Which is a better use of a 1/2 hour of downtime?
a) short nap
b) housekeeping
c) reading
d) bathing
Which is a better way clean the house?
a) a little every day
b) one big cleaning day
How often do you change your sheets?
a) twice weekly
b) weekly
c) every other week
d) monthly
How long can you leave a load of laundry in the washer until is stinks?
a) remove it immediately
b) one hour
c) 5 hours
d) 1 day
What is your favorite version of macaroni and cheese?
a) Kraft
b) Store brand or generic spirals
c) shells and cheese with squeeze cheese
d) whole wheat pasta with shredded cheese
How early is too early to start listening to Christmas music?
a) any time of the year is okay for Christmas music
b) any time after fall
c) after Thanksgiving
d) not until right before Christmas
e) never
How often do you eat fast food?
a) daily
b) weekly
c) monthly
d) never
How many cups of coffee or doses of caffeine daily
a) none
b) one
c) two
d) three or more
Do you have recent prints from your digital camera?
a) yes, I order prints on a regular basis
b) what are prints?
Here are my answers to these questions.
*I am torn about use of downtime. Sometimes I am exhausted and feel like 1/2 hour of closing my eyes is exactly what I need. However, I feel better about myself if I accomplish a house-keeping task. Then, there are those rare days when the house looks somewhat orderly and I can sit and enjoy some quiet reading.
*I definitely think that a few tasks per day is a better way to clean the house, but I am such an extremist that I let everything get nasty and then work really hard one day to get it spotless.
*I love clean sheets and change them at least weekly (I would like to go only 3 or 4 days, but that hasn't happened since we had kids).
*I am pretty sure you can only leave a clean load in the washer for a couple hours until it starts stinking (especially when it is in an already stinky basement). Currently there is a load of rugs in my washer that have been there since Saturday - I will definitely have to run that again.
*My favorite mac and cheese is homemade, baked with wheat macaroni. There isn't always time to make this so we use a variety of boxed versions. If the organic kind is on sale (real cheap) then I buy it, but usually I use store-brand spirals and add about 1 C of extra sharp cheddar.
*Some people listen to Christmas music all year long, but I have to wait until at least after Halloween and Nate doesn't start listening until after Thanksgiving.
*I would like to say that we never eat fast food. For a long time after morning sickness with pregnancy and viewing "Supersize Me", I didn't eat fast food at all. Lately, we have been getting Taco Bell when we are on road trips to the grandparents. Last week the girls and I really needed to get out. I couldn't take them anywhere since we don't want to expose Anara pre-surgery, and I thought a car ride might break up our day. I decided to try and be fun by getting a Happy Meal from McDonald's. Thankfully Violet still cannot identify those golden arches and when I told her we were getting a burger and fries from McDonald's she kept telling me we were going to Old McDonalds. We brought the food home and neither of the girls were interested. Anara wouldn't take a bite of fries or burger and threw a fit when I tried to put a piece in her mouth. Finally I realized, "Why am I trying to force fast food on my kids." We threw the meal away and I hid the trashy toys (provocatively dressed dolls).
*I usually have one cup of coffee in the morning and one cup of tea in the afternoon.
*We have no prints of Anara's life with us. I ordered some of our digital prints of Violet last year, but haven't had any prints made in over a year. When our computer crashed we lost months of pictures. I like the immediacy of digital photography, but what a bummer to lose pictures. Hmm.... as I am writing this I am thinking, "Wait, no one ever makes albums or looks at prints anymore - everyone reads blogs." Maybe it isn't that big of deal to not have prints. This is definitely a cheaper way to capture your children's lives. Wonder how long blogs and access to blogs will be around? Has anyone ever tried to print a blog?
*And now I have a request. I am anticipating a little downtime while Anara is in the hospital. I am looking for some decent fiction to temporarily sweep me away from reality (I am in the middle of enough how to be a good Christian, what's wrong with the church, what's right with the church, how to be a good wife, how to be a good mom, how to make kids sleep, how to make kids eat and how to discipline your kids books). Any suggestions??
12 comments:
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is excellent Christian fiction and also A Thousand Tomorrows by Karen Kingsbury (which that one I haven't read, but I know several people who have). By the way, I too have had to run my washer a second time because of the stink. Haha... Also, I deleted the previous post because I made no sense in one of my sectences. :)
I've often wondered about printing my blog too. There are some cool options out there, unfortunately most don't work with Blogger. Here is one that does: http://blogger.sharedbook.com/
I've thought about printing one soft cover book per year.
Good blog!! Just a little of my answers...I must say I'm an extremist too with the house cleaning...I rarely change my sheets (I don't want to tell you the time, its too embarrasing!) but I change the kids once a week...I drink LOTS of caffeine, which may explain why I don't have a problem with my wash sitting for several days in the washer, then transferred to the dryer to sit after dried for another 1-4 days before finally being put away only because I need the space in the washer/dryer again. Can you tell that I despise laundry??? I'd love to bring you some good books to borrow during Anara's stay, please keep us updated on her and let us know when you might be up for a visit. OK, gotta go...kids are putting apple cores in the vents...ahhhhhhh!!!
I forgot to mention that a local radio station is already playing Christmas music.
Thanks for the book recommendations Beth - a friend gave me the 1st one you mentioned.
Stephanie - wow one soft cover book of our blog per year would be awesome! I will check that out.
Jennifer - thanks for answering so many of the questions. I am still wondering how often you eat fast food and whether you listen to Christmas music ;) I am sure it won't be too long before we are ready for visitors. As long as she is stable and in a room - bring it on.
Two really great novels I've read recently: "Snow Flower and the secret fan" by Lisa See and "The memory keeper's daughter" (can't remember the author's name) Both of them were so riveting I could not put them down. About printing pictures... I try to make a habit of printing them before I erase them off my camara. I also make scrapbooks (the old-fashioned kind) for the girls of major events, holidays, etc., although I am WAY behind. And about wet clothes left in the washer, I recently tested my hypothesis and proved myself right, so here it is: You can leave them for a full 24 hours but not a minute longer!
Amanda, take my advice and go with some young adult/juvenile fiction. It's not just the children's librarian in me saying that; I would honestly pick a book meant for young people over one meant for you or me any day of the week. I read about 80 books at a time, but off the top of my head here are a few great books:
* "Schooled" by Gordon Korman - kid lives sheltered life with aging hippy grandmother, grandma needs surgery, kid gets thrown in to public middle school with absolutely no warning/experience with current popular culture
* "Silent to the Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg - read anything by her, she's my hero; this is a good one, though, about a kid who has something traumatic happen with his baby stepsister... no one knows the details, however, because the shock renders him mute, so his best friend has to solve the mystery
Anyway, these are very poorly written synopses and my SLIS profs would turn away in shame, but hopefully I've intrigued you a little. Hi to Nate, what the heck is he up to these days? Besides being a Dad and working, of course.
I love reading your blogs, it helps me feel like I know you more! Well I happen to love love love to read! I have been in a book club with some close friends for about 2 years and it is so fun. Here are a few of my favorites, "The secret life of bees" by Sue Monk Kidd, I saw someone said "Snowflower and the secret fan", that one is awesome read it our very first book club. "The Kiterunner", heavy book but so good! "Extremely loud and incredibly close" about a boy who loses his father in 9/11 and his quest to learn more about him, "Water for Elephants", this one has a couple of crazy scenes but a really good read! When is her surgery again, I want to put it on my calendar so I can remember to pray for you guys. Hope your week is great!
i agree with both of "chris and jen's" recommendations and I can bring you the snow flower and secret fan book to borrow. As far as christmas music...i did start listening to 93.1's broadcast last saturday, but then decided it was too early...i'm with nate on after thanksgiving! fast food...way more than i should, but we have a standing date with Ronald McDonald the first friday of every month as a treat for the kids. i usually want to hurl when we're through!
Well, you have plenty of book recommendations, so I won't leave any of those. Are you getting nervous about Anara's surgery? I'm getting nervous about Karis'. This doesn't apply to you, but I keep having doubts about whether we REALLY want to put her through this when we have no guarantee that it will do any good. Anyway, I'll be praying for you guys Friday.
Definitely no Christmas music till after Thanksgiving. Our Christian radio station actually did a survey last year asking when people wanted them to start playing it, and the unanimous response was "after Thanksgiving", so thankfully they listened and waited till then.
Look on Oprah's website for the books she's suggested through her book club. There are usually some really good books on there, and usually easy to get at the library or cheaply at Barnes and Noble or another such place.
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