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Full or Fumes

25 Jan

You’ve just filled up your gas tank when you see the sign “Next Gas Station 6 Miles – Last Services for 9,000 Miles”.

Yeah, that’s what parenting is like.

Fumes, I tell ya!

I may be a little slow on the uptake since it took me nearly three years to figure this out: the breaks don’t come when you need them.

You get a breather, but it is at mile 0.25 of the race, not mile 10.

You put some gas in the tank but then have to drive until you are limping home on fumes.

With kidlets, nothing quite happens how or when you need or expect it to.

The other day, I had a day all to myself. (That bold font doesn’t add nearly enough emphasis.) The kidlets were at school and my office was closed.  The stars align like that about twice a year.  I had big dreams of a relaxing, yet productive day.   I planned out my day over and over in my mind – the places I’d go! the things I’d accomplish! the wonderful break it would be!

And it wasn’t a bad day.  I took a long shower, got a pedicure, had a nice lunch, wrote some thank you notes that were becoming embarrassingly tardy, caught up on a DVRed episode of Downton while sipping coffee.

But it was kind of like prom.  The preparation and anticipation was the best part.  The prom itself?  Kind of a letdown – just a dance with fancy clothes, with the same people you saw every day.  My day was filled with things I would have done anyway, just over the course of a month and not a day.

My day to myself came at a time when I wasn’t desperate for a break.  The kids were on the mend from the dreaded winter bugs, folks had been sleeping relatively well, work was busy but manageable, my sniffles had cleared, and the holidays were cleaned up and put away.  My parenting mood was more like “I got this, kind of!” rather than, “Help me! I’m drowning!”  My tank was ¾ full.

It is a parenting challenge – perhaps a life challenge? – that I haven’t figured out how to manage.  The breaks, the respite, the calm, the recharging, rarely come when I need them most.  So I don’t feel like I take full advantage, and end up with nothing saved up for the trying days and nights that come so often when raising two very small people, nurturing a marriage, working full-time, managing a household, and not losing myself completely in the process.

I’m not sure how exactly, but I need to work on keeping my tank a little more full.  And embrace those breaks more fully when I do get them.  Another item for the to-do list…

 

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Baby Favorites (Giveaway!)

15 Jan

As I switched on the quiet whhhiiiirrrrr of the white noise machine Mr. Pickle’s thumps and yells instantly became background noise.  Plum closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

I have my own white noise machine, Plum is a light sleeper, Pickle is loud, and our house is small.  I don’t know why it took me so long to get her her own white noise machine.  She has slept better, and longer with it.  (Of course, the ear tubes and her age could have something to do with that, too.) Add that magical machine to my list of favorite baby things!

What follows is a partial list of my didn’t-want-them/didn’t-know-I’d-need-them/had-no-idea-how-much-I’d-love-them items for newborns/infants/toddlers.

Dohm-DS Dual Speed Sound Conditioner by Marpac

Dohm-DS Dual Speed Sound Conditioner by Marpac

There are cuter ones, but I love this white noise machine.  It creates a whoosh of air, so there are no strange electronic loops.  You can change the tone and speed (volume).  It is very portable and does exactly what it is advertised to do.  The only negative? No bells, whistles, music, lights if that’s what you’re looking for.

Carter's One-Piece Microfleece Zip-Up Sleeper

Carter’s One-Piece Microfleece Zip-Up Sleeper

Cozy, comfy and inexpensive. I love these. We have all sorts of one-piece sleepers and these are my favorites.  When you’re doing a squirmy-wailing-middle-of-the-night diaper change the zipper is a lifesaver – who decided 15 snaps was a good idea?  These wash well and my little ones seem to think they’re great.  Thank you Carter’s! The only negative?  Pickle has big feet, and sometimes his feet outgrew the sleepers before the rest of him did. Also, they aren’t ideal during potty training.

The Happy Frog mobile by Flensted

The Happy Frog mobile by Flensted

I like old-fashioned mobiles. I don’t want big fluffy, chunky animals, music, plastic.  I like airy, elegant, whimsical, floating mobiles. I like mobiles that dance, and balance.  Thankfully, I found Flensted mobiles. LOVE.  I’m considering getting more of them – like the bunnies (BUNNIES!), or the cycling elephants (CYCLEPHANTS!). I want to put funky Danish mobiles all over my house.  The negatives? A little expensive for paper and wire, and sometimes I fear the mobile will get wound up up up when the ceiling fan is on and it circles in same direction over and over and over.

"That's Not My Donkey..." by Fiona Watt and Usborne Publishing

“That’s Not My Donkey…” by Fiona Watt and Usborne Publishing

It is hard to find books for little bitty ones. Attention spans are short and there are much more exciting things to do, like eating things they should not, sticking fingers in outlets, and tormenting the cat.  However, the “That’s Not My…” series by Usborne has proven to be a huge hit among my under-2 set.  They are short, sweet, tactile, and colorful.  Negatives?  My husband and I disagree about the appropriate emphasis. Is it, “That’s not my donkey, its tummy is too squashy” or “That’s not my donkey, its tummy is too squashy“?  Also, is “squashy” a word?

Giveaway!  Post a comment here and be in the running for two Usborne books and two Carter’s Microfleece sleepers!  Winner will be chosen at random, and can specify age and size of recipient(s).  (No, you don’t have to have kids/grandkids to win! These make great shower gifts, or donations!) (Update: ends at noon EST on 1/22/13!)

Note: I don’t know anyone at Marpac, Carter’s, Flensted or Usborne.  I just think these baby-related items are great.

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Speaking of rabbits…

5 Jan

Hot Hat

My house is still suffering from the Christmas explosion.

From my seat, I can observe many things, including: bear slippers, Matchbox cars, unmatched socks, stacks of recycling, bags for Goodwill, puzzles, 2 Fireman hats and an elephant that shoots colored balls out of its trunk.  I am trying to be thankful for the joyful season and abundance, and resist the urge to put stacks by the curb with “free” signs.  (If there were no snow banks, I might actually do that…)

But I can’t find my battery charger.

I read a book.

I took a nap.

I took a walk.

I baked.

I had some cocktails and dinner out.

I listened to some great music, turned up too loud.

I went to bed early.

I rocked my daughter to sleep.

I laughed with my son.

I reconnected with old friends.

I stayed up late in the quiet, puttering.

And I still haven’t been able to recharge my batteries. Energy is running low. Where is that dang pink bunny with the drum, anyway?

It was a very long short week.  Tonight, on the drive home, my husband and I were trying to make a plan to divvy up the bedtime duties while Plum wailed exhaustedly, and Pickle muttered and mumbled requests just quietly enough that we couldn’t hear him.

“What is the plan?” Ty asked.

“Well, I plan to pull into the driveway, put the car in park and then run away screaming.” I responded.

“Shoot,” he said, “that was my plan, too.”

At least we can laugh together.

Sure, it was less than a week ago that we had one of the best days ever, but today we’re feeling tired and worn. That’s how this whole parenting thing works, I think.  The good news is that funks don’t last forever, and one day – someday – we will be rested and recharged. I am thankful I can recognize that.

Under those fireman hats – it’s a good place to start looking for that charger.

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Resolute. NYE 2013.

1 Jan

Rabbits! Rabbits! Rabbits!

Hunny Bunny

 

The whole parenting/working/being an adult thing is tough enough.  I feel like I work hard every day to be a good person, a good parent, with an intact sense of humor and some semblance of sanity.  Then, New Year’s Eve comes along and I’m supposed to set some goals for self-improvement.  But heck, I’m not going to strive for things like enlightenment, marathons, vegetarianism, volunteer work, or travel until I can succeed at some smaller things, like peeing solo, making my bed (weekly counts), eating breakfast, and/or going to bed at a reasonable hour.  I need some successes, so I’m setting the bar low this year.

Resolutions for 2013

  1. No face or neck tattoos. Not even temporary ones.
  2. Avoid Diet Coke, monkfish liver and Pitbull concerts.
  3. Learn to play an instrument (maracas, kazoo and tambourine count)
  4. Shower most days.
  5. Read one book, and see one movie in a theater.
  6. Figure out how to listen to my podcasts in my car.
  7. Avoid reality shows about the Amish, and/or large tumors.
  8. Sleep. At least some.
  9. Remember every family member’s name, every day.
  10. Organize the hall closet by April.

I’ll report back.  The Amish reality show one is going to be tough.

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Extra Ordinary.

30 Dec

Today was the best day ever.
It was really that good.

After a much-anticipated 35th birthday celebration dinner cut short by vomit (not mine), and a night woefully short on sleep, my expectations weren’t high.

 

Snooze Cat

Today we did nothing. And a few things.

We puttered.

We played.

We ate.

We avoided the tummy bug we were sure would sweep the 3 members of the family yet unbugged.

My husband broke out the vacuum. I shifted kid clothes. We had pasta for dinner. We wore our PJs far too late into the afternoon (and I am neither going to confirm nor deny whether some of us are still wearing them). We got some of Christmas put away, and didn’t worry about the rest. We read books. We laughed a lot. My husband and son played in the fresh snow in the dark – Pickle coming back inside with a chapped face and blazing ears “Mama, feel this ear! Now Mama, feel this ear!” Plum, feeling better, graced us with toothy grins and some belly laughs at dinner, and invented a new game of “peekaboo” with her brother. Pickle was helpful, sweet and affectionate, often struck by the need to hug and kiss any family member who was in a different room. He woke up from a luxuriously long nap, good-humored and generous and sat to play with Plum, exclaiming unprompted, “I love my sister.”

We had a few firsts, too.  Plum switched from her quick army-style crawl to an all-fours method.  Pickle started referring to me as his “mom” instead of “Mama.”

Everybody napped.

I read a book, uninterrupted, for over an hour.

I read a book, uninterrupted, for over an hour.

We were not in a rush to go anywhere. We were together, happily together. We accomplished enough to feel like the day wasn’t wasted, but were able to overlook the long to-do list of weekends – cleaning, straightening, cooking, shopping, going, doing.

Today was extra ordinary, and extraordinary. And when so many days with young children feel harried, half done, challenging and tiring, I am so grateful for this day.

Tomorrow I will go to work, and will worry about money, time, and whether we will get that tummy bug after all. But tonight, I will climb into my warm bed, read a bit more, and go to sleep with a grateful, rested heart, thankful.

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Fa la la la blah.

21 Dec

I have carved out a little cozy place in my house where I can sit and not see the mess.  The mess is overtaking everything, as Christmas and all of the stuff that comes along with it explodes.  And it is only going to get worse before it gets better.

Tonight, I can’t look at it, and I can’t think about it.  Would it make me feel so much better to just take some time and clear the clutter?  Probably.  But I just don’t have it in me tonight, so I’ll sit and write and clear the clutter in my brain instead.

I need to figure out how to enjoy Christmas.  All of it, or at least more of it.  Not just that one magical moment when my children realize that Santa visited, in the twinkly tree light as the sun comes up on Christmas morning.  I need more cuddles, more cozy, more gratitude, more calm.  Come to think of it, I probably need more of those things all year round, but I digress. I also need more hot cocoa – preferably with Baileys in it. Because it’s the most wonderful time of the year, dangitall!

Mad Rudolph

When someone tells you “You will eat your broccoli and you will like it!” it doesn’t actually make you like it.  So telling myself, “You will be cheerful and enjoy the chaos!” doesn’t seem to be working.

Then again, people tell me that the more you exercise, the more you love it.  And while some part of me thinks they’re crazy people trying to sneakily share their exercise-induced misery, I bet on some level that they’re right. So perhaps if I just wrap more, clean more, carol more, decorate more, and bake more, I will love all of those things more.

Probably not.

So instead I’ve developed a plan for bringing back the cheer…

  1. For me, gratitude is is harder when sleep is short.  So that will be step one. Eight hours of sleep. A lofty goal, but Christmas is all about miracles, right?  Mama will settle in for a long winter’s nap, once I find that silly kerchief.* And once I can get the kidlets to bed – a task that is getting more and more difficult by the week.
  2. “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” by Bruce (Springsteen – I figure my regular readers will know who I’m talking about when I refer to him only by his first name).  It isn’t Christmas until I hear it. And I haven’t heard it yet.  Ooh, now that I think about it, perhaps I’ll dig up some “Merry Christmas, Baby”, too.  That one always improves my mood!  Horns make me jolly.
  3. Ask Pickle about all of the people he will get to see in the upcoming week.  Because when I do, he excitedly lists off the names of family members like reindeer. And his pure joy at getting to see aunts, uncles, and cousins is a great reminder of the love and family that we are surrounded by.
  4. Clean up the living room only, and sit with my husband – on the same couch! –  in the quiet of the twinkly tree (with all of the non-toxic, chewable ornaments on the bottom). Maybe we’ll reflect on our year a bit. Maybe we’ll have a glass of wine.  Maybe we won’t do either, and we’ll just be.
  5. Take a few quiet moments during my commute home to send good, loving thoughts to people I know and people I don’t know who are lonely or hurting or sad.  And I’ll try to take an opportunity at some point to do something unexpected and loving for someone I don’t know.  Because I still believe that good will, kindness and love are contagious and more necessary than ever.

I’ll let you know how it all goes.

- Sarky Claus

* I do believe that this is only the second time in my life that I’ve ever typed the word “kerchief.”

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Thanks! The Grand Finale!

27 Nov

50 Days of Gratitude

Days 41 through, er, 49

Okay, so clearly calculating calendar dates isn’t my strong suit (even when I use a nifty online date calculator).  What was supposed to be 50 days of gratitude turned into 49 days of gratitude.  I am not less grateful, I am simply less accurate.  I consider it a happy accident, because my very favorite number in the world is 49.  It really is.  Think about it – it looks random and odd, but it is a square!  And the 4 and the 9?  They are both squares too!  Joy joy!  (Yes, perhaps I do have some quirks.)

Back to the list…

188. Lounge wear – Now that I am “out” in the blogosphere – meaning that my family, friends and boss(es) now know about this once-secret blog – I feel a bit constrained.  I feel a bit like I can’t say what I want to say, like here, where I want to write, “When I get home for the day I love my lounge wear because I don’t really like to wear pants.”

189. Feeling rested – Someday I will achieve this again, I just know it. 

190. Shortbread – Oh no! I just linked to the Panera Nutrition Calculator! Don’t click on it.  No, really don’t.  But I guess I shouldn’t be shocked that the nutritional info ain’t so pretty when a food is made up of butter, with some butter added. I may attempt to make a copycat using this recipe here. 

191. Darn Tough socks – These are so great I wrote an entire post about them. Really.

192. Art – Of all kinds… including this kind…

193. Dumplings

194. Lap cats

195. Ice cream – Some ideas for new flavors: raspberry square (oatmeal cookie and raspberry swirl in vanilla ice cream) and trifle (vanilla rum ice cream with yellow cake pieces and custard and jam swirls)

196. Maple trees

197. The smell of the heavy Sunday Times

198. Good bolognese – Having no Italian blood in me whatsoever, I have to turn to my favorite recipe source, Cooks Illustrated.

199. The comfort of my own bed

200. Big band classics

201. Raspberries – These little sweeties are always in my top 3 of favorite foods ever ever.

202. Wildflowers in the median strip and other examples of beauty in unlikely places

203. Museums

204. Relaxation

205. College – Oh sweet nostalgia. It appears have finally reached the age where I can safely say, “Youth is wasted on the young.” Bonus? I can also say: “Get off my lawn!” 

206. New crayons – Is there anything that says “anything is possible!” like a new box of crayons? (Well, maybe a lottery win, but you catch my drift.)

207. My left-handedness

208. My husband – for too many reasons to list

209. EZ Pass – I used to pay the tolls with tokens! TOKENS!  I am that old.

210. NEW COMPUTERS! – Sure, my husband will probably try to get many many miles out of this push present/birthday present/anniversary present but I don’t care!  It’s mine, all mine!

211. Baby bath time

212. Coconut cake – One time, on a rare trip to my parents’ cellar – a dark, scary, dirt-floored, spider haven – I found a half-eaten coconut cake on the bench. What a mystery!  It turns out, my father was sneaking down to the cellar to eat coconut cake out of the view of me and my mother who were on diets.  It has become a family joke. And coconut cake is still a favorite.  Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a Smith Island Coconut cake – they are incredible. 

213. Maps

214. Whimsy

215. Sunglasses

216. Long weekends

217. Belly laughs

218. Lemonade

219. Those potette travel potty things – Yes. It’s true. I’m thankful for a travel potty.  But seriously, when your 2.5 year old says, “It’s time!” That means IT.IS.TIME.  Our trip back and forth to New York City was made infinitely easier because we had one of these along. 

220. The Majestic – A magical view of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade from our 4th floor perch above the crowds.  I’m pretty sure I was more excited than my too-small-to-remember children.  It was awesome.

Pickle and Spidey

221. Kids who travel well

222. King sized beds

223. Cherries

224. My family

Central Park – Late Afternoon

225. My friends

226. Love

227. Hope

228. Peace

229. Kindnesses

230. Humor

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I have all of my teeth, so…

20 Nov

Two front teeth? Check!

With that checked off of the list, I’m feeling free to put some other crave-worthy items on my Chrimbo list.  Chrimbo.  That is the abbreviated version of Christmas I heard my friends from Down Under use on several occasions.  Those crazy Aussies (and Kiwis too, to some extent) just love to shorten their words and make ‘em cute.  Australian? Aussie. Breakfast? Brekkie.  Presents? Prezzies. Barbecue? Barbie. Christmas? Chrimbo.  I always felt like that last one was a stretch.

Here are a few items that are on my list this year. Nothing crazy and exciting. I’m hoping I’ve been more nice than naughty this year.  I do admit that as I spoke stern words to Pickle the other day (just put yer dang pants on!) he said, “BE NICE, MAMA!”  I’m hoping Santa didn’t hear him.

(Click on the photos for links to the items.)

LL Bean Washable Wool Plaid Blanket in Rustic Purple – Not sure why this speaks to me but it does.  I picture picnics, 4th of July Fireworks, campfires (not that I camp), and passing this down to grand-kids.

LL Bean’s Washable Wool Blanket in Rustic Purple

 

Sonia Kashuk Make Up Brushes – I don’t have any makeup brushes.  Okay, to be honest, I don’t get too far past running a regular brush through my hair most days.  But my sister has lovely makeup brushes, and they make applying makeup so much easier.  I like the curve of these, and the price!

Sonia Kashuk Tools Limited Edition Starter Set

Rubio Balsamic Vinegar – It is Chrimbo! The one time of year when asking for a $32 bottle of vinegar doesn’t seem totally crazy.  I love this stuff. I can make a bottle last (almost) a year.

Rubio Aged Balsamic Vinegar from Salumeria Italiana

Crate and Barrel Parker Nesting Bowls – I have a set and I’m wearing them out!  Time for a new set in some great colors before my first set bites the dust.

Crate and Barrel’s Parker Nesting Bowls

UncommonGoods Felt Birdhouse – I love cute and interesting and useful all rolled into one.  And I love felt.  Something about these cute little bird houses just speaks to me. UncommonGoods is great for a browse on a lunch hour.  Interesting products that you won’t find elsewhere.  It’s like a cool little boutique!

Felt Birdhouse by UncommonGoods

Part of me wants to ask for a good vacuum (we really need one) but I fear if I ask, I might actually get one!  And who wants a new vacuum for Chrimbo?  (She says, sheepishly raising her hand.)  Honorable mentions go to gift certificates of any kind, housekeeping services, a new pepper mill and perhaps a set of mittens with a hat.

What’s on your list?

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Gr8ful.

6 Nov

50 Days of Gratitude

Days 21-30

97. Chapstick

98. GPS

99. Incident on 57th Street – This is a Springsteen song – the favorite of many long-time fans.  He doesn’t play it in concert too often.  But my sister and I got to see it in Hartford.  She has been to about 20 shows, and has never seen it live.  The energetic fan next to us was so excited to hear it, he cried.  No really, he did.

100. Hotel points – I used to take surveys online for hotel points which I then traded in for airline miles.  It was time consuming and annoying, so I stopped.  Besides, I don’t fly with small children if I can help it. But I just happened to have enough points for an overnight stay with my sister after the Springsteen concert.  Win!

101. Water

102. Linemen (and women)

103. Lox – It must be the Swede in me.  I love me some smoked fish.  Speaking of… have you ever been to Barney Greengrass?  Go.  It’s yummy. And hysterical.

104. Dogs

105. Reconnecting

106. Leaf piles

107. Scalloped potatoes

108. Cousins playing together

109. Quiet drives

110. Blessings – Miss Plum was baptized a few weekends ago.  It was lovely to be surrounded by family, and Plum sure did look cute in her puffy white dress.  She screamed every time the priest came near her.  I couldn’t help but think, “That’s my girl!” (Says Sarky, ducking from the lightning…)

111. Onion dip – I made this for a party recently and it received rave reviews.  Was it fancy and gourmet? Nope.  It was the recipe on the back of an envelope of Lipton Onion Soup Mix.  Mayo + sour cream. How can you not love it?

112. Zito and my BTX friends – BTX is a Springsteen ticket exchange, where fans sell their extra tickets to other fans at face value. Scalpers be damned!  Back in 2003 a magical little community of friends was created through this ticket exchange.  It was a very interesting way to meet lots of great folks from all over the world.  And while it is strange to count my interwebs friends as true and close, that is what many of them are.

113. Floss

114. Power

115. Helpers

116. Luck

117. Morning

118. Gatherings

119. Creating new traditions and memories – This Halloween, the grandparents came to us.  We had dinner, handed out candy, and did some trick-or-treating around the neighborhood.  It was great. I hope the tradition continues.

120. Fresh eggs – In New Zealand, “eggs” is pronounced “igs”.  An American friend asked a supermarket employee where she could find the “eggs” (they are in the baking aisle and not refrigerated) and was told that the store carried no such thing. Ha!

 

121. Letterpress – Old-fashioned, luxurious and lovely.  Do I have 35 letterpress studios bookmarked? Maybe.  My wedding invites were from Bella Figura.  They were perfect.  Did I spend too much money? Yes.  Did my guests likely not notice the detail and end up throwing them away? Probably.  But do I regret my choice?  Absolutely not.

122. Pepper jelly

123. Cannoli – In the Mike’s v. Modern race, I’m voting for Modern. Every time.

124. My neighborhood

125. Manners

126. Bag Balm - Diaper rash? Chapped lips? Hangnail? Have a cold and a sore, raw nose from too much blowing? Dry feet? The name is unfortunate, but the stuff is a miracle.  You know the father in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”?  The one who thinks Windex is the cure for all that ails you? Yeah, I’m kind of like that with the Bag Balm.  Opa!

127. Health insurance

128. Leftover Halloween candy

129. Food delivery (have I ever used it? No. But I like knowing that I could!)

130. Feather pillows

131. Clean babies

132.Good books – Who has some suggestions? The stack on my nightstand isn’t speaking to me.  

133. Travel mugs

134. Challenges

135. Cardigans

136. Girlfriends

137. Those rare occasions when my son still wants to be rocked and sung to sleep – I made it all the way through “Puff the Magic Dragon” the other night and only choked up once. “Dragons live forever, but not so little boys…”

138. The approaching end of political ads

139. Fresh mozzarella

Stay tuned for days 31-40…

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I’m Listing!

11 Oct

I am a working mom with two small children.  Needless to say, sleep is always short, and my to-do list is always long.  I’m still on that never-ending quest for balance.  Some days are better than others.  Or perhaps I should say that some days are worse than others.  Half full, half empty, yadda yadda.

I’ve started to realize that in addition to the to-do lists I keep a) in my gmail account,  b) on my iPhone, c) on my desk at work, and d) floating around in my brain, I also have the following sneakier non-to-do to-do lists (whoa, that’s confusing – bet you had to read that twice):

1) My house

The way my schedule works, I don’t get vacations.  At all.  Ever.  It is the trade-off I make for having Wednesdays at home with my doodlebugs.  There is an occasional long weekend here and there, but nothing longer, and I’m rarely out of town.  I’ve come to realize that, for me, the huge value of vacation is that I can escape the to-do list that is my house.  There’s the regular upkeep, of course, but as I walk around, it is hard not to notice all of the things I want to do, and the changes I want to make.  Do we still have the same paint jobs in the master bedroom and bath as we did when we moved in 3+ years ago?  Yes, yes we do.  Are both rooms sponge-painted? Yes, yes they are.  Excuse: I have been pregnant or living with teeny people in my house since 12 days after we moved in, so I’ve put up with the paint job by telling myself that too many paint fumes could be/would be dangerous to our health.  But beyond the painting, there is stuff to do in every room.  And even when I escape the house to-do list I have to walk by my garage door and think, “Geez, that really needs replacing.”   The name on our front door knocker?  Yeah, not ours.

Ceci n’est pas une paint brush.

2) My nightstand

When you remove Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, Ox-Cart Man and the other 34 children’s books you will see my nightstand to-do list – my to-read pile of books. Has A Farewell to Arms been there for 7 years?   Yes, it has.  And if you’re doing the math in your head, you’re right – it was on my nightstand in my prior abode and I moved it to this nightstand in my new house 3+ years ago.  It might be time to add it to the bookshelf, eh?

3) My DVR

Don’t get me wrong – I love my DVR.  We never watch anything the night-of, preferring to wait a night and fast-forward through all of the commercials.  But I admit to getting stressed out when I see that “78% full” warning as it goes up and up and up. Excuse: the 43 episodes of “Yo Gabba Gabba” do take up a chunk of space.  But really, the “Recordings” list has turned from something I looked forward to seeing, to something that stresses me out.   It is simply a list of things I need to find the time to watch.  And usually, I’m just too tired.

Photo Credit: TV Guide.com

It may be time for me to figure out a way to get out of town for a while, so my to-do list can look more like this:

  1. Schedule massage
  2. Make dinner reservations
  3. Nap

What about you?  Where are your sneaky to-do lists?

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