A Birthday Project -- 35 Acts of Kindness

I turned 35 today!  Yay!  I wanted to do something special to mark this milestone.  Justin and I spent a lot of time talking about giving during the holidays--how do we raise our boys to be givers? how are we different or similar when it comes to giving? what should our giving priorities be for our family, etc?  So, I happened to discover the story of a mom who spent her birthday doing random acts of kindness (the story is here) and decided that I would take on a similar type of birthday project that focused on spreading kindness and giving back in my community.  I wrote down a few things I for sure wanted to accomplish but left the list mostly fluid so I could be open to opportunities that presented themselves.  And I didn't save all 35 acts of kindness for my birthday, but instead spread them over the past two weeks.  I was worried that something could come up like a sick child or a crisis at work, etc and foil my plan.  So, here's a look at the 35 acts of kindness:

1.  Donated sheets and towels to the Boulder Homeless Shelter
2.  Left cookies and a note of encouragement for our mail carrier (and got a nice note back!)
3.  Donated books to the library
4.  Got the oil changed in the car for Justin (and ended up having to get a timing belt change along with it!)
5. and 6.  Left high-value coupons at two different stores (I was a recipient of this one time and it was such a blessing)
7.  Donate our unused Neocate to our allergist's office so they can give them to other families

5 cans of Neocate=approx. $173.75. So glad they'll be going to other families instead of being tossed!

8.  Helped a colleague at work (anonymously) with a task to alleviate some work load
9.  Brought muffins and a thank you note to the elementary school office staff
10.  Brought muffins and a thank you note to the preschool office staff
11.  Brought cookies to work
12. and 13.  Wrote encouraging notes to two colleagues at work
14. and 15.  Sent notes to two family members
16.  Donated clothes to the thrift store
17.  Tried to bring shopping carts in to the store--I'm such a wimp and I'm sure anyone watching probably got a really good laugh during this effort.

I could only manage three carts!  I definitely have a greater appreciation for the staff who have to clear these from the parking lots each day!

18.  Picked up trash on one of my walks
19.  Took a library book back to CU for Justin
20.  Wrote a thank you note for the person who puts the "busy bags" together at church (our boys love them!)
21.  Left $2 with a note at the Red Box machine

I found the Kindness notes here

22.  Made a donation to FAAN (Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network) in the boys' honor
23.  Smiled and said hello to a stranger
24.  Helped a friend with her surprise party (see prior post for that whole story)
25.  Gave puzzles we've outgrown to a friend and her little one
26., 27., 28., 29. Made blessing bags and handed them out to four people without homes

We get these bags from the dentist, so I repurposed them into blessing bags filled with samples and travel-sized things, tea, etc.

30.  Wrestled with the boys--I realize this should seem like a given since I'm their mom, but they're really big and heavy now!  So, definitely an act of kindness to be at their mercy for 20 minutes of wrestling.  (:
31.  Bought coffee for the car behind me at Starbucks--the barista told me this would probably start a chain, so yay for spreading more kindness!  I asked him to tell the gentleman behind me to have a great day.
32.  Left change at a vending machine

33. and 34.  Wrote notes to two friends I've needed to get back in touch with
35.  Helped 28 Kindergartners wrap 28 hot dogs with crescent rolls for their rodeo lunch (and smelled like a hot dog wrapped in dough for the rest of the day).  YeeHaw!

This was a really rewarding experience and a great way to celebrate turning 35.  I learned a few things:  1) there are so many ways to pay it forward, and it doesn't have to mean spending a lot of money (I kept my budget to $35 and my donation to FAAN was most of that); 2) time and talent count for a lot; 3) I'm most comfortable giving anonymously; 4) I hope we can incorporate giving and service into our family life...I think the boys are ready.

And now a bit about how my birthday went today:

**I took the day off.  This is probably my fourth year running for this little tradition.  My colleagues have caught on and cornered me for lunch yesterday.  I did, however, get summoned into the office for an hour to help David with a semi-emergency.  Got to work in a cubicle since my laptop was at home...an eye-opening experience that made me really thankful for my lovely office.
**I went to the Container Store with a generous gift certificate from Christmas.  That place is an overboard organizer's paradise.  (:
**I went to Costco.
**The boys were told they were in charge of my birthday because Justin had a late meeting tonight.  So, we decorated cupcakes (leftover from another Kindergarten party) and they helped me open a present.  They also made me a card, which I think says that I'm pretty everyday.  (:
**At Morgan's suggestion we cranked up the Laurie Berkner Band and had a freeze-dance party for about 40 minutes, and then all of us collapsed on the floor in exhaustion.
**Jacoby has a loose tooth!  Yay and EEWW!

It was an awesome birthday!  Thanks to all who called, wrote, texted, and emailed--love you all!

Getting Healthy

We've been working on getting healthy again.  Morgan and I took a sick day last Tuesday.  We laid on the couch together and watched Lady and the Tramp.  He and I both got the worse of the bugs, and he's still got a runny nose and cough.  Jacoby bounced back from his illness quickly, so he was back at school to finish up the Rodeo unit.  Justin was the only one who made it through without getting sick.  He had a review with his supervisor and got a new title, a raise, and is now a regular part-time employee (instead of being on a 6-month contract).  I rallied enough by the end of the week to help with the Rodeo lunch at school and help with a friend's 40th birthday surprise party.  I got to use my sway as the boss's assistant to keep him at work until 6:30 pm on his birthday for a conference call. (:  He was told on the call that our boss was taking a job at the White House (not far-fetched since he's been there before), who our interim president would be, etc.  It worked, he was surprised, and actually still believed that our boss was leaving until well into the party when we broke the news to him.  (:  I'm glad it ended well, but I'm now officially retired from surprise parties--way too stressful!

Some of Jacoby's favorite friends at school

 The Kinders used a rope from gym class to lasso the principal and bring her down to their class for lunch.  It was so cute!

 Boys playing at the park.  Our weather has been really warm, so we got outside to enjoy some sunshine once we were feeling better.

 In the yard playing soccer

And the post just wouldn't be complete without a picture of our favorite chalkboard fridge!  At least I didn't treat you to 50 pictures of it this time.  (:

When Super Heroes are Down...And a Project

The boys got a nasty bug this weekend.  Jacoby went down first with a 102 degree fever and had to miss his field trip to the Stock Show.  He was sad about that and so were we.  Morgan went down on Saturday and is still running a fever.  There's nothing but snotty noses, hacking coughs, and crankiness around here.  We've been watching a lot of movies to keep everyone comfortable and happy.

Life is no fun when the boys are sick.  And I find that the things that often drive me crazy on normal days, are the very things I miss on sick days.  One of Jacoby's defining features right now is that he is super loud.  He sings at the top of his lungs when he's in the bathroom and has a full repertoire of sounds he uses when he plays.  Sometimes I long for an "off button" when I need a bit of peace and quiet.  When he's sick, it's way too quiet around here and I really miss his volume! And Morgan, my child who is never still and always in motion--the house just isn't the same without stomping and thumping!  My super heroes donned their capes and masks today, but a lot of their missions were interrupted by hacking coughs, tissue breaks, and lying on the floor for rest...so sad!

In other news, I painted our fridge!  We inherited a hunk of junk when we moved into the house.  It has a lot of cosmetic damage and is a major eye-sore in an otherwise beautiful kitchen.  So, since a new fridge is not in our budget anytime soon, I've been researching some possibilities for several months and finally settled on one I thought would suit us until we're ready to upgrade.  For Christmas, the boys (the small and the tall) gave me a gift certificate to Lowes AND a whole day to myself to do any project I wanted.  Obviously, the germs thwarted the second part of the gift, but I bought myself a gallon of paint and a few supplies and got to work Saturday morning.  It was very easy and turned out so well.  We love it!

Here's the hunk of junk in all of its damaged glory.  The boys were concerned we'd never get to the food inside after I removed the handles.

Lots of rusty scrapes and dents

After one coat of paint.  The color is Classic Teal.

After three coats of paint + a secret ingredient. (:

I added grout to my paint, so once it dried it was a chalk board! This was much cheaper than buying actual chalk board paint, and a lot less toxic.

Morgan making sure his magnets still work

It's really cool and feels just like a chalk board!

Jacoby trying it out

My little artists at work

Justin even tried it out

It looks great and adds some color and whimsy to our kitchen...and the ghastly rust scrapes and scratches are gone!

My littlest sick, super hero

We are happy to have an extra day at home today because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.  Justin overheard Jacoby telling Morgan that Martin Luther King was killed by a bunch of angry white guys.  Not too far from the truth!  Don't worry, we spent time learning other things about Martin Luther King too and why he's an important part of our history (especially for Inauguration Day today).

Have a great week everyone!

So Cold!

It is really cold here in Colorado right now!  The boys and I tried an experiment Sunday morning...we wanted to see what would happen if we blew bubbles when it was freezing cold outside.  Well, the frozen bubbles are pretty cool but we only lasted about 10 seconds out on the porch.  At least we learned a little something while freezing our toes in the name of science!  We've kept busy indoors with activities and try to channel extra boy energy whenever possible.

The boys really like Legos right now

We were proud of Jacoby for figuring out how to put a roof on his house

I'm not sure what was funny at the time, but I do love this smile!  This boy is a busy running, jumping, building, reading, talking machine right now.  I'm pretty sure he doesn't walk anywhere...it's always a jump, stomp, run, or slide.

The 100th day of school is being celebrated at the end of the month.  So, the Kinders are working on a very special project.

They have to fill a 10 x 10 grid with items of their choice, pattern, etc.  I found a couple of options for him (tricky trying to come up with 100 of something that can be glued to paper!) and Jacoby chose these tiny beads.  He's been working on it very meticulously for the past couple of days.  He also noticed that we got to page 100 in James and the Giant Peach tonight!

I'm still perfecting my pasta making skills...it's really like playdough for grown-ups.  I tried ravioli this weekend and still have a ways to go before they'll be ready to serve to anyone outside our immediate family. (:

I spent time in the Kindergarten class on Friday and also attended a parent meeting with the principal, who I really like.  I also really like being in Jacoby's class.  They're doing a rodeo/cowboy unit right now and will be attending the Denver Stock Show on Friday (and even get to ride on the school bus).  Jacoby has been so excited for this adventure.  Justin is the lucky winner this time and gets to go as a chaperone...and I'd bet my spurs he's not quite as excited, but still up for wrangling 28 Kinders for a day.  (:  All of the kids have cowboy names.  Jacoby's is Festeus, and from what we know, Festeus has magical powers and rides a unicorn!

Jacoby has also taken to fixing Morgan's breakfast in the morning!  He can do just about everything, except pour the milk.  It's very sweet and we love seeing his helpful side.  Morgan thinks it's pretty cool too.  It really helps that Jacoby's tall enough to reach the cupboards now...he even served Morgan marshmallows for a snack one day before we had a chance to intervene.

That's about it from our neck of the woods.  We hope you all are warm and have a good week!

Back to Normal

We were happy to get back to school and work last week.  There was actually something sort of comforting about getting back to packing lunches, homework, and routine. The boys were very happy to see their friends at school.  Jacoby had an endocrinology appointment and has grown almost an inch and gained 5.5 pounds since September (probably a pound for clothing, but still!)!  He's around the 91st percentile for both weight and height.  The doctors are very pleased with his progress and so are we!

We took Christmas down and put things away.  The boys said good-bye to their favorite things and have already moved on to the upcoming birthday season.  Jacoby's school uses an online literacy program, which we finally logged into over the weekend to see what it was all about.  Jacoby loves it and has already been through 25 books!  The program has a library of books, both fiction and non, so he can pick a book from various categories and have the books read to him.  Eventually, he'll read the books on his own.  It's a great program for him since he also really likes being on the computer.  

We made playdough this weekend to replenish our dwindling supply

 We added glitter to this batch, so it's very sparkly

 The boys got to take the scooters outside for a spin and had a great time

 Jacoby got a bloody nose this weekend from doing a cartwheel at full speed with no hands (i.e., a total face plant into the carpet).  The good news is that his nose is fine and the carpet cleaned up beautifully with just water!

 I'm not sure what exactly was wrong with the child at this particular moment

We also took an exhausting trip to IKEA...which was actually a secret birthday mission for the boys.  Yay for IKEA!

 I finished Morgan's baby scrapbook!  Woohoo!

 I don't know why Blogger flips these pictures...but you get the idea

I'm hanging up my scrapbooking hat and moving on to blog books!

There's not much on tap for this week.  Justin is submitting the final draft of his dissertation proposal and will hopefully defend it this month.  We have a major publication coming out at work and expect to be bombarded with calls from the press over the next several weeks.  I'll be glad when the flurry passes!

Have a great week everyone!

Happy New Year!

We've had a fabulous winter break.  I truly enjoyed being home for almost two weeks with my family.  We spent a lot of unscheduled time together, and I was completely lazy, lounging in my stretchy pants most days.  I was back to work today and feel ready for a new year.  The boys head back to school and preschool tomorrow and Justin will be back to work.  Jacoby told me tonight that he's missed school and his friends.  It will be nice to get back to our routine, but we definitely loved a few weeks of down time.

We had several movie nights and watched Polar Express one last time before it goes back in the Christmas bins.

 Here I'm playing with a shiny new thing...it starts with an i and ends in "phone" (: A very generous gift from my parents-in-law

 Jacoby and Grandmanette spent time playing Make-a-Break

 Jacoby is a master builder and Morgan is keeper of the timer

 We wrote thank you cards

 On New Years Day we made chocolate donuts

 Morgan overcame his fear of the Wii and plays by himself now

 I made angel hair pasta with my new pasta machine, which is so cool.  The pasta is super yummy too.

 For our New Years dinner we tried shrimp!  And everyone handled it ok.  Whew!  For some reason, Justin and I were really nervous about introducing this one even though both boys have tested negative.  Jacoby is giving a thumbs up that he likes shrimp...he ate a bunch of them!

Morgan is giving a sideways thumbs up to show that he only liked it so so.  He's sort of on the fence about insect-type fish that come from the sea...just like his mom.  (:

During some moments of my stretchy pants laziness, I did some reflecting on 2012 and thinking ahead to 2013.  2012 was a good year for us.  The move into our house was a major deal and so was Jacoby starting Kindergarten.  We weathered both transitions pretty well, although I think Kindergarten was far more difficult for me than moving was.  Jacoby really seems to love school, which makes us happy.  And we're so thankful that we've had no allergy issues so far.  I'm also so, so thankful that both boys remained healthy and we had no major medical issues come up.  A bonus was adding a few new foods to our diet.  I think the only two things we didn't get accomplished on our 2012 list was swimming lessons for the boys and me getting Morgan's first year scrapbook finished.  It's just about there and I hope to wrap it up this weekend.  And as for swimming lessons, does it count that I registered them but forgot to take them?  (:

Here's what we're thinking about for 2013:

Justin

D.I.S.S.E.R.T.A.T.I.O.N -- Do I write this every year?  Probably, but maybe this year it will come true!!  (:

Continue developing programming skills

Jacoby

Have fun turning 6 -- did I mention he's already told us he wants to have a party with his class?  All 28 of them...gulp.  I have a plan though, and I may recruit the grandmas to help.  (:

Go skiing

Try swimming lessons or gymnastics or soccer or piano

Finish up Kindergarten in style and start First Grade

Maybe read a chapter book on his own

Morgan

Have fun turning 4

Finish preschool class and move into Pre-K-- really?? how has this happened already??!

Go skiing

Try swimming lessons or gymnastics or soccer or a music class

Learn letters and numbers 

Me

Finish blog books for 2009 - 2012 and print as budget allows

Run BolderBoulder 10K race again

Read chapter books with boys each month -- we started James and the Giant Peach tonight

Read a couple of books with Justin -- we started a Hemmingway last night

Continue learning how to expand our culinary abilities and recipe box

Do a better job keeping up my allergy blog (stay tuned for an updated post)

Family

Focus on relationships, both inside our family and outside -- we really became hermits in 2010 when all of the medical stuff began, so we're going to try and engage more with the outside world this year.  (:

We have some financial goals we're hopeful about this year

We hope to get to Montana to visit family

Go camping twice

A weekend getaway for Mommy and Daddy

Happy New Year Everyone!