Problem and Solution: Magazine article organization

 

Problem: I love to rip out interesting articles or little columns from magazines. However, I never had a place for them. So... I made file folders and stuck them in a big bin in the back of my closet... Problem: I never dug them out to look at them. So... how do I organize them so that I'll look at them for the ideas that I liked in the first place?

Solution: PDF files on my computer! That's right.. I spent about 40 min. scanning in the 50 or so articles that I had cut out and putting them into folders by category. Now I'll be able to quickly look at them.. because let's face it- I am on my computer at least 5 times a day. So there you are... very easy and hopefully helpful. :)

Spring here!!!

YES! Spring weather is FINALLY upon us. Boy have we had some crazy days around here. First, we spent most of the weekend outside:

 You can tell this photo was taken April 1st when we still had snow, and a winter jacket was needed... but I took the sensory table out to the porch, and Killian's been able to play in it with his diggers whenever he wants.

 Killian's finally got the hang of a big bike with training wheels. He's SLOW when he walks with me and the dogs, so I make him ride him bike to keep up (and we STILL go slow). During this bike walk, Killian asked me to take him training wheels off!! Yes, my child has his own pace for everything. SO I bought a balance buddy, and we're going to try it this week. Who am I to stand in the way of a two-year old riding a 2-wheeler?

Bubbles came back out this week... he's really into them since he finally knows how to successfully blow them himself.  Oh, notice the hat? For the last 2 summers I've tried getting him to wear a baseball hat. Apparently, all it takes is seeing his dad wear one, because this year he's all about hats. (PS He puts it backwards).

In addition to being outside, I bought his last, and biggest, birthday gift... a jeep! I found a great deal on craigslist, and couldn't' pass it up. Unfortunately, that meant Killian came with him to pick it up. So, I let him ride it for 5 min. and then we put it away in storage. He's desperate for more fun... and I might give him it early in May if he's still bugging me for it.

 

This week, we also saw alot of our grass grow... I think I forgot to mention that we planted grass. Well, we did. And this week Killian got to cut it:

In addition, we let our butterflies go. Killian was very sad, but I did get this great shot of him:

So.. .what else has been new? Well, we had a tornado go through our city on Sunday... terrifying me and keeping Kilian up late. Luckily, there wasn't any damage to our house/property. However, less than a mile away there were roofs ripped out and trees that look like dominoes. I'm VERY grateful that we're ok.

This week we're starting on our garden :) I'll try and post photos as I finish bits and pieces. I hand tilled for an hour today and only got about 5 square feet tilled.... it'll be a long process.

I'm raising a teenager...

I've recently decided that I'm raising a teenager trapped inside a (almost) 3 year old's body. Why? Well let's look at some of the conversations I've had with him lately:

Killian wanted a toy after he'd just gotten a new one hours earlier.
Me: Well where's your money for this toy? If you want it, you'll have to buy it yourself.
K: It's in my pocket.
Me: Ok, show me the money.
K: It's in there
Me: Pull it out and show me Killian.
K: (rummages around in his pocket). Aw man! It must be at home. I will just give you money at home.
Me: No, no, no. If you want to buy this toy you need your money here.
K: Ok, its in my pocket. Hold on. (rummages around again, and pulls out nothing) Here it is mama. (handing me "pretend" money).
Me: No Killian. You need real money, like this: (I open my wallet and show him three 1$ bills).
K: OH!!! There's my money! It was in your wallet. Phew! Let's get the toy.


*** Ok seriously? Here's another one:

Me: Monkey, what are you doing?
K: No, NO! My name is only Lillian (Killian). Not monkey!

*** Seriously? He's embarrassed by nicknames already??? Here's another:

Me: Killian, Amanda's getting married. Would you like to walk down the aisle with a pillow and rings and give them to Michael?
K: No. I'm not going to.
Me: Everyone will look at your beautiful face.
K: MM. Ok then. I will do it.

***Another one:

K: Mama... I made a mess.
Me: What? Where is it? What did you do?
K: (as he holds my hand and strokes my arm leading me to the mess... in the sweetest voice) Mama, MOMMMYYYYY, I love you. You are beautiful. You are my mommy. I love you. Kiss me, snuggle me. I love you.

**Make no mistake. He was trying to pacify me before I came upon the plant that he had DUMPED all over his bed. Where did he learn this? Seriously!

 Me: Killian, I'm going to sell Stella.
K: NO! I wuvaaa her! Mama, I wuv her. She will be nice now.



Sigh. I'm in such trouble when he's able to reason even more. Perhaps I'll be raising a 30 year old in a teenager's body soon........ though that might actually work to my advantage.