My 101 in 1001

Current Status: 11 Down ~ 91 to Go

The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in 1001 days. November 9, 2009 to August 6, 2012


The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks should also be realistic and stretching (represent some amount of work on my part).


Why 1001 Days: Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.


My List:

Take the Kids to Disney World

Go to Las Vegas with Hubby

Take B10 on two vacations alone (0/2)

Take CW on two vacations alone (0/2)

Take GO on one vacation alone

Go to Chateu Elan with a friend (or two)

Become a full member of the DAR

Direct two plays at New London Theatre (1/2)

Finish Agapi

Write 250 pages of an original novel (0/250)

Learn better time management by reading books

Develop a better calendar/schedule for my family

Take the kids swimming once a month

Visit the library twice a month (1/68)

Get rid of debt (except house and student loan)

Finish my Master's Degree in Christian Studies

Camp in our Camper 10 times (1/10)

Read 10 books – just for pleasure (4/10)

Find 300 geocaches (202/300)

Learn to sew fleece pajama pants

Adopt our missing child

Finish knitting 5 scarves (5/5)

Hike up Stone Mountain

Take the boys to Six Flags to ride Roller Coasters

See the Grand Canyon

See the Little Grand Canyon

Take the kids Kayaking

Hike 100 miles total (10/100)

Declutter my house of 14 Rooms (1/14)

Renovate the Garage into a bedroom for B10/CW

Audition for a Musical

Audition for 5 Straight Plays (1/5)

Sew a Dress for myself

Enter 2 Photography Contests (0/2)

Be an Extra in a Movie

Finish a Quilt

Learn about WarHammer with the Boys

Become a BSA Merit Badge Counselor

Take the Kids to 5 High School Football Games (0/5)

Take the Kids to a College Football Game

Go to a Swim Meet

Visit New Orleans/Slidell

Let the Boys have 10 Friends spend the night (0/10)

Do Dave Ramsey's Program with Hubby

Listen to the FISH (and nothing else) for a Month

Model Daily Quiet Time for my Children

Let all the Kids do Gymnastics for 6 months (0/3)

Take the Kids to American Adventures

Donate my Hair Twice (1/2)

Register as an Organ Donor at my State Website

Finish Cross-stitching a tablecloth

Donate 100 books (20/100)

Take B10 to see the UGA campus

Take CW to see the Georgia Tech campus

Send Christmas Cards every year (1/3)

Adopt a Family for Christmas every year (1/3)

Bake proper Tea Cookies for Christmas

Become CPR Red Cross Certified

Properly Fast and Pray on 5 Holy Days (0/5)

Take the Kids to see the Harlem Globetrotters

Apply to be on The Amazing Race

Go 1 month without eating out (holidays excluded)

Get my eyes checked for New Glasses

Finish my Tattoos

Go to a Writer's Conference

Sew my own purse

Finish our Sunroom

Use our Hot Tub

Install Crown Molding in the Master Bath

Run the Princess ½ Marathon at WDW

Adopt a Third Compassion Child from Brazil

Get FLYing Water Bottles for all the Family

Begin Clearing out the Backyard

Research Chaplin Program for CBF

Teach in VBS

Jingle 25 families (0/25)

Boo 25 families (0/25)

Serve at Grace Fellowship Church

Learn to Golf

Go horsebacking riding

Take photos of the Kids every month (1/34)

Memorize 10 new Hymns (0/10)

Visit a Farmer's Market

Get a Baseline Mammogram

Host a Mardi Gras Party

Find a new Lipstick

Learn how to French Braid Hair

Host a Black-Tie Fundraiser

Take a 2 week road trip anywhere in the US

Learn how to tie 5 knots (2/5)

Own a Snake

Repaint the Master Bedroom

Take 50 Evening Walks with the Family (0/50)

Learn to make Proper Pizza Dough

Hug my Kids everyday and tell them “I Love You”

Help my Cub Scouts earn their Arrow of Light

Research American Heritage Girl Program

Stop biting my nails

Spend 48 hours by myself (all in a row)

Take an Art Class

Task Completed
Task in Progress



Other bloggers doing this challenge:

Sister-in-Law: www.lifethrowsyousurprises.blogspot.com
City Girl: www.asouthernboyandacitygirl.blogspot.com


If you decide to join us in the 101 in 1001 Challenge, leave me a link to your blog, so others can support your progress!


~Lone Butterfly )i(

Prayerfelt Sign

Hubby and I have been discussing and praying for a while about the future of my schooling and what I would do with my degree(s) once I was done.

Within the last couple of weeks, we've decided to begin looking into certain paths and started doing research into those paths. There are several major "hurdles" that would need to be jumped in order to move forward.

This evening Hubby and I were sitting on the bed, both on our computers, when we discovered that the largest "hurdle" - the one that has been standing in the way for years - isn't. It was a totally unexpected opening of a previously closed (and locked) door.

Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to investigate the future.

~Lone Butterfly )i(

B10 Finds a Peeper

B10 got to Cub Scouts early and found a cute little Peeper.

I love when he gets excited about bugs and frogs! It really excites me about his future!

~Lone Butterfly )i(

How Can I Send Them To Bed?

Seriously - when you go to send your Caterpillars to bed and they respond with:

"We can't go to bed right now, Mum, we are microbiologists testing the water for impurities. Your life may depend on what we find!"


How am I suppose to curb that imagination for boring sleep? Just impossible!


For the record, I blame Auntie Mel. She only reads this blog occasionally, but I would like for everyone to observe the perfect CW gift:


I'm pretty sure she just raided her work for random syringes, masks, test tubes and petri dishes. Which they used to take samples of water from every single faucet (and one toilet) in the house...

For the record, they did finally go to bed - after they were told their lab was going to lose it's grant funding if it didn't take a break.

I adore my Caterpillars.

~Lone Butterfly )i(

It's a Party! (And I'm a CopyCat)

Okay, maybe not a party - but an anniversary event, none-the-less.

Hubby and I discussed where to eat dinner tonight (the Caterpillars spent the night with Cookie) and we were going to go to our favorite Japanese Resturant, but then decided to try some place we'd never been together before.

It's a great Fondue place - and they were very sweet for our Anniversary. It was perfect, as they even let us substitute the cheese fondue that came with our meal package with the dessert chocolate fondue.


I really want to bring B-10 back - there were kids younger than CW, but I wouldn't want to try that with the hot food so early. It would be more work than being a special occasion, I think, until they are 8 or 9 years old.

Then we drove to our local Target and took Edelweiss and BG's lead on Anniversary Gifts:

Delightful!

Well, it was delightful, until Hubby took the WiiFit test, which didn't give him exactly the results he was hoping for. That may have put a bit of a damper on the evening, but he's set his goal and has 3 months to work towards it. I think CW will help be a great motivator - as soon as he sees there is another fitness game for the Wii (he loves the stuff that came with the Wii).

I'll have to wait a bit to use WiiFit, since there's isn't a "pregnancy" option that we could find!

We also purchased a gift for the entire family, since this is the day we became an "official family". We are waiting until Thursday when we are all together to share it with the Caterpillars, but I have been wanting this since I discovered it was coming out:

WHOO HOO! Legos are awesome, Indian Jones is awesome, what more can I say?

~Lone Butterfly )i(

One Year

Today is our One Year Anniversary -




We've:


1) Moved into a house.

2) Worked on renovating said house.


3) Had four birthdays.


4) Begun looking for a new church home.


5) Seen two boy Caterpillars mature and grow.


6) Seen our Baby Girl Larva grow through ultrasounds.


7) Passed 3 CPA exams.


8) Camped a total of 5 times.


9) Visited 6 states.


10) Argued, fought, and made up.


11) Watched the stars together.


12) Cut coupons and pinched pennies.


13) Bought a Wii - and played Lego Star Wars till we beat the game together.


14) Watched Eli win an MVP and a Super Bowl.


15) Argued over SEC football teams.


16) And fell in love more every day.


Happy Anniversary...our first of many...


~Lone Butterfly )i(

Baby Larva is a -

...well, she likely won't have green eyes (though she could) and her hair likely won't be that red (Hubby's is brown and mine is Auburn), but the attitude is dead on.

The freckles and the facial expression are going to a beautiful and wonderful part of my future, I'm making that prediction with certainty right now.

CW is thrilled to have a baby sister Larva to play with and B10's exact words were "she's going to annoy me sometimes, like my brother, but most of the time we'll have fun together" - so I think he's got a pretty realistic view of younger siblings.

I'm excited. Really excited. I have my concerns and worries, but most of those stem from how I'm going to deal with being the Mum who doesn't allow my daughter to play with Barbies or Disney Princesses. But then, I've had my share of experience being the Mum who doesn't allow her sons to watch Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, or The Disney Channel - and they aren't allowed things like Pokeman cards, so I think it won't be a totally new situation with those things.

I'm still walking around saying it over and over to myself..."it's a girl!" I'm sure it will sink in soon.

~Lone Butterfly )i(

I'm Still Here!

I would like to have an excuse. One for why I have been incapable of blogging.

But I don't. There's no excuse.

Except for the part where I've lost a total of 6 pounds, because I have yet to consistently keep food down. It's been about 9 weeks since this all began, and even water can still make me queasy at times.


I went 2 full days last week without being sick. That was awesome. And at my last doctor's appointment I had maintained my weight - instead of losing weight. That's also awesome.

But why? Why am I so very sick?




It's a cute reason. Two little arms and two little legs. And ears, can't forget the ears.

I got to see the ears last week. So did Hubby.
~

The ears (and all the other parts) are 13 weeks and 6 days along. That means that we should see the ears up close and in person somewhere around February 20, 2009. We don't know if they are girl ears or boy ears, yet. (And before I get the onslaught of "if you are sick, it's gotta be a girl" - please know I've HAD a girl before (in 2005), and wasn't this sick. Not even close, so I'm not confirming a gender until I see the next ultrasound.)
~
So, maybe I've had a little excuse. One about 3 inches long. It's not a Caterpillar yet, so to distinguish (even though they mean the same thing) we'll be using the term Larva for the wee Butterfly. Hopefully, as I begin to feel better, I'll get back into the swing of blogging. I uploaded many pictures last night that I can't wait to show everyone.
~
As a side note, my Mum (Cookie) is obviously thrilled. To find out why she's over the moon as it were, visit here.
~
~Lone Butterfly )i(

The Olympics Light Dreams

CW (and B10) have been watching the Olympics every night. It's interesting, because this is very clearly the first Olympics they can remember. (B10 was only 4 during the Greece Olympics and wasn't even a year old when they were in Sydney. And CW is 2 years younger!) B10 (not unexpectedly) prefers to watch the competitions that involve individuals. Even the swimming, which he loves, gets "boring" when it's a relay race.

CW, on the other hand, has been fascinated by watching plenty of the team sports. Beach volleyball and the relay swimming races are his favorite. Last night, I turned on the TV and he curled up beside me to watch the entire women's marathon.

Seriously, the six year old watched the entire 2 1/2 hours worth of running - and he was asking questions the whole time. I found it amusing when we had a very brief discussion about how runners and swimmers have to practice every day, because the difference in a winner and a loser is how hard you train.

Then, before 7 am, this happened beside my bed:

Notice the shoes in his hands. Oh yes, I got out of bed and sat on the driveway in my pajamas and watched my son do stretching exercises and run up and down the street.

Because I am NOT going to be the reason he doesn't make the 2020 or 2024 Olympics!

~Lone Butterfly )i(

So There Was This Party...

I've talked about the party in a previous post. And Edelweiss has talked about it a couple of times.

But here are a couple of my photos from the event.

Edelweiss made us the really cool shirts. THANK YOU!

Yum. Chocolate covered strawberries. Now I'm hungry for fondue again...

~Lone Butterfly )i(

Articulating Passion...

Here lies my passion. Click on the link here, or the one on the sidebar.

~

The day will come when I can turn in my two week notice - and sweet! will be catering our goodbye party.

~

~Lone Butterfly )i(

I like to think of this -

- as a little bit of encouragement.

I wish I had my camera in my purse today. Because Edelweiss brought in some goodies.

There was delicious Lemon Angel Food Cake. Delicious Macaroons. And especially these two containers of White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies.

If I were the type of woman to carry a huge purse, there would only have been ONE container of White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies for the little party today.

So, if writing about it yourself isn't enough encouragement, Edelweiss - here's an extra does for free.

You are an amazing baker.

(And please remember the White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies when our birthdays roll around...you know the month.)

~Lone Butterfly )i(