2014

Happy two weeks into the New Year! I wanted to spend a post making note of some thoughts that I have for our family this year. Prior to the new year, I had printed out a list of questions that were different from standard ‘resolutions’, but more like goal setting, and just generally thinking about some different aspects of your life and where you are vs. where you want to be. It was a great way to think through some things, set some goals, and get some plans set in motion. This will be quite the text-heavy, picture-light post. I’ve got lots of thoughts running around in this little brain of mine. Let’s discuss. In no particular order.

Running

Some time in October, I decided against my typical workout routine and started doing a couch to 5k running schedule. I consulted a master runner friend at work, who helped me picked an exact schedule to use, and got some of her thoughts on how to successfully follow through on such things. I used this schedule in particular, strictly because it had the simplest intervals of running/walking. (As compared to some that were more like “run for 45 seconds, walk for 15, repeat 5 times”….who has time to remember all that?)  Now, bear in mind, I am NOT a runner. It has always been something I wished I could do, and I have dabbled here and there, but never done anything consistently. This schedule was FANTASTIC. Doable time-wise because it required a mere 3 runs per week, and a very doable gradual increase in running amounts. Having said that, on day 3 when I ran a total of 7 minutes, I never imagined that I would be able to run for 30 minutes in 2 months, but I DID. And more importantly, I enjoyed it. There has been something really wonderful about (bad parent alert) leaving the house and going for a run all by myself. I’m rocking my 10 year old iPod Shuffle, and no, not the little colorful one that is the size of a quarter and clips onto your shirt, the old-school, giant thumb drive one from back in the day. Sure, the sound comes out louder in one ear compared to the other, which gives me a slightly off-balance-feels-like-I’m-running-in-circles feeling, but you can’t tell me you could keep from smiling and fist-pumping when “Cotton-Eyed-Joe” comes on. (New Girl, anyone?)

My original goal was to work up to that last 30 minute run and then just continue to run 30 minute runs 3 times a week. It seems like a reasonable workout, when done on a regular basis. However, since I really have enjoyed it, I decided to get all crazy and pick up right where the 5k schedule left off and bust a move up to the 10k. I’m boggling my own mind here. I NEVER thought I would have a desire to do this. I am not competitive, I have absolutely no desire to run in races (which there are GOBS of around Eugene….hippies), but I am honestly continuing on because I am ENJOYING IT. Who knew. Not me. So, if all goes well, this schedule will take me to the 10K level by April.

Side story to this. Since I am not a true runner, I have mostly cheapo workout gear. I do have my go-to awesome Nike cropped pants that I wear basically 100% of the time (gift from my sister), and a 1/4 zip stretchy cheap Old Navy pull over that has been great running in the cold. I swap back and forth between 3 year old Nike shoes that fit great but are old and have holes worn on the insides, and newer but super cheap Clearance at Freddies Nikes that are fine, but….cheap. SO. When my boss generously gave me $200 in sweet sweet cash for Christmas, I selfishly started plotting what I was going to buy myself, and only myself, with my money. At the top of my list were a pair of full length running pants….a little somethin’ somethin’ like this, and maybe a new pair of shoes. My dreams were quickly squashed flat when I carelessly, lazily, stupidly, OH SO STUPIDLY, rammed the bumper of our wonderful, shiny new truck into something leaving the parking lot at work. After Justin spent $300 and the only free hours of his over-time filled weekend with the very frustrating task of removing the smooshed pumper and putting on a new one, I hardly think I can put that money toward anything but the new bumper. Shoot. Old stuff it is.

Homeschooling

Let’s just slightly change the topic and discuss this crazy notion. I think I am going to homeschool the boys. I NEVER thought I would go this route. I am sure you would have never guessed from my limitless grace in social settings, but I was, in fact, homeschooled. As were the rest of my siblings for the drastic majority of our education. I did take some very awkward classes in high-school, and then took college courses at the community college in town my Junior and Senior years of high school. And yes, I successfully went on to a private university, and ultimately optometry school at that same University. There are pros and cons of homeschooling, but there are definitely some pros and cons of public schooling as well.

When I started writing this blog last night, I listed out some of my reasoning behind considering homeschooling. It sounded really preachy and like I think I know a lot more than I probably do. So, I won’t go into bulleted lists of why, I will just say I think it may be the right thing for our family. Like I said, there are pros and cons to everything. I do like the idea of teaching my kids on our own schedule, our own timeline, our own subject matter, etc.

Any time I tell someone that I was homeschooled, I almost ALWAYS get the comment “you seem so normal”, as if they would have expected me to have 3 eyes or something. That was maybe a little hard to hear from other kids as a impressionable teenager, but now it really doesn’t bother me. Knowing that if we do homeschool, and that my kids may be questioned the same way, I have comfort knowing in my heart that, it’s okay to NOT be normal. To not be what the world thinks is “normal”. To not “fit in” with the cool (or not cool) kids. To have your own standards and ideals, and keep those things your focus.

Anyway. Enough said. Again, it’s not for sure. We have 3 years before we would have to formally tell the state anything about what we are doing with our kids’ education. In the meantime, we are finishing out our Preschool Alphabet schedule, which we will complete in May, and figure out where we go from there. Lately, I am quite intrigued by this Magic School Bus curriculum. So many fun topics an ideas. I bought the boys the whole MSB series on DVD for Christmas (40 episodes!), and am thinking this may be a cool plan to follow in the summer. Summer screams “science”, am I wrong? I also want to start incorporating Bible lessons into our daily schedule and have found some good resources, but nothing I have decided on for sure yet.

Friday Nights

Something else that I thought would be super fun to implement are pizza and a movie nights on Fridays! The boys are both big enough now to appreciate movies, and there are SO MANY that are great that they haven’t seen. I need to scour the library and see what their selection is like, but we have yet to take them to a movie in the movie theater, so anything remotely new they haven’t seen either.

Making popcorn on those nights will also be a fun addition…and you best believe that this Salted Honey Butter Popcorn recipe is first on my list.

How can you go wrong with that, I ask you?

Date Nights

Closely tied into Friday pizza/movie night, is my scheme for a date night. I had this brain storm while sitting in church this Sunday. (I promise I was ALSO paying attention). My idea is this: We have good friends, whom we will call “the M’s”. They also have 2 small kids. Upon getting approval from all 4 adults involved, we have a plan to every last Friday of the month, accumulate all 4 kids at one couple’s home, let that couple feed and movie the children, while the dropping off couple goes out on the town for a blissful 2 hours of free time. The next month, it’s the other couple’s turn to watch kids. Done.  I feel like this encourages friendship from the kids and adults alike, as well as lets the spouses enjoy rare dinner dates. Honestly, I can’t even tell you the last time Justin and I went out to dinner alone. Not that we are suffering, but I do want to make sure we are focusing on our marriage, and not always falling back on the easier option of eating at home with the kids. Plus, with this plan, kids are picked up before bedtime and all parties can put their own kids to bed in their own homes. I don’t think we can go wrong. Especially since we are first in line to go on a date….sucka!

Master Update

Justin, don’t freak that I’m putting this on here. But I am dreaming of finishing our bedroom. Not that there is anything really “unfinished” about it, but it is one of the last rooms in the house that doesn’t have new white molding, and hasn’t been painted since we bought this house (gasp) 5 years ago (fools!).

Here’s what our room looks like right now. As in, literally, right this minute. Yes, that’s Thad napping on the bed. He didn’t even stir.

It’s not BAD, it’s just totally BLAH. I made that quilt, and I have always hated it. I hate the colors and I hate the pattern. The curtains are blah and awful as well. The shelves were my Grandma’s, they will stay, but will be transformed (love you Justin!). The rocking chair will probably also stay, because our policy is to never get rid of furniture. Or buy new furniture, apparently, since now that I’m thinking about it, that chair was from Grandma too. And the dresser, not picture, but to the left of the window, came from my mom’s childhood bedroom. Nothing but the best for the ‘ol Crosslands!  So. That’s what it is now. Here is my inspiration picture: (from this blog….please don’t read it, this woman clearly has too much money…just linking it because I think that’s how you’re supposed to do things in internet world).

Yes, I realize this is a nursery. But I love love love the navy blue walls, the natural looking wood. and the white door. Love it. So pretty. And those shelves of Grandma’s? We won’t change their color, but will add a shelf between them, and put lights in the shelf, similar to this idea:

Sorry, this one doesn’t have a link. It was pinned, and didn’t really go anywhere. Anyway, you get the idea. So, picture that wall color, a light neutral bedspread, long shelf linking the two big shelves….eh? EH? Should be pretty.

One other thing that I will incorporate are these pieces of artwork that I love, which were given to me from my Great Uncle Howard’s belongings when he passed away this summer.

I really love them for some reason. He had lots of different pictures, but these two I thought were a great combination. They contrast each other a lot in their style, but have the same subject matter. Pretty.

So, that’s my mental plan for our bedroom. Including, for the love of all that is good, new carpet. Which I almost hesitate to get since our bedroom is Sebastian (the cat’s) favorite place to puke up hairballs. How long do cats live, again?

Downsizing Bills

Last but not least on the topic list: Crossland’s are decreasing expenses. That’s right, we are going without cable tv. Crazy? Possibly. Painful? Yes, definitely yes. I miss my DVR already. But, we have decreased our media (home phone, internet, TV) bill by literally more than half by doing this. We will survive. But will someone please tell me what happens on the rest of this season of Parenthood?

It will be a missed crutch when dealing with cranky kids, but probably a good thing. It will also free up Justin’s and my evenings from wasting away our kid-less time on stupid TV shows. Hopefully I will get some long-awaited sewing projects done, and some of my long list of books read. Maybe I’ll get crazy and even do some exercising on my non-running days. Who knows. We still have antennae-style local stations, so goodness knows the kids will still watch PBS in the morning. We aren’t going without TV altogether. Just the good stuff.

Another bill we are dramatically decreasing is our cell phones. Both Justin’s and my phones are gradually dying, and after researching different options, we decided to go with a wireless company that uses a wireless connection whenever you are in wireless range, and our old Sprint service any time you go out of wireless range. HUGE decrease in our monthly service fees (we’re talking $10 a month, people!), with the caveat that you have to buy one of their particular $300 phones. Over all though, like the media bill, it’s going to even out to less than half our old bill. AND, we get to join the rest of the world with smart phones! The only thing that a current smart phone person wouldn’t like is that you only get data when you are in a wireless range, not the sprint service. But not being used to ANY data, this is still awesome for us.

So, there you go. New year, new us. No, not really, but making some changes that will continue to lead our family in the right direction. Overall, my big picture goal is to keep on track pursuing God and making sure we are focusing on the things that He is focused on. Keeping our family life at a high priority, taking care of each other, minimizing “business” in our lives, and doing our best to keep our lifestyle from getting too hectic and full.

Happy New Year!