10 by 31

Yesterday, I reviewed my 30 by 30 goals.  It wasn't an utter disaster, and I learned a lot.  That means, I'm ready to set myself some new challenges, and start down that road toward 31.  This time, though, I'm heading for smaller, shorter-term goals.  If I do this every year, I will have made (and hopefully met) 50 goals by 35, and 100 by 40.  This could be awesome. :)

1. Read at least 10 books.
2. Try out two new crafts.
3. Learn how to effectively use my fancy schmancy camera in manual mode.
4. Try 2 new foods.
5. Practice my crochet regularly.
6. Continue searching out new experiences for my children each month.
7. Continue to de-clutter our home.  
8. Create a mural or other art project to display in our new home.
9. Try new activities - for me.  I have a tendency to shy away from new social situations, and thereby miss out on fun things.
10. Start and maintain a garden.

30 by 30: The Final Results

Okay.  Tomorrow is my 30th birthday.  Where am I on that 30 by 30 list?  Let's see:

1. Read thirty books off of the list of top 100 banned books.
• Fahrenheit 451
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
• Catcher in the Rye
• In the Midnight Kitchen
• Brave New World
• Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone
• Of Mice & Men
• Their Eyes Were Watching God (in progress)
• Bottom Line: I did read more overall, but less than 1/3 of my goal for banned books.
2. Make thirty crafts I have not tried before.  Bonus points if each serves a practical purpose. 
1. Stencil t-shirts.
2. Flower barrettes/headbands
3. Girl's skirt from t-shirt
4. Tree for stuffed animals for Miles' room
5. Polka dots for Miles' wall.
6. Silhouette art for my wall.
7. Nap sheet and bag for Miles to take to school
8. Crocheted hats for Samantha
9. Crocheted headbands for Samantha
10. Pillowcase dresses for Samantha & my niece
11. Storage boxes for Miles' toys
12. Steampunk Jewelry
13. 
    
3. Choreograph a dance for my children's group.  All by myself.
1. Finished!  It was performed at the 2012 Renaissance Festival.
2. Bottom Line: Goal = Accomplished
4. Take 30,000 pictures. 
1. 7,000 as of August 2012
2. Bottom Line: Honestly? I lost count after that.  I doubt I hit that goal, but I have used my camera a lot
5. Cook or bake 30 dishes I have never made before.
1. Homemade salsa
2. Stuffed pork chops
3. Weeknight chicken & noodles
4. Chicken Noodle Soup
5. Indian Chicken
6. Bottom Line: Um, yeah... 30 new dishes was a little . . . optimistic.
6. Watch 30 classic movies I've never seen.
1. Movies?  Who has time for movies.  I think I've seen 5 or 6?
7. Learn to knit or crochet.
1. Hand-Knitting: Accomplished.  Not fond of it, but I can do it.
2. Crocheting: Accomplished.  Multiple baby hats, headbands, and various accessories created.  Crocheted headband sold on Etsy.
3. Loom-Knitting: In-progress.  Hated it.  Never even finished my first project.
4. Bottom Line: I did it!  Goal = Accomplished!
8. Take a dance lesson, or preferably, a dance class.
9. Take Miles to a new museum/event/activity/experience at least once a month.
1. August 2011 through March 2012: Don't remember what all we did, but I did keep up.
2. April 2012 - WonderScope
3. May 2012 - Floating Lanterns trip planned for Memorial Day weekend
4. Lost track . . . but pretty sure we did it!
5. Bottom Line: Goal = (Probably) Accomplished!
10. Simplify my life by getting rid of things I do not need.
1. Donated 4 boxes to Goodwill between Dec. 2011 and May 2012
2. Gave away all maternity clothes after Sam was born.
3. Still working on selling off/giving away crap, but  I have definitely done what I set out to do.
4. Bottom Line: Goal = Accomplished
11. Organize all of our household paperwork, and keep up on it.
1. Bottom Line: Big.Fat.Fail.
12. Start my own business.  Even if it's just selling a few craft items online from time to time.
1. Etsy business established.  Hand-crocheted flowered headband sold, custom made, and delivered.  Positive feedback!
2. Bottom Line: Accomplished!
13. Finish illustrating the children's book I wrote in college.
1. Bottom Line: Nope.  Still not done.
14. Open a savings account for Miles.
1. Bottom Line: Still need to do this.  And now, one for Samantha, too.
15. Send birthday cards to everyone in my immediate circle of family/friends for at least one year.
1. Bottom Line: Nope.  Not even one. :/
16. Take Dominic through obedience classes.
17. Decide if/when I'm going to go back for my Master's degree, and what I'm going to study.
1. Decision is that I will decide later, when the kids are a little older.
18. Audition for a musical.
1. Nope.
19. Quit my Festival job and become a full-time stay-at-home mom. Find a better balance between work and mommyhood, whether that means quitting my job or not.
1. Quit the Festival.  Still working on Balance.
20. Compile my music collection into one place.
1. In-roads have been made.  Technology is fighting me. Boo.
2. Bottom Line: Incomplete
21. Get a digital copy of every important photograph I have, and store them in a safe place.
1. Hahahahahahaha.  Totally forgot about this...
22. Finish my digital family tree.
1. Using Ancestry.com, family tree is now accurate to at least three generations on every side. Not sure when I'll consider it "finished".
23. Exercise every single day for at least 30 days.
1. So far, twice a week has been my best record.
24. Learn at least 30 new signs for use at Special Olympics.
1. "How many tickets?" - Need refresher.
2. "Which?" - Need refresher.
3. "Where is your coach?" - Need to learn.
4. "Which events are you competing in?" - Need to learn
5. "What time?" - Need to learn.
6. Responses to "What time?" - Need to learn.
7. "Where is your interpreter?" - Need to learn
8. "She's/He's not here." - Need to learn.
9. "She's busy with her child(ren)." - Need to learn.
10. "I don't know much sign language." - Need to learn.
11. "Do you want:" - Need to learn
12. "Stuffed animals?" - Need to learn.
13. "Candy?" - Need refresher.
14. "Ball?" - Need refresher
15. "Puzzle?" - Need to learn
16. "Necklace?" - Need to learn
17. Bottom Line: Still have a lot of work to do.
25. Learn to play at least ten new games.
1. Um. No.  Didn't happen.
26. Become more involved in the financial planning of our household.
1. Downloaded an app to help track finances.  It was horrible, and reset to zero at the end of each month.  Trying to find a better one.
2. Took over household expenses and budgeting.
3. Bottom Line: Finally!  One I actually accomplished!!!
27. Set up our wills, and arrange for custody of Miles (and now Samantha), should anything unfortunate happen.
1. Nope. 
28. Find a church where my family is comfortable, and become an active member.
1. Nope.  Tried.  Failed.  Gave up... 
29. Participate in a flash mob. - DONE!
30. Contact at least ten of my teachers from elementary, middle, high school, and college, and tell them how they have influenced my life.
1. Mrs. Alexander - Freshman & Senior College-Bound English
2. Mrs. Heath - Kindergarten
3. Mr. Simmons - Middle & High School Gifted
4. Bottom Line: 3 out of 30.  That's 10%.  Fail. :/

So, where does that leave us? Well, I tried a lot of new things.  I pushed myself.  But in the end, my goals turned out to be a little ambitious.  To be fair, I didn't know we were going to add to our family when I wrote these.  Had I known, I might have cut myself a little slack.

Am I disappointed that I failed so many goals?  A little.  But the goal of this was to make me try things, and I definitely did that.  So, in the end, I consider this a success.  Maybe my 35 by 35 goals will end with better results.  Only time will tell. :)

Thirty Years

One week from today, I will officially be 30 years old.

Thirty.

Three.Zero.

It sounds like I'm freaked out by it, and I guess I am, a little.  I didn't think 30 would get here so quickly.  30 seemed so far off, even a couple of years ago.  I'm mostly freaked by the fact that time has flown so quickly.

As for the actual number?  I'm actually kinda happy with it.

I am (almost) 30.  That means I'm officially an adult.  No one can discount my thoughts or opinions just because I'm a "kid" anymore.  30 is like this magic number that everyone actually recognizes as 'adulthood'.  It's nice, especially for someone like me.  My mother always said I was "born 30 years old" - others told me I have an "old soul".  Now, finally, I feel like I've grown into that, and like - finally - my same-age peers are on the same page.

No longer am I the "stick-in-the-mud" if I don't want to have a water-gun fight.  No longer am I "putting on airs" when I use big words.  No longer do people try to force me to try something I don't like or don't want to try.  I have finally reached an age where people accept what I am.

Overall, though, I just feel good about my age.  I've finally settled into my skin.  I'm comfortable with myself and who I am (for the most part).  Long gone are the years of trying to decide if I should try to fit in, the years of trying to decide exactly who I am.  I am me.  I have my faults, sure, but I've started to figure out what mine are, and what to do about them.  I can finally look myself in the mirror, see the dark circles under my eyes and the mussy hair and smile, because they belong to me.  I am a person who is loved, by my husband, my children, my family, my friends, my God - and finally, I have learned to love myself.

So, I say, "Welcome, Thirty.  I've been waiting for you."

The Little Things

A full night's sleep.

Waking up early to feed and cuddle a sleepy baby.

Lying in bed, listening to the quiet.

A cup of coffee, alone.

A soft rain on a grey morning.

Time to write, and contemplate.

Memories, and plans.

Content.

Sick

The dreaded summer cold hit our house this week.  And it hit me hard.  I spent most of yesterday in a haze, functioning only through the miracle of Day-Quil.

Luckily, I have awesome kids.

Miles quietly played and watched tv.  If I had a coughing fit, he'd come pat me on the back and say, "It be okay, Mommy.  It be okay."

Samantha wanted nothing more than to cuddle most of the day, smiling up at me from time to time.

It was a long day, but my babies made it so much better.

And the good news is that we all appear to be on the mend today.  After a good night's sleep (thank you, Ny-Quil), I feel a ton better.  Still congested and achy, but I'll take it. :)

Normal

Three weeks ago, the world became suddenly crazy, hectic, and stressful.

A week ago, just as suddenly, it fully returned to normal.

Other than Patrick going to work and the kids and I doing our daily morning outing, we've been staying home, relaxing as a family, and just recovering.

We've eaten dinner at home, then played outdoors in the fading light.

We've taken walks to get ice cream.

We've cleaned, and rested, and cleaned some more.

Life with two small children is always a little on the crazy side, but it is our normal, and I am so thankful to return to it.

This quiet little life makes me so happy.

Pass the Wine

The last two weeks have been . . . long.  Let's just go with long.

I can't even go into everything.  There's simply too much.

Baby showers. Surprised and unpleasantly shocked with the behavior of a family member.  Fourth of July.  A family emergency that took us out of town for most of a week.  Some sort of stomach bug or food poisoning or something that had Miles puking and pooping for two days.  Little sleep.  Lots of stress.

I'm hanging in there.  Stressed, and somewhat anxious, but considering the situation, I'm not sure that's unexpected.  Mostly, I'm just hunkering down and cuddling my husband and kiddos and trying to ride out the storm.

Hopefully, I will have time, patience, and wherewithal to post more in the near future.  Until then, hugs to all of you, and I hope your summer is much less exciting than mine. :)