Ramblings of a domestic engineer

Zucchini is really good in chili, in case you were wondering.  I had some on hand because it was on sale this week and I figured, why not throw it in the crock pot with the chili.  Matt and I both liked it.  Repeat. 

A couple of weeks ago my mop broke so I got a new one.  I hadn't purchased a mop in quite sometime and I was impressed and overwhelmed by how many choices there were at the store.  Matt and Elyse were both with me and needless to say, neither had patience for serious mop shopping.  I left with the Mr. Clean version of this one.

I love this mop.  I feel like I cover so much more surface area, it stays wet longer without soaking the floor.  I can't say it causes me to enjoy mopping more, but I do like it.   I thought I would mention it in case anyone was in the market for a mop.  

Through couponing I've been able to purchase some of the newer, brand name products that I previously would have shied away from but I can now get for much less than even the store brands. 

I love these laundry sheets.....

......and these Finish Powerball dish detergent things.

I like both products primarily because they were extremely inexpensive, secondly because they work and work very well, and thirdly because they do all the measuring for me.  I tend to over-pour on detergents or soaps, so for someone like me these take the guess work out.  Again, in case you were wondering.   

This Christmas was wonderful for us. It was the first year I didn't work any part of the holidays and I was able to truly appreciate that and Elyse was quite into the festivities herself. 

Matt and I celebrated our own Christmas eve on Thursday after Elyse went to bed. I made pot roast and we stayed up until midnight putting together Elyse's toy kitchen while listening to Christmas music. I'm sure this was the first of many years we stay up late doing last minute gift duties.  We converted an area of our kitchenette into a play area for Elyse.  We built the shelf and got a rug for the space last week.  I don't love having so many toys in our "living space" but for now it was the most sensible arrangement for us and I'm thankful that we have it. 
Elyse woke up to her kitchen Friday morning and loved it. That afternoon the 3 of us went to visit with Oma and after that went to celebrate Christmas eve with Mark and Kathy, Matt's aunt, uncle, and his cousin and cousin's family. We enjoyed a delicious greek dinner and spent the night there so Mark and Kathy could share the magic of Christmas morning with Elyse before she's old enough where we really need to stay at home for that. She loved his fire place and kept requesting for "more candles" when we would turn it off because of the heat. They got Elyse her very first bike and she just loves it. She did much better with opening gifts than we anticipated and it was such a joy to watch.


 While visiting Oma, Elyse wanted to hold her hand and since Oma couldn't without losing her balance, she insisted on "helping" her push her walker instead.  It was pretty darn cute.

 Once Elyse realized the presents were for opening and not just little chairs she tearing of paper went rather quickly after that.

 She was so excited about her new bike that she did her best to try and help Opa and I put it together.

 We came back home for her nap then drove to Lakeland to spend Christmas evening with my side of the family. A delicious dinner, the same meal we ate when I was a child, was followed by more presents!

As for me, Santa brought me a pretty bad cold.  I stayed in bed until 1pm today and Matt stayed home to care for Elyse this morning.  Thankfully the cold isn't terrible but it does put a damper on repairing the disaster our house has become with all of the new toy boxes and things.  I'm hoping to brave this 40 degree weather and make it to the store and post office this afternoon but other than that I'm keeping my to-do list reasonable. 

Florida doesn't get much of a true fall.  In fact, around us, we don't even have many "leaf baring" tress.  On a walk the other day Elyse and I found one very beautiful, fall tree near a friends house, so after going back and getting my camera, I snapped a few pictures.

 Look at the size of that leaf!  They were just huge!  For a Florida girl anyway.

This gorgeous tree was right in the middle of a row of townhouses and their clubhouse/mailbox area.  With so many large buildings around, it would have been easy to miss for sure but we enjoyed sharing in it's splendor and appreciating it's color.  So often in Florida our plant life goes from green to bare as if fall isn't a color palette or even a season.  It was a windy day and the tree seemed proud that someone had noticed it, almost as though it willfully and carefully released it's leaves for the enjoyment of a toddler.

Thank you tree.  Thank you God for beautiful trees and seasons.

The evening of my last post I was able to go shopping by myself.  I hadn't done any sort of shopping or errands alone in so long, I can't even remember the last time I was even in the car alone, much less errands.  It was nice, a little lonely, but it a good way I suppose.  I got so much accomplished.  I finished all of my Christmas shopping in under 2 hours!  Everything is wrapped and under the tree.  I know it isn't early by any stretch, but I'm still thankful it's done. 

 Thursday Elyse and I went with some friends to the zoo.  Every now and then I spend the $2 and allow her the special treat of riding on the carousel, she just loves it. 

Our small group had our annual Christmas party on Friday night and the theme was Christmas morning. 

Sunday my dad and his wife graciously watched Elyse for the entire day while Matt and I attended the Bucs game with his coworkers.  We froze and we lost, but it was still a good time. 

I had more I wanted to write but it sounds as though Elyse is up from her nap.

 My two very special someones and Elyse's favorite pj's with her favorite character.

My mom, Elyse and I. 

Just a couple of random pictures to archive. 

It's just now starting to get to me that I have a lot to get done and not a lot of time to do it.  I have to run errands in increments because Elyse is horrible to go shopping with.  Maybe it's more her age but I also think it's just her or how I'm handling her.  Even well rested with a full belly she can be hard to handle out and about but if she's hungry or tired...forget about it and during those times I don't blame her.  This has kept me from accomplishing very much and my usual goal of online Christmas shopping hasn't served well with wish lists this year.  It will all eventually get done and be okay though, just like every time before. 

This years Christmas card.  I decided to use our little snowman terd picture after all.  We've gotten great feedback which always makes me feel good. 

Matt and I watched The Time Traveler's Wife last night.  As unrealistic as that movie is, in some strange way it made me think maybe Matt's travel isn't all that bad.  Funny I know.

It's cold here.  Really cold.  It even looks cold and the harsh winds that made us take our doorhanger off exacerabte it by quite a bit.

I took my first trip to Ikea with a friend and our 2 little ones last Friday.  Wow!  What a store!  We decided to car pool which pretty much kept me from buying anything large because there just wasn't room for it with carseats and strollers.  We had a great time though and I want to go back soon to come up with some storage solutions for some of Elyse's toys and create a little play area for her.

Saturday night we went to a Christmas party through some of  Matt's coworkers and had a great time.  I always love playing the white elephant game, I like the game more than the parties most of the time, or maybe it's that the game makes the party.  Yeah, that sounds better.

Sunday we were supposed to get together with my dad, his wife, his wifes family, and my sisters but Elyse had a fever.  Her first fever ever in fact and it completely suprised us.  We were leaving church and she looked a little dazed and felt warm to the touch.  I took her temperature once we got home and it was 101.4, within half an hour it was over 102 and after her nap it was 103.3.  Needless to say we didn't go anywhere but as a nurse even I was suprised at the emotion it evoked in me.  I wasn't scared nor did I panic, I just felt for her.  I can't explain exactly what I felt because I hadn't felt it before.  It was just genuine, heartfelt concern while feeling help less and cluelessI suppose but those words don't seem to do the emotion justice.  She was acting okay but looked just pitiful.  Matt and I enjoyed the extra snuggles we got and even sat with her until she drifted off to sleep.  There is such a sweetness to her when shes sick, designed perhaps to help everyone involved through it.  She is much better today and for that I'm thankful.....sort of.  Once feeling better she was back in full blown toddler mode which challenges my thoughts, actions and patience everyday......but my oh my do I love that little girl.  I keep learning over and over that every hurdle in parenting is quickly met with another challenge and more often than not they overlap.  One obstacle is swiftly traded with another and so it goes.  Consistancy and being firm don't come easily for me but armed with Proverbs and goals I think I'm doing okay.  The progress I've seen in her and her behavior is so rewarding but just as I prepare to exhale my sigh she turns purple in anguish not wanting to sit down to eat at meal time.......and so it goes.  I can't help but wonder, does it get harder?  More challenging?  Or does it remain somewhat similar in challege but just keep changing?  I have a feeling I don't want to know the answer but that I'll know soon enough anyway.

I need to get my couponing and a couple of other chores done during this luxurious calm her sleeping provides so I better be going.

My first playdate hosting was a success!  There were 5 mommies and 6 little ones.  Every toy was scattered throughout the house, a Santa had his head ripped off, and I have a feeling I will be finding Cheerios for months but it was such a great time and I'm thankful to be meeting some nearby families.

Dinner tonight.....not a success at all.  I attempted a salmon recipe with sides of broccoli slaw and brown rice.  It looked beautiful but tasted, well, healthy and fishy.  Oh well, at least I tried I guess. 

Elyse and I were at Publix this afternoon and this sweet looking elderly man was waving and smiling at Elyse from a nearby bench.  I have such a soft spot for older people and I loved watching them interact without saying a word.  Then the man spoke up and I was sure I was about to hear words of wisdom or compliments on my beautiful child who had actually obeyed me without hesitation in front of the gentleman.  Still grinning at Elyse he sternly said, "Your daughter has her finger up her nose, you need to teach her not to do that."  Seriously!  I could hardly believe my ears.  I politely grinned back but thought loudly to myself how many battles I choose between everyday and how fingers up noses cannot be one of them right now.  I'm sure he meant well but I am a little pleased with myself for not getting worried about it or letting it ruffle my feathers.  I'm trying and I'm being as consistent as possible with these new battles of my now toddler and that's good enough for me right now even if it wasn't for him.  I like feeling like that. 

I did it!

I figured out how to print my labels.  I had to reinstall software, find my old contacts from an archive that was pre-computer crash, figure out how to transfer them.....yada, yada, yada, I did it!  I have no idea how to add a new contact so I went the old fashioned hand written way with a few but they will be in the mail tomorrow!

This did not help me get to bed early but I am glad I got it done :)!

Quick updates

Wednesday:  My last Women in the Word bible study on the book of Hebrews for this semester.  It was a great study and I'm amazed at how much can be gained from studying something slowly, one chapter at a time.  This is the first Women's bible study I've been a part of and I definitely want to continue.  We start a new study in January.

Thursday:  My mom came over for a couple of nights to visit.  We went to a friends ornament exchange that evening and spent some great time together sans Elyse.

Friday:  My mom and I went shopping together at the mall and she watched Elyse while Matt and I went to small group that night.

Saturday:  Matt, Elyse and I went to the International mall and out for sushi afterward and ended the day with a quiet evening at home.

Sunday:  Drove a little over 2 hours to visit with some friends in Orlando whom Elyse and I stayed the night with and Matt went to a conference. 

Monday:  My friend Jaclyn and I, along with my kiddo and one of hers, hit the Orlando Premium Outlets in the morning.  Matt and I met up for lunch in the afternoon and Elyse and I explored downtown Disney a little later. It never fails to amaze me  how truly magical Disney really seems.  It was a chilly 45 degrees out so being bundled while admiring Disney's Christmas decor made it all the more fun.  

Tonight I'm trying to catch up on chores but I'm very tired.  I dislike how computer illiterate I am because one of my main problems is with the computer.  The ability to print my address labels to mail our Christmas cards is lost somewhere in Dell space.  I can't figure it out and it's driving me bonkers.  I just want to get them in the mail so I can check that off of my to do list. 

Goals this week:  Host my first play date as a new member of our neighborhoods Mom's club without getting nervous or overwhelmed.  Organize, organize, clean, straighten, and organize (my lack of organization continually bothers me, I'm just not good at it.  Tips please????).  Create a play space for Elyse somewhere in the house.  Not do any more shopping.....oh wait, there are still a couple of things I really would like to hunt down and get so that might have to wait until next week.  I didn't realize how much shopping I did this past week until I saw it in black and white.  Fortunately 2 of those trips I didn't spend any money, I was just being social :). 

.......and sleep good tonight!