...and I didn't see my shadow, either!

February is a short month…but so far, it’s been a productive one. And while Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow, I've hardly had time to stop and look for mine!

Since my last blog post, here are some things I’ve been working on and/or have accomplished. (Note: I’ve already visited the initial blog post and crossed off things that have been accomplished…so, if you want to keep track that way, you don’t have to read the rambling editorial on how they were accomplished).

I had hoped to blog about each item as they happened…but it’s very difficult to keep up with the blog during the week.

31. Go back to church. Attend mass at the same church every Sunday for at least 4 weeks. Today, Sunday, February 13^th was the 4^th Sunday in a row that Jon, M and I attended the 9:00 AM mass at St. Martha’s in Murrieta. I think we’re going to keep it up through the Lenten season. There’s another church in Temecula that I’d like to check out one of these Sundays…but I think that’ll be easier to do once we’ve established the regular practice of going to mass every Sunday.

34. Organize recipe folder. We have a new system for storing & filing our recipes. I haven’t actually organized the recipes inside the binder…but they’re all protected in sheet protectors now, so I don’t feel guilty when I spill on them!

52. Find good, trustworthy local teenage babysitter who M likes. Last Saturday night, February 5^th, a former student (who billed herself as “The baby whisperer”) agreed to give up her Saturday night to hang out with M for a few hours so that Jon & I could enjoy a night out. She’s a peach of a girl. She LOVED hanging out with M. And M fell asleep in her arms about 20 minutes BEFORE her normal bedtime. I am 110% sold! She will absolutely watch M for us again.

And the best part…when I was trying to figure out what to pay her, I posted the question on my Facebook page and I had a bunch of people volunteer to watch M! So, I not only have a good teenage babysitter at my disposal, but I have a bunch of adults who want to hang with her, too!

53. Have dinner out with Jon sans M one night for no reason (can’t be Valentine’s Day or anniversary – just because).  So, last Saturday night, Jon and I went to dinner alone for the first time in more than 7 months. In fact, neither of us could remember the last time we went to dinner without her…obviously, I was still pregnant, but we couldn’t remember where we went or how close to her birth it was.

We went to one of our favorite restaurants, Shogun, and sat at one of the hibatchi tables. The danger there is that we didn’t speak to one another too much…we were both eavesdropping on other people’s conversations!

62. Memorize a poem. While I haven’t actually accomplished this one yet, I did settle on 2 poems – both of which are poems I once knew by heart. The first is “She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron. The second is “Sick” by Shel Silverstein. Both poems meant a lot to me at different points in my life. I can start them, but not finish them…so, my plan is to re-memorize them both.

74. Learn the alphabet in sign language. Video proof coming soon! But my ASL teacher gave me a finger spelling pop quiz and I aced it!

95. Buy a new lens for the camera. We did some research…consulted some photographer friends…and this weekend bought a new lens for the camera.

99. Add $5 to savings account for every goal accomplished. Last week, I opened a simple savings account in trust of M at a bank we don’t use for normal, everyday business. I started out with $20…I currently owe the account a deposit!

And in looking ahead, we’ve ironed out some dates for our trip to RI…and with that, a number of things will happen. We just found out tonight that we’ll be taking M to Fenway for her first Sox game on Sunday, July 10^th. You can bet we’ll put that new lens to great use that day!

January Pregress Report.

Since the whole point of the blog is to add a level of accountability to the 101 in 2011, I thought I would do an end of the month progress report each month to let everyone know what I’d been working on. After all, some of these are going to be ongoing throughout the course of the year while some will happen once and be over & done with. So, here is what I’ve been working on this month:

1. Wear mascara every day. I have worn mascara to work every day. The weekends and odd days off I’ve been lax. It’s hard to motivate myself to put on mascara when I know I’m just going to spend the day running errands covered in baby drool.

2. Fit into MY wedding band; 3. Get weight down to 170lbs; 4. Fit into/buy a pair of knee high black zip up boots; 5. Fit into pre-pregnancy pants again; 72. Run a mile. These five can all fall under the umbrella heading of “lose weight and get into shape.” Back in September, when I returned to work, I returned to Weight Watchers. As of Thursday, January 27^th, I’ve lost my first 10 pounds – not an easy task when you’re always hungry because of nursing.  Additionally, today I purchased the Just Dance 2 video game for the Wii – which is so much fun it doesn’t even feel like a cardio workout, until, of course, I’m gasping for breath after the fourth song in a row! And Monday, I start my workout routine with Sunny. Sunny is a woman I work with – she runs. I would like to run but don’t even know where to begin. I asked her if she would coach/train me. I think she’s more excited for this than I am! But I’m glad to have the guidance of someone who’s so physically fit and passionate about being so.

6. Read at least 12 novels – 1 a month.  I recently disclosed my list of 20 independent reading novels to my classes. Several of them are novels I’ve never read before. I’m half way through Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate…which I’m LOVING so far. Thanks to Kelly for the recommendation.

8. Read at least 1 article in Time magazine each week.  I haven’t been as steadfast about this as I should be…but I just finished this week’s cover story about Tiger Moms/Amy Chua’s memoir about parenting her two daughters. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2043313,00.html  I think I know a book I’d like to tackle for #7!

10. See all of the best picture nominees from the 2011 Oscars. I’ve printed the list of the 10 Best Picture nominees and the nice people at Netflix have delivered Christopher Nolan’s Inception to us. Now, if we could only (a) get M to bed early enough and (b) stay up late enough ourselves we could actually watch it!.

 16. Start a blog. I feel like this one is self-explanatory.

17. Blog about meeting each of my 101 goals. This one, too.

31. Go back to church. Attend mass at the same church every Sunday for at least 4 weeks. Our friend Jess signs the 9:00 AM mass at the Catholic church in our town. Last Sunday, we went to the mass she signs. We will be there again tomorrow. It made for a lovely Sunday morning…and I’m eager for tomorrow, too.

32. Play softball with the Mixed Nuts again.  Sadly, this one will not happen, as the Mixed Nuts are not going to be reforming this year. So, I’m a little stumped about how to handle this one…should I just cross it off and make a new #32 or should I just accept the fact that there will be some items that I just won’t complete? I’d love your feedback on how to deal with this one…

34. Organize recipe folder – computerize files or put into easy to access binder.  I have a lovely binder that is bursting at the seams with page protectors – each one lovingly caressing a well-worn page from the tattered recipe folder that lived in our junk drawer for years. Today I even started going through my collection of cookbooks and photocopying the recipes that I like from them to add them to the binder. This way, I can get rid of all those cookbooks that I hold onto for 1 or 2 recipes.

45. Take M to RI. We have begun looking at flights and places to stay.

49. Find someone to make a quilt of some of M’s baby clothes. Thank you to this month’s Parent’s Magazine for this little gem: http://www.quiltkeepsake.com/

54. Develop a menu of 45 staple dishes.  See #34. I consider this one a work in progress.

68. Make a swear jar - .25 cents per curse. All the money goes into M’s bank account. See the blog post from January 8^th.  I’m embarrassed to say that there are a lot of dollars in there.

74. Learn the alphabet in sign language. Jess says I can cross this one off, but I beg to differ. I’m familiar with the alphabet, but I’m still working on it…I practice a little here & there.

83. Make Mondays meatless. Marrakesh Stew (with enough leftover to freeze and have the following Monday) and cheese strata – yum! This Monday will be frittata.

98. Become an active alumni of Pi Phi – reinstate membership. I wrote to the alumna coordinator who told me I need to write a letter to Grand Council asking for reinstatement. I plan to write that letter by the end of this week.

So, that’s what I’ve been up to this month. I’m really looking forward to reading some good books and seeing some good movies in February!

#68. Make a swear jar - .25 cents per curse. All the money goes into M’s bank account.

So, I swear too much. WAY too much. How much, you ask? I teach high school…and actually had a student tell me that she thought I swore more since I got pregnant. She said that to me about a year ago.  

I think that was the first time I ever became aware of my swearing.

In becoming more aware of my swearing, I also became more aware of other people’s swearing. People in Murrieta, California don’t swear much. Or, maybe they do but they just don’t swear around me.

The second time I became aware of my swearing was at the end of 2010 when I was on the phone with Fiona. Her twin boys are almost exactly one year older than Mairead. She mentioned how she’s being careful about what she says around them because they’re so aware of language – they’re really starting to understand and communicate.

THEY’RE ONLY A YEAR OLDER THEN MAIREAD!

If children live what they learn and learn what they live, then I need to be careful with everything I say and do around Miss M. This not only has to do with my word choice, but with tone and inflection and delivery. If I want her to be kind, I need to use kind words in kind ways. If I want her to have grace, I need to use gracious words in gracious ways. And so on…

I do not need nor do I want to have a toddler that walks around cursing.

The tipping point which lead to the creation of the swear jar came Tuesday, January 4, 2011. Jon was in RI for business. My mother was visiting from RI. There was one item on the to do list for the day – take out the Christmas tree. My mother and I had spent Monday doing the easy stuff – taking down and packing up the ornaments and lights – and Tuesday was the day we needed to move the dying tree out of the living room and onto the front curb.

Did I mention that the tree was dying? Know what happens to dying evergreen trees? Know what happens to them when you have them in your house for a month? And you live on the cusp of a desert?

Well, the short answer is this: you swear a lot. Taking the tree out of the stand; moving it from the living room to the front walk; dragging it down the front walk to the curb; lifting it from the curb into the green recycling bin (which, apparently, I wasn’t supposed to do). All the while it was molting dry brownish green leaves.

So, after I got the tree into the bin, I came in the house and decided I was going to stop swearing. Maybe because I had just gotten it all out of my system.

I went to the supermarket on Thursday, January 06, 2011 and had them give me $20 in quarters. I loaded them into a jar to make good on the last 6 days – I think $10 alone goes to the tree debacle. The jar I decided to use is one that Kelly made for me for Christmas. She took a large glass jar and etched a giant L and a heart on it. Isn’t it pretty?

I will let you know how I’m doing from time to time…if you’ll do something for me: if I’m in your presence and I swear, please remind me to pay a quarter to the jar.

101 in 2011

I have this friend, Kelly, and among her many talents, she blogs. I read her blog. I read several of the blogs she reads. I, as she would say, "blog stalk." Last year, she convinced me to start a blog...I set it up, loaded a picture, and wrote one post.

One, lonely post.

I forgot the password for the e-mail account I set up to access the blog. Oops!

I probably started the page as some kind of New Year's Resolution...and I posted once. There was no accountability. Nothing concrete to keep me on task...so, this year, I'm going to blog with a twist.

This blog is part of my 101 in 2011. Here are 101 things that I would like to accomplish in 2011 (you'll soon learn that I'm a list maker...this is right up my alley). It's a take-off on the Day Zero Project where people pledge to do 101 things in 1001 days (approximately 2.75 years). I didn't want to do this as a day zero project, because I know there are a chunk of things that I'll be able to accomplish this summer (#s 12, 18, 23, 25, 45, 46, 47,70, 81, 86, 92, and 100) when my husband and I go back East for a stretch of time.

I figure if there are 101 things on my list and 52 weeks in a year, I have to actively work on at least 2 things per week for the year. And since several of them are on-going, I think this will be easy to do.

You'll notice that #16 is start a blog. Accomplished, 1/5/11! #17 is to blog about meeting each of my 101 goals.

So, this is not only accomplishing #16, but helping me to get started on #17.

So, here is my list:

1.       Wear mascara every day.

2.       Fit into MY wedding band.

3.       Get weight down to 170lbs.

4.       Fit into/buy a pair of knee high black zip up boots.

5.       Fit into pre-pregnancy pants again.

6.       Read at least 12 novels – 1 a month.

7.       Read at least 3 non-fiction pieces.

8.       Read at least 1 article in Time magazine each week.

9.       See/watch 12 movies – at least 1 a month.

10.   See all of the best picture nominees from the 2011 Oscars.

11.   Paint the fence.

12.   Visit Disneyland.

13.   Visit 4 new places/cities in California.

14.   Have the 2^nd (bi)annual Lapierre cook-off.

15.   Create a Blurb photo album for Mairead’s first year.

16.   Start a blog.

17.   Blog about meeting each of my 101 goals.

18.   Take M camping for the 1^st time.

19.   Put up Christmas lights on the outside of the house.

20.   Write a will.

21.   Start Mommy & Me dance classes with M.

22.   Go to a Ducks hockey game.

23.   Go on a picnic.

24.   Visit the Wild Animal Park.

25.   Take Miss M to the Providence Children’s Museum.

26.   Knit a scarf.

27.   Write to Mairead in her journal at least once a week.

28.   Visit Idlewyll.

29.   Take M to see snow for the first time.

30.   Give up facebook for a month (Lent)?

31.   Go back to church. Attend mass at the same church every Sunday for at least 4 weeks.

32.   Play softball with the Mixed Nuts again.

33.   Visit the batting cages!

34.   Organize recipe folder – computerize files or put into easy to access binder.

35.   Back up material on home computer.

36.   Randomly pay for someone behind me in a drive through line.

37.   Create advent calendar for M.

38.   Go ice skating.

39.   Take M to see the Nutcracker.

40.   Get a Brazilian bikini wax.

41.   Enjoy a day at the spa.

42.   Start M’s hope chest.

43.   Write a letter to M on her 1^st birthday that she will read on her 18^th.

44.   Take M to the duck pond in Temecula.

45.   Take M to RI.

46.   Visit the URI campus with Miss M.

47.   Visit the Brown campus with Miss M.

48.   Send Joe a care package when he starts basic training.

49.   Find someone to make a quilt of some of M’s baby clothes.

50.   Take M north to visit Auntie M and Uncle D.Mo.

51.   Drive the PCH from San Diego to San Francisco.

52.   Find good, trustworthy local teenage babysitter who M likes.

53.   Have dinner out with Jon sans M one night for no reason (can’t be Valentine’s Day or anniversary – just because).

54.   Develop a menu of 45 staple dishes.

55.   Update window treatments in dining room.

56.   Update window treatments in master bedroom.

57.   Go apple picking.

58.   Go to pumpkin patch.

59.   Whale watch!

60.   Go for a hike.

61.   Climb a mountain.

62.   Memorize a poem.

63.   Bake a cake from scratch.

64.   Go 1 full day with no technology – no phone, cell, computer or TV.

65.   Go 1 full week with no technology – no phone, cell, computer or TV.

66.   Go 1 week with no caffeine.

67.   Fly a kite.

68.   Make a swear jar - .25 cents per curse. All the money goes into M’s bank account.

69.   Go 6 weeks without so much as a sip of alcohol.

70.   Take M to Fenway for her first professional baseball game.

71.   Walk in a 5K for charity.

72.   Run a mile.

73.   Fix tattoo on ankle/get M inspired tattoo.

74.   Learn the alphabet in sign language.

75.   Yard sale.

76.   Yoga class – take for 6 weeks; class must meet at least once a week.

77.   Visit the San Diego, LA or Orange County fair.

78.   Go to the avocado festival (while there, try avocado ice cream).

79.   Go sailing.

80.   Leave a 100% tip to a deserving server.

81.   Go to a drive in theatre.

82.   Make homemade marshmallows.

83.   Make Mondays meatless.

84.   Go vegetarian for 1 week.

85.   Go vegetarian for 1 month.

86.   When in RI, take M to visit Grandma’s grave.

87.   Stop drinking soda for 1 week.

88.   Stop drinking soda for 1 month.

89.   Stop using plastic shopping bags. Bring my own bag everywhere.

90.   Take M to Chuck E Cheese for 1^st time.

91.   Grow my own tomatoes.

92.   See an outdoors summer Shakespeare show.

93.   Take a family portrait with all three of us.

94.   Wear my retainer for 32 days in a row.

95.   Buy a new lens for the camera.

96.   Complete a photography project from sh1ft.org – either 26 things or a day in the life.

97.   Go to alumni event for SU or Brown here in Southern CA.

98.   Become an active alumni of Pi Phi – reinstate membership.

99.   Add $5 to savings account for every goal accomplished.

100.  Take M swimming in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

101.   Walk the dogs at least 1x a week.