Two big changes in 2011...

1. I started flossing. I never used to floss, and I never got cavities. Right now, you are either thinking, "Eww!" or, "Me neither, thank goodness someone finally came out and said it!" I am hoping for the latter. Sorry Alicia and Steve (my aunt/hygienist and uncle/dentist), I have been fooling you for years. I know, I know...why start now if I have had so much success in the past!? I figure that my days are numbered. I must say, though, there is nothing fun about flossing. It is hard to be motivated by negative reinforcement (preventing something aversive; e.g., cavities). Positive reinforcement (adding something positive; e.g., diamonds) is much more effective. Maybe I should try to work something out with Patrick...

2. We have a "grown-up person" couch! Patrick's college futon has officially been retired to the office. Here are some pictures of the Reed household circa 2011. Big improvement from the Reed household circa 2010...

Family room

Family room corner. Paintings I made to match the pillows in the office (see below).

Kitchen dining area

Orange bathroom

Bedroom with Louise. Every room has bits of black, white, and brown. Louise counts as the black and white for the bedroom. We try to encourage her to spend as much time in here as possible for decorative purposes.

Bedroom

Office with futon

Futon with pillows that match paintings

Office with Patrick

I don't want to talk about the guest room and the basement right now. They are currently under piles of laundry. 2011 is the year for flossing. 2012 can be the year for laundry...

I have never seen snowflakes that actually look like snowflakes...

...until now!!! I was driving home this evening during a snow fall, and my eyes focused on my windshield to notice the cutest mini snowflakes I have ever seen! I say "mini" because most of the snowflakey things I see are over-sized versions, such as Christmas ornaments, patterns on fleece pajama pants, or the ones I used to cut out of construction paper. Most real snowflakes look more like little dust balls of snow or little misshapen circles. Not these snowflakes, though. Oh, no. These were very snowflakey snowflakes!

"Ahhh! Look at that one!"

I tried to restrain myself from staring at the windshield, not through the windshield for the rest of my drive home. Each one that landed on my windshield spurred a rush of excitement in me. After many "Ahhh!"'s and "Oooh!"'s and "Eeek!"'s, I made it home safely and ran inside to get Patrick. He had to see this. He was really excited about the snowflakey snowflakes, too. We spent the next 10 minutes outside with a flashlight and a camera to make sure we documented the moment. 

They were actually more snowflakey in real life, but this gives you an idea.

To give you some perspective of what we were looking at

All these years I've been told that snowflakes are supposed to look like snowflakes, and I've never believed it until now. They should invent something that lets you see tiny mini cute things more easily...

I am most productive when I should be producing something else...

Today I am supposed to be working on my dissertation proposal.

Here is what I have accomplished so far:
-2 loads of laundry.
-1 Lifetime movie.
-Fantastic looking fingernails.
-Sparklingly clean jewelry.
-This blog entry.
-Checked email. And rechecked, and rechecked, and rechecked...
-Started unpacking my suitcase from Christmas.
-Dusted and vacuumed house.

Here is what I have not accomplished so far:
-My dissertation proposal.

Thank goodness I am getting my PhD. Otherwise, I would never get anything done...