What happens next?

I'm sitting here with my almost-two-year-old, who just woke up from his nap.  He almost always wakes up before his sister, which allows us to enjoy a few minutes of mom and son time in the afternoons.  Today, he asked for some "choo-choos" (fruit chews), and as he shoved the first one in his mouth he said "I wan Me-Mouse, Mom."  Firstly, I'd like to note how big he sounds to me when he calls me "Mom" instead of "Mama" or "Mommy."  I rarely get called those last two any more - unless someone's hurt or there's something wrong.  Secondly, for those who may not know, "Me-Mouse" is "Mickey Mouse" in toddler speak.  C has been talking a lot about his Mickey Mouse movie over the past few days.  So, I put in the dvd and he asks, "What's that, Mom?" I show him the case.  "Me-Mouse?!  I rike that, Mom!" (as if he didn't just ask me to put it in.) As soon as the menu screen shows up with Mickey and his pals, I hear him say "Yay! Me-Mouse!" (again, as if he expected something else?) and he is instantly sucked into tv land.  Apparently the sound of Mickey and his friends has lured H out of her room now, because I hear her behind me, trying to "surprise" me.  Of course, I already heard her not only open the bedroom door but tiptoe down the creaky hallway.  I turn around. "Boo!  Ha.. I scared you, didn't I?" she says.  I nod. "YES, you got me." 

I love spending this time with my kids.  They say and do things that both astonish and amuse me every day.  But I've been thinking lately about my future in terms of my career.  What do I want to do?  What do I want to do when the kids start school?  When they get older?  When they go off to college?  So far, I'm not 100% sure of that answer.  I used to have (and a large part of me still does have) the drive to be a nurse, and nothing but a nurse.  Not just a nurse, but an OR (operating room) nurse.  I've spent a pretty fair chunk of my and my parents' money (sorry, Mom and Dad!) and numerous semesters and course hours toward this goal.  It's something I could definitely see myself doing later in life.  But right now, I don't think I'm disciplined enough to be a nurse.  I don't think I'm quite ready for the long hours and the physical and emotional stress involved.  I do long to help people, and I want to do something in the medical field.  But what?  I've thought about getting certified to be a CNA (nurse's aid) after the kids go to school.  It would allow me to work in a hospital setting while getting one-on-one interaction with patients, minus the long hours and with less stress.  I've also thought about just staying at home for a while longer so my kids don't have to come home to an empty house or a babysitter.  That is, of course, if my husband's patience lasts and if our financial situation remains stable on on one income.  I'm not entirely sure what I want to do just yet.  But I'm sure as time goes on and as our lives change and grow, what I'm supposed to do will become more clear to me.  Until then I'm just praying and breathing and reminding myself to enjoy these sweet moments with my kids.  After all, one day soon they won't be so little anymore.

Spring Goals

Dear Spring,
Welcome!  I hope you treat us well.  Please do not allow your fresh pollen to attack our sinuses this year.  Do note, however, that if you decide to attack us we will be prepared, for we are armed with Claritin and Sudafed and plenty of tissues.   We do invite you to bring plenty of warm, happy, sunshine-filled days to play in.  We eagerly await the buzzing of bees and blossoming of flowers.  And when the occasional rains fall, we will be grateful to the Rainmaker, for from that rain comes life.  Also, Lady Spring, please do remember that it is now your time to shine.  Do not let Old Man Winter bully you into bringing more snow!  He has had his turn. 

Respectfully Yours,
Crystal & Family

That was fun! :) I do hope to reach these goals this spring:

*to find a church
*to make some spring/Easter crafts with my kids
*to plant and grow some kind of veggie
*to do something for myself
*to have a date night (or day) with my hubby

I met most of my goals for winter:
*If we get enough snow, make a snowman with my kids
H and I made three snowmen this year, and for the first time ever, Hubbs was able to make one with her! Very exciting! C just ate the snow.
*Take more pictures
I felt like I took a fair amount of pictures. :) Will most likely continue this goal.
*Have a date night with my husband
We had a fun night out together!  I just wish I could have relaxed and enjoyed it more.

Now for the goals I didn't quite reach:
*Give to someone else on my birthday
I attempted (during moving time chaos) to assemble a blanket drive shortly before my birthday, and it didn't quite come together.  So when the Haiti earthquake hit, I decided to send info about another drive to the few who were interested.  Moving is not an excuse, and I guess I got discouraged when so few responded to my initial attempts.  I foresee another attempt in my near future.
*Get a tattoo for my birthday
Again, with moving expenses, etc, I was unable to reach this goal.  I have an idea of what I want, and now we have only to save up the money for it and to find a reputable place around here.  Or, we might just wait for a return trip home, so that we might go with what (who) we know.

So, that's how I fared for winter 2010.  How did your goals go?  Did you meet them all?  Some?  Forget about them altogether?  Well, if you fall into the latter group, the good news is that spring is here! - a time for new growth and a fresh start.  So what are you waiting for?  Make a goal list.  I promise it'll make you feel great to cross them off as you meet them!

My Bucket List

A friend of mine tagged me in a note on facebook, and inspired me to write this. Like my friend, even before I watched the movie "The Bucket List" I have had a list of goals to accomplish before I die. I suppose I've always had this list with me, but I've never written it down. No, I'm not terminally ill, and I don't plan on dying any time soon. But God's plans are different from my own, and none of us knows how much time we have left. So, that being said, here's my "Bucket List" in no particular order. Some are things I'm afraid of but want to do before I go, and others are huge dreams of mine. Here goes!

1. See my kids graduate college
2. Get at least one tattoo
3. Go to each state in the US:
•Alabama
•Alaska
•Arizona
•Arkansas
•California
•Colorado
•Connecticut
•Delaware
•District of Columbia
•Florida
•Georgia
•Hawaii
•Idaho
•Illinois
•Indiana
•Iowa
•Kansas
•Kentucky
•Louisiana
•Maine
•Maryland
•Massachusetts
•Michigan
•Minnesota
•Mississippi
•Missouri
•Montana
•Nebraska
•Nevada
•New Hampshire
•New Jersey
•New Mexico
•New York
•North Carolina
•North Dakota
•Ohio
•Oklahoma
•Oregon
•Pennsylvania
•Rhode Island
•South Carolina
•South Dakota
•Tennessee
•Texas
•Utah
•Vermont
•Virginia
•Washington
•West Virginia
•Wisconsin
•Wyoming
4. Go to the following places outside of the US:
-Australia
-Spain
-Mexico
-England
-Italy
-France
-Virgin Islands
-Galapagos Islands (to see the turtles!)
5. Do at least one of these:
-Skydiving
-Parasailing
-Bungee Jumping
6. Help someone to better himself
7. Volunteer my time to those in need
8. Become a nurse/health care professional
9. Witness a heart transplant
10. Become fluent in another language
11. Eat at least one strange and exotic food in each foreign country I visit
12. Swim with dolphins
13. Learn to sew on a machine
14. Learn to drive a stick shift
15. See "real" snow
16. Go snow skiing
17. Write a book.
18. Fire a gun at a nonliving target (and hit it)
19. Shoot a bow and arrow and make a bullseye
20. Ride in a hot air balloon
21. Take ballroom dancing lessons with my husband
22. Eat the best pizza in the world

That's all for now. I plan to cross off and add to this list as needed. What does your list look like?

Goals for Winter

There are so many things I would like to do. I want to learn to sew, I want to travel, I want to be able to give to people the way celebs do. We all have goals, don't we? I enjoyed having my list of goals for fall, and with my husband's help, I have been able to accomplish those goals:

*jump in piles of leaves with my kids; check!
*find a church home; check! - well, we have found a church that we enjoy attending!
*have a bonfire; check! - hey, a fire in the fireplace counts, right?
*make s'mores with my hubby (who had never had them!); check!
*have a halloween party; well, I didn't throw one, but I did go to one!
and *make something great to bring to Thanksgiving dinner; check! -brownies!

Since I met (or somewhat met) all of my goals for fall, I have decided to keep this up and make some goals for winter 2010:

*If we get enough snow, make a snowman with my kids
*Take more pictures
*Have a date night with my husband
*Give to someone else on my birthday
*Get a tattoo for my birthday

Meeting these goals for myself, as simple as they are, gives me such a sense of accomplishment. If you are reading this now, I emplore you to set a few goals for yourself. Whether they're goals for the week, month, season, or year, make a list of things you would like to accomplish. Then tell someone about your list. My husband read my list of goals after I wrote them and, either consciously or subconsciously, he helped me to reach them. Perhaps the same can happen for you. To my hubby - Thank you for always supporting my goals and for helping me to accomplish the things I set out to do. You're the most amazing man I know, and I love you very much!

Fall Changes

Friday afternoon I had Ethiopian coffee, served in the traditional way, for the first time. When I was first invited I was afraid it would be too bitter or too strong but it was very good! My neighbor and her mother in law served me coffee three times, as per tradition, from a jebena (clay coffee pot). She showed me how they roast the coffee in a long handled pot, then ground it up and pour the grounds in the jebena along with water. It was a cool experience. I believe H and I are becoming fast friends with mom, F, and daughter, R. R is H's age and they are so alike it's scary! :) They're both very energetic and rambunctious and they're both "big sisters." R invited her to sleep over Friday night so they stayed up late eating pizza and sleeping on mattresses on the floor.

We are currently trying to find a new church home, as we moved thirty mins away from our former one. Thirty minutes might not seem like much, but trust me, the money spent on gas adds up quickly! The kids and I visited a church today that I haven't been to in about four years. I enjoyed seeing familiar faces and friends.

I can't believe it's already fall! Fall is my favorite season, and I hope we get some nice weather this year. For me, fall represents a bustling, busy time of getting ready for holidays and spending time with family. My goals for fall: jump in piles of leaves with my kids, find a church home, have a bonfire, make s'mores with my hubby (who has never had them!), have a halloween party (?), and make something great to bring to Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe I have too many goals? Eh, we'll see!