As Happy as I Choose to Be

God's telling me not to cook

So I've decided to select one habit or goal a month to focus on.  Instead of some huge list of resolutions that I won't bother with...I decided to pick one habit a month throughout the year.  January's goal was to cook more (since I don't really like to cook, we eat out way too often and hopefully this might lead to some $ savings and possibly even weight loss...we'll see about that last one).  Well, I did pretty good in January and not just because Bailee was sick for 10 days and we couldn't go out...  I really did cook and have continued to into February (thus my master plan of creating new habits that last).  Even made homemade mac-n-cheese for the first time ever last week.

And possibly the last time.  I think God is sending me a message because obviously this much use of my stove and oven after all these years was just too much!  Tonight my oven sparked out (the coil, I guess.  I actually saw the spark and it flamed and it continued to spark and burn up the coil for almost an hour before I figured out that just turning off the oven wasn't going to be enough.  So I had to call the neighbors over to help me pull out the oven and eventually find the breaker for it (outside the house...really? I was supposed to know this?).  And when I first saw the spark (while pulling out some foccacia bread that had been warming), I immediatetly set down the foil-wrapped bread (on top of a burner that was still on)...noticed that about 3 minutes later (before anything else burst into flame) so I moved it onto a cutting board...which I proceeded to place on top of another burner that was still on.  I don't react to flames well apparently.  So even though the oven was already toast (pun intended)...I proceeded to further damage the stove.  Stressful, stressful evening!

So indeed, I take this as a sign from God that I really shouldn't be cooking.  I mean, it's not as though I used my oven for Christmas ornament storage like a woman I used to work with does.  So...tomorrow I shop for a new range...and for takeout!

Bailee read 7 books to me tonight!!!

She tells me "I hate reading" which just makes me so sad.  I know it stems from having so much trouble learning to read and I'm hoping that the Roaring Readers and Oxford Learning tutoring and now the Take Flight program will turn her around on how great reading is.  I'll learn about the Take Flight program at a parent's orientation on Friday.  It says it's for dyslexia and is affiliated with the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.  They told me she tested negative for dyslexia this past spring, but maybe they put children in who are challenged in any way with reading.  It looks to be a 2 year program through the school...so it won't be an overnight fix, but...  I've seen a big difference in the last month and know Oxford is paying off.  I just hate that she still says "I can't read" and just doesn't try to read her homework assignments by herself or much else.  Maybe it's like her swimming...she reads much better than she thinks she does so part of it is getting her confidence up. 

She read 7 different books tonight.  Basic ones, but still for her to go through 7 is unheard of.  And then she tells me "I hate chapter books" so I remind her that she likes Junie B. Jones and I even got out my old copy of Little Women.  Wow, I loved that book SO much growing up!  Still do!  I read a page or two, but granted...it's a bit much for her right now.  Maybe I'll get out the first Harry Potter book and see if she likes that "chapter book".  I just want to instill the love of reading in her!

Butterflies Emerge!

It's been a busy few weeks...so haven't posted in a while.  What's been happening...

1. Bailee taught herself how to blow bubbles.
2. I took a fast business trip to Washington, DC - final pre-planning trip for August conference.
3. We decided to go to San Diego and Disneyland on vacation after the August conference.  (Not much time to save $$$$)
4. Bailee's been liking YMCA camp ok and tomorrow is her last day.  Then on to Camp Heatwave (Austin ISD camp at Bailee's elementary school) next week and "away camp" at Rocky River Ranch in Wimberley the following week.  Better summer experience than last year at Country Home all summer where she just didn't love it.   
5. I've been managing a blog for the August conference and between soliciting posts for that and just planning the conference...no time for this blog.
6. I read 3 books (2 on the quick trip).  One of them was Julie and Julia.  I can't wait for this movie to open with Meryl Streep as Julia Child and Amy Adams as the woman who decided to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year.  I think the most ironic thing about reading this woman's attempts (successes and disasters) to cook all those recipes was that it was such a good book I read it everywhere...including at McDonald's.  Bit ironic.
7. A few weeks ago we bought one of the butterfly mesh "cages" where you send off and they mail you the caterpillars.  Bailee asked every day "did the butterflies come yet?"  So they came about a week ago, we followed the directions which initially meant just setting the cup with the caterpillars upright and not in direct sun.   The caterpillars eventually climbed up (after eating lots of the caterpillar food in the bottom of the cup first, I presume) and hung from the paper lid inside the cup's plastic lid and turned into chrysallis (sp?).  Two days ago I realized..."we should check on them more regularly" and Wowie! Wow! Wow!  One of them had already come out (oops..we were late pinning the paper lid with the chrysallis' hanging to the top of the butterfly cage but the one that was already out didn't escape into the house).  It all worked out and we now have 5 butterflies!  This morning we actually got to watch as the last 2 came out of their chrysallis.  Pretty amazing to see them pull free and their wings unfold!  Miracle of nature...one of many.

Yoohoo (one of our cats) really likes watching the butterflies too!  Freaks Bailee out that the cat is going to attack...but so far the cat is just fascinated and stares at all the fluttering.  Bailee took her school scissors into the yard tonight and cut a couple of flowers which we dipped in the sugar water I made.  The butterflies seem to love this...3 are on the flower right now. 

Not sure when we'll let them go...Bailee wants to keep one.  I keep trying to explain it's too limiting for the butterflies.

I do want to buy more caterpillars.  It would be a cool science experiment for Bailee to do and journal about what she observes each day.  I want her to do an entry in the school science fair next year.  She actually asked to enter...so we just have to figure out what experiment to do.