#3 Bathroom Project

#3 Bathroom Project – Is almost complete!  We now have a functioning bathtub and shower.  Granted there is no drywall but it’s coming soon.  Then a new paint job ….. any ideas?

And I’ve finished chapter 4 in “Brown’s Life” (my kids chapter book). I don’t remember what number that is on the list

And the Garden is starting to take over the entire south side of the house.  Seriously….. I have several “monster” tomato plants and the giant sunflowers are taller than Teagan.  If anyone needs any tomatoes please see me in about 30 days.  Also… any canning ideas??

#15 Navy Pier Ferris Wheel

Teagan and I can check one more Ferris Wheel off our list, on Saturday we rode the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel.  It’s 150 ft. tall and according to the fact sheet is a 7 min ride (it seemed shorter).  On a clear day I’m sure you can see a lot of things, but on Saturday we saw fog.  Teagan was pretty excited despite the fog and was all smiles during the ride. 

Other updates:

#2 – Workout 4 times a week.  Some weeks yes, some weeks no!

#3 – Finish the bathroom.  I have discovered that because of my lack of skills at carpentry, drywall and plumbing I am at Dave’s mercy to complete this task.  It is closer though, just a few more steps and the shower/tub should be operable.

#5 – Garden.  Some things are growing well, others have had to be replanted.  It should be interesting, especially after getting aggravated at the flowers and just tossing all the remaining seeds I had left for peonies, sunflowers and black-eyed susans into the dirt in any spot I could find.  So much for “silver belles and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row.”  It’s more of a patchwork kind of garden!

#5 – The Garden Grows

#5 The Garden Grows - Ok… So since my last post the most I had accomplished (until Friday) was …… yeah nothing.  I’m still adjusting to going back to “Soccer Mom” who works 130pm to 930pm and it isn’t going very well.  But Friday was a red-letter day for the garden.  With the help of my husband (ok he did most of the work) we built the two raised gardens that my veggies and flowers will be going in.  However, I didn’t just sit and watch, I lugged landscape timbers and shoveled dirt and even used Dave’s impact driver to drive some screws.  And I have to admit I’m starting to understand why guys like power tools so much.  So the beds are all ready and squared off.  I was planning on planting next week upon the advice of the Farmer’s Almanac, however I spoke to some of Dave’s coworkers at Lowe’s who told me to wait until May 10th.  I’m not sure the sunflowers will wait that long, they are already outgrowing my window.  The garden is the best thing going right now on “The List.”

# 4 Exercise – Last week I also met my goal for exercising 4 times a week.  I rode my bike at least 3 miles on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Thursday I rode over to the “P” Bridge which is about 4 1/2 miles.  I also purchased a bike “computer” that reads mileage and distance.  So if I ride the rest of this week…. like Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday I will have made it two weeks in a row!  I vow I will ride tomorrow….

#15 Ride Ferris Wheels – This is actually more like a new category, but our family has decided to participate in the American Brain Tumor Association’s Path to Progress 5K walk this year.  It’s in Chicago in May (Brain Tumor Awareness month) and what is in Chicago…… the Navy Pier ferris wheel.  So Teagan and I should be able to add another ferris wheel to our list!

Slug Week

This week ……… I have not accomplished much.  I have been a slug.  In my defense I have been busy – just not with anything on my list.  We had baseball practice and homework and Teagan had to create an “invention” and we had to pack (and do laundry) for Bradford Woods.  Anyway all excuses aside….

The garden is still growing.  It’s actually kind of worrying me that it will outgrow the window before May 1st.  And the sunflowers are too tall and are droopy…. Any sunflower suggestions gladly taken!

I did ride my bike twice this week.  The weather was awesome!  Didn’t make it to the four times a week yet.  I’m out of shape – this summer I could ride forever.  This week I barely made 4 miles each trip.  So can I get half a gold star for #2?

And I did finish Chapter 3 in “Brown’s Life.”  So half a gold star for #18.

I added Irish dancing, making sushi and going to St Elmo’s steakhouse to The List.

Next week on my days off I plan to pick a number and finish it.

Number(s) 2, 5 and 8

Updates!!

Number 2 – work out at least 4 times a week. OK I need to brag just a tiny bit because I’m feeling good about myself.  Yesterday I walked on the treadmill a 1 1/4 miles at an incline and today I got out the bike, dusted it off and rode about 3 miles.  My legs are screaming “what are you doing?!?!?!?!?!”  But 2 days down, 2 to go.  Now I just need to make it a habit – which is half the battle of working out.  Oh yeah and we took Bam for a short little walk to try to get rid of some of his “winter weight.”  We didn’t go very far but he was pretty good.  So that’s also working on Number 19.

Number 5 – the garden. Well our seeds are a sproutin’!  Dave has taken to calling me “Andi Appleseed” when I start messing with the seeds.  I’ve just never had any luck growing anything so I’m a little excited that the seeds are actually growing.  Now I’ve got a little bit of a mini jungle in my window that can hopefully hold out until the 1st week of May to go into the ground.  (Old wives tale: never plant in months with an “R” in them).

Number 8 – Making a Not For Profit Organization. I’m ready to start working on my not for profit.  But first… I need to come up with its name.  Our family has always used “Teagan’s Troops” for fundraisers for Teagan.  It began from the first few days of her being in the hospital, she liked to ride in her red wagon around the 2nd floor making whoever was pulling her sing “The ants go marching.”  And we all did it – who was going to tell her no at that point?  Anywho since it was usually her “aunts” singing the “ants” song we became known as Teagan’s Troops complete with a little cartoon army ant as our logo.  Then when she began occupational therapy we started using a turtle logo because we had to keep reminding her that “slow and steady wins the race.”  So with all that back story info I’m asking my reader’s to help me come up with a new name…. or tell me to keep the old name.  I actually have one in mind, but before I throw it out there I want to hear what you guys have to say….. so please reply!!

Number 5 – The Garden

As advised by The Farmer’s Almanac we started some of our seeds because you’re supposed to plant “the full moon.”  Which came with instructions that you didn’t have to plant them actually at night – unless of course you wanted to.  We started tomatoes, onions, sunflowers, black-eyed susan’s and cucumbers.  Now technically we weren’t supposed to start the cucumbers just yet, but since I have terrible luck with planting and growing anything I figured better safe than sorry.  We will start our pumpkins later this month (again under the full moon).  So our little seeds are growing (hopefully) in our kitchen window which is actually a greenhouse window that the former owner had installed as she was a southern woman and had flowers and gardens everywhere.  I aspire to be a southern woman…. like the ones from Charleston and Savannah that they feature in Southern Living.

Here’s Teagan doing her best at filling the cups with planting soil:

Grow seedlings Grow!  If you want to find out more from the Farmer’s Almanac cut and paste this link:

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/

What this is All About

This blog started as an attempt at a New Year’s Resolution.  The problem with making a New Year’s Resolution is finding the right one to pick.  Sure everyone wants to make this year the one where we will work out at least 3 times a week and lose 30 pounds.  Instead I ended up with a list.  A list of things I wanted to accomplish this year …. and probably well into next year.  I thought about doing the new and trendy 101 things to do in 1001 days but there is too much pressure to come up with a list of things you a) want to do and b) can accomplish in 2.7 years.  For instance one thing on my list is to ride as many ferris wheels as I can with Teagan…. I have no idea how long that will take.  Especially since on of them is Eye in London.

Any way… this is going to be a blog about me plunging head first into this list of things I want to get done that seem to always get pushed aside with “I’ll do that next year” and after I wash the dishes, feed the dogs, vacuum, etc…  Most importantly this is NOT a “Bucket List.”  As much as I don’t like having to constrain myself to 1001 days I don’t want this to be the “before I die” list either.  With those bucket lists what do you do when you finish everything on the list?  Die?  No thanks……. If I finish this list, I will find more stuff to add to the bottom!

Click on The List to see what’s on there and how I’m doing in accomplishing things.