Updates, yea been a while

I know its been a while since I've written when my parents email me asking for a phone call to hear how everything is going. Guess it say something htat I'm updating this tired tonight rather than calling my folks (really no insult intended.)

Its been up and down. I was so proud of what I had accomplished in the last year, then the reality sinks in of how much of my savings we have eaten into and what I need to get going forward. And I sink again. It is intimidating. But generally I have hope. This is the life I set up, its just requiring 24/7 effort to get it done.

The Big Boy had his 5th Birthday party today. It was still a creative extravaganza (more on this below), but it was a small number of kids (actually due to travel and colds, only two, was expecting five) - both his choice. It was Viking themed. Vikings as in the original pirates before guns were available. For arts and crafts they made a treasure map and weapons (shields, axes, spears, oars). For the activities, they played in a viking ship I made from Norman shipping boxes (photos later, but the sail was a matching table cloth to the dinner paper plates which made the shields!). They wore tunics of brown with gold belts, viking helmets and I sent them on a treasure hunt from our apartment, to the doormen, to the basement (where they had to find a clue in one of the dryers in the laundry and back to our apartment). For food, like vikings, all with their fingers; fried chicken legs, corn on the cob and Pringles. The cup cakes tasted great. Really the best ever. But instead of looking like vikings they looked like odd shaped Teddy bears. The Big Boy LOVED it! so for him, its about the event, the activities, the breaking from the norm. And if he only has one friend there for the whole time, well, that's perfect! Amazing.

Norman just got picked up as a smart toy for value in the New Jersey Ledger, that sent rising sales higher this weekend. Which is great. Overall, I'm not totally on my target (which was a bit of a day dream), but the reality is that he is moving and there is nothing to complain about. Also about half the orders are doing the toy/book combo, which really makes me happy. I'll be able to buy another couple Smiles with Smile Train this week and Nanny care with Half the Sky!

Norman has also been doing well with "ThingNeverKnewExisted.com" it is a catalog of silly things but they are moving my man, which makes me happy.

I need to start the year focusing a bit more on consulting, which is hard. But I had three paying gigs for the fist time in several weeks, last week. And one more before year end.

We've decided its time to close my husband's office. He is a talented film maker, but the cost of the office vs. working from home just doesn't make sense at this point. There were growing pains in the decision making. And I'm expecting more discomfort as the reality actually sinks in. I don't mind working from home, and frankly do not have enough time in my day. But I don't think he'll be accustomed to the work flow and interruptions that happen around here. Of course, this also means some major cleaning, rearranging and selling of furniture to make it all happen, which is going to be interesting.

So, I want to write some fun stuff next time, such as what I love about the holiday (P.S. Went down to the in-laws for Thanksgiving and had a GREAT time), what recessionary items are on my mind (people lost, people gained, and things I no longer do) as well as Things the kids are teaching me (I still need to learn so much!!!).

So, I hope to not disappear for weeks, but it is the last big push of Norman before the holidays. Best to you all!

philanthrapy

A year ago, I really didn't worry about spending money on things. I didn't really balance the check book. I wasn't crazy (in my opinion) in my spending habits, but I didn't have to run a tight balanced budget. Today, things are different.

Now I'm not giving/donating as much to charities as I used to and I'm measuring our spending. The measuring doesn't bother me. I don't mind buying a cheaper brand of something, or not buying things I don't really need. I think spending less feels good. For me I feel more in tune with the world and creating less waste. However, the not giving really does bother me.

I have a few charities I like, that I have been a regular support of years, and I've pulled back. Unfortunately, I'm not alone. My favorite charities are all sending me really sad letters of how support has become tough to find due to the overall economic times and they hope, "regular donors like YOU can step up on their behalf." Yeah, knife in teh gut and twist.

A couple years ago I made a decision for the year that any extra money that happened my way I would give away. That was an amazing year. I came into all sorts of little extras and just passed them straight through to whomever jumped into my mind as someone that could use it. At work they had an anniversary lottery, and when it was announced, I just knew I would win. Amazingly I did. Everyone was asking how are you spending the money? I would just smile. It was funny I didn't want tell them I was giving it away. But, I told a few people and they were amused, dismayed, they didn't get it. However I believe I won because the cosmos pointed me to a few people/organizations that needed help that year. The prizes/money weren't ment for me.

So back to this year. Charity has been on my mind. A couple weeks ago was the worst; we went to a fund raiser for my son's school, the future school for both my boys. In addition to paying tuition which was just slightly less than the annual salary of my very first job post college, we were arm twisted into attending the annual benefit. A $300 per person benefit. This is a big ouch, when you are starting two businesses, one with income and one not likely to be profitable for another 6 months or more. Everyone was assigned auction paddle as we entered and the items being auctioned was amazing; a week in a ranch house in Montana for up to 19 people with full staff and guides; a box at Madison Square Garden for four persons for four different sporting events; a cooking lesson with Jean-Georges, etc. None of the items auctioned went for under $5,000. Several went for over $25,000. But the worse was they had an open bid, raise your paddle to receive nothing but donate money to the school. Last year, they would have got me on the open donation. This year I couldn't justify raising the paddle beyond our tuition, it made me sad, but it was prudent for the moment. Sucks.

So, I have a friend hosting an on-line fund raiser and frankly, it is not going well. Her goals are modest, and the money is just not happening. I'm not going to beg; I know our current environment. I know how we are all watching our bucks. And, I know there are some like me that try to save for our favorite charities rather than every charity from which we hear. However, I love the spirit of trying, and trying for a good cause, so I'm just going make you aware of one more worthy cause. http://gowerfam. blogspot.com/

Farts

Farts a a great subject. If someone really doesn't want to discuss farting, then they are a little tight - you know what I mean. You simply can't say (or read) the word with out smiling a little.

My toy, which I really hope to launch before the end of April and I promise to tell you all about it when it happens, farts. So frankly, farting is on my brain a lot lately. Right now I feel like the toy company is a compressed fart waiting to explode. Amazingly, the toy is stuck in the purgatory of Chinese Bureaucracy at the moment. For those who have adopted from China, you know the hell I'm talking about. The toy is undergoing safety inspection, for lead, although it has no paint or lead. Got to love it!

I've been reaching out to a few charities that I would like to donate a portion of the toys' profit to; making sure they are cool with me listing them on the business site and such. It is an interesting conversation. They love the toy, they love any hope of getting more money. They are a bit suspicious of being associated with farting. However, they get the rest of the toy/company concept so are going along with it. Three of four I approached have said yes. Just waiting on the last one.

I now talk about farting daily. Pretty much think about it every hour. I hope to make a business that uses farts as a personal growth tool. How sick is that!

My eldest, DS1, loves a good fart. He enjoys making jokes about it, blaming it on someone else, and just giggling. The first time my eldest tried to deny he farted, he blamed it on a glass fish we had in the living room. I tried to explain there was no way the inanimate object farted. Then he blamed it on me and I assured him, I would know if I had farted. Finally, he owned it.

Last week the toy went to preschool - my first unit off the production run, as you know the rest are lonely in China, or else the inspection group is laughing their heads off - and it almost started a riot. I had a hard time getting it back from the kids. I also read the kids a story I had written about the toy; the "back story" if you will, and they loved it. They even helped me make fart sounds in the appropriate places. Again, I must say my son has the best preschool teacher ever to let me do this. So I am hopeful about this new adventure.

Amazingly the little guy has just put 2 + 2 together in understand that it is his body creating the eruption. He is surprised when it occurs, but happy and amazingly proud of the accomplishment. The little guy didn't put it all together until he farted in the bathtub recently. He felt the bubbles, saw the bubbles, giggled, then looked to me for an explanation. Although they share the tub, they don't mind if the other farts. Boys!

Some days I just need the hope and giggle of farts with the rest of the crap I deal with; starting two business, trying to figure out what to cook for dinner, facing the gym (right! facing the hope of going again some day1), finding things to do with the boys, trying anything to stimulate the little man's speech. Today, I'm frustrated; I just wasn't expecting to be back in Chinese bureaucratic purgatory. I know, this too shall pass. And then I will be all happy farts again.