I am here (also Thursday Thanks #23)

Bible study at my church - "When Wallflowers Dance" by Angela Thomas

My apologies for the wildly askew photo (I think I'm channeling a bit of Esbee here). Just wanted to let you know that I'm still here. That things are OK. But that I'm taking some guidance from today's lesson, part of which included the suggestions to "choose to stop the chaos" and "choose to restore order."

I daresay it's been a full month since I've posted regularly. Life has been rich and full. The children are thriving in their new school. I have been busy with church and work commitments, extracurricular activities, and shuttling children from here to there. I haven't posted the first photo of Mister J in his soccer uniform. Of Miss M in her dancewear. Of a lunch in quite a while (though I pack them every night for school the next day). But trying to juggle all of the balls was wearing me out, so I've had to at least slow the chaos. I've pulled back from a few things - namely, the blog, email, and social networking. I've got photos I want to post, memories I want to document, and funny stories I want to tell. But for now, please forgive me for the lack of posts and photos.

I'm also choosing, in my case, to establish order. I'm trying to eliminate the clutter and disorganization in a pretty heavy-handed way around here. I'm trying to repurpose spaces and "stuff" in a way that makes sense for our family. It's going in baby steps, but the small victories keep me motivated.

I'm the midst of all of the de-chaos-ing and re-ordering, I'm taking a bit of time for myself. Not just doing the grocery shopping alone, but some real, adult time with other women in my Bible study. And here's my Thursday Thanks just a bit early.... I am so thankful for the women who are crossing my path as a part of this study. I am learning from them and connecting with them in new ways each time we meet, even if they are women I have known for years. In just a couple of hours a week, I am refreshed and energized in a way I'd forgotten existed.

I'll be back, though it may continue to be sporadic for a time. My goal is to complete some projects around the house, re-claim the calm that comes along with order and organization, and meet a couple of personal goals, including a return to more regular blogging.

See you soon.

No words....

I think I just realized that we may be THAT Family....

Sorry for the scarcity of posting lately. There's plenty that I'd love to post, but time is not on my side right now. Hope to be back soon!

The "Kid Office"

One of the projects that's been keeping me away from the blog. Bins in the corner hold all sorts of supplies - paper (drawing, construction, coloring books), crayons, markers, glue, things to glue onto paper, stickers (regular and foam), pipe cleaners, and more. Each kid has a supply box on the table. Covered canisters hold regular and colored pencils. Still need a place to hold Mister J's homework and reading packets each week, a trashcan, and a place to safely store scissors and a pencil sharpener.

We are here...

...because the Wells Fargo stagecoach is in town (and because there was a break in the rain). It was a great opportunity to learn about the past, and we also found some nice little green spaces to run off some energy.

Nov 1, 2009 - here's a better photo, now that I've finally gotten around to uploading photos from my camera!

click to enlarge

And again with the wipers... (or Overheard #21)

On the way home from school in the rain....

Miss M (referring to the favorite topic of late): "Mommy, why you do that?"
Mommy: "To clean the windshield so I can see to drive."
Miss M: "I okay with the rain...."

Overheard #20

It's overcast today, and it was sprinkling during our drive to school this morning. Amidst the singing and other conversation was this exchange:

Mister J: Mommy, do the windshield wipers have eyes?
Mommy: No, they don't have eyes.
Mister J: Then how do they see the rain?

Of course, I explained to him that I control the wipers, but I was also struck by the reminder that there are plenty of things in our lives that are "everyday" to me, but are still waiting to be learned and explored by my children. Thanks, Mister J, for the reminder.

Is it...

(my apologies to anyone who has me in their reader and hopped over only to find this:)

...Friday yet? That is all...

(Updates forthcoming.... Eventually...)

Fill Up Those Empty Minutes

I know what you are thinking, "Who has empty minutes?" Many of my minutes are filled each day with brushing teeth, tying shoes, packing lunches, shuttling children to and from school and after-school activities, serving meals, brushing teeth again, reading bedtime stories, and tucking in children. Not to mention the errands and volunteer commitments that fill my time while they are in school, my (flexible hours, part-time) job, and exercise when I can squeeze it in. Of course, I do have some fun things - a weekly Bible study or an occasional meeting for coffee or dinner with friends. But, in the midst of all of the responsibilities of being a mom, a wife, a daughter, a friend, I still end up with little pockets of time that aren't long enough to run "just one more" errand or do "just one more" chore. Or it could be the time spent waiting in the pick-up line at school - you know, before the line starts to move. (Sometimes I get there early - I'm an 'early is on time" kind of girl.) Now sometimes I need those empty minutes to just listen to the radio (adult music!), read an article in a magazine (if I remembered to bring it), or say a few prayers about what's on my heart. And sometimes - like yesterday - I need to clean the windows on the mommy-van. Yes, you read that right - I cleaned the windows on my van in the pick-up line. They were dirty and streaky, and I just couldn't stand it a moment longer. I arrived just a few minutes before the preschoolers came out to the pick-up line, so I jumped out of the mommy-van with a canister of these in hand ...

...and made quick work of the front windshield, and driver's side and front-row passenger windows. I also grabbed a couple of baby wipes and freshened up the dash and console areas. I figure of they can clean my kids' faces, hands, and bottoms, they should be good enough for the dashboard!

Did I look a little out-of-place? Perhaps. Was I embarrassed when I reached over the steering wheel and leaned, just for a moment, into the horn? Absolutely. Was I totally pleased with the clean windows when I was done? Definitely! The dust-free dash and crumb-free cupholders were a bonus!

So, tell me - how do you fill your empty minutes?

For more Works for Me Wednesday posts, head on over to We Are THAT Family.

My previous WFMW posts

Thursday Thanks #22

Fresh basil from the garden of a friend - it made some delicious pesto, which I am going to eat more of now that the kids are asleep. I only got to lick my fingers and then clean the blender and utensils when I made it, so this time I actually get to enjoy it.

Farmer's market corn - delicious with dinner, and I'm using the leftovers to try out a new black bean and corn salad. Update - It's tasty! Even better - the kids tried it, and if I send along some tortilla chips it might be 'kid-approved' for the lunchboxes.

Two free hands on weekday mornings - I am getting used to the new pace, and filled the entire four hours this morning marking things off of my to-do list. It was mainly on-the-go errands, so I still have a major to do list for in-the-house projects before company arrives this weekend, but anything done is worth celebrating!

A call from one of my aunts today - just to say hello, ask how the kids were doing, and visit for a bit before she headed in to visit with her mom (my grandmother) and before I headed to school to pick up Miss M. It's nice to have an unexpected break like that in the middle of all the 'busy-ness' of mom-ing.

The opportunity to peek in on Mr. J when I pick up Miss M from school each day. His class is usually outside, and most of the time I can see them from the pick-up line. This will change next week when the new playground opens, but for now it's a sweet part of my day.

The big smiles and excitement that greet me each day when I pick my kids up from school. I remember doing the same thing when my mom would pick me up from after-school care, and it's really an incredible feeling to be on the other end now.

Previous Thursday Thanks Tank posts

Honest Scrap - My First Blog Award!

You'd think since this is my first blog award that I would have gotten around to posting it a bit sooner (I got it a week ago!). The first few days of school, combined with repurposing a room in our home, getting ready for company, and doing most of my regular 'stuff', too, has completely wiped me out! I have plenty left to do this evening, but I'm taking a break to finally post about the honor bestowed upon me by Lucy and Ethel - I'm to post 10 'honest' things about myself. Here goes!

1) I love roller coasters, but will not ride any freefall-type ride. I even like the super-fast, twisty, loop-the-loop rides, and I'll do it with my hands in the air, but I will not ride a freefall ride ever again. They scare the daylights out of me....

2) I like to read, but nearly every time I get into a book I either a) ignore things I really should be doing or b) stay up waaaay too late at night reading "just to the end of this chapter." I ambivalently await the next book in the Twilight series comes out (is that a word?).

3) Before I had children, I wore a size 9 shoe. After the first pregnancy, a size 9 1/2. After the second, a 9 3/4 would be perfect. Instead, I usually just wear a 10. A TEN. That's huge!

4) Unloading the dishwasher is my least favorite chore, yet the one that must be done - sometimes more than once. It was my daily chore when I was a kid, and since my sister is significantly younger there was no sharing of chores. I despised unloading the dishwasher. I still don't like it, but now that I'm all grown up, I understand why my mom asked me to do it every day. It's such a treat to find all of the dishes unloaded and put away!

5) I used to think the perfect job would be one where I could wear jeans and a t-shirt to work every day. Now that I can, I really don't like wearing jeans and a t-shirt - but I do it anyway. It's so easy, and I like my sleep more than I like shopping for 'cute' clothes. I am allergic to the mall.

6) I can't hold a pen/pencil in my mouth without gagging. I know, you've waited your entire life to know that about me. But, the point I really wanted to make is that if you loan me a pen, I promise I won't chew on it and then give it back. And I will give it back.

7) Since attending Financial Peace University last year, I have not only become more conscious of how/why I spend money but also more conscious of how many 'duplicate' things we have in our home. Of how many things can be repurposed (and thereby avoid purchasing more 'stuff' to fill our house). Of how easy it can be to impulse buy. I'm proud to say that we are (gradually) getting rid of the 'stuff' that clutters our home and our lives. It's so freeing!

8) I'm not a great housekeeper, mostly due to clutter. I want to get our home to the point that I can invite friends over on the spur of the moment, even if the house isn't 'perfect.' I realized the importance of this when my son started asking to have people over for playdates - and I didn't feel like I could say yes. (Hopefully the ripple effect of FPU will keep up the changes around here.)

9) If my husband didn't help me keep up with technology, I am sure I wouldn't have a cell phone or know how to sent text messages and tweets. I might not even have a computer at home, a blog, or know much about Facebook. In that case, I might also be caught up on my scrapbooking!(Actually it my mom-ing gig that's slowed me down there....)

10) If I could do anything (you know, if time, money, family, and other commitments weren't an issue), I would go to medical school. It wasn't anywhere on the career radar when I was in college, and I do love what I used to do, but I'm a professional student at heart, fascinated by the human body and how it works (except for eyes - ick. Sorry, Dr. G!).

Now, the best part of getting this award is not getting all of this honest scrap off of my chest - it's that I get to pass the award along to a few other bloggers! I'll pass it along in the same 'no-strings' fashion that Lucy and Ethel passed it on to me. Friends, I would enjoy reading if you choose to participate!

Heather at Beyond the Belly (a truly honest look at mommy-hood, poop and all, by my IRL friend)
Jane Anne at Gravity of Motion (my sweet bloggy friend, also mom to a peanut-allergy kid)
The Smitty Family (currently taking a blogging break, but a lovely blog nonetheless)

Thanks to all of you for reading, and I'll see you back here tomorrow for Thursday Thanks Tank! Oh, and stop by those blogs I mentioned - you will love them, too!

Willpower...

These were on clearance at Target today, but I succeeded in simply looking at them and moving on. I do love school/office supplies. I also picked up some paper in the scrapbook aisle, looked at it, and put it back. Yay, me! I did pick up some clothes for Miss M - most of it on sale. I love stocking up on the basics (especially long sleeve tees) at sale prices!

Yippee!

Check out my 1st runner up entry in a local photo contest! The winner is a friend of mine - so a double yippee is in order!

Postcard Winners!

(of this contest)

Congratulations to Marsha and Sarah, who have each won a set of custom postcards from Uprinting.com!

Ladies, send me your email addresses so I can get your coupon code to you!

Thanks to everyone who commented - I hope to have another contest soon!

First Day 2009 - Photo Edition

They're finally posted! Photos from the first week of school! Thanks for being so patient - everyone in this house is worn out from such a full week. We will hit our stride soon - which is actually a requirement, since Mister J's much-requested soccer practice begins next week, and Miss M's dance lessons begin the following week.

You might remember that Mister J wanted me to set his alarm clock to help him get up in the mornings. While it didn't quite work the first day, he's gotten up without my help each day since. Here are a few snapshots of our first day.

The kids got to take the last links down from their "how long is summer?" paper chain. Mister J wants another one to show him how long school will last. I think we are going to start using a month-at-a-time calendar instead!

Getting ready to get in the mommy-van and drive to school! The arms around each other was their idea - so sweet! Those smiles lasted all day long! I was mostly smiling, but milestones like this always get to me a little...

Walking from the parking lot to the front door. I'm amazed that this 'action shot' turned out - many of my photos from the morning are blurry :(

After a brief pause at the door to get his bearings, Mister J headed straight to his class. Today, he didn't even look back! Clearly, he's comfortable in his surroundings and happy to be there each day.

Miss M was also excited to get to class (once we pointed her in the right direction!). I think with a few more tries she'll be able to find the way on her own. I'll try not to cry when that happens....
I think she looks so tiny in this picture! She's in a (pea- and tree) nut-free classroom, and I'm packing her lunch each day to be sure I know exactly what she's eating. The safety measures the school has in place are great, but I feel more comfortable packing a lunch. Mister J has expressed an interest in purchasing his lunch, which we will be discussing over the weekend.

Mrs. G shared this photo of Miss M and her friend, K. It sure is nice to have a peek into what the day is like, since M's not at the age where she tells me a whole lot. She and K seem to be fast friends - there are a few photos of them playing together. Miss M also knows another little girl in the class, H, whose family goes to our church.

I was behind the camera on the first day of school, but finally made it in front of the camera on Day 3 (many thanks to the mom who snapped this photo!). As you can see, our school is in a very metropolitan area - and I think we are going to love it!

Also yesterday, the Farmer's Market was open. It's in an area adjacent to the school, and open twice a week from late spring through early fall . A few students (upper grades) were walking through the market at the same time I was walking through.

One of my favorite things from this week - besides the art the kids brought home, which will have to be another post - is the lunch plan that Mister J has been helping me with (I found the planning diagram on the Laptop Lunch Box website). Each evening, I give the kids a few choices for what their lunch on the following day. They pick from a variety of fruit, vegetable & dip, and sandwich options. Jonah has been recording their choices, and then I pack the lunches after the kids are in bed.
I helped out a bit with spelling, but most of that writing is Mister J's. I am so proud of him for being such a great helper! I hope to continue this through the school year - I think it's a great way to teach them about choosing healthy foods and about making/sticking to a plan. The spelling and handwriting practice are just a bonus! By the way, we ignored the days of the week on this plan. The left column was used for J's lunches, the right for M's lunches, and each row was for one day. Maybe I'll match up actual photos to the diagram in another post over the weekend....

Thursday Thanks #21

What a busy week it has been! School started on Tuesday - kindergarten for Mister J, and a new preschool (at the same school as Mister J) for Miss M. Of course, with a busy, milestone week come lots of thanks!

Last week, we met with the kids' teachers, Mrs G and Mrs J in Pre K-3 and Mrs M in kindergarten. I don't think I could have left the conferences feeling much better than I did. Both Miss M and Mister J were sorely disappointed the following morning when it wasn't a school day. So, I'm thankful for our teachers and for enthusiastic children.

We pulled the last link off of our summer countdown paper chain on Tuesday morning, and everyone was excited! I have a good list of thankful things from Tuesday:
- my alarm clock worked
-Mister J got out of bed with a smile
- minimal tears on my part, and most of them when I was back in the parking lot after dropping the kids off
- a decent to-do list for the morning, to keep me occupied until preschool pick-up
- the kids both ate nearly all of their lunches, especially important since Miss M is a grazer (they have 30 minutes for lunch)
- food allergy safety plans that I am comfortable with (many in place from prior years)
- Miss M's excitement to see me at pick-up, and a good first day
- Mister J's excitement at pick-up, and a good first day

Each day has brought some new tidbit about school from Mister J - I'm recording them in my planner. I'm thankful for these little tidbits - they are like gold to me! I am also thankful for the opportunity to volunteer at school (it's actually a requirement at our school!). Even though I'm not in my kids' classrooms, it gives me a bit of insight about a typical day. I don't want to be a helicopter parent, but in some instances (like food allergies) it's very, very necessary. My first 'shift' was on the first day of school - the result of a last-minute schedule change that worked out perfectly!

Now for a change of topic... It's been a long time since I've been out to girls night on a regular basis, so it was a real treat to have some unexpected time to visit with friends on Saturday morning (a friend I hadn't spent time with in nearly a month) and on Wednesday morning (friends I hadn't seen in a couple of weeks). Truly, the last-minute plans have really worked out well this week!

I'm also very thankful that I'm (finally) catching up on sleep! We are putting the kids to bed a bit earlier, and I'm letting myself off the hook on a few things this week so I can go to bed earlier. I even took a nap this afternoon - lovely!

I got my first bloggy award yesterday - woohoo! I'll be sharing the details in another post very soon.

I'm thankful for the mom who offered to take a photo of me with the kids this morning. I'd forgotten to get one with me in it (typical!) on the first day of school, and I didn't even imagine how hard it would be to get myself and the kids in a photo that I was taking myself - you know, the hold-the-camera-out-and-pray-it-turns-out-ok method - until I actually tried it! I didn't even think to look at the photo until a couple of hours later, and it's cute! I hope to get the 'first day' photos up this weekend - I really am eager to share them.

Thanks for stopping by!

previous Thursday Thanks posts

A TRUE WFMW

Not that all of my WFMW posts aren't really things that work for me, but this is a solution that I figured out last night. And tried out this morning. And it WORKED!

When Miss M got home from preschool yesterday, I noticed that her backpack was wet. After a little sleuthing, I figured out that the condensation on the cold pack in her lunch box had leaked out of the lunchbox and into the bottom of her backpack. (The lunchbox was packed into her backpack to come home.) It's the first time I've ever packed a lunch that had to stay cold for that many hours, so even though we've had these lunchboxes for years I was surprised by the leak.

I needed a quick and easy solution, because it was two days until Thursday packets - and I didn't want to pull a bunch of soggy papers out of her backpack - yuck!

After the kids were in bed and I had some "down time" to think it through, I decided to wrap a thin (baby) washcloth around the ice pack today. When I got home with Miss M, I was pleased to see that the cloth had absorbed the condensation. I'll be anxious to see how it worked with Mister J's lunch - he's in a full day of school now, so there's more time for his cold pack to warm up and "sweat."

I think this might also work with the tube part of a sock - it would stay on better and also fit a variety of sizes/shapes of ice packs. I'm going to refine it a bit, and I'll be sure to post photos/updates when I do!

Thanks for stopping by, and hop on over to We Are THAT Family for more Works for Me Wednesday posts!

my previous WFMW posts

First Day 2009 - Mom Edition

So far, I'm doing ok. "Lean on Me" came on the radio as I pulled out of the school parking lot.... I changed the station.
I have been waiting for the day I would have two free hands. Now I am trying to figure out how to fill them. I know we will find our rhythm soon enough, but for now I think it IS okay to miss my babies. At the same time, I will (try to) celebrate how well they did this morning!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5:55am - Wake up before alarm clock. This - by itself - is a miracle.
6:00am - Alarm clock buzzes. Hit snooze, and say a few prayers until it buzzes again.
6:05am - Out of bed. It's still dark outside. Peek out of bathroom window and take note of other families up at this hour. Can't bring myself to turn on the (bright) bathroom lights - take shower in the dark
6:30am - Out of shower, dressed, and downstairs to finish packing lunches. Also getting goodies ready to take to staff workday at our former preschool.
6:45am - Mister J's alarm clock goes off (he asked me to set it last night). He doesn't budge until I call his name.
7:00am - I'm back downstairs finishing up the lunches. Mister J comes down for breakfast. He's dressed and, I'll find out later, his bed is neatly made. I serve his breakfast, then head upstairs to get Miss M out of bed.
By 7:30am, Miss M is dressed and has eaten breakfast, everyone has brushed their teeth and has shoes on, and we are nearly ready to go. I thought about breakfast, negotiated with the butterflies in my stomach, an managed to eat about 1/2 a portion.
By 8:00 am, we have taken First Day of School photos (only 3 tries to get a good one) and are loaded and ready to go. Miss M rides with M, and Mister J rides with Daddy.

After dropping Mister J in his class, Big J has to nudge me ("that's it, time to go") before we head over to Miss M's class. I realize that I'm the only parent there who is helping unpack Miss M's backpack (allergy meds, first-day paperwork). Neither of our kids seemed to want a big mommy-hug, and barely glanced our way as we said goodbye. I know that's a good sign, but man is it ever tough on a mommy's heart.

By 8:30, I was heading back out to the mommy-van and over to the preschool. By 9:15am, I was at Wal-Mart with my shopping list. I had one hour to shop before heading back to the kids' school for my volunteer time. I was done with my shopping in record time, even though I tried to take my time....

10:15 am - Blogging from school parking lot.
10:30 am - Head in early for volunteer hours - needed to get a lesson on how to log my hours, anyway....
10:45-11:45 - Served lunch in one of the K1 classrooms. When that was done, I checked email until it was time to pick up Miss M.
12 noon - Miss M was excited to see me at the end of her day :) Saw Mister J on our way out - he seemed to be having a great day!
12:30pm - Home it's rest time for Miss M, and time for me to get some work done. She mentions that she doesn't want to be at home (I guess since Mister J got to stay at school).
1:30pm - Miss M comes into my office. "Mom, I have something to tell you. I had a good nap." She never actually slept, and her 'nap' included a potty break - but I am hopeful that the room time will become a good part of her afternoon routine.
2:45pm - After making an octopus, mixing a lovely shade of orange from some bright pink and yellow, and cleaning up, we are on the way to pick up Big J
3:05pm - Waiting in standstill traffic to pick up my kindergartener. The line moves quickly once the kids start coming out of school.
3:15pm - A couple of blocks away from school - thankfully not any further - we realize that Mister J forgot his lunchbox. Back into the fray, but this time on foot. His teacher is just inside the door - she saw us coming.
3:30pm - On the way home from the first day of school!

Mister J finished his lunch leftovers (1/2 a bagel sandwich) when he got home. Then he and Miss M built a fort, listened to TJ Bearytales, and then we cuddled for a double-feature of WordGirl (opens with sound). Then, I started dinner while Mister J and Miss M picked out what I'll be packing for tomorrow's lunch. I ask the questions (would you like A, B, or C kind of sandwich? D, E, or F kind of vegetable? etc, etc.), they give the answers, and Mister J writes it on our lunch planner sheet (see p. 2 - it's a chart for the Laptop Lunch Boxes). I'll eventually scan the first sheet and share it here, along with some first day photos. For now, I'm wiped out - so I'm packing tomorrow's lunches and then going to bed. I know they were worn out, too - Miss M, our grazer, finished her dinner before Mister J. That never happens!

Oh, one more thing. I sent quarters for the kids to buy milk with their lunches today. I coached them about where the quarters were, and to give them to the teacher when she asked who was buying milk today. Since they had quarters, I did not pack a drink. Both of my kids drank water with lunch today. Why didn't they buy milk? I forgot to tell M's teacher, so I'm not surprised (I emailed her this afternoon to let her know that there are quarters in M's lunchbox) - but I still looked like the mom that forgot to pack a drink, at least for a few hours. Mister J's answer? "There wasn't any store." ((grins)) Tomorrow, I'll make sure his teacher knows he has quarters.

Hiatus: A Contest

No, I'm not going away again - so what does a hiatus have to do with a contest? Let me explain....

A few years ago, I made a New Year's Resolution to begin sending birthday and anniversary cards to all of our friends and family members for whom I had date of birth and/or anniversary and an up-to-date address. With the exception of one month a couple of years ago when it all just fell apart, I kept it every month - until this past June, when it all fell apart again. After a month off, it was easy to let my unplanned hiatus continue right on through the (hot, busy, and fun) summer. Conservatively, I kept up that resolution for the better part of 5.5 years. I'm trying to get this practice back into my routine, though, because has become so important to me.

Looking through my book of days, writing a brief note and signing cards, addressing them and adding a stamp.... This quiet time allowed me the chance to think about the many people who have come into my life. To be thankful for them and to stay connected, in a way, to all the parts of my life that make me who I am today. This practice also helped me to remember those whose birthdays are listed, but who are no longer with us. It was a reminder to me to celebrate them, too - not with a card, a note, and a stamp, but with a prayer of thankfulness of the time we had with them.

I'm ready to start again, but I need to streamline part of the process. I can't streamline looking through my book of days - I am not willing to lose that quiet time to reflect and be thankful. I can't streamline the note-writing and addressing - even though I blog and email and facebook, I still adore sending and receiving mail. But I can streamline my shopping time by creating custom postcards or custom greeting cards. I've found that I barely spend time picking out the 'perfect' card anymore, so I'd rather create my own 'perfect' message instead. And, I'm having a little contest so you can do the same.

Thanks to the generous folks at UPrinting.com, two contest winners will receive 200 custom postcards!

• choose your size: 4x6, 4.25x6, or 5x7"); 14pt gloss or matte, 13pt uncoated
• full color on both sides (4/4)

The fine print: Valid for US shipping only, winner pays shipping (your coupon code will be sent directly to you via email).

To enter, leave a comment below, letting me know what you would do with 200 custom postcards. Invitations? Save the Dates? Birth announcements? Christmas cards? Promote your business? I've got birthday cards on my mind, but I'd love to get some inspiration and ideas from you!

Invite your family and friends to leave their ideas - who couldn't use a little inspiration? Just tell them to do it soon! Contest ends next Saturday, August 29th, at 10:00PM Eastern Time.

Thursday Thanks #20

I'm so happy to be sitting on the couch right now, laptop in my lap, starting this post. I am enjoying my quiet time to reflect on the past several days.

We've been busy, and I've been carrying around a lot of stress and anxiety about things that were somewhat beyond my control. My post-vacation, end-of-summer to-do list was very long, and I was worried that I would not be able to enjoy the last week of summer with my kids.

The things I was worried about have turned out just fine, and in retrospect I shouldn't have spent all of that time on worry. Our to-do list is steadily getting shorter. We've completed our school supply purchases and gotten Mister J's library card. We met the kids' teachers today, and are looking forward to the first day of school next week.

I've let all of these 'big' things crowd my mind, and finding time to be thankful was not at the top of my priority list. But I do have plenty of things for which to be thankful.

A dear friend who celebrated a birthday.
A minimum of silliness from the kids while we had portraits made for the church directory.
Running into friends at lunch on Saturday afternoon.
Kids that were well-behaved at lunch on Saturday afternoon.
Being welcomed back to Bible study after missing the last two meetings.
That Mister J didn't actually get sick, though his queasiness kept us home from the pool early in the week.
That we did make it to the pool the next day, and even had pizza delivered for dinner (a real treat!).
Enjoying the last summer kids' movie at a local theatre.
Running into friends at the movie theatre - the first unexpected surprise of the week.
Winning a prize from my friend's contest - the second unexpected surprise of the week.
My $5 subscription to Real Simple - the first issue arrived this week.
Comments on my recent blog posts and photos uploaded to facebook - always so encouraging!
Time to run errands with Mister J today - I enjoyed the one-on-one time that is so rare.

I'm also thankful for the lesson that I have learned this week.

Amidst the worry and to-dos, when I'm overtired and even cranky, I have so much for which to be thankful - and those things are just the small stuff.

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Straight from the Travel Trenches

If you're visiting for WFMW - I know summer travel has pretty much ended, so I hope you will bookmark this for fall break or holiday travel!

Well, maybe not straight from the travel trenches, but I haven't been off the plane long!

We recently returned from vacation. For folks who normally drive just a few hours to any destination, the though of a non-stop flight across country was nerve-wracking. I need not have worried so much - everything turned out just fine. In the process, I learned a few tips to make our next flight even more enjoyable.

Lesson #1 - Only pack as much 'entertainment' as your child(ren) can carry. That includes my 3 year old (whose backpack ended up hitching a ride on the stroller handles, but that's not really the point). I packed enough stuff to keep the and entire plane full of folks entertained. It was more than we needed, and more than we needed to carry. My kids were both thrilled with the idea of playing Leapster nonstop for a few hours. A coloring book and crayons and a small magnetic game were the only other things they even bothered with. Add their blankets and loveys to the backpack (oh, and their 3-1-1 bags), and their backpacks would have been comfortably full without being too heavy.

Lesson #2 - Only pack as many clothes as will fit into a carry-on suitcase. Mister J could carry his (admittedly too heavy) backpack and pull his own small suitcase. He had more than enough clothes. We also had access to a washing machine and dryer. My need to wear a different shirt each day (so the scrapbook pictures would all look different) should not have outweighed the logic (and savings) of packing light. Our checked bag, paid in advance, cost us $15 each way. I wouldn't have minded having an extra $30 in my pocket, but we don't travel by air all that much - this was certainly a learning experience for me!

Lesson #3 - Bandanas make great handkerchiefs. I packed them because they are a great (lightweight) imaginative toy. They doubled as easy-to-locate hankies, since ours were brightly-colored. I tied the corner of one on the stroller seatbelt so Miss M could reach, but couldn't drop the one we gave her for her runny nose. It was easier than dealing with a travel pack of tissues, easier on her nose, and environmentally-friendly. (Remember, though, I had access to a washer and dryer).

Lesson #4 - I was so glad I made a point of saving some kid-sized plastic cups and lids from a local restaurant we visit regularly. I packed them, along with several straws, in my carry-on bag. They took up a good bit of space, but were much more kid-friendly than the open plastic cups that the airlines use for their beverage service. Just be sure to ask for the whole can of juice so you can share it between the kids!

Lesson #5 - If you are taking a long vacation or typically purchase a lot of gifts/souvenirs, plan time to drop by a pack and ship store before you head home. This felt a little excessive to me at first, but it is cheaper than checking an extra bag and is one less thing to haul/worry about. Our box just arrived yesterday, and the timing was perfect (we've had time to unpack, do laundry, and get back to our normal routine). Now we will unpack the couple of special things the kids picked out, I'll set aside the postcards and brochures I picked up along the way until it's time to put them in a scrapbook, and the box is ready to be recycled.

Lesson #6 - Be sure to keep a full change of clothes, wipes, and zipper bags handy in case of a potty accident, vomit, or any other incident that could leave clothes wet, smelly, or otherwise unwearable. Speaking from experience here - Miss M soaked everything but her socks when she ... Well, let me just say that in about 10 minutes, we had her clothes changed, soiled clothes bagged up, cleaned and packed her booster into its travel bag, and were on our way to check in for our flight. (Yes, I cleaned her up on the spot. Well, out of the way of the rental car drop-off line, in a relatively low-traffic area. Big J was mortified. I was praying that she wouldn't get sick again and that we could find something relatively mild among the meal options in the airport food court. And then I opened up one of the suitcases and found one more clean outfit to pack into her carry-on bag, just in case.)

I'm sure you have a few travel tips of your own - feel free to share them in the comments! And for more Works for Me Wednesday ideas, head on over to http://www.wearethatfamily.com.

My previous WFMW posts