One Month left: 30 Before 30 Update

30 Before 30

1. Purchase a beginner piano book and learn a simple song- I have the piano now, and plenty of songbooks.  How good does my playing have to sound to count?
2. Take a train ride --This is still a work in progress.  Hard to coordinate with naptimes :(
3. Walk through a corn maze
4. Write 5 handwritten letters to friends
5. Fly a kite with my boys See picture below from 4/10/12
6. Plant daffodil bulbs in front yard
7. Take a meal to a new mom
8. Pay it forward 
9. Visit Connor See picture below from 4/6/12
10. Try out a new recipe
11. Go Christmas Caroling  
12. Post my 500^th blog post  
13. Donate to a charity  
14. Have a party (not for my children) So this one is definitely NOT happening before I'm 30.  As soon as the house is complete, it will happen!
15. Take a good friend to lunch Technically it was dinner, but that's even more expensive than lunch, and I treated, so I'm counting it.
16. Do something nice for a neighbor  
17. See a movie at the theater with Derek - Can you believe this still hasn't happened?  Well, I have free tickets to an IMAX documentary and "To the Arctic, 3D" opens on 4/20.  Let's shoot for this one before 5/16!
18. Decide where Chandler will go to Kindergarten -- Chandler will be going to a great Montessori school!
19. Visit a new city - So this one isn't happening before the big 3-0 either.  Unless you count Hurdle Mills, NC (where Connor now lives).  That's okay, because the family and I are heading to CHICAGO in late July!  My friend is putting us up for a week in a furnished 2-bedroom apartment.  Sweet!  We can't wait :)
20. Read one book for fun
21. Update our mailbox - Another one waiting until the house is done.  It will be the "finishing touch" on our new house.
22. Figure out how to upload videos to the blog  
23. Have a progressive dinner party - Ok, so there's a theme building up here.  This one is also going to have to wait for our new house.  I tried to organize one this winter, but plans never came together from the other people involved.  
24. Bring a meal to somebody who is sick/has sick kids
25. Try a “fancy” cupcake 
26. Volunteer at the preschool
27. Bake & Decorate cookies with my 3 messy boys
28. Have a live Christmas tree for the first time in 10+ years  
29. Visit the Biltmore House, or at least plan the trip - Still hoping this will happen for our anniversary this year, along with # 30.
30. Take a Hot Air Balloon Ride, or plan it!

So, to recap with one month left:

19/30 completed!

5/30 should be completed before 5/16

3/30 have to wait on the house to be completed

3/30 should be completed before the end of the year (travel related)

I think that's pretty good.  Hopefully I can get the 5 on the list crossed off before the big day and that only leaves 6 to do!

Here's a picture of me holding Connor where he lives now.  I never did blog about the fact that we had to give Connor away.  It was a very hard decision, but I knew it was the right thing for him and us.  He is a very sweet bird, and has a wonderful home now.  I was able to drive out and visit him.  He wasn't too sure about me at first, but would warm up to me when his new "mom" would leave the room.  It's like he was confused as to whom he should be loyal too.  

I know this isn't the best picture, but it's the best I could do with my Iphone and keeping the kite from crashing into trees, houses, etc....while Chandler flew it.  I wasn't sure this one would happen since I had hoped to fly a kite at a more ideal location, but you work with what your given!