Looking forward to nap time

We're in transition.
You moms of young children know this term well - a term I long forgot until I had a napper at home. We're "transitioning" out of two naps into one nap. This process differs so greatly from one napper to the next that I won't even begin to bother asking you how you transitioned. All I know is that my 14 month old stays awake in his crib for one of his two naps and then spends the rest of the day pretty whiny because he didn't get enough sleep. Pair this amazing developmental milestone with baseball games/practices/socials 4-5 times a week and well...too bad we're on a tight budget right now because my liquor bill would be out of this world.

Today, however, promises to be the mecca of nap times. He woke up too early this morning (5am) so I threw...yes, threw....a bottle into his bed and caught another hour of sleep in my own bed. He woke up close to 9am (first time EVER in his life since being a newborn) and so today that means...drumroll, please.....middle of the day nap. The few times he has been forced into a middle of the day nap due to baseball schedule he has taken glorious 3 to 3 2/3 hour naps. Today - I plan to:

• do my 50 min on the Elliptical and finish reading my book
• watch the last 30 minutes of vicky christina Barcelona
• vacuum my house
• do the dishes and start the dishwasher
• weed my vegetable garden
• take a shower
• get everything ready for dinner so it is an easy assembly once the little monster does wake up
• and for extra credit - possibly set up the schedule wall in my home office - the official headquarters of Chilidog pet sitting.

And you know, since I have a full agenda for naptime today, he will only nap 45 minutes, right?

Looking Forward to my 50 minutes

These days I'm a little too lazy to upload photos so instead of a photo enhanced blog, you are just getting a plain 'ol newspaper column style blog. Today is a quick entry because I can't wait to get out to my elliptical. Yeah, that's right you heard me. I can't wait to get out there and burn those calories. Why? Because it is guaranteed time that I get to either watch a movie or do a little reading. We have a portable DVD player that we put up on the Elliptical. I've watched lots of TV on DVD that way. Also, I've been plowing through books like there is no tomorrow. If I do 50 minutes on the Elliptical, then I get to read for 50 minutes. Yes, my children are inside napping and/or playing video games - but who cares - I get MY TIME and if exercise is the best excuse I can find, I'll take it! Having motivation has been good for my figure - I'm back to pre-baby body HURRAY! Now, why not go for broke - add another 10 minutes to my Elliptical time and lose another pant size?

You mean..sniff sniff...no more cable??

Hello my friends and family from afar~
Today is a whole new wonderful day. Why, you ask? We on on the path to financial freedom! I won't share nitty gritty fine details, but let me give you a little background. When we moved here to Oregon it cost us nearly thirty thousand dollars to do so - between taxes, selling/closing costs, real estate fees, moving expenses, etc. We paid off most of the debt with equity from our other house, but carried some debt into living here in Oregon. Since then, I have always felt that we are a day late and a dollar short. Not really, but I can't seem to stash away cash like I used to and I see holes in our budget daily. It frustrated me to the point where I think it really contributed to my stress and anxiety. Plus, my motto has always been this analogy I heard from a famous economist so bear with me while I retell it - Back in "The Day" you started with the Oldsmobile - solid, no frills, gets you from point A to point B. Then, when you had a little more money in the bank you grew into the Buick - a little nicer, more room. And when you retired - you got the Cadillac. Trouble is - with folks these days - we think we need to start with the Cadillac. So I've always said - I'm not in the "Cadillac" stage of my life - we're still in Buick and we'll be here for a while.

I wanted to break the cycle! Phase one - We began cutting out unnecessary things like Internet on our cell phones, premium cable packages, my house cleaners (I miss that one), and my weekly nanny. We lived for a few months to get adjusted to the luxuries being gone, but still not a lot of food was added to food storage, and we certainly were not able to build up three months of income for our emergency fund. Phase two - we cut up every last line of credit we use - didn't close the accounts because that would be harmful to our credit score, but we immediately stopped using credit to "fill in the gaps" - even if the deal was too good to be true like 0% financing or pay in 6 months! I know that often we even spend on our credit card to get the "airline miles". Well, sorry, we've spent way more in interest payments than a free airline ticket would have cost.

We then refinanced everything we could - house, car, loans, whatever we were paying in installments to get better rates because they are out there - we saved probably $400/month alone in refinancing.

Next we created a budget that was simple and honest and true to what we NEED - not want. Unfortunately - cable TV was on the WANT list, not the NEED list - so my beloved DVR and TLC, HGTV, and ESPN was sent back to Comcast and we are on the budget $8.90/month local channels only. Jackson was particularly upset by this tragic event (No more ON DEMAND??) - but he recovered by the next day.
Dear friends - can I tell you how much better and richer our life is now that cable is gone?? I had no idea how much TV we watched until it was unavailable. I've read FOUR books in the past two weeks - Jackson has composed TWO musical pieces on the piano - all three of my children have been OUTSIDE from the moment they wake up and/or get home from school. My kids don't watch cartoon network and Nickelodeon with all the evil commercials - if they want kid shows it's PBS or to the library for DVDs.

We also cut out Blockbuster online, online video game, and even buying two flats of water bottles every two weeks at Costco -all those little things that totally and completely add up. Would you believe by rearranging our priorities that I found close to $600 extra this past month alone??

So why not tackle the big mountain? Why not try to completely live our lives debt free? And I mean - house, car, student loans, everything.... So Jer and I went to the ENVELOPE system. That's right - the old budget friendly favorite - but IT WORKS! On payday, I know my set amount - get the cash in 20's, 10's, and 5's and I stick all the amounts in the envelope. I thought we would smother and die and not have enough, but guess what, we had plenty. In fact, I am so much more conscious of what I am putting in the cart because I know that whatever I bring to checkout I have to have enough cash in my wallet to cover it! How many times do you go to the store (Costco, Target, the nursery) and go over what you had decided to spend in your head and you go ahead and buy it anyway? With cash - you have no options - it has to equal up! With our plans and careful investing - I project that we will be DEBT FREE in five years - and I mean DEBT FREE.

My blog friend Marie just wrote a post on the same thing and I am here to say - wow - once you simplify everything and rearrange WANT vs. NEED - life becomes much more rich - pardon the pun.

I challenge you to begin this journey as well - why not?? There is nothing to lose and everything to gain. Try cutting out extras this month. Instead of putting something on a credit card to fill in the gaps, use cash and stick to it. Try to increase your savings a little bit. Cut out something that hinders your development as a person.

I'm treating my Anxiety and now I'm a CEO

So here's the deal my friends. Remember my dizziness I complained about a few months ago? Remember how I visited dr. after dr insisting something was "wrong" with me? Remember the MRI I had that showed no brain tumors and no multiple sclerosis? Well after 7 visits to different specialists it has boiled down to this - it was all ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. That's right - shallow breathing caused by anxiety caused my dizziness. Shallow breathing caused the numbness in my arms and fingers. Panic attacks happened 3-4 times a week which made me think I was having migraines. Anyway, what it all boils down to is this - I have extreme anxiety and panic disorder and stress and what can I do about it? Well first I contacted a licensed professional PhD counselor - a person I will see on a weekly basis for the next three months. Then, I went back on my anxiety medication. That's right - I'm saying it here and now for all to see that I could not manage my physical symptoms by myself and went back on SSRIs for the time being. Combined with the cognitive behavioral therapy I am doing, I think I will be able to wean off medication in the next 5-6 months. In therapy, not only am I examining the reasons why I have such extreme anxiety, I am also learning new tools for managing the anxiety that comes. My counselor has been so helpful in teaching me breathing exercises, refocusing techniques, and journaling experiences. The physical symptoms have almost DISAPPEARED. I don't regret taking myself to so many doctors and spending so much money trying to figure out a medical problem with me. I am content that I explored that options as thoroughly as I was able to. Now I am tackling my anxiety and depression with open arms which leads me to the topic of this post - I'm a CEO!
My counselor challenged me to get back into the work week for a number of reasons. Namely to get me out of the house and to channel my energy into something productive and positive. However, this proved to be a challenge since I don't want to seek any type of employment that would cause me to put my children in daycare. After a few weeks of soul searching and prayful guidance, I decided to start a home based business. I'm starting a pet sitting/dog walking service! That's right - Chilidog pet sitting/dog walking is now open and operating in Salem, Or. I wanted to do something that had flexible hours - allowed me to take Chase or any of the boys when needed (Chase will be in the Kelty backpack for my dog walking) - and get me out of the house into fresh air and exercise. Pet sitting and dog walking seems like a great option! The older boys have committed their summer to me to help me take care of people's pets while they are on vacation and I have a few close friends who have signed on with me as employees. So here we go - a small home based business is helping me climb out of depression. I'll probably be posting about my adventures in pet sitting so get ready~

This Week in the Garden - a trip to the nursery

Garden time is almost here! The temps are rising here in Western Oregon. We get an average daily temp of 50 degrees which is great for growing broccoli, spinach, and lettuce. I'll post pics of mine soon. The other day, however, we visited our local family owned nursery to see what is out there. I think I want this water feature in my yard~

Blake just loves to go around the stone statue area and pose with the animals. He wanted me to take this picture!

Who needs a playground? Visit your nursery! My kids ran around - up and over bridges and through greenhouse for at least an hour. And did I tell you how much they love us there? (said totally tongue in cheek)

You must earn your dinner tonight son - start hauling those plants! Who cares if you're only one years old?

Chili and Me

I don't know about you, but lately I've been so overwhelmed by kids and home life that I just want to scream. But it isn't good mothering to scream at the kids, so who gets all the blame? The dog. That's who gets the brunt of all my anger and madness. The poor dog named Chili. She really is the sweetest dog there is. But I'm the one who is stuck walking her every day. I'm the one who makes sure she is fed and watered and clean and just sometimes after I take care of the kids and the husband it feels like TOO MUCH. So Chili is often on the chopping block. As in, after I've had a tough day at home instead of running away screaming from my house, I scream "I'M GETTING RID OF THAT STUPID DOG!!!".
So my mom, the Chili lover, has devised a plan to save Chili from going bye bye. She called to say that I must rent "Marley and Me" in order to appreciate and save Chili from leaving our family. Guess what Mom? It freakin' worked. This dog was walked by all five members of our family yesterday and she gets to sleep under the covers in the boys' beds. Your evil plan worked. How can I give that dog away??

Thar she blows

Have you tried one of these? I did today for the first time. It is so bizarre that I may just try it again tonight. Unfortunately I sniffed a bit up into my sinuses and darnit all - I have been trying to blow it out all day. They say it really helps with not getting sick - I certainly hope so as the younger two have drippy noses and coughs.

Brothers as Babysitters and My Favorite Neighbors

Perhaps this should be a weekly installment in my blogging - Brothers as Babysitters. This week's edition highlights Jackson taking Chase into the office, strapping him into his highchair, and "letting" Chase watch him play his most favorite treasured game - Flight Simulator.

In all fairness to Jackson, Chase was ooohing and aaaahing the entire time. He lasted a whole 30 minutes which is no small feat for a toddler. I managed to make dinner!

Did I ever tell you how much I like my neighbors here in Oregon? Seriously, I hit the big time jackpot. The thing about my neighborhood here in Salem is it is kind of old fashioned. Sure, we have our neighbors who keep to themselves, but most of them are outside daily, going over to each other's houses and basically just checking in on each other. We have all age ranges from young and old, single and married, and young families. It is an eclectic mix and I could not be happier. My single lady neighbor across the street sees me leaving for a dog walk and she races out asking if she can join us. I was standing in front of another neighbor's yard admiring her flowers when she came around from her backyard and offered me an envelope of poppy seeds. Another neighbor brews beer in her garage and if we bring over a pitcher, they will fill and refill for free! I'm growing all these seedlings and have promised to distribute them to everyone. It is a true sense of community.

This is a gate in my backyard fence. My backyard neighbor and I hit it off so well that we were tired of having to walk around the whole street to get to each other. So we had our husbands cut out a hole in the fence and install a gate.

This week, the girls came by. Who are the girls? Well you might remember Madaline - our next door neighbor who is in Jackson's class at school and likes to pop in my house every so often to hang out with me or Chase.

Madaline had a couple of friends over (who also live in the neighborhood) and they wanted to take Chase for a walk. I had to thatch my front yard grass, so I said, "Go right ahead!" You have never seen a more pampered baby. They just walked up and down the street - giving him bits of graham cracker anytime he squawked.