Chaos Chronicles

Some people call it a Bucket List, but I prefer to call it a Life List.   I don’t want it to be a list of things to do before I die.  I want this list to show the things I want to do to enrich my life and live it to the fullest.    Some things I will do alone, some things I will do with my family, and some things I’ll do with complete strangers.  I hope that with each item I can check off my list, I will learn a little bit more about myself and my family and friends.  This list is in no particular order. I’ll add and check off things every once in a while.   Do you have a Life List /Bucket List?  Link it in the comments.

Lisa’s Life List 2010

1. visit the Effiel Tower
2. Visit the Louver
3. Visit the parthenon
4. Visit Greece
5. Visit the UK
6. Jump from a High Dive
7. Ride a horse bareback
8. Learn to play the guitar
9. Learn to read music
10. Adopt from China
11. Adopt domestically
12. Own waterfront property
13. Raise Poultry
14. Raise Goats/Sheep
15. Learn to drive a stick
16. Drive a sports car
17. Take a course at Harvard
18. Have a home birth
19. Work with Habitat for Humanity
20. Get to my ideal weight
21. Finish my Childbirth Education Diploma
22. Become a Certified Lactation Counselor
23. Become a Master Herbalist
24. Bathe under a waterfall
25. Learn to paddle a Kayak
26. Generate Passive Income
27. Read 30 books in 30 days
28. Be a published Author
29. Put out a album
30. Run a marathon
31. Learn to ride a horse
32. Host Christmas in my first house
33. Go someplace tropical
34. Learn to do a cartwheel
35. Own a successful business

I haven’t posted in sooo long.  I have an excuse. I’ve been busy. REALLY busy.
My only free time was on Saturdays. Every Monday thru Thursday Paul had Baseball practice and games on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Monday, Thursday and Friday’s I had Daycare at my home for 2 little boys. Every Tuesday the girls had Gymnastics. Every other Tuesday I had Daisy Girl Scouts (I’m the Leader). Every Wednesday Paul had Boyscouts. Every Wednesday and Friday the girls had dance class and every Sunday the girls had AWANA. I’m also a member of a fundraising committee for the local library, the PTO vice president, the Habitat for Humanity volunteer Coordinator for a local build, the cultural enrichment coordinator for our elementary school, the registrar for my girl scout service unit. Yeah. I have a sickness. I can’t say no, hence the volunteering, and I love it when my kids are involved in extra-curriculars.

Leena wants to add Soccer in the fall. I think I’m going to have to make them cut back though. It’s been crazy this past year. Do I dare try it again for another year?!?!

Cause let me tell ya, I’m REALLY enjoying the summer so far. It’s only five days in, but I have no daycare duties right now, no extra-curriculars, no lkids to get up and off to school, nothing. I have slept in late almost every day. Next week starts up VBS. I’ll have to make serious use of a house will no children in it for 3 hours! Is it sad that all I can think to do is take a hot soak and sip chai while reading a book in the bath?

There are plans in the works with some friends to host a week-long mock summer camp for our kids. Then there will be another week of VBS in August as well as a Family Vacation with some PA friends of ours. Then school starts. It doesn’t even seem like there will be enough time to do all the things I want to, with the kids, before school starts again. Anyone else feel like that? What are your summer plans?

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has decided that February was a great month to be Baldacious!  I agree.  My mother’s birthday was Feb 13th, so I have decided to do this for a birthday present.   I wish she could be here to see it, but through fundraising, the future will bring more hope to cancer patients, and that makes it worth it.

If I can raise $1000.00 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, I will crop my hair and use permanent dye to change it to my mom’s favorite color!  PURPLE!

If I can raise $5000.00 I will buzz it all off!  Yes, BALD. BALD I SAY!

Go and DONATE!!! It’s tax deductable!  http://totallybaldacious.llsevent.org/teamveloza

Here are a couple photos to show what I plan to do.  Color First, then Cut.

Helping Mom’s Connect is giving away a pink Cozy!

Leena has been wanting a pink one for the past few Christmases, but we never found one in child size.  Imagine my surprise when I find one that is not only pink, but is being modeled by a cute little 6 yr old that looks almost just like Leena in that picture!

If you want a chance to win that cozy (or just compare the picture to Leena) go check out the giveaway!

I’m sitting here in the dark at my computer at 11:45pm and what do I hear for the very first time EVER?  A Great Horned Owl right outside my window!  I’ve never heard ANY owls outside here in the 4-5 years I’ve lived here (off and on).

I wish I could have seen him flying through the night.  I’m not a bird watcher, but to me, seeing birds like owls, in the wild just strikes me as cool.

Check out this site for pics and audio!  Great Horned Owls

So.. after viewing the umpteenth year in review video, I’ve decided that my resolution for 2010 will be to take one picture a day for 365 days and then create a year in review video of my own!  I will also throw in some video clips from events throughout the year.

One such event is my girls’ dance recital!  Hopefully I’ll also be including my son’s first baseball game in the spring, and the purchase of our first home!!!  I really am excited to see what this coming year has to bring.

My only question is.. do I start with midnight on New Years???

Hope everyone’s holidays were merry and bright!

I have missed you all sorely! I just have not had any time at ALL to blog. I have been slacking on my SITS/Welcomista duties as well! Sorry SITSta’s!

So, Here is what’s been going on in my life.  I am the Vice President of the PTO at my children’s schools,  I’m a Daisy Girl Scout Leader, and I’m on the fundraising committee for our town library.  The girls have dance class 2x’s a week, and Leena has Daisies 1x every other week, and I’ve also been babysitting 3x’s a week, though now it will be on an as needed basis because the dad is done working for the winter. I also walk every Mon, Wed, and Fri with a friend of mine.  It’s been great and has helped me lose 10 lbs!  I have had too much going on the past couple weeks, and have only walked 1 or 2 days total… I’ve gained back 5 lbs.. I guess that’s mostly due to the 2 boxes of mini cinnabons I kept attacking…..

Leena wants to start soccer in the spring.  I hope I can survive lol.  I’m thinking she will drop out of dance when it’s over for the season and do more sports.  Phoebe is the natural dancer.  Even before she started dance she was walking around the house on her tippy toes constantly.  That little girl can do the splits!! I’ll have to take a video of her at dance class and post it.  The girls are so cute together.

I’ve also been painting slates for the Friends (the library group).  I’m almost finished with my first one.  WOW do they take forever!  I’ve been working on mine for about a total of 7 hours and it’s only 70% of the way done.  I’ll be posting a few pics of it when it’s done.  I’ll be photographing it in stages.

Now it’s time to get ready for Thanksgiving!  What is everyone’s plans?  We are staying home and hosting for Ben’s parents.. who just happen to live in the same house… lol.

Speaking of houses, we are looking at some houses in Maine.  Ben is applying for a Corrections job and we will find out if he makes it to the next step in January, where he will have to do the testing.  If he passes that, then he will be going for a 6-week(i think) corrections training at the police academy.  Then he will be assigned a shift and then he has a 6 month (i think) probationary period.  Please pray that things go well!

Well, I’m sure you don’t want to read any more.  That’s what I get for not posting.. I write a novel and then no one wants to come back for fear of blog overload lol.  I will try not to wait so long in between posts again!

Hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Ben and the girls were playing Barbies in our room and I stepped out for a minute.  This is what I heard from the other side of the wall.  Let’s just say, I’m very worried about my husband’s sanity.

The Characters: Leena – Fairy (she’s from fairytopia)  Phoebe: Prince Auhn and Sleeping Beauty  Ben: Daddy (a GI Joe doll)

Fairy: I want to get married but I’m not old enough, but Sleeping Beauty is getting married.

Daddy: What? She’s getting married?  To Who?  Where is this guy?

Sleeping Beauty and Prince Auhn hide.

Daddy: Fairy, who is Sleeping Beauty getting married to? What’s his name?”

Leena asks Phoebe what her boy barbie’s name is.

Phoebe thought and said “Um.. Prince Auhn (Like Awn in Awning )”

Daddy : Well have Prince Auhn talk to me like a man.

Prince Auhn appears

Daddy: So your Prince Auhn huh?  Do you realize you are naked? (the doll didn’t have any clothes lol)

Prince Auhn: Yeah.

Ben laughs

Daddy: Ok.. um..Where are you from?

Prince Auhn: The village

Daddy:What do you do?

Prince Auhn: Surf

Daddy: is that all you do?

Prince Auhn: yep

Daddy: what do you do to make money

Prince Auhn: This.

Phoebe holds up Sleeping Beauty next to Prince Auhn.

Daddy: what?  your a drag queen?

Prince Auhn: Yeah.

Ben laughs. very. hard.

I finally have a word! I finally have a word!  Ladies and Gentlemen, I am a Flexitarian (a semi-vegitarian that occationally eats meat)!!

I am attempting to cross over to full fledged Vegetarianism, but I occasionally eat meat a few times a month.  It’s very hard to eat outside my home as a herbivore, in a highly carnivorous world.

Lately I’ve been visiting the Morningstar Farms freezer section at Shaws.  I have made a pretty good Chik’n Ceasar pizza, Corn Chowder, and Kale & Orzo soup.  Tonight I will be trying out some Ground Grillers in place of Hamburger in an Indian dish.  I have also found out that I LOVE TEMPEH!

I also want to cut out dairy, so I switched to oatmeal in the morning, but that gets boring.  So, I’ve started eating low-fat granola with almond milk.   I’m not sure what I’m going to be doing about butter, cheese, and yogurt.  I want to stop using vegetable spread as well.  I tried soy yogurt and soy chocolate pudding, but they are just not palatable to me.

Anyone have any suggestions?

But NO longer!  I made my first trip the other day with Ben and the kids.

I got some very interesting things, like: buffalo burgers with portabello mushrooms and swiss cheese ground into the mix, herbed pizza dough (YUM), and spanakopita.  The isles were filled with a lot of things I’d never seen or heard of before, so it was definitely an experience!

I spent way too much though, and then I still had to do regular grocery shopping at another store!  That’s too much work for me.  I want to be in and out and be done for the next two weeks!

After much contemplation, I think that my affair with Trader Joe’s has just become a one night stand.  I’m OK with that.