Mommy, meet Karen...

Being a "stay-at-home-mom" isn't always easy.  It is demanding in a very different way then being a working mom is.  When I spend all day with someone who can't have a real conversation, and requires a great deal of attention, I can honestly go a little bit crazy.  I have come to understand a little better why, for many women, shopping can become so addicting; sometimes it is the only thing you can think of as a mom to get out of the house and do something.  I have found myself wracking my brain trying to think of something that we needed as an excuse to get out.  But, shopping for household goods (or even fun items) is not very fulfilling in the long term, and when living on a tight budget, shopping is obviously out of the question. It can become very difficult to find legitimately fulfilling things to do with the small amount of time I do have for myself . I do consider it a blessing that I am able to be home with Mina, and I wouldn't change it for anything; however, I have started to lose touch with myself.
I have had many conversations with Ryan about what I can do to feel like a human being again; or rather like Karen and not just Mommy. Many ideas have come up in the brainstorming sessions, but many of them are not very feasible due to time and financial constraints.  The big thing that seemed to come up is that I need to accomplish something for myself.  Yes, every day I clean, cook, do laundry, etc, etc- but these don't really feel like accomplishments, just daily chores.  Sometimes, admittedly, the time that I do take for myself I waste doing things that provide little to no satisfaction.  So, with a little inspiration from a friend (thanks Trina!), random websites, and several days of thought I have come up with a list.  Some of you have probably heard of these: 101 in 1001. If not, here is a brief rundown: I will try to complete these 101 goals in the next 1001 days (in no specific order).

Karen's 101 in 1001 (purple ones are completed with links to the post about it)

1- Make a Ribbon Sponge Cake (a successful one)
2- Make a Wedding Cake
3- Sew Myself a Skirt
4- Go a whole week without having an argument with Ryan.
5- Read the Book of Mormon like I would a novel - (in less than 2 weeks)
6- Make my own Fondant and cover a cake with it.
7- Make my own marzipan and cover a cake with it.
8- Make marzipan roses.
9- Make a really good Pot Roast.
10- Buy a house.
11- Take Mina (and potentially another child) on a successful camping trip.
12- Have a date night with Ryan once a week for 2 consecutive months.
13- Hike 6 weeks in a row.
14- Read all of Isaiah in one week.
15- Hike Mt Timpanogas
16- Make blocks for my kid(s) with my dad.
17- Relearn how to play Rondo alla Turca.
18- Relearn how to play the Jurassic Park theme song.
19- Audition for something (singing).
20- Do 10 pull-ups in a row.
21- Play 1 hour straight with my daughter every day for a week.
22- Clean and organize the storage closet.
23- Potty train Mina. (this better happen in 1001 days)
24- Go to the Temple once a month for 6 months.
25- Make that Spiced Blueberry Jam I’ve been eying.
26- Make a Sweater Dress for Mina http://thepaisleycupcake.blogspot.com/2010/10/sweater-conversion.html
27- Finish putting all of my old pictures in photo albums.
28- Be all caught up on scrap booking Mina’s pictures by her 3rd birthday.
29- Make Baklava
30- Master the art of making my own Kefir/yogurt. I’m tired of buying it.
31- Go to Kennecot Copper Mines.
32- Go shooting with Ryan at least 8 times.
33- Finish my Bear Lake Shell Frame.
34- Finish reading Moby Dick
35- Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen or something like it.
36- Visit Yellowstone
37- Learn a foreign language-(french or spanish)
38- Make homemade whole wheat sourdough bread.
39- Teach Mina to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
40- Teach Mina her abc’s
41- Teach Mina to read (at least a little)
42- Go to Red Butte Gardens
43- Make a lattice top pie
44- Make a basket weave decorated cake
45- Finish that quilt that I started years ago.
46- Grill fish on a wooden plank
47- Take a painting class
48- Play ultimate Frisbee
49- Go on a picnic with Ryan
50- Ride a bike (it’s been way too long)
51- Go to classic skating
52- Go to the Salt Lake Temple for a session.
53- Exercise every weekday for two weeks (at least 20 minutes)
54- Sleep out under the stars
55- Make my own puff pastry
56- Beat all the levels on Left for Dead
57- Beat all the levels on Left for Dead 2
58- Go fishing
59- Do a girls night out with my sisters at least 3 times
60- Play and complete Portal 2
61- Find a crock pot recipe that I really like.
62- Organize my recipes into a binder.
63- Visit each of my Grandparents every month for 4 months in a row.
64- Grow some of my own herbs.
65- Watch the sunrise and the sunset on the same day
66- Tie a note to a balloon and let it go.
67- Watch “Gone With the Wind” (always wanted to)
68- Go Ice Skating
69- Re-memorize “The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill”
70- Learn to Knit (someone please help me!)
71- Take a Ballroom Dance class with Ryan
72- Go to a rock climbing gym again
73- Write a love note for Ryan every day for a week.
74- Watch Crocodile Dundee (apparently I’m missing out??)
75- Learn how to make a Treacle Tart (a la Harry Potter style)
76- Have a Harry Potter Themed Party- costumes, food and the movies
77- Build a Snowman!
78- Ride a Roller Coaster
79- Make a really yummy barbecue sauce that reminds Ryan of his mission.
80- Go Golfing (never been)
81- Go Sledding
82- Go to the Family History Center- learn about genealogy.
83- Make Larb Moo
84- Write in my journal every day for a month.
85- Watch a sunset on my parents roof again.
86- Carve a pumpkin
87- Re-Read all of the Harry Potter Books
88- Read to Mina for 30 minutes every day for a week (can be throughout the day)
89- Finish getting all of our movies into digital form.
90- Make my own pasta from scratch
91- Make Mussaman Curry
92- Make Pulled Pork (implementing above mentioned barbecue sauce)
93- Make Apple Butter
94- Make a Pecan Pie
95- Blog about something every day for a month.
96- Go to the Opera (I wish I could say once a month- but that gets pricey)
97- Go Snowshoeing
98- Go Cross Country skiing.
99- Read a non-fiction/educational book
100- Re-Read the Lord of the Rings series.
101- Successfully start a new Thanksgiving Tradition.

Many of these are simple, and easy, but they are things I have always wanted to do.  Some of them are a bit of a stretch, so we'll see what happens.  But I am going to try!  Hopefully this will provide the sense of accomplishment and me-ness that I am looking for.
I am starting the countdown tomorrow 11-10-10 to be completed on 8-7-13
Wish me luck!