The move went well. Some setbacks and things not going completely to plan, but overall it went smoothly. The drive here was a bit harrowing (whoever is in control of the lines on the road, the Snoqualmie Pass needs your attention pronto.)
I meant to do this before, so that I could write a more detailed post about the move, but didn't, and now it is a bit of a blur. OH! Found an EXCELLENT Thai restaurant within WALKING distance of our apartment! Oh so yummy food, and Kaia found a new dish she likes—garlic prawns!
Kaia started her new school Monday, and LOVES it!! She is going from first grade, and having to sit at a desk most of the day doing paperwork, to kindergarten (she is in a Waldorf School, they do things a bit differently) where she is moving and singing and playing all day. Needless to say, she prefers this one! Her favorite part so far is playing in the woods behind the school climbing trees!
Mike is enjoying work, though feeling at loose ends a bit after the grueling timetable of full time school. He has decided to ride the bus to and from work each day, as it is MUCH cheaper than the parking pass, and takes about the same amount of time. He leaves at 6:45 to get to work an hour later, and leaves work at 4:30, taking the same amount of time to get home. This, for me, is one reason that I don’t want him to stay there forever. He likes the people he works with, and thinks that once they let him start coding, he’ll have a good time at work!
My schedule is this: I get up at 6:30 and make coffee for me and tea for Mike and feed Ben. If I can (meaning if Ben will play in his jumper!), I empty the dishwasher. I wake Kaia up at 7, and we eat breakfast together. Then we get dressed and ready to go. It’s been very easy going in the mornings and we have not been rushed or stressed. We leave here about 5 minutes to 8, and it takes about 20 minutes to get to her school. Then I come back home and do some chores, again if Ben lets me! At noon I leave to pick Kaia up, and we do any errands we need to do. Today we went to the library, a weekly habit we want to get into and Kaia got her own library card…she’s quite proud of it, it was hard for her to keep it in her pocket! She got two books and I got five….almost done with the first one already, and I only read while nursing Ben! We have a relaxing afternoon with some cleaning, some reading, some cuddling, and whatever else we want to do! I like it.
I love having Mike free to spend time with us at night. I love having Kaia go to this school. I love having just Ben in the mornings and Kaia home in the afternoons.
I am quite happy.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Monday, December 31, 2007
a cop-out post: One Word
Your last meal: cereal
Something on your desk/work area: crumbs
Your New Year's Eve plans: friends
The smallest gift you received this year: giftcard
The largest gift you received this year: money
Something you wish you hadn't eaten so much of during the holidays: nothing.
On your feet: toes
Your hair: messy
How many other countries you've traveled to: one
One country you dream of visiting: India
A hobby you'd like to take up/revisit this year: scrapbooking
A hobby of yours that died (aww, buh-bye) this past year: none
A publication you subscribe to (print): O
The most embarrassing subscription in your feed reader (if you have one): famecrawler
One of your favorite stores to window shop dreamily in: Target
One of your favorite online stores to window shop dreamily on: amazon
A color you love to wear: black
Your bed pillow: mmmmmmmmmmm
The color of your kitchen counter: spotted
What you plan to do when you get up from the computer: drink coffee
Something on your desk/work area: crumbs
Your New Year's Eve plans: friends
The smallest gift you received this year: giftcard
The largest gift you received this year: money
Something you wish you hadn't eaten so much of during the holidays: nothing.
On your feet: toes
Your hair: messy
How many other countries you've traveled to: one
One country you dream of visiting: India
A hobby you'd like to take up/revisit this year: scrapbooking
A hobby of yours that died (aww, buh-bye) this past year: none
A publication you subscribe to (print): O
The most embarrassing subscription in your feed reader (if you have one): famecrawler
One of your favorite stores to window shop dreamily in: Target
One of your favorite online stores to window shop dreamily on: amazon
A color you love to wear: black
Your bed pillow: mmmmmmmmmmm
The color of your kitchen counter: spotted
What you plan to do when you get up from the computer: drink coffee
Saturday, December 29, 2007
a whole lotta cupcakes
sitting on the couch waiting for the second batch-the white-cupcakes to cool enough to frost. Half of them with vanilla, half with chocolate, just like the chocolate cupcakes. Kaia wants her friends to have choices tomorrow. Which is why I now have 18 cupcakes waiting for FOUR little girls to each pick one. This is an important party for her though, so I want it to be perfect for her. She already was disappointed that only three girls could come, everyone else is either on vacation, didn't return my call, or in the case of one was the wrong phone number.
Mike has WONDERFULLY agreed to take them all out to play in the snow, after which we will eat Kaia's choice for lunch, sandwiches and nacho cheese Doritos. Then cupcakes, then some in the house playing if there's still time. I'm hoping there's not, isn't that selfish of me? ;-)
This time next week I will be in my new house!! I am so excited to unpack and put everything in it's new place, to show my family the apartment I chose, and to put my clothes in my new walk-in closet! Then on the 7th, Mike starts work, and Kaia starts at her new school. She is getting more and more excited about it. We looked at the class list and learned the names of her new classmates. She has her apron for cooking, her slippers for wearing indoors, her raincoat for going outside for recess, her lunch box and basket for...well, lunch, of course.
My dad will be bringing up the crib, so Ben will have a new place to sleep. Kaia will have a new bed, too, as well as a new dresser. We'll have another bookshelf and a coffee table!
I think the cupcakes might be cool enough. So I will stop this incessant babbling and let you get back to more interesting things!
Mike has WONDERFULLY agreed to take them all out to play in the snow, after which we will eat Kaia's choice for lunch, sandwiches and nacho cheese Doritos. Then cupcakes, then some in the house playing if there's still time. I'm hoping there's not, isn't that selfish of me? ;-)
This time next week I will be in my new house!! I am so excited to unpack and put everything in it's new place, to show my family the apartment I chose, and to put my clothes in my new walk-in closet! Then on the 7th, Mike starts work, and Kaia starts at her new school. She is getting more and more excited about it. We looked at the class list and learned the names of her new classmates. She has her apron for cooking, her slippers for wearing indoors, her raincoat for going outside for recess, her lunch box and basket for...well, lunch, of course.
My dad will be bringing up the crib, so Ben will have a new place to sleep. Kaia will have a new bed, too, as well as a new dresser. We'll have another bookshelf and a coffee table!
I think the cupcakes might be cool enough. So I will stop this incessant babbling and let you get back to more interesting things!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
making plans
Please excuse the meandering of the following post.......thank you.
I've created a one-year budget for us after we move. We will finally have some money to do some things, but first up is paying off debt. Thanks to my mom, we have NO school loans, but we do have other bills. We owe my mom a fair amount, but that will be the last chunk of debt paid off, as she would prefer we pay off interest debt first.
My Uncle Chris lent us another fair amount (though less) to move with, and that repayment will be started in May 2008 and paid off sometime the following year, 2009. The first bills we will pay off will be from Ben's birth, about $2000 total (after insurance paid 80%!). Then the MasterCard will be sent serious payments ($200-$400 per month) until paid off, probably by the first few months of 2009. Then we will start paying my mom back.
Rounding up, (possibly by a few thousand, not totally sure) we have a total of about 16 grand to pay off, and how awesome is it that ALL of it will be done by the end of 2009?
Plans for right after we move include making wills and getting life insurance for both of us. We will be immediately contributing to Mike's 401-k so we don't get used to that money, so our retirement plans can get back on track. The kids' college funds will have to wait until after debt is paid off, but then we can start putting several hundred a year into each of those.
We may, I'm not sure, have the Toyota paid off by the end of 2009 too, but at some point during that year I'm hoping to get a different car (Mike might keep the Toyota, he's not sure). Not a new one, but hopefully one that only 1-3 years old.
For the next year, we will each have a small monthly allowance so we can have some fun :-)! I will be taking that out in cash at the beginning of each month, and not carrying my debit card or checkbook around with me, to curb spending. I will be paying for groceries with cash too, and sticking to a set amount each month. Right now that amount is $400, but that may have to change.
One thing we are considering to reward ourselves for the hard work we've done these past three years, is getting iPods with one of his first checks. Not the most expensive ones by a long shot, but just something that says "We DID IT!!!" Then the budget can be followed from then on.
I'm trying to think of something I can do, that doesn't cost money obviously, for following the budget each month. I know it's going to be hard for me, but I really want to reach that zero debt mark. Mike really wants to be out of renting in a couple years, and I don't want to buy until we are in a really good place, financially, for that. Any extra money at the end of each month is going to be rolled over into a savings account, and I need something to motivate me not to touch it! ANY IDEAS?!?!
To keep from getting bored, I am already putting plans into place for activities the kids and I can do while Mike is at work. Kaia will be getting out of school at 12:30 each day. I have found some moms' groups I am going to try out.
On Saturdays, there is a Zen meditation group I am hoping will be really cool. I asked Mike about it and he is happy to give me those mornings if it turns out to be something I enjoy.
Wednesdays I am going to take the kids to the library, and Mondays will will go grocery shopping.
Mike will have every other Friday off, and we have already decided to see if we like the zoo and the aquarium enough to get year long memberships to them. (with each of those, 3 visits per year will make a membership worth the cost)
During the summer, I am going to sign Kaia up for swimming lessons, and since Ben will be over six months old, he and I can do a babies and mom's swimming time.
I am going to ask Mike's step mom to show me the ropes for ebay-ing. She and Mike's father were really good at it, and made quite a bit of money. She stopped after Bill's death, but she is getting back into it now, and Mike and I think that would be something fun I could start doing, to make money (hopefully!) and to occupy my time. So during the summer we'll be going to a lot of yard sales!
I'm excited to show Kaia the space needle, and I know I'll find lots of other fun stuff (like Pike Place Market!) in Seattle, as well as the town we'll live in, to do. My aunt and uncle live only 30 minutes away from us, so we'll be spending lots of time with them too!
wow. okay, that's enough babbling for now.
I've created a one-year budget for us after we move. We will finally have some money to do some things, but first up is paying off debt. Thanks to my mom, we have NO school loans, but we do have other bills. We owe my mom a fair amount, but that will be the last chunk of debt paid off, as she would prefer we pay off interest debt first.
My Uncle Chris lent us another fair amount (though less) to move with, and that repayment will be started in May 2008 and paid off sometime the following year, 2009. The first bills we will pay off will be from Ben's birth, about $2000 total (after insurance paid 80%!). Then the MasterCard will be sent serious payments ($200-$400 per month) until paid off, probably by the first few months of 2009. Then we will start paying my mom back.
Rounding up, (possibly by a few thousand, not totally sure) we have a total of about 16 grand to pay off, and how awesome is it that ALL of it will be done by the end of 2009?
Plans for right after we move include making wills and getting life insurance for both of us. We will be immediately contributing to Mike's 401-k so we don't get used to that money, so our retirement plans can get back on track. The kids' college funds will have to wait until after debt is paid off, but then we can start putting several hundred a year into each of those.
We may, I'm not sure, have the Toyota paid off by the end of 2009 too, but at some point during that year I'm hoping to get a different car (Mike might keep the Toyota, he's not sure). Not a new one, but hopefully one that only 1-3 years old.
For the next year, we will each have a small monthly allowance so we can have some fun :-)! I will be taking that out in cash at the beginning of each month, and not carrying my debit card or checkbook around with me, to curb spending. I will be paying for groceries with cash too, and sticking to a set amount each month. Right now that amount is $400, but that may have to change.
One thing we are considering to reward ourselves for the hard work we've done these past three years, is getting iPods with one of his first checks. Not the most expensive ones by a long shot, but just something that says "We DID IT!!!" Then the budget can be followed from then on.
I'm trying to think of something I can do, that doesn't cost money obviously, for following the budget each month. I know it's going to be hard for me, but I really want to reach that zero debt mark. Mike really wants to be out of renting in a couple years, and I don't want to buy until we are in a really good place, financially, for that. Any extra money at the end of each month is going to be rolled over into a savings account, and I need something to motivate me not to touch it! ANY IDEAS?!?!
To keep from getting bored, I am already putting plans into place for activities the kids and I can do while Mike is at work. Kaia will be getting out of school at 12:30 each day. I have found some moms' groups I am going to try out.
On Saturdays, there is a Zen meditation group I am hoping will be really cool. I asked Mike about it and he is happy to give me those mornings if it turns out to be something I enjoy.
Wednesdays I am going to take the kids to the library, and Mondays will will go grocery shopping.
Mike will have every other Friday off, and we have already decided to see if we like the zoo and the aquarium enough to get year long memberships to them. (with each of those, 3 visits per year will make a membership worth the cost)
During the summer, I am going to sign Kaia up for swimming lessons, and since Ben will be over six months old, he and I can do a babies and mom's swimming time.
I am going to ask Mike's step mom to show me the ropes for ebay-ing. She and Mike's father were really good at it, and made quite a bit of money. She stopped after Bill's death, but she is getting back into it now, and Mike and I think that would be something fun I could start doing, to make money (hopefully!) and to occupy my time. So during the summer we'll be going to a lot of yard sales!
I'm excited to show Kaia the space needle, and I know I'll find lots of other fun stuff (like Pike Place Market!) in Seattle, as well as the town we'll live in, to do. My aunt and uncle live only 30 minutes away from us, so we'll be spending lots of time with them too!
wow. okay, that's enough babbling for now.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Good Friday
Today was spectacular. I will tell you why, but please know that nothing ultra exciting happened. I will reach the end of my tale, and you will probably wonder why I am so thrilled. Also, it's only 2:30, so there is so much more of the day to enjoy! I may post again later if more cool things happen. although nothing most people would find overly joyful happened, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
First, Ben only woke up ONCE last night!! That means he slept 6 hours, then 4 hours! Too cool....
Kaia headed out the door for her last day at this school, and I started coffee. Mike sat down at his computer to mess around for a bit and I checked email. Just a nice relaxing morning.
Mike went on a box hunt and was successful! He came back with several good ones, including 3 perfect book packing boxes. Together we taped them closed on the bottom and emptied almost one full bookcase! It was awesome to just spend time with my husband.
Then we made Harvest Muffins (at some point will post recipe) together, while sharing a leftover burrito. Again, just spending the time leisurely with my man was just too cool. There was no homework sitting in the background calling him, no other work that we HAD to do. Ben snoozed in his swing behind us as we stirred and chopped and Mike fed me bites of burrito goodness.
Then Andrea called and asked if I wanted to join her for some last minute Christmas shopping. Of course, there is only one answer to that, so she picked me up and we headed out, leaving Ben in his daddy's capable hands. We fortified ourselves with a couple of Baskin Robbins coffee drinks (and I picked up a small container of bubble gum ice cream (can you say oh my god, yuck?!) for Kaia and Mike (yes, my husband likes pink bubblegum ice cream. crazy, I know).
We headed to the store and wandered happily about. I picked up a set of reindeer antlers for Kaia, which was meant to be a Christmas gift, but turned into a feel-better gift (more on that later), and found 3 books for Ben's Santa gift. One of the books Andrea found and was extremely generous in letting me have it, as it was the only one left--it has black and white pictures of animals that look like they are moving when you move the page. Much cooler than it sounds, trust me.
I came home to my family-Kaia had a half day today-and discovered Kaia had fell at school and skinned up her nose and mouth. She was okay, but I gave her the antler-headband to help her feel better. Ate a Harvest Muffin, then sat on the couch and listened to her read a book she got in class today. Ben is now sleeping on me, sweet sweet boy, and Kaia and Mike came in from playing outside for a bit.
excellent day, don't you agree?
First, Ben only woke up ONCE last night!! That means he slept 6 hours, then 4 hours! Too cool....
Kaia headed out the door for her last day at this school, and I started coffee. Mike sat down at his computer to mess around for a bit and I checked email. Just a nice relaxing morning.
Mike went on a box hunt and was successful! He came back with several good ones, including 3 perfect book packing boxes. Together we taped them closed on the bottom and emptied almost one full bookcase! It was awesome to just spend time with my husband.
Then we made Harvest Muffins (at some point will post recipe) together, while sharing a leftover burrito. Again, just spending the time leisurely with my man was just too cool. There was no homework sitting in the background calling him, no other work that we HAD to do. Ben snoozed in his swing behind us as we stirred and chopped and Mike fed me bites of burrito goodness.
Then Andrea called and asked if I wanted to join her for some last minute Christmas shopping. Of course, there is only one answer to that, so she picked me up and we headed out, leaving Ben in his daddy's capable hands. We fortified ourselves with a couple of Baskin Robbins coffee drinks (and I picked up a small container of bubble gum ice cream (can you say oh my god, yuck?!) for Kaia and Mike (yes, my husband likes pink bubblegum ice cream. crazy, I know).
We headed to the store and wandered happily about. I picked up a set of reindeer antlers for Kaia, which was meant to be a Christmas gift, but turned into a feel-better gift (more on that later), and found 3 books for Ben's Santa gift. One of the books Andrea found and was extremely generous in letting me have it, as it was the only one left--it has black and white pictures of animals that look like they are moving when you move the page. Much cooler than it sounds, trust me.
I came home to my family-Kaia had a half day today-and discovered Kaia had fell at school and skinned up her nose and mouth. She was okay, but I gave her the antler-headband to help her feel better. Ate a Harvest Muffin, then sat on the couch and listened to her read a book she got in class today. Ben is now sleeping on me, sweet sweet boy, and Kaia and Mike came in from playing outside for a bit.
excellent day, don't you agree?
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Proud of My Man
I can't believe I haven't brought this up yet, I guess since all my readers know me, so already know, I didn't think it was necessary, but I have changed my mind.
My husband, rockin' smart guy that he is, has graduated! and managed, even with two kids and a wife, to graduate magna cum laude!! He has a cumulative GPA of 3.75 and in his department (computer science) a GPA of 3.85! My man is awesome, isn't he? He was really worried about this semester since he was taking some hard classes and Ben came right at the beginning of it, but he did really well, two A's and two A-'s, which raised his GPA!
He is SO HAPPY to be DONE DONE DONE. I am SO HAPPY he is done too!! When we told Kaia she no longer had to hear the words "Sweet, I have homework to do right now", she practically cried she was so excited.
So yeah. He's graduated, has a job, and we are moving to begin anew in three weeks.
YAY, us!!!!!
My husband, rockin' smart guy that he is, has graduated! and managed, even with two kids and a wife, to graduate magna cum laude!! He has a cumulative GPA of 3.75 and in his department (computer science) a GPA of 3.85! My man is awesome, isn't he? He was really worried about this semester since he was taking some hard classes and Ben came right at the beginning of it, but he did really well, two A's and two A-'s, which raised his GPA!
He is SO HAPPY to be DONE DONE DONE. I am SO HAPPY he is done too!! When we told Kaia she no longer had to hear the words "Sweet, I have homework to do right now", she practically cried she was so excited.
So yeah. He's graduated, has a job, and we are moving to begin anew in three weeks.
YAY, us!!!!!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
blech
I am out of sorts tonight. No real reason why, just feeling grumpy.
I adapt well to new situations. When moving up here the only regret I had was leaving my family and friends. My only regret leaving here is leaving Andrea and her family. I love the planning that goes into a move, the unpacking of my things, the dream that this time I will put everything in it's place and it will stay there. The finding of the nearby grocery stores, the search for the perfect doctor, dentist, chiropractor. The idea that I may meet new friends, find new adventures.
The down side to this? I begin to distance myself from THIS place too early. I stop caring if things have a place, because they won't even be here soon. I stop worrying how I look when I go out, because these people will never see me again! It's hard to clean my house, because in my mind, it's quickly becoming not-my-house. MY house is on the other side of the state, eagerly awaiting my arrival! It's even hard to eat the food here....this isn't real food, the REAL food over there, paused in it's existence until I appear to purchase and consume it. I forget to make sure Kaia has her Blue Folder for school, or does her homework (which I was actually getting very good at remembering to have her do), because this isn't her REAL school....her teacher and her new friends are only three weeks away from meeting their newest classmate!
It's hard to even buy food or anything else. I was in the store today, and I had to make myself buy yogurt and lunch meat. I passed a rack of something or other that normally I would have had to steel myself to pass by without grabbing things....and I could only think of the clutter it would add to my new home. I need pants, I have been living in pajama pants, only putting one one of the two pairs of jeans I own if I am leaving the house--but when I walked into the clothing section yesterday, I couldn't stand the sheer AMOUNT OF CLOTH, and had to go about my business of finding the Christmas gifts I had come for. I got mad at myself when this morning I realized both my pairs of jeans were dirty and I had to find the least dirty pair to wear, but won't go buy any until after I move. 'Cause in my strangely warped mind, the jeans over THERE must be better than the ones here, HERE where I don't actually live anymore, so can't buy anything right?
The only thing I haven't pulled back from is Andrea and her family. I want to spend as much time as possible (and due to weather and the price of gas, isn't close to as much as I'd like) before we leave. The last three years are the longest duration of time we've lived this close to each other in our whole 22 year friendship.
Now that I think about it, that may be another reason I have emotionally left this area already. I hate long drawn out goodbyes, so getting all but that one over with as soon as possible. And saying goodbye to Andrea, John, Katia and Liam will not be fun. There will be tears, at least on my part, and Kaia's......and the one thing I hate more than long drawn out goodbyes are tear filled ones.
That was enough of a ramble to last awhile, now, wasn't it?
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