Tuesday, run errands
201
Good morning! How’d your weekend recovery go yesterday? I got a lot accomplished, and the kids did a great job, and did not argue once.
so we drove through McDonalds and got McFlurries.
win-win!
Today:
clean out under the kitchen sink, and srub the cabinet down. If you’ve got a lot of icky build-up, open the windows and spray Fantastik or 409 (or something similar) and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Then scrub away with an old sponge. Let the area air dry for a good 30 minutes before closing up again.
it’s the 200th day of the year!
July 19, 2010 by Stephanie · Leave a Comment
200
Monday!
We’re back from a weekend get-away, and I really, really like being on vacation more than being back in the “real world.” I love watching the big kids jump on hotel beds, squeal at 3-year old reruns of Dora, and find all the “free” soap and pens. The kids are ecstatic to eat chips in bed and leave wet towels on the floor.
I like how in only two nights, the hotel is the new home, and that a routine quickly sets in.
it trips me out.
Today I’ll catch up on laundry, and fold the beach towels. I’d like to say I’ll vacuum the sand out of the van, but I’d be lying. It’ll probably stay there until it’s so ground into the carpet you can no longer see it.
The kids will fight today. They’ll be over-tired, and the morning will be filled with meltdowns.
I’ll lose my cool around mid-afternoon and promise myself to never ever leave the house ever again.
My goal is to keep this inevitable freakout internal, and only show my frustration to the coffee pot.
I may need a reminder at 3pm.
Today:
laugh hard and often
the weekend, days 198 & 199
July 17, 2010 by Stephanie · Leave a Comment
198 & 199
Happy Weekend!
I hope you’ve got fun planned. We’re celebrating our 11th anniversary this weekend by attending a wedding! I’m thinking that’s got to be some sort of good luck.
I love weddings.
This weekend:
play outdoors
stay patient
any yard work need to be done? are the cars in good shape?
Friday Fun Day
July 16, 2010 by Stephanie · Leave a Comment
197
I had a ball last night chatting about The Help on twitter. I’ve never participated so attentively to a twitter discussion, and I really enjoyed the “real time” aspect. It reminded me of the days I spent refreshing message board posts on my favorite parenting website as a new mom. The internet is both ginormous and teensy all at the same time.
LOL. spell check highlighted “teensy” but not “ginormous”!
Today:
have fun with your family
count your blessings
work on your projects/hobbies
Is not life a hundred times too short for us to bore ourselves? –Friedrich Nietzsche
Happy Thursday!
July 15, 2010 by Stephanie · Leave a Comment
196
I’ve got a discussion on The Help today over on the crockpot site. If you’re around, I’m also going to be on Twitter @stephanieodea using the #thehelp hashtag between 5-6pm pacific.
I feel like such a dweeb when I try to tech talk.
and! I got a much better night’s sleep last night. Thank you for your kindness.
Today:
keep working on projects and hobbies
sneak in some quick mopping and speed vacuuming
catch up on The Help discussion!
People who say they sleep like a baby usually don’t have one. –Leo J. Burke
Wednesday, July 14
July 14, 2010 by Stephanie · 2 Comments
195
I’m writing this at 7:21 pm on Tuesday evening. I’ve been up since 2am. I’m kind of delirious.
I don’t even have a reason for being up in the middle of the night. The baby sleeps just fine, although I should probably turn the monitor down because her little phantom cries in the middle of the night jerk me awake and then I have to check on her because if I don’t I lie awake and think bad things.
and then I have to pee.
and then I check on the other kids and then have to pee again.
and since I’m up I might as well check email, but then I’ll open a link that opens a link that opens a link, and all of a sudden it’s 3:30, and the baby usually wakes at 4 to eat so I start wondering if I should just try to feed her now or wait it out.
and so I pee again.
finally at 4:04 I can’t take it anymore and feed her, but she doesn’t really eat-eat, so I wonder if it “counts” or not, so I turn on the mobile light to see if her eyes are open, and then she starts smiling and cooing, and then her sister calls from the other room that she’s cold, so then she’s completely awake.
and I start getting cranky.
and seem to have to pee again.
so I put the baby on the bathmat while I pee and she rolls over and starts chewing on a hair tie, which isn’t safe, so I snatch it away in kind of a frantic motion which makes her cry big crocodile tears, and by now it’s 4:27.
so I feed her some more and rock her trying not to make eye contact.
she’s back asleep by 5:12, but after peeing a few more times (seriously. what’s up with that? I should probably call someone), I’m fidgety and annoyed and know that the alarm will go off at 6, so I have a mental ping-pong match over whether I should just get up and make coffee already, or put on a third pair of socks and try to get back to sleep.
5:57 I may have dozed off
6:00 there’s the alarm. ugh.
Today:
take a nap
delegate the Daily 7
TUESDAY!
July 13, 2010 by Stephanie · Leave a Comment
194
Continue to work on your hobbies/projects and enjoy the sunshine. If you need to run errands, keep an open eye (and mind!) for possible holiday gifts.
Today:
work on hobbies/projects
thumb through The Help to get ready for Thursday’s Book Club!
day 193 it’s Monday, AGAIN
193
Good morning to a brand new week! I hope you enjoyed yourself!
This week, continue to work on any hobbies/projects you’ve been putting off. Update the baby book, finish knitting the afghan you started in 2006, read a good book, print out some photos, etc.
No new chores. Just try to keep up with the Daily 7 as much as you can. For the rest of July, goof off and have fun. Really.
you’ll go nuts if you don’t, and no one wants that!
Today:
personal hobbies/projects
If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun. —Katharine Hepburn
the weekend days 191 & 192
July 10, 2010 by Stephanie · 2 Comments
191 & 192
It’s after the Fourth of July, which means that the winter holiday catalogs are beginning to arrive. Use this as a springboard to sit down and make your shopping list and budget. Now.
I know. It sounds nutty, but instead of spending your lazy summer afternoons surfing the web while the kids are out in the wading pool, you could surf and shop.
Make it a goal this year to get ALL of the holiday gift shopping done before Halloween. You’ll thank me, I promise.
The number one rule, though, is to stick to your budget, and write down what you buy, and for whom. and then write down where you hid the gifts.
AND THEN DON’T BUY ANYTHING ELSE!
again, you’ll thank me! 
xoxo
This Weekend:
make out a winter holiday list and budget
have fun, make memories!
day 190!
July 9, 2010 by Stephanie · 2 Comments
190
hey guess what? Bethenny got married!
after she peed in an ice bucket.
really?
oh my.
We’re doing really well with our bout of chicken pox—no new spots today, and they’re already drying up.
What are your plans today? Everything going well?
Today:
work on hobbies (other than catching up with the Housewives…) 
