I am in sync

Oh, man. I might have to change the name of my blog.

I started this blog a few years ago after I started publishing my own planner for moms. This year, with all the craziness of my new job, a new baby and home school, I haven't had time to create my planner for 2011. (For those of you who have asked me when it will be ready, this is my horrible way of finally facing the fact and informing you that I simply can't get it done. Can we still be friends?)

I really created the everydayMOM planner for myself, and I'm so happy that other people have found it as rewarding as I do to create lists everyday to make them feel on top of their life as mom. I've been trying to decide how I will function WITHOUT my planner in 2011.

Well, most of you know what a huge MacGeek I am. I loved the Mac when loving the Mac wasn't cool. I used an Apple when we saved data to those big "floppy" disks. You know the ones.

But for some reason, I have never fully integrated my iLife to include use of the iCal. I know why. It simply does not offer the satisfaction of drawing lines through chores completed, highlighting important items and adding already accomplished tasks to my list just so I can cross them off.

I could see using it to keep track of birthdays or soccer schedules. But I need a calendar that tells me what to do. I need it to tell me everything I need to do everyday.

Today, during a six-hour car ride, I decided I might be able to make the iCal work for me. I created calendars for home, work, my daily chores, homeschool and meal planning. I made lists and set them to recur daily, weekly or monthly, as necessary.

When I got home, I synced them to MobileMe. And then I synced all of my computers to my new calendars.

I have two iMacs, a Macbook, an iPhone and an iTouch. They are all in sync.

My iCals are one.

I'm going to try this form of list-making with all of its electronic simplicity, e-mail notifications and alerts. And if I hate it, I still have one more month to publish a new planner.

Instead of crossing things off, I will have to survive by checking the box on my electronic to-do lists. I know it won't be the same, but I'm going to give it a try.

Now if only I could get my me.com to complete all of those tasks on my list. Or maybe an iPad would help?

So, tell me. Do you use an electronic calendar to stay organized? Do you like crossing items off a paper list or does an electronic system work for you?

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Little cupcake

Since CapableDad's family was together today, we had an early birthday celebration for our almost 1-year-old. We were happy to see she isn't shy about eating cupcakes.


She stuck her finger in the chocolate frosting and licked her finger. Immediately, her face lit up with a big smile. She grabbed big handfuls and stuffed them in her mouth.



Mmmmmm...



With or without the chocolate frosting, our little cupcake couldn't be any sweeter.

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Thanksgiving day

I love Thanksgiving. It's the one holiday where there is no expectation to really do anything. Except eat. And taking a nap is totally acceptable. In between eating and napping, one can rest. And then, of course, there's always the option of sitting around and doing nothing.

I'm so thankful for the time spent with family during a highly unproductive day.

After a huge breakfast, the kids spent the morning with cousins. The boys had an air hockey tournament while the girls put on a fashion show.


We all spent lots of time being entertained by our almost 1-year-old. It's so hard to believe she wasn't even born this time last year! Little Miss Social loves all of the time surrounded by new people.



I've never been into shopping on Black Friday. I just can't think of anything I want that would be worth interrupting a night of sleep, going out in the cold and standing in line. But cyber shopping? I can do that! I spent a few hours browsing the virtual aisles and got some great deals.

Don't I look totally excited from the experience?


After a nap and more time sitting around, it was time for the Thanksgiving feast.



We burned off a few calories by playing Just Dance on Wii.

Even grandma got in on the action.

After all that hard work, we needed some pumpkin pie.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I'm so thankful for all of my family and friends, both real life and virtual! What was your favorite part of the day?

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You! (and you and you)

A few weeks ago, I took my kids to home school swim at our local aquatic center. I was sitting in the zero depth area trying to hide my very pale legs under the water while I played with the baby.

A woman came running over to me from across the pool. I wondered if she was bringing urgent news that she had an extra bottle of self-tanning cream in her bag.

"Aren't you the blog lady?!" she asked. (She really did sound excited when she asked, so I'm not exaggerating with the exclamation point.)

"Yes!" I answered. "I mean... maybe." Was it my imagination or did she just call me "the blog lady?" My mind was racing to try to answer.

"I don't know...," I stammered. "I do have a blog."

"I read your blog all the time," she said. (Well, she did say something to that effect. Perhaps she said, "I used to read your blog all the time" or "I read your blog a few times.")

She went on to tell me that I had even convinced her to watch Lost. After reading my Lost posts, she told her husband they had to get in on the series before the show ended, and they actually watched all six seasons in less than a year.

"WHAT?" I was thinking. (No, actually, I think I said, "WHAT?!" very loudly, but you know how noisy it can be at an indoor pool, so I can't be sure if I said it out loud or just thought it very loudly in my mind.) Anyway, I couldn't believe that not only did I have a reader I barely knew, but I had influenced her life in some weird, time-consuming, meaningless way.

I had met this woman more than a year ago at a park. It was the day I met my real life imaginary friend, Holly. We were discussing how we got to know each other through our blogs. This woman seemed interested, but I had no idea she had actually gone to the trouble to track down my blog address and had been reading.

She also couldn't have known how she had made my day.

Blogging can be a tricky hobby. Anyone who blogs will understand what I mean. I write because I need to write. It makes me feel better. I don't write so people will read. And yet, I want people to read. And when they don't, or when I think they don't, then I convince myself that my writing is ridiculous. "Why do I do this?" I ask myself. "Why do I feel I need to write in such a vulnerable, public way, when no one reads but me?"

And at just the moment I have convinced myself that not a single solitary soul on the planet reads my blog and I should delete the whole darned thing off the face of the blogosphere, some woman I barely know runs up to me at the pool and asks me if I am "the blog lady" as if I'm actually a real, bonafide blogger who has real, bonafide readers.

OK. So I know I have a handful of people who read my blog on a semi-irregular, halfway inconsistent basis. And I've even influenced a few others to waste a perfectly good year of their lives watching six seasons of Lost all at once.

But it's so easy to get caught up in comparing myself to the woman who boasts she grew to 1,000 readers in one year or the blah blah blah blogger who gets 562 comments every day. Comparing myself in any area of life always leads me to trouble. I'm trying to stop. Really! I am!

So today I just wanted to say "Thank you" to The Pool Lady. And to the people who now strike up conversations with me about Ugg boots. And the friend who texted me a covert photo of someone wearing Uggs with shorts at the grocery store. And the people who have e-mailed me with the grammatical errors that annoy them most. Those things really mean a lot to me.

So, today, I have a question. I would love to learn more about anyone who might be reading today.

Would you leave me a comment with your name, your blog address (if you have one) and the answer to this question: "Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert?"

I don't have any reason for asking this question other than the fact that I love to know these things about people. Do you find that you are energized by being around people or by being alone? (Just for fun, you also can tell me if you find yourself comparing yourself to others in any ridiculous, unhealthy ways. =] )

If you haven't left a comment before, just look for the little radio button that says "Name/URL." You can fill in your first name and leave your comment. You don't need to have a Blogger account or web site. Thanks!

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Grammar rules! Yes, it does.

I know the minute I write a post about grammar, I am destined to look like an idiot. I'm sure I will overlook grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. I might even make someone mad for being such a snob.

But I have to do it. Each morning when I go on Facebook or Twitter, I can't help but feel sorry for those without a voice. When I get a text message on my cell phone, I want to speak up for the words that have been condensed into single letters. I have to say something in their defense.

I will shout it from the rooftops!

Can we give the poor apostrophe a break? It is tired, overworked and overused. Why do people believe they need to insert an apostrophe each time they want to make a word plural? A simple s will do! If the word ends in s, x or z, and an es! Believe me, it can be done without adding an apostrophe!

An apostrophe doesn't make a capital letter more important! Just write CDs or IOUs or PJs. Let the poor apostrophe stay home and make dinner so it will have plenty of energy to do what it is supposed to do.

The apostrophe wants to help with possessives. If, for example, "The boy's dog ran away," use it! "The boys' hats are lost?" Of course, the apostrophe will help! That is the time to put it into action!

It's also more than happy to jump in and help with a contraction. But please, please, let it do its job. Let it replace the missing letter! "We don't need any bananas," you say? Great! But please don't tell me, "We do'nt have any oranges."

And that leads me to the homonym. The poor, troubled homonym is about to have a mental breakdown.

Please think of the homonym when delivering bad news. "Their cat ran over there and got hit by a car. They're going to be sad!"

Think about how the homonym feels when making a difficult decision. "I want to go to the Toby Mac concert with two of my friends, but my brother wants to come, too." But, please, don't add an extra o just because you have left a to dangling at the end of a sentence or because, "My mama wants me to-o-o-o-o-o."

I know this one is tricky. I know it's hard to remember that it's time to put the chicken in the crock pot so its juices will run clear in time for dinner. How can this be? "It's breaking the rules," you say? Just remember that in this case, the possessive form is willing to go without its apostrophe so its sister, the contraction, can use it instead. It is true. Yes, "it's true." How nice.

I hope you have enjoyed this grammar lesson. I know some might say, "U R welcome." But not me. No! Never! I can't do it! I will type the full words, and let them live! I will add a comma in a compound sentence! I will type, "You are!" I will do my best to use proper grammar even when it is no longer socially acceptable!

What about you? Will you join my cause?

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How did that happen?

On Tuesday, our firstborn son turned 10.

I looked at the weather report on Sunday and realized his birthday was supposed to be an unseasonably warm and sunny day. So we split up Tuesday's assignments between the remaining days and planned to go to an awesome state park that is about an hour away.

When we got there, we were hiking in the bottom of a canyon that was covered with fallen leaves and branches. In the spring and summer, the canyon can resemble anything between a creek and a river. We had never visited it in November when the earth was dry and we could scale the roots and rocks to climb up the tall canyon walls.

"Aren't you allergic to some of the stuff out here?" my middle son asked my oldest.

I smiled, but didn't reveal the answer. According to the allergy test, he is allergic to everything outdoors. Grass. Trees. Pollen. Ragweed. Dustmites. Mold. Cats and dogs. And yet, he hasn't taken any allergy medicine for about four years. He sneezes more than most people. And he has a few really bad days each year. But we can hike around the bottom of a damp, leaf-covered canyon all day, and he feels fine. No Benadryl required.

How did that happen?

"Yeah," I added. "And weren't you born in November when it is supposed to be cold?"

And yet every year that I can remember, he has enjoyed an absolutely gorgeous warm birthday. The week before is usually cold and the week after is usually cold. But we have come to expect that Nov. 9 will be a warm, sunny day.

"I think God has an awesome plan for your life," I told him.

I choked back tears as we hiked along and I thought of how many obstacles he has overcome.

To say his birth was traumatic is not an exaggeration. I don't know a lot about what happpened that night, but I do know he was barely breathing when we was born. He spent his first few days in the neonatal unit in an oxygen tent, fed by a tube in his nose.

During his toddler years, we would call him "highly sensitive." He couldn't stand the sound of crinkling paper. He hated noises. He would melt down if he got too warm.

We would go to playgroups and he would stay plastered to the side of my leg. He wouldn't venture away from me to play with toys or interact with other kids. When he got to preschool, he spent the first few months standing in the corner crying. By March, he had finally warmed up enough to speak in class, much to the amazement of his teachers who didn't seem to believe me when I insisted that he could talk. They had suggested a psychiatrist might be able to help with his anxiety.

So when I see him walk into a room these days and start organizing kids to play a game, I don't take it for granted. I still find myself in awe many times when I see other kids look to him as a leader.

For many years, he was afraid to go on swings or slides. He didn't learn to ride his bike until the summer before second grade. The OT said it was a "vestibular issue" and a problem with "movement through space."

So when he started riding his bike on some challenging trails this summer, again, I choked back tears. When I see him climbing the side of a canyon wall and hanging from the side of a tree, I don't take it for granted.

School wasn't easy either. The teachers asked me to meet with them every month to assess his progress. He was struggling. They suggested therapists and tutoring and solutions moms don't want to hear.

So this year when he says things like, "I'm starting to like math!" or "I think grammar is fun!" you can't imagine what those words mean to me. We don't have the long sessions where the two of us are crying because we are both so stressed out about school.

In so many ways, it seems life has been a harder struggle for him than for our other kids. And yet, my 10-year-old is such a light to our family. Where other kids blend in, he stands out.

We have all learned so much from him. He is such an example of kindness and caring for others. He truly wants to do the right things. He wants to understand big spiritual questions that we sometimes can't answer.

He looks out for kids who are different or in need of friends. He has an awesome sense of humor. The kids at his co-op call him "funny man." And his creative mind drives him to make up stories, draw pictures, and recruit other kids as actors in his plays.

He is an awesome brother. He is a dependable helper with his baby sister and a peacemaker between his other siblings.

When other kids talk about him, the first thing they usually mention is that he is fast. He can run. He loves to run. And when he runs, he is so light on his feet that it's like he's gliding on air. I would say that he doesn't have a problem with his "movement through space."

So, yeah... "Aren't you allergic to some of the stuff out here?"

That was such a funny question to me. I could have asked so many more questions that would make it seem impossible we could be climbing the side of a canyon wall on my son's 10th birthday.

How did that happen?

And I only have one answer.

"God is definitely smiling down on you."

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Can I get a nice warm drink with that?

After opening that can of worms about the Ugg boots vs. the Keurig, I decided I should write an entire blog post about my love for warm beverages. I know, I know... two deep thought-provoking posts in two days is a bit much, but I'm going out on a limb.

But first, I have to say that after writing that post, I was compelled to do a bit more research on the Ugg. As I said before, my friend who wants the Uggs does have incredibly good taste in clothing, and after receiving a few comments from staunch supporters over on Facebook, I knew I didn't fully understand the positive qualities of the Ugg.

I have to admit, this would be a cute way to approach the winter snow.

And this even looks a bit like a cowboy boot. The brown suede would look sweet with my Chief Illiniwek outfit.

It's that whole knitted sweater on the foot look that gets to me.

And of course the $200 price tag. I'm sorry, but even at 50 percent off, that is an expensive pair of boots.

OK... so enough about boots. What about that Keurig?

I don't like cold weather, which is not a good quality to possess when you live in the midwest. Sweaters and cute boots aren't enough to keep me going, so I also have to stay motivated with soup and lots and lots of warm drinks.

I have my Keurig programmed to turn on at 6:20 and I'm ready to start my day with a nice warm drink brewed to perfection.

I love my selection of K-cups.

But this is actually my drink of choice. Hot tea.

Last week, the weather took a turn for the colder after some amazing fall days in October. I decided I better buy some hot chocolate because our small group was coming over that night.

The boxes of hot chocolate were on sale for $.81. That's right. EIGHTY-ONE CENTS.

This was a great excuse to grab a few of the regular milk chocolate, plus the ones with mini marshmallows. And then the dark chocolate sensation. Oh, and the caramel chocolate. And a box of the mint chocolate.

And what is hot chocolate without a big squirt of whipped cream on top?

My husband was skeptical about how many people would go for the cocoa. We heard many comments of, "Well, I don't usually drink hot chocolate, but I see you have whipped cream." Everyone grabbed a packet and we all enjoyed our comfort drink on a 30-degree evening. Mmmmm. That makes a cold evening worth it. Well, it helps anyway.

Oh, and do you want to guess which was most popular?

• milk chocolate?
• milk chocolate with mini marshmallows?
• dark chocolate sensation?
• caramel chocolate?
• or mint chocolate?

Go ahead... Leave me your guess!

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