Birthday stuff and lists

Today we got the kids' birthday photos back for their invitations and I love them. There are more than I remember ordering, I think since we are part of the buy-one-get-one-free club, but I am thrilled to get to send these out. I put them in these matching adorable birthday shirts--Princess' says "Birthday Girl" on it and Bear's says "1st Birthday". So I got some of them together and some of them separately. Since this was Bear's official birthday shoot there are a few more of him. Princess will have her actual birthday shoot probably in September with her new birthday dresses. Maybe we'll do them outside this time. She will also get fairy wings added to her photo digitally because she won our local Sears' photo contest with her St. Patrick's Day portrait (she has a definite little leprechaun look to her).

Anyway, tonight I will have my husband help my address the invites while we watch SciFi Friday. There are 2 cute photos of Bear we can send--in one he is standing by that huge studio prop shaped like a "1" which is neat, but you really couldn't see the words on his shirt, and in the other, he is sitting and you can see the words on his shirt pretty clearly. I think I will do the "1" picture for the invites and send the others out as Thank You's and just to family and friends in general.

I am waiting on only a couple things to be party ready except for baking cake and fixing ice water. Since Constance mentioned list making on her blog I think it's only fair for me to show I have some obsessiveness--er, skills--in that area.

Still Need for Party Prep
-Fabric pens for the star quilt friends will sign at Bear's party.
-An old pot for a double boiler to melt glycerin in to make soap favors. Does anyone out there make soap? Does the glycerin wash out of pots safely and easily? Could I use a good pan?
-Princess' invites and candy wrappers--the lady emailed and said the were sent Wednesday, so hopefully they'll arrive early next week.
-Recipe for divine carrot cake to make the ladybug for Princess' cake.
-Foil for the candy bar favors for *under* the cute wrapper--Hershey's doesn't wrap them in foil anymore so they look weird unless you have foil to wrap them in apparently. This is ordered and is coming with Princess' invites.
-Recipes for divine blueberry cake and strawberry cake (yes, 2 kinds) for Bear's birthday cake--Princess chose the flavors so I must comply :)

That's it! The rest is here and ready to be assembled. I really only have 2 weeks from tomorrow for Bear's party to be ready so I must make haste!

I come from a long and illustrious list-making heritage and have been making lists since the moment I could hold a writing utensil. I also married a list-maker. Princess is doubly cursed and has begun her quest for list supremacy by making lists of squiggles (since she doesn't write enough words yet to make a convincing list) and calling it her List. I can't decide if this is bad or good.

End of the week

Today the kids woke up early, and thus I was awake and trying to function before I really wanted to. However, I have gotten a lot done as a result.

- read 2 stories to Princess (Little Bear and Riptide)

- set Princess up to paint with her tempera paints

- started the laundry (again, since I forgot to change it last night and it smells now)

- unloaded the dishwasher

- mostly re-loaded the dishwasher

- started clearing the mess of the dining room table

- cleared out one side of the kitchen sink

- made oatmeal for breakfast

- got Princess her snack (chocolate graham crackers, banana & milk) at 10:30

- fed & the baby several times

- checked my email

- deleted a ton of stuff

- researched Girl Scout-type organizations for Princess to join this Fall

Lots more to come, but I suppose even if I stopped right now, I would have accomplished a fair amount. Sometimes I need to give myself more credit. It is so easy to get discouraged about the amount of work to do and how little time there is to do it.

"You are doing the best you can, and that best results in good to yourself and to others."

- Gordon B. Hinckley

Falling Short

You are successful the moment you start moving toward a worthwhile goal. - Chuck Carlson

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So, it's been a couple weeks since I wrote, and I'm trying not to beat myself for flaking out. I'm trying really hard right now to figure out the juggling act that is parenting 2 kids and running my house and doing stuff I like to do. I'd gotten into a good groove just before Baby Bear was born, and now I feel overwhelmed and struggling again.

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Physically I feel great (except for lack of sleep), but the day to day stuff is driving me nuts. You've seen one of my "to-do" lists, and I know that I can be a little...ambitious when it comes to deciding what needs to happen in my life. At this point, I'm attempting to look at what is really important to me - what HAS to happen each day - and, well, shorten the list.

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To me, shortening the list feels like falling down on the job. It feels like watching a ball you only took your eye off for a millisecond drift out to sea, knowing you'll probably never hold it again. If I take it off the list, will I ever be able to justify the luxury of putting it back on?

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I wish I could do more. I wish there were more hours in the day. Last night, Princess & I were cuddling on the couch for a bit after Baby Bear fell asleep and she said to me in this adorable, drowsy, 4-year-old voice: "I wish I never had to take time to sleep". I know the feeling.

Saturday!

I grew up with this little song:

Saturday is a special day.
It’s the day we get ready for Sunday:
We clean the house, and we shop at the store,
So we won’t have to work until Monday.
We brush our clothes, and we shine our shoes,
And we call it our get-the-work-done day.
Then we trim our nails, and we shampoo our hair,
So we can be ready for Sunday!

Usually, we only get a few of these things done, but today we have a lot of them on the list. When I am done writing this, I'll start the dishwasher, get cleaned up and take Princess shopping with me (mostly returns). Later we'll get the kids washed and trimmed, pack The Church Bag and lay out the clothes for tomorrow morning. Our congregation meets at 9 a.m., which is way too early for me, thus getting there on time takes a fair amount of planning. Each year we switch times with several other congregations that meet in our building and can I just say how thrilled I will be in January when we are meeting at 11 a.m.? Thrilled.

~

My "to do" list is always too long... this is what I dream of getting done today:

- blog
- water indoor plants & the yard
- take Princess outside to play
- dishes done
- read with my husband
- scripture study
- write in my journal
- mail baby presents to my cousin Kate & friend Danica
- get baby present for my friend Patty ready to take to church tomorrow
- tidy house
- read to Princess & Baby Bear
- write a love note to my husband
- delete 100 emails from my inbox
- bake cookies with Princess
- spend some time on my church work
- write some prose (fanfiction most likely)
- write thank you notes for Baby Bear's gifts & Princess' birthday gifts
- art or craft with Princess
- dinner on the table
- write some poetry
- give my husband a foot rub
- work on my family history
- create Fall Semester calendar for CU
- scripture games with Princess
- scripture study with my husband
- list stuff on eBay
- call my grandma & my friend Sabrina
- help Princess decide on something nice to do for someone else
- play World of Warcraft with my husband