Chronicles of Spooky: Daily Life

Life

2011-03-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

The trip that was supposed to be two weeks away had to be moved to this weekend, so I am rushing around trying to get ready. That mainly involves getting certain food ready to travel. ha I've tried not to be too picky about what my kids eat when we're gone, but if I don't prepare at all we have some pretty bad consequences. Of course, I've also been making sure bills are paid and clothes are washed.

Today I was having a conversation with a friend who lost her 3-year-old daughter almost a year ago. I always feel that anything I have to offer is just shallow because my loss was of a child I never got to know, but I do know some of the feelings and questions that loss brings. I think one of the biggest issues for me is trust. I told Evan earlier this year that I just can't trust God. I know that sounds petty and trivial, but that is honestly how I felt. All I was facing was a sick child, but the fear of having that child taken away from me or seeing that child in pain overwhelmed me. How do I trust a God if I don't know He will shield me from pain? How do I submit myself (which is what He requires and must have) to a God whom I cannot trust? Without faith, it is impossible to please God. I have to decide what I am going to do. I have to believe Him and His Word.

God is good. No matter what I see or hear, I must believe that God is good. I tend to judge Him by my standards, but He IS good. Everything He is, is the very definition of good.
So, what did I do? I knew I had no where else to go. That sounds pathetic, but even the disciples said the same thing to Jesus when He asked if they were going to leave Him. Who else has the words of life? No one. I could get mad and run away, but He is the only one who gives meaning to life. I could tell Him that His logic stinks and that I don't like it, but it doesn't change the fact that He is truth. If I want truth or goodness or life or love, it must be through Him.
So I asked Him for help, which He's already given: His Spirit and His Word. I read and I know that it is truth. "No sooner doth the truth....come into the soul's sight, but the soul knows her to be her first and old acquaintance." ~Whichcote
And I love Him. When I look, He is everywhere. I see Him in my boy's excited face and in my girl's sweet kisses. And He is good.

Good day

2011-03-15T18:37:00.000-07:00

It has been a really good day. I've gotten quite a bit done, and we got to play at the park close to our house with some of our friends for quite a while today. The weather was beautiful, and we enjoyed the sunshine. :-)
For some reason, though, I just feel tired. Maybe it's because I am. ha I also read something I shouldn't have read on a random blog this evening, and it caught me off-guard in my tired state of mind. It was a homeschooling blog, but there was a link to a story at the bottom about their little girl who died. And I clicked. Very bad idea. I cried. I got mental images of dead, limp babies. Ugh. I hate death. And, to be honest, I'm scared of it. Not for myself, really, but for my children. I should rephrase. I'm not scared of my own death but any premature (in my eyes) death of my children. I'm scared of the horrid feeling of watching my child die.
So. I'm not going to sink. I'm going to remember. His promises. His Word. Without those things, life would be miserable. But WITH them? Life is just a passing through. We are not of this world; this world is not our home. My life is hid with Christ in God. I do not live for myself. My life is not my own. I serve Another. And He LOVES me.
"Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls --
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills." --Habakkuk 3:17-19

I am amazed at the difference it makes. I love His Word. :-)

Books I am reading

2011-03-10T19:24:00.000-08:00

...or have read in the past weeks. :-)
Bono In Conversation with Michka Assayas was very interesting. Someone on FB posted an excerpt from the book and got my attention. It was published in 2004, I believe, so he may have changed some, but I found it thought-provoking. I suppose I had already put him in a category in my head without realizing it. I found it most surprising how often his conversation turned to God, and in such a real way.
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I really needed to hear/read what she had to say. Her words helped me to refocus on what is essential: a thankful heart. She was so practical in her application, especially from a mother's point of view.
For the Family's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay. I've read For the Children's Sake, and now I'm reading this before (most likely) giving it to someone else to read. I haven't read too much of it yet, but so far she's mostly talking about foundational worldview issues.
Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie O'Martian. I've read this book before; now I'm just going through and reading/praying the prayers. This is another book that has been just what I need. I have seen things begin to happen, in my attitude and in his. The funny thing is that I'm surprised. Prayer works? Really? Thank you, God, for being so patient.
Books I need:
How to be Patient When Raising a Boy
How to Include as Much Physical Labor in Day-to-Day Activities as Possible (for above boy)
How to Raise Your Specific Children (Guidelines, Talking Points, and Paper bag included)
Oh, wait. I suppose the Holy Spirit would like some influence in there, hmmm? I just have to be still and wait on Him. Maybe that's where the boy gets it from. ;-)

Love this...

2011-03-06T17:36:00.000-08:00

"When the laundry is for the dozen arms of children or the dozen legs, it's true, I think I'm due some appreciation. So comes a storm of trouble and lightning strikes joy. But when Christ is at the center, when dishes, laundry, work, is my song of thanks to Him, joy rains. Passionately serving Christ alone makes us the loving servant of all....The work becomes worship, a liturgy of thankfulness."
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

One word of warning about this book. The first page is, hmmmm, interesting. I probably would not have thought so had Evan not found the book lying on our counter before I had a chance to read it and read the first paragraph. He thought it was very, very strange. He said that she was messed up. I was washing dishes, so I finally convinced him to read it to me to show me what he meant. It was really hilarious. In spite of that beginning, I really enjoyed the book. ;-) Now I've got to go back and reread it without the noise of children in the background.

I went to a Charlotte Mason seminar this weekend and enjoyed myself very muchly. :-) I especially enjoyed the session labeled: Four Ways to Destroy Your Child's Desire for Knowledge. ha I came away with a lot of good ideas and information. I am so thankful to have this group.

Brrrr!

2011-02-21T12:52:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely weekend with wonderful weather, but the cold is back now! I have to remind myself to be thankful for the beautiful weather while it's here; it is, after all, February. ;-)
It looks like study time will be at least three hours a night for four nights (he scheduled Friday nights as "off" nights!), and 4-6 each day on the weekend. I CAN do this. Last week was a good week, and I'm thankful that the weather allowed us to be outside so much of the time.
Okay, so, I'm trying to simplify. Today I threw away my coupon box. I took out only coupons of items that we actually buy and threw everything else away. I'm hoping this will prevent me from keeping coupon inserts lying on the bar for forever because I just don't cut them out. It doesn't take long to flip through them and pick the two or three coupons I might actually use to cut out. I just haven't had time to do "deals" at Walgreens lately, so I'm saying good-bye.
Now I have to figure out how to cut some things will really help me, not just something that I've already been letting go since the chick was born. ha '
I made granola this weekend and actually made yogurt again. I think kefir is going to be a rare thing around here, only for soaking, because we just eat yogurt better. And yogurt and granola makes a really, really, simple breakfast. :-)
I cut up some of my Granny Smith apples and dried them, and the kids love them. I'm hoping to get another 20 pounds at the next Azure Standard pick-up. Dried apples just make a wonderful take-along snack that isn't messy. I chopped some of them and put them in the granola. Yay for a simple breakfast, right? ha
My other area of simplicity is going to be my garden. I'm not going to go crazy over it this year. We are members of the farm, so I'll just plan on that and grow a few things that I really want to grow. My garlic is already coming up, which is exciting! It took so little time and effort.
Laundry is calling, so I must run. The chick has had a low-grade fever today and been very, um, clingy/whiny/fussy, so I'm having to work overtime on this dreary day to keep a good attitude. :-)

A new day

2011-02-15T18:22:00.000-08:00

I think some people may have looked at me strangely when I did not celebrate profusely when Evan graduated with his masters degree. I knew he still had at least a full year (including a whole summer) of accounting classes to take to become eligible to sit for the CPA exam. Everyone kept asking me as the year of classes drew to a close if I was happy that it was over. I was not excited. I knew he had to study for the CPA exam. That is where we are. He has his Becker review course, and he told me that "they" tell him to expect it to take about 30 hours a week and to tell significant others to give them a break because it will be worth it. ;-) If only I hadn't been hearing that the past five years. Or more. ;-) No, really, I'm trying to be supportive. He came home for dinner tonight, stayed about an hour and a half, then went to a library to study since home is a bit too distracting. He said he'll be home by eleven. Three hours every week night and seven hours each day on the weekend is how he figures it. I'm hoping that he's overshot a little. However, I must say, I DO want him to pass all four tests the first time. If he does, October will probably be the end.
So here I am. I've been majorly emotional this weekend, almost despairing as I looked ahead at all the husband/daddy-less time. However, today I discovered the reason (probably) for the slightly over-dramatic reaction, so I am trying to think hopeful thoughts. I also got my floor mopped today, and that is BIG in my world. I feel like a different person if my floor is clean. I would honestly pay someone to come in once a week and mop my floor, especially since it never gets done that often (unless you count the hundreds of times a week I'm on my hands and knees cleaning up a mess that has been made). :-)
I also (while mopping my floor) made crepes with some sourdough starter that has been in my fridge for close to a month. My fridge is FULL right now, and something had to go. This starter was my "extra," and I kept forgetting to take it out and feed it. I even made a double batch of crepes because I had almost two cups of starter. And Evan loved them. ?? I'll use them to make breakfasts/lunches/snacks for the kids. They are so useful, really.
That's all, I suppose. Maybe I'll go watch a movie and knit. Or clean the bathrooms. :-@ I'm always so much more productive when he's not home. But I'd rather have him home. ;-)

I love this song.

2011-02-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

Newsboys
When The Tears Fall lyrics

I've had questions, without answers
I've known sorrow, I have known pain
But there's one thing, that I'll cling to
You are faithful, Jesus You're true

When hope is lost, I'll call You Saviour
When pain surrounds, I'll call You healer
When silence falls, You'll be the song within my heart

In the lone hour of my sorrow
Through the darkest night of my soul
You surround me and sustain me
My defender, forevermore

When hope is lost, I'll call You Saviour
When pain surrounds, I'll call You healer
When silence falls, You'll be the song within my heart

And I will praise You, I will praise You
When the tears fall, still I will sing to You
And I will praise You, Jesus praise You
Through the suffering still I will sing

When hope is lost, I'll call You Saviour
When pain surrounds, I'll call You healer
When silence falls, You'll be the song within my heart

Oh yes, You are good to me
You've always been good to me
So trustworthy

When hope is lost, I'll call You Saviour
When pain surrounds, I'll call You healer
When silence falls, You'll be the song within my heart

And I will praise You, and I will praise You
When the tears fall, still I will sing to You
(I will sing to You) I will praise You,
Jesus praise You through the suffering
Still I will sing

How faithful and true
Sustain me through and through
You are hope and truth
You're my spring of living water
You're my spring of living water

In the lone hour of my sorrow

Like a well watered garden
Who springs never fail
Faithful and truth
Like a well watered garden
Like a spring that never fails
You're my spring and never fails

Kombucha

2011-01-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

A friend had an extra "scoby" (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast - yummy), so I thought maybe I'd try to make some kombucha. It's been twelve days, and no new "baby" has formed, so I have no clue if I've done it right. I'm still waiting on my friend to get back to me on my questions. I did taste it, though, and it is very interesting. Right now it tastes like apple juice mixed with ginger ale (sort-of). All I did was brew black tea, add white sugar (supposedly the scoby eats all the sugar), and put the scoby on top. It's been fermenting for 12 days now. Hmmmm.
In other news, Evan loves my sourdough biscuits. I made some a few nights ago to go with soup, and I just put one by his plate. He ate it then said, "Wow, that was outstanding!" ;-) Yes, it made me happy. He still doesn't want sourdough pizza crust. And he will NOT taste the kombucha. ha ha ha

Currently I'm trying to get back into a monthly menu plan. I don't know that I ever completely got it down before, but over the holidays I was really going from week to week. I put two meals in the freezer this week just by splitting casseroles, eating one half and freezing the other (shepherd's pie and Mexican lasagna).
Nathan's school is going well, all fifteen minutes of it. :-) Well, it would probably be closer to an hour to two hours, depending on the day, if you added all the time I read to him outside of our Bible story. Of course, if you counted the time that I cook with him, talk to him about the water table, or show him how to measure with his tape measure, we could be talking a hefty amount of school time! :-D
Oh, I'm also going to be starting to work on his manners at the table. He isn't that bad whenever it's just us, but when other people come over he is not pleasant. I need to research something fun to do with him that includes being a gentleman and having manners. I guess I should be doing that right now. That, and researching the link between saturated fats and heart disease. Evan is convinced that I'm going to give him heart disease. My reply is that, if he gets heart disease, I will blame his stress level and lack of exercise. ;-)

P.S. This article made him feel better.

Sour dough

2011-01-08T13:49:00.000-08:00

So, I've officially burned out my husband on sourdough. Poor thing. He says it smells rotten. :-) He likes the pancakes, crepes, and crackers, but he doesn't like the bread, pizza dough, or English muffins. Oh, he also liked the sourdough pasta I made. I guess I should give up the things he just doesn't like and move ahead. Or only have the kids and I eat them. ;-)
I made pasta again today, but it is just difficult to get it the right consistency for my extruder. I guess I should make the regular recipe to try to get the feel for the consistency.
I'm making kombucha. Evan is taking that really well, actually. I think he's curious. I told him not to look at it because it would gross him out, but he did anyway. He said that I'm crazy. ha Good thing I don't always take him seriously.
This month I am hoping to get back on schedule with Nathan's school work; I just really need a few hours without distraction to work on it, and I haven't gotten that yet. :-) We read like crazy, and Nathan is such a thinker. When it comes to sounding out words, though, he totally balks. I am going to take a very slow approach, but I'm really wondering if he's even ready. I've heard enough people talk about their children and reading that I'm not worried that he won't. I'm just worried he won't be reading on his daddy's schedule. And daddy is a little anal about such things. Okay, not a little. ha We've just seen some really bad homeschool examples set, and Evan is determined that I will not homeschool like that. I think the biggest problem is that I've done all the research and reading, and it all makes sense. He just pops his head into our world occasionally (like when he's not in school), and he freaks out because our world doesn't look like he thought it would. :0) If I take the time to really explain my philosophy to him, he seems to get it and relax.
My philosophy? Well, I suppose that, in regards to reading, I think that Nathan is already a well-read child. I was thinking about the books he has already had read to him, and it's quite a list. He loves it, though. His mind, his thinking, is being formed. He has a great vocabulary, and he uses it. He cannot read, though. But the physical act of reading will come when he is developmentally read for it. It's my job to constantly be on the look-out for his readiness. Every day we work on sounding out one word, two or three letters long. He still tries to add letters that aren't there or making ridiculously long words out of three letters. He often looks away while sounding out the word. He's not ready yet. But I really believe that it will come. If his mind is busy making other connections right now, I don't want to force the reading. I read in Endangered Minds that children who are taught the higher-level math skills at a young age will learn to do those equations. Their brains will force a path, no matter how crazy and crooked. However, that path will not be the easiest path, and it will require much mental effort (and often lack understanding) and that is always the path the brain will follow. If the children are taught the higher-level math skills when their brains are ready, their brains make simple paths because all they have to do is build on to what they already understand and what their brains are ready for. Goodness, that was hard to explain, and I'm not sure I did the best job explaining it. Long story short, I believe that when his brain is ready, he will take off. And he will love it. I know two moms whose boys did not learn to read until they were eight years old. By the time they were nine, they had read The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Of course, I doubt they had only had Cat in the Hat read to them up until that time. ;-)
Homeschooling is a huge responsibility. I have to be willing to stay alert. I have to know my child well enough to know when he is not ready for something as opposed to just being too lazy to put forth the effort to do it. But I'm happy because he would not be given the opportunity to learn at his developmental level in school. He would be forced to conform to whatever nonsense standards the schools put out there. He would also learn, like I did even in college, to work a system to get the desired results, which does not always entail learning or knowledge. Of course, I've said nothing about the highest reason why I homeschool; this is just one of the many reasons.
Goodness, I think I've said enough. I wonder how much of this I will agree with in a year. ;-) I'll say this, though, I am so excited to be able to walk this road with my kids. That's why I love the Charlotte Mason philosophy: it involves all of life, created through Him and for Him. There is a purpose. :-) If my kids get that point, I'll be happy.

That time of year

2010-11-28T11:56:00.000-08:00

The time of year when I get a little sad and take to writing in my "me-blog." Now THAT is sad. ;-)
Nicholas would be three this December. I cannot imagine having a three-year-old along with Nathan. I think the holidays make it even worse because I feel like my kids are alone, especially Nathan. He gets so rambunctious with so many people around and no other kids, so this week we sent him in the backyard to play and run off some of his energy. I looked outside, and he just looked so lonely (probably more my perspective than his), and I couldn't help wondering what could have been. I probably wouldn't really think about it had I not been expecting him to have a little brother to run around and play with.
Well, that's about all. :-)

Quickly...

2010-11-13T13:26:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd pop my head (figuratively, of course) into the blog and say hi. :-) I'm still my same ol' weird self. Still drinking raw milk, still nursing my child (who is over a year), still cloth diapering (though not at night b/c we're having rash issues), and still homeschooling...somewhat. See? Still weird. Still here. ;-)
My new "thing" lately has been sourdough. I am having so much fun with it! I signed up for an e-course about sourdough (gnowfglins.com), and I have really enjoyed it. I've made all sorts of things, but my favorites so far are the crackers, pancakes, and English muffins!
I think my next thing may be trying to make my own elderberry syrup for the winter. :-}
Well, I said quickly, and I meant quickly!! ha ha
Ta ta!!

One day at a time

2010-08-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

That is going to be my motto for the next few months. :-)
I have had such a hard time lately keeping up with everything. It seems that the bathrooms always need to be cleaned, the floors always need to be mopped, and there are still several million things that I feel I should be doing.
Yesterday I did a bunch of cooking/baking so I can feel like I'm starting out Evan's semester with some back ups in the freezer. :-) I made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, peach jam, chicken broth (by the way, don't put too much warm broth in the freezer at one time...), stuffed manicotti shells, and cooked pork (for fried rice). I still have to make a big batch of chili. I blend it and use it for chili-cheese toast, frito pie, and hot dogs. It's very nice to have in the freezer for quick meals. I really need to go through my freezers because I just don't have much space. I have lots of deer meat still, so that takes a lot space. I haven't figured out if it's okay to thaw, cook, and re-freeze meat. I should look it up.
I'm still working with Nathan on his vowels, but our school time is anything but school-ish. We've been known to do everything but the reading while I'm doing dishes. I just started putting the vowel magnets on the fridge, and we review them while I'm working in the kitchen.
One last thing, we joined a farm! ha We bought a membership (you can work it off, but I'm not even going to try that this year), and then we pick our own produce and buy it for very low prices. The farm has hoop houses, so we'll have something to pick almost year round. And it's all natural; no pesticides or chemical things are put on the crops. I've gone a couple of times, and I think I'm really going to like it. We get grocery shopping and nature time done at the same time! :-) And Nathan loves to help me pick. We also can get our eggs right down the road, and our farm also sells raw milk!! I was very blessed to find this place.

Butter and other things

2010-07-26T19:48:00.001-07:00

I made butter today! I pretty much just followed these directions (except I used my food processor), and I have butter! AND it was made from raw cream from the dairy. Very neat. I think Evan was upset that I didn't have anything for supper that would call for butter. ha He really wanted to try it out! So tomorrow I've got to start my bread. I'm completely out, anyway.
I've been trying my hand at sourdough bread lately, but I haven't gotten used to it yet. The last loaf was pretty dense, and we left not too long after I made it, so it got very dry. I stuck it in the fridge to keep it from molding, and today I cut it into cubes and made croutons out of it. They smelled so good baking in the oven! At least I didn't feel like I was wasting! My sourdough pancakes and sourdough pizza crust turned out great, so I'm happy with that.
We are still trying to keep our 15 minutes of "school time" as part of our daily routine, and I think it's going well. I've had to make several changes (banging, stomping, etc. while counting; standing at the refrigerator to go over letters), but he's learning his memory verses and getting very excited about that! :-) I've been looking at some book lists online and checking out books from those lists; the only problem is that they are long books. My vocal chords are going to be calloused by the time he gets old enough to read on his comprehension level! I still haven't found the limit to his attention span when I'm reading to him. My throat starts hurting before he gets tired of being read to. I shouldn't complain, though, because it is honestly a wonderful problem to have. I'm just having to learn to lay down things that aren't so important and make time to read to him.

School?

2010-07-08T17:21:00.001-07:00

So, I have begun. I got The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading and started going through that with Nathan. The first lessons are just teaching the sounds of the alphabet, so I'm going to go through those and see how I like them. Also, at the end I can decide if we should go on, take a break, or go back through the letters. Or we could scrap the book altogether and decide to try something else. :-) The lessons are very plain, but I think I like that. So far, our "school" consists of prayer for the lesson, memory verse, counting to 30, and the lesson. All of this is usually done in about 10 minutes, which is just about all Nathan can handle. :-) It's funny how he can sit an hour or so at a time to hear a good book, but getting him to ten minutes of school requires at least one "we're almost done, and we're going to finish." I go back and forth on what I think, but for now I think it's good to train him to do something a bit uncomfortable as long as it's short.
I've been battling a sore throat this whole week, and last night my ear started aching. Ugh. So I've been trying to deal with that without going to the doctor. However, if it's still hurting tomorrow I'm going to go in just to make sure I know what it is. I just want a nice weekend! I started taking olive leaf extract today per my MIL's instructions, and I also started putting ear drops in my ears. The ear drops seemed to help quite a bit today. It's amazing how a dull aching pain can really throw one's day off. Anyway.
I'm desperately trying to go through my freezers and make a master list of the things I have in them. I am very thankful for my chest freezer in my laundry room; but if I were to give my opinion to anyone, chest freezers are very hard to dig through, especially when one is short.
Noelle has been drinking about 4 ounces of goat milk a day for the last few days. After being exhausted then getting sick, I think my milk supply was really off in the evenings, which was causing Noelle to wake up more at night. I started giving her some milk in a sippy cup at supper (nursing her again before bed), and she's been sleeping at night! Yay! Sleep for her means sleep for me, which means more milk, too! ha I'm very happy that she's been taking the milk, though, because when I first bought the milk she didn't seem interested at all.
One more random fact for the night: Noelle got three mosquito bites on her back yesterday in the 20 or so minutes we were outside. I found them as I was bringing her inside, and I immediately went to the internet to see what natural remedies there were. I opted to cut a garlic clove in half and rub it on the bites. An hour or so later, all that was left was little pinprick marks! I was impressed, so I thought I would pass on the info. ;-)

Whoa...

2010-06-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

So, my oldest child is now four. FOUR. That means I have to really start thinking about the reality of teaching my child to read. I actually look forward to homeschooling my children and am not daunted by huge book lists or the magnitude of material that needs to be learned. I am slightly daunted by teaching my child to read. The main reason for my anxiety is my current indecision on which method to follow in teaching him. I have read Charlotte Mason's method, and I know that method would not fly in our house, if for no other reason than Evan's strong belief in phonics. :-) I am now reading The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise and wondering how their method would work in our house. Of course, I can never just leave the decision at face value; I must try to find a reason why one of them should work and the other not work (although I know that both have worked with children). I have reduced the decision down to this question: Should one teach children phonics rules from the beginning or just teach children words and let them make their own generalizations about phonics rules? If I spoke German, I would have no difficulty making this decision; but I do not. ha
So this is where the rubber meets the road. Can someone come and clean my house while I'm trying to make these decisions and implement my plan of action??

Today

2010-06-19T17:57:00.000-07:00

I spent $22 at garage sales today. This is what it got me:
-coat for Nathan
-2 pairs of pajamas for Nathan
-6 or so girl dresses
-one set of illustrated animal encyclopedias (18 books)
-a 2-foot stack of quilt squares
-five random books
-"When We Were Young" by A. A. Milne and an organic gardening book
-two nature videos
-one pillowcase (hmmmm, I really want to try a pillowcase dress like this)
-one Robin Hood hat.
I think that's all. :-) The quilt squares are in really great colors and prints, so I'm looking forward to playing around with those. Hannah and I are going to make quilt-type wall hangings, but we may have to add in some of these new colors that we found.
In reading news, I am currently reading Charlotte Mason's Formation of Character, and I really enjoy the problem/solution setup. It's amazing how I read a book about character and find myself thinking of myself and my own character flaws more than about my kiddos. I am also reading Don Quixote, but I don't think I'm going to have time to finish it before I have to turn it back in to the library. :-) It's much lighter reading than what I have been reading (Wild Swans and There's No Me Without You).

Vacation

2010-06-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'd really rather a vacation include my husband, BUT that does not always happen. I'm at my parents' house with my kiddos and cousin, and it's rather amazing how much sleep I'm getting. I think being away from my house where I am constantly seeing things that need to be done is especially helpful. This is the first time that I've actually been away from home and gotten more sleep instead of less. Noelle is actually sleeping here (a first), so that is very helpful. :-)
The Charlotte Mason seminar was interesting. I think my biggest interest is how a Charlotte Mason education looks in the first few years. I want to know how other moms do things, especially moms with younger children. Two things I want to implement as soon as possible are habit training and Scripture memorization. Susan Shafer has a very interesting method of memorizing and keeping the Scriptures fresh in your memory. The habit training idea was not new, but it gave me the extra push to get started. I just have to pick one and begin.
I need to go now. Someone needs to be put in bed!

Life

2010-06-07T20:30:00.000-07:00

Today, as I was pulling away from a local farm, I stopped and said to Hannah, "Did I really just buy goat milk?" Yes, I did. Would you like to know why? Sure you would. If not, go read someone else's blog. ;-)
My daughter had her 9-month appointment last Friday. It seems that we are starting a trend of my children falling off growth charts after they start crawling. Of course, Noelle started out more toward the bottom of the growth chart than did Nathan, so she fell off quicker. ha She's in the third percentile. Not technically off I suppose. But close. My doctor was not pushy, but he wants to see her gain weight. Do I know how much milk she is getting?? No, God must not have been thinking when he created female bodies. They don't have milkometers on them. For shame. What about pumping? Yeah, when am I supposed to get some time to hide in a room away from my almost four year old to pump? So he suggested adding a formula feed in to her diet or trying to get something extra in her. I'm going with the something. I've been letting her go at her own pace with veggies and stuff; you know, letting her enjoy her food. But no more! Purees rule the roost from now on! Beef with liver! Peas! Beans! An egg yolk a day! And to top it all off, I'm going to try to add in a goat milk feed a day. I'm not sure how that will go, but I'll at least try. The problem at the moment is that, if I am nearby, she doesn't want the stupid goat milk. I mean, she'd much rather have me. (Sounds like a starving baby, huh?) Anyway. There's the rant. I would bemoan the fact that I have skinny children, but we're skinny people! What do they expect?!
I think the fact that I spent most of the post talking about my problem and not the goat milk shows how "normal" my weirdness has become. So I'll answer your questions.
Why goat milk? It's much closer to human milk than is cow milk.
Why not formula? Evan read on one of the cans' list of ingredients "corn syrup solids." Nope, not going there. Or, not until I try everything else! (I'm really going to try not to go on a rant about formula, really, because I could go on and on for days.)
What am I thinking? Well, at the moment, I'm thinking babies who are breastfed past six months should have their own chart made with statistics only from breatsfed babies. ;-)

Okay, on to a new topic.

We went to a farm this morning and picked blueberries with a couple of families from the Charlotte Mason group. The trip was almost called of on account of rain and several families didn't go because of the mud, but we went! And it was wonderful! It sprinkled on us a bit, but it was cloudy, cool (for this area), and great! Then, to top it all off, I got my four pounds of berries for free! Yay! (Plus, one of the ladies said that her baby had been in the negative on the growth chart, and he was just fine. That made me feel a little better.)
I'm also going to a Charlotte Mason seminar this weekend (Friday night and Saturday morning), and I'm getting so excited! Yay! Yay! Yay! ha ha

Interesting

2010-05-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

So I found Honey for a Woman's Heart, requested it from my library, and picked it up on Thursday. I absolutely love our library system. I get online, request a book, pick the library where I want it to go for pick-up, and then pick it up at my weekly library run with Nathan! It's wonderful. Truly. I even do it with his books so I feel like I'm actually getting some books that I really want him to read rather than whatever (almost literally) falls off the shelf while I'm in the library with him and Noelle.
Back to what I was saying. Honey for a Woman's Heart just makes me want to read! ha I got Evan to take me to the downtown library that night to pick up several books that I wanted to read. One of the ones I picked was Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang. It's a biography by a woman about herself, her mother, and her grandmother. I am about half-way through it, and I am learning quite a bit about recent Chinese history through the eyes and experiences of someone who lived it. Very, very engaging.
So, now I'm loving the Charlotte Mason method of education even more. :-) I can see how much more one can learn by reading a biography than by reading a textbook full of the facts. Chang's story definitely draws you in and helps you understand a litte more why some of the events in Chinese history happened. I am actually about to let myself read for 10 minutes before the kiddos wake up. I'm hoping to finish by Thursday. :-)
On other fronts, I'm just chugging along. I am thankful that God's mercies are new every morning, especially in the child-rearing area. I am constantly brought to my knees by the whole experience, but I suppose I shouldn't complain about that. Maybe I should just learn to never get off my knees. :-) I am learning to let go of (or lay down) things that are not as important and focus on them, especially Nathan. I love having a clean house, complete menu plans, sewing projects, and so on. However, this is a time of intense growth for him, and I feel that I have to slow down and be there. Completely. Training, loving, talking, laughing, telling stories, reading books, looking at whatever in the world he thinks is important to look at, and just being with him. I feel like there are so many character traits that could go good or bad during this time, but I have to be watching and vigilent because the easiest path is not the best. And it's so hard. Because I like to do other things. Like write incomplete sentences. But I have to remember what is important and that raising a child is wonderful but a sacrifice.
How's that for a random post?

Raw Milk

2010-04-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

So, we went to the Woolly Weekend and got our raw milk last Friday. I drank a big glass of milk Friday afternoon then got sick as a dog (??) Friday night. ha Fortunately (for my raw-milk drinking, not for our friends), our friends had had the same nasty stomach bug earlier in the week, so I knew that it wasn't the milk. It has taken me until today to try more, though. ha Nathan has been drinking it all week, although he doesn't like to see the cream floating on top if the milk is left in his cup too long.
The milk is really good! Evan had been scaring me by saying that it tasted "wild" and all other sorts of things (they used to drink raw milk a long time ago), but he was WRONG. ;-) It's great to see the layer of cream sitting on top of the milk when I open the door of my fridge and know that it's fresh!
Oh, and the egg-weirdness?? Gone. I can eat eggs again! I have no earthly idea what was going on, although I'm positive that it was eggs; but I'm happy it's gone!
Well, that's about all that is interesting in my life right now.

His Response

2010-04-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

This has been a rough week. Last Tuesday our friends' little girl Jordyn started acting strangely and stopped breathing. After being rushed to the hospital, she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor (she had one two years ago that was removed and had been doing great since). The doctors said they didn't expect her to make it through the first night. The week was very up-and-down with good and bad reports. On Sunday morning, she left this life behind.
I knew I had to tell Nathan but was a bit unsure how to go about it. I called a friend who has two boys, one of whom is Nathan's age, and asked how she broke the news. She said that her boys didn't really ask questions but seemed to take it okay. So I told Nathan.
The minute I said,"Jordyn went to heaven" his eyes lit up and he started bouncing on the recliner.
"Jordyn is already in heaven?!?! If I went to the hospital she wouldn't be there anymore?? Oh my! She already went to heaven?"
He was so excited. He jumped down, fixed something that was wrong with his train, and bounced back into the recliner.
"Jordyn already went to heaven! God touched her body! The tumor is getting better!"
(Yes, I tried to be discreet in talking around him, but I couldn't shut myself in a closet every time I got a call.)
I thought then said, "That's right. Jordyn doesn't have a tumor anymore."
"Are J&J (her parents) in heaven?"
"No. They're still here."
"Will Jordyn stay in heaven?"
"Yes, Jordyn will stay in heaven."
"Is her sister still here?"
"Yes, her sister is still here."
At this point he made a very crazy remark about maybe one day her sister getting a tumor. I was quick to shut down that thought and had to remind him that tumors are not good. I suppose he saw the tumor as a ticket to heaven and couldn't see what was so bad about it. After that he went on his way, and I haven't heard about it since.
I think my biggest shock was seeing the light in his eyes and the pure excitement in his face when I said that Jordyn had gone to heaven. I'm sure Jordyn has something of (or much more than) that look on her face now, too.
I suppose it was a little reminder about "becoming as a little child."

Praying

2010-04-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

I'm praying for our friends and their little girl today. The girl, Jordyn, had a brain tumor which was removed two years ago. She's been doing great since then. Yesterday morning she stopped breathing and was rushed to the hospital. The brain tumor was back, bigger and more critically located than before. The doctors told them last night that they didn't expect her to make it through the night. Today the doctors are saying that she is brain dead. I have no idea what all is going on right now, but I am praying. Please keep them in your prayers.

Not what I should be doing...

2010-04-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

...but I am going to do it anyway! :-)
I love springtime, but I wish I had planned for my garden a little better! I put out my tomato plants, and they are looking very, um, droopy and yellow. And I think Monty stuck his paw through the fence and ate one of them. Too bad tomato plants aren't poisonous to dogs. :-}
I also mostly weeded our small backyard area and planted some nasturtiums and beans by the house. I have no clue how those will do, but I'm going to put them out even if I don't have time to research every detail of growing them! I will plant some more beans in my garden, but I'm a little worried that the dogs (well, Monty, really) will get into them. On days like today I wonder if having dogs is worth the hassle. Honestly, if we only had Gimli I think life would be much easier. Oh well.
Guess what? I think I am going to try raw milk this week! We have a dairy about 30 minutes from here that sells raw milk, and a friend and I are going to try it. As a bonus, another place in that same town is having a "Woolly Weekend" where they shear sheep and spin wool. We'll see if the weather works out for all of those plans!
Gotta run!

This 'n That

2010-04-05T12:50:00.000-07:00

I actually had to Google what spinach sprouts were supposed to look like today. And, YAY, that is what is growing in my garden!! ha I'm hoping my seedlings (indoors and outdoors) can survive my upcoming absence. I think I'll wait until I get back to plant my tomato plants outside since I won't be here to protect them in the event of a frost. I'm very happy about my garden, and I'm hoping it all goes well!! I would love to eat spinach from my very own garden! :-)

The shoes were a project from a week or two ago. I am going to try to make some more and maybe even find an old leather purse or bag to use for the bottom of the shoe for when Noelle actually starts walking.

The jar is full of fermenting cabbage. It is now officially sauerkraut, although I haven't tasted it yet. I got some hot dogs for 25 cents at Homeland yesterday, and I made some hot dog chili this morning, so I'm gearing up for a hot dog day! ha ha ha OH, I used my handy-dandy immersion blender to turn the regular chili into hot dog chili. :-)

I had a list this morning of things to do today, but I got a little off-track. I found a really good deal on meat last week, and I wanted to make some meals out of it before freezing it. I made two batches of Cheeseburger Meatloaf, one batch of hot dog chili (it actually made two different meal servings of 2 1/2 cups each), and the last pound is in the refrigerator waiting for Wednesday. :-) I still have chicken that needs to be prepared and frozen, but (as you can see) I'm busy. I also ground my wheat and mixed my bread dough this morning so I can make bread tomorrow, and I started my black beans in the crockpot for tonight's supper. AND I washed all the dishes. Can you tell Noelle took a really long nap this morning?? I am hoping she gets back on her normal schedule; I really, really miss my sleep.

Sunshine

2010-03-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

We have been outside today. A LOT. :-) It's amazing how content Nathan is when I'm doing simple things like pulling weeds. This morning did not start off well; then we went outside at lunchtime. And stayed there. For two hours. We ate lunch outside, pulled weeds, and Nathan drowned the seeds in my garden. So it was nearly ideal.
I've been on a sewing craze the last couple of weeks. I have a new-found love of sewing. It makes me feel good. When I finish something, I actually have something to show for what I've been doing during the day. However, I am having to "check-up." I have to remember that sitting outside with Nathan while he plays is more important that finishing a project. I have to remember that reading to him, playing with him, holding Noelle, and just spending time with them is my calling right now. :-) I know that. I just have to remember sometimes.

Books I am reading

2010-03-30T18:47:00.001-07:00

A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola
---So far I'm really enjoying this book. I'm skipping around to different chapters, reading little pieces here and there. The author gives some insight into how Charlotte Mason's methods look in a modern-day home, as opposed to a home that had a butler, cook, gardener, and nurse (okay, well, this home has all those things, too...just wrapped in a smaller package. - ha)

Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt
---I am just now starting to read this book, although I checked it out at the library last week. So many books, so little time. The problem with this book, and several of the others on my list, is that it makes me want to read even more books. :-) Anyway, right now I'm just reading about "why" to read to your kiddos. I'm kind-of skimming since I'm just a wee bit sold on that already.

Home Education by Charlotte Mason
---I'm supposed to be reading sections of this book for a discussion blog, but the owner of the blog has been too busy to post lately. ;-) This book challenges me and reminds me of my goals.

Baby-led Weaning by ??? (I'm too lazy to go look.)
---A friend let me borrow this book, and it's rather interesting. Supposedly you can just let your baby eat whatever food you are eating. ??? I completely understand the concept of babies having a gag reflex so far forward in their mouths that it is almost impossible for them to choke (sitting up and with proper food items), but I can't bring myself to let Noelle "go" with certain foods. I did let her have a go at broccoli, but when Evan saw her chewing on the broccoli top, stem in hand, he couldn't bear it. ha Oh well, that is where the Munchkin feeder comes in handy. The main thing I've taken away from the book is to chill about feeding your baby. Give options, let them play and explore, and eating the food will come as the baby is ready and actually needs the food.

The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie O'Martian
---I think I have never read the book before just because everyone else was reading it. I'm like that sometimes. However, I really like this book. I like having a bit of direction in ways to pray for my husband because sometimes I feel like I'm falling in a rut with my prayers for him. Also, having this book sitting with my Bible reminds me to really pray for him. :-)

A Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong
---I'm reading this book aloud to Nathan. We both are enjoying the book. School children are trying to get storks to come to their town and set out to find a wheel to put on their school for the storks to nest in. As they search for a wheel, they learn quite a bit about the people and places around them.

Multiple gardening books
---Ugh. I just need one that tells me what to do, day by day. ha

Bible
---This is a great book. Haven't read it? Try it sometime. :-)

Whew!

2010-03-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

Isn't it positively disgusting?!

The finished product.

My refried beans made with lard.

My crockpot with chicken bones/skin and veggie scraps ready to go.

From a 2-lb bag of pinto beans I got seven 2-cup bags of refried beans, plus a little extra which I put in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch. Nathan also ate two small bowlfuls.

I am TIRED! I think the hand-crank meat grinder got to me. ha :-) I put the deboned chicken in the fridge for tonight; I'll chop it up and put it in freezer bags tomorrow. Anyway, I'm pretty satisfied with what I got done. I also got the GAZILLION dishes done from this day of too many dishes, so I really feel good.
With the lard, next time I will not put more than 1/2 cup of water in the bottom of the pan with all the fat. It took forever to cook today. I think it turned out fine, but the cracklings weren't as "crackly" as I expected them to be. Maybe that had something to do with the extra water. I don't know.
Anyway, it's off to bed with me; the three loads of clean laundry in my living room will have to wait for tomorrow! :-)
Goodnight!

Still going...

2010-03-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

Soooo, I think I put a bit too much water in. Maybe? It seems to be working fine now, but I think that the water just made the process take a LOT longer. I'm waiting on the "cracklings" to float to the top and look a little brown; hopefully that will happen soon. I am also making refried beans today, so I would like to have the lard for those. It's times like these when I wish I had someone who knew what they were doing to help me out! :-)

Rendering Lard

2010-03-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

I'm making my own lard today. Seriously.
Hopefully I'll have some pictures or at least a story to tell in a while. Right now I'm taking a break because I just ground (in our manual meat-grinder) a little over eight pounds of pork fat. Between that and kneading my own bread, my arms should be like Popeye's soon. HA!! :-)

Missing him

2010-03-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

Tonight I am missing him. Random, I know. I love my little Noella-bella. I think I am enjoying her even more than I did Nathan at this age. I am so thankful for her and her little sweet self. Yet I miss the one who I never got to meet.
Grief is so random. Random, random, random. :-)
I am sitting here in this quiet house, as my Noelle sleeps and the others have gone to get us a movie to enjoy on this spring break week, and I stumbled upon a blog and remembered that sadness. I quickly got up from the computer and went to sweep my kitchen because I had a knot in my throat the size of a baseball and I did not want to cry (still don't). Is crying because something triggered a memory not real grief? Is it allowing emotion to overcome you? I don't know. Random.
They are home... ;-)

Garden

2010-03-04T06:49:00.000-08:00

I'm getting excited about the upcoming garden season! Yesterday I finished putting the bricks around my garden bed, and now I just need to fill it up with soil. I usually buy plants, but this year I got a great deal on organic seeds, so I'm going to try starting from seeds! ha Here are the types of seeds I ordered: cucumber, heirloom Brandywine tomatoes, bunch onions, crookneck squash, bell pepper, beans, and spinach.
Now I've just got to make sure Monty stays out of the garden. He can stick his skinny paws almost a foot into the kennel (my garden is in the kennel - ha). I will stake him out all summer if I have to. :-)
Well, that's all the updating I can do for now!

Want to see what I got for $5???

2010-02-27T13:15:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm here!

2010-02-25T14:10:00.000-08:00

Since I've gone a while without blogging, I'll just make a list of what is going on.

I absolutely love my grain mill!
Cloth diapering is going well, and I was able to get the rest of my diapers after Christmas (I had only gotten 8 to "try" before I spent all that money).
I think I may have some sensitivity to eggs. COMPLETELY out of the blue. And I love eggs. ???? All I know is that if I eat eggs or anything with eggs (although the symptoms are less) I get stomach cramps and nausea.
I've started doing ten-minute lessons with Nathan in the morning, although they are more like games right now. He loves the time, and I'm happy that we have some scheduled mommy/son time. After the lesson we usually spend 10-15 minutes coloring.
All of my knitting has come to a stand-still. I am working on cloth napkins (I found linen on sale), but they are harder than I thought! I just keep telling myself that they are only napkins; it doesn't really matter that the corners aren't mitered. ha ha
My house is in desparate need of reorganization. And I sit here on the computer, blogging.

Ouch

2010-01-21T12:52:00.000-08:00

This post is a very good reminder to me.

Experimenting

2010-01-10T18:40:00.001-08:00

So, my pizza dough turned out GREAT! It was wonderful. I was so happy. :-) I milled more wheat berries today and now have the flour soaking for waffles and muffins tomorrow. I'm very excited to see how they turn out after my success with the bread and pizza. Evan said that he was very happy I got a grain mill. Impressive, right?? ha
I bought a chicken yesterday at the grocery store, roasted it last night, and made chicken broth overnight with the chicken bones/skin and whatever veggie leftovers were in my freezer bag. I keep a freezer bag in my (can you guess?) freezer in which I put any carrot tops/ends, onion tops/skins, celery ends/leaves, tomato tops, and any other veggie scraps that I think would be okay in my broth (bean tips from fresh green beans are great!). When I am ready to make broth, I just dump whatever is in the bag into the crockpot with the bones, add a little vinegar and salt, and turn the crockpot on low. I usually let it cook for 24 hours then strain everything out of the broth. I usually make chicken noodle soup or Roman egg soup with some of the broth and freeze the rest.
I'm finding that buying organic has made me much more frugal, especially when it comes to meat. I have been able to keep our grocery budget much the same as before I started buying so much organic by cutting back on our meat consumption. And, you know, I haven't even had a single complaint! I think one of the main tricks is adding in other things such as soups, salads, and more veggies to the meal. Of course, that means more planning; but I'm working on it!
Oh, I made homemade vanilla pudding last night using this recipe. Well, I used the basic recipe. I used arrowroot flour instead of cornstarch and pure cane sugar in place of white sugar. It turned out really well and received two thumbs-up from both my guys. I made it into banana pudding the first night, and we had it plain today. Anyway, it's a good recipe!
Well, I should go. :-)

Effort

2010-01-07T18:43:00.000-08:00

The beginning of a new year is always a time in which I think about what I need to be doing differently or what I need to refocus on. My main thought this year is Nathan's education. Last year was about getting Noelle here. :-) This year I am trying to refocus on my goals for Nathan.
So, I am rereading Charlotte Mason's Home Education which motivates me greatly and helps me remember those things I consider to be important. I have not done very well creating a schedule for Nathan, and I think we would both do well in a loose schedule (it must be loose, right?). I read to him daily, and we discuss all manner of things throughout the day, but I feel like a schedule would do us good. Especially now that the daddy is consumed (now with practicing for his brother's wedding, after with school), our evenings tend to be times of boredom (for Nathan) and hair-pulling (for me). I am hoping that a schedule will give a little more direction in those times when we are not at our best and there is no "outside" to run to. :-)
Here are my ideas: chores, music time, reading time, counting/math time (he has a game that is perfect for this), quiet time, play time (throughout the day), Bible time.
I don't think I would even put all these in one day, but I really need to put some effort into this. Hmmmm...
In other news, I pulled out my grain mill again today and milled 10 cups of wheat berries. I will make bread and pizza tomorrow (the flour for both is soaking now). I am very excited about making the pizza dough again because I had given up on it earlier this year. It was just too hard to roll out, but I'm pretty sure the problem was that the woman whose recipe I was using was using freshly milled flour, and I was not. (Whoa, bad sentence.) I can already tell the difference in the soaking step. The proof will be tomorrow after I make pizza!

Bread-making

2009-12-21T18:15:00.000-08:00

I made bread today! Yesterday I ground my wheat berries and soaked the flour, and today I made the bread. Evan says he can really tell a difference; my nose is stopped up, and I can only tell a little difference (in taste). However, the consistency of the dough is way different! I always struggle mixing up the ingredients to soak and then kneading the bread, but this time it was so much easier that I honestly wondered if I had left out or put too much of something! My only thought is that the freshly milled flour is more moist (?) than flour from the store.
Overall, I am very excited about my grain mill. It is a bit loud for me (I've never done well with loud vacuums, either; I guess I feel like they're going to explode or something), but I don't have to use it every day or week, since I usually bake in bulk. I am also impressed that I can get 25 pounds of wheat berries from my co-op for $12. And that's organic wheat berries. Woo hoo!! I milled 6 cups of wheat berries and got 11 cups of flour.
That's my news for tonight.

Food

2009-11-16T18:52:00.000-08:00

Like my new blog entry?
I am a bit obsessed with food lately. I absolutely love to cook, and I've been reading books such as An Eater's Manifesto and Real Food. :-) I am soooo becoming a health nut. ha I was shopping in Whole Foods the other day, and as I looked around I thought, You know, I used to walk in health food stores and inwardly chuckle at the weirdos. Now I AM one of the weirdos. hee hee The Whole Foods shopping started when Evan and I decided that we should switch to organic milk. I still shop at Aldi, but now a lot of the items that were bought at Walmart before are now bought at Whole Foods since I don't want to make THREE grocery stops. And I happened to buy organic carrots one time...and now I'm hooked. The good thing is that I only go to Whole Foods every two weeks or so. Just walking through the produce section of that store makes me want to cook.
To further seal my fate as a health nut, I am now getting a grain mill for Christmas. I have yet to decide which one I am getting, but I am getting one. :-) So much more to say, but I think I'll go for tonight!

Life

2009-11-16T18:37:00.000-08:00

The days are going by so quickly! I can hardly believe that Thanksgiving is next week. I am so thankful that I will actually be able to eat a Thanksgiving dinner this year!! :-) Last year I had all four wisdom teeth removed the Monday before Thanksgiving. It was as bad as I thought it would be but no more so. And it's over now! I can't believe it's already a whole year later, and this year I have two wonderful children heading into the holiday season!
By the way, I found my first white hair tonight. Evan saw it yesterday, but tonight was the first time I actually saw it for myself. Interesting. I suppose I've earned it this year. ha
Noelle is two and a half months old already. She doesn't appreciate sleep as of yet, but I'm hoping she will soon be won over. :-) With Nathan I was able to be a bit more firm in my schedule and desires; I could sleep whenever he slept the next day. With Noelle, I have learned to be more flexible. Some nights we do whatever it takes to get sleep because I have to be completely awake the next day, and mommy naps are almost unheard of. So, I will have no clue as to whether her sleeping habits are due to my lack of consistency or her personality. ha
Hmmmm, I was going to continue to another topic, but I think I'll stop and actually start a new blog entry. ;-)

What's new?

2009-10-25T16:38:00.000-07:00

Well, not too much, actually. :-)
I have started using cloth diapers and wipes, though! So far, so good. The only complaint I have is how big Noelle's backside is with the cloth diapers! ha Other than that, I quite like them. Evan, who was against them, was even impressed with the diapers that I got. ;-) I made my own wipes with one of Nathan's receiving blankets, and they seem to work quite well. I have a spray bottle with a wipe solution that I keep with my diaper things, and I just spray a wipe when I need one. Interesting, no?
I have been on a "crafty" spree lately (I think because Hannah was here), and I knitted Nathan a hat, made a sling for myself/Noelle, and made pajama bottoms for Evan. Oh yeah, I also knitted Noelle a bonnet, but it fits Nathan. ha We all got a good laugh out of it, anyway! I am hoping to find another cute knitted hat pattern for Noelle and get that started. Hancock's had all of their McCalls patterns on sale for $1 last week, so I bought several patterns. Yay!
That's all for my update now!

Walgreens 9/27

2009-09-27T17:26:00.001-07:00

My net loss: $1.67.

I would have made a small profit had I not grabbed the wrong dental pick things. Argh. Walgreens had them mislabeled, and I did not double check my ad. See the shirt? One dollar. :-) I'm sending some Theraflu home with my sister-in-law. ha

Refried Beans

2009-09-22T11:06:00.001-07:00

2 pounds dried pinto beans, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed
2 yellow onions, cut in half
2 red onions, cut in half
10 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 stick of butter
4 t. cumin
2 t. coriander

Place the beans, onions, and garlic in a crockpot on low. Cover with water and add salt. Cook for 8-10 hours. Melt butter in a large pot. Add the beans, leaving the extra juice in the crockpot to add to the beans as needed. Cook and stir the beans for 5-10 minutes. Mash with a potato masher or use an immersion blender, adding the extra juice to reach the desired consistency.

I put measure out 2 cups of beans in freezer bags and freeze them. We love these refried beans, and I like knowing what all went in them! Some people skip the "frying" (butter) part altogether; but the butter makes for a much better consistency, in my humble opinion.

I made these this morning and used my nifty new immersion blender!! The beans were so smooth!! :-) Anyway, I now have five bags of frozen refried beans in my freezer. Yay!

The Countdown is over!!

2009-09-09T14:48:00.001-07:00

I made it to 37 weeks and 1 day!! Noelle is here and healthy, and she is doing great. We had a little bit of a rocky road the first day because her blood sugar and temperature were low, but she stabilized quickly. I was glad that I got to breastfeed her for an hour after she was born since I didn't get to feed her again until almost twelve hours later. They gave her formula, and I wasn't sure she would go back to breastfeeding, but she did! I even got cleared to stop supplementing with formula before I left the hospital, and she is doing great. Praise God! He is good.
Now I am getting back into the swing of life and finding my new "normal" with two kids. Tomorrow will be the first official day of being alone with my two kids from the time Evan leaves until he gets home. :-) I am just having to readjust my ways for this season of life. I used to get most of my "chores" done during the week while Evan was at work; now I'll most likely be doing most of those things on the weekend when I have Evan around. Of course, I'll do my best to get things done during the week, but I'm just not setting my expectations that high for a while. ha If things get done, fine; if they don't get done, fine.
Yesterday I boiled eggs, made a ton of rice, made cookies, made a menu, grocery shopped, and did laundry. Today I made and froze waffles and black bean burritos. It's so nice to have things in the freezer to pull out on short notice. Plus, I think I am just happy with the fact that I'M BACK IN CONTROL OF MY KITCHEN!!!! Woo hoo! ;-) I love my job, and I'm happy to be back.
Oh, today I also ran to Walgreens and got two packages of True North pistachio chips, two boxes of Triaminic strips, two Cow Tails (interesting), and a bottle of olive oil. My net loss was about $1.50. The overage from the True North chips and the Triaminic almost covered the total amount of the olive oil (which I had just run out of). Yay!

36 Weeks!!

2009-08-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

Yay!!! :-)
I am pretty happy about being this far along. I am off all medication as of last night, which means I didn't have to set my alarm for every four hours last night!! It was wonderful to only wake up to empty my bladder! ha ha For some reason, my bladder and my pill-taking schedule never cooperated. You wanted to know that, right??
This morning I cleaned up a bunch of my "bedrest junk." This week is going to be pretty busy, so I felt that it was time for most of it to go. I also have been packing my hospital bad, although I still don't have suckers. Evan has looked for the kind I want and couldn't find them. Now he just tells me that I won't want them anyway. ha I know how it will work: if I don't get any, I'll want them; if I have them in the bag, I won't use them. ;-) Now I just need to pack Nathan's hospital bag for "just in case." We don't plan on having him up there, but I'd like to have a bag ready anyway. All Evan would have to do is give his phone to Nathan and let him watch a movie, really.
Woo hoo!!

35 Weeks, 3 Days

2009-08-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

My doctor's appointment today went well. I found out that the "rock" that I was sleeping on last night was my little girl's knee. :-) And she doesn't seem to want to move it. My cervix is still the "same," which I found out means that it is closed but will slightly open when he pushes on it.
I opened a can of worms today, though. I asked a simple question and got way too many possibilities. ha He still seems to think that my cervix will just open up because "it dilated silently last time." (He was talking about Nathan.) Well, my cervix did not open silently last time; I had MORE than plenty contractions, and strong ones at that. I wouldn't really care, except that he thinks that even if I'm dilated to a 2 in the next two weeks we could just go in and "have the baby" to prevent having her at home. I would really like for her to be in there as long as she wants to be in there. There is a reason for the forty weeks, right?? :-) AND I don't want to be induced. I've been trying to keep her in there for how long??? And then they'll try to force my body to have her early?

Then I remind myself of Who is in control. Thankfully, it's not me or the doctors. We are praying that we (Evan and I) would have wisdom in all decisions we have to make and that maybe we won't even have to make any decisions like that. :-) God has been so faithful throughout this entire pregnancy; I actually feel badly for allowing myself to get so worked up over this. :-)
Randomness: Walgreens has had some pretty good deals the last two weeks, which drives me crazy; but my husband and mother have been good enough to go do a few deals for me! I plan it all out, write it all down, gather the coupons, and send them to the store. :-) Evan even went by himself this past weekend! Anyway, yesterday Mom went for me, and here's how it worked out:
Net loss: $16
What I got: 2 packages of Pampers, 3 tubs of Huggies wipes, 3 pencil boxes, 3 12-packs of drinks, 2 bottles of Tylenol, and 1 bottle of Softsoap bodywash.
Two packages of pampers would have cost me $20 at Walmart. :-) There now, that made me smile. hee hee

August 19th

2009-08-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

So, I have to say it somewhere: 2 years ago today I lost my little boy. It is amazing how emotions come and go. Today I feel perfectly at peace, while a week ago I was having a hard time getting to sleep because every time I closed my eyes I would think back and remember everything. It's difficult to have a child about whom you really have no "good" memories. I sometimes catch myself wondering what it would be like to have a 20-month-old little boy running around here with Nathan. It's amazing how a baby that I got to hold for only a couple of hours (outside the womb) can still hold such a big place in my heart.

35 Weeks, 1 Day

2009-08-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

Thirty-five weeks!! Wow. I actually feel like we're on the downhill slope now. :-) I am trying to stay on "bedrest," even though I've really upped my activity level quite a bit. I do try to stay on the couch a lot and take a nap in my bed once a day. But I also get up, walk around, and do odd things around the house. This weekend I picked my little garden (involved squatting), and yesterday I was going through boxes while Mom and Evan rearranged the green room (involved tailor sitting). We'll see what the doc says this week!

34 Weeks, 5 Days

2009-08-15T12:31:00.000-07:00

We're getting so close! It's hard to believe I'm almost to 35 weeks already. My doctor's appointment went really well on Thursday. Everything was still the same. That made me feel really good since I'd been having some discomfort and possible contractions. I think Noelle is just beginning to make me really uncomfortable at times. :-) It's nice to know that what I'm feeling is just normal and isn't actually my body trying to go into labor.
Just two weeks and two days until I'm 37 weeks! We're getting excited about the fact that we will be meeting our little girl soon. I think now that we're slowly getting to come out of the "countdown fog" we can actually be excited that we have a little girl on the way. I guess we've been pretty focused on "just getting to 32 weeks" or "just getting to 34 weeks." :-) I suppose we could set the crib up sometime soon. Of course, that means that some major rearranging needs to be done. ha ha The good thing is that we have most of the essentials for a baby from Nathan.
Well, I'm gonna run!

34 Weeks, 1 Day

2009-08-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let my dedicated readers know that I am back to being mentally stable (for me, anyway...). :-) Really, I had bounced back by yesterday evening. Just so you know. Oh, and I'm still pregnant.

34 Weeks

2009-08-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

I should probably wait to post until I'm a little more excited about the title, but I'm not going to. :-) If you want an elated post, go somewhere else. I am tired. I am very thankful we've made it this far, though, very thankful. I'm just tired. I feel like this has been a long and emotional pregnancy.
I've been having some "maybe" contractions yesterday and today; I can't really figure out if Noelle is causing them or if they are happening on their own. I also don't know what to count as "normal" uterus-getting-ready contractions and what to count as cervix-dilating contractions. I actually seem to feel better when I'm up walking around, so I'm wondering if Noelle's growing size and my always laid back positions are not going well together. We just really, really want to make it until 36 or 37 weeks. I guess we'll see at my doctor's appointment this week whether or not these contractions are dilating my cervix.
Anyway, I know I'm just a bit whiny today. Some days I just struggle a bit. :-)

33 Weeks, 1 Day

2009-08-04T18:24:00.000-07:00

Can it honestly be interesting to read the ramblings of a pregnant woman who mostly sits on a couch all day? Just wondering.
Tomorrow is Wednesday! In case anyone was wondering. For some reason after Wednesday I just feel like my week goes by so much faster. Thursdays (lately) have been doctor days, Fridays are Fridays (and Evan has been taking off every other Friday to let my mom go home), and the weekend always seems to go by quickly, even on bedrest. :-) Maybe I don't like Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays because those were always the days I got the most housework/chores/grocery shopping done. :-) I still do my menu-planning and list-making on those days, but I think it's just more frustrating since I always realize that I have no clue what we're almost out of or what is in the fridge. Ah well. I'm getting so close, though!!
I probably have too high of hopes for the next couple of weeks. I am really hoping that my cervix is still the same this week and next so that maybe my doc will lighten up on the restrictions. I would love to be able to sit at the table to eat. :-) Of course, I've already lightened up a bit myself over the past two weeks. Every now and then I'll just get up and get something myself because I don't WANT to ask someone to get it for me. ;-)
Can't wait until Thursday!

32 Weeks, 5 days

2009-08-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm having a bit of trouble with grouchiness. :-) I don't think it has helped that I've had stomach trouble last night and this morning. I'm getting better, though!
My appointment with my doctor went well this week. He said I was still about the same as I have been (my cervix), and he even made a joke about having to induce me post-term. ha ha ha Not funny. ;-) I am thankful that everything is going well, though. Very thankful. I get to stop taking the progesterone in a week (you have no idea how excited that makes me), and two more weeks after that I'll get to stop taking the Procardia (which I have to take every four hours, even through the night). I won't know what to do when I don't have medicine to take all the time! :-)
I can tell that Noelle has been growing lately. Some days my stomach feels like it is about to pop, and my skin gets all tight and itchy. Then I guess everything stretches and goes back to feeling semi-normal again. The doctor says she is head-down, and that is where I want her to stay!

32 Weeks

2009-07-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

Another little goal is met! :-) The next goal is 34 weeks and then 36 weeks. Evan is starting to get a bit anxious thinking about labor and delivery again, but the last few weeks I have been feeling no dread or nervousness when I think about it. The only thing that worries me a bit is whether or not I'll know when to get to the hospital. My doctor seems to think the whole process will go very quickly, but my body doesn't generally listen to doctors. ha With Nathan I was dilated between 3 and 4 for at least 2 1/2 weeks and dilated to a 5 for four days (after the doctor said I'd have him in 24 hours). When I got the hospital with Nathan, I was dilated to an 8, and the doctor there said that my doc was an hour and a half away and that I would have Nathan before my doc got there. Do you think my body listened?? No, seven and a half hours later, Nathan finally came out...and my doctor was there. :-) So, I am praying for wisdom to know when to get to the hospital because I do not want an unplanned home/car delivery. That would not be funny. I just don't want to be up at the hospital too long because they want to control the process a bit too much for my liking (especially since I am going to try to go no-meds again).
In other news, my body is definitely rebelling against bedrest. I think my little chickadee is getting big enough to make sleeping difficult, and I'm not as flexible as I was when I was this far along with Nathan. I finally found a comfortable position last night only to discover this morning that I had caused about fifty different muscles to be extremely upset with me. :-) Mom got a good laugh at my expense as I was getting off the couch to walk back to my bathroom. I'm sure I looked rather funny. Pregnancy waddle plus stove-up waddle. ha

31 Weeks, 6 Days

2009-07-26T14:26:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I will be 32 weeks!! Yay! :-) Another milestone almost achieved.
This weekend I've been doing a lot more research on Charlotte Mason's methods and how those methods will actually look in practice. I get so excited looking through the booklists and figuring out which elements of the CM method we will use and which ones we will do differently. I definitely love education. :-) I know we have a while before we actually start formal education, but it is nice to know where we need to be once we get to our "starting point."
Gotta run!

31 weeks, 4 days

2009-07-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

I had my appointment yesterday, and it went really well. He said that I am the same as last week, so I haven't dilated or effaced any more. I've been the same for the past three weeks, so I think my doctor is starting to think more positively about getting her farther along than 34 weeks. He even mentioned that it would be great to get her to the point where she would come home from the hospital with me (which he said could actually happen between 36 and 37 weeks).
Mom went home last night for the weekend, so we are on our own. It is nice to have some normal family time, and I think Mom probably appreciates the break from "mommyhood." :-) She has been really great taking care of everything, and Nathan and I usually get an hour or two (throughout the day) of "just us" time. I think it helps Nathan, and I know it helps me feel like I can still be involved with Nathan. I'm so glad that he loves to read so much and that we let him set up his train set on our coffee table! Of course, Evan has totally stepped up in every area, too. Nathan loves all the daddy-time he gets!

31 weeks, 1 day

2009-07-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

This week seems to be going pretty slowly. :-) This whole morning I just did not feel well. I felt light-headed and nauseated. After lunch I started feeling better, so I have had a good afternoon. It is so hard sometimes to feel like I'm actually doing any good since I really don't feel like anything is even close to "going wrong." Most of my feeling badly comes from the medicine and lack of exercise. All I have to do to make myself refocus, though, is look online at the risks and challenges preterm babies face. Then I go happily and purposefully to my couch or bed. :-)
I also remind myself of a teacher friend who had to spend 10 or 11 weeks in the hospital on bedrest. Ughhh. That makes me count my blessings. :-) I mean, I got to go out in the sunshine today! That is something worth being thankful for!
Well, this is going to be all for tonight!

30 weeks, 4 days

2009-07-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

We're getting so close to 31 weeks! :-) Every week is a huge accomplishment, and I am thankful for every day she stays inside. I have been doing pretty well, although I'm definitely starting to feel the effects of bedrest on my body. I think my emotions are probably pretty normal for someone on bedrest. ha I do pretty well, but occasionally something completely trivial will throw me into the "depths of despair." hee hee This morning the feeling was more like "Can I take a break from all this (my body and my emotions) for a while?" I just felt tired. I am doing better now, though. :-) One definitely has to make a decision to keep a good attitude sometimes. My number one rule: Don't dwell on the bad. My number two rule: Be grateful. (Evan helped me with that one.)

Today's Appointment

2009-07-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

I had my weekly outing today. I have been feeling weird today and getting really flushed and hot in my face. My doctor said that bodies start acting weird once they stop moving, so I guess I'll just have to deal! I can tell my blood pressure has been low lately (which is what my medicine does), and today at the doctor's office it was 98/50. Ah well. Everything else was the same as it has been. My doctor says that he doubts I will make it to 37 weeks (I asked about bedrest after 37 weeks); he is just going to be happy to get me to 34. He even said that it may work out that he just lets me off bedrest after 34 or 35 weeks. My biggest concern is that I don't want Noelle to spend time in the NICU if at all possible. :-)

Nice Weekend

2009-07-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

I have had a very nice weekend. :-) Mom went back to her house for the weekend and was going to take Nathan, but Evan decided to take Friday off so he could spend time with Nathan. It has been so nice to have a semi-normal weekend at home with the three of us. Evan has had quite a job between taking care of me and Nathan. When Mom is here with me, she gets a bit of a break every now and then when Nathan will come and just chill with me on the couch while reading a book or playing with something. He will also just come and play in the livingroom where I am. When Evan is home, he doesn't get a break from Nathan. Nathan wants to be with Daddy at all times. :-) I love watching them together.
So, I feel much more emotionally stable now. :-) I will be 30 weeks tomorrow, and I am very thankful that Noelle is still kicking around inside me. I'm trying to make small goals to look forward to. After I'm 32 weeks I can deliver at my hospital of choice; before then I have to go to a bigger hospital downtown. After 34 weeks my doctor said that I would have fewer restrictions since babies born at 34 weeks do really well. And at 37 weeks I'll probably be taking myself off bedrest. hee hee Okay, I might listen to my doctor's opinion.
Well, I think I'm going to go sit in my lounge chair outside for a bit! I have been missing the sunshine. And I'm so thankful that I picked up the lounge chair for 50 cents at a garage sale a couple of months ago. I do believe I'm getting my money's worth. :-)

Wowza

2009-07-08T18:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am pretty much an emotional wreck right now. ha My cervix is staying between closed and 1 cm. dilated, and my doctor told me today that I'll be on bedrest until I deliver. Hmph. He said I could lighten up a bit at 34 weeks, and there's no way I'll stay on any kind of bedrest after 37 weeks. ;-) I think he doesn't expect me to go that long. So, five weeks more of strict bedrest, and eight more until I'm 37 weeks. Wowza.
I don't like bedrest.
I've been reading my Charlotte Mason book Philosopy of Education and trying to figure out my approach to Nathan's education. :-) I know he's only three, but once Noelle does finally get here I won't be in much of a pondering mood for a while. ha And I truly enjoy reading about education. I look forward to teaching Nathan, and I think I'll be using quite a bit of Charlotte Mason's philosophy regarding education. I just have to figure out what will work best for Nathan, and how everything will fit into Evan's requirements. :-D I wish I had someone to discuss the book with, though.
Hmmm. I made a menu and grocery list tonight. I do not like the fact that I really don't know what is in my refrigerator anymore. Maybe I should follow Pooh's example and sing a Complaining Song. ;-) hee hee

Monday

2009-07-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

So, life on bedrest. Funny, I really thought we had gotten past that point. I think my doctors were also thinking we were past that, too, because my specialist had said that the last appointment was more of a formality. I still am wondering exactly what happened. The specialist would’ve actually sent me home even after seeing my cervix shorten if only I hadn’t had another contraction while she was monitoring me. And, I think I only had the contraction because of how I was lying on the exam table. Ha Bodies are weird things anyway. I have an appointment with my regular doctor on Wednesday, so hopefully I’ll get to ask a few questions then.
I am feeling pretty stable today. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were a bit tough. I think those were my “wrap my head around it” days. :-) I just kept thinking of all the things I am not going to be able to do and, truthfully, feeling very sorry for myself. And a bit overwhelmed. Ha I definitely love my job and enjoy taking care of everything in my house. Having to let it all go and watch others do my work (or have it go undone) is a bit hard. I am so thankful to have Mom here to help me, though. I am just having to learn to let go.
Nathan is doing pretty well. I am so thankful that he loves to read and color. We did that together quite a bit today, and it makes me feel so much better to still be doing something with my kiddo. I think he enjoys all the reading, too. :-)

Home!

2009-07-02T19:36:00.001-07:00

Wow. What a couple of days.
The past few weeks my cervix has been staying between 3.7 and 4.2 cm long, and my specialist was very happy. Yesterday I had my last appointment with her, more of a formality she had said, and something happened as she was measuring the cervix. The cervix went from 3.7 to 2.7. She said I had a contraction, although I didn’t feel it, and monitored me for thirty minutes. I had another contraction, so she wanted me to go to the hospital to be monitored for a couple of hours and to have my regular doctor digitally check me.
By the time I got to the hospital and was strapped into the monitors, I was freaking out and having light contractions. My doctor checked me and said I was one centimeter dilated. They gave me medicine to make my uterus calm down and also gave me a steroid shot to help mature Noelle’s lungs just in case I had her. Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike hospitals?? Noelle was NOT happy at the monitors being strapped to the outside of her home and proceeded to kick and push the monitors as much as possible. I don’t think that helped my uterus calm down. Ha It wasn’t until this morning that my uterus stopped being so touchy, and Noelle also decided to stop attacking the monitors. I had to laugh last night as the nurse was trying to find Noelle’s heartbeat. Every time the nurse would get the monitor on her, Noelle would kick like crazy and move. The nurse was even laughing and commented at how strong Noelle was (yes, there could be a bit of motherly pride leaking through there…ha).
I hardly slept last night, but I’m thankful that I only had to be there one night. Today my face started feeling really hot, and my eyes started burning. I was really wondering what was happening to me, but my doctor walked in and said that I had a nice steroid flush. Ha My face is still red, but I don’t feel like my eyes are burning anymore. I had to get one more steroid shot before I left the hospital this evening, so I’ll have a nice red glow for the next couple of days. My doctor checked me again this evening and was happy to tell me that my cervix had almost completely closed back up and that it was feeling much thicker than it did yesterday (thicker is good). He wants me on bedrest, and I have to keep taking the medicine for my contractions. Tonight, though, I’m just happy to be home.

Today's Appointment

2009-06-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

Today's appointment went really well! My cervix is measuring around 3.77, and my specialist said that she is a happy camper. :-) If my cervix is still above 3 cm at 28 weeks, I'll be done with the specialist! Only 2 1/2 weeks to go! I am so thankful.
She also measured Noelle today and estimated her weight at 1 pound 14 ounces. She said that is four days ahead of schedule. :-) So, I came away from my appointment a very happy girl.
Right now I am procrastinating. I did not get a nap today, and I've been pretty busy getting ready to go camping tomorrow. I made muffins, went to my appointment, took Nathan to library time, ate lunch, made potato salad, roasted and cut up chicken to freeze (not exactly planned, but it had to be done), and made yogurt after supper. Of course, Hannah helped wash dishes and take care of Nathan through all of this, or I would not have gotten it all done. ha
Well, I'm going to go find another way to procrastinate now. ;-)

A post!

2009-06-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

No, I haven't been to the doctor yet this week. :-) And it's been wonderful. I go on Thursday. A friend of mine just had her baby last night. At home. After three hours of labor. And forty weeks of pregnancy. So, I can't help but be a wee bit jealous. :-p
Hannah is still here, and I am loving it! She is a lot of help and also a good distraction. She's going to stay another one to three weeks then (hopefully) come back closer to my due date. Am I blessed or what?! All that time and effort I put into her all those years ago... hee hee It's funny, though; I turned twelve the day after she was born, and I carted her around so much that her mother called me her second mom. She's come to see us every summer since we've been married, which means since she was eight or nine years old.
Well, I can tell the Wii has been turned off. I suppose I should go. I'm praying that my cervix is behaving itself! :-)

Quick post

2009-05-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

My cervix is now between 3.4-3.8, so my specialist is going to keep me on weekly appointments until 28 weeks. What we do after that will depend on how everything goes between now and then. Right now, I’m still 2 cm. from needing a cerclage, so it looks like I will not be getting one. She usually does not give cerclages after 24 weeks, and I’ll be 24 weeks on Monday. Believe me, I’m not shedding tears over that!
That’s about all I have time for this morning. I saw a TON of garage sale signs on my way to my appointment, but I think I’ll have to let them go this morning. Now that is sad.
P.S. I also got to see her opening and closing her mouth. The tech said it looked like she was drinking. ha I have so many ultrasound pics of this baby! It really isn't even funny.

2009-05-28T12:43:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I am really not keeping up with this blog.
My cervix went from 4.8 to 4.0 in two weeks, and I’ve been on weekly appointments since then. However, it has stayed 3.8-4.0 the last two weeks, so the doctor isn’t too concerned. I have an appointment tomorrow, and if my cervix has stayed around the same we’ll go back to two-week appointments. If my cervix is 3.0 or above by the time I’m 28 weeks I won’t see the specialist anymore. I’ll just watch for preterm labor and go from there. Right now I’m 23 ½ weeks. This all sounds so cut and dry, but the last few weeks have been pretty emotional. I am thankful for every new week that I carry this baby, and I’m even more thankful for weeks like this one in which I actually enjoy being pregnant.
Hannah is here, and she is being a lot of help. Nathan was sick for about a week a couple of weeks ago, and between me and him we had three doctor appointments in one week. It was so nice to be able to take naps at weird times on those days and let Hannah watch Nathan.
I’ve made my bread recipe again, and it is still a keeper! I love making bread once a month! I made muffins yesterday, and I’m amazed at the difference it makes to soak the flour in buttermilk rather than yogurt. Soooo much better!
Okay, that’s about as much time as I have right now.

Walgreens today

2009-05-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

My net loss: $9.63.

I was completely out of wet Swiffer refills, so this was a great time to stock up. I don't usually use the Swiffer a whole lot, but I will be using it more now since I don't see myself carrying around a bucket of mop water. ha Anyway, I was happy!

Friday!

2009-05-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

I was going to go to garage sales this morning, but our 30% chance of rain turned into an all-morning downpour. :-) Maybe next week the weather and our lives will let me go. ha
I haven't snagged any awesome deals lately, but I've been stocking up on toilet paper!! :-) I was running low, so this was a perfect week for stocking up again. I try to buy whenever I can find it under 22 cents a roll. Interesting, hmmm?
I made and froze my own cream of mushroom soup this week; I've used it twice, and I can't tell a difference. I have been trying to slowly organize my freezer and use things that need to be used. I wish I could go ahead and freeze meals for after the baby comes while I actually have energy, but I guess I'll have to wait a few more months. :-)
My garden seems to be doing well. It's really small, but I didn't want to overdo it. I'm hoping that it's not drowning with all the rain we've had in the last week.
Everything on the pregnancy front seems to be going well. OH, I started my new prenatal vitamins this week, and I may just have to eat crow on all the complaining I did! My body seems to LOVE those vitamins! I hope it lasts!!
My next appointment is next week; this week I was grateful for a break.
Okay, I'm out of steam and needing a nap. :-)

Back into the light!

2009-04-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

What a week. Actually, to anyone but me I think the week has looked fairly normal. My specialist appointment was okay. My cervix still looks good and long, but I'll probably start the progesterone next appointment since everyone is highly encouraging me to. Have I mentioned I hate medicine or fake hormones?? ;-) The technician did some sort of ultrasound where they look at and measure everything on baby, the uterus, and me that they possibly can. I had no idea that they would be measuring her arm and leg bones. ?? Or her heart chambers, brain lobes, and spinal cord. I probably would have been in a better mood about the whole ordeal had I felt better. I didn't realize that a technician repeatedly rolling the ultrasound "thingy" over my hernia would cause that much pain. Little Chick's heart was right under my hernia and at a weird angle, so the technician was trying to get a better picture.
I remembered the ask the specialist about all the bloodwork that she made me do last time; she hadn't had a chance to "sign off" on it but looked it over and prescribed me a new prenatal and some folic acid. I guess I have something where I don't metabolize folic acid in whatever form it generally comes, and I also have some gene that gives me a slight risk for blood clots. So I have to take a baby aspirin a day. The aspirin is not a big deal. The prenatal is a very big deal. I should take a picture of all the different bottles of prenatals I have tried over the past two years. I finally found one that I could take (2 of 6 pills, anyway), and now I have to switch. I'm not switching until my body recovers from the stress of this week, though. ;-)
I won't even go into my emotional difficulties. ha

Weighing Options

2009-04-20T19:42:00.000-07:00

I had my regular ob appointment today, and he verified the fact that we are indeed having a little girl. :-) So I went and bought some girlie yarn. Hopefully she will be easier on her blanket than Nathan has been on his. ha
Anyway, he really recommends that I start taking progesterone. The specialist mentioned it to me, but I didn't really think much about it. My doctor's opinion is that we should do all we can to help my cervix stay at the wonderful length that it's at. I have my next appointment with the specialist tomorrow, so I've been trying to research progesterone a little before then. There is some research that shows positive results in women with a history of preterm labor, although other doctors say that the long-term effects have not been thoroughly studied (and probably won't be for another twenty or thirty years - ha). Soooo, I'm trying to get all the information that I can then go with whatever choice I have the most peace with. I am kind of thinking that if my cervix is still super long I should have plenty of time to start the progesterone if it even hints that it wants to start shortening. Most of the women on whom the studies were done had a cervical length of 1.5 cm or less (mine was 5 cm).
I guess I'm just writing out my options and thoughts. We'll see how the appointment goes tomorrow. I've definitely been a lot more active the past two weeks than I have been over the first part of my pregnancy. I actually think it helped with my dizziness, though. I went to church Sunday, walked up the stairs, and was able to remain standing (and singing)! Usually I don't last more than a minute without having to sit down.
I should go to bed now. My hubs has gone to my brother's apartment for free pizza and study time, and I should be in bed. I had an awful headache today that was probably caused, in part, by several nights of bad sleep. I have to have my sleep. :-)

Walgreens, again

2009-04-18T12:21:00.001-07:00

4 Sunsilk - $1.09 each

2 Sunsilk - $2.19 each

Minus 3 $2/2 coupons

Total after tax: $3.48

Received: $6 RR

It would've only been around $1.28 if they'd had more of the $1.09 shampoo, but they did not. Still, I "made" $2.52 on these (plus I'm totally stocked on shampoo!).

I also did another transaction and got two packs of lightbulbs ($1.99 each) and a Colgate toothbrush ($3.29). The total was $6.89; I used a $6 RR and got $3.50 RR back. We needed lightbulbs, and Aldi didn't have any. :-)

I have about $22.50 in Register Rewards right now, and I plan on using them this next week to stock up on Canada Dry! Walgreens is having a sale where you buy 3/$11 and get $5 RR back (on the 12-pack of cans), so I'll be spending around $2 a pack for these. They are around $4 apiece at Walmart.

I went to Aldi today and did my grocery shopping. I have a hard time getting to Aldi because it's out of the way of our normal routes and Evan has been taking me shopping lately. So today I tried to stock up on items that I can't stand buying at Walmart because they are so much higher. I'm still trying to find my groove when it comes to shopping on the weekend and using my time wisely. :-)

Walgreens

2009-04-16T19:08:00.000-07:00

6 Degree trial-size deodorant: 99 cents each.
1 Scunci hairband pack: $2.

Minus 6 75cent/1 coupons.

Total: $4.12

Received: $2 RR for hairbands and $6 RR for Degree.

Skintimate: $2.99
Scunci: $2

Total: $5.42

Received: $3 RR for Skintimate and $2 RR for hairbands

1 Cars Valentines w/lollipops pack: 25 cents.
6 trial-size Degree deodorant: 99 cents each.
Minus 6 75cent/1 coupons.

Total: $2.22

Received: $6 RR for Degree.

I spent a total of $11.76 today (including the gift card money and register rewards I used) and got a total of $19 in register rewards back. I love when everything goes as it should.

Refried Beans

2009-04-15T18:57:00.001-07:00

I soaked 2 pounds of pinto beans all day yesterday, cooked them all night and some today in the crockpot, and then cooked and mashed them on the stove this afternoon! I was afraid they would be a bit watery because I didn't pour any liquid off, but they were the perfect consistency once they cooled. I cooked them in the crockpot with an onion and a half, 6-7 whole cloves of garlic, salt, cumin, and coriander. When I put them in a pan on the stove, I melted a stick of butter in the pan then put the beans in with a couple of the whole garlic cloves (I took out the onions). I was thoroughly impressed. I froze four bags of the beans and used the rest in our bean burritos this evening for supper. I also made some Mexican-type rice to go in the burritos and froze the rest of the plain rice.

That's about all I got done today. We spent a LOT of time outside. I pulled weeds in the front yard while Nathan dug in his "garden," our unused front flower bed. He just loves playing in the dirt. ha I enjoy having days where I feel like working! And I'm thankful that I am able to work and not have to be extremely cautious with my every move (or on bedrest). :-)

04-13-09

2009-04-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've gotten a lot accomplished today, which is always a good feeling. I don't get to have that feeling too often. :-) I used this recipe to make potato soup this evening, and it was very good. We had salad, potato soup, and homemade bread. When I froze all my bread I wasn't too sure how it would reheat, but it is really good! I sliced it before I froze it, so I'm able to take out however many slices I want each time. Very nice. I will definitely be using that bread recipe again.
Well, I thought I would write more, but it's just not going to happen tonight!

Update

2009-04-11T15:43:00.000-07:00

Everything went wonderfully at my specialist appointment! Well, except for the 10 or 11 vials of blood that they drew. About four years ago that would have sent me into orbit; it's amazing what having two kids will do for your ability to deal with needles. :-) I really like the specialist; I wasn't sure when I first saw her picture on the internet (yes, I was judging by her looks...ha). She is pretty sure we're having a girl, although I can't seem to commit to that until I hear my regular doc give his opinion. :-)
She was impressed with my cervical length, which said was about 5 cm. That is the distance from the bag of water to the outside of my cervix, and 5 cm. is a very good length. From what I have read, 3.4-4.0 cm. is an average cervix length. She also said my cervix is still curved and said that we would see the cervix straighten out before it starts shortening. All of that to say that we are at a very good starting point! She doesn't seem to think I have classic incompetent cervix (which I had wondered from the beginning), and that's why she ordered all the bloodwork to check for other issues that could have caused my cervix to open prematurely last time. She also said that she won't even consider a stitch unless I go under 2 cm. before 24 weeks.
So, that is what we're working with! I was extremely relieved to hear how long my cervix is and to hear that a cervix that is shortening rarely loses more than 1 cm. in two weeks. I guess all my weird sensations I can actually chalk up to a "normal" pregnancy! :-)
Gotta run!

What I'm up to

2009-04-07T11:35:00.001-07:00

I found a bread recipe that we ALL like, not just Nathan!!!! :-) The recipe is here. So far, I have found that her recipes are generally ones that we will like, so I am making a list of different recipes of hers that I want to try! She incorporates a lot of the Nourishing Traditions ideas, too.

I made four loaves of bread and froze one whole and the other three sliced. Evan said he liked the bread, but the proof came the next evening when he made himself two pieces of buttered bread to eat and said again how much he liked the bread. :-) It's always nice to have some success, especially after my pizza dough turned out really hard. The pizzas turned out fine, but I had to call Evan in to roll out the dough because it was so hard!

Today I finally did some much-needed cleaning around here. I didn't get everything done, but I definitely made myself feel better about my surroundings. :-) Tomorrow is my first appointment with my specialist, and I am ready to have that done. I just don't know what to expect from this doctor; I just hope she's good. Of course.

A post I like

2009-04-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

At a blog I enjoy...

I have many thoughts on her post, but I don't really have the time to muddle through them to create a post of my own. :-) So I will take from another place.

"Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls--yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills."
Habakkuk 3:17-19

The comfort in those verses is that the whole situation is bad; there is nothing good to be seen. Yet the prophet determines, sets his will, to rejoice in the Lord. For some reason, these verses give me strength today.

Instead of cleaning...

2009-04-02T11:05:00.000-07:00

I am blogging. ha My house is in serious disarray after having company over the weekend and pretty much lying around most of the week. My kitchen is clean (if you only count the sink, counter, and stove), and supper is in the crockpot, but my house! I am feeling very overwhelmed, which is probably the reason I am blogging and not being productive. That, and I'm getting off my feet for a few minutes after cooking lunch. :-) I DID pay bills, though! And laundry is actually IN THE WASHING MACHINE!
Oh, Evan took me to Walmart last night, and I spent $9.48! Want to know what I got?? Of course you do. :-) A package of boxers ($7, I'm laughing as I type this because Evan said he must need more since he's been running out; I told him that is only because his wife has been out of commission the last few days...which happened to be the laundry days.), 6 oranges, 4 boxes of Knox gelatin, 2 cans of Pringles, 5 apples, 3 bananas, a package of strawberries, a cantaloupe, and a bottle of Kraft Italian dressing. Isn't it great?!
Anyway, the specialist's office finally called me yesterday and got me scheduled for an appointment next Wednesday, the 8th. I am SO happy that I got in to see my doctor because it would have been horrible stress for the next week if I'd had to wait and wonder that whole time. I wasn't too impressed, though, when I talked to the receptionist at the specialist's office. First she told me that I was 10 1/2 weeks (I'm 15); then she said that they could get me in on the 16th. They were supposed to see me this week. So I told her no, and she miraculously got me in on the 8th. I hope I don't have to be this pushy my whole pregnancy.
On the baby front, I think I have felt the little peanut move a couple of times. Fun, but scary. I have also made the huge step of pulling out my maternity jeans today. :-) Ahhhhhhhh. It's amazing how much better they feel than the one pair of jeans that I was wearing. I can't believe I'm actually in my sixteenth week already.
Okay, I'm going to go switch over the laundry and see if I can get my living room into order. Baby steps, right??

Update

2009-04-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

The doctor said my cervix is long, long, long. Yay!! And he was pretty perturbed that the specialist's office had not called me yet. :-) He said that he would call them. Anyway, I was so relieved that I cried...and forgot to ask what the stink was causing the pressure (so now Mom is mad at me - ha). Isn't that nice?

Doctor's appointment today

2009-04-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

So, I have a doctor's appointment today. The last three days I have been feeling a lot of pressure, this was the week I was supposed to have my first specialist appointment, and I have had MAJOR issues with getting in with the lack of communication between the doctors' offices themselves and between the doctors' offices and the insurance company. Oh, I didn't mention the lack of communication between the doctor's office and ME. I've had to be a pushy patient this week, but I got through. I still haven't heard from the specialist's office, but I'm supposed to give them until tomorrow.
I finally got through to my nurse, and she is going to work me in this afternoon with my doctor. I feel better today, of course, but I am still going in. I just need to have everything checked for my own peace of mind. The last few days I've been going through every emotion possible, and stress does not do nice things to my body. I told the nurse that I would love to tell myself that it's nothing and not to worry, but I did that last time with bad results. I think once I start going in every week I'll feel better (since I don't think the cervix will just open overnight), but right now I have no clue if my cervix is doing okay or not. It hasn't been looked at since I was nine weeks.
Anyway, that is what is going on around here. I have been lying around and burning up the phone lines. ha I am praying that I get a good report today, although I'll feel guilty that I was so pushy when nothing was wrong. But, I told my doctor beforehand that I was going to be like this. I don't think they can expect anything different. It's hard to blow stuff off whenever you start having flashbacks of what happened last time.

Blathering

2009-03-25T12:58:00.001-07:00

The trip to Texas went really well. I got a bit overwhelmed when I got home and needed to clean, wash clothes, grocery plan, and grocery shop. J Cleaning went on the back burner and is just now being slowly done. I am really having to learn flexibility with my grocery shopping since I can’t just take Nathan and go and Evan hasn’t been very available on the weekends (huge project). I always loved doing my grocery shopping in the middle of the week when there weren’t many people at the store, and now that’s about the only time I can shop. Some days that REALLY bugs me. J Ah well. All for a good cause.
Speaking of good causes, my little “cause” is doing well. I went to the doctor on Monday and got to hear the heartbeat. I’m now waiting for a call from the specialist’s office to set up an appointment. I’ve struggled a bit more this week with my thoughts. I guess more little aches and pains and weird feelings are setting in, and it is hard for me to write them off as “normal” anymore. I am trying to take it easy as much as possible since I’m getting close to the time when it matters, but I have such a hard time when there is always something that needs to be done. I hate feeling useless.
Right now I’m taking a break from cleaning. After the heavy task of sweeping (yes, that’s sarcasm), my back and side were hinting that I should stop for a break. Isn’t that ridiculous? The problem is that I don’t know how many of my aches are from a lack of activity and how many are true “take a break” signs. It drives me crazy to feel lazy (ha ha ha), but I would much rather err on the side of caution. I guess I should stop complaining. ;-)
When we came back from Texas I brought home several bags of peas, bell pepper, and squash that were frozen. MeeMaw is trying to clean out some space in her freezers since garden season is almost here again, and I was more than willing to help her out. I would’ve come home with a lot more, but we were limited on space. If Stephen goes to Texas soon, I’m going to be sending him with an ice chest. Ha
Well, my back is feeling better, so I think I’ll try to clean the bathroom now. One of my sister-in-laws is coming in this weekend, so I’m really trying to get the main things clean. Having a son who uses the bathroom on his own is NOT exactly helpful.

Texas, here we come!

2009-03-15T18:44:00.001-07:00

I'm taking advantage of what will probably be my last opportunity to go to Texas until the baby comes. I am pretty much done with the nausea, and I'm not to the point where I need to be carefully watched. So I am going. I always hate leaving Evan, but I am actually excited to be going. I think Evan's preoccupation with school and my inability to get out much both contribute to my antsiness. :-)
I have Evan stocked up on food. I roasted a chicken last night then used the bones to make broth. I made chicken salad with half of the leftover chicken, and the other half I used in my chicken noodle soup I made today with the broth. Evan loves chicken noodle soup. :-) He has a few other meals, as well, so he should be set.
Now I'm tired, and I haven't even packed my bags yet. I did make my soaked flour muffins this afternoon, and they turned out really well. I used buttermilk to soak the flour instead of yogurt, and I think it works much better for muffins. I'm taking muffins and other things I've made to try to keep a little of the same diet for me while I'm there.
Well, I should go pack. I guess. Or go watch a movie with Mom and Evan. The bad thing is that I need to get out my maternity clothes and see if there are a few things in there I can wear.

Wipes!

2009-03-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

I went to Target today and spent about $6.80 on this stuff. My total before coupons was almost $28. I think I have enough wipes to last me quite a while. :-)

Today

2009-03-10T19:06:00.000-07:00

I have a hard time with post titles, especially when I am mainly just rambling. :-)
I scooped poop yesterday; today my back is really hurting. I don't know if it was just the scooping or all the kneading yesterday, as well, that pushed me over the edge. I feel so out of shape, but I don't know if there is much I can do about it.
My half-and-half bread turned out okay. It just has a weird taste, and I'm not sure exactly what it comes from. I have a hard time believing it is just from the wheat flour, but I just don't know. Hmph. ;-)
I did make whole wheat pizza dough this evening, and it turned out really well! I was so happy! It made enough dough for four pizzas, so I made two and froze the dough for the other two. It feels so wonderful when something actually works. ha

03-09-09

2009-03-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

I'm officially twelve weeks today. :-) I think this is the "silent period" of pregnancy. I don't feel yucky, and I don't feel anything moving. I just don't really feel pregnant. Okay, other than the fact that I have all of two pairs of pants to wear. ;-) It will probably be another month or so before I can feel baby. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing the heartbeat at the next appointment.
I went to Walgreens with Mom this weekend and got about $65-worth of diapers for $15. I almost feel badly for stocking up so early, but it was a really good deal! I also got two huge cans of Planters cashews, two bottles of Coffeemate creamer, Garnier shampo, Glade Sense&Spray, a box of PediaSure snack bars, Colgate toothpaste, and Glad Clingwrap for $9 and some change. :-)
I am going to try to get free Huggies wipes at some point this week. It depends on whether or not I can find them at a Walgreens around here.
This morning I made sourdough waffles, and they were good! Last night I took out a cup of my starter and added two cups of warm water and three cups of flour (two white, one wheat). This morning I added eggs, coconut oil, salt, honey, and baking soda. I was pretty impressed!
I am making bread again today, and I'm trying half white, half wheat. I figure it's better than nothing if Evan will eat it! ;-) I'm ready to see how it turns out. I have one loaf left from last week, but Evan will not eat it. ha I'm hoping to try the sourdough pancake recipe at some point. I want to have things like the waffles and pancakes made ahead and frozen for quick meals for Nathan and me.
I guess that's all for now!

Whew!

2009-03-06T14:14:00.000-08:00

I feel so tired! This week has been interesting. Wednesday night I started getting a sore throat, and Thursday morning my lower back was hurting. By lunch my lower abdomen was cramping, and I was pretty scared since everything felt like I was about to "start." I lay down while Nathan was taking a nap then sat for most of the afternoon/evening. Nathan was great and sat almost an hour and a half (with a couple of breaks for potty and jumping up to get something) with me reading books. I don't know if he was feeling a bit down, too; but he was definitely more sedate and cuddly than normal. :-) Thursday night my stomach was starting to feel better, but I had a little fever. When I woke up this morning, I felt pretty much back to normal, other than being a little tired. Hopefully, that's over and nothing else will come of it. Of course, I'm feeling every little ache or pain and trying to ignore them!
Evan actually came home early today, so I was able to go to the grocery store and get that out of the way. We're heading to my parents tonight, and I am very happy. My "running around" has been drastically cut down lately, so I've been feeling pretty couped up, especially since Evan has been so busy. Usually I'm just going to the grocery store or running to Walgreens, but it's funny how those times count as "getting out." I haven't been able to do that much lately just because I can't put Nathan in a cart (I'm not lifting him anymore) and he's not the greatest at making a relaxing shopping trip when he's out of the cart. ha
So, that is life right now. I don't have another appointment for two and a half weeks, but I'll be really happy to hear a heartbeat. After that appointment, I'll be shortly starting the weekly appointments. In some ways, these first almost twelve weeks have flown by.

03-03-09

2009-03-03T12:40:00.000-08:00

The bread wasn’t really what I expected. Nathan likes it, though! It is just very different and not at all like MeeMaw’s sourdough bread. Of course, hers is made with white flour, so I suppose that would make a lot of difference. I haven’t decided yet if the bread recipe can be worked with. I might still try the waffles; Nathan will eat them if nothing else. He ate two slices of bread this morning with honey. I ate a piece of bread with eggs on top. It really wasn’t bad. I remember the bread I ate in Russia was a lot like this bread, and I actually got accustomed to it and craved it when I got back home. Hmmmm…
Today I am not being nearly as motivated. I just feel worn out. Ha I do have my beans in the crockpot for Red Beans and Rice, and today is the perfect day for them.
I am still reading my Charlotte Mason books. I just finished School Education and have started Ourselves. So far, I am not getting interested in Ourselves. I am hoping that will change as I read. I did enjoy the end of School Education because she gave her opinion of a general schedule for school. The more I read, the more I feel that her general approach to education is the one that I would love to use. Everything she says rings true with what I learned through my personal and teaching experiences. I am glad I have a bit of time before I have to put the "rubber to the road," though. It's nice to have the time to plan what you want to do and find the books and resources that you will need.

Busy Morning

2009-03-02T06:47:00.001-08:00

I feel so productive this morning! I have been making my sourdough starter for a week now, and today is bread-making day! I actually got up before my son today to read; then I made my bread dough. I definitely got my upper-body workout in the 10-12 minutes of kneading. :-) Nathan had his own little piece of dough that he was working on. So, now I wait until my dough doubles (probably sometime this afternoon), and I'll have to knead it again and put it in the bread pans to rise again. Hopefully I'll have bread pictures by the end of the day! ha I hope, hope, hope that it turns out well. I love sourdough bread. I am actually contemplating sourdough waffles tomorrow. Here is the link to my inspiration.
We are having deer roast tonight, so I also had to brown the roast and put that in the crockpot this morning. Since I was already pretty busy, I decided to put my veggies in later in the day. I just put the deer broth (homemade), onion, celery, and garlic in the bottom of the crockpot and put the roast on top; I'll add the carrots and potatoes later. We'll see how that works. Now I'm taking a break before cleaning the kitchen and starting laundry. :-)
By the way, my husband is going straight to the library after work today to work on his research project, so does anyone want supper?? ha ha

A deal!!!

2009-02-28T15:37:00.000-08:00

Whew! It's been a while! I don't think I had been to Walgreens in over three weeks! I don't think it hurt me, although I did have two RR's that expired. I have used expired ones before, though; so I am hopeful they will still work.

My profit on the five items in the picture was about $4. :-)

We also stopped by Quiznos today while we were out and picked up our two free subs (Turkey, Bacon, Guacamole). I thought we would at least have to pay tax or something, but we walked out without paying a dime! Since we are going on a pretty strict budget, I was even more happy that we "ate out" without touching our "eat out" money. :-)

Hmmm. I suppose I haven't yet announced to the blogging world that I'm pregnant. So there. :-) We're cautiously optimistic, as Evan says, and I am even thinking about doing the Huggies diaper deal in a couple of weeks. I really haven't let myself get too excited, although I can honestly say that I am hopeful. We have planned for "in case," so I do not think much about having to be on bedrest. I am going to hope for the best and yet know that we are as prepared as we can be for the next-to-worst. Worst, I suppose, would be a repeat of last time.

This blog will probably be the blog that contains all the details of my pregnancy (cervix lengths, appointments, etc.), so be prepared! I am just happy that I actually feel like blogging again. :-) For a while there I was doing good to keep my home from completely going to shambles.

Enough for today!

Character

2009-02-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

Here is a quote from Charlotte Mason's School Education:

"...train character and intellectual ‘development’ largely takes care of itself...."

What do you think?
I think I may agree. Now, intellectual development does not mean the aquisition of knowledge, but the actual development of intellect (the capacity for knowledge, the capacity for rational or intellegent thought). Is one's capacity for knowledge and rational thought limited by one's character?
More later...

Homeland - $10.50

2009-01-28T18:15:00.001-08:00

Homeland doubles coupons up to a dollar, once per transaction (they won't keep doubling the same coupon). Sometimes this works out really well...

2 Kraft cheese: 2/$4 - $1/2 (coupon doubled)=$2

1 Quaker oats: $2 - $0.60 (doubled)= $0.80

2 Quaker Chewy Bars: $4 - $1/2 (doubled)= $2

2 Quaker Life cereal: $4 - $1/2 (doubled)=$2

2 Wheat Thins: 2/$4 - $2/2=$2

2 Pace Picante Sauce: 2/$3 - $0.75/2 (doubled)=$1.50

1 Kraft Mayo: $2.50 - $0.75 (doubled)=$1

1 pkg. Chinet plates: $2.50 - $1 (doubled)=$0.50

I also used a Homeland coupon for $3 off for buying 5 Quaker products.

My total before coupons was around $28; my total after coupons was $10.50.

Woo hoo!!! Okay, well, I was impressed. ;-)

Homeland

2009-01-22T13:08:00.000-08:00

What I bought:
2 8-oz. bags of cheese (2/$4)
2 cans of Hormel chili ($1 each)
1 box of Swiss Miss ($1)
2 bottles of Suave ($1 each)
2 6-oz. cartons of blueberries ($1 each)
2 avocados ($1 each)
1 cucumber ($1), not pictured

My total after coupons and tax: $12.67.

The Suave was free after Homeland doubled my coupon, and the chili was 45 cents a can after my coupon. I probably could have gotten the avocados and cucumber cheaper at Aldi, but I don't know when I'm going, and I needed them. :-) The blueberries were a great deal, though!! I make buttermilk blueberry pancakes with them, and they are GOOD! Nathan and Evan also just like them raw.

Yesterday and today

2009-01-20T11:49:00.000-08:00

I started a post yesterday, but it took on too much of a ranting note for my tastes. ha No, it wasn't about politics; it was actually about my frustration with Quicken and the fact that my child decided that he didn't want to use the potty during the time I was frustrated with Quicken. :-) I was a bit tired last night. However, I did get Quicken figured out, and I also swept, mopped, and vacuumed. Yay!
Today I have started my deer broth (I had to use an ax to get the leg bone down to fit my crockpot!), taken the kiddo to get a haircut, read books, and played Legos. I know there are other things to be done, but I haven't thought hard enough about it yet. I am definitely a "list" person. :-) I would actually love to take a nap, but I feel slightly ridiculous since I slept from 9:30 last night until 7:00 this morning. I didn't even hear the alarm! Oh well.

My first time...

2009-01-20T11:45:00.000-08:00

So, Nathan and I were reading books this morning, and he handed me a book that was given to him at the library (the library had given everyone at library time a few baby books). I was reading it to him when I noticed something odd about the page on the left. Hmmmm, thought I. Then I kept going. I couldn't get a very good picture of the next page (I would be showing you who was pushing the stroller with the twins), but I did manage to get a good one of the facing page... See anything interesting?

Walgreens 01-18-09

2009-01-18T14:17:00.001-08:00

My total after I went in and got my money back...$13.14. And I got $4 in RR back, too. I was a bit irritated because I forgot to use my $4.50 in RR from last time, but they don't expire for a while, so I'm okay.

Magic Erasers (LOVE these): 2/$5

Kleenex: 2/$1.98

Kotex: 2/$6 (then got $1 RR for these)

Tylenol: 2/$10 (then got $3 RR for these)

I used two $0.40/1 coupons on the Kleenex, two $1.50/1 coupons on the Kotex, and two $4/1 coupons on Tylenol. I actually made a dollar on the Tylenol and spent a dollar each on the Kotex. The magic erasers were the most expensive items, but they work really well on our bathtub. The Tylenol rang up $7.49 each the first time around (instead of $5 each), and I figured that out on my way out of the store as I was doing my mental total in my head. ha So I went back and got my $5.40 back. ;-)

What I'm up to

2009-01-16T12:10:00.000-08:00

I’m not being as productive today as I was yesterday. Even though yesterday brought some issues that I didn’t greatly enjoy (my son had bowel trouble which began with him soiling, terribly, two pairs of underwear and ended with me giving up and putting a pull-up on him), I still had a fairly productive day. We went to the library for library time, made bread (my first try in a long time), made yogurt, swept the kitchen, let the dogs in, swept the kitchen again, and vacuumed the whole house. Okay, so it doesn’t sound so impressive once I write it out, but I felt really productive! We all really liked the bread recipe I used, so I definitely think I will be making bread again.
I think I have mentioned making Avocado Yogurt Dip; I use avocado, yogurt, and a bit of red pepper. Yesterday I made the dip, left out the red pepper, and added chopped red onion. It was very good! We ate it with pretzels, but I’m trying to think of something better to eat it with…any ideas? I’m trying to stay away from white flour lately (it and sugar seem to give me grief), so I may just have to buy some whole wheat crackers. I wish there were a veggie that went well with avocado dip. I tried carrots…nope.
Hmmm, what else can I talk about… Oh! I am reading through Charlotte Mason’s homeschool series, and I really enjoy the reading. I am almost finished with the first book Home Education, Training and educating children under nine. I don’t know why I always feel obliged to say this about books that I enjoy, but “I do not agree with everything in the book.” Ha There is so much good in the book, though, so many ideas and useful tips. I would almost go as far as to say that every mother should read this book, whether she chooses home, public, or private school. I have many other thoughts about this book, but I’ll save those for a later post.
Well, that is all for now. I can’t believe I was actually in a writing mood today! Now I need to transfer that motivation to some chores around here.

Walgreens 01-12-09

2009-01-12T11:46:00.001-08:00

Two Listerine, two Celestial Seasonings tea, and one Revlon eye pencil: $22.48 plus tax, minus $15.49 in coupons ($3 off $10, $10 RR, $3.49 Celestial Seasonings): $5.65.

I paid $5.65 on my Walgreens gift card (and used my $10 RR). I got $4.50 RR and will get $10.99 back on my gift card.
My loss: $0.16

And Evan had just told me this morning that we needed more mouthwash!! ;-) Okay, I was impressed. ha

Walgreens 01-10-09

2009-01-12T11:39:00.001-08:00

Four Garnier Fructis gel and one Orajel overnight patch: $20.45 plus tax.
Minus $13.00 in coupons: $9.26.
I spent $9.26 on my Walgreens gift card, and I will get $9.34 back on my gift card. Then I will send in for the Orajel rebate and should get $8.oo back for that.
My profit (about): $8.08

Walgreens 01-10-09

2009-01-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

Three Flintstones children's vitamins and one bottle of Flintstones (at Mom's, not pictured).
$20.00 plus tax, minus $7.00 in coupons:
$14.77.

I spent $14.77 in my rebate cash and got $10 Register Rewards back. I am also going to send in for the 1/2 price rebate, so I should get $6.50.
My profit: $1.73.

Alone

2009-01-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

I will be without the physical presence of my child for two days next week. I'm a bit unsure of the outcome. The last (and only) time I left him for a couple of days I was with Evan the whole time. This time I will be at home...where he should be. :-) Hmmmm.
My mom offered to keep him for a few days, and I accepted (I could hear the surprise in her voice). I was a bit unsure at first but then decided that there are many things I could get done in two days. So I am now going to work on my list. I must have a list. I am in a "get 'er done" mood today, so I am hoping I can recapture that mood again next week. :-)

Chronicles of Spooky: Daily Life

Life

Good day

Books I am reading

Love this...

Brrrr!

A new day

I love this song.

NewsboysWhen The Tears Fall lyrics

Kombucha

Sour dough

That time of year

Quickly...

One day at a time

Butter and other things

School?

Whoa...

Today

Vacation

Life

Interesting

Raw Milk

His Response

Praying

Not what I should be doing...

This 'n That

Sunshine

Books I am reading

Whew!

Still going...

Rendering Lard

Missing him

Garden

Want to see what I got for $5???

Yes, I'm here!

Ouch

Experimenting

Effort

Bread-making

Food

Life

What's new?

Walgreens 9/27

Refried Beans

The Countdown is over!!

36 Weeks!!

35 Weeks, 3 Days

August 19th

35 Weeks, 1 Day

34 Weeks, 5 Days

34 Weeks, 1 Day

34 Weeks

33 Weeks, 1 Day

32 Weeks, 5 days

32 Weeks

31 Weeks, 6 Days

31 weeks, 4 days

31 weeks, 1 day

30 weeks, 4 days

Today's Appointment

Nice Weekend

Wowza

Monday

Home!

Today's Appointment

A post!

Quick post

Walgreens today

Friday!

Back into the light!

Weighing Options

Walgreens, again

Walgreens

Refried Beans

04-13-09

Update

What I'm up to

A post I like

Instead of cleaning...

Update

Newsboys
When The Tears Fall lyrics