Week 5, and another thing crossed off!

This weekend was all about Ethan, since it was his 3rd birthday! We asked him what he wanted to do on Saturday, and he said 'Library!'. No clue where that came from, since we've never been there. But, it was what he wanted to do, and I wasn't going to pass up a chance to do 2 things on my list, so off we went!

Our library is AWESOME! They have an 'Enchanted Forest' in the kids' section with lots of little nooks and crannies to read in, and all sorts of literary characters. He picked a Charlie and Lola book to read, and we made it about 3/4 of the way through before he got bored. Then it was off to explore! He walked/ran all around the kids' section, and then found the train table. They have Thomas trains that you can check out and play with while you're there, so that's what we did. And it kept him occupied for the better part of an hour, so Shawn and I took turns getting library cards and browsing. We picked out 4 books for Ethan, 2 for me, and one for him, and decided that we're going to make library trips a regular family activity. :)

So Happy Birthday to my little big boy, and woohoo for something (54. Get a library card) crossed off my list!

A major goal begun...

We started potty training today. He's doing quite well, actually. I'm very proud! :) I have a feeling it's going to take a while, but that's OK. If I was in a hurry I'd have started a long time ago.

Not much else to cross off this week. Both boys have been sick, and Logan hasn't been sleeping well at all, which means I haven't been sleeping well at all. Hard to do much of anything except sit my lazy butt on the couch. Sigh.

Lazy week. Didn't do a damn thing on the list this week. *hanging head in shame* Wait, I suppose I did start my 'find a beer I like' goal - I posted a thread asking for recommendations on TK, and we tried Miller Chill tonight. Not impressed. Will have to try some of the TK recommendations this week. I'm particularly interested in one of the fruit beers from New Glarus - not sure if we can get it here, though, or if we'll have to trek to Wisconsin. (Not that it's far.) I should have looked at Woodman's today - it's a Wisconsin-based grocery store.

A breakthrough!

Well, 2 weeks down and I get to actually cross something off! Woo! We were at Sam's Club last weekend, and one of the samples was breaded halibut. I was brave and tried it, and to my surprise, I really liked it! So we bought some and had it for supper this week. That was #15 - make a meal with fish other than tuna. Perhaps this breakthrough in my fish-hating will be followed by more!

In other news, I tried to start the Couch to 5k this week...and I'm so not ready yet. So my mini-goal is to walk for at least 30 min., 3 times a week. I'll do this until Spring, or until I feel I'm ready, and then try the C25K again.

We're at my parents' house for the weekend, so my weekly tasks will have to wait until we're home on Tuesday.

Week 1 Complete!

Well, I'm now 1 week into this project, and I've actually accomplished a few things! Go me! First off, I finished the list, even if I've made a few edits already. I figure that this is a 2.75 year project, some things are bound to change in that time frame.

Even though it's not a specific goal on the list, we've managed to keep the house clean for a week, which is some kind of new record for us. The vacuum/mop once a week and help Ethan pick up his toys goals are a large contributor to that. It's amazing how much more pleasant hanging out at home is when you don't have a sea of toys all over the floor!

My mini-goal for next week is to actually cross something off, instead of just doing my weekly/monthly tasks. I'm considering starting the Couch to 5k program next week, too - it's a bit daunting, but I need to start somewhere and there's no time like the present. :)

The journey of 1001 days starts with a single step...

Following the lead of quite a few friends online, I'm going to do the 101 Things to Do in 1001 Days project.

So here goes nothing. First up, a list of 101 Things I want to accomplish. This might take me a while, but Goal #1 is to make a list of things to do. I'm starting on August 16, 2008, making my final day May 14, 2011.

THE LIST

1. Complete list of 101 goals.

Because I want to be healthier:
2. Do the Couch to 5k program to completion.
3. Participate in a 5k.
4. Lose 10 lbs.
5. Lose 40 lbs.
6. Lose 80 lbs.
7. Drink nothing but water for 2 weeks, 6 times. (0/6)
8. Join a gym, and go 300 times. (0/300)
9. Learn to swim the butterfly stroke.
10. Have a visit to the dentist where I don't have any cavities.

Because I would like to cook and eat better:
11. Go for 2 weeks without eating out, 3 times. (0/3)
12. Try Indian food.
13. Find a wine I actually like and not just tolerate.
14. Find a beer I actually like and not just tolerate.
15. Make a meal with fish other than tuna.
16. Try a tuna steak.
17. Try lobster.
18. Try 5 new vegetables. (0/5)
19. Try 10 new recipes that use more than 10 ingredients. (0/10)
20. Make Oodles of Noodles soup, complete with homemade noodles.
21. Eat at 5 new local restaurants. (0/5)

Because I want to embrace my creative side:
22. Do Project 365 (one photo a day for a year).
23. Learn all the features of my camera.
24. Take a photography class.
25. Make a quilt.
26. Knit a pair of longies.
27. Bake and decorate a tiered cake.
28. Put together Paislee Press's "Happy as a Lark" album and make it a Shutterfly book.
29. Paint a picture.
30. Throw a pot.
31. Photograph a birth.

Because I love my kids:
32. Breastfeed Logan for a year.
33. Take the boys to the library at least 6 times a year. (1/16)
34. Potty train both boys. (0/2)
35. Teach Ethan how to ride a bike.
36. Teach Ethan how to swim.
37. Teach Logan how to pedal a trike.
38. Take the boys into the city on the train 6 times. (0/6)
39. Find an effective discipline strategy for Ethan and be consistent in using it.
40. Get at least one video of both boys every month. (2/33)

Because I want to be a better person:
41. Complete the DONA birth doula training.
42. Go for a week without watching TV.
43. Go for a weekend without internet.
44. Sing karaoke at a bar.
45. Change the oil on a car.
46. Change the brakes on a car (with Shawn's help).
47. Send a secret to PostSecret.
48. Put $1001 in our savings account and replace any of it that gets taken out.
49. Donate blood.
50. Volunteer somewhere.
51. Give $101 to charity.
52. Let go of the past.
53. Be present at a birth other than my own.
54. Get a library card.
55. Learn how to run CRON jobs and set them up for MLW/TK.
56. Build a computer all by myself.
57. Make $1000 total doing ChaCha.
58. Vote in at least 2 elections. (0/2)
59. Get a haircut at a real salon and a new style.
60. Go to bed before 1am on a regular basis.

Because I want to have a house I can be proud of:
61. Build shelves for my Willow Tree figurines.
62. Hang the spiral picture frame.
63. Rotate the pictures in the frames I have regularly.
64. Take a non-kid picture, frame it, and hang it.
65. Clean out kitchen cupboards and fridge once every 2 months. (1/16)
66. Clean out freezers once every 6 months. (0/5)
67. Declutter living room and office.
68. Buy or make a headboard.
69. Purge all the clutter/unnecessary stuff in the garage and house.
70. Use up or get rid of all the Yankee candles/tarts I have before I buy more.
71. Help Ethan (and Logan, when he's old enough) pick up toys before bed.
72. Find a better toy storage solution.
73. Decorate our bedroom so it's a relaxing retreat.

Because I want to have fun!:
74. Go miniature golfing as a family.
75. See a musical on Broadway.
76. Visit a foreign country.
77. Go out on a boat on Lake Michigan.
78. Visit a new state that doesn't touch IL.
79. Go to the Hancock Building observation deck.
80. Go to a NASCAR race at Chicagoland Speedway.
81. Pick apples at the orchard instead of buying them in the shop.
82. Go geocaching.
83. Go on a weekend getaway with Shawn.
84. See Metallica, Sugarland, and Rascal Flatts in concert.
85. Go to an Iowa football game.

Because I want to be a more responsible adult:
86. Make up a will.
87. Get my credit score above 650.
88. Get renters insurance.
89. Have 100 no-spend days. (0/100)

Just Because:
90. Get a family portrait taken and not complain about how stupid I look.
91. Move, whether back to Iowa or just to a bigger house.
92. Go to a movie by myself.
93. Clean Abbie's ears and teeth once every two months. (1/16)
94. Watch The Wizard of Oz while listening to Dark Side of the Moon.
95. Make some kind of grandkids' thing for FIL's grave.
96. Organize all of my digiscrapping supplies and tag them in Picasa.
97. Organize all of my digital photos by month/year.
98. Get a passport.

Because I want to make the most of this project:
99. Donate $5 for every uncompleted thing at the end of the 1001 days
100. Create a new 101 list after 1001 days.
101. Document my progress in a blog at least once weekly. (1/143)