Category Archives: Lists

Happy New Year’s Eve!

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Ok, let’s give this little “year end wrap-up” a try:

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?

Celebrated seven years of marriage to my lovely husband. Started rock climbing. Became president of the North Beaverton MOMS Club. Took Ana to Disneyland. Joined Stroller Strides. Attended a MOMS Club Luncheon. Saw my daughter turn three.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don’t believe I made a resolution last year, as I am not generally a fan of resolutions. But this year my resolution is simple: to breathe. I want to try and remain calm before I yell or say something I will regret. I want to take a deep breath, remember what is really important, and understand that every little thing does not matter. I am going to relax, close my eyes, and just breathe. For me, for my husband, and for my daughter, I am going to breathe. And it probably wouldn’t hurt my blood pressure either!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Oh yes… My little sister, Darcie, had a baby boy: Silas. My step-sister, Mandy, had a baby girl: Francesca. My friend, Jennifer, had a baby boy: Matthew. My friend, Jen, had a baby boy: Zeke. My friend, Angela, had a baby boy: Henry. My friend, Laura, had a baby girl: Amelia.
(Sorry if I forgot anyone. There are just so many babies right now!)

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Yes, my Grandma Thissel (my Mom’s mom).

5. What countries did you visit?

I don’t think we left the county this year. We were too busy recovering from our visit to Italy at the end of last year.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

A baby? Ha!

Seriously I could go for a surplus of cash for all the home improvements we are needing to make. Oy! We need a new roof, we need to re-side the house, we need new windows and we’re seeking assistance from experienced aluminium window installers to ensure a top-quality installation, we need to trim the floor on our main level, and the list goes on and on and on.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Why can’t I think of one? No ONE date really sticks out in my mind. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Being the best mom I can be. Working with my board to turn around our MOMS Club. Starting to exercise again so I can live a healthier life for my daughter.

9. What was your biggest failure?

The moments when I’ve been less than the parent I want to be.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No real illness or injury, but I did have the E.R. visit for my abdominal pain after my HSG procedure.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

My iPhone (I’ve had one for years, but I got the latest version this year…I think.). It allows me to stay organized, connected, and never get lost. I don’t know how I ever lived without it.

12. Where did most of your money go?

The mortgage, car payments, bills, and groceries.

13. What did you get really excited about?

Every little thing my daughter does or says. She is adorable that way.

14. Compared to this time last year, are you:

– happier or sadder? Happier.
– thinner or fatter? Hopefully a little thinner! Stronger, if nothing else.
– richer or poorer? Maybe a little richer? But ask me again after tax time! Yikes!

15. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Relaxing and just enjoying life.

16. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Yelling. Rushing. Stressing.

17. How did you spend Christmas?

We hosted Christmas at my Mom’s house in Seaside (she was in Arizona).

18. Did you fall in love in 2009?

I fall in love with my husband and my daughter every single day.

19. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

No. I’m not a big hater. It’s pointless.

20. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 29 years old and I took Ana horseback riding for the first time during the day. That night, Sim and I planned to go to the Jewel concert at the zoo but blew it off due to the chaos of the crowds and parking and decided to go see The Hangover instead. Best. Decision. Ever.

21. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

Fashion? Ha ha ha ha! I am a jeans and t-shirt kinda girl. Comfort is key.

22. What kept you sane?

My daughter and her amazing hugs. Exercising. Laughing with my family. My supportive husband.

23. What political issue stirred you the most?

I try not to get involved in political issues because the whole thing stresses me out, but as someone who has a husband who is self-employed and basically uninsurable, I would really love for our country to get on board with universal health care.

24. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Now if only I could actually follow it…

25. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

There’s always going to be another mountain
I’m always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I’m gonna to have to lose,
Ain’t about how fast I get there,
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side
It’s the climb
(Hannah Montana “The Climb”)

Things I Had Never Done…

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…Until Having a Baby.

  • Left clean dishes in the dishwasher for more than 24 hours
  • Scrubbed poop off the wall
  • Stayed in bed all day with another female
  • Read blogs in the middle of the night
  • Tried Baby & Me Yoga
  • Been so relieved to see poop
  • Left clothes in the dryer overnight
  • Willingly got up at the crack of dawn to feed another person
  • Been so excited to hear a burp
  • Licked a pacifier “clean”
  • Been so totally, helplessly, and unconditionally in love

Tying Up Loose Ends

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As our due date gets closer and closer, Simeon and I are finally having to take care of some final details we have been putting off completing. The nursery is all put together. We bought and installed our car seat. We even started making a list of people to call once the baby is born (one list is people to call as soon as she arrives; the other is people to call once it is a decent hour). So now we are just down to finding a pediatrician and packing our hospital bag.

I have a couple pediatricians picked out (narrowed down nicely by those covered by our insurance company and then by proximity) and even have an interview set up with one doctor for Friday afternoon. I have been putting together a list of interview questions, such as hours, procedures, policy, etc. So I am feeling pretty confident on finishing this one.

As for the hospital bag, I have mentally started packing, but for some reason I just can’t bring myself to actually pack my bag. I guess it will just make it all seem really real and that is just scary. I know I need to pack my robe, slippers, personal toiletries, our cameras (both video and digital) and going home outfits for myself as well as the baby. But I feel like there are probably more things I am just not thinking about.

So here is where you all come in: I want to know (yes, this is me ASKING for advice again) what you all think.

  1. Do you have any questions we should ask a potential pediatrician to help us determine if they are they right doctor for us?
  2. What was something you brought to the hospital that you found really useful?
  3. Is there anything else I am forgetting to do???

Oh happy day!

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A list of things that are making me very happy today:

    • I am currently having a mid-morning snack of the best fresh cubed watermelon. It is sooooo yummy. Fruit makes Maybe Baby (and me) very happy.

 

    • I called over to Advance Camera this morning to check on the status of my Nikon (since it has been six LONG weeks since I have seen my dear camera). I was expecting a call from them telling me the problem, what it was gonna cost, and get my ok to fix it. They informed me I hadn’t heard from them because they didn’t need my ok to fix it since Nikon was going to do it FREE. OF. CHARGE. Score!

 

    • It has been 12 whole days since I last threw up. Count ’em: TWELEVE DAYS!

 

    • I think I am finally starting to get some of my energy back. I have gone to bed at the semi-decent hour of 9:30-10:00 pm for the last several nights in a row…and not been a complete zombie the following day.

 

    • It is cool and cloudy today. That makes this hot, pregnant lady VERY happy.

 

    • And it is suppose to stay that way for a couple more days. Total bonus.

 

  • Simeon and I have started taking the steps to Make Room For a Baby: we cleaned out the closet in our office so we could paint the interior and install a walk in closet designer allowing us to shuffle all of the things in the nursery (wow, it is weird to say/type that) into the office. Now we just need to sell all the furniture in that room, not only so we have room for baby stuff, but so we can afford to buy things the baby will require. You know, like a crib.

Things I learned today

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…that the secret to making toddlers love you is keeping a baggie of animal crackers hidden in your desk drawer.

…that when your friend’s ringtone is set to “My milk shake brings all the boys to the yard” it will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

…that Skinny Cow’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwhiches are fabulous. To. Die. For.

…that sometimes when a site warns you the link they are mentioning contains spoilers, sometimes it really isn’t worth all the internal stife of deciding whether you really want to know or keep it a surprise, because clicking that link will tell you NOTHING.

Things I learned during dinner last night

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…that I still don’t like brussel sprouts. Not even the baby ones.

…that I do, however, enjoy a well barbequed steak. Mmmmmm. Red meat.

…that multi-vitamins are SO out; it’s all about the poly-vitamins.

…that Europeans have finally beaten us Americans at becoming truly lazy. Particularly when it comes to parking cars.

…that a toddler will stand in the middle of a room and flail his arms like a falling bird when he randomly starts pushing buttons on the TV and static blares from the speakers.

…that no matter how hard adults try, we can make anything dirty. Anything.

…that if the ladies want to have a conversation without the men, all we have to do is look directly at each other and say, “So…” and the men will quickly disappear.

…that anything in sign language can be used as an insult if the other person doesn’t know what you are saying, specifically “train.”

Today’s To Do List

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To Do:

  1. Read my email
  2. Read my boss’ email
  3. Read daily blogs
  4. Update my charting
  5. Clean my desk
  6. Dust my plants
  7. Clean out food drawer
  8. Update Phone Number List
  9. Update Speed Dials
  10. Dust pictures
  11. Go through pending transactions
  12. Follow up on address changes
  13. Find recipes for cranberry oatmeal bars and meatloaf
  14. Find out if friends actually like meatloaf
  15. Check blogs again to see if anyone updated

Hmmmmmmm. How is it not even 12:30 and I have finished almost all of my list already? Damn me for being too productive for my own good.

The meme heard ’round the blogosphere*

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Four jobs I’ve had:

1. Worked concessions at the only movie theater in Seaside (and now get to see movies there for free. For LIFE!)

2. Telephone Outreach Program Caller for the University of Portland (Woohoo TOP Callers!)

3. Sales associate at Meier & Frank (Shut up, it put me through college.)

4. Purchasing/receiving admin at BMC West (where I learned my dominance of ancient computer systems)

Four movies I can watch over and over:

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone “You’re a little scary sometimes, you know that? Brilliant… but scary.”

2. Father of the Bride “I used to think a wedding was a simple affair. Boy and girl meet, they fall in love, he buys a ring, she buys a dress, they say I do. I was wrong. That’s getting married. A wedding is an entirely different proposition.”

3. Office Space “…because they’ve moved my desk four times already this year, and I used to be over by the window, and I could see the squirrels, and they were merry…”

4. Garden State OK, so… so… sometimes I lie. I mean, I’m weird, man. About random stuff too, I don’t even know why I do it. It’s like… it’s like a tick, I mean sometimes I hear myself say something and think, Wow, that wasn’t even remotely true.

Four places I have lived:

1. Banks

2. Seaside

3. Girls dormitory, Mehling Hall, University of Portland

4. The tiniest house ever: The Richmond house, North Portland

Four TV shows I love:

1. Lost

2. Gilmore Girls

3. The Office

4. Nip/Tuck

Four places I’ve vacationed:

1. Hawaii

2. Disney World

3. Mexican Cruise (Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, & Cabo San Lucas)

4. Atlantic City

Four of my favorite dishes:

1. Portobello Mushroom Ravioli

2. Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

3. Chicken Chimichanga w/Rice & Beans

4. My Mom’s Southern Fried Chicken & Mashed Potatoes

Four sites I visit daily:

1. The Boisvert Life

2. Dooce

3. Google

4. Yahoo!

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. In my bed. Damn us for buying the world’s most comfortable bed!!

2. Hiking at Silver Falls

3. Watching the waves crash on the beach at the Cove

4. Cuddlin’ on the couch with my hubby

Four people I am tagging:

1. Heather ‘Cause she is my best friend. And I think she actually might do it.

2. Simeon ‘Cause he is legally bound to do what I tell him.

3. Nick ‘Cause I can. And because he wants to eat tonight. Ha!

4. Chelle ‘Cause she needs to update her blog. Hello! It’s been two months!

*Other title options were: “Because we all need a little help with content sometimes.” OR “Hey, maybe you could learn something, too!”

First Post of 2006

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AKA: A Pictoral Re-cap of 2005

January

Thank god for archives, because January seems like YEARS ago. Things of note: Miss Lindsay celebrated her first birthday, I started Pilates, Sim
and I jumped on the South Beach band-wagon, we were trapped in our house during the worst Ice Storm I have ever experienced and I bought my first pair of pink shoes.

February

Things of note: bitterness involving co-workers (’nuff said), Erin
kept me laughing during rough times, Heather
turned 25 (first, I might add!!), Simeon got published, we had some rare sunny weather and we took our puppies to the beach to enjoy it.

March

Things of note: Had a breakdown at work and trumped any embarrassing moment I had ever had, finally passed all my tests and got my securities license, Ellie turned 4, Sim and I went to Seattle, my blog turned 1, my brother-in-law became a legal adult (scary!) and I went to the dentist after a 4 (or 5) year lapse and was STILL cavity free! Wahoo!

April

Things of note: The Boisvert’s came to visit a few times (they couldn’t stand to be away!), I bought my very first brand-new car, we painted the laundry room, a friend from high school killed himself, Emily had her First Communion, and I came out and admitted my true obsession with Harry Potter.

May

Things of note: More Boisvert visits, Chloe’s
baby shower, realizing that on some days its better to just act like a 3rd grader, dinners with the Cazella’s and visits to the beach to hang with the family.

June

Things of note: Sim started travelling a lot more for work, Erin’s got a different job and abandoned me forever, a girl’s weekend at Heathman Lodge, the Tigard Festival of Balloons, and many dinners with old friends.

July

Things of note: Ayden was born, Simeon’s celebrated his 10 year High School Reunion, I went off the pill, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince came out, new wood flooring in my house, Harry and the Potters concert, and my 25th birthday.

August

Things of note: Emery was born, friends gatherings, movie dates, my love of office supplies and fall start to come out, Pumpkin Spice Chai, and shopping the Nike employee store.

September

Things of note: I started seeing a chiropractor about my aches and pains (I know, how OLD do I sound?!), I realized the Internet really does love me, more Boisvert visity-goodness, our THIRD wedding anniversary, we bought a new bed, Simeon gave me a iPod Nano fully loaded with the audiobooks of the complete Harry Potter series, dinner at Portland City Grill, and tickets to The Lion King.

October

Things of note: family camping trip, Simeon’s first deer, Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch adventure, Pumpkin Carving Party, wine tasting tour with the Cazella’s and our Harry Potter Halloween Party.

November

Things of note: learning the Boisvert’s were moving back, Megan & Jason’s wedding, Mitch & Jen announced they are expecting a little one in June, our little trip to San Francisco, seeing Cirque Du Soleil, painting (and repainting) our kitchen/dining room/entry area and Thanksgiving with the Fam-damily.

December

Things of note: TiVo betrayed me, Nick’s birthday party, almost ruining Christmas, fabulous Friends Christmas party, a couple office Christmas parties, family Christmas gatherings (pictures here and here), helping the Boisvert’s unpack and celebrating New Years with the ones we love.

Hope you all had a fabulous 2005 and here’s to hoping 2006 is nothing less!

The List

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Ok, I am feeling a little overwhelmed right now. So-much-to-do, so-little-time syndrome. And what do people do when confronted with situations like this? (Well, other than avoid blogging, cause clearly that hasn’t been helping.) Anyone? Bueller?? Yeah, that’s right, we make a list. So here is my list, broken into three parts so I feel like I am making progress:

THINGS I NEED TO DO:

  1. Take down the Christmas decorations
  2. Upload Christmas photos (from ALL THREE gatherings)
  3. Input data into my financial statements so my accountant will love me
  4. Figure out what to make for dinner tonight (so Husband will love me)
  5. Update the family pictures on my mantel
  6. Go to the gas station
  7. Balance my bank account
  8. Make curtains for my kitchen/dining room
  9. Learn how to use my sewing machine to make said curtains
  10. Help the Boisvert’s move-in and unpack

THINGS I HAVE COMPLETED:

  1. The laundry
  2. Reschedule Monday’s chiropractor appointment for later in the day
  3. Clean my house
  4. Mail a package to Kathy
  5. Plan a movie date with Lisa & Jeff
  6. Finalize office mailing list
  7. Make a To-Do List
  8. Blog

THINGS I AM WORKING ON:

  1. Finding a new fridge (So far this one is my fave.)
  2. Finish reading my book
  3. Return Exchange a few Christmas presents
  4. Makin’ a baby