it in case we need it for a rental car.

It's in the living room for crying out loud! On the couch!

Clearly an item with no home. Now, if the car seat had a place I could move it there immediately. But, without a proper home for it, it sits on our couch waiting patiently for a home. What is the proper home for this current irritant?

Well, if placement is determined by where it's needed, I would say somewhere close to the front door makes sense. But, not the couch. I don't want it in sight, which would imply the coat closet is the right place for it, but that's valuable real estate for something that gets used two to four times a year which means it's need to be farther from it's logical home... long term storage... garage or basement... garage... which is full, so we need to find a home there. See, this is why we don't live in Two Pin Cottage.


Cheers!
mouse

Toddler to Pre-K

Dear Friends and Family,

An interesting thing happened while we were on vacation.

P went from toddler to pre-K. I know she's only two and a half, but in the span of a week the talking exploded, she figured out shoes, she leaned out, she told us she was hungry and thirsty, and just so many other things.

When I look at her pictures from a year ago, I see a toddler. When I look at her pictures from the trip, I see a pre-K kid. We're done with the baby years and now I have a sneaking suspicion we're done with the toddler years as well.

What's it like traveling with a two year old? Well, it went remarkably well. The trick, I think, is avoiding the red eyes. They don't sleep well, you don't sleep at all, and everyone's off schedule for a day trying to adjust.

Instead, we took a day flight to Europe that left mid-morning and landed mid-evening. I know, that means we lose a day in transit, but think about it this way...

Everyone gets up and does last minute trip prep. You go to the airport and get on a plane. You spend a long time on the plane. You get your bags, you go to the hotel, you check in, you eat dinner, you go to sleep. Doesn't sound bad, does it?

In comparison. Everyone gets up, spends a full day doing their day routine. You go to the airport and get on a plane. You eat a late dinner. You spend a long time on the plane when everyone should be sleeping, but no one is really sleeping. You get your bags, you go to the hotel, you check in, you should leave for the day because it's morning in Europe, but instead you go to sleep (effectively losing the day you gained by going on the night flight) and when you wake up, you're officially jet lagged because you're still on home time, not on local time.

See my point?

It was never an issue for Mr. mouse and me. We don't get jet lag. But, we didn't want to make that assumption for P. She was off one night (the second night of our trip) when we put her in a pack and play, she woke in the middle of the night and needed care before falling back asleep.

On the way back, we did the same thing almost. We got on a plane mid-morning. We came home. We stayed outside the whole day to avoid falling asleep. We went to sleep earlier than normal, but within the bounds of reasonable. And, we've been on local time since.


Cheers!
mouse

Thanksgiving on My Mind

Dear Friends and Family,

Trip download coming, I promise.

But, today, I have Thanksgiving on my mind because it just dawned on me yesterday that it is just a couple of weeks away. And, I'm thinking about how to make it more healthy.

What's on the menu from last Thanksgiving?

1. turkey (turkey, olive oil, salt, pepper)
2. ham (ham)
3. gravy (turkey drippings, flour, turkey stock, milk, salt, pepper)
4. home baked bread (flour, yeast, salt)
5. mashed potatoes (potatoes, butter, milk, salt, pepper)
6. stuffing
7. green bean casserole
8. candied sweet potatoes
9. corn (corn)
10. cranberry relish
11. apple pie
12. ice cream (egg, sugar, cream, milk, vanilla)

So, choices on a dish to make more healthy? Let's see... Which ones have processed ingredients? Stuffing has sausage, green bean casserole has cream of mushroom soup and fried onions, and candied sweet potatoes have marshmallows.

Sadly, I guess green bean casserole should be the one to get remade. And, if I'm going to remake it, I might as well think about it and look for some inspiration. Can I make it in five ingredients or else? Can I make it vegan? Can I make it gluten free? Can I make it nut free? Can I make it low fat? low salt? low carb? Yes, I'm sure I can make a vast leap from green bean casserole to a new green bean dish that is going to be a fabulous add to our Thanksgiving feast.


Cheers!
mouse

Retirement Review

Dear Friends and Family,

No worries. We're alive and I haven't abandoned my journal.

We went... on... vacation!

But, I'm not going to try and write about that today because I have close to a dozen posts in mind that I need to organize.

So, instead, since it's the last day of the month, I'll do a retirement review.

Needless to say, October was a good month for the mouse retirement fund almost erasing the dismal performance of sad September. More than just erasing a month of bad news, it shows a reversal of trend. Instead of decreasing each month, and more disturbingly, decreasing at an increasing rate, October was a sign that it is worth it to keep investing. There will be times where it's tough to stomach, but, with retirement being a long term strategy, retirement planning is a long term exercise as well.

The retirement range? Now it's between January 2019 and January 2023.


Cheers!
mouse