Mind Doodles

Unfinished Projects--Part 2

Okay readers, I know what you're thinking. . . .(I'm talking to you, Mom and Kelsey--I think you are the extent of my readership:)

What happened to finishing a project a month in 2010?  

In January--I slipcovered my couch.

What happened to February?  Here it is March and I completely glossed over February.

Well, I'm here to tell you, I did complete a project in February.  I just never posted it.  It seems that life got away from me and I never got around to taking the picture and writing about February's project.

So, here you go. . .

February Project---Cleaning and organizing the attic.

    I know, I'm with you--cleaning the attic isn't too exciting.

    That's why it's been an unfinished project.  It has been left on it's own for a looooong time.

    In fact, it was unbearable after Christmas.

    You see, we have VERY LITTLE storage in our house.  Our closets are teeny tiny.  So, we really use     our attic--on a regular basis.  I am in the attic space at least once or twice a week.  It's almost like     a spare bedroom!

BUT--On Februaru 28th, I tackled AND conquered it!

I should have taken a before picture but I'm sure that I subconciously blocked that idea out until it was too late.  

Here's the finished product.  My goal is to keep it this way at least through the spring.  

 

Notice the walkway--that's new--usually, you can't even stand in here.

I know--the 1970s brown and gold shag carpet is making you jealous!

Notice the empty bins on the left--I still have room to fill those up!

 

Here's a sneak peak of the March project. . . . .

Only 24 more days to make it happen. 

  
 

Parenthood

I'm looking forward to watching the new show, Parenthood.  It starts tonight.  

The trailers have been making me think.  They usually end with a short phrase describing parenthood:

Parenthood is. . .saying the right thing at the wrong time

Parenthood is. . .counting to ten

Parenthood is. . .standing your ground

Parenthood is. . .sharing your wisdom

Parenthood is. . .a bond you feel

I thought of a few of my own.

Parenthood is. . .painful

Parenthood is. . .not at all what I expected

Parenthood is. . .a wild ride

Parenthood is. . .like walking around naked

Parenthood is. . .an ever changing river

Parenthood is. . .humiliating. . .humbling

Parenthood is. . .thrilling

Parenthood is. . .frustrating

Parenthood is. . .a gift

Parenthood is. . .a belly laugh

Parenthood is. . .life-giving, thought-provoking, bucket-filling, skill-stretching, button-popping,                   heart-warming

There's nothing quite like it.

Haiti--a story

This is Damas (rhymes with Thomas).

  

 He was one of my favorite people that I met in Haiti last week.

Damas worked with me and Brad (in the ball cap) in the pharmacy as our interpreter.  He translated our instructions to each patient that came through the clinic.  

He was very good.  VERY GOOD.  

So good, in fact, that one of the doctors stole him from us on the last day.  (But, I'm not bitter).

I LOVED working with Damas.  He was such a good communicator.  He listened carefully to all of the instructions and had such a gentle way about him.  Brad and I knew we had such a gem.  Unfortunately, we were bragging about him to everyone else and then one of the doctors stole him from us.                       (Oh!  Did I already mention that?)

Okay--back to the story.

One day, Brad and I sat down for a lunch break with Damas.  We asked him some questions about his life and he shared his story with us.

Damas grew up in Jacmel.  He was raised by both his mother and father.  If I understand correctly, he didn't have any siblings.  

He was able to attend high school (which in and of itself is a rarity in Haiti).  After high school, he moved to Port Au Prince to attend the University.  It is his dream to receive a college degree in business and go into management.  He isn't picky about what kind of management.  He would like to manage a store, a company, any kind of business really.  

He was at school during the earthquake.  He and some friends had gone outside to hang out in the courtyard when the earthquake began.  They felt the full force of the quake but were outside in an area away from the buildings and falling debris.  When he turned around, the University was completely flattened.  There is nothing left of it.  

He lost many friends that day. 

When he told us his story, he fought back tears.

He is now back in Jacmel, living with his parents.  Their home is still standing and he feels very blessed.

He has no plans for continuing his education.  He hopes that one day the Univeristy will be rebuilt and he will be able to finish his degree.  He has 2 1/2 more years of study.   

At this point, he is just thankful to be alive.

I was so impressed with him.  He looked at the time he spent with us in the clinic as "good experience to help prepare him for his future".  

I am thankful that I had the opportunity to work along side him. 

50 Ways to Cope with Stress

Get up 15 minutes earlier. Prepare for the morning the night before. Don't rely on your memory...write things down.  Repair things that don't work properly.  MAKE DUPLICATE KEYS.  SAY "NO" MORE OFTEN.  Set priorities in your life.  Avoid negative people.  Always make copies of important papers.  ASK FOR HELP WITH JOBS YOU DISLIKE.  Break large tasks into bite-sized portions.  Look at problems as challenges.  Smile more.  Be prepared for rain.  SCHEDULE A PLAY TIME INTO EVERY DAY. Avoid tight fitting clothes.  Take a bubble bath. BELIEVE IN YOU.  Visualize yourself winning.  Develop a sense of humor.  Stop thinking tomorrow will be a better day.  Have goals for yourself.  SAY HELLO TO A STRANGER.  Look up at the stars.  Practice breathing slowly.  DO BRAND NEW THINGS.  Stop a bad habit.  Take stock of your achievements.  DO IT TODAY.  Strive for excellence, NOT perfection. LOOK AT A WORK OF ART.  Maintain your weight.  Plant a tree.  Stand up and stretch.  Always have a plan B.  Learn a new doodle.  Learn your own needs.  BECOME A BETTER LISTENER.  Know your limitations and let others know them too.  Throw a paper airplane.  Exercise every day.   Get to work early.  Clean out one closet.  Take a different route to work.  Leave work early (with permission). REMEMBER YOU ALWAYS HAVE OPTIONS. Quit trying to fix other people.  Get enough sleep. PRAISE OTHER PEOPLE.  Relax, take each day at a time...YOU HAVE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE TO LIVE.  

This is something I needed to read today.  Maybe it will help you, too.

On An Adventure

I'm headed to Haiti.  It was kind of a last minute thing--which sometimes is the best kind of trip to take. I'm looking forward to seeing what God has in store for me.  I will be traveling with 14 others from a Crosspointe Church medical team.  

If you know me well, I know what you are thinking. . ."Kris, on a medical trip???????!!!!!!" 

Well, I won't be the only non-medical personnel on the trip.  We'll be serving wherever we are needed and I know that there are plenty of needs.  

But, to prepare for this trip, I've been playing nurse to Courtney all day long.  She had her wisdom teeth removed this morning. (And friends, that involved lots of bloody gauze).  I did just fine.  In fact, I was pretty stellar, if I might say so myself.  Okay--not really stellar but I definitely  managed.  

If you'd like to follow along, you can check out our trip on Pam's blog.

We could use your prayers, too.

Movies I Never Get Tired of Seeing

Today Courtney had her wisdom teeth removed.  So, it is going to be a day where we hang out at home. She will be down for a day or two.  It's always good to have a few movies on hand for days like these. There are a few movies that we never get tired of seeing.  Some of them are shown repeatedly on cable.  But, no matter how many times we have seen them, if we're looking for something to watch, we always gravitate toward our old standby favorites.  

Here are a few of them:

The Shawshank Redemption

    (Brilliant--absolutely brilliant!)

The Bourne Identity

The Bourne Supremacy

The Bourne Ultimatum

(Nothing beats a Bourne marathon!)

Return to Me

    (Ahhhh. . .one of my favorite love stories!)

The Princess Bride

    (For a little comic relief.  How can we laugh at the same parts over and over?)

Rear Window

    (Classic Hitchcock.  They just don't make 'em like this anymore.  And Grace Kelly--what can I say?)

Parent Trap

    (The old one AND the new one.)

Remember the Titans

    (For a little team spirit)

What about you?  What are some of your favorites?

Apps for Parents

Leave it to Apple to come up with ways to help make parenting easier.  

Check out these new Apps for the iPhone.

Walt Disney World Wait Times (Free)

What could make Disney World better?  Knowing how to navigate the parks to make the most of your time there.  This app gives all the wait times on every ride and show.  It also tells you the time of the next available fast pass.  

My friends Scott and Jacque just used this one on their recent trip to Disney.  They said it was absolutely wonderful!  

The Cry Translator

The company claims that after listening to a baby's cry for 10 seconds, the app will light one of 5        icons.  Those icons will show whether the baby is hungry, annoyed, bored, sleepy, or in discomfort. 

When you have a new baby, and are sleep deprived, I guess you'll take all the help you can get.  

WebMD Mobile (Free)

 

Enables parents to look up symptoms and try to figure out what’s ailing their children. This is a great resource to try and narrow down what is going on, and prepare for a doctor visit if necessary.

Time Out (Free)

 

Kids’ behavior is unpredictable and there’s no knowing when a time-out may be necessary. When you’re away from the confines of your house and your kids act up, this simple timer on your phone can be used to track a time-out.

Sit or Squat (Free)

 

I would have absolutely loved this when my kids were younger.  It was inevitable that while we were out and about one of them was going to have to go potty.  This app helps you find the nearby public restrooms.

myStarbucks

 

This is a must for all sleep deprived new parents!

Allrecipes.com Dinner Spinner (Free)

You know the drill.  You look at the clock and realize you have no idea what you will be making for dinner. With this app,  you can select a dish type, ingredients, and prep time and ‘spin’ to see what kind of options pop up. Complete with photos and a search function, this is a great tool for on the go parents.

White Noise (Free)

Babies scream, toddlers pout, and parents can often lose their minds. Since the sound of crickets chirping has the same relaxing effect on children as it does on adults, White Noise is perfect for taking things down a notch. 

Looking Ahead to 2010

I'm terrible at New Years Resolutions.  I never keep them.  I rarely share them because once you speak it--you become accountable.  I guess I just never want to fully commit.  This year was no different.  

Here it is January 31--a full month into the new year and I haven't even mentioned any of my goals for the year.  

But, my mind has been mulling over a few things.  

One in particular.  

I have a lot of unfinished projects.  A LOT.  

Some of them are at home, 

some are at work.  

Some are just in my mind.  

(I haven't even begun them, but I've been dreaming of the day that they will be done.)  

So, here you go.  Something I plan to do in the year 2010. . . . .

Complete one project per month.  

    Okay--I know, that doesn't seem like much.  

But, if I can complete one a month, I will honestly feel like I have accomplished something. 

January project--slipcover my loveseat. 

A couple of years ago, I found this cute little loveseat at a thrift store for $20.  I fell in love with the size and the shape.  I saw incredible potential in it right away.  And I immediately knew what I would do with it.  I wanted to create a sitting area in my soon-to-be-remodeled kitchen.  This loveseat would be perfect!

It needed a little tender loving care.  It was a little on the ragged side. 

  

I worked yesterday and all of today (thank goodness for those Snow Days) and got it done.

 
 

 I sneaked it in--just in time for January!

As my friend, The Nester, says, "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful."                          

(Okay, she's not really my friend--just a blogger I read.  But if we knew each other, I know we'd be       friends).

Month one--project one--Check! 

Living the Simple Life--Snow Day

I know it's Saturday.  But, it's still a forced day off--A SNOW DAY! 

There's just something wonderful about being stuck at home with your family.  

I've talked to several moms over the past 24 hours and the conversation centered on the same topic--

The benefits of a snow day.  

Here are a few I heard:

The whole family stays home.

All day PJ Day!

We get to sleep in!

We actually get to share some meals together.

It's a great time to connect with your neighbors.

It's nice to cancel your "life" for a day or two.

You can't get to the grocery store, so you have to be creative about coming up with something to eat.

I'll finally get some good pictures of my kids.

We all recognize the benefits of disconnecting with the world and hanging out with our families, but it often takes outside circumstances to make it happen.  

I'm glad for today and I plan to enjoy it.

Hope you do, too.

                      Here's Toby--begging for someone to get the ball and play with him.                             

He got tired of waiting for us and just decided to get it for himself. 

 

 

For All You Super Heroes. . .

Ever feel like you need superpowers in order to accomplish all that needs to be done in a day?

Well, here you go--The Hero Factory--a site that can help you turn yourself into a Super Hero!

You make the design and they even give you a name.  

Here's mine----

 

Armed with a bag of tricks--okay they're just groceries 

and a cape (maybe it's just a tablecloth), 

I am totally prepared to tackle anything that comes my way today.  

Well, at least it looks like I can tackle dinner.  

The name cracks me up.  

The Astonishing Kind Philanthropist

What is that supose to mean?

I guess I am prepared to swoop in and cook a meal for someone in need.  

That's it?  Surely I can do better than that!