Make a List and Check it Twice

(Click photo to enlarge.)
Don't hate me, but I'm about ninety percent done with my Christmas shopping. It will feel great, when Thanksgiving rolls around, to be done! Then I could just concentrate on the things I really love--riding around to enjoy the holiday lights, sitting with my family in front of the fireplace making a craft or looking at photos, baking with my friends, watching holiday favorites on DVD and window shopping.

But how do I keep it all organized? Easy! I just make a simple spreadsheet to keep track of it all. The spreadsheet includes the gift recipient's name, the gift I purchased or made, whether it is wrapped and if I shipped it yet, if applicable.

The example I've included from last year will illustrate what it looks like. Just click open and you can even use this file for yourself if you'd like! It was done in Excel 97 for Windows. If you have Excel on your computer, you should be able to open it.

This spreadsheet has been a lifesaver. Plus, it acts as a reference for future years, in case I want to go back and see what gifts I've given to a particular person in the past.

Functioning on Just a Few Hours of Sleep

So, I've had this cold for the past few days, and last night I just couldn't get to sleep. The coughing, even with a suppressant, just wouldn't stop. I got into bed at 11:00pm and finally dozed off about 2:30am.

To my dismay, I was awoken at 3:30am to the sound of my daughter screaming from her bedroom. I jumped out of bed, ran into her room and asked her what was wrong. She replied, 'My ear hurts.' I thought, 'Ugh, an ear infection.'

This caught us totally off guard because Joe and I were both playing Lincoln Logs with her before bed. She was perfectly happy and content, with no complaints whatsoever.

Oh, and did I mention that Joe has a bad cold too? When it rains, it pours.

I gave her some Tylenol and stayed with her in her bed for awhile. Then, being quite uncomfortable on her full size bed, we piled in with Joe on our queen size bed.

This doesn't sound so bad, right?

It was awful. Amanda was crying through the night, twisting and turning, not getting any sleep and just feeling awful. Of course, my husband and I didn't sleep a wink.

I watched our digital clock minute by minute until it hit 7:30am and I was on the phone with the pediatrician that instant. I managed to get Amanda an 8:45am appointment.

Of course, it did turn out to be an ear infection, and very severe at that. The eardrum was almost to the point of bursting.

The doctor sent us to the pharmacy for ibuprofen and amoxicillin. Thankfully, they already seem to be working. Amanda has been resting comfortably since.

Now, here it is 3:52pm and I haven't accomplished anything on my To Do list. But, I'm OK with that. My daughter's health came first and that took priority over everything else.

How am I functioning now? Well, I'm writing this blog. If there are any spelling errors, I'll at least have an excuse.

But I'm only doing some light straightening up until Amanda wakes up. Once she does, I just plan on cuddling with her. The To Do list, when interrupted by something important, can always wait until tomorrow.

A Walk in the Woods

A few days ago, I finished reading, 'A Walk in the Woods' by Bill Bryson. Categorized as non-fiction, in this fun book Bryson decides to hike the Appalachian Trail. The Trail, for those of you who aren't familiar with it, stretches from Georgia to Maine. Bryson leads you through the woods, providing both the history and ecology of the trail along the way. Part of the way, he walks through with a partner--coupled together, they provide lots of comic relief.

Although I can't even imagine making it a weekend on the trail, it was enjoyable to read about someone else doing it.

Although this wasn't my favorite book of all time, I found myself wanting to keep getting to the next page. I even had a few 'laugh out loud' moments.

Definitely worth it. Most people at the book chat this weekend, including me, rated it a 4 out of 5 (5 being highest).

As a matter of fact, instead of our regular indoors book chat, we held our chat out in a park. The weather was beautiful, and we had a lovely picnic. Afterwards, we went for a walk in the woods--actually, it was a short park trail, but it felt like the woods for the 30 minutes or so we walked.

We didn't run into any bears, but we did have to swat at some pretty annoying Asian Lady Beetles. Nonetheless, it was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Fire Safety 101

Yesterday, I chaperoned my 4-year old daughter's preschool field trip to the local fire station. The kids were well-behaved and just adorable, and the firefighters showing the movie and giving the tour were just great with the kids.

Simple things that we take for granted, such as leaving the house if there's a fire, or performing the Stop, Drop and Roll system if your clothes are on fire, are excellent points to review with your kids. Another helpful point was the importance of having an emergency fire escape plan, and a specific place for everyone to meet outside if the need ever arises.

When one of the firefighters put on all his gear, about 3 of the children were very frightened. He, and the teachers, were able to calm them down. This is a good reminder that it's important to allow your kids the opportunity to see firemen in their gear, and to teach them not to be afraid of them. In case of a fire, you'd want them to find comfort when they see a firefighter, and not to run and hide.

I did a quick search on the web and thought the following link, offered by New York State, was a good one to review with your children:

http://www.dos.state.ny.us/kidsroom/firesafe/lessons.html

Thinking 'this could never happen to me' can be deadly. Hopefully, you'll never have to experience a fire that affects you in your lifetime, but being prepared will help ensure that everyone knows what to do in the case of a fire and stays safe.