Setting Goals

As kids, Hubby and I both had horrible teeth. We're talking overbite, buck teeth, the whole works. We both ended up getting braces as teenagers.



While I can't speak for him, I can say that it changed my life in a big way. It made me more confident (I seriously thought twice before opening my mouth either to talk, smile or laugh), and more comfortable with myself. It sounds shallow, it sounds vain, but it's true. So many times since then I have very thankful for having braces. (Thanks again Mom and Dad!)



I would love to be able to do the same for our kids that need braces in a bad way. So far the oldest three need them, not cosmetically but for their bite. I had our oldest two girls in for their consultations this morning. We'll start our 11 year old with a "bite fixing appliance" while our 9 yr old doesn't need to do anything quite yet. She still has too many baby teeth.



Orthdontic work = a hit on the pocketbook. Yikes!



Even with insurance (a pretty piddly amount but still something) and interest free payment plans, it still comes out to be a decent amount every month.



This is where goal setting comes in. I would love to build on the success able mabel has had this year and make 2011 even better. I would love to be able to pay for my kids braces out of the "able mabel fund".



That means:

• Getting off my duff and getting my listings updated, key words changed, tags added or subtracted. Things I've been putting off for a long time.
• Creating, creating, creating new product.
• Listing my link in various link directories. (free and easy backlink to my shop)
• Work more on free advertising.
• Blogging daily Monday thru Friday.
• The list could go on and on.

I'm hoping with my new craft room (which is almost done), it'll streamline the whole creating process from start to shipping. I'll be able to spend more time working on product rather than setting up, cleaning up, re-organizing, etc.

Apparently the way to my 6 year old's heart

is thru his stomach by way of ice cream.



On my Mother's Day card (which he "forgot" to give me until yesterday) it read "Dear Mom, I love you because you buy me ice cream cones." Be still my heart! (I saved the card in a safe place!)



Part of his homework assignment this week was to write a letter to someone special and tell them why they're special. Here's his letter:



"Dear Grampa

I thinck you are special becus you gif me ice crem."



This kid obviously loves ice cream! He does know how to spell better than that but he was lazy today. (His older sister is the one who started scrawling below "today was".)



I have a "confession" to make....



I was going to spend the day cleaning but I found myself being distracted quite easily by yoga and able mabel. I kept sneaking back into my office (that was clean yesterday and now is quite messy today.) to add this or that to some light switch covers, check my e-mail and so on. My procrastination got even worse when I got a call about a showing on this place on Saturday. As if I feel like doing it all twice in such a short amount of time.

I did get the floors and windows washed. My 6 and 4 year olds still think it's a treat to help me wash the floors. It requires much patience on my end. I'm quite picky about them walking on wet floors and such. I watched, groaning inwardly but not wanting to dampen his enthusiam, my 6 year old spinning in circles on his knees, swishing the rag aound like a dog chasing it's tail. Soon his was an island in the middle of the "sea". (so much for my mini lesson on floor washing before we even started) He was so impressed with the job he did that I merely thanked him for his hard work and dumped the bucket of water out. He sauntered outside to play, grinning over his good deed for the day.

Sigh....all good things must come to an end. I can't put off cleaning any longer. Now I'll have to fly. Guess I work better under pressure (wait! that's not what I said a few days ago!)