Tomorrow is the beginning of a new school year - and I must say I'm kinda glad!! These two kids have had more than their fill of each other and are at each other's throats! When they are only together a few hours a day, they seem to get along better.
We pretty much laid low here at home for the whole holiday weekend. We finally moved in to the new addition on the house last weekend, so we spent this weekend working on little things around here. Hubby moved a bunch of furniture around. Our addition has a mudroom, half bathroom, and our new living room. We will also have a new bedroom upstairs once the stairs get cut in. Our old living room became our new dining room, and our old dining room is in the process of being converted into an office/craft room for me. It will also be our classroom for homeschooling.
We had one super exciting thing happen today though. Hubby found my wedding and engagement rings, which have been missing since before Baden was born!! I swore he had put them somewhere, but he insisted he had given them to me. When he was cleaning off the china hutch (which is too tall for me to reach), he found both of them, in the baggie, on top! I was SO excited!! I was positive they were lost forever! It's still going to be 30 weeks until I can wear them, but at least now I know where it is. I'm going to put them in my safety deposit box just so I don't have to worry about them until it's time to get them fixed.
I tried another new recipe today - made a low carb veggie cheese soup. I'm working on a post with the diabetic-friendly recipes, so when I have a few, I'll post that :) I was surprised, no one noticed the lack of potatoes or meat in the soup. Hubby even went back for seconds! Now THAT is a compliment!
I also spent quite a bit of time prepping food today. We had picked up a box of snack sized baggies when we were at the store yesterday. In addition to chopping veggies for stir fry tomorrow, I prepped snacks for the kids. I measured out (a little less than a whole serving) of pretzel sticks into baggies, and Cheez-its. I prepped bags of green and purple grapes and put into the freezer. Grapes are great frozen, and if packed for lunch, should be thawed by lunchtime. I sliced up strawberries for the fridge, and make our own pudding cups in Gladware containers. The package said 6 servings, which I easily split into 8, and cost about the same to make as it would be to buy a 4 pack of pre-made cups. Yogurt was on sale, so we picked up a bunch of those along with some string cheese. I explained to the kids that these snacks are not just "whenever" snacks - they are for snack break, after school snacks, or to pack with lunches. They need to ask before just helping themselves (which is the habit that Scrappy somehow got into lately and I'm trying to break!) We'll see how it goes.
I suppose I should get to bed early since the kids are in bed and will be needing to get up early. Night!!
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Monday, September 2, 2013
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
The End of Summer
Today marks the first day of school here. I don't know where the summer went, but it seems it went by too fast. It's also canning season. We seem to have more tomatoes this year than we did last year, and unfortunately I am low on jars and on freezer space, so freezing isn't an option. I've put off doing any more applesauce for a while because we have been doing salsa and one batch of spaghetti sauce (so far). Use up what we raise before we do what we buy, right?
I finally went to the doctor last week - saw a new one since I'm not too happy with my normal one. He hasn't been listening to me, which is what a doctor is supposed to do. I explain why I'm there, and he only addresses one concern and sends me on my way. This one listened and addressed my concerns. One was about my blood pressure since the last 2 times I was in the ER it was higher than normal. He recommended I meet with a dietitian, which I already have an appointment scheduled for. He also recommended I ease up on both caffeine and salt.
I can't believe I just sent Beau off to 4th grade! She is growing up way too fast. She decided she was ready for a new style, so last week she had her hair cut SHORT. I think it looks really cute on her - she looks like a pixie :)
Next week my Scrappyman will be starting preschool. We have orientation on Monday, then he starts next Thursday. I can't believe he's already 4!! Where has the time gone?!?!? (He thinks he's old enough to shave, too, since his uncle bought him a play shaving kit.)
Friday Scrappy had a doctor's appointment. After his appointment, we went for lunch, then Daddy went to get some ink done and I took the kids to Silver Lake Park to chase the geese for a while. The geese are pretty aggressive and kinda scary!!
Saturday we took the kids to the Minnesota Zoo as our last "hoorah" before school started. The dolphins are going to be leaving next week, so we got to see them one last time. They have a new penguin exhibit, which we liked. Scrappy loved it too because one of the penguins was chasing his shoe laces along the side of the glass. It was super cute!! There is a new black bear exhibit that is in the works and not open yet, but we could see the black bear behind one of the other cages.
I'm starting to wonder if Scrappy doesn't get motion sickness. Most of the time he does pretty good in the car, but when we went to St Cloud, several times when we've gone to Rochester, and on Saturday when we went to the zoo, he got sick in the van. This time he did have a fever when we got home, which lasted through Monday, but not the other times. I'm going to ask about that next time I talk to his nurse... As a result of his fever, we spent the rest of the long weekend just hanging out...
I finally went to the doctor last week - saw a new one since I'm not too happy with my normal one. He hasn't been listening to me, which is what a doctor is supposed to do. I explain why I'm there, and he only addresses one concern and sends me on my way. This one listened and addressed my concerns. One was about my blood pressure since the last 2 times I was in the ER it was higher than normal. He recommended I meet with a dietitian, which I already have an appointment scheduled for. He also recommended I ease up on both caffeine and salt.
I can't believe I just sent Beau off to 4th grade! She is growing up way too fast. She decided she was ready for a new style, so last week she had her hair cut SHORT. I think it looks really cute on her - she looks like a pixie :)
Next week my Scrappyman will be starting preschool. We have orientation on Monday, then he starts next Thursday. I can't believe he's already 4!! Where has the time gone?!?!? (He thinks he's old enough to shave, too, since his uncle bought him a play shaving kit.)
Friday Scrappy had a doctor's appointment. After his appointment, we went for lunch, then Daddy went to get some ink done and I took the kids to Silver Lake Park to chase the geese for a while. The geese are pretty aggressive and kinda scary!!
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| His 4th rose for Cystic Fibrosis - one for each birthday Scrappy has |
Saturday we took the kids to the Minnesota Zoo as our last "hoorah" before school started. The dolphins are going to be leaving next week, so we got to see them one last time. They have a new penguin exhibit, which we liked. Scrappy loved it too because one of the penguins was chasing his shoe laces along the side of the glass. It was super cute!! There is a new black bear exhibit that is in the works and not open yet, but we could see the black bear behind one of the other cages.
I'm starting to wonder if Scrappy doesn't get motion sickness. Most of the time he does pretty good in the car, but when we went to St Cloud, several times when we've gone to Rochester, and on Saturday when we went to the zoo, he got sick in the van. This time he did have a fever when we got home, which lasted through Monday, but not the other times. I'm going to ask about that next time I talk to his nurse... As a result of his fever, we spent the rest of the long weekend just hanging out...
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Fair Week
I still haven't figured out why it's the "6 best days of summer" because honestly I could do with only 3 days, but it is what it is. I'm sitting out here, in the heat and humidity (which is actually kinda low on both aspects right now) trying to make contacts, trying to talk to people, trying to expand on my business.
It's fun seeing some friends I haven't seen in a while. Honestly there are a few people I've seen that I'd rather avoid, but that hasn't been too much of a problem either. I had debated if it would be worth the expense of spending all week at the booth and paying out for it, but I'm at a point that I'm not sure what else to do to make new contacts. So here I am!!!
My display actually looks pretty good
and my husband was pretty creative at setting up a display for my wall hangings.
Who would have thought some shelves set up on end would work to display pictures? Just zip-tied them together and voila!
My hubby is bringing the kids out tonight. We usually make the kids save up their own money to use at the fair, but this past year has been quite the exception to the rule. I picked up some discounted wrist band passes for them. Fortunately we don't have to worry about paying to get into the fair, though, because I get a couple Exhibitor passes that cover one adult admission plus parking. They seem to cover the kids too, since we've never been charged for them. Otherwise I'm not sure we'd be coming out this year.
It looks like we're going to be doing some demo in the very near future. I talked to our contractor, and the trusses are ready (finally!), so he'll be starting soon. I can't wait to finally have an office area!! Beau is excited about her new room, of course. And I'm sure Scraps is going to love all the new area to play in.
My homework is calling - I'm trying to take advantage of the quiet study time I have in between customers (it's pretty slow during the day).
It's fun seeing some friends I haven't seen in a while. Honestly there are a few people I've seen that I'd rather avoid, but that hasn't been too much of a problem either. I had debated if it would be worth the expense of spending all week at the booth and paying out for it, but I'm at a point that I'm not sure what else to do to make new contacts. So here I am!!!
My display actually looks pretty good
and my husband was pretty creative at setting up a display for my wall hangings.
Who would have thought some shelves set up on end would work to display pictures? Just zip-tied them together and voila!
My hubby is bringing the kids out tonight. We usually make the kids save up their own money to use at the fair, but this past year has been quite the exception to the rule. I picked up some discounted wrist band passes for them. Fortunately we don't have to worry about paying to get into the fair, though, because I get a couple Exhibitor passes that cover one adult admission plus parking. They seem to cover the kids too, since we've never been charged for them. Otherwise I'm not sure we'd be coming out this year.
It looks like we're going to be doing some demo in the very near future. I talked to our contractor, and the trusses are ready (finally!), so he'll be starting soon. I can't wait to finally have an office area!! Beau is excited about her new room, of course. And I'm sure Scraps is going to love all the new area to play in.
My homework is calling - I'm trying to take advantage of the quiet study time I have in between customers (it's pretty slow during the day).
Saturday, April 28, 2012
My Crazy-Busy Life
I really don't know what I would ever do if I wasn't so busy all the time. Have I mentioned lately that in addition to all my normal hecticness, I've added "Girl Scout Troop Leader" to my many credentials and time commitments? If I'm going to be taking my daughter there and back anyway, and I wanna spend more time with her, why not? I'm a Cadette leader and tomorrow she is taking the huge step of bridging from being a Brownie to a Junior! Yay Beau!! I will definitely have to post some pictures!! I know she's not under me yet, but we still get to go to all the events together, and have a lot of fun doing it!! After tomorrow's ceremony (which our Troop Leader so sweetly convinced me to develop/write/orchestrate) we have our end of year trip on May 20, and maybe we'll plan a summer activity. We'd really like to do some camping, which will serve dual purpose because my girls can earn badges doing that.
I'm almost done with school for this semester. With all the chaos of my Scrappy losing insurance, and the endless meetings we've been going through, and the endless stacks of paperwork (not to mention how horribly far behind I've gotten with my housework!!!) I had to drop a couple classes, so I won't graduate until fall now. I have one more class this semester and that will be the end of May, which isn't so bad. It's only 3 days.
Then there's my business. It's slowing down a little bit again - which is a HUGE frustration. I'm hoping to come up with enough money to be able to do the fair this year, which would help me to get a lot more leads. I'm looking for the chance to attend any events coming up soon to help get my name out again too!!!
And the walk. This will be my family's 4th year participating in the walk. Great Strides for Cystic Fibrosis, that is. It used to be a 10k, but now is a 5k. You can learn more about why we walk by visiting www.cff.org/great_strides/ We only have 1 week until the Walk - May 5th. Unfortunately I'm a little out of practice and need to get my butt moving again... I've kinda been slacking on the workouts, but I haven't been feeling so wonderful - not to mention the S.T.R.E.S.S.!!!!!
Hopefully the stress will lessen soon... we got Scrappy's TEFRA application turned in with all the paperwork. Too bad the life insurance company is still fighting us. I need to call the information desk at the hospital again to see what the status is from them. I told my hubby I think we need a lawyer. I'm going to call and make an appointment with Legal Aid on Monday.
Here's a picture of my cutie with his bear. He thought the bear needed to wear some big-boy underpants too :)
I'm almost done with school for this semester. With all the chaos of my Scrappy losing insurance, and the endless meetings we've been going through, and the endless stacks of paperwork (not to mention how horribly far behind I've gotten with my housework!!!) I had to drop a couple classes, so I won't graduate until fall now. I have one more class this semester and that will be the end of May, which isn't so bad. It's only 3 days.
Then there's my business. It's slowing down a little bit again - which is a HUGE frustration. I'm hoping to come up with enough money to be able to do the fair this year, which would help me to get a lot more leads. I'm looking for the chance to attend any events coming up soon to help get my name out again too!!!
And the walk. This will be my family's 4th year participating in the walk. Great Strides for Cystic Fibrosis, that is. It used to be a 10k, but now is a 5k. You can learn more about why we walk by visiting www.cff.org/great_strides/ We only have 1 week until the Walk - May 5th. Unfortunately I'm a little out of practice and need to get my butt moving again... I've kinda been slacking on the workouts, but I haven't been feeling so wonderful - not to mention the S.T.R.E.S.S.!!!!!
Hopefully the stress will lessen soon... we got Scrappy's TEFRA application turned in with all the paperwork. Too bad the life insurance company is still fighting us. I need to call the information desk at the hospital again to see what the status is from them. I told my hubby I think we need a lawyer. I'm going to call and make an appointment with Legal Aid on Monday.
Here's a picture of my cutie with his bear. He thought the bear needed to wear some big-boy underpants too :)
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| Have you ever seen a bear, wearing underwear, down by the bay? lol! |
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Exhaustipated
I wish I could take credit for that brilliant little word, but I found it on Facebook yesterday - and quite fitting. I've been up every night, coughing up a lung from some postnasal drainage, so my AMAZING husband decided to let me get some much-needed rest. I went to bed at 9:30 last night - and didn't get up until 10:30 this morning!! Needless to say we missed church, but I can definitely say I feel a WHOLE LOT better!!
The last few months have been quite busy and many things have been going on... I'm still trying to sort it all out. I've met with the counselor at my school a few times. I've found out that I don't have a fear of failure, but I do have a fear of success. Who would've thought? Which explains why I have trouble finishing things I start. And why I procrastinate on some things. Or commit self-sabatoge. Like with Weight Watchers before and TOPS now... I was doing so well, and now I've started backsliding again, making excuses and getting lazy about what I SHOULD be doing.
I've checked a few things off my list, though, with the help of the counselor.
I've applied to Walden University for my Master's degree - MBA self-designed with focus on Project Management and Leadership.
I've also taken the first steps towards becoming truly self-employed. Actually, I have my first consult with a client tomorrow. I figured out what I want to do and how I can help people. My business is to help people get their homes - and their lives - organized and under control. Each client is like taking on a new 'project.' I'm pretty excited!!! I need to come up with a business name though.....
I had to push back my AAS degee completion to next semester now, though. With Scrappy losing his insurance, I've been extremely overwhelmed with the amount of paperwork I need to do to try to get him on disability. As a result, I've let a couple classes slide.. and now will need to retake them later :(
I'm still kinda tired today.... thinking I should go to bed. Hopefully I have the time (and energy) to update more soon!!!!
The last few months have been quite busy and many things have been going on... I'm still trying to sort it all out. I've met with the counselor at my school a few times. I've found out that I don't have a fear of failure, but I do have a fear of success. Who would've thought? Which explains why I have trouble finishing things I start. And why I procrastinate on some things. Or commit self-sabatoge. Like with Weight Watchers before and TOPS now... I was doing so well, and now I've started backsliding again, making excuses and getting lazy about what I SHOULD be doing.
I've checked a few things off my list, though, with the help of the counselor.
I've applied to Walden University for my Master's degree - MBA self-designed with focus on Project Management and Leadership.
I've also taken the first steps towards becoming truly self-employed. Actually, I have my first consult with a client tomorrow. I figured out what I want to do and how I can help people. My business is to help people get their homes - and their lives - organized and under control. Each client is like taking on a new 'project.' I'm pretty excited!!! I need to come up with a business name though.....
I had to push back my AAS degee completion to next semester now, though. With Scrappy losing his insurance, I've been extremely overwhelmed with the amount of paperwork I need to do to try to get him on disability. As a result, I've let a couple classes slide.. and now will need to retake them later :(
I'm still kinda tired today.... thinking I should go to bed. Hopefully I have the time (and energy) to update more soon!!!!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
CRAM SESSION!!
Yes, it's 3:30am and I am blogging. Why, you may ask?
Cuz I'm a horrible procrastinator.
You'd think since I took a class specifically about time management, I'd be able to apply some of those skills. But instead, I make notes for 2 weeks on what my project for my Project Management course is going to be, then spend the entire day (and night!) before it's due plugging away and finishing it. It's looking amazing, but still... I have to be sure not to do this with my next project (which I haven't started, but isn't due until March, and we haven't gotten the details on it yet)!!
I'm just taking a little break and letting my mind rest a moment. It's not like I haven't slept. I went to bed at 1015 and asked my hubby to set the alarm for midnight so I could get a short nap in. Maybe if I get my powerpoint done and the paper itself thrown together I can get another nap in before my 8am class. (Yes, a Saturday class, but I'm done by 2 and it's only 2 days total.)
I'm thinking maybe some coffee or a snack would be good... just wondering how I'm gonna count my calories for this, being up all night, and not getting a workout in yesterday since I spent all day glued to my text book (when I wasn't doing this, that, and the other for Scrappy man. For the most part he was content, though, because I let him play Monster Jams on Wii after watching cartoons for a while.)
Well, time to get back at it!! :)
Cuz I'm a horrible procrastinator.
You'd think since I took a class specifically about time management, I'd be able to apply some of those skills. But instead, I make notes for 2 weeks on what my project for my Project Management course is going to be, then spend the entire day (and night!) before it's due plugging away and finishing it. It's looking amazing, but still... I have to be sure not to do this with my next project (which I haven't started, but isn't due until March, and we haven't gotten the details on it yet)!!
I'm just taking a little break and letting my mind rest a moment. It's not like I haven't slept. I went to bed at 1015 and asked my hubby to set the alarm for midnight so I could get a short nap in. Maybe if I get my powerpoint done and the paper itself thrown together I can get another nap in before my 8am class. (Yes, a Saturday class, but I'm done by 2 and it's only 2 days total.)
I'm thinking maybe some coffee or a snack would be good... just wondering how I'm gonna count my calories for this, being up all night, and not getting a workout in yesterday since I spent all day glued to my text book (when I wasn't doing this, that, and the other for Scrappy man. For the most part he was content, though, because I let him play Monster Jams on Wii after watching cartoons for a while.)
Well, time to get back at it!! :)
Friday, January 27, 2012
Progress!
Feeling a lot better! My wonderful hubby brought home some cough drops and real Kleenex for me since my poor nose was so sore from using cheap tissues. He let me just rest and he wrangled the kids for the night on Wednesday night.
Even though I still had a little bit of a cough, I still went to TOPS yesterday. I'm glad I did! I had a good feeling about the weigh in because I've been diligent about tracking everything I eat and been getting workouts in at least 4 times per week. I aim for a minimum of 30 minutes, but have actually been getting an hour or more most days!! There are certain show I just LOVE to watch, so I set up the Wii for Free Step and do that while I watch tv. The maximum time it can be set for is 30 minutes, so sometimes when the 30 minutes is up, I'll reset it for another 20-30 minutes. It must be working cuz this week I lost 3 1/2 pounds - yay!!!!
My total loss now is at 22 pounds. The past month and a half before this hadn't been the best, but I'm back on track and hoping to be over the 30 pound mark by my 1 year anniversary with TOPS, which is March 24. I think I can do it!!!
I've stopped using http://www.fitday.com/ because most of the food values need to entered manually and it's too time consuming trying to figure out all of the calorie counts. A friend referred me to another website which is now in my 'favorites' bar and is an absolute necessity for me - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ . I love that you can join discussion boards and request friends. It also has an extensive database of foods already entered, as well as exercises. The daily goal already has subtracted out the calories needed for weight loss. If you have extra calories left at the end of the day, or you 'earn' extra calories by exercising, it tells you how much weight-loss progress you would make over the next 5 weeks. If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend it.
I invite anyone reading this (if there is) to try out http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ for ONE WEEK and see what kinds of results it gives you! Feel free to send me a 'friend request' (yes it's kinda like facebook in that) at mindy_shs.
And now I'm off to cram on my homework - I've been procrastinating too much on it lately, and now it's due tomorrow :(
Even though I still had a little bit of a cough, I still went to TOPS yesterday. I'm glad I did! I had a good feeling about the weigh in because I've been diligent about tracking everything I eat and been getting workouts in at least 4 times per week. I aim for a minimum of 30 minutes, but have actually been getting an hour or more most days!! There are certain show I just LOVE to watch, so I set up the Wii for Free Step and do that while I watch tv. The maximum time it can be set for is 30 minutes, so sometimes when the 30 minutes is up, I'll reset it for another 20-30 minutes. It must be working cuz this week I lost 3 1/2 pounds - yay!!!!
My total loss now is at 22 pounds. The past month and a half before this hadn't been the best, but I'm back on track and hoping to be over the 30 pound mark by my 1 year anniversary with TOPS, which is March 24. I think I can do it!!!
I've stopped using http://www.fitday.com/ because most of the food values need to entered manually and it's too time consuming trying to figure out all of the calorie counts. A friend referred me to another website which is now in my 'favorites' bar and is an absolute necessity for me - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ . I love that you can join discussion boards and request friends. It also has an extensive database of foods already entered, as well as exercises. The daily goal already has subtracted out the calories needed for weight loss. If you have extra calories left at the end of the day, or you 'earn' extra calories by exercising, it tells you how much weight-loss progress you would make over the next 5 weeks. If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend it.
I invite anyone reading this (if there is) to try out http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ for ONE WEEK and see what kinds of results it gives you! Feel free to send me a 'friend request' (yes it's kinda like facebook in that) at mindy_shs.
And now I'm off to cram on my homework - I've been procrastinating too much on it lately, and now it's due tomorrow :(
Friday, January 6, 2012
Nature's Identity Crisis
I don't think nature realizes it's January - in Minnesota. We had a record high of 52 yesterday, and it was still quite warm today - in the 40's!! Where is all the snow??? I really want to go cross country skiing, but until we get some of that white stuff, that's not going to happen. Rumor has it we might get some next week. Wonder if it will stick around?
Scrappy went with me to TOPS on Thursday and I only stayed for weigh in (I gained a pound. I'm getting a little frustrated since it seems like working out doesn't have much effect. I know, I know. Patience). He was still running a fever (with no other symptoms) which finally broke this afternoon, so he couldn't go to the sitter's. Since we were out of the house to take Beau to school anyway, I had a few errands that just could not wait any longer - I'd already put them off long enough! (I also told Scrappy if he was a good boy during all our running, Mommy would buy him a donut on the way home!)
After TOPS, the first stop was the grocery store. 9 am is the perfect time to go because, of course, they had just put out a bunch of "Reduced for Quick Sale" items and were still bringing more over. Now, I stocked up pretty well last time I went shopping but figured, since I had to get milk, eggs, other WIC things, and cat food and litter. Found some pretty good meat deals again. 3 packages of dark meat chicken quarters (2 per package, $0.89/lb), 2 pork roasts ($1.99/lb), 2 small packages pork tenderloin medallions (2 per package, about $1.50/pkg), and a package 3 bone-in pork chops (about $2.50). These were really good discounts when looking at the prices of the same items that were not reduced. (I won't be needing to buy meat for a while!)
After the grocery store, we still had a little while before our appointment at the consignment store, so we went to Shopko to pick up 6 prescriptions, then the college to pick up my books. They only cost $144, but there was a HUGE stack of them. I didn't have to buy books for 2 of my classes since I already have them from last semester (I failed 2 classes last semester because of my health problems and ultimately our loss of our Little Warrior - but I am appealing these F's since I believe I have a good reason, as does my advisor.)
When we were done at the college, it was time to go to the consignment store. I know from past experience that they have a limit of 50 items to be consigned at a time, so I took everything that I had sorted our already. This was the equivalent of an 18 gallon tote. I was very surprised that, other than an unopened package of beads, an unopened puzzle, and an old Halloween costume, they took everything. I was told that if I bring the costume back in the fall, they'll take it then. Yay!!
The last stop before going to get Scrappy's donut (yes, I delivered on that promise!) was at the funeral home. I wrote a lot of thank you notes, but ran out. As part of their service, they provided us with thank you notes. (too bad postage wasn't included!) I got 2 boxes, although I doubt I'll need all of them... better safe than sorry, right?
Since hubby had to work late last night, we kept supper easy - mac and cheese and hot dogs. So healthy, right? But I tend to treat the kids with some of their favorites when he's not home, and work towards making fuller meals when he is. I prefer if he doesn't have to worry so much about what's for supper since he's the one working full-time.
We really needed something different tonight. The same old thing gets tiring after a while. I had noticed when cleaning out the cupboards that I had been finding quite a few taco seasoning packets. I've also been hungry for Spanish rice. This made the supper decision easy! I had kept out 2 packages of the chicken quarters wondering what I should do with them. Chicken tacos with Spanish rice! Turned out pretty good too! Beau's always a big eater, but hubby enjoyed 4 tacos. Even Scrappy was munching on the meat, and he's very picky.
I bet that chicken would be good on a salad... hmmm....
Scrappy went with me to TOPS on Thursday and I only stayed for weigh in (I gained a pound. I'm getting a little frustrated since it seems like working out doesn't have much effect. I know, I know. Patience). He was still running a fever (with no other symptoms) which finally broke this afternoon, so he couldn't go to the sitter's. Since we were out of the house to take Beau to school anyway, I had a few errands that just could not wait any longer - I'd already put them off long enough! (I also told Scrappy if he was a good boy during all our running, Mommy would buy him a donut on the way home!)
After TOPS, the first stop was the grocery store. 9 am is the perfect time to go because, of course, they had just put out a bunch of "Reduced for Quick Sale" items and were still bringing more over. Now, I stocked up pretty well last time I went shopping but figured, since I had to get milk, eggs, other WIC things, and cat food and litter. Found some pretty good meat deals again. 3 packages of dark meat chicken quarters (2 per package, $0.89/lb), 2 pork roasts ($1.99/lb), 2 small packages pork tenderloin medallions (2 per package, about $1.50/pkg), and a package 3 bone-in pork chops (about $2.50). These were really good discounts when looking at the prices of the same items that were not reduced. (I won't be needing to buy meat for a while!)
After the grocery store, we still had a little while before our appointment at the consignment store, so we went to Shopko to pick up 6 prescriptions, then the college to pick up my books. They only cost $144, but there was a HUGE stack of them. I didn't have to buy books for 2 of my classes since I already have them from last semester (I failed 2 classes last semester because of my health problems and ultimately our loss of our Little Warrior - but I am appealing these F's since I believe I have a good reason, as does my advisor.)
When we were done at the college, it was time to go to the consignment store. I know from past experience that they have a limit of 50 items to be consigned at a time, so I took everything that I had sorted our already. This was the equivalent of an 18 gallon tote. I was very surprised that, other than an unopened package of beads, an unopened puzzle, and an old Halloween costume, they took everything. I was told that if I bring the costume back in the fall, they'll take it then. Yay!!
The last stop before going to get Scrappy's donut (yes, I delivered on that promise!) was at the funeral home. I wrote a lot of thank you notes, but ran out. As part of their service, they provided us with thank you notes. (too bad postage wasn't included!) I got 2 boxes, although I doubt I'll need all of them... better safe than sorry, right?
Since hubby had to work late last night, we kept supper easy - mac and cheese and hot dogs. So healthy, right? But I tend to treat the kids with some of their favorites when he's not home, and work towards making fuller meals when he is. I prefer if he doesn't have to worry so much about what's for supper since he's the one working full-time.
We really needed something different tonight. The same old thing gets tiring after a while. I had noticed when cleaning out the cupboards that I had been finding quite a few taco seasoning packets. I've also been hungry for Spanish rice. This made the supper decision easy! I had kept out 2 packages of the chicken quarters wondering what I should do with them. Chicken tacos with Spanish rice! Turned out pretty good too! Beau's always a big eater, but hubby enjoyed 4 tacos. Even Scrappy was munching on the meat, and he's very picky.
I bet that chicken would be good on a salad... hmmm....
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Doing it!
I've been keeping quite busy in spite of the emotional turmoil. It's been a month today since we lost Baden, but I'm holding up as good as can be expected. I had to go to the college today to pick up some paperwork to appeal 2 classes that I failed so they won't affect my GPA. According to the counselor, my appeal should be granted based on the circumstances. It's still hard to believe....
I've been pushing myself along. I stuck to my workout plan until Thursday. The kids were at Grammy's, so I took advantage of the time and spent the afternoon wrapping Christmas presents since I can't always count on naptime and Christmas is quickly approaching. The tree looked rather odd without anything under it too. There's an imbalance of gifts - Beau seems to have more than Scrappy, but he has some bigger (ie, more expensive) than she does. Quite a few of hers are smaller gifts. But they all come out to about the same amount. I think next year, we need to be sure to set a limit on the dollar amount. It just seems too easy to get "just one more" thing for one, then for the other.... it's not working for our plans for saving money.
Friday I honestly just didn't have the motivation to do anything, let alone my workout routine. Saturday morning I woke up with a very, very sore and stiff knee. I broke my left ankle when I was 2 and believe I had messed up my knee at that time, since I've ALWAYS had problems with my left knee as long as I can remember. Then, my senior year in high school, I was in a bad car accident and buried my knee in the steering column of my car, which was totalled. I must seem old, because I can usually predict a change in weather based on how my knee feels. If it hurts to walk up or down stairs and feels like it's going to give out, it means something's up. The pain didn't go away until Monday morning, so I resumed my workout on the Fit and upped it to an hour, followed with 45 minutes today.
I've been trying several different strategies on how to cut down on costs since I'm still not back to work yet. My plan is to start up again in January - hoping my clients agree!!!! In January, I'm due for an upgrade on my cell phone. Unlike many people, I'm going to do just the opposite and downgrade. I have a smartphone right now - Blackberry Curve - which I love, but realistically the costs are just CRAZY. I need to check into other plans for the smartphone, but I know the cheapest way to go right now with our provider is to eliminate the data plan. That will free up some of my meager pay to go towards other bills. I've also eliminated another $35 monthly bill by giving up my storage unit. I have had it for 5 years, and much of the stuff in there has never been touched. There are totes upon totes of toys that the kids don't even know they HAVE, and the ridiculous amount of stuffed animals and too small clothes. My plan is to have a garage sale in the spring, or maybe 2, and then try to consign some of the stuff that doesn't sell and donate some to the Epilepsy Foundation. I love donating to them, particularly since they will pick up donations curbside, rain or shine.
I have become absolutely addicted to a frugality website I found when looking for a recipe for homemade baby wipes. No, I didn't make the wipes, but I've found many of the tips Heather posts to be quite helpful. I'm currently undertaking her Pantry Challenge which has actually helped with my menu planning. I've started cooking some things I haven't made in a while. The only exceptions to the challenge for me right now is that Christmas is this week, so I will have to do some cooking to take a few treats to my aunt's on Christmas Eve, and the fact that we get WIC, which cover some of the items listed, but there are a few other items on there that aren't "staples." My husband isn't on board with the challenge, but I'm going to do my best anyway. For example, yesterday for lunch Scrappy and I had homemade pork fried rice made completely with on hand items and using up leftover pork roast from a couple nights ago. Last night I made chicken enchilada casserole. I didn't have any enchilada sauce, but with a quick online search, I found a recipe for a homemade one and I had all the necessary ingredients on hand :) I had leftover sauce, which I'll try to use later this week, and honestly it was a LOT better than the store-bought packages!! I would LOVE to make homemade bread, since that's one ingredient that's not listed as a staple, but my husband prefers store-bought bread for sandwiches :( Maybe I'll make it anyway, and maybe he'll change his mind.... Maybe.... Beau was upset that she didn't get any fried rice, so tonight I made chicken fried rice to placate her. My poor family - they may be eating a lot of oatmeal and rice the next couple weeks since we have both coming out our ears :/ So, like I said, I'm trying the challenge with a few modifications!
I need to go check out the local second hand stores in the next couple weeks.... my vacuum sealer decided it wanted to die on me now that I finally FOUND it again. So that is going to need to be replaced. I had called my mom to see if I could borrow her bread machine to see how much I would use one IF I had one.... but she doesn't have it anymore. She traded it to my aunt. So maybe I'll see if I can find a used one for cheap.
And I know I've said it before, but I'm trying to get a schedule set to do some blogging more often. I'm happy that I've been doing pretty good with organizing and sorting throughout the house. It helps that I do my workout in the mornings - I have SO much more energy to get other things done. I've been trying to get 2 workouts in when possible. I do my morning one while Scrappy is doing to nebby and vest treatments and try to get the second one in when he is napping. (For those who don't know me/my family personally, Scrappy has Cystic Fibrosis, which is the main reason we decided to sacrifice having 2 full-time incomes for 1 full- and 1 part-time... and he's been a LOT healthier!!)
The last 2 weeks, I've gained a total of just over 4 pounds at TOPS, and I'm not too happy with it. Hopefully all this work will start to pay off soon. And the fact that I've really cut down on how much Coke I drink and been cooking healthier. Now only if I wasn't eating so much... time to break the chia out!!!!
I've been pushing myself along. I stuck to my workout plan until Thursday. The kids were at Grammy's, so I took advantage of the time and spent the afternoon wrapping Christmas presents since I can't always count on naptime and Christmas is quickly approaching. The tree looked rather odd without anything under it too. There's an imbalance of gifts - Beau seems to have more than Scrappy, but he has some bigger (ie, more expensive) than she does. Quite a few of hers are smaller gifts. But they all come out to about the same amount. I think next year, we need to be sure to set a limit on the dollar amount. It just seems too easy to get "just one more" thing for one, then for the other.... it's not working for our plans for saving money.
Friday I honestly just didn't have the motivation to do anything, let alone my workout routine. Saturday morning I woke up with a very, very sore and stiff knee. I broke my left ankle when I was 2 and believe I had messed up my knee at that time, since I've ALWAYS had problems with my left knee as long as I can remember. Then, my senior year in high school, I was in a bad car accident and buried my knee in the steering column of my car, which was totalled. I must seem old, because I can usually predict a change in weather based on how my knee feels. If it hurts to walk up or down stairs and feels like it's going to give out, it means something's up. The pain didn't go away until Monday morning, so I resumed my workout on the Fit and upped it to an hour, followed with 45 minutes today.
I've been trying several different strategies on how to cut down on costs since I'm still not back to work yet. My plan is to start up again in January - hoping my clients agree!!!! In January, I'm due for an upgrade on my cell phone. Unlike many people, I'm going to do just the opposite and downgrade. I have a smartphone right now - Blackberry Curve - which I love, but realistically the costs are just CRAZY. I need to check into other plans for the smartphone, but I know the cheapest way to go right now with our provider is to eliminate the data plan. That will free up some of my meager pay to go towards other bills. I've also eliminated another $35 monthly bill by giving up my storage unit. I have had it for 5 years, and much of the stuff in there has never been touched. There are totes upon totes of toys that the kids don't even know they HAVE, and the ridiculous amount of stuffed animals and too small clothes. My plan is to have a garage sale in the spring, or maybe 2, and then try to consign some of the stuff that doesn't sell and donate some to the Epilepsy Foundation. I love donating to them, particularly since they will pick up donations curbside, rain or shine.
I have become absolutely addicted to a frugality website I found when looking for a recipe for homemade baby wipes. No, I didn't make the wipes, but I've found many of the tips Heather posts to be quite helpful. I'm currently undertaking her Pantry Challenge which has actually helped with my menu planning. I've started cooking some things I haven't made in a while. The only exceptions to the challenge for me right now is that Christmas is this week, so I will have to do some cooking to take a few treats to my aunt's on Christmas Eve, and the fact that we get WIC, which cover some of the items listed, but there are a few other items on there that aren't "staples." My husband isn't on board with the challenge, but I'm going to do my best anyway. For example, yesterday for lunch Scrappy and I had homemade pork fried rice made completely with on hand items and using up leftover pork roast from a couple nights ago. Last night I made chicken enchilada casserole. I didn't have any enchilada sauce, but with a quick online search, I found a recipe for a homemade one and I had all the necessary ingredients on hand :) I had leftover sauce, which I'll try to use later this week, and honestly it was a LOT better than the store-bought packages!! I would LOVE to make homemade bread, since that's one ingredient that's not listed as a staple, but my husband prefers store-bought bread for sandwiches :( Maybe I'll make it anyway, and maybe he'll change his mind.... Maybe.... Beau was upset that she didn't get any fried rice, so tonight I made chicken fried rice to placate her. My poor family - they may be eating a lot of oatmeal and rice the next couple weeks since we have both coming out our ears :/ So, like I said, I'm trying the challenge with a few modifications!
I need to go check out the local second hand stores in the next couple weeks.... my vacuum sealer decided it wanted to die on me now that I finally FOUND it again. So that is going to need to be replaced. I had called my mom to see if I could borrow her bread machine to see how much I would use one IF I had one.... but she doesn't have it anymore. She traded it to my aunt. So maybe I'll see if I can find a used one for cheap.
And I know I've said it before, but I'm trying to get a schedule set to do some blogging more often. I'm happy that I've been doing pretty good with organizing and sorting throughout the house. It helps that I do my workout in the mornings - I have SO much more energy to get other things done. I've been trying to get 2 workouts in when possible. I do my morning one while Scrappy is doing to nebby and vest treatments and try to get the second one in when he is napping. (For those who don't know me/my family personally, Scrappy has Cystic Fibrosis, which is the main reason we decided to sacrifice having 2 full-time incomes for 1 full- and 1 part-time... and he's been a LOT healthier!!)
The last 2 weeks, I've gained a total of just over 4 pounds at TOPS, and I'm not too happy with it. Hopefully all this work will start to pay off soon. And the fact that I've really cut down on how much Coke I drink and been cooking healthier. Now only if I wasn't eating so much... time to break the chia out!!!!
Friday, October 7, 2011
Just Livin' Life...
I do well with my blogging for a while, then I notice I have some big gaps in my entries. Life gets in the way at times. I just don't seem to realize how much and how often life happens :) The last month has been a little chaotic, but when isn't it when you have two crazy kids running your house?? LOL!
We spent a week with sickness going through the house. Beau had strep and an ear infection. Scrappy caught a bad cold and had a sore throat. Hubs ended up with an awful head cold, bad enough that it kept him home from work for a day. In the middle of all that, we still went to a benefit for our friend who has terminal cancer. We didn't stay long, but we did make it there. After everyone else had gotten over being sick, I got hit with a head cold. My balance is horrid as it is just from the pregnancy. Add the vertigo that comes with severely clogged sinuses does not help. And the additional dizziness, which we thought was from low blood sugar from what the doctors said.
My weekends have been super busy with the kids and with hubs working Saturdays and church and Sunday school on Sundays. It's been so busy that I even gave away the 10 gallons of tomatoes that I had picked a week ago with the intention of making spaghetti sauce. I still have 3 bags and a box of apples sitting on the table out back that I haven't had time to do yet. From my dizzy spells, I've decided it's something I can't do if hubs isn't here. Maybe this weekend I'll have a chance to do at least some of them. On Sunday that is, since he's going in to work on Saturday. My car has decided it doesn't wanna work right - almost sounds like the spark plugs are misfiring or maybe something with the fuel injectors, but it shakes and jerks so awful when it's idling. He's going to see if he can figure out what's wrong with it.
An update on baby: My last appointment, on Tuesday, baby weighed in at about 3 pounds 4 ounces. My previous appointment baby was about 2 pounds, so he/she is growing really well!! We still see echogenic bowel, but we weren't too surprised by that. The blood pocket is still there too. When I went to TOPS yesterday, I finally gained 2 pounds. Doc said I SHOULD be gaining about 1/2-1 pound per week and baby should be gaining 1/4-1/2 pound per week.
Shortly after we got home, the doctor's office called. It's never a good thing when the call after you leave.... I had my blood tests and glucose screening done, so they were calling with the results. My hemoglobin is about 12.4, which is great since I'm normally borderline anemic. My thyroid levels were good too, so that means the higher dose of levothyroxin is working just as it should be doing.
Then the bad news - I failed my glucose test. Dr Rose has said that 140 and under is considered to be 'normal', 141-189 is 'inconclusive' and warrants a retest which is a 3 hour fasting test, and 190+ is considered having gestational diabetes. Well, I tested in at 191. Yay, another complication. For the next week, I'm supposed to log all the food I eat. They sent a few prescriptions over for me to get filled. One was for lancets, one for a glucose monitor, and one for test strips. I go back to Rochester next Thursday to meet with the dietitian and diabetic counselor. They are going to show me how to check my blood sugars and when I'm supposed to do it. From the sounds of it, they don't think I'll need medication and I should be able to control it just by what I eat. We'll see what happens. Hubs is taking the afternoon off to go with me.
The nurse I spoke with on the phone gave me a 'heads up' on a few other concerns. When a mom has gestational diabetes, the baby usually has a higher birth weight. Babies born at term are closer to 10 pounds, which she said can cause complications in itself. There is a chance of shoulder dysplasia and an increased risk of C-section. Baby also runs risks from his/her blood sugar dropping after birth and will have to be more closely monitored after birth. It sounds like I will be going in for weekly appointments after my appointment on Thursday so they can monitor the baby with non-stress tests and to watch the baby's weight and the amount of fluid. I guess this really isn't such a bad thing since we're getting closer to when the doc figures the baby will come. As of right now I'm almost 29 weeks.
My wonderfully amazing husband talked to his boss after I called to tell him about my upcoming appointment. He asked if I wanted him to go with me, and after some discussion, he told me it was best if I don't travel that far alone (it's over an hour drive to see our doctors, but they ARE specialists and some of the best in the country!) He told his boss that my appointments are going to be weekly. One of the great things about him working for a small shop is that his boss is much more flexible than most. His boss has a child with medical issues also, so he's pretty understanding about all this. He said it's fine, but that hubs is going to have to make up some, if not all, of the time somehow. So that means he'll probably be working Saturdays, or possibly just staying a couple hours late most nights. I'm ok with that, especially since he's really doing it for me. Isn't that just the sweetest thing?? I know I sing his praises quite often, but from my past relationship experiences, most of those 'men' wouldn't have been so supportive.
Speaking of my wonderful husband, I got some 'alone time' out with him on Saturday (after he cleaned up the branch we lost during Thursday's wind storm!)
We had a sitter come for a few hours while we went out for a few hours. It was his birthday, and there was a big 'We Love You' party for our friend with cancer. I was the designated driver, obviously. We went for him to have a few adult beverages and to visit with friends, then out for supper. We had just asked for a 'to-go' container when the sitter called - Scraps was vomiting :( She sat with Beau while we took him into Urgent Care since he was already on antibiotics but was still running a fever.
These past almost 2 weeks, I have be very tired besides dealing with the dizzy spells. Hopefully after Thursday we can get all of this under control. But my house is falling apart. My kitchen is a disaster. I don't have the energy to get caught up with it. I've fallen way behind on laundry. I can barely stay awake enough to do my homework. I've been doing all my errands right away in the morning after dropping Beau off at school, and by the time I get home I'm completely wiped.
One of my current classes, stress management and wellness, has given me some tools to use to help combat stress. I've actually been practicing some of the meditation methods and found them useful. Some are more difficult to do with small children around, but I make due. I'll be sure to post the ones that are working best :) I'm actually thinking of using some of the meditation methods for labor when baby comes! Yes, I'm planning to do this delivery all natural again, so we'll see what happens!
We spent a week with sickness going through the house. Beau had strep and an ear infection. Scrappy caught a bad cold and had a sore throat. Hubs ended up with an awful head cold, bad enough that it kept him home from work for a day. In the middle of all that, we still went to a benefit for our friend who has terminal cancer. We didn't stay long, but we did make it there. After everyone else had gotten over being sick, I got hit with a head cold. My balance is horrid as it is just from the pregnancy. Add the vertigo that comes with severely clogged sinuses does not help. And the additional dizziness, which we thought was from low blood sugar from what the doctors said.
My weekends have been super busy with the kids and with hubs working Saturdays and church and Sunday school on Sundays. It's been so busy that I even gave away the 10 gallons of tomatoes that I had picked a week ago with the intention of making spaghetti sauce. I still have 3 bags and a box of apples sitting on the table out back that I haven't had time to do yet. From my dizzy spells, I've decided it's something I can't do if hubs isn't here. Maybe this weekend I'll have a chance to do at least some of them. On Sunday that is, since he's going in to work on Saturday. My car has decided it doesn't wanna work right - almost sounds like the spark plugs are misfiring or maybe something with the fuel injectors, but it shakes and jerks so awful when it's idling. He's going to see if he can figure out what's wrong with it.
An update on baby: My last appointment, on Tuesday, baby weighed in at about 3 pounds 4 ounces. My previous appointment baby was about 2 pounds, so he/she is growing really well!! We still see echogenic bowel, but we weren't too surprised by that. The blood pocket is still there too. When I went to TOPS yesterday, I finally gained 2 pounds. Doc said I SHOULD be gaining about 1/2-1 pound per week and baby should be gaining 1/4-1/2 pound per week.
Shortly after we got home, the doctor's office called. It's never a good thing when the call after you leave.... I had my blood tests and glucose screening done, so they were calling with the results. My hemoglobin is about 12.4, which is great since I'm normally borderline anemic. My thyroid levels were good too, so that means the higher dose of levothyroxin is working just as it should be doing.
Then the bad news - I failed my glucose test. Dr Rose has said that 140 and under is considered to be 'normal', 141-189 is 'inconclusive' and warrants a retest which is a 3 hour fasting test, and 190+ is considered having gestational diabetes. Well, I tested in at 191. Yay, another complication. For the next week, I'm supposed to log all the food I eat. They sent a few prescriptions over for me to get filled. One was for lancets, one for a glucose monitor, and one for test strips. I go back to Rochester next Thursday to meet with the dietitian and diabetic counselor. They are going to show me how to check my blood sugars and when I'm supposed to do it. From the sounds of it, they don't think I'll need medication and I should be able to control it just by what I eat. We'll see what happens. Hubs is taking the afternoon off to go with me.
The nurse I spoke with on the phone gave me a 'heads up' on a few other concerns. When a mom has gestational diabetes, the baby usually has a higher birth weight. Babies born at term are closer to 10 pounds, which she said can cause complications in itself. There is a chance of shoulder dysplasia and an increased risk of C-section. Baby also runs risks from his/her blood sugar dropping after birth and will have to be more closely monitored after birth. It sounds like I will be going in for weekly appointments after my appointment on Thursday so they can monitor the baby with non-stress tests and to watch the baby's weight and the amount of fluid. I guess this really isn't such a bad thing since we're getting closer to when the doc figures the baby will come. As of right now I'm almost 29 weeks.
My wonderfully amazing husband talked to his boss after I called to tell him about my upcoming appointment. He asked if I wanted him to go with me, and after some discussion, he told me it was best if I don't travel that far alone (it's over an hour drive to see our doctors, but they ARE specialists and some of the best in the country!) He told his boss that my appointments are going to be weekly. One of the great things about him working for a small shop is that his boss is much more flexible than most. His boss has a child with medical issues also, so he's pretty understanding about all this. He said it's fine, but that hubs is going to have to make up some, if not all, of the time somehow. So that means he'll probably be working Saturdays, or possibly just staying a couple hours late most nights. I'm ok with that, especially since he's really doing it for me. Isn't that just the sweetest thing?? I know I sing his praises quite often, but from my past relationship experiences, most of those 'men' wouldn't have been so supportive.
Speaking of my wonderful husband, I got some 'alone time' out with him on Saturday (after he cleaned up the branch we lost during Thursday's wind storm!)
We had a sitter come for a few hours while we went out for a few hours. It was his birthday, and there was a big 'We Love You' party for our friend with cancer. I was the designated driver, obviously. We went for him to have a few adult beverages and to visit with friends, then out for supper. We had just asked for a 'to-go' container when the sitter called - Scraps was vomiting :( She sat with Beau while we took him into Urgent Care since he was already on antibiotics but was still running a fever.
These past almost 2 weeks, I have be very tired besides dealing with the dizzy spells. Hopefully after Thursday we can get all of this under control. But my house is falling apart. My kitchen is a disaster. I don't have the energy to get caught up with it. I've fallen way behind on laundry. I can barely stay awake enough to do my homework. I've been doing all my errands right away in the morning after dropping Beau off at school, and by the time I get home I'm completely wiped.
One of my current classes, stress management and wellness, has given me some tools to use to help combat stress. I've actually been practicing some of the meditation methods and found them useful. Some are more difficult to do with small children around, but I make due. I'll be sure to post the ones that are working best :) I'm actually thinking of using some of the meditation methods for labor when baby comes! Yes, I'm planning to do this delivery all natural again, so we'll see what happens!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Revamping and Redoing
I've been a SAHM mom for one year and 5 months, and I still have no idea what I'm doing. No one tells you how hard it really is to be home with your kids. Or if they do tell you, very seldom do you believe them. I mean really, how hard can it be???
Well, believe me, it's a lot harder than it looks!! Between the running and doctor's appointments and cleaning and laundry, it seems like nothing is EVER done!! Factor in a child with a medical condition, and that amplifies it.
I must admit that now that school has started for my oldest, some of the chaos and craziness has died down. The end of summer means no more baseball until next summer. But it brings with it a whole new array of appointments. Now it's back to Girl Scouts, church and Sunday school, and homework. The scheduling for all the running had to be peared down so that I can make it home in time to pick Beau up from school. Every now and then, I do have to find someone else to pick her up or drop her off, but most often it's just me.
I tried making a schedule to follow for basics during the day. Turns out I can't keep to a schedule. Either can the little man. He doesn't nap when I schedule him to. He doesn't play quietly during his 'scheduled' time either. I guess with a 3 year old, trying to maintain a set schedule is just not in the cards. Yeah, I have my list of "to-do"s, but I think that's going to be the best I can do.
Today's list of to-dos??
Scrappy is working a little harder on potty training right now, so he's ACTUALLY wearing underpants - which is really big for him. So obviously, I have to have some laundry going so I can wash up his accidents. I'm almost out of laundry soap so I'm going to try making some homemade from a recipe I got from a friend. I'm about 2 meals behind on dishes, so I have those to do. Clothes to put away. Vacuum. Cooked down my chicken yesterday, so today I have to sort it all out and strain it and clean the meat and hopefully can it. I'm really hoping the weather doesn't get as hot as predicted. (Supposed to be 90 today, but I think I'd prefer the 70's.) And, at some point, I need to get some reading done - I have a paper due Wednesday for school....
Well, believe me, it's a lot harder than it looks!! Between the running and doctor's appointments and cleaning and laundry, it seems like nothing is EVER done!! Factor in a child with a medical condition, and that amplifies it.
I must admit that now that school has started for my oldest, some of the chaos and craziness has died down. The end of summer means no more baseball until next summer. But it brings with it a whole new array of appointments. Now it's back to Girl Scouts, church and Sunday school, and homework. The scheduling for all the running had to be peared down so that I can make it home in time to pick Beau up from school. Every now and then, I do have to find someone else to pick her up or drop her off, but most often it's just me.
I tried making a schedule to follow for basics during the day. Turns out I can't keep to a schedule. Either can the little man. He doesn't nap when I schedule him to. He doesn't play quietly during his 'scheduled' time either. I guess with a 3 year old, trying to maintain a set schedule is just not in the cards. Yeah, I have my list of "to-do"s, but I think that's going to be the best I can do.
Today's list of to-dos??
Scrappy is working a little harder on potty training right now, so he's ACTUALLY wearing underpants - which is really big for him. So obviously, I have to have some laundry going so I can wash up his accidents. I'm almost out of laundry soap so I'm going to try making some homemade from a recipe I got from a friend. I'm about 2 meals behind on dishes, so I have those to do. Clothes to put away. Vacuum. Cooked down my chicken yesterday, so today I have to sort it all out and strain it and clean the meat and hopefully can it. I'm really hoping the weather doesn't get as hot as predicted. (Supposed to be 90 today, but I think I'd prefer the 70's.) And, at some point, I need to get some reading done - I have a paper due Wednesday for school....
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Back to School
It's been a week since my last entry - so much for every day or for every other day!! (I AM working on getting this into my schedule!!) I did get my kitchen cleaned and organized - for the most part. Beau and I spent 6 hours working on it. Crazy, I know!!! But it's nice being able to use my kitchen again. It just seems like so many things have gotten away from me when I was on bed rest and it's taking forever to catch up!!! I've documented a lot of the stuff we buy, and I've made some new rules for the house. I also have a couple new dry-erase boards that have been added to the fridge, in addition to the one that's already by the phone. There is also a corkboard that has been next to the phone for some time. The dry erase board there is for frequently called phone numbers: our CF nurse, Shopko pharmacy, a few friends. Also when checking the answering machine, any one who needs to be called back gets written up there with their phone number until we no longer need it. The cork board holds various notes and business cards. One of the boards on the fridge is our running grocery list. The other is for notes/to-do list for mom and dad. Yeah, at my 'old age' and with the baby brain going on, I don't always remember all the stuff hubby and Beau ask me to do. Write it down and I can't forget it :) Today, for example - call vet (girls need meds), Beau needs allergy meds, call CF nurse about Scrap's meds, order replacement hose for vest. I never would have remembered if it wasn't right in front of me!!! lol!!
Made a couple batches of applesauce yesterday - ended up with 5 pint jars and 9 half-pint jars, plus some I put right into the fridge to have with meals. Scraps hasn't really tried it, but everyone else seems to think mama did pretty good. We bought the pint jars and the half pint jars were given to us. The initial investment will be worth it (along with the 'canning supplies kit' hubs got me - the tongs, funnel, and magnet) because right now for generic applesauce, we pay $2.99 per jar. For ALL of the applesauce I made, plus about a quart I made on Saturday as a test run, we paid $9 for the apples at Farmer's Market. One of the bags was only about 1/2 a bag since the kids had eaten some of the apples throughout the week. Hubs was able to get some really yummy apples from a customer for free too. Next time I think we might just wait and get them from him!! I told hubs that if he can, to get 2 more bags, then we should be set for the next year until apples are ready again :)
Another huge step in this past week was specifically directed to me - being lower maintenence, especially with Baby on the way. So... I cut my hair. A lot shorter. 12 inches donated to Locks of Love. I almost cried, but didn't. Kinda liking the new style, makes it easier to brush, don't have the snarls I did before. Hubs is happy I can't put it in a bun anymore (my go-to style when I have time for nothing else). I'll also save a TON on shampoo and conditioner. It's easier to wash now too since I have to do it under the bath faucet cuz we don't have a shower. Some of my traumatic shots:
It FEELS so much lighter too!! Don't think my hair is going to be giving me too many more headaches :) I'm still not COMPLETELY used to it, but it's working a lot better for my daily routine.
My oldest also started back to school today - 3rd grade already. Of course, we had the usual fight last night because she wanted to finish watching WWE on tv. But much to my surprise, she was already up when I got up at 630 this morning!! Ate breakfast then hopped in the tub with only being asked once. Very smooth first day! My little man didn't even throw the normal fit of not wanting her to leave or wanting to go with her (we live too close for her to ride the bus, so Scraps and I take her to school every morning - she's not old enough to walk on her own!!).
Of course one couldn't get pictures taken without the other one getting them too, but that's fine with Mommy :)
Now I'm off to try getting some homework done and get lunch made for the little man and mama :)
Made a couple batches of applesauce yesterday - ended up with 5 pint jars and 9 half-pint jars, plus some I put right into the fridge to have with meals. Scraps hasn't really tried it, but everyone else seems to think mama did pretty good. We bought the pint jars and the half pint jars were given to us. The initial investment will be worth it (along with the 'canning supplies kit' hubs got me - the tongs, funnel, and magnet) because right now for generic applesauce, we pay $2.99 per jar. For ALL of the applesauce I made, plus about a quart I made on Saturday as a test run, we paid $9 for the apples at Farmer's Market. One of the bags was only about 1/2 a bag since the kids had eaten some of the apples throughout the week. Hubs was able to get some really yummy apples from a customer for free too. Next time I think we might just wait and get them from him!! I told hubs that if he can, to get 2 more bags, then we should be set for the next year until apples are ready again :)
Another huge step in this past week was specifically directed to me - being lower maintenence, especially with Baby on the way. So... I cut my hair. A lot shorter. 12 inches donated to Locks of Love. I almost cried, but didn't. Kinda liking the new style, makes it easier to brush, don't have the snarls I did before. Hubs is happy I can't put it in a bun anymore (my go-to style when I have time for nothing else). I'll also save a TON on shampoo and conditioner. It's easier to wash now too since I have to do it under the bath faucet cuz we don't have a shower. Some of my traumatic shots:
It FEELS so much lighter too!! Don't think my hair is going to be giving me too many more headaches :) I'm still not COMPLETELY used to it, but it's working a lot better for my daily routine.
My oldest also started back to school today - 3rd grade already. Of course, we had the usual fight last night because she wanted to finish watching WWE on tv. But much to my surprise, she was already up when I got up at 630 this morning!! Ate breakfast then hopped in the tub with only being asked once. Very smooth first day! My little man didn't even throw the normal fit of not wanting her to leave or wanting to go with her (we live too close for her to ride the bus, so Scraps and I take her to school every morning - she's not old enough to walk on her own!!).
Of course one couldn't get pictures taken without the other one getting them too, but that's fine with Mommy :)
Now I'm off to try getting some homework done and get lunch made for the little man and mama :)
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