A Chapter Completed

Yesterday ended our apartment managing career. I am happy to have this chapter closed in our lives. It was a great blessing, but it is such a relief to sit here and know that I don't have to answer the business phone, or do any repairs unless they are mine. I am so glad we had this opportunity, it helped me learn more about Real Estate, and saved us financially when Daniel was about to be born. It has been a huge blessing to our lives, and we are happy to be able to give someone else the same opportunity we had. It is nice to know we don't need it anymore, and even nicer to know that we can pass it to someone who does.

Right now we are living with my sister and her husband. We will be here for a couple of weeks until our house is finished. We are in the basement, so we have alot of privacy. . . in fact, it feels like more privacy than when we were in the apartment complex.

Meanwhile, we will be living out of boxes and stuff, since I don't want to unpack everything just to pack it all up again. Today I am moving all the boxes we won't get into to the storage room. That way Daniel doesn't climb all over them.

Daniel has had both a wonderful time and a hard time. He really didn't like being with me in an empty apartment while I cleaned. It was boring for him, right up until the carpet cleaners came, then he thought it was so cool to run on a damp carpet. Strang Boy.

Daniel has also discovered the pulling tape off of boxes is fun, including all the labels Mom so carefully placed on those boxes. Which is why, during his nap, I am moving them as quickly as I can.

On The Move

We are moving tomorrow! Our apartment is completely packed, I only have a few food boxes left to do. We are probably going to take a few things over this evening that we don't want broken, like our computer and a few fragile things that were hard to pack.

Our New Doggy

This is our new Dog! His name is Buster. Buster is a four year old pure-bred

Golden Retriever. His owner couldn't keep him in his apartment,

so we were able to get him. He is currently staying at my brother's house

until ours is finished. He is fully trained, and a very well behaved dog.

I agreed to take him because of his training. I have never owned

a dog, and I didn't want to spend the effort to train a new one.

Buster is really Scott's dog. He is so excited to have him in our lives.

House Update

Our home is now ready for Stucco and Rock!

The Inside is completely drywalled and ready for

tape and texture!

We are getting closer!

Chia Seeds

I have made a step towards a healthier me. That little tiny step is adding Chia Seeds to my diet. I have been taking Chia seeds three times a day, and am already feeling better. I have been doing a great deal of research on Chia seeds, and have come to the conclusion that they are a perfect food. They are chock full of Omega 3, protein, antioxidants, and fiber. The Aztecs called them the "running food" because they would bring a handful of seeds with them to eat on thier journeys.

I cannot even begin to write all that I have found about them, so here are my favorite links:

http://www.chiaforhealth.com/chin.html
http://www.chia4life.com.au/nutrition.htm
http://www.eatchia.com/englishfacts.htm
http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/issues/2005/1112/7370809.shtml?page=1

Chia seeds are virtually tasteless, and I add them to everything. First I make a gel out of the Chia seeds (but you don't have to use just the gel, you can eat them plain too.)

Chia Seed Gel
1/3 cup Chia Seeds
2 cups Filtered Water

Mix together and let sit for 15 minutes, then stir again. This gel can store up to two weeks in the fridge.

I was told we should eat three tablespoons of the gel three times a day.

I put the gel in with my orange juice in the morning. I spread it on my sandwiches during lunch, and mix it with whatever I am having for dinner. From a dieter's perspective, it is amazing. Adding the Chia seeds to your meal adds bulk and makes you feel full with out eating as many calories. It also keeps the flavor potency, so the meal tastes just as good, but you haven't eaten as much of the bad stuff. I love it. I can even eat it plain, since it is almost tastless and goes down easily.

FLYing, Day 16

I have been on the FLYLady system for 3 weeks, but one of those weeks I was on a cruise, so I am currently on day 16.

I am seeing an amazing difference in my life. My house is becoming managable in an amazing way. I feel more in control, and I have more time to focus on things that are important to me. My husband is happier because the house feels better, and I have good meals planned and ready to make. Daniel is happier because I have him play with me while I go through my routines. He loves putting dishes away and unfolding the laundry. I am using a calander for REAL! I know what is going on this week, and haven't missed (out of forgetfulness) the baby shower I had last night.

I am actively involved in fifteen minute increments. Fly Lady says that you can do anything for 15 minutes! It is true. In fifteen minutes a day, my home is shedding clutter, and preparing itself for a move. My sink is nice and shiny, and my counters are clear.

I am more excited than ever to be in my new home, because I am going to be taking only those things I love with me!

Today I read an email from FLY Lady about clutter. It was very enlightening. She said that clutter holds us prisoner in our own homes. It saps our strength and makes us feel out of control. Clutter is a tool the Enemy uses to keep us from feeling peace in our homes. She said to be careful of allowing the clutter of others to stay. We worry too much about getting rid of something because it was a gift. It just sits there, unloved and unused, taking up space and energy. It really hit me. I have all of these things that I don't need, don't want, and don't know what to do with. They don't have a "place" and seem to migrate from room to room. I have a room that has become a major clutter zone as everything I don't want in our main living area gets shoved there.

FLY Lady suggests looking at things and really asking yourself: Do I need it? Do I love it?
If the answer is no, get rid of it. Things that we love are easy for us to take care of, especially when we are not constantly distracted by the things that clutter our lives.

Poor Babies!

I really feel for little toddlers, especially because that is the stage of life that my little son is at now. He is having a miserable time, and is making the rest of us unhappy too. Daniel is currently teething, learning that "No" really does mean "NO," that Mom doesn't do things for him just cause he wants it, that there are things he can't have, and that bedtime is time to sleep.

We started putting Daniel down for a real bedtime last Monday. The move from our room to his was going to be a big change, and we wanted to get it done before we moved into our new home. All of a sudden, it seemed anyway, he couldn't sleep for longer than 15 minutes without being held. I rested in his room, so that he didn't feel completely abandoned, for two nights. I didn't get any sleep, because just as I would doze off, he would get awake again. At the end of the second night, I was so exhausted that I took my son to my mother's house so that I could take a well deserved nap. Then I had my Dad look at him.

For those who don't know, my father is a Chiropractor, and very good at what he does. He basically works on the overall well-being of the body. Anyway, emotionally Daniel was fine, but what he needed was to feed something (and forgive my spelling) called the Pineal Gland. This little gland near your brain moniters your sleep. It helps you get deep and restful zzzzzz's. To feed this gland, you simply eat a cup of oatmeal before going to bed (you can brush your teeth afterwards.)

Simple. Effective. Very Effective. Because I didn't know if I could trust my cranky little boy to eat oatmeal plain, I got him some Oatmeal cookies at the store (to be replaced today with some healthier ones I make myself.) One cookie before bedtime, and he sleeps most of the night.

I didn't notice this phenomenon earlier, cause when he would wake up at night, I would bring him into bed to nurse with me. Most of the time I was so tired that he would spend most of the night there. So I would help keep him asleep without being aware of it.

The only problem now, is that Daniel thinks it is time to get up between 5:30am and 6am. I am hoping that as the oatmeal builds up in his system that it will mean better and better sleep. Maybe he will start waking up at 8am instead. That would be nice!