My Sweet Little Girl

This morning I was feeling especially tired and a little unwell so I made sure that all the doors were shut and there was nothing Charissa could get into, turned on some music for her, and then laid down on the couch to rest. I had no intention of falling asleep, but I guess I must have drifted in and out of sleep for about an hour. Charissa was so sweet - she just played by herself and would occasionally come over and check in with me. Sometimes she brought me a toy that she needed help with, but for the most part she was quite content to play on her own.

I am so thankful for my sweet little girl. She is such a blessing to me.

Tuesday Tip - Laundry Booster

Is it some kind of standard that Monday is laundry day? It seems like a lot of people do their laundry on Mondays. Of course, there are probably a great number of you reading this thinking "You do your laundry on a specific day? I do mine whenever we're out of clothes and I just can't wear that shirt one more time." To each his (or her) own.

So as I was doing my laundry yesterday I ran across a white shirt of Charissa's that was barely white on the front. She wore it to a wedding shower on Saturday and I think she took a taste of all the food back with her on the shirt. I could identify punch, cheese, salsa, and crumbs of what I thought was cake, but who knows for sure. It was at this moment that I was really glad I know of a little laundry secret: powder dish-washing detergent**. On extra dirty or stained loads (like Charissa's) I put in all the clothes, the regular laundry detergent and then I sprinkle in some dish-washing detergent (about 1/4 cup if I'm going to give a measurement) and VOILA! clothes are clean! Her little white shirt is white again and has a hint of a lemony scent.

On a different note, Charissa was extra-helpful to me yesterday as we cleaned up and did laundry. She pushed the laundry sorter from Britt's and my bedroom closet to the washing machine (no small task for a pint sized girl), she helped push clothes into the dryer (including saying "uh-oh" anytime something fell on the floor and then picking it up for me), she pulled clothes out of the dryer, she wiped off the tub with a clean rag (don't worry - no cleaning products for her!), and then she took her daddy's gym shorts to him so that he could put them away (and she did this without unfolding them!). She is really a very helpful little girl. And very observant. She's really starting to understand simple commands so she is able to do little things around the house like putting the shoes in the shoe basket, or shutting a door, or taking something into another room or to someone. I love my little Mama's helper.


** BORAX will also do the same thing and boosts the stain-lifting and cleaning properties of laundry detergent. I just rarely have BORAX in the house. Although I should because it is the "I Can Do Anything" cleaning product.

Sweet Moments and Silly Moments

Charissa got sick yesterday and worse as the day got along. She's actually quite a champion when she's sick and doesn't act too different. But she did get pretty pitiful last night as we were putting her to bed so Britt decided that we should just hold her and rock her to comfort her a bit. I can't remember the last time I rocked her to sleep. Actually, I can't remember the last time I held Charissa when she wasn't squirming. She just laid there so sweetly and stared into my eyes. It was such a sweet moment. Then she reached up, grabbed by nose, and burst out laughing. So we both dissolved into giggles and gave each other nose kisses. We kept on laughing and playing until Britt walked in and laughed at us and told me it was time to put Charissa to bed.

I love these precious little moments with her. She knows that she can safely rest in my arms, but she also knows that we can tickle and giggle any time of the day (or night apparently).

I love my sweet baby.

Tuesday Tip - Don't Watch LOST

For those of you who have never watched LOST, seen it a few times, or don't even know what it is, I give you this warning: Don't watch LOST! Don't be tempted by people who say, "Oh it's the best show! It's so intriguing and it makes you think. And at the end of each show you just want to watch the next one!" Don't do it. Don't get sucked in. That's what the people at ABC want. They know that after you watch the first episode, you'll never stop. You'll watch episode after episode as fast as you can. You'll think about it during the day and wonder what happens to Jack and Kate next. You begin to call people by nicknames like Sawyer. And it only goes downhill from there. There are tons of websites theorizing about LOST and the situations that come up during the show. Once you start watching, it's addicting and it just draws you in closer and closer.

Trust me, I know the dangers. I've been sucked in. I never saw it coming when some friends invited us over for dinner and to watch a little television. It was a set-up. They planned it all along. Now, I can't stop. And if you think I'm bad, you should talk to my husband. I've never seen him so into a television show.

I only hope this message helps some of you who are considering watching LOST. Just say no. Turn off the TV and walk away.

Be Careful What You Teach For

I was so proud of myself a few weeks ago when I taught Charissa how to "put back." After she has dumped/pulled/thrown/sifted through everything in her toy baskets, I tell her to "put back" and she'll start putting things back in the bins or on the shelf ... or just bring them to me. She's not a bad little helper.

But then the other day I found my shampoo in her toy bin. And then I found her sippy cup in the shoe basket. And her bat was in the tub. And my eyeliner in the trashcan. She's putting them away ... just not in the right places. So now I'm trying to figure out how to teach my oh-so-willing-to-help daughter where things go and that she can't just put anything she wants in any container.

Charissa makes me laugh. Almost as hard as Britt makes me laugh. They have very similar senses of humor. But doesn't that make sense considering she looks just like him?

Just a friendly reminder ...

... it's time to register to vote! The registration deadlines for the May 6 primary is April 11th (one week from tomorrow). Here are the different ways to register:

1. In person, at a county board of elections office.

• Go to www.sboe.state.nc.us to find the closest one.

2. In person, at one-stop absentee voting sites.

• You can register (and vote at the same time) at any one-stop absentee voting site. Check the Board of Elections for locations and hours.
  

3. In person, at many government offices.

• You can get a registration form at Driver's License offices, Employment Security Commission offices, most Social Service agencies, and many libraries and schools. Government offices will also turn in your filled out form for you.
  

4. In person, during a voter registration drive.

• Many civic groups and political parties set up tables in public places. Usually they will turn completed forms in as well.
  

5. By mail. (This method is the easiest and you can complete it in about 5 minutes from the time you read this. As long as you have a stamp.)

• You can get a form from the County Board of Elections, or print one off from the State Board of Elections' website at www.sboe.state.nc.us.

Rules About Registering:

• You must be a US Citizen and at least 18 years old by the date of the next general election
• You must be a resident of North Carolina and the county precinct where you want to vote for at least 30 days before the election
• You can't be a convicted felon still serving any part of your sentence.
  
• You must provide your North Carolina driver's license number (if you have one).
• If you don't have a NC driver's license, you must provide the last four digits of your Social Security number on the registration form.
  

I know I don't usually blog or talk about political things, but I do think it is our civic responsibility and obligation to vote. It just makes me sad that more people vote for American Idol contestants than vote for our nation's leaders.

Tuesday Tip - Water Conservation

After my first shower in our new house I realized that we needed a new shower head pretty badly. The shower just dribbled this pitiful spray of water that made for a frustrating experience. On one of our numerous trips to Home Depot we looked around for a new shower head when one of the employees directed us to the Niagara Conservation "I Save Water" Kit. Inside the bag there was a shower head, 2 bathroom faucet aerators, a kitchen aerator, toilet water saver, leak detectors, and some information packets. And it was only $10!** And they work so well! The water pressure is amazing, and it uses half the water of normal shower head and aerators. So you can save a lot of money on your water bill and heating bill, as well as saving thousands of gallons of water every year.

The thing I like best about this kit, is that I don't notice the difference. Except for the improvement. I'm using less water, using less electricity, but I don't feel like I'm giving anything up. All the parts are easy to install (we installed all the parts in like an hour), and aren't really noticeable.

Enjoy saving water, while still having nice showers.


**At the Niagara Conservation website, the kits sell for $25.