Chadtough

Julie, Mary, mom, Ryan and I all signed up for the virtual 5K Chadtough run to honor a sweet boy from Saline who was taken to heaven after a short fight with a brain tumor. Chadtough is an extraordinary foundation that was formed to support research and finding a cure

I can't begin to imagine what that little boy's mom and family feel every day without him. I thank God he has blessed me with 2 beautiful healthy girls. And I pray they continue to find the strength to help find a cute so other families don't have to suffer the pain of losing a child.

To honor Chad, Mary and walked at soccer before Kahle's game. Julie walked a 5K with some friends. Ryan walked at the plant. And mom walked to football.

Here's to finding a cure! And always being Chadtough!

Feeling good

A proud moment for myself... I've gotten up every morning for the past 2 weeks at 5:15 am to workout. Plus the scale finally said under 150 this morning! Lowest since before Greta! Still not quite as toned but getting there. I'd definitely be there if I didn't love food so much and especially cookies. 

It was just getting to be too much after work with the girls. 

I now enjoy my alone time - sweating it out without someone crawling on me. Or wanting up. Or crying. Or needing to go potty. 

And then after work I get all the crawling on and picking up. And playing fun!

Way better for everyone! 

Last swim?

Well on Sunday we might have had our last swim. We cranked the heater up Saturday night and then enjoyed a warm swim. 

In my last hurrah I decided we needed to get some pictures... Well they didn't quite go according to plan. 

Not one picture with everyone looking. 

And my grand finale attempt to throw the girls up and look all cool. Major fail but lots of good laughs. 

Miller even snuck in.

When will the biting stop

I know  I've said it before... Lola bites. And she bites hard! But on Monday she bite Greta so hard that if it had been another kid that bit Greta I probably would have taken her to the doctor. 

Skin gone. Bleeding. Lots of crying and I'm sure it hurt like hell. Picture doesn't do the bite justice.

So for Lola that will be the last time I pray... If not she'll probably know whatever feels like to be bit after the next time. 

I am very proud of Greta for never striking back. She very good about using her words (well after the crying stops).

Just like her big sis

Lola is now mobile and trying so hard to keep up with her big sis. She wants to play with her. She wants to laugh with her. She wants to wear her shoes. She wants to keep up. 

And I have to say most of the time Greta does a great job letting her be part of the fun. 

It was on this night that I sat back and watched the two play together, that I got a little excited for when they are older and can really play together. It reminded me of all the great memories of me and my sisters growing up. 

Molars

Lolas top 2 lolas have broken through. Never knew it until I felt in there for new teeth. She gets new teeth like a champ! I still remember Greta getting her molars. 103 temp and pure misery for all.

Not this one! Happy as can be!

Gretas first day of Preschool (aka Green Group)

I was nervous about Greta moving to green group. She isn't the quickest to warm up to people and doesn't always do the best with change. But she's been so great (at least the first 2 days). 

The entire night before she kept singing I'm going to green group. We made a special sign for her to hold in her picture. Then the morning of she was in an awesome mood. It's hit it miss with that girl. I took her picture and she smiles great! You could just tell she was ready. And that made me happy. 

She marched into green room, singing and smiling from ear to ear. Didn't even hug me good bye of make a scene (which happened daily in purple).

She's growing up so fast! 

Greta Delaney - future class of 2031

.ps the Lola on the board is a different Lola.

Garage Sale: Lessons Learned

So I did something I've never done before... had a garage sale.  After running out of room on the shelves in the basemen on in the closet downstairs, I decided it was time for a garage sale.  Especially after finding things still boxed up from moving in over 5 years ago.

Lesson #1: When you move into a new house, either keep it and use it.  Throw it out.  Donate it.  Or have a garage sale.

I started a couple months ago going room by room, drawer by drawer, shelf by shelf finding things that we didn't use, had outgrown, whatever the reason.  Then I made a pile in the basement.

Lesson #2 - price as you go.  I knew I was going to do more of a generic pricing (all of this $1 or that $2), but it would have saved a lot of time had I priced the other things as I went.

A week before the garage sale, I started to do research on how to have a successful garage sale.  I know it isn't rocket science but I wanted to make sure I was going to maximize my time and efforts.  And of course as a marketing person, I wanted to make sure I was marketing my garage sale correctly.

Lesson #3 - do your research.  Or take advice.  It did help me a lot.  I knew which days would be more successful.  I know where to post.  What kind of signs to make.  All that stuff that really impacts a garage sale.

3 days before the garage sales, I started moving everything up from the basement.  Holy cow, I had a lot of stuff.  I lined the hallway, the steps, any place I could find room.

Lesson #4 - get help carrying everything up.  I was sore before it began.

2 days before garage sale, I started going through the baby clothes and hanging up the nicer things.  My research showed this helped and it really did.  Most of those clothes sold quickly.  Also, don't put things on the porch.  People are nervous to come up onto your porch.

Lesson #5 - do this much sooner and do it more.  I wish I would have had 2 racks of clothes hung up.  It was easier to see.  And easier to shop. Day 2 we moved everything in to the yard or drive... way better!

The night before the sale, I panicked and told Mary to bring over more tables for us.  And I'm so glad I did - we definitely used them.

Lesson #6 - have lots of tables and when you think you have enough, get 2 more.

Signage was a huge project but well worth it.  Almost everyone said they say the signs so they came over.  My hot pink and neon yellow signs worked well.  We saved them so we can use them again.

Lesson #7 - make good signs!

More of the sale, I started moving things outside (it was very damp so I couldn't set up yet).  Then I got the tables in position and set the boxes on them.  This was hard work.

Lesson #8 - get help if possible. If not, suck it and get your workout in prepping for the garage sale.

We posted the sale from 9 - 4... let's just say people were ready to shop at 8.  And we were still setting up.  Oh well, I don't think we lost any big sales.

Lesson #9 - be ready at least 1 hour before.  Or have a sign up that says closed or something.

Sell.  Sell.  Sell.  Mary and I decided that we were having a garage sale and then meant we wanted to set stuff.  Not set stuff out and hope it sells and then if it doesn't pack it back up and keep it.  Nope, we wanted stuff gone.  So if we got a reasonable offer, we took it. We were trying to move merchandise. And it worked!

Lesson #10 - be ready and willing to take less than you had wanted.  Trust me it saves time when having to pack everything back up at the end.

So for the next 2 days, we sold our hearts out and moved a lot of stuff.  I kept looking at the tables and thinking, have we sold anything?  But at the end when we say all the empty totes, we knew we did good. And when we saw the total we made, we knew it was a success (or at least I'm calling it a success).  Plus we also had a little fun.  Thursday probably more than Friday, since it was just Mary and I (no kids).  We talked, laughed, and had great sister bonding.

Lesson #11 - have fun!

Friday afternoon, we started prepping for shutdown.  We made an executive decision that do to a high chance of rain on Saturday, we would finish on Friday.  We had piles - keep, donate, and trash.  I asked myself, "If I planned to sell it and it didn't, why are you keeping it?  So unless I thought I might try another garage sale or mom to mom sale, I tried not to keep stuff.

And then the hard work began.  I was so sore the next day, I could hardly stand up.

Lesson #12 - Put in the extra effort at the end to organize.  It's a great opportunity and well worth it if you plan to have another one.

All in all - I past my total goal for the garage sale the first day and then surpassed my new goal for the second day... so new stove/oven for me!  Plus room in the basement - bonus!!

A huge thank you to my sister who helped so much!!  I literally couldn't have done it without her.

She's getting it

Greta says this tonight as we are laying in bed getting ready to say the Lord's Prayer... "You remember you had a grandma?... And she's in heaven because she loves God. And you'll get to see her again someday. Right? You think she's with Joey?"

What a smart girl! Love her so much! 

Lola 13 months

What a busy month it's been for Lola... She's quickly changing before my eyes from a baby to a toddler. Makes a little sad. 

1. Is walker mostly. Unless she needs to get some place super fast then she crawls

2. Got 3 more teeth in the bottom for a total of 8 (Greta had 1)

3. Signs please a lot

4. Still bites as her defense mechanism and sometimes if she's really mad

5. Is only nursing in the morning and at night. But still only having breastmilk (because I've got so much left)

6. Is a total mommy's girl which is the best thing and the most challenging 

7. Got her first shiner from gretas raptor

8. Loves to climb on anything and everything 

9. Has the bluest eyes with a curious twinkle and the biggest smile

10. Loved animals and is always pouting at them in tv, at the park, anywhere she sees them. 

So love this age. She sweet, sassy and a little ham. 

No 13 month picture but this is one of my favorites!

Rain and growth

Yes we desperately needed rain. But now that we have it the grass grows. And we literally can't keep up with the mowing. 

I took advantage of mom and Julie being down to quick now some. 

Greta followed me around for several rounds. So cute! 

I need an after picture because so wove could literally come bail the grass. 

Rain almost meant growth in the garden. Good gor crops it bad for weeds. We are so not proud of this but I think we are waving the white flag. The weeds won. 

Here comes the round up!

Thinking about some changes for RAD farms garden next year. Stay tuned for more. 

Fair fun

The saline county fair was back and the girls and I braved it on Friday. It was perfect weather and lots to see and do. 

We started at the draft horse pulling completion but I was the only one enjoying that. 

So then we went and started to see the animals.

The bunnies - I thought for sure one was coming home with us. And Greta was said she couldn't get them out.

Then a fun kids play area - both girls loved it! 

Then a fun animal show where Greta got to feed a baby pig.

A short nap for Lola with no prompting and some lunch for us. Plus some time with Greta's friend from school, Zoe. 

And finally the rides! It was $18 for all you could ride. And we definitely got our money's worth. But poor Lola wanted to ride with Greta. Maybe next year she'll be big enough. Greta just loves the rides! 

And after 5 hours at the fair, it was time to go home. Greta was so tired she didn't even complain. 

This was before we left the parking lot. 

Until next year!

First game of the season

I was super exited when mom had an extra ticket to the game... 

First of all its Michigan but second Michael Jordan was going to be there and I love him! 

And to top it off Charles Woodson was too. 

So mom, Julie, and I went to the fine and Ryan and the girls stayed at home. Greta was not so happy sbout that and really wanted to go. 

But after some tears everyone had a great day! And Michigan won 63-3 so that's awesome too. 

Church victory

Every once in a while I have a moment where I think... I must be doing something right. And this morning in church I almost cried. Literally. We were up at the front of church for the children's sermon and at he end pastor always prays. Usually I have to hold gretas hand to get her to fold them but this morning she did it all on her own. No prompting. Nothing. So happy. 

Then during the long prayer as I call it, where you respond with Lord Hear our prayer... She held her hands the entire time!! Hallelujah! And to top it off she said the entire Lords Prayer with everyone. Almost cried again.

I was one proud mommy!! 

Time to wean

** update - so apparently I don't know how old my daughter is. Updated to 13 months which means I have 3 to go. Oh boy!

Lola's almost 13 months so I've decided to start cutting back on nursing.  This week, I cut out my pumping session at work... and successfully!  No real pain.  No leaking.  No mad Lola.

I still have lots of milk stored up so she'll continue to get breast milk for as long as she'll take it. And my milk this time must be better because Lola has not been sick for her first almost 13 months.  No ear infections.  No croup.  No pneumonia.  A huge, huge improvement over Greta.

I plan to finish up in the next couple months and I'll treasure it (well except the biting moments, I could do without that).