3.05.2024

Things that made my year

I have seen people documenting by making lists of things that made their year and last year I started jotting my list down.  I had planned to make 100 but I ended with 72. 

things that made my year 2023 by KJB

  1. Olaf and Smolaf our snowmen.
  2. Chocolate taste testing.
  3. Rodeo night at kids night out.
  4. Shooting buckets on the floor of Millet.
  5. All the kids who gave me hugs when I volunteered at school.
  6. A Harry Potter Birthday crafting party.
  7. Spring break stay-cation and discovering “gummy teeth”.
  8. Jones delight in making the travel hockey team.  
  9. Learning to use Rise360 holy cow was it simple after using other authoring tools.
  10. Gus Gus sightings.
  11. Visiting Thomas Dambo trolls.
  12. When a friend drops off anti-nausea meds for my daughter who was getting sick all night.   
  13. Auntie Kathleen got married and I gave a toast I might have cried. 
  14. Jones goes to sleepover camp for first time me being nervous him not.  
  15. Thea’s desire to help me paint a “Muriel” it is so hard to let go of control but also so rewarding. 
  16. Seeing jones make new friends at hockey school and seeming so much more mature.
  17. Reading a book while my kids at at the pool independently. 
  18. When my little sister is having a baby.
  19. The number of compliments I got on Thea and Is matching dresses for Kelly’s wedding.
  20. When Jones said “this art installation isn’t so bad it’s cool” at Paso Robles field of lights
  21. Playing pool at the Aloft.
  22. Having Jones tell me he was “sad camp was over”
  23. The wind and the sun at Half moon bay. 
  24. Thea deciding to try out for a play and contemplating if she should sing “my lipstick is popping” or “Jolene”
  25. End of summer neighborhood sleepover.
  26. Barbie movie. Hi Barbie!
  27. Impromptu pool party at Natasha’s.
  28. Practice walks.
  29. New pink moccasins.
  30. School supplies.
  31. Cheerful greetings during RAH cart.
  32. Thea trying something new being a Jungle Bush in Jungle Book.
  33. Orange whippy dip
  34. Jones first bengals game.
  35. Jones top golf hockey swing.
  36. Halloween skate with football player and zombie figure skater.
  37. Carpool!!
  38. Practice Chicken dinner with all the mom friends.
  39. Friend pumpkin patch
  40. Viking ship ride at dusk.
  41. Icy cold halloween.
  42. Audiobooks 
  43. Good markers.
  44. Perry Park hockey with friends and family. 
  45. Jonesy writing a speech to give his hockey team to motivate them.  
  46. My kids carving their own pumpkins.
  47. Thea’s moment being picked as cheer captain.
  48. Jones comforting his teammates as they lost the playoff game. 
  49. Airplane shoot off at Louisville Science Center.
  50. The giant world at the pool. 
  51. When the kids think the Cirque du Solieil will be boring and then see it and think it’s awesome! 
  52. Thanksgiving break sleepless water park trips.
  53. Cheese sample day at Costco. 
  54. Thanksgiving at a friends.
  55. Watching the hawk that visited the tree outside my work window.
  56. Doughnuts at dawn.
  57. Thea joining in at the winterfest lights parade at Kings Island.
  58. Making crafts with my niece and nephew.  
  59. Mini van pizza and Christmas light displays.
  60. Christmas nachos with smoked meat by Joe.
  61. Jonesy joining us to play games while the kids play downstairs.
  62. When my friend text and ask me to take her to church on Christmas Eve. 
  63. When your friend saved you from throwing a baby shower in burger king
  64. Baby shower for lita and wolfie.
  65. 45 beaver signal.
  66. 4 of 5 siblings being in Oxford.  
  67. Multiple conversations in the beechpoint haus living room.  
  68. Getting complemented on my cup holders.
  69. Finishing not one but 3 quilts in 2023.
  70. Jonesy sliding me notes while I am on conference calls.
  71. Pools sooooo cold you can’t dip your toes in and the company on the pool deck.
  72. “Fancy” dresses with Thea on new years Eve

3.03.2024

2024 Listy



I wrote this a while back like two months ago!  Whoops.  But I am just sharing it now, I had meant to write the additional ones to get to 52 but j didn’t and I am ok with that now.  I actually already finished a few of these.
  1. Continue with Chili Bowl visits
  2. Try Gobbler and OxVegas
  3. 100 day project
  4. Get new bird feeders 
  5. Buy new nesting boxes
  6. Help Thea decorate dollhouse
  7. Finish two quilts
  8. Donate to 30 small charities
  9. Purge Basket of Things
  10. Buy new “fun sheets”
  11. Send Jones to camp Jorn
  12. Thea and Katie to Eagle Harbor
  13. Jones Hockey School
  14. Remove stairs carpet
  15. Paint cabinets in primary bath
  16. Make some lists 
  17. Eat croissants
  18. Make Kathleen marshmallows 
  19. Plant native plants
  20. Make 2024 playlist
  21. Write 100 memories from 2024
  22. Football moms night
  23. Spring break trip someplace
  24. Print photos
  25. Buy new art
  26. Paint the mud room
  27. Make jam
  28. Read 20 books
  29. Play tennis
  30. Birthday party for Thea
  31. Birthday party for Jones
  32. Paint a wall or 4 dark
  33. Get new spring wreaths
  34. Make a movies list
  35. Watch said movies on the list
  36. Pool passes
  37. Make a “sports mom” jacket
  38. Take a hike.
  39. Visit an old friend
  40. Take lynley and Kathleen their Christmas gifts.
  41. Get kids passports
  42. Meet my new nephew. 
  43. Do something on jones list
  44. Do something on Thea’s list
  45. New List

1.23.2024

2023 recap



New years came and went around here and hockey, figure skating and all that is life has sucked us in.  I did actually update my list progress earlier this year but never hit publish!  So here’s the recap. 34 completed goals 5 partial, the others not so much.  I feel pretty good about it.  
  1. Monthly other country dish - NOPE
  2. Cincinnati Chili Parlor Tour - only 2 adding for 24 
  3. Topiary Park - Columbus
  4. Host an Art club - completed
  5. Bike new trail - yes
  6. Hang a disco ball - not yet although I got some smaller ones and I have hung those.
  7. Start a new art journal - yes 
  8. Remove the carpet from the stairs - no 
  9. Visit Thomas Dambo in Dayton - done 
  10. Make new stockings - no 
  11. Plant sunflowers - done 
  12. Buy the bud press jumpsuit - nope 
  13. Rearrange bedroom - yes 
  14. Paint guest room - yes 
  15. Make bread - not once :(
  16. Buy pool passes - done
  17. Monthly meal plans - not really I did like 4x 
  18. Jones to see Bengals - done 
  19. Layover with Jono - no 
  20. Take kids to dairy - yes 
  21. Ladies night with Thea - Done
  22. Weekend trip - yes I think we took 5
  23. Family vacation - California done 
  24. Visit summit park - done 
  25. Get (renew) passports- no 
  26. Make a friend a cake - done 
  27. Get pretzels with Kathleen done 
  28. Finish 5 months of project life I think I did 0
  29. Sleepover with Brooks- done 
  30. Adventure with Ollie & Marlow - only Ollie :(
  31. Football Moms night - done 
  32. Finish a quilt - done 
  33. Add new art to walls - done
  34. Visit new place. -done 
  35. Donate to 23 small charities - 28 actually 
  36. Spring purge (100 items) - done 
  37. Sign jones up for hockey school - done 
  38. Visit JJ and Rob - nope 
  39. Read 15 books - done read 24! 
  40. Mini dance parties (maybe weekly) - was this even on my list I fogort 
  41. Week of no technology evenings - maybe 2x
  42. Make new soup - complete
  43. Complete puzzle - complete
  44. Donate trampoline - done 
  45. Rehang towel hooks - done 
  46. Move raspberry bushes - completed
  47. Pressure wash siding - done 
  48. Feed the birds - yes
  49. Make Christmas cutouts - nope 
  50. Help Jones with his list - jones completed his list
  51. Help Thea with her list - thea completed hers 
  52. Make new list ( in progress)

8.05.2023

Clothes



Back in like 2019 I was trying to diversify my wardrobe adding more colors and patterns.  Well this morning I was hanging up some clothes and I noticed I finally did it.  I didn’t add a bunch of prints really only a few.  I actually found I am not really into prints.  But I have added some color to the mix.  My wardrobe has mostly become an athleisure work from home sort of mix.  But I now have sweaters and sweatshirts in a variety of colors most of these are solids no words even but I did mix it up.  If I had taken a closet picture from those days it would have been 90% black and gray and now it’s like a rainbow.

8.03.2023

July Miles


July I had 111.65 miles.  A few football moms and I started walking at least a mile during every practice which has really helped bring the number up. Even on days when we are like it’s soooo hot we try to at least make two “laps”.  We talk about life and walk and sweat and just enjoy being in each others company.   This brings my total up to 677.05.  
Photo is unrelated but from the other night where I took the kids and we ran thru the sprinklers.  

7.13.2023

June Miles


In June I hit 100.39 miles.  This brings the total to 565.4 miles for the year.  I set a goal for July to hit 110 miles and have been walking a mile during practices in the evening which have started.  

6.23.2023

21 - Ladies Night


The other day was “ladies night”.  Months ago thea heard on the radio about this magical time called “ladies night” at some bar where they have like $2 drink specials for all the ladies and she was like “mom we need to get all the ladies, get dressed up and go to ladies night.”  She wrote it on her bucket list and tonight was the night.  The girls got dressed up and they did their makeup.  I couldn’t recall the bar in question so we took them to Ainsley’s Cafe hoping we could sit on the water sadly it was raining but the “ladies” didn’t seem to notice.  thea insisted on steak which of course was like a 24 oz steak so she shared this with her friend and they still didn’t finish it.  Also thanks to my friend Sarah for coming with me so I didn’t have to make conversation with 7 year olds the entire time.

May Miles


May is long since gone but I forgot to tally the miles, so here’s a recap. 
In May I had 3 days over 5 miles and a few over 4.  I ended the month with 90.51 miles which isn’t exactly great clearly work days i need to make better efforts, but I will take it.  This brings the yearly total to 465.01.  

37 - Hockey School


He had such a good time at hockey school!  I am so glad he got to experience this.  He told me it was like a taste of college.  His high points were - having his own debit card, friends, dorm time, snack machines, the shooting speed thing, and having a candy table in his room.  Least favorites - early morning call times & losing all the scrimmages :(





6.09.2023

4 - host an art club - shoe painting


We hosted an art wit club with our friends and painted shoes.  It was so fun to see everyone’s designs and different takes on painting shoes. If we did it again I’d have less paints and more mixing cups the kids seemed very interested in making their own colors and did even though we had similar colors already mixed.  Lol!