Planet Pawlowski

Can Money Buy Happiness?

2011-10-05T18:31:00.000-05:00

Short answer? No, but debt can make you go mad.

We are perpetually broke. Well, let me amend that, every two weeks we have plenty of money. Until we pay the bills. Then we are broke again.

I can't imagine how people carry large mortgages and have big credit card bills. I know our total debt is below average, and nearly a third of it is a hospital bill that doesn't charge interest. Patrick makes a very decent salary plus quarterly bonuses, and we are generally thrifty. Our one "luxury" expenditure is eating out a lot on the weekend.

Still, our bills have our drowning us a majority of the time. Maybe that's a little melodramatic. They're dunking us like a bully who you're not sure will let you back up.

We do have a plan for getting rid of our debt over the course of the next three years. But there are plenty of people out there that constantly carry debt and don't seem terribly concerned about it. What's their secret? Denial? Selective amnesia? Is there a pill you can take?

Patrick and I talk about money a lot, and it's roll in our lives. Our goal isn't to make the largest amount of money possible, just enough so we can be comfortable and do the things we enjoy. But debt always seems to demand more and more.

Money can't buy happiness, but debt and happiness seem to be mutually exclusive.

Bad Mama Moments

2011-09-27T22:25:00.002-05:00

This afternoon, I dropped Aidan on his head.The older kids had ran outside to play with a friend, and had forgotten to make sure the storm door latched. Aidan scooted out after them, and I ran after him. I caught up with him in the driveway and scooped him up, but he did a wriggle/limp noodle maneuver and I lost my grip on him. Luckily, I caught him by the ankle just as the top of his head made contact with the gravel. He bit his tongue and has a bit of a bump and a scrape on his scalp, but he's OK.

I am NOT.

There is nothing in this world like Mama Guilt.

Fun at Home

2011-09-20T22:55:00.001-05:00

In the midst of planning our upcoming journey 'round the world, I've had to remember that there are still plenty of fun things we can and should be doing right here at home. After all, it's going to be about three years until we can take off for parts unknown. We're not going to sit at home and twiddle our thumbs until it's time to hit the road.

With that in mind, I bundled up the kids and headed to the Downtown Evansville Farmer's Market last Friday. It was a perfect day; the sun was shining, but it was chilly and you could smell fall in the air.

The first booth we stopped at was Joe Engelbrecht's. We loaded up the stroller with caramel apples and a gallon jug of cider. The kids ate the apples before we left, with sticky candy and juice running down their chins. It was perfect.

At another booth we picked up a cookie for Aidan, who doesn't yet have enough teeth to handle a caramel apple, although he looked willing to try. We also got a bag of dog treats for Gage from Bears Bone Bakery. The samples he had smelled like real peanut butter cookies...I had to keep reminding myself they're for the dog.

Finding the balance between living in the present and planning for the future has been a little difficult lately. Since committing to this plan, it seems all I can think about is getting on the road, what it's going to be like to live in an RV, all the places we'll see and things we'll do. Slowing down, breathing, and pulling myself back into the present can be hard, but it's always worth it. I'm not willing to miss out on today in order to plan for tomorrow.

Saving Money is No Fun

2011-09-14T09:15:00.001-05:00

Patrick and I sat down at the kitchen table last weekend to make our game plan. We had some pretty big ideas, and next to no idea how we were going to make them happen. What we kept coming back to during our discussion was that paying off our debt had to be the first step, no matter what we end up doing.

That sucks.

I mean, I'm totally on board with paying off our debt. Compared to the average American household, I'm guessing that we're below average int he amount of debt we carry. Still, with four kids, we're usually stretched pretty thin after all the bills are taken care of. And now, we're committing to putting more money toward debt, and less toward things like, say, food.

I know I'm being unreasonable. There are definitely places where we can cut back. And it will be a (hopefully) fun and creative challenge. I'm looking into fall/winter gardening. Found a place where we can get kids clothes for free...I about fainted in ecstasy when I heard about it! We're going to (gulp) cut back on eating out. Patrick's going to work a little later in the evenings, getting a little more billable time in for those end-of-quarter bonuses.

The payoff will totally be worth it in the end. I just hope the end comes quickly!

We're baaaack...with a new direction.

2011-09-07T16:47:00.000-05:00

I've deleted and restored this blog about a dozen times in the last few months. I haven't posted anything in forever, so keeping it live seemed silly, but I just couldn't seem to let it go. Turns out, keeping it around is going to be a good thing.

We've decided that on or before January 1, 2015, we're going to sell our house, buy an RV, and travel the world...truly make our world Planet Pawlowski. I was thinking to myself, "I should really blog about how we're preparing for this big life change. I wonder where I would blog about that....Oh yeah! I have a blog!"

This idea is in it's infancy, although it's something we've jokingly tossed back and forth for as long as I can remember. Lucky you, you get to take the journey from "house stuffed to the gills with junk and debts to pay" to "everything we own fits in an RV and freedom to see the world!"

Where are we now? Well, our youngest child, Aidan Patrick, was born on May 26, 2010, at 9lbs 4oz and 20 inches. He's now 15 months old and is displaying the family trait toward stubbornness with his absolute refusal to walk. Liam is 5.5 and is one big ball of energy. He loves planting seeds, snuggling with his dad, and helping Grandpa tinker around the yard. Ava and Genevieve are 8 years old...I can hardly believe it. I feel like I hardly see them anymore, since they want to spend all their time with their friends! They love art, music, and movies.

We are still homeschooling/unschooling. In the last year, the girls have learned to read, which has been a fascinating journey to watch and participate in.

Everything in our life, our love of travel, homeschooling, and Patrick's work-at-home status, has come together to point us toward this next adventure. And as ready as I am to just get on the road, I'm looking at this, the preparation, as an adventure as well.

Big News!

2009-11-05T12:49:00.002-06:00

Yep, another little Pawlowski is on the way, due June 1, 2010! It was a big surprise, but not unwelcome. Ava, Evie, & Liam are all ecstatic, and all want a little sister. I'm thinking this one is another girl, too, but Patrick is holding out for some more testosterone.

Hello Again!

2009-07-16T23:57:00.002-05:00

Don't get excited, this may not last.

Sometime between shoving the dog off my legs and getting kicked in the kidneys by Evie, I started thinking about this blog and how long it had been since I'd posted anything. It's been a really long damn time. Like, 10 months. I could have had another baby in that time. I didn't, but still, I'm just sayin'.

Not much has really changed around here, and I'm not sure whether that's good or bad. We were supposed to have more money after moving into the crappy house, and that hasn't quite panned out, which, I have to admit, really sucks. We took on some debt to get out from under our old house, and now we're paying for it, literally. We're working on a few things, so hopefully our financial future will be rosier by the end of the summer.

The kids are all doing pretty fantastic. Ava and Genevieve had their sixth birthday last month. They've started to lose teeth at an alarming rate. They got their ears pierced. They're in the beginning stages of learning to read. Ava, especially, has learned to apply makeup like a pro.

Liam in three and a half. He's using the potty, and is quite proud of his pottying abilities. He's even prouder of his penis, which he'll show to any and all who want to see :) He likes to count, is learning to recognize some letters, and loves singing the ABC song, Twinkle Twinkle, Row Your Boat, and You Are My Sunshine. Loudly. At bedtime.

This year has been a little nuts for us, as Patrick has spent about half of it out of town on business, including a month long trip to India in February. We've been lucky enough to accompany him on a few trips, mostly to Memphis. The kids have loved visiting Beale Street, and the Memphis Zoo is becoming our home away from home. We've also been to Pensacola and Birmingham, among other places.

So, that catches you up a bit on what's been going on around here. I have a niggling feeling like I'll be blogging more, especially as the girls approach that magical "school-age." Stay tuned for more shining beacons of wisdom! *snicker*

2008-09-03T12:57:00.001-05:00

Patrick is back in Virginia after a 36-hour visit back here in the 'ville. He should be back home, for good, by the end of this week. Thank god. I think my brain cells are leaking out of my ears.

Have I lost ALL my sense?

2008-08-25T11:41:00.002-05:00

Apparently, when my husband is out of town and my children are with their grandparents, I lose the ability to tell time. And the awareness that I am tired. And any amount of level-headedness that I've ever possessed (which was never much to begin with.) For the second weekend in a row, I've stayed up all night reading and writing instead of sleeping. My brain is all fuzzy, my vision is shimmering around the edges, but I finished The Big Bad Wolf Tells All by midnight and Cinderella Rules in the gray hours of pre-dawn, dammit. Nothing beats a night spent alone with romance novels and unprecedented amounts of diet soda. Sleep is for the weak.

2008-08-23T00:16:00.002-05:00

I really, really want my husband to come home. I would never make it as a single parent. I love the kids, the little monsters, more than life itself. I love them that much, even when I want to throttle them. Today, Liam had at least a dozen ice pops. He'd take off with one and then come throw what I thought was the wrapper in the trash, and then ask for another. I was preoccupied, trying to do a little writing, so I wasn't paying that close attention until I got up to do the dishes. Turns out, he was just taking a bite or two of each one, then trashing it to get another flavor. I'd thought he'd just been eating them really fast. Sigh. Then, when I was laying in the bed doing a little reading, he'd sneak in and turn the light off, then run out squealing. I know you all think that sounds cute. It was not. Maybe I'm just a tad grumpy and unreasonable, though. Patrick is the only one Liam really listens to. He hears the things I say, but he must think I'm the best comedienne in the world, because he just laughs at everything I say. Double sigh.

I'm going to bed.

Friday Fill-Ins for August 22, 2008

2008-08-23T00:10:00.003-05:00

1. Dancing to the The Fray while doing Friday Fill-Ins makes me misspell a lot of things.

2. The last time I laughed I nearly fell out of my chair.

3. When I drive I sing along with the radio. Other drivers think I'm yelling at them, but really I'm just belting something out.

4. I saw my son standing on top of a bookcase. He's a monkey.

5. Give me love, give me good friends, give me good wine.

6. Next week I am looking forward to my husband coming home from Virginia.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to watching some movies with the kids, tomorrow my plans include a picnic with my mom and Sunday, I want to take the kids to Grandma and Grandpa's!

I solemnly swear to write more often...

2008-08-15T18:35:00.002-05:00

Really, I do. I enjoy blogging, so I'm not quite sure why I've gotten so out of the habit. We've been spending a lot of time outside, so that's part of it. I've also been spending A LOT of time reading, and consequently much less time on the computer. But I've been itching to write more lately, so I think my self-imposed Planet Pawlowski hiatus is coming to a close.

Of course, now that I'm on here, I can't really think of anything to write about. Our summer has been very low-key. The kids and I spend most of our time in the yard. They jump on their trampoline, and I read novels. Sometimes we head back to the garden. We've been meeting up with some friends on a fairly regular basis. That's about it. It's been really chill around here.

The final installment of the Twilight Saga finally came out on August 2. I've read it four times now, so you'd think I'd be over my obsession, right? I should be so lucky. I just can't give up these characters, although I nearly know the books by heart now, and I don't really want to read them cover to cover anymore. I picked up a few light novels at the library this week for a change of pace, but I finished all four of them in two days and immediately went back to skimming through the Twilight books for my favorite parts. God help me.

The kids are all doing great. Now that the girls are 5 years old, and school is back in session, we're getting a lot of questions from random people about why they're out and about in the middle of the week. Annoying. I know that the check-out girl at the supermarket doesn't know that I've already answered questions about why they're not in school to 3 other people that day, but still.

At the moment, Liam is running through the house, naked as the day he was born. We've got the windows thrown open wide, trying to tempt a breeze into the house. I'm quite sure the neighbors think we're borderline-nudists.

The camera is still broken, so I don't have any pictures to share, which is incredibly frustrating. All of our money has gone to our Disney World trip, though, so it will be a while before I can remedy that situation.

Well, that's about it. Watch for more randomness in the near future....

Slow Blogging Summer

2008-07-14T08:28:00.003-05:00

I haven't been blogging nearly as much over the last couple of months, but I count that as a good thing! I haven't had the time, or nearly as much desire to even turn on the damn computer, let along blog. It's been fabulous here in our new yard. The kids and I spend nearly every day running around outside, or working in the garden, or sitting in the shade with our favorite books.

Speaking of favorite books, I started reading the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, and it is everything anyone could ever hope for in a teenage vampire love book series :) It is truly shameful how much time I've spent reading these books rather than doing things like, oh, the dishes or speak to my husband (Sorry honey, you know I'll snap out of it soon!) Lo and behold, the final book comes out at midnight on August 2, the day after my birthday! So, my 30th birthday present to myself will be to hang out with a bunch of 15-year-old vampire obsessed children at Barnes & Noble until I can get my hands on Breaking Dawn, and then staying up to read it until I get to the end. It's gonna be great!

Activities here have been pretty slow this summer, but it's been a good, peaceful couple of months. We took the kids to the Louisville Zoo a couple of weeks ago to see the polar bears, only to find that the polar bears had been shipped to other zoos while their habitat was remodeled. That was disappointing, until we found that they had also constructed a huge splashpark, and it was free with admission (which was also free for us, thanks to the handy-dandy reciprocal membership program we've got with our zoo.) We'll definitely be heading back there before the summer is out. Patrick spent last week in Omaha, and left yesterday for a few days back in Virginia. It's been a little crazy not having him here, but I'm unbelievable grateful that his parent's live two doors down and have been helping me distract the kids.

So, that's it. Nothing new to report. Not even any new pictures, since my camera wheezed it's last wheeze a few weeks ago. If I don't write again until August, it will just be because we're hanging out in the yard under a shady tree. I hope you all are so lucky, too!

Lovin' Our Life

2008-06-30T21:10:00.002-05:00

As I type, it's a few minutes after 9pm on a Monday night. I'm sitting in a lawn chair under one of our oak trees, typing on the lap top, and listening to the girls talking to the neighbor boy as they all jump on the trampoline next door. The other neighbor kids just went home after a spirited firefly search. There are fireworks going off all over the neighborhood; lots of people are just too excited to wait for the 4th!

The kids were at Grandma's today, two houses down the road. I saw them playing in her backyard when I went back to water the fruit trees and weed the garden. I did some cleaning and garden work today, then spent a good chunk of the afternoon reading in a comfy chair in the yard and watching the world go by. Grandma brought the kids up the hill around 4pm, along with some cucumbers from their garden. She left with some of our zucchini.

Life has been so quiet and slow and fulfilling the last few months. There have been crazy, stressful times, too (I'm thinking mostly of the van break-downs and the stress of selling the old house) but the good times have outweighed the bad 10-to-1. I wish I was a better writer so I could more clearly explain the peace we've found here.

It's nearly time to go in. The fireworks are letting up and the mosquitos are biting. Tomorrow it will all start again. I savor this day and look forward to the next.

Friday Fill-Ins for June 20, 2008

2008-06-20T12:08:00.002-05:00

1. A smile is contagious; spread it around!

2. Rummy is my favorite board or card game.

3. I would love to have more traveling in my life and less stress about money.

4. When I think of the Summer Solstice, I think of staying out in the yard until the last little bit of sunshine is gone, enjoying the longest day of the year.

5. I just remembered I need to weed the tomatoes.

6. One of my favorite song lyrics goes like this: "Put on my blue suede shoes and I boarded the plane. Touch down in the land of the Delta blues, in the middle of the pouring rain."

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to taking the girls to an afternoon showing of "Nim's Island" at the cheap theater, cleaning the house, and making ice cream, tomorrow my plans include throwing Ava and Genevieve their 5th birthday party (!) and Sunday, I want to relax!

Wanna play? Go to http://www.fridayfillins.blogspot.com

How does your garden grow?

2008-06-16T18:20:00.002-05:00

Our St. Louis Weekend

2008-06-09T21:05:00.001-05:00

Friday Fill-Ins for June 6, 2008

2008-06-05T23:49:00.003-05:00

1. Idle hands are something I may enjoy again when the kids are grown.

2. I love taking a really, really long time in the shower.

3. My favorite time of the day is when we're all snuggled in the bed, warm and cozy.

4. The last tea I drank was Very Cherry Berry, at Evie's request.

5. I like to go swimming in really cold water in the Summer.

6. My mother always said "You know what you should do, .....".

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to hanging out in St. Louis with my hubby and kids, tomorrow my plans include attending my cousin's farewell party and maybe visiting a winery and Sunday, I want to hike the tunnel section of the Katy Trail!

Wanna play? Go to http://fridayfillins.blogspot.com/.

Learning ALL the time and EVERYWHERE

2008-05-31T21:27:00.004-05:00

What we do doesn't look like the mainstream definition of education. One could say that most of our time is spent playing, eating, talking, reading chapter books, and watching TV and movies. Today we went for a hike, played at the playground, and watched Enchanted.

If you look deeper, though, you'll see that today we learned about wild edibles, plant and animal identification, photography techniques, bodies of water and water dynamics, physics, and outdoor safety. Watching Enchanted led to a discussion about Marie Curie, the Nobel Prize, Paris, and radiation. All of this, on a Saturday, hiking and watching TV.

Day hike at Harmonie State Park

2008-05-31T20:13:00.001-05:00

Friday Fill-Ins for May 30, 2008

2008-05-30T09:32:00.002-05:00

1. For me sleeping is the opposite of creativity, unless you sleep upside down, or on your head, or in a pool, or you have really cool dreams. Huh.

2. The Secret Life of Bees was the last excellent book I read. It was the third time I read it, though.

3. I like fill-ins because they give me something to blog about when I'm feeling not so creative :).

4. In nature I like looking at big trees, tree canopies from underneath, interesting birds, streams, little creatures, and pretty much everything else.

5. I should win the US elections, but I'm voting for Barack Obama.

6. The last time I laughed with all my belly was last night, watching "Little Shop of Horrors" with my kids.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting our house in a more liveable condition, and jumping on the trampoline, tomorrow my plans include hanging out with the family, swimming and working in the garden and Sunday, I want to win the lottery!

We've been busy!

2008-05-30T00:05:00.001-05:00

We're going on a cruise!

2008-05-20T21:26:00.002-05:00

It's a looooong way off, but I already can't wait! The 1st Annual Unschooling on the Seas Adventure Cruise and Conference is sailing to Bermuda on October 24th, 2009, and we're going to be on board! We're still recovering from losing money on our house sale, and rebuilding the van's transmission, but we'll be booking in a couple of weeks. Finally, a reason to get passports!

Friday Fill-Ins for May 16, 2008

2008-05-16T23:22:00.003-05:00

1. There is absolutely NO way you can get me to eat chili without lots of hot sauce!

2. Sprouting squash seedlings reminds me that summer is almost here!

3. I cannot live without my sunshine, fresh air, and coffee.

4. Straw bale gardening and scuba diving are two things I'd like to try.

5. When life hands you lemons squeeze them on some lobster.

6. Weeks spent at Camp Ondessonk is my favorite childhood memory.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a "Girls Night" with Ava & Genevieve (dinner at Olive Garden, a trip to the bookstore, and seeing "The Spiderwick Chronicles" at the cheap theater), tomorrow my plans include weeding the garden and laying out some new beds and Sunday, I want to de-junk the house!

Wanna play? Go to http://fridayfillins.blogspot.com/.

Friday Fill-Ins for May 9, 2008

2008-05-09T14:56:00.002-05:00

1. The van had an extra secret ingredient; it was water in the transmission fluid!

2. I hear birds chirping and windchimes through my window.

3. Right now, I need Sudafed.

4. My sister's house is where I went Thursday night; it was good to watch Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy without doing a running commentary for Ava & Genevieve.

5. Why does my throat hurt so much?

6. All I can think of is the the weeds in the garden, our new fruit trees, and the absolutely useless minivan sitting in the driveway.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to drinking hot tea, taking some decongestants, and watching movies, tomorrow my plans include planting our fruit trees and planting the last of my seeds and Sunday, I want to clean (well, not really, but it needs to be done)!

Fun times on the French Lick train and Spring Mill State Park

2008-05-09T14:52:00.001-05:00

More gardening...

2008-05-02T20:38:00.002-05:00

My dream of being more self-sufficient is getting closer to being reality...I took a bit of our economic stimulus check today and ordered fruit trees! I figured it made ultimate sense to take the money intended for a short-term shoring up of the economy and turn it into long-term food production for my family. I ordered 2 apple trees (Pixie Crunch and Pristine), 2 pear trees (Seckel and Honeysweet), 2 peach trees (Belle of Georgia and Elberta), a Meteor pie cherry, and a Stanley plum. I'm so excited!!! It will still be a couple years (or more) until we get to reap the rewards in fruit, but just getting the trees in the ground will be a huge first step.

What did school really do for you?

2008-05-01T23:51:00.002-05:00

Here's an interesting little survey Ren Allen came up with to get people thinking about how little school really did for them. I lifted it from a post on the UnschoolingBasics Yahoo Group.

1) List all the ways you've earned an income in your life (include sidejobs and career paths):

2) List some hobbies you pursue in your leisure time:

3) What are driving passions and interests that make life meaningful and fulfilling for you?

4) List ALL the interests you would like to pursue or learn about before you die:

5) What would you be doing right now if there were NO obstacles in your path? (Dream big.)

After the participants fill this out, I have them tally up all the items listed. THEN, have them go back through the list and tally up how many of those items they got proficient at by attending school, or COULD have gotten proficient at by attending school (through 12th grade, not counting college or any post high-school since that isn't compulsory).

Really think about it. I'll go back and put my own answers in when I get some more time.

Our Garden

2008-05-01T22:19:00.002-05:00

I am in love with our new yard, mostly because I now have room for the big-ass garden I've been dreaming of for the last couple of years. A couple of weekends ago, we tilled up what I thought was a big-ass garden, but I was wrong! After today's planting, I now know we have a lot more tilling to do (Patrick is thrilled, LOL.) So far, we've planted a mix of lettuces, spinach, a multicolor mix of carrots, French Breakfast radishes, Golden and Chiogga beets, Nero di Toscana and Early Jersey Wakefield cabbages, Wando garden peas, Mammoth Melting Sugar snow peas, Sunset runner beans, Golden Wax and Blue Lake Bush beans, 7 varieties of tomatoes (Honeybunch, Italian Ice, German Lunchbox, German Red Strawberry, Black Cherry, Yellow Pear, and Fuzzy Yellow Hog), Listada di Gandia and Japanese White Egg eggplants, 3 sweet peppers (Golden Treasure, Emerald Giant, and California Wonder), Ancho and Jalapeno hot peppers, Pineapple ground cherries, Clemson Spineless okra, and 3 summer squash (Black Beauty, Early Prolific Straightneck, and White Patty-Pan.) Whew!!!! What's amazing is what we still have left to plant: Early Sunglow corn, Orangeglo and Sugar Baby watermelons, Charentais melons, Marketmore and Mexican Sour Gherkin cucumbers, Zucchino Rampicante (a vining summer squash), Butternut Waltham squash, and Long Island Cheese Pumpkins. And Patrick already tilled up a small area in the back and planted sunflowers, wildflowers, and ornamental gourds.

I promised the kids that I would leave room for their swingset :)

A Great Day

2008-04-30T21:03:00.001-05:00

Friday Fill-Ins and Some Things We've Been Doing

2008-04-26T20:16:00.002-05:00

First, the fill-ins:

1. When I fell in love I was only 17 years old. I'll be 30 this summer.

2. I get all giddy when the flowers bloom and it heats up outside!

3. Oh no! The internet connection is down, I guess I could do the dishes. :(

4. Dr. Phil is the craziest tv show ever. Is he for real?

5. Cheese and grapes and pears and crackers make a great meal! Yum!

6. I don't think I could be truly happy without a garden.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching my DVR'd shows while Patrick goes to sleep reeeeeeeaaaalllly early, tomorrow my plans include cleaning (yuck) and Sunday, I want to get my kiddos and play in the yard!
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Some Things We've Been Doing

I've been neglecting the blog lately, but only because we've been so busy! The kids have been having an absolute blast at our new house. They've made friends with all the neighborhood kids, and they've spent damn near all day every day playing outside, running around like hooligans, riding in little motorized cars, jumping on trampolines, swinging, sliding, and basically using up every last bit of energy they have.

Patrick and I are spending this weekend cleaning the old house. We were going to do it a couple of weeks ago, but we ate at the Chinese Super Buffet first and I got food poisoning. Blech. I haven't felt so awful.....well, ever! We decided to list it with a realtor rather than selling it ourselves, only because we've run out of energy and patience in dealing with it. So, we called Kate and got the sign in the yard. Everyone keep their fingers crossed....two mortgages really suck!

A cute story before I sign off and get some pizza: I was getting out of the shower yesterday, and Liam asked me, "Mommy? Where'd penis go?" I told him that Mommy is a girl, so I don't have a penis. He thought about it for a second, then said, "Oh. Go store, buy penis. Buy penis, Mommy." I let him leave the room before I burst out in hysterical laughter!

I'll update later with some new pictures...

The last few weeks

2008-04-18T17:18:00.001-05:00

Friday Fill-Ins for April 4, 2008

2008-04-04T22:26:00.003-05:00

1. Tonight I saw my dog and cats again! They've been living at the old house with my mom, but we finally moved them back in with us today.

2. Watching Ava & Genevieve shake it to "Shake Ya Tailfeather" makes me wanna dance!

3. Splitting a few appetizers between friends is great, as long as they don't eat too many of the fried mushrooms...they're mine!

4. My sister-in-law Kelly is someone I'd like to get to know better and spend more time with.

5. The smell of freshly mown grass reminds me so much of springtime!

6. I took some aspirin and drank some hot tea and that made it all better. We all have colds :(

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching Into the Wild and snuggling with my dog, tomorrow my plans include checking out the Home Show and unpacking some more stuff and Sunday, I want to mark off the spot for our new garden!

We're here!

2008-04-03T19:49:00.002-05:00

We're all moved in to the new house! We're exhausted, the kids are sick, and boxes are everywhere, but we're here. I'll add some pictures later, but right now I'm just too damn tired.

10 Things I've Done You Probably Haven't

2008-03-31T15:52:00.005-05:00

I found this on Sandra Dodd's blog, who found it here, who found it here.

1. I (and Patrick, and our friends Gary and Becky) paid a very elderly Mexican gentleman $2 each to row us across the Rio Grande River into Santa Elena, Mexico, on January 1, 1999. We visited a craft store that was in a family's laundry room and ate lunch at a restaurant located on a woman's screened in front porch. It was the best meal I've ever had.

2. I carried my twins to 38 weeks and 3 days gestation, and they were only born that day because we had scheduled a c-section. Never had a contraction. Ava was 7lbs 6oz, and Genevieve was 6lbs 5oz. The OB said they had the two biggest placentas he'd ever seen. The week before they were born, my belly skin was stretched so tight that my stretch marks were starting to bleed. *eeeeewwww*

3. I attempted to give birth to Liam at home, but we eventually transferred to the hospital for pain relief. I was fully dilated when we got there, but he wasn't born until 3 hours later. I got my VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)! He was 9lbs 1oz at birth, and we went home 24 hours later.

4. I worked at a summer camp for 2 months the summer I turned 17. I lived in a treehouse with no air conditioning, slept in a hammock most nights, walked everywhere, and had the time of my life. It's the happiest time I ever had, pre-husband and kids.

5. I was with my dad when he died. He had pancreatic cancer, and died at home. There were probably a dozen people in the room when he took his last breath, and my mom, sister, and I were right next to him. I consider it one of the most profound moments in my life. He was there when I was born, and I was there when he died. It's as it should be.

6. My baby broke my nose. When Ava was about 18 months old, I was holding her and she threw her head back, right into my face. I heard my nose crack *OUCH* It makes a truly awful crunching sound.

7. I have two mortgages, as of today!!!! We're hoping this house sells quick, although we're prepared for the long haul. We filed bankruptcy 4.5 years ago (Patrick's business failed, and other stuff) and today we have two mortgages. What are the finance people thinking?

8. I didn't like my husband very much when we got married (I'm pretty confident in saying that the feeling was mutual.) We'd been together for 4.5 years at that point, and all had been great until about 6 months before our wedding. We very nearly divorced when we'd been married only 4 months, but we came to our senses and worked out our problems, and life's been pretty sweet ever since. 7 years and 3 kids later, and it's all a distant memory.

9. I climbed to the top of the pyramid (El Castillo) at Chichen Itza, in the Mexican state of Yucatan. I had to scoot back down on my rear end, and I could barely walk the next day!

10. I've watched every episode of SpongeBob Squarepants with my daughters.

The cheap, crappy house is ours!

2008-03-31T15:25:00.002-05:00

We closed this morning at 11! I was really thinking that it just wasn't going to happen, and according to Scarlet (mortgage lady) it almost didn't...but that's a story for another time. We signed seven zillion papers, sold them our souls (well, not really) and got the keys!

The old house is *almost* packed up, we're getting a truck tomorrow, and some friends are going to help us load it up and head to the new place.

Oh yeah, and I guess this means Evie is getting a new kitten. She's been wanting her *own* kitten for a while, and I told her that she could have one after we moved. Serendipity stepped in, and I got an e-mail from Meadow asking if we wanted a kitten?! Her family has apparently taken custody of a mama cat with a litter. The kittens will be ready to leave their mom in about a month, and I'm quite sure we will end up with two of them...after all, Ava won't be able to resist a cute, cuddly kitty. I'll post pics when we get to meet the newest furry Pawlowski's.

Next blog post will be coming at you from the new place. Yippeeeeee!

More New Friends and I Think We Really Are Moving This Time!

2008-03-30T09:46:00.003-05:00

We've had four closing dates for this damn house that haven't happened, but I think this one, on Monday, is going to be the real thing. I hope. If it's not, I'm going to run around my house screaming!

Our first closing date was cancelled because the house needed a roof and some other work, so we pushed it back in order to get the work done. Our second closing date was pushed back for something-or-another. Our third date was cancelled because we were stuck in appraisal review. And our fourth date was pushed back because there was a typo in the insurace paperwork.

I really don't think anything else can go wrong (I'll only say this while knocking on wood, crossing my fingers, and throwing salt over my shoulder.) So, we'll get the keys on Monday (I hope, I hope, I hope) and probably start moving on Tuesday. If it doesn't happen we'll be a little screwed, as we packed up most of our stuff yesterday!

As for new friends, we went to dinner Friday night with Indigo, Tashi, Meadow & her husband Kirk, and their friends Teruvina, Ben, and their brand-new baby Aloe. The kids had a blast, and it was awesome to have other (really cool) grownups to talk to and hang out with!

We also went to our first SWISH (SouthWest Indiana Secular Homeschoolers) group meeting on Friday, and had a grand time. Meadow, Kirk, and their kids were there, as were Fred & Jake, a father and son that we met through Meadow, and several other families. As it turns out, there are a lot more unschoolers and relaxed homeschoolers in Evansville than I thought! We ate pizza, the kids ran around like hooligans having the time of their lives, we played with milkweed pods and planted seeds, and afterwards some of us spent a chilly half-hour at the park watching the kids run off even more energy. I'm thrilled we've found this community.

Oh, yeah, and the girls have been having an absolute blast with their Auntie Kelly lately. They've had a couple of sleepovers at her house, and they always come home with great stories of painting, eating pizza and candy, watching movies, and snuggling. And tattoos, lots of tattoos :)

Never mind...

2008-03-26T21:10:00.001-05:00

...it's back. I didn't do anything to fix it, so I'm baffled, but happy I won't be spending all night trying to fix it!

I lost my left-hand navigation!

2008-03-26T21:02:00.002-05:00

I don't know what happened! I was trying to install a new button on the sidebar, and instead I lost everything. It's all still there in the Layout, but it's not showing up on the blog. Aaaargh. I'm going to try to figure this out, and in the end I'll end up bugging Patrick to fix it.

Fun with Pictures

2008-03-23T01:10:00.015-05:00

1. Your age on your next birthday:

2. Place I would like to travel to:

That's Hawaii.

That's Tahiti.

That's everywhere else in the whole wide world.

3. Favorite place:

I don't have one yet, but I will by this summer, baby!

4. Favorite objects:

5. Favorite food:

6. Favorite animal:

7. Favorite color:

and

8. My nickname: None.

9. Town I was born in: Indianapolis, IN

10. Bad habit I have:

If you wanna play, it's simple. Just answer the questions using pictures from a Google Images search. Enjoy!

Friday Fill-Ins for March 21, 2008

2008-03-21T22:19:00.002-05:00

1. Spring is so exciting! Spring is full of gratefulness that the long, cold winter is finally over, and anticipation of things to come. I feel like I'm coming out of hibernation. The trees are budding out, new grass is growing and our daylillies are starting to come up, and the sunshine feels so good!

2. Strawberry fields better beware: I'm bringing the kids for a U-pick extravaganza this year! Nothing beats the taste of fresh strawberry pie! This year we're going to grow our own strawberries in babylon bags, and prepare a permanent bed for next year and beyond!

3. Mmmmm, strawberry pie sounds like it would taste delicious!

4. Why does strawberry pie make me feel so good?! LOL. And sunshine, and new plants growing, and happy kids.

5. A dolphin, up close, is something I've always wanted to see.

6. It's sad when my kids are sad and won't be comforted. Evie thought she was going to have a sleepover in Nana's room tonight, but Nana just told her that her bed isn't big enough. Evie's pretty damn disappointed, and nothing I'm saying will console her. Hopefully, after a while, hugs and snuggling with Mama will make her feel better.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a "sleepover" with my girls in the living room, involving popcorn, hot tea, and a SpongeBob marathon, tomorrow my plans include playing "dueling laptops" with Patrick and maybe going for a nice Spring drive, and maybe, just maybe, getting off our butts long enough for a nice hike and Sunday, I want to eat ham and Cadbury Eggs!

Faking It til Making It Update: The kids and I had a pretty awesome day today. We started the morning with a movie (Toy Story) and some nice, warm baths. Then we headed to McD's for lunch, followed by an afternoon at the children's museum. The kiddos fell asleep on the way home, so Patrick hopped in the van and we took a drive around the city to see how high the floodwaters have gotten. Once everyone was awake, we headed to our fave Chinese restaurant and then walked over to the new outdoor-gear store to peruse their kayak selection. All in all, it was a great day!

An aside...

2008-03-21T01:47:00.002-05:00

I was reading through some posts at the Unschooling.info boards and came across one written by a mom whose son had chosen to give public school a try (I think he was 11 or 12.) I was amazed at how tense I got just reading words like principal's office, guidance counselor, and tutor. I've thought a bit, but not a whole lot, about what affect my schooling had on me. Our decision to unschool with the kids has been much more about embracing a philosophy and lifestyle that resonates with us, and not so much about rejecting traditional methods (although Patrick & I have certainly shared our school "war stories" and "battle wounds.")

I'm gonna have to think on this some more. It seems I may have more self-analysis and healing to do that I initially thought....

In a rut

2008-03-21T01:15:00.002-05:00

The kids are doing great, they're rarin' to go, exploring new things every day. I'm the one in a rut, and I just can't seem to pull myself out, although I think there is light at the end of the tunnel. I tend to really, really obsess over just one or two interests at a time, and right now it's the new house. We were supposed to close today but were held up by an appraisal review. Our mortgage guru suspects everything will be worked out by early next week, but until then....I'm stuck. I'm sooooo ready to just move into the damn thing and move on. I've been actively trying to find something, anything to interest me other than the house, but I'm coming up with nada. Maybe I'm just trying too hard, but honestly, I'm bored and I don't know what to do about it. That alone I could probably handle, but I've been making the big mistake of making it the kids problem, too. I've been living inside my head, unwilling to try new, fun things, unwilling to just put on our damn shoes and get out of the damn house. *sigh* Tomorrow, it stops.

Tomorrow, I start faking it until I make it. Right now, I'm excited and dreading it all at the same time. I'm not sure what we'll do yet, but I'll know by morning. Maybe a morning at the children's museum and an afternoon at the park (pleeeeeez let the weather be nice!) will do it. Maybe we'll take a drive to Tipsaw. Maybe we'll have a dance party in the living room. Whatever we do, it'll be fun and shiny and sparkling and rich and exciting! (See, I'm faking-til-making already!)

Wednesday Mind Hump Meme

2008-03-19T16:33:00.003-05:00

Name some things that make you happy . . .

A song ~ "Dancing on the Ceiling" by Lionel Richie, Evie's current favorite
A book ~ The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
A memory ~ Kayaking out to an uninhabited island in the Florida Keys with Patrick
A food ~ apple cider, watermelon, mashed potatoes
A person ~ Patrick, Ava, Genevieve, and Liam, of course
A place ~ Tipsaw Lake, the Field Museum, the Georgia Aquarium, Disney World, my warm bed

Chrysalides and Backyard Floods

2008-03-18T20:00:00.003-05:00

This was our day today :)

Becoming a Mindful Parent

2008-03-18T17:38:00.004-05:00

Last week when we were visiting with Indigo and Tashi, Meadow asked me if I was "always this calm." It surprised me a bit, since I wasn't feeling all that calm at the moment. Ava had just ran around the house to go in the back door, and one of my hang-ups is I get really nervous when I can't see my kids. In fact, I had to go around the house myself to make sure she made it inside and hadn't been snatched up by a predator (I hate thinking that way, but there it is) or run over in the alley. So, I answered truthfully. "No."

Metamorphosing into a mindful parent has been a difficult road for me, one that I travel down every day, and a journey that I am sure has no ending. I have (had, in the case of my dad) great parents, but they used traditional parenting tools (yelling, shaming, punishments) that I don't think did me any good, I'm quite sure they are the source of some of the problems I have today, and I certainly don't want to use them with my kids. But if you take those tools away, what do you do?

Number One for me: BREATHE (The best suggestion I ever took away from reading Sandra Dodd's writings.) When you're frustrated or angry or feel like you're going to blow up, take a big, deep breath. Then take another, and another, and one more if you need it. Take the time to ask yourself if what you are upset about is something that is worth getting upset about. If you were in your kid's position, how would you have liked your parent to respond? What are your goals?

I've been doing a lot of breathing this week, and I should have done even more. We're trying to pack up our things for our big move, and I haven't given the kids the attention I normally give them. They're really just too little to understand what's going on...I've told them that I need to pack, and I try to involve them as much as I can, but after a while they drift off and then start their requests: strawberry milk, put on a movie, sit with me. All reasonable requests, but since I'm stressed already, it has seemed like too much. I did OK for a while, but then I lost it. It took me a good while yesterday to regain my sense of balance. Today, the kids went to Pat & Syl's for a while, and I was able to get a few things done and they were able to play and have fun.

So now I'm sitting here trying to figure out how I will handle this better in the future. A lot of traditional parents might think that I just needed to lay down the law. After all, the house does need to be packed up, and I did explain that to the kids very clearly. But look at all the other options there are, that will get the job done with no one feeling bad or angry. I could have asked Pat to watch the kids yesterday, they are almost always very happy to spend time with her. I could have hired a mother's helper to watch them here. I could have spent the time with them during the day, and packed in the evening. I could have hired professionals to pack our things. I could say the hell with it, not pack or move anything, and buy all new stuff for the new house (that would be my number one choice, if only $$ grew on trees!)

Mindful parenting is about using your mind, coming up with creative solutions, and not using the knee-jerk responses you picked up during you own childhood. Treat your kids they way you wish you were treated as a child. Respect them. Trust them. It sounds simple. The concept is simple, putting into practice is harder. But it's so worth it.

This post isn't as clear as I would like it to be, and it went in a different direction than I initially intended. I'll write more about mindful parenting in the future, as I figure out more of it for myself. But I want the main message to be this: Be nicer to your kids, they deserve your very best. I've got some links listed on the left, some great places to learn more about mindful parenting. They're much clearer and more articulate than I am.

Defining Joy

2008-03-17T00:08:00.004-05:00

Joy is snuggling with the kids, deep under warm covers on cold winter mornings.

Joy is taking destination-less drives with Patrick on sunny Sunday afternoons, listening to our latest audiobook or talking about politics/kids/travel/whatever.

Joy is a purring cat in your lap.

Joy is the sight of daffodil shoots after a long, cold winter.

Joy is creating a life of your choosing, being the architect of your journey.

Joy is traveling to new places, eating new foods, meeting new people.

Joy is coming home again, too.

Joy is in sticky kisses and chocolate covered faces and dirty knees and feet. Joy is scooping them up for big hugs, even though you'll get dirty, too.

Joy is discovering your own interests and passions, and exploring them without guilt or shame. Joy is learning new things that you want to learn.

Joy is having the time to watch the sun rise and set.

Joy is hot chocolate, popcorn, and a good movie.

Joy is staying up late, talking and laughing with good friends.

Joy is warm socks on cold feet.

Joy is ice-cold watermelon on a hot August day.

Joy can be found in little moments and life-changing events. Sometimes you can stumble across joy, but in order to live a joyful life, you must choose to find joy. It's all around you, if you just open yourself to it. Stop complaining. Stop grumbling and waiting for your life to change, to get better. Realize what you have to be joyful about right now, and work to change the things you don't like. No excuses. (My new favorite quote: "If you keep one foot in tomorrow and the other in yesteday, then you're pissing all over today!")

New Friends

2008-03-16T22:11:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago, I read a message on the IN Unschoolers Yahoo group looking for other unschoolers in Evansville. My first thought was "Yippeeeeee! We're not the only ones after all!" I e-mailed Meadow, the Mom, and a couple of weeks ago we visited their house and met her and her awesome kids, Indigo and Tashi.

I'm so happy that I met Meadow. It's totally awesome to be around a mom that so obviously respects and supports her kids, who isn't angry and frustrated and punitive all the time. We have a lot in common, and I'm really looking forward to hanging out with her more.

Indigo is 10, and is one of the sweetest kids I've ever met. She's gentle and easy and kind with Ava & Genevieve, who already worship her. At our first playdate, she curled their hair and did their makeup, which sent them over the moon!

Tashi is 6, and he loooooves to talk about Star Wars! He knows all of the names of all of the creatures, which totally impresses me. He and the girls like to play Harry Potter, taking turns killing each other (Avada Kedavra!) with his wand. At our first meeting he let Liam take home some of his Thomas the Train figurines, which was totally cool. The girls really like playing with him, and I'm looking forward to the day when Liam will be ready for more big-kid play. I think they'll be pretty good buddies.

Meadow also did what I haven't been able to do, and that's find other Evansville unschoolers! We're planning on meeting up with everyone soon, and I, for one, am totally psyched. I feel like we're really finding our tribe, finally.

(Oh yeah, Evie's naked in the picture, just like at home. I'm not sure what happened, but suddenly, in the middle of our playdate, she was in her birthday suit.)

HOORAY!!! for finding our unschooling community!

What we've been up to (other than the house)

2008-03-10T22:47:00.006-05:00

There is more to our lives lately than just dealing with the house, although I know that's hard to believe going by my blog posts alone!

Last week, Genevieve received her first shipment of caterpillars for her new Butterfly Treehouse. We've had a lot of fun watching the little suckers grow. They started out teensy-tiny, but they've quadrupled in size in the last week! I expect they'll form their chrysalides by Wednesday at the latest. I'd love to release them (if the weather is warm enough) a few days after they emerge, but Evie is adamantly opposed.

Ava is in love with all things princess. I recorded Cinderella III: A Twist in Time for her last week, and we've watched it four times today. In fact, we're watching it right now. Her other recent favorite is Barbie Mariposa. Her understanding of movie techniques is pretty cool; she knows when a scary part is coming because of the way the music sounds, and she knows that fairy tales will have happy endings. In fact, she cried when we saw Enchanted because Giselle didn't marry the Prince!

Liam talks more and more each day. If you ask him a question, his answer is either "No" or "Cars," which we assume means yes :) This afternoon he lined up his Hot Wheels and counted them over and over. "One, two, five, seven, eight, nine, ten!" Later on, he stripped to his diaper, put on Ava's butterfly headband, and declared himself "pretty."

I started this year's garden under lights a couple of weeks ago, and the seedlings are growing strong. I've got seven varieties of tomatoes (!), three sweet peppers, two hot peppers, two eggplant, and some ground cherries. This is my first year starting from seed, and I've been a total geek about it. I check on the seedlings every morning, give them a drink, brush them with my hands, and send them a little love to help them grow strong. Genevieve loves to help me with this (and everything else.) I think she's looking as forward as I am to getting her hands in the dirt this spring. Ava likes helping, too, as long as it doesn't distract her too much from her coloring pages or princess shows :)

I just noticed that Ava is no longer watching the show, but she is snoring. Genevieve is still enthralled, even though she claims to not like the princess movies ;) She's requesting strawberry milk, though, so dream time isn't too far away for her. It's a sweet life.

We passed!

2008-03-10T17:05:00.003-05:00

Patrick was just dropping some papers off at Scarlet's office, the appraiser called while he was there, and we passed!!!!! *happy dance* Scarlet said all the financing is in order, she's going to send everything off the the underwriter tomorrow, and there shouldn't be any more obstacles. We're moving! Anybody want to buy our house?

House Pictures

2008-03-10T16:12:00.010-05:00

The roofers installed the new roof last Thursday, barely beating the beginning of a near-blizzard.

A "before" picture of the bathroom; note the nasty toilet.

The "after" picture.

A "before" shot of the nastiest room in the house, the laundry/half bath.

The pretty damn amazing "after" shot, after Patrick spent the better part of the day scrubbing the entire room and everything in it. The front door and living room; the carpet has since been cleaned. The kitchen; replacing the flooring is the first major improvement we'll be making. The play room, which I'm sure will be the kids favorite place in the house.

The whole place obviously needs a ton of work, but it's already looking 100% better after a weekend of scrubbing than it did when we decided to buy it. We've got big plans for the place (which I'm sure will be scaled down a bit to meet our financial reality) but right now, we're just looking forward to moving in and working on selling our current home. We haven't heard anything from the appraiser yet today, but hopefully we can stop waiting on pins and needles by tomorrow afternoon!

Exhaustion

2008-03-10T01:00:00.002-05:00

I am too tired to sleep :p

Last week, the crappy, cheap house that we are still trying to buy got a "fair" rating on it's appraisal. According to our awesome mortgage guru lady, it needs at least an"average" rating in order to be financeable. Of course.

The appraiser visited the house in the early part of the week. His only complaint about the exterior of the house was that it needs a new roof. The roofers came out on Thursday and got the whole job done before the snow started falling that evening, so no worries there.

The major beef he had inside the house was the condition of the bathrooms. Admittedly, the toilets and sinks looked pretty disgusting. The toilets had been winterized with antifreeze, which turns into this rusty-brown color *ugh*. But the appraiser's opinion was all the plumbing needed to be replaced, based on some dirt and grime. Sheesh! Dirt scrubs off.

Anyway, Kate (our realtor) and Scarlet (the aforementioned mortgage guru) met us at the house on Friday, and we went through all that needed to be done to get the house in order for the second part of the appraisal on Monday (today). They talked a lot about cleaning supplies and elbow grease, and then went back to their offices while we shopped for super-packs of Formula 409 ;)

We spent all of Friday, Saturday, and a few hours this morning cleaning that damn house, and if it doesn't appraise at least "average" I'm going to need the home address of the appraiser, LOL. We scrubbed and vacuumed and bleached and mopped and shampooed until we could no longer move.

I have pictures but I'm to damned tired to continue right now. I'll get them up later this week.

Sorry about the funkiness...

2008-03-02T00:20:00.001-06:00

I'm doing some updating on the blog, so things will probably be changing and looking a bit funky for a few days or so. Hopefully, I'll be happy with the way it looks soon!

Friday Fill-Ins for February 29 (I won't even bother mentioning that I'm doing them on Saturday a.g.a.i.n.)

2008-03-01T19:15:00.002-06:00

1. I'm looking forward to warm weather next week. It has been freakishly cold here for weeks! Yesterday and today were nice, in the 50's, and we're supposed to have some nice warm days next week, too. Finally!

2. I don't handle uncertainty very well. Waiting for the sale to finally go through on our new house has been murder. I try to live in the present, but sometimes those thoughts about the future wiggle their way back in!

3. Diana's Bananas is something I could eat every day.

4. Warmth and sunlight are like a drug. I am a very good candidate for a move to Florida, Hawaii, or somewhere even more tropical.

5. Backroads of the U.S.A., here I come! I can't wait for some spring-time road trips!

6. I have one tattoo, and I'm thinking of getting another. I'm afraid to wear my wedding ring (and, quite frankly, my finger has gotten too damn fat) so I'd like to get a ring tattooed on.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to eating pizza with Patrick, the kids, and our friends The Wilson's, tomorrow my plans include taking a drive, visiting the co-op, and watching Bill Maher and Sunday, I want to relax with my honey and celebrate his birthday with his family!

Just Fer Funzies

2008-02-27T01:52:00.000-06:00

Get Your Monster Name

About the kids....

2008-02-27T01:04:00.002-06:00

I looked back and realized I really haven't written much about the kids lately. They're still here, every day! We've been doing a lot of chillin' out lately, staying in the house, waiting for spring. Cabin fever is getting pretty strong, and it snowed again today, of course. We've been fighting off some random virus over the past few days. We're ready for warmth and sunshine, dammit!

Ava is still spending the majority of her time coloring. She likes princess and fairy pictures the best, and over the past few days she's been getting more interested in Bratz coloring pages. She also loves to watch the Barbie movies, and it's soooo sweet when I hear her singing along. She plays with her Barbie's a lot; today she used her Streak 'n Style to make her favorite Barbie's hair beautiful. She watched parts of tonight's Democratic debate with me, and she decided to support Senator Clinton :) She's a little miffed that I plan to vote for Obama.

Genevieve has been more interested in coloring lately, too. She likes printing pictures of toys from Amazon or Toys 'R' Us's sites, coloring them, and taping the to the wall. She's liked looking at pictures of tipis lately, after I told her I'd like to get a small one for the back yard. She takes two or three baths a day, each time asking me to bring her bowls of ice cubes to play with. She likes to tell "secrets," mostly whispering, "I love you" in my ear. Last night she spent some time writing her name.

Liam has been destructo-boy lately! He's suffering the worst from the bad weather. He likes to run through the house, throwing his cars, and knocking over tables. Ay-yi-yi! It's not all craziness, though. He likes looking through his Big Book of Trains with me or Patrick, and he loves to watch Dora. He's starting to count; sometimes he'll line his cars up and I'll hear him saying, "four, five, six," under his breath. He's stringing more and more words together every day. As soon as he opens his eyes in the morning he says, "UP, Mommy." He' decided not to take naps anymore, and I miss our snuggling time.

Soon, the weather will warm up, we'll finally move (maybe), and I'll have all sorts of pictures to post and stories to tell. Until then, we're still hibernating.

Two Weeks of Friday Fill-Ins

2008-02-22T02:28:00.003-06:00

I missed last week, and I'm up late with another good dose of insomnia, so I'll just go ahead and make up for it!

1. The changing scenery is the best thing about traveling. We always drive, and I love watching the corn fields give way to meadows and then to woods, and how big the sky looks at sunrise and sunset.

2. I love a good fuzzy blanket and cup of steaming hot tea when I'm cold.

3. I often use audiobooks to stave off boredom when the long car trips get a bit too long.

4. I'm reading The Amber Spyglass right now; I love it.

5. Parenting is something I dislike talking about. That is, unless you're an unschooler. I don't need anyone else telling me that the kids should be in bed earlier, or I should make Evie wear clothes, or I should me *making* them eat more, thank-you-very-much.

6. When I visited Key West I most looked forward to seeing both ends of Duvall Street.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sleeping, tomorrow my plans include taking the kids to the Owensboro children's museum (weather permitting...we've got more ice!) and Sunday, I want to take the chillun's to their cousins birthday party, and spend the rest of the day just hanging with my honey!

1. Snowdrops are heavy, thick, and wet this week.

2. I'm going to start my tomato, pepper, and eggplant seeds this week!

3. "Exactly" by Amy Steinberg is a song whose lyrics have meaning to me. I struggle with really being present instead of living inside my head in the unknowable future. Hearing that I am exactly where I need to be right now is very empowering, and gives me the nudge back to present time that I need.

4. Just one sip and then I'll down the rest in one gulp.

5. Wherever my family is is where I'm happiest.

6. I believe that play is a necessary part of life.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to *last Friday we just hung out at home*, tomorrow my plans include *on Saturday we looked at the house in Richland* and Sunday, I want to *I don't remember what we did so it obviously wasn't exciting enough to post about*!

Midnight Munchies

2008-02-22T01:17:00.004-06:00

Diana's Bananas are worth getting up for, if anyone wanted to know. They are real bananas, frozen and coated in real chocolate, not the waxy stuff that usually surrounds ice cream bars.

The girls were ho-hum about them, but that just means more for me!

Unconcious Mutterings :: Free Association

2008-02-18T00:36:00.002-06:00

Passport :: Travel

Small world :: Venus

Radio :: Machine

Marine :: Life

Wall :: Pink Floyd

Wanna be :: Fake

Pigtails :: Ava

Hyphen :: Last Name

9.99 :: 10

Unrated :: Dirty (not necessarily bad ;) )

Wanna play? Go to http://subliminal.lunanina.com.

Confession and Assistance

2008-02-17T13:45:00.003-06:00

I have been a bad mama lately. :( I have been letting the stress of uncertainty (about the house, mostly) take over, and I haven't been very nice to my kids. It really doesn't make much sense, especially because their happiness is the #1 reason I want to make this move!

I am so grateful for the battalion of unschooling mamas whose posts on various Yahoo lists help bring me back to the kind of mother *I* want to be. I'm just a lurker on these lists (I may have posted once or twice), but the discussions and advice I have absorbed has been invaluable.

Today, rummaging through my Saved Messages folder for something that will help me get back on track, I found this:

Again, rummaging through papers, I found this scrap (I used to print
them out and pin or tape them to mirrors or desks or walls), from "Blue
Skies!" Robin:

1) Adult-like behavior matures by the time we are adults.

2) No expectations means no disappointments for us and no damaging
pressure for our children.

3) Children respond best to modeling and leadership, not control

4) Trust...and wait.

5) Choose between the momentary convenience and your long-term goal for
your child's sense of self.

6) Enjoy your child for who he is, not for whom you would like him to
be---he will never be this age again.

7) Distinguish between your emotional needs and what your child feels
and needs. Act toward your child in harmony with her needs: take care
of your emotional needs elsewhere.

8) Celebrate your child's uniqueness as well as your own.

~Kelly

I don't know who Robin is, so I unfortunately can't give her due credit. Kelly is Kelly Lovejoy, co-owner of the Unschooling Basics list, whose writings have given me the needed kick-in-the-ass too many times to count.

It lives!

2008-02-16T18:42:00.003-06:00

The cheap, crappy house has risen from the dead. Countrywide finally offered to put the money to fix the roof in escrow, after we sent them the form requesting our earnest money back. Now, we're waiting on Countrywide's finance department to give the OK to the plan.

Someday this will all be a distant memory, maybe something we will even laugh about. Someday.

2008-02-13T19:59:00.004-06:00

Trying to buy the cheap house has turned into a bit of a headache, and I'm 99% sure that it just isn't going to happen.

Countrywide owns the home (it's a foreclosure) and they required that we get pre-approval through them in order to even have our offer considered. So we dutifully got our pre-approval, made the offer, accepted their counter-offer, and naively thought we were golden after that point. Then Countrywide said they won't finance the house because of some structural issues (it needs a new roof.) How they can require pre-approval on a house that isn't financeable is beyond me. We requested that they repair the roof and fix a few other issues in order to get the house in a condition that they would finance it. Their deadline to reply was February 10. We haven't heard a thing, and they aren't returning calls to our agent or our loan officer. Meh.

So, we are moving on. Kate, our agent, was putting in one more call to the listing agent today to see if he had heard anything, but I'm not holding out much hope. Our next move is to try to get our earnest money back. I wonder what kind of nightmare that's going to turn into!

Of course, all is not lost. We started these shenanigans in November of last year, when we stumbled upon this house. It's 2800+ square feet, 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, on nearly 6.5 acres, listed at $84,900. When we first became interested in it, they accepted an offer before we got the chance to look inside. I was beyond bummed. But now we've got a 2nd chance! Our realtor is going to contact the listing agent to see why the last sale fell through...I'm worried that they had the same problems that we're currently having. We'll face that when we come to it. For now, I'm just glad that all is not yet lost!

So, now I have something new to obsess over. Patrick will be thrilled, LOL.

And today, ICE.

2008-02-12T10:52:00.000-06:00

SNOW!!!

2008-02-11T18:43:00.000-06:00

My usually-nude daughters decided to get bundled up today to play in the SNOW! We only get two or three good snows a year, so it's a pretty big deal around here. Around 2pm, it started to flurry, and by 2:30 it was really coming down. Ava & Genevieve had a ton of fun kicking up snow drifts, trying to catch flakes on their tongues, and making snow angels. It was cold, though, so they decided to come in after about 10 minutes. We got under the nice, warm blankets, drank hot tea, and ate chicken noodle soup. Ahhhh. I'm still jonesing for spring, but this was a nice break from the grey winter doldrums. And the girls had a blast!

Liam slept through it all. After we came in he started to stir, so I lay down with him in his warm bed and we snuggled and listened to the ice hit the windows.

The great day would be even greater with hot chocolate, but we're out and I'm not brave enough to drive in this weather!

Spring

2008-02-09T01:43:00.000-06:00

It can't get here fast enough.

Anniversaries

2008-02-08T17:41:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow (Saturday) marks the fifth anniversary of my dad's death. He died of pancreatic cancer, at age 60, at home, surrounded by all of us that loved him.

I miss him, a lot. He used to send me cards and letters for no reason other than to tell me he loved me. He loved taking us to lunch and dinner and on vacations. He wore Bart Simpson t-shirts and played Nintendo. He loved those damn dogs of his more than what would be considered natural, LOL. He was a great cook, and none of his kitchen creations was complete without a good dash of hellfire hot sauce.

Dad died when I was nearly 5 months pregnant with Ava and Genevieve. Four days before his death, we found out that Baby A (Ava) was a girl. My mom told him the news, and it was the last time I saw him smile. He would have been a kick-ass grandpa.

I love you, Daddy.

On Sunday, Patrick and I will have been married for seven years. In that time, we have lived in four homes, two cities, owned seven vehicles, had three kids, two cats, a dog, a guinea pig, and a battalion of fish. We've started a business, closed it's doors, gone through bankruptcy, lost jobs, found jobs, paid off debts, and (finally) started a savings account. We've talked, and listened, and supported. Our lives really sucked for a while, but we always had each other, and that made all the difference. All things considered, it's been a pretty damn good seven years.

It's funny, the things you remember, and the things you don't. I've been trying to recall how we spent our last six anniversaries. I know that on our first anniversary we went to dinner at O'Charley's, and then went to New Orleans a few weeks later (a gift from my parents, since we never took a honeymoon.) Our second anniversary was the day after my dad died, so it's all a bit of a blur. I have no idea what we did the next year. On our fourth anniversary, we were living in Virginia. Genevieve ran headlong into the corner of the wall and busted her lip. I called Patrick in a panic, so he came home. After we decided Evie was OK and didn't need to go to the ER, we loaded the girls in the car and visited the National Aquarium in Baltimore, and ate at the Hard Rock Cafe. The next year Liam was just a few weeks old, and I don't recall if we did anything or not. And last year....damn, I don't remember. Surely we went to dinner or something.

We are not romantics (or couldn't you tell, LOL.) But we love each other, and we love our kids, and I can't think of anyone else that I would want to spend all of my time with. Even if he does have weird habits, like hand washing the dishes in the sink rather than emptying the dishwasher and putting the damn things in there. (Sorry, honey, I just couldn't help myself ;) )

Friday Fill Ins for February 8, 2008 (On Friday!)

2008-02-08T17:26:00.000-06:00

1. I'm looking forward to spring!

2. Yellowstone is a place I always wanted to visit and haven't made it there yet.

3. I've fallen in love with growing things (kids, vegetables, flowers, or anything else!)

4. Six of one, huh?

5. Addiction is a word that is way over-used.

6. The kids crack me up! (Of course. Couldn't see that one coming?)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to pizza, a movie, and snuggling with Patrick and the kids, tomorrow my plans include spending time with my honey and Sunday, I want to celebrate out 7th wedding anniversary!

New Feature ~ Planet Pawlowski Tunes

2008-02-03T01:33:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know that I added a new feature in the left-hand navigation. It's a free music do-dad from Project Playlist, and, as the name implies, with it you can compile playlists of your favorite tunes and post them to almost any blog, webpage, or social networking site. Pretty cool.

I did have it set to start playing automatically until I remembered how many times I've stumbled onto a webpage with an automatic music player in the middle of the night while everyone else is asleep. So, if you want to hear the music, you'll have to actually turn the thing on.

Enjoy.

Friday Fill-Ins on Saturday, Again.

2008-02-02T21:33:00.000-06:00

1. Once I was single and childless. I'm so glad that's over!

2. I dread being sick.

3. Today at work I...wait a minute, I don't work. I get to play with my kids all the time. Woo Hoo!

4. What's yoga all about? I've tried it; it certainly doesn't make me feel calm and centered. It makes me feel muscles that I didn't know I had, though.

5. If I make a mistake I agonize over it.

6. When I woke up this morning, I thought "Where's Evie?" She had burrowed down to the end of the bed, and was sleeping across our feet.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to making all the arrangements for our trip to the Newport Aquarium next week, tomorrow my plans include cleaning out the van and buying a pay-as-you-go cell phone and Sunday (Monday), I want to drive to Cincinnati and see Patrick again!

A tip of the hat to all single parents....

2008-01-31T15:11:00.000-06:00

Patrick left for a business trip to Virginia on Tuesday, so it's just been me and the kids for, oh, about 52 hours now (not that I'm keeping track or anything.) I'm doing my best to take it easy, keep my cool, and keep it simple, but it's hard doing it on my own. So, props to all the single moms and dads out there. And, honey, please hurry back!

Insomniac Ramblings

2008-01-29T01:23:00.000-06:00

I can't sleep....blech. I tried, really I did. I lay in the nice, warm bed and listened to the girls snore for at least an hour. My brain is just too busy, wondering (worrying) if the sale is actually going to go through on our new house, what we're going to do if it doesn't, what we're going to do if it does, etc.

Anyway, I can't think of anything to do other than turn on MSNBC and let the re-airing of Prez Bush's last State of the Union make me nuts and answer random questions from random memes. OK....the Prez is on. Now on to the meme questions.

If you could have a servant come to your house every day for one hour, what would you have them do?

Ummmm, clean. And then clean some more. And then clean something else.

What is the sickest you've ever been?

Shortly after we moved to Virginia I came down with strep throat and a majorly nasty sinus infection at the same time. Patrick had to take some time off work, because I couldn't get off the couch. I could hardly swallow, and I ate nothing but apple sauce and orange sherbert for 2 weeks. I lost 16 lbs in 14 days, though, which was a bonus, I guess.

If you could go back in time and re-live one day in your life, which day would you choose and why?

My wedding day. We were going through a pretty rough patch when we got married; I think both of us were wondering whether or not we were doing the right thing. I'd love to re-live that day without those doubts.

What keeps you awake at night? Why?

Buying new house, selling old house. It's all I think about.

What is the one thing that frightens you the most about growing old?

I'm mostly cool with getting older, but I am afraid of not getting the chance to see and do things that I've dreamed about.

If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be and why?

I really wish I had been home-schooled (unschooled, to be specific.) School really killed my love of learning for a long time, along with my self-confidence and sense of worth.

Would you be able to serve on a jury and sentence the defendant to the death penalty if he/she were found guilty of a crime that the court felt warranted the death penalty?

No.

What do you think is the most soothing sound?

Forest sounds, like birdsong and wind blowing through the treetops.

What kinds of scenes in movies make you cry?

All of them. Seriously. I cried at the Terminator. I cry at previews. I take Kleenex to every movie I see.

What is the biggest transition you've had to make in your life?

Losing my father and grandfather, Patrick losing his job, becoming the mother of twins, going through bankruptcy, and my mother and sister moving in with us...all in the same year.

When is the last time you got lost and what happened?

Patrick gets us lost almost every time we go for a drive. We're pros. We got home from Chicago by searching for a "big" road and turning left on it.

OK, I found some Tylenol PM so I guess I'll take another crack at getting some sleep. I hope everyone else is snoozing soundly!

Friday Fill-Ins for January 25, 2008

2008-01-25T21:46:00.000-06:00

1. Listening to my daughters talking sweetly to their little brother and giving him kisses makes me happy.

2. I would like for all the issues we're dealing with in trying to buy this house to go away, please.

3. Watermelon tastes SO good! (I'm counting the days 'til summer and drooling over my seed catalogs.)

4. Saturday is my favorite day of the week because my whole family gets to spend the day together.

5. My brain is my best feature.

6. We could learn so much from Sandra Dodd. (Her collection of articles at http://www.sandradodd.com/unschooling rocks!)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching all of the shows I DVR'd this week, tomorrow my plans include sleeping in and picking up the kids from Pat & Syl's and Sunday, I want to spend some time goofing off with my family!

2008-01-24T17:46:00.001-06:00

Picture-free Posting

2008-01-24T16:36:00.000-06:00

A small, newly 2-year-old gnome has killed my digital camera :( I'm not sure if it's all-the-way dead yet, or just maimed, but the result is that I don't have any new pictures to post this week, and probably won't for a while (unless the camera is fixable.) Until our house sells, we won't have any extra $$ for a new camera, but when we do....

...or maybe, if I'm feeling extra frisky, we'll go with this:

Then, watch out! We'll be picture crazy (as if we weren't already!)

As for the little man, he had a pretty wonderful birthday. We met the Wilson's at Turoni's for pizza on Wednesday night, on Saturday we had a little party at Buenie's, and we had more cake and ice cream at Pat & Syl's on Sunday. I don't think his sugar-high will ever be over!

Anyway, since I don't have any new pictures, I thought I might put up some old ones...so, I present the Liam James Pawlowski 2nd Birthday Retrospective (the post above this one.) Enjoy.

A Typical Day

2008-01-15T21:18:00.001-06:00

We had a fairly typical day today, even though I've been trying to start getting us packed up and the house cleaned a bit, which makes me a little cranky. The kids and I woke up around 9am, even though every night I swear I'm going to get up early and get a few things done (like breakfast and a shower ;) ) before the kids get up. Ava and I colored some pages in her Barbie Princesses coloring book while Liam played with his Duplo blocks and Genevieve made a Moon Sand creation for her friend, Katrina.

After some waffles for breakfast, three very sticky kids decided that a bath would be a good idea :)

I spent the rest of the morning going through our books and movies, packing up what we want to keep and making a box up to take to the used bookstore. The kids played upstairs...there was a lot of singing and dancing going on, I think.

While Liam was napping this afternoon, and I was drinking a cup of coffee in hopes of getting an energy boost, the girls decided to wash every baby doll and stuffed animal they could find in a little baby doll bath tub.

Yes, Evie's naked. She doesn't wear clothes at home anymore, no matter how cold it is. She does agree to wear minimal clothing when we leave the house, though!

After Liam woke up, we all chilled for a bit, and talked about what we'll do for little man's 2nd birthday tomorrow. I can't believe he's going to be two years old. Two year ago right now, in fact, my water broke. At this moment, our little "baby" is chasing his sister around the living room, screaming like a banshee, LOL.

Then the girls made faces at the camera.

Aren't they precious, LOL?! Forget asking them to smile nicely, this is what they do!

What did we do after this, you ask? We played with a Rubbermaid tote, of course!

Now, Patrick and I are watching the Democratic debate while the kids ask us how much longer it's going to last, LOL. In a few minutes, we'll snuggle in the bed to watch either a Disney or Barbie movie, depending on whose turn it is to choose.

Not a bad typical day, if you ask me.

Happy Birthday, Kathy!

2008-01-13T10:29:00.001-06:00

Our friend Kathy's birthday is today, and I like the e-card we sent so much that I have to share it!

Don't send a lame Birthday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Cheap House: They countered and we accepted.

2008-01-12T13:43:00.000-06:00

Look's like we're moving! We close on February 29. Patrick and I are slightly freaked (buyer's remorse and all that) but mostly we're excited. We stayed up waaaaay too late last night batting around ideas about future additions, where to put the garage, etc. Of course, we'll have to sell this house first! Anyone looking? (Greg & Kathy, want to move to Indiana? We've got a house for ya, LOL!)

Moments from Our Week

2008-01-11T00:38:00.000-06:00

~Liam said "peanut butter and jelly sandwich," and "Christmas tree." He is in the midst of quite a language explosion. I love our short, simple conversations.

~Ava asked me, "Mama, when you're finished with your coffee, would you please get me some strawberry milk?" This, more than anything else that happened this week, reinforces to me that we are on the right path in regards to RU (Radical Unschooling.) We don't demand that the kidz speak to us like that. We try our best to model respectful and polite behavior, we guide, we discuss. And our daughter speaks to us like that anyway, without coercion. (That's not to say we've got perfect kids that are always "well behaved" and polite. We get our fair share of frowns, thrown toys, and stomped feet.)

~Patrick, picking up the kidz from his parents house, was putting Liam in his carseat when the overhead lights went out. Genevieve said, "Daddy, could you turn the light back on? I have a situation here!" (Her Bratz doll had lost an earring.) I ask myself where they hear things like this, but then the answer dawns on me: SpongeBob!

~Liam, watching Dora, counted to five.

~Ava singing to herself a song she made up, while sitting on the toilet.

~Genevieve opening the bathroom door while I was taking a shower, just to blow me a kiss.

~Ava, after watching a TV show about a family that was having quintuplets, asking, "But how to the babies get in there, Mama?"

~Liam proudly wearing his sister's black, sparkly ballet flats.

~Genevieve making tea all by herself, eagerly finding a pretty cup so I could share it with her.

I love our life.

Friday Fill-Ins for January 11, 2008

2008-01-11T00:24:00.000-06:00

1. My favorite trip we took of 2007 was our weekend camping trip to the New River Gorge in West Virginia. Disney World rates a close second.

2. I'm most tempted by gardening catalogs. I want to grow at least one of everything!

3. Today I want our offer to be accepted on cheap, crappy house. It would open up so many possibilities for us.

4. The last thing I took a picture of was one of the kidz. I don't have the camera handy, but they are the subject of 98% of the pictures we take!

5. You and I have memories, but I can't remember mine because I'm getting too old (30 this year, LOL!).

6. The most recent movie I’ve seen that I really enjoyed was The Golden Compass. I want my own ice bear!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with Patrick and kiddos, tomorrow my plans include getting the heck out of the house to do something fun with my family and Sunday, I want to start getting the house ready to sell!

We made an offer on the crappy, cheap house...

2008-01-10T17:16:00.001-06:00

...and I think we're both kinda freaking out at this point, but the kidz are pretty happy! The girls and I were talking about the house last night, and I mentioned that we would probably add on to it in the future. Genevieve got really sad and said that she likes the house how it is. Pretty sweet, huh?

The mortgage company (they own the home; it's a foreclosure) has until Monday to respond to our offer. We'll keep you updated!

We're thinking about buying a crappy, but cheap, house.

2008-01-06T22:32:00.000-06:00

It's really not too terribly crappy. Here's a picture:

The listing details are here, but these are the relevant details. It's just shy of 1400 sq ft, slightly less than an acre, 2 doors down from Patrick's parents, in fair shape (there are a few issues, but none are insurmountable), and it's listed at $43,900.

I'm totally jazzed at the idea of having more $$ at the end of the month. Right now, we're doing OK, but struggling. In the cheap house, we'd actually have a little cash to play with! Sure, a lot of it would go to fixing up/adding on, but surely we'd still be spending less on housing than we are now. We could take more trips. We could go to the movies more. Maybe Patrick could even buy some new t-shirts .

So, right now we're waiting to see if we can get pre-approval on a loan on top of our current mortgage; the plan is to make the cheap house livable, then move into it and fix up our current house for sale. Hopefully we'll find something out later this week. And maybe, just maybe, we'll have a big 'ol party in our big back yard at our cheap house this summer!

Friday Fill-Ins for January 4, 2008

2008-01-04T22:22:00.000-06:00

1. This year, I'd like to spend more time traveling, learn to knit, and plant the most awesome garden.

2. Creating a new garden in a new (well, to us) less expensive home is what I daydream about most. Traveling to new destinations is a close second, as well as visiting some old favorites that would be new to the kidz.

3. My house is a mess. We've all been sick since Christmas, and we're just now coming out of it.

4. I would like to have more friends in my life. We cherish the friends we have, but I fantasize about parties where our backyard is swimming with people, a big bonfire with Patrick's homebrewed beer chilling in galvanized tub, lots of kids in sleeping bags crowded in our backyard tipi...I have very vivid, detailed fantasies, LOL.

5. I love to have lots of seed catalogs around the house. Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange, Territorial Seed, and Seeds of Change arrived last week!

6. My kids make me smile. Liam just went to lay down with Patrick, after a spirited die-cast car search. Ava and Genevieve are coloring pictures of princesses in the kitchen. Genevieve requested that I print out extra copies of her favorite coloring pages, so she could color gifts for her friends. Ava gave me a big, wet kiss to thank me for printing her favorite picture. I've got everything I need, right here.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to reading through my new copy of Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening and starting The Golden Compass, tomorrow my plans include taking the kidz to their cousin's third birthday party and Sunday, I want to go for a drive with my husband!

Happy New Year! and 2007 in review, by Jib Jab

2008-01-01T10:22:00.000-06:00

In 2007 | Funny Jokes at JibJab

Sunday Seven for December 30, 2007

2007-12-30T13:54:00.000-06:00

Seven Things in ~2007~ I'm Grateful For

1. Our litte boy had his first birthday on January 16, 2007. I'm so grateful that our surprise bundle entered our lives. He has brought us all so much joy.

2. Patrick & I celebrated our 6th anniversary on February 10. I'm so thankful to have such a loving, warm-hearted husband.

3. We spent the months of April and May almost completely on the road! I'm so happy that our financial situation has improved enough that we are able to travel again.

4. Ava & Genevieve turned four-years-old on June 25. Our little girls are growing up! I don't have the words to express how incredibly grateful I am that these children are in our lives; they are our lives.

5. I celebrated my 29th birthday on August 1. I'm thankful for this life, what I've been able to do, and the things I am still looking forward to.

6. I'm so happy to have friends to share this life, this journey with. Greg & Kathy, Fred & Julie...all of our friends make our lives so rich.

7. I'm so grateful for another year on this Earth, doing things I love with the people I love. Another year now stretches ahead of us, waiting to be filled with friends, travel, new experiences, laughter, tears, accomplishments, new directions, and old favorites. I can hardly wait!

Friday Fill-Ins for December 21, 2007 (a day late, I know!)

2007-12-22T19:19:00.000-06:00

1. Snow would be beautiful if it would fall in more than 1/4" increments.
2. I'm looking forward to snuggling with Patrick and the kiddos while watching The Polar Express on Christmas Eve.
3. Ava, Genevieve, and Liam (are) is the best kidz ever!
4. One of my favorite old tv shows is Taxi.
5. I'm done with stressing about the holidays...FOREVER.
6. The most enjoyable thing around the holidays is making crafts and cookies with the kidz.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to bed early, tomorrow my plans include lots of baking and decorating salt dough ornaments and Sunday (Monday), I want to celebrate with my family!

Learning Moments

2007-12-22T19:11:00.000-06:00

This week, the kids learned:

~ the practical differences between bacterial and viral infections.
~ the different ways that infection can spread.
~ some of the functions of white blood cells.
~ the basics of how antibiotics work.
~ the practical differences between prescription antibiotics and OTC meds.
~ some of the functions of Vitamin C and Echinacea.
~ some links between the respiratory and digestive systems.

I sure hope we can learn about something else next week. :/

Wisdom

2007-12-22T19:09:00.000-06:00

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

~Diane Loomans, from "If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again"

Hopefully, we'll do it right the first time.

How Many Kids Can You Fit In a Tub?

2007-12-18T19:59:00.000-06:00

At least four.

Wouldn't it be nice if, when you had friends over, and everyone was getting a little cranky and tired, you could all just hop in the bath?!

2007-12-15T17:32:00.001-06:00

Your Elf Name Is...

Fuzzy Fruit Cake

What's Your Elf Name?

2007-12-15T17:28:00.001-06:00

What The Holidays Mean to You

For you, the holidays are about celebration. You enjoy all the fun and fellowship that the holidays bring.

You celebrate the holidays in a natural style. Homemade gifts are your favorite, and you can't stand imitation Christmas trees or wreaths

During the holidays, you like to feel cozy and comfortable. You're happy to stay inside with a roaring fire and a warm drink.

You think the holidays should be nostalgic and sweet. The holidays bring out your inner child.

Your favorite holiday memories are complete and very visual. Past holiday events play out like a video in your mind.

What Do the Holidays Mean to You?

2007-12-15T17:18:00.001-06:00

You Should Have a Blue Christmas Tree

For you, the holidays represent a time of calm, understanding, and peace.
You avoid family fights, and you don't get too stressed out - even when things are crazy!

You like to make Christmas about making everyone's life a little bit better.
You don't get caught up in greed or commercialism. You're too sincere for that.

Your blue tree would look great with: Lots of silver tinsel

You should spend Christmas Eve watching: It's a Wonderful Life

What you should bake for Santa: Chocolate chip cookies

What Color Christmas Tree Should You Have?

This is what I strive for, but I'm not so sure I've been doing a good job of it. Fact is, I do get stressed over the holidays, wondering where the money is going to come from, wondering if I'm buying the "right" gifts. I've been trying really hard to focus on the joy of Christmas, instead of the commercialism and stress. This year has been better. I cut back on spending, we suggested to Patrick's family that we all only buy presents for the kids (they agreed!), and we're making homemade gifts for my extended family. We've also been doing some things I've always dreamed of doing over the holidays, but never got around to doing, like baking Christmas cookies and making salt-dough ornaments. We're slowly finding our way, making our own traditions.

For next year, I've got plans for doing more crafts, more baking, and less spending. Someone remind me about this post next December when I start stressing and stop enJOYing the season!

Slow Week

2007-12-14T15:27:00.000-06:00

There's not much to write about this week. We've been printing out a lot of free coloring pages, which is pretty cool. You can find damn near anything on the internet! I'm about 98% finished with my Christmas shopping, which is way cool. I got a helluva a deal on some things for the girls through Amazon. Seriously, I got a horse play set that costs $25 at Target for under $6! We've been doing a lot of baking this week; banana bread, Oatmeal scotchies, bagels, and a few other things. The house has smelled really nice and sweet, but the kitchen is a wreck! It's a small price to pay for home-baked goodies, though.

That's all, there's not much more. Hopefully, we'll have an interesting weekend, and I'll have more to write about next week.

Sunday Seven for December 9, 2007

2007-12-09T16:29:00.000-06:00

Seven precious moments from this week:

1. Making gingerbread houses with my family and friends. I never did this as a kid, but it was something I always dreamed of doing. Actually doing it certainly exceeded my expectations! I think it's going to be my new favorite holiday activity. It doesn't get much better than spending an evening with good friends, good food, and lots of candy!

2. Putting up our Christmas tree. This was the first year that Ava & Genevieve were really able to help get all the decorations up. It's much more joyful to put up a tree with happy, excited kids who still see the magic in the season, than by myself!

3. Candy canes! Liam has found his new favorite candy! He looks so precious with a sticky sweet red smile.

4. "Ri-dere." Liam-speak for "Right there." You have to hear it in person. Way too cute.

5. Genevieve did the dishes all by herself. Earlier this week, she asked if she could take all of our (clean) flatware and wash it. What fun! We had water, soap, and bubbles everywhere, and it was a total blast.

6. Collaborative art with Ava. Ava flips through her coloring books to find pictures with two characters in them (usually a Barbie princess and her prince) so we can color together. She tells me that I do a good job, and I tell her that she is my angel. I love spending this kind of time with my kids.

7. Patrick and Liam all snuggled up in the bed. The girls and I have been staying up pretty late, so Patrick and Liam head to the bedroom early for some "guy time." I love going in the bedroom later and seeing them all snuggled up to each other. Patrick's such a good dad...I couldn't ask for more!

Go here to learn more about participating in the Sunday Seven.

Gingerbread House Decorating Party

2007-12-09T12:28:00.000-06:00

We spent last night making gingerbread (well, they were made out of graham crackers, but the principles were the same!) with our good friends the Kowalski and Wilson families, at the Kowalski's party house. It was a great night, full of laughter, good food, games, friends, and fun. We should definitely make this a yearly event, although Tina K. might skin me alive for suggesting she be responsible for organizing it again, LOL!

2007-12-08T09:25:00.000-06:00

Non-Crappy Starring You! eCards on JibJab

Our Week in Pictures

2007-12-07T17:18:00.000-06:00

I need to get this out quick; there's a boatload of kids (well, 3 of 'em in any case) clamoring for my attention!

On Saturday,we finally painted Liam's room. We've been trying to get something done in there for months. Finally, progress!

We had lots of fun with markers this week. Liam is taking an interest in drawing on something other than the floor (thank god for easy-to-clean vinyl flooring!) and Genevieve is still mostly interested in drawing on herself. This week, she was a tiger.

The girls had fun taking pictures of each other. They are very careful with the camera, and I think they've figured out more of it's functions than I have!

This morning, we opened our St. Nick's Day presents (a day late, I know!) and put up the tree. Ava & Genevieve did almost all of the ornament hanging; they have a real knack for it. Liam did most of the candy cane eating.

And tonight, Patrick helped Liam amp up his Hot Wheels track with a leftover 2x4 from some long forgotten project.

That's all, folks. Munchkins are a-callin'.

Friday Fill-Ins for December 7, 2007

2007-12-07T16:35:00.000-06:00

1. I love Christmas.

2. Multi-colored is/are my favorite color(s) for the Christmas tree lights.

3. The candles in the window have invisible bulbs. (Candles? What candles?)

4. A Christmas Story is one of my most favorite Christmas movies.

5. My favorite Christmas lyric(s) is/are "...he knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake."

6. I'm dreaming of a stress-free Christmas morning; just us, the kids, and all day to play with our new gear. No other obligations or commitments.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to movie night (Jurassic Park II: The Lost World, lots of popcorn, and snuggling on the couch), tomorrow my plans include making gingerbread houses with friends and Sunday, I want to sleep in!

Why Wait?

2007-12-05T22:46:00.000-06:00

A couple of days ago I opened an e-mail from a high school classmate of mine, letting me know that another of our classmates had died last week in a car crash. She was 29 years old, in her final year of law school, was engaged to be married, and left behind a 6-year-old daughter.

I wonder if she had bought her little girl's Christmas presents yet; if she was looking forward to watching her open them in just a few short weeks.

I wonder if she was studying hard in anticipation of final exams and the bar exam.

I wonder if she was looking through wedding magazines, and dreaming about her own upcoming wedding.

None of us is guaranteed a certain amount of time on this earth, and it makes me wonder why so many of us habitually put off things we want to do for some later time that may never come. I hear people talk about how they'll work their tails off now while they are young, and enjoy themselves when they retire. What happens, though, if they don't live long enough to reach retirement?

Another of my classmates died the summer between our sophomore and junior years. He was camping with friends, accidentally fell into a quarry, broke his neck and drowned. He was 16 years old. I wonder what his parents would have done differently if they knew he wasn't going to reach adulthood. Would they still have put him in school, made him do homework, prepare for a future that wasn't going to come?

I choose to live NOW, not later. We have fun every day, and we don't have to earn the right to pleasure. Living and enjoying ourselves now is the only thing that makes sense, unless we are suddenly blessed/cursed with immortality.

The Sunday Seven

2007-12-02T09:49:00.000-06:00

Searching for things to blog about, I found this meme, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I think it fits in well with my goal of shifting into a more joyful and grateful mama/wife/person. So here goes:

1. I'm grateful that my girls are confident enough to tell me "You're cranky" when I start to slide back into the kind of parent I don't want to be. That little nudge is enough to make me take a deep breath, re-evaluate, and change my attitude.

2. I'm so happy that we got Liam's room painted yesterday! We've been living in this house for over 5 years now. I found out I was pregnant with the girls just 2 months after we moved in, so we never got around to doing any decorating. Painting, re-arranging furniture, and hanging pictures is making it finally feel like *our home.*

3. I'm thankful for our furry critters. At this moment, Bob (the cat) is sitting in the laundry basket, on top of clean clothes, looking at me like, "Yeah, and what are you gonna do about it?" He's always good for a laugh.

4. I love it that the kidz have so much fun at Pat & Syl's. They get to hang out and have a blast with the G'parents on Sunday, and Patrick & I get to spend some time with each other, doing stuff like taking long car rides while listening to liberal political podcasts on the iPod. Ah, *bliss*

5. I'm excited by my kidz passions. Ava loves coloring, drawing, and creating. The first thing she wants to do in the morning, after a cup of strawberry milk, is get out her markers, crayons, and coloring books. I love seeing how much joy she finds in creating her masterpieces. Genevieve's love of animals warms my heart. She spends much of the day petting, bathing, feeding, watering, walking, and entertaining our pets. Liam's one and only love is Cars (Capital C!) He loves stretching out on the kitchen floor to drive his Hot Wheels, or lining them all up in a row. His second favorite thing to do is crash them with a terrific noise!

6. I'm glad that Patrick has a job that allows him to be at home with us. When we lived in Virginia, he was gone for 9-10 hours each day, and that totally sucked. Even though he is still working and unavailable to us much of the day, it is comforting just to have him here with us. The kidz can sneak in to get a boo-boo kissed or for a quick hug, and we can have little mini-conversations throughout the day that help us stay connected, even though we're both pretty busy and harried much of the time.

7. I love our unschooling life, and the change I've seen in all of us since starting the shift to a more RU (radical unschooling) lifestyle. We still mess up (more than I would like) and try to control each other, but it's happening less each day and I can feel the joy increasing in our lives.

I just made a total elf of myself...

2007-12-01T22:46:00.000-06:00

Well, actually, I made elves of my family. They would only let me make four!

Planet Pawlowski ElfYourself

Make sure you don't have any drink in your mouth, 'cuz it might end up all over your computer screen!