Category Archives: Homemaker’s Journal

Sep 16

What’s Going On at Nicostuff

Wow, the next few months are going to be busy… Last night we went to the MOPS kick-off Ice Cream social, and this Friday is our first meeting. I’m really excited for MOPS this year. I’m joining the steering team  in the hospitality position, and I can’t wait  to get started. Last year MOPS was a lot of fun for the kids and me too. We all made a lot of friends, and the meetings were a blast.

Friday also brings the first PTO meeting for the school-year. I’ve been picked to be room coordinator for Thade’s class, and I’m super happy about this one too. I have a few parties to coordinate, and I know that helping out with the PTO is going to teach me a lot about Thade’s school.

We are still getting the house in order and working on the nursery. I have a lot of decorating ideas rolling around in my noggin, and I had better get the room finished soon. I’m still searching for the perfect fabric for curtains, and I still haven’t found it…

I’ve been doing some major de-cluttering around the house too. The boy’s room closet is done and organized, and I got 6 boxes of clothes cleaned out of there. There is a city wide garage sale next month, and a MOPS swap coming up too. I hope to have many more items ready for the sale and the swap.

I’ve got the boy’s Halloween costumes, and they are both pretty happy campers about it. Dylan is going as Brobee, and Thade is going to be Batman. They are really looking forward to Halloween this year, me too. I tried to wait until October 1st to start the decorating, but I couldn’t wait one minute longer, and I got all of the Halloween decorations out today. We got a little bit of decorating done, and I’m going to try my best to hold off buying any Halloween candy until it’s a little closer to the holiday.

It’s Wednesday, and that means I had better get in the kitchen and get to cooking. I’ve got 2 meals to make tonight, and the boy’s are ready for dinner.

Sep 3

Time To Waste

Well kinda-sorta. I take Thade to school, and pick him up everyday. Thanks to some tricky parking when it is pick-up time, I have to get there extra early. Monday-Friday gives me an hour wait in the car, and a little bit of time to catch up on whatever I can carry along in the diaper bag.

To help pass the time I like to bring along:

  • Small projects
  • A notebook for journaling
  • Coupons to clip, sort, and organize
  • Day planner or desk calendar to update

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  • Reading material
  • Cell phone and camera. I can schedule/confirm appointments from the car, use the calculator to balance the checkbook, and take silly pictures of Dylan too.
  • Cards and thank you notes that need written or addressed
  • It is also a great time to clean and organize the car, and maybe clean out the messy diaper bag too.

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Don’t forget about the kiddos too.

An hour wait can be tricky to keep a toddler happy, so I make sure and pack a few items for Dylan too.

  • For both kids I pack along a small snack and a juice or water. Thade is always thirsty and so hungry when he gets to the car.

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  • I also have Dylan bring along a small backpack filled with toys, and books. I rotate the items in the backpack often, so that helps keep the boredom away.
Aug 30

Organizing a Family Notebook

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In the ever-ongoing quest to get my house in order, I thought it was a good time to organize my desk, and tidy up the clutter. I have had my mind set on making a Family Notebook for quite awhile, and with all of the great deals on back to school supplies, I decided to pick up a binder and get to work.

I have our Family Notebook organized in the following categories:

  • Helpful Information-emergency phone numbers
  • A tab/section for each family member
  • Local information/menus/ local coupons

So far the notebook has come in really handy in organizing all of Thade’s school information and the many calendars that come home with him.  My desk is also a lot cleaner now that the paperwork is in order.

Aug 19

Adjusting to New Changes…

This week Thade started school, and I began my quest to become a morning person, cheerfully. Thade is doing great and is seriously ready to go to school everyday by 7:00 a.m., Kindergarten must be a lot of fun. Dylan is adjusting to his big brother being gone all day, and today was the first day that was really tough on him. By 10:00 a.m., he brought me his shoes, and asked if we could go and get his brother. We made some brownies and colored some Dinosaur pictures to pass the time. He is taking a much needed nap at the moment, it’s just me and my laptop, and it is spooky quiet in the house.

James took some much needed vacation time this week too, and I was really happy to have him home. I was a mess on Monday and Tuesday, and I was happy to have him here, and keeping me from being too grumpy. We are working on getting the house ready for the little one’s arrival, and there is a lot to be done. I think we’ll be cleaning, painting, and organizing for the next few months.

I am ready for MOPS to start and I can’t wait to help out on the Steering Team this year. I know that MOPS is going to be great for Dylan and me too. The first meeting is coming up soon. Starting next week I’m helping out a friend who is making daily meals for a mommy that is on bed-rest. I’ll be cooking an extra meal on Wednesday’s for a family of four, and I’m happy to help. I hope to cook for the family as long as I can.

This weekend I’ll be re-stocking supplies for quick breakfasts and Thade’s lunches too. He is happy to take a homemade lunch to school, and he has a lot of ideas for next week’s lunches. I’ll be happy that he is home for a few days.

Hmmm, now what to do? Clean dishes during nap time, or catch up on Food Network shows and relax on the couch. I think I’ll take the afternoon off.

Jul 14

Wii Bucks

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Thade loves the Wii! Thade loves the Wii so much that he obsesses about it 24 hours a day, and it’s driving this Mommy and Daddy crazy. Since Thade can’t play the Wii 24 hours a day, like he wishes he could, James and I came up with Wii bucks so Thade can earn his Wii time.

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He can earn 30-60 minutes by helping out around the house, having a good attitude out in public, and even helping out with his little Brother too.  The Wii bucks are already starting to pay off too, yesterday he earned 30 minutes, but he decided that he was done playing after 15 minutes. When the time was up, he turned off the Wii, with no complaints and without a gigantic 5 year old temper tantrum.

I think that the Wii bucks are going to come in pretty handy around here, and maybe I can get some of my sanity back.