Project 52: Bucket List - I love.love.love. the idea of Project 52!!!!  John and I are pretty good about having a date night once a month…usually on the 14th which is our anniversary date.  And we always say we should do something intentional once a week, but you can imagine how that goes.  I love the direct guidelines she sets up for Project 52, that there’s a Mr.Linky so I can get ideas from other people and that the dates involve staying at home and not having to find a sitter.  Such a good idea!

Simple Mom: How to Create a Paperless Kitchen- This something I really want to do.  I didn’t grow up with paper towels but it’s amazing how they have become a staple in our kitchen.  I don’t want to get rid of them all together, but I would love to cut the use of them drastically.  I love how Tsh spelled out what her “system” was for going paperless, it takes the thought out of it for me.  Oh and how I love systems.

One of my favorite friends and blogs is Cary’s blog, I’ve Got a List for That.  It’s amazing to me how much I learn from her lists, from what to buy at Whole Foods to learning about her kids.  And I am always so impressed how diligent she is about blogging.  Anyways, I wanted to make a list of the things I want/need for Emma, it’s all in my head now and when the time comes I know it will have left my brain.

Emma’s List

1.  Pacifiers of the girly variety.  This may help George so that he doesn’t think I just gave Emma all of his old ones.  I think they make pink Soothies now too.

2.  Bibs.  I am a cheap ass and I don’t think I have bought a new bib since JJ.  I know – that’s really gross.  So some terry ones and some wipe away ones are definetely needed.

3. Burp Cloths.  The same as above and of the girly variety would be welcome.

4.  Washcloths.  I love baby washclothes and use them at bathtime and when I am feeding them for a quick cleanup.  New would be very good!

5. Swaddlers. I have lots of the velcro swaddlers – which I love, but I’d like some of those gauzy leightweight ones (Missy!) like these.

6.  Nursing Bras.  Enough said.

7. Diaper Bag? Maybe.  I haven’t really looked at them, but I may want a backpack one – I’m going to need all the hands I have right?!?!

8. Glass Bottles. I know I can get BPA free plastic.  I do need to replace my bottles and I want to try the 4 or 6 oz glass bottles.  I’m thinking Dr.Browns.

9. New Tubing for my pump.

10. Pajamas for me after Emma comes.  I need to break down and get a couple pairs.  I am picky b/c I like cotton with a little bit of stretch, not too contraining, but supportive around the tops and tanks with pajama bottoms.  I have been loking for sales at Soma,  Gap Body and Soft Surroundings, but can’t seal the deal.

There is more for my list, but that’s all I can remember now!

Back to the Basics: Batch Cooking – SimpleMom: I have been waiting for something like this post to get me exited about batch cooking again.  I used to do it here and there a couple years ago, but lost my rhythm.  I thought this post was great to jog my memory and to encourage ideas that I haven’t tried before.

Before/After Chad’s Filing Cabinet Planter – Design Sponge: I don’t have time.  I have so many unfinished projects.  But I want to do this – I know exactly where it would go and what I would plant.  Oh well.

Dirty Little Secrets: The Riverside Church Blog: I  love this post that Kim wrote.  I loved reading the comments that people wrote about it.  I have read this book too. There are so many ideas from this book that really resonated with me, but I could never put it into words and this book does a great job.  I’ve always wondered where parenting righteousness comes from and why is it so hard for moms/women to be honest with each other;  this book addressed alot of this for me.

It’s funny how much easier it was writing a post intended for my blog than writing one with the intention of putting up on my church blog.  I was just writing, not concerned with a bunch of other people reading it.  Way less pressure.

Here’s my pictures and details, if I were to post for today’s mission on the site:

I received in the mail today….

• The Oliver’s rockin’ birth announcement for Baby Peter
• The Magic House wants us to renew our membership (which we were given in the first place)
• The Missouri Conservationist magazine
• An EOB from Blue Cross – what a waste of paper

Practical Ways to Help Three Year Old Children at Home – Daily Montessori: I need the MOST encouragement currently with Henry my 2 1/2 year old.  This list was a good reminder for me where Henry is at right now.  He’s not the baby and he’s not the big kid – so I think I get a little lost with him.  Plus, I’m a Montessori kid myself and appreciate their  philosophy.

The Go To Bag – The Creative Mama: This post motivated me to clean my car and stock with some essentials – which I never have on me.  I NEVER have things I need when I need them.  I have a hard enough time getting the kids into the car, forget remembering stuff we may need.  I’m always asking for stuff.  One time I was at the zoo when JJ was 2 years old, possibly the hottest day of the year, and forgot sunscreen.  It wasn’t until I was trapped in the River’s Edge (you know what I mean), and realized that my fair skinned babe was going to fry.   I borrowed some from a stranger, who was 10 years younger than me, but had more common sense than I.

Sweet Love Affair Part 2 – amoroloy: This is what John and I wanted to do for OUR wedding – a carnival theme with Ferris wheel and all.  It was $10K outside of our budget that we were paying for ourselves.  But we had big plans, alot of which were included in the above post.  Except for the fish game – so great.  And the turquoise bridesmaid dresses – I wouldn’t have done that to you sisters.  After finally deciding that we couldn’t afford the carny wedding, we did vow to do it for our 25th anniversary…can’t wait!

So what are waiting for — click the link already!!   Oh yeah, and leave a comment there, maybe about what expectations you struggle with as a mom or person.  And, of course, leave a comment so I can feel validated in your expectations of me.  hehe.

www.theriversidechurchblog.blogspot.com

Seven Prayers a Day – Bring the Rain: I pray for my kids throughout the day, but nothing like this.  I think this is amazing. I love how the prayers are derived from scripture and how she prays them out loud.  And how it could be applicable to anyone I might be praying for, to think of them seven times a day and pray for them.  It’s amazing the example this is to her children and the impact it will have on their lives.  Wow.

Mothers Day and Narcolepsy- Annie’s Garden: I love my friend Maddie’s blog and getting a chance to peek into her the life she shares with her daughter Annie.  Sometimes I read it and think, life with three boys seems less adventurous then life with Annie.  I don’t want to ruin her post, but it is one of my favorites.  My reaction to reading it was like actually finding Annie – just read it.

East Village Apartment Makes Amazing Use of Space- Unclutterer: I need to go pick up this issue of Dwell Magazine.  The picture of the Transformer-type bed.I even got a little closterphopic looking at it.  Still deciding if that is cool or not.

Kim was talking about how she was going to homeschool Tyler for preschool.

Me: “Oh, I could never homeschool, I’d go crazy , I’m not organized enough, etc”

Kim: “Jill, you DO home school your boys.”

Me: “Oh, I guess I do.”

I never think of it as homeschooling.

I don’t send my boys to preschool for two reasons.  First, and foremost, is that I know they have the rest of their lives to be in school -so why rush it?  Second, I’m cheap and don’t want to pay for something I can teach them myself.

I’ve watched other children in my home since JJ (5yo) was 9 months old, so socialization isn’t an issue.  These days, I have a three extra kids other than my own three, three days a week…wow I guess three is the magic number!  I think coupled with my own Montessori education and the the interest I had in early childhood education in college, it was natural that our days have become a loosely structured day with focused time for learning.

For the past four years, I have made my own “curriculum”.  Usually it was gathered through lots of surfing on the web and trips to the library.  Sometimes, the themes (that’s what I called them) would work beautifully and other times I would get very overwhelmed with because I would make it more complicated.

Fast forward to the last several months, I discovered Tot School and Totally Tots.  Both of these sites are specific for moms who keep their toddlers home to prepare them for a homeschooling future.  This doesn’t fit me entirely – JJ will be attending half -day kindergarten in the fall – go Hudson Hawks!  BUT, the ideas and community I have found thorough these sites have provided me a great relief.  I don’t have to reinvent the wheel, they have a simple curriculum that I feel I can pick and choose what works for us.

We do Tot Trays once or twice a day.  First in the morning and sometimes again in the afternoon if the 4 o’clock hour is especially hard.  Here are some pictures from using our trays this week.  In later posts, I’ll actually explain the specifics on what the kids are doing.

We implement ideas from Totally Tots on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays – when I have other kids with us.

It looks like this:

Mondays: Now I know my ABCs – weekly ABC ideas with tots

Wednesdays: Bible Bites and sometimes Crafty Corner

Thursdays: Once a Upon a Book

I’ll be doing a post on Sundays about what we did the week before in Tot School.  This might help me own more what we’re doing, going back to my conversation with Kim.  I think it’s so funny when friends give me a totally different view of myself that I don’t see.  It’s funny that I see myself so differently, I’m thankful that I have friends that will sweetly tell me the good, bad and the ugly.