I am sitting here, feeling very tired and a bit disheartened after a long day. It wasn't a bad day at all really, just long and tiring.
Sometimes it helps me to make a list of things that I need to do. Ticking off points on a to do list can be really enjoyable for me. But today I made a list of everything that I need to do during a day. The disheartened part comes in where I realize that I literally cannot get it all done in one day.
As stay at home mom, my job can be broken down into 2 parts, kids and house. Typically what happens is this: I concentrate on one side and the other one gets completely ignored.
On a good kid day, I get the kids up, feed them breakfast, play with them, give them lunch, put them down for a nap, get them up, play with them or go somewhere with them, give them dinner, read them stories or let them play for a little bit, brush their teeth, pray with them, and put them to bed. Occasionally, I will even bathe them. I am a super-fun, paying attention, and disciplining when needed mommy.
But you may or may not notice the lack of cleaning anything whatsoever during this time, because children are needy little time suckers and they apparently don't mind living in bio-hazard dump. They are fed, but dishes and uneaten food is piled on my table and counters. On days like this, my house looks like a little slice of hell for anyone presenting with even the mildest symptoms of OCD.
On a good house day, I get my dishes cleaned up after every meal (which of course is made from scratch), I might go out grocery shopping, I might do the laundry. My floors are picked up and swept, my counter is clear, my laundry is done, put away and folded, the bathrooms are clean, the bedrooms are clean. I might declutter a closet in my journey to a more simple life. Things get dusted. Beds get made. I am a domestic goddess.
These days are only possible on the rare days when my children are completely out of the house. Completely removed. My husband might have them at their grandparents. I don't see them. I am absent mommy.
Sometimes, I imagine a day that I might spend on me. I would take a shower! I would paint using my sadly neglected watercolors! I would practice yoga (maybe even at the gym) and study my materials to take the yoga teachers certification. I would read my Bible and take my time. I would pray. I might even watch a movie. I might blog if I was feeling particularly motivated.
These days are a dream and cannot be.
But I try to do it all. The grocery shopping, the meal planning, the cooking, the cleaning, the laundry, taking care of the kids, actually playing with the kids, connecting with them in a way that they and I need. I even try to do something for me. But the kids end a mess, I end exhausted and a mess, trying to keep the kids happy while never truly connecting while I never really clean because I am being distracted by the kids. At the end of the day, the house is a wreck, the kids are in bed, and I am too exhausted to do anything fun for myself of with my husband. I am completely knackered.
And that's where I am right now. Sitting at my desk, typing out my frustrations and looking at the list of things that I try to get done every day and trying not to cry.
Because I cannot do it all, and because I don't know how to stop trying.
Showing posts with label family life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family life. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Christmas Tradtitions (The Davidson Side)
Now that Christmas is over and I am on vacation, I have time again. And I promised myself that i would write a bit about the Christmas Traditions coming from my side of the family.
With the Davidsons, tradition centers more around Christmas Eve and Christmas day, as opposed to the events leading up until Christmas.
There is the Christmas Eve party where everyone in my family (and I do mean EVERYONE, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, boyfriends and girlfriends of all involved...) crams together into somebody's house where we eat delectable food and exchange gifts. After everyone eats we crowd into a room and the younger children read take turns reading the sections of the Christmas story. Its really a beautiful thing to have the whole family together in one room and reading together the whole reason for Christmas. (somehow this didn't end up happening this year, which was really really sad to me). After that, the under 16 crowd do a "Secret Santa" (the names for which are typically exchanged at Thanksgiving). But the adults do a somewhat cutthroat version of white elephant gifts.
If you don't do a white elephant gift exchange, you totally should. Its the best. Here is how it works: Everyone brings a gift with no name on it and puts it in a heap of other gifts on the floor. The participating crowd draws numbers, and the fun begins. The first person picks a gift, which is fairly boring. But when number 2 gets his turn, he can choose to pick a gift from the pile OR steal the gift from the first person, who would then have to pick again. If a gift has been exchanged 3 times, then it is considered "dead" and can't be taken again. Compounding the interest is huge variety in gift quality. From bright pink mini tool sets, to "snuggies" to hand crafted pottery, to family heirlooms, you really could get just about anything. In one particularly well remembered exchange, my uncle unwisely picked a gift brought by my husband... a "Peruvian bar-b-q Set" which included a giant spatula, and Guinea pig bedding, among other things. This year, a 12 pack of beer went strangely quickly. This game gets rough, you guys. Bribing is common, and stealing is encouraged. Don't get to comfortable with that apple pie in the beautiful polish pottery dish. It won't be coming home with you.
After this, we are brought back around the table where a birthday cake sits. After singing happy birthday to Jesus and eating our cake, we start to pack up and go home. (AGAIN, something that didn't happen this year. How? How can this be?!?!)
On Christmas Morning after opening gifts, everyone gets their choice between baked oatmeal or oatmeal a la mode. We also eat some kind of egg dish and "monkey bread" If you don't know monkey bread, I am so so sorry.
I have to say, now that I am comfortably on the other side of the holidays; Christmas, while really lovely this year, lacked some of the traditions that I have come to depend on and love... Singing happy birthday to Jesus, reading the Christmas story all together as a family... I love that part of Christmas and looked forward to it. I missed it this year, and I truly hope that this doesn't mark the beginning of a trend in the family.
With the Davidsons, tradition centers more around Christmas Eve and Christmas day, as opposed to the events leading up until Christmas.
There is the Christmas Eve party where everyone in my family (and I do mean EVERYONE, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, boyfriends and girlfriends of all involved...) crams together into somebody's house where we eat delectable food and exchange gifts. After everyone eats we crowd into a room and the younger children read take turns reading the sections of the Christmas story. Its really a beautiful thing to have the whole family together in one room and reading together the whole reason for Christmas. (somehow this didn't end up happening this year, which was really really sad to me). After that, the under 16 crowd do a "Secret Santa" (the names for which are typically exchanged at Thanksgiving). But the adults do a somewhat cutthroat version of white elephant gifts.
If you don't do a white elephant gift exchange, you totally should. Its the best. Here is how it works: Everyone brings a gift with no name on it and puts it in a heap of other gifts on the floor. The participating crowd draws numbers, and the fun begins. The first person picks a gift, which is fairly boring. But when number 2 gets his turn, he can choose to pick a gift from the pile OR steal the gift from the first person, who would then have to pick again. If a gift has been exchanged 3 times, then it is considered "dead" and can't be taken again. Compounding the interest is huge variety in gift quality. From bright pink mini tool sets, to "snuggies" to hand crafted pottery, to family heirlooms, you really could get just about anything. In one particularly well remembered exchange, my uncle unwisely picked a gift brought by my husband... a "Peruvian bar-b-q Set" which included a giant spatula, and Guinea pig bedding, among other things. This year, a 12 pack of beer went strangely quickly. This game gets rough, you guys. Bribing is common, and stealing is encouraged. Don't get to comfortable with that apple pie in the beautiful polish pottery dish. It won't be coming home with you.
After this, we are brought back around the table where a birthday cake sits. After singing happy birthday to Jesus and eating our cake, we start to pack up and go home. (AGAIN, something that didn't happen this year. How? How can this be?!?!)
On Christmas Morning after opening gifts, everyone gets their choice between baked oatmeal or oatmeal a la mode. We also eat some kind of egg dish and "monkey bread" If you don't know monkey bread, I am so so sorry.
I have to say, now that I am comfortably on the other side of the holidays; Christmas, while really lovely this year, lacked some of the traditions that I have come to depend on and love... Singing happy birthday to Jesus, reading the Christmas story all together as a family... I love that part of Christmas and looked forward to it. I missed it this year, and I truly hope that this doesn't mark the beginning of a trend in the family.
Monday, December 7, 2015
Christmas Tradtions (On the Warren Side)
By the power of youtube, a damp microfiber cloth, and compressed air, my space key has been fixed. And I don't mind telling you that I feel pretty accomplished now. I could totally work in the apple store, fixing space keys.
One of the beautiful things about folks getting married is that it combines 2 people with different family traditions, and together you get to pick and choose your favorites, and even start some new ones. Andy and I already have adopted a bunch of traditions in the 5 years that we have been married, some old, some new. Initially I was going to just combine them all in one post, but each family just has its own flavor, and I thought deserved their own posts.
From Andy's side of the family, the biggest traditions mostly come before the day itself. The highlights are picking the tree, going to Longwood Gardens to see the Christmas lights, and decorating the house.
When it comes to trees, there are 2 tree picking methods, the new and the old. The new method is the one currently in use by Andy's family. His parents have an exceedingly high ceiling in their living room, you see, and they always take advantage of its height by getting the biggest flipping tree they can possibly find. These trees have been given up by the tree farms as impossible to sell, because no one wants or can fit a 20 ft tree in the living room. They somehow break the laws of physics to get it through the door, and get many ladders to decorate it. One year, they only managed to string lights on the bottom two thirds of the tree. That's all they could reach people. I tried to find a picture to post, but I can't find one for the life of me.
Andy and I, who have normal ceilings in our house, adopted the old Christmas tree tradition in picking out a live tree, with a bulb intact so that it could be planted once Christmas was over. We even added to the tradition in a way. We always pick a white pine now, because they do the best in our soil. The other trees that we picked in previous years are a bit stunted, where they survived at all. So while a white pine may not be the most traditional of Christmas Trees, it has become our go to. We picked out our tree yesterday, a feat made easy by the fact that they only had 3 white pines bulb-d. Amelia wasn't terribly interested in the tree-picking. She liked to play in the mud and to look at the big tree grabber that loaded the tree into the truck that we borrowed from Andy's dad.
The family at Longwood Gardens
From Andy's side of the family, the biggest traditions mostly come before the day itself. The highlights are picking the tree, going to Longwood Gardens to see the Christmas lights, and decorating the house.
When it comes to trees, there are 2 tree picking methods, the new and the old. The new method is the one currently in use by Andy's family. His parents have an exceedingly high ceiling in their living room, you see, and they always take advantage of its height by getting the biggest flipping tree they can possibly find. These trees have been given up by the tree farms as impossible to sell, because no one wants or can fit a 20 ft tree in the living room. They somehow break the laws of physics to get it through the door, and get many ladders to decorate it. One year, they only managed to string lights on the bottom two thirds of the tree. That's all they could reach people. I tried to find a picture to post, but I can't find one for the life of me.
Andy and I, who have normal ceilings in our house, adopted the old Christmas tree tradition in picking out a live tree, with a bulb intact so that it could be planted once Christmas was over. We even added to the tradition in a way. We always pick a white pine now, because they do the best in our soil. The other trees that we picked in previous years are a bit stunted, where they survived at all. So while a white pine may not be the most traditional of Christmas Trees, it has become our go to. We picked out our tree yesterday, a feat made easy by the fact that they only had 3 white pines bulb-d. Amelia wasn't terribly interested in the tree-picking. She liked to play in the mud and to look at the big tree grabber that loaded the tree into the truck that we borrowed from Andy's dad.
Behold, our tree, trussed up and ready to take home.
Longwood Gardens is about an hour and a half away from our house, and every year they decorate the whole park lavishly for Christmas. Lights everywhere. It is tradition for the Warrens to go around Christmas to freeze our little tails off watching the fountain display and admire the outside lights, to walk around to get some hot chocolate, cider or mulled wine and then to walk the conservatory look at the displays in a warmer setting. Longwood Gardens has become one of the favorite things that we do each year... and this year we are planning on doing it twice.
Quick (adorable) note: Amelia really loved the musical fountain display in particular. She just so happened to mix up the word "fountain" with "mountain" and was talking about the "fairy mountains" all evening. So cute! Now we went this year when it was relatively warm but it is usually freezing cold out, so bundle up for the outside lights!
Quick (adorable) note: Amelia really loved the musical fountain display in particular. She just so happened to mix up the word "fountain" with "mountain" and was talking about the "fairy mountains" all evening. So cute! Now we went this year when it was relatively warm but it is usually freezing cold out, so bundle up for the outside lights!
"Look at the pretty flowers!"
As for the decorating with the Warrens, the Christmas decorations aren't anything extravagant. just a few lights and some personalized stockings and all, but the thing is... my family never really decorated for Christmas. One extraordinary year, my mom hung a wreath on the door and put those fake candles in the windows, and this attempt blew our minds. Now, my family does a tree and stockings and always have, but that is IT for decorations. So we went with the Warren tradition of... you know... actually decorating.
Oh, one other tradition that we adopted from the Warren side is that they got to pick out one small gift from their stockings on Christmas Eve. We all love the little taste before the "big day".
So that's it for the Warren traditions that we are carrying on. Later, I will have to tell you about the Davidson Family traditions.
What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?
So that's it for the Warren traditions that we are carrying on. Later, I will have to tell you about the Davidson Family traditions.
What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?
Friday, November 20, 2015
Help! My Little Kid is Turning into a Big Kid... And I'm not ready for it!
It all started with a trip to Chicago...
Ok, no, it all started long before that. The whole thing started when we had kids. When Amelia was a newborn, people assured me that I'd miss my baby when my baby turned into a toddler. But here's the truth... I haven't missed a single SECOND of babyhood. I feel like a horrible cold-hearted person for saying it, but there you go. I am not a fan of the newborn and little baby stage. But let me tell you guys... I have been loving this toddler stage with Amelia. I love talking with her and listening to her developing vocabulary, watching her learn, admiring her drawings... it is harder in many ways, yes. She is in the "terrible" twos (come on guys, who came up with that name? They are more challenging yes, but not terrible. What a horrid thing to say.) so she is pushing boundaries, we've had to start real discipline, but the bad times are so worth it for the good ones that come along.
So I have been loving this stage with Amelia, and I have been really looking forward to Victor getting closer to this stage as well. Not hurrying him, but I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't excited.
But chaaaaaange is here... a couple of weeks ago at Amelia's 2 year old check up, our pediatrician recommended that we get rid of Amelia's pacifier (or in our house, her "bobble"). I knew this was coming, so it didn't really even throw me. But we decided to wait until after visiting my brother-in-law in Chicago to work on transitioning them away. I had already made my declaration that I was done buying replacement bobbles for any that may be lost, so when we couldn't find the ones we came EXTREMELY close to being done while on holiday in poor, unsuspecting uncle Pete's house. We found one, however, and were going to not give it to her, but she started running a fever and we melted a bit at how miserable she was. But the first day we were home (Tuesday) we took her bobbles cold turkey. This wasn't the plan. I was going to have them just for bedtime, but my confident husband voted that we just take them. So we did. And now, she has been bobble-less for several days. She has been taking it like a champ. Today, she didn't mention her bobble even once! The story is that her bobbles heard that she was so big that she didn't need them anymore, so they went to find a little baby who needed a bobble. That's the story, and I am sticking with it.
The lack of bobble has spawned another change and one that I SURE AS ALL HECK was not ready for... Amelia has stopped napping. I am trying to hang on to a quiet time at least... clinging to the cliff's edge by my fingernails. But I will win this one. I need a break in the afternoon, I just do. I am a happier, pleasanter mommy if I have had an hour to myself. So we are trying to establish a quiet time. More on that later, maybe. For now, that's all I can really say about it.
The other change that threatened was "the big girl bed". This didn't end up being a permanent thing, thank goodness. But the facts were that we had one "pack-and-play" at Pete's and it was big enough for Victor, and too small for Amelia. So, she was in a big girl bed for the weekend. It didn't go horribly, but it could have been better. I am not looking forward to this transition, which I am sure will come at the most inconvenient time possible. But the second that she starts trying to climb out of her bed, I don't have a choice. (Well, technically yes, I do have a choice, but chaining your children in bed tends to be looked down on.)
And now, after just a few days after one big change in her little life, we are staring down the barrel of potty training. Oh lordy... I don't want to give up diapers... but the facts are these... She has gone on the potty before, therefore, she CAN do it, but mostly she has been taking her diapers off by herself and going commando... Diapers, as I am sure you are aware, are only useful when they are being worn, child! Come on! But I am so torn, because I have asked her so many times, and she flat out doesn't want to sit on the potty, but this diaper-less-without-the-benefits-of-the-potty thing has got to stop. And it starts tomorrow. If she isn't ready, she isn't ready, and I know and I understand that, but we are giving it a go this weekend. Pray for our immortal souls.
Mostly, this post has all been about Amelia, but she isn't the only one growing up. Oh my goodness, you guys, my son's babyhood is on fast forward. When he came home a little over 2 months ago, he was underweight, he only wanted his bottle, would refuse anything offered by spoon that wasn't a paste (and didn't eat much of that) and could barely sit up by himself. He's already gained several pounds, officially putting him on the charts (he was too little to even have a percentile on the growth charts before). Now, he won't have a hearing for anything that he doesn't see on everyone's plate (though he still takes his bottle whenever he can.) Now he can not only sit up by himself, he went straight to belly crawling, to crawling, to pulling himself up on things, to trying to walk and stand independently all in a little over 2 months! People, my son is incredible! I am so proud of him, and so blessed and honored to be his mommy. I just can't even tell you. But he's still such a little baby to me... and that's why this post is titled as it is, even though maybe it should be "Help! My Little Kids are Turning into Big Kids... And I'm not ready for it!"
Amelia at the Brookfield Zoo near Chicago.
But chaaaaaange is here... a couple of weeks ago at Amelia's 2 year old check up, our pediatrician recommended that we get rid of Amelia's pacifier (or in our house, her "bobble"). I knew this was coming, so it didn't really even throw me. But we decided to wait until after visiting my brother-in-law in Chicago to work on transitioning them away. I had already made my declaration that I was done buying replacement bobbles for any that may be lost, so when we couldn't find the ones we came EXTREMELY close to being done while on holiday in poor, unsuspecting uncle Pete's house. We found one, however, and were going to not give it to her, but she started running a fever and we melted a bit at how miserable she was. But the first day we were home (Tuesday) we took her bobbles cold turkey. This wasn't the plan. I was going to have them just for bedtime, but my confident husband voted that we just take them. So we did. And now, she has been bobble-less for several days. She has been taking it like a champ. Today, she didn't mention her bobble even once! The story is that her bobbles heard that she was so big that she didn't need them anymore, so they went to find a little baby who needed a bobble. That's the story, and I am sticking with it.
The lack of bobble has spawned another change and one that I SURE AS ALL HECK was not ready for... Amelia has stopped napping. I am trying to hang on to a quiet time at least... clinging to the cliff's edge by my fingernails. But I will win this one. I need a break in the afternoon, I just do. I am a happier, pleasanter mommy if I have had an hour to myself. So we are trying to establish a quiet time. More on that later, maybe. For now, that's all I can really say about it.
The other change that threatened was "the big girl bed". This didn't end up being a permanent thing, thank goodness. But the facts were that we had one "pack-and-play" at Pete's and it was big enough for Victor, and too small for Amelia. So, she was in a big girl bed for the weekend. It didn't go horribly, but it could have been better. I am not looking forward to this transition, which I am sure will come at the most inconvenient time possible. But the second that she starts trying to climb out of her bed, I don't have a choice. (Well, technically yes, I do have a choice, but chaining your children in bed tends to be looked down on.)
And now, after just a few days after one big change in her little life, we are staring down the barrel of potty training. Oh lordy... I don't want to give up diapers... but the facts are these... She has gone on the potty before, therefore, she CAN do it, but mostly she has been taking her diapers off by herself and going commando... Diapers, as I am sure you are aware, are only useful when they are being worn, child! Come on! But I am so torn, because I have asked her so many times, and she flat out doesn't want to sit on the potty, but this diaper-less-without-the-benefits-of-the-potty thing has got to stop. And it starts tomorrow. If she isn't ready, she isn't ready, and I know and I understand that, but we are giving it a go this weekend. Pray for our immortal souls.
Mostly, this post has all been about Amelia, but she isn't the only one growing up. Oh my goodness, you guys, my son's babyhood is on fast forward. When he came home a little over 2 months ago, he was underweight, he only wanted his bottle, would refuse anything offered by spoon that wasn't a paste (and didn't eat much of that) and could barely sit up by himself. He's already gained several pounds, officially putting him on the charts (he was too little to even have a percentile on the growth charts before). Now, he won't have a hearing for anything that he doesn't see on everyone's plate (though he still takes his bottle whenever he can.) Now he can not only sit up by himself, he went straight to belly crawling, to crawling, to pulling himself up on things, to trying to walk and stand independently all in a little over 2 months! People, my son is incredible! I am so proud of him, and so blessed and honored to be his mommy. I just can't even tell you. But he's still such a little baby to me... and that's why this post is titled as it is, even though maybe it should be "Help! My Little Kids are Turning into Big Kids... And I'm not ready for it!"
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Halloween... or the day everyone eats themselves into a sugar coma
I am more or less the Halloween version of Scrooge. I don't really like the whole eating yourself sick with (individually wrapped) pieces of candy business or the ghoulish, evil looking characters running around... the random acts of vandalism... The closest I'll get to watching a horror movie to get into the festive mood is watching Phantom of the Opera for the umpteenth time... are you getting my drift? Halloween isn't really my thing.
I will, however, confess to a soft spot for the dressing up to go trick or treat-ing bit... who didn't like to dress up as a kid? But even then, when I was little, I hardly reserved "dress up" time for Halloween and trick or treating. It was more or less an all the time thing.
So even while I do like the dressing up, I wasn't going to forgo my buying stuff ban for Halloween. But I'll admit, I felt guilty about it. So I tried (rather hopelessly) to come up with some ideas for costumes that didn't involve me buying stuff. I came up with a few, but as most of them required me making something or other and the fact that I didn't start thinking about it until the night we were to to trick or treating... well... it wasn't looking good for Amelia and Bini.
Enter Josie (my mom) to save the day. Unwilling, I assume, to let her grandchildren out in halfhearted attempts at costumes, she sallied forth to The Fancy Unicorn (the best children's consignment shop in our area) and found 2 costumes that exactly fit my kiddos. Bless. So thanks to Josie, my children are saved. And I must say, they had a really fun time. Victor Bini debuted as an adorable little kitty cat, while Amelia was a bit more fierce with a leopard costume.
Amelia in her leopard costume.... She didn't have much patience with the hoodie part with the ears, no matter how adorable it was.
Its always so much easier to get a picture when the subject is sitting still, wouldn't you agree?
I really think that Amelia and Victor would have been just as happy in the (not really) costumes I would have provided. Victor Bini I am sure would have been, he was mostly pushed around in a stroller all night and didn't take part in the actual trick or treating at all. Amelia would have too, but (and maybe I am projecting a little bit here...) I think it was really special for Amelia to have a costume that looked like it was trying.
Am I saying that she needs a special-for-the-occasion Halloween costume every year? No, of course not. I am fairly confident in saying I will never buy a brand new costume. (I am more of the make it yourself or buy it secondhand type of person.) But putting forth a little more effort and interest in something that your kids will clearly enjoy makes a big difference in how you see it too. Something for me to keep in mind next year... and more than a few hours before Trick or Treat.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Of Weddings, Car Rides, and Kangaroos
I got to pet a kangaroo. No, really, I did. Look at the picture. Look at it, I say! Kangaroos are precious and shockingly soft. Ok, now I will continue...
On Monday, my family and I returned from Nashville, Tennessee, where my brother and (now) sister-in-law held their wedding. I wouldn't have missed it for the world, but I have to admit that getting my whole family down there was quite an ordeal. 2 kids, one of them 1 year old and the other just 2 years old in the car for 12 hours is a mighty undertaking. It involves many stops, car toys and snacks, and more than a little bit of fussing. But we made it!
Andy's parents (so, my in-laws) are incredibly wonderful and generous people, and decided to rent a 4 bedroom house a few days in Nashville so that we wouldn't have to rent a hotel. ("We" included my family of 4, Andy's brother and his wife, and Andy's other brother and his girlfriend. And Andy's parents of course.) This was wonderful in theory, of course, but we forgot to account for the generous spirit of each of the other family members in turn.
You see my brother lived in Pennsylvania (where we are now) before he moved to Tennessee, and a lot of friends that he invited came from here. So when we had a house and a group of people who couldn't afford to both travel to Tennessee and stay there too, a house to fit 10 rapidly was accommodating 14 instead. Which doesn't seem like a lot more, but let me tell you, it made for a full house.
The wedding itself was lovely. An outdoor ceremony moved indoors due to weather. It was a little tight maybe, but ultimately great. I wish we could have stayed for the reception. Also I wish I had pictures, but I had no camera. So there is that. Sorry, Ben and Jordan. I can't wait to see what other people took!
Then it was off to home. This drive was not to be like the first. The first was at night. The kids slept somewhat. The drive home was to be a brutal 12 hour trek through daylight with kids who would in all probability be awake. For the love. So finding rest stops was absolutely imperative. That is how we made it to Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo . And this, friends, is where we got to pet kangaroos.
Oh, also we fed rainbow lorikeets.
Anyways, the not spending money wasn't perfect this month, with weddings and trips and such, (Lets face it, I probably overspent my normal budget on stuff, in the end,) but the fact is that the money we spent went to things and people that we care about, not on random stuff. I have to tell you, that feels really great. And having a little leftover cash for a trip to the zoo was pretty great too.
I meant to post this yesterday, but we lost power last night, so it didn't happen. I'll have more to say about that a little bit later.
Andy's parents (so, my in-laws) are incredibly wonderful and generous people, and decided to rent a 4 bedroom house a few days in Nashville so that we wouldn't have to rent a hotel. ("We" included my family of 4, Andy's brother and his wife, and Andy's other brother and his girlfriend. And Andy's parents of course.) This was wonderful in theory, of course, but we forgot to account for the generous spirit of each of the other family members in turn.
You see my brother lived in Pennsylvania (where we are now) before he moved to Tennessee, and a lot of friends that he invited came from here. So when we had a house and a group of people who couldn't afford to both travel to Tennessee and stay there too, a house to fit 10 rapidly was accommodating 14 instead. Which doesn't seem like a lot more, but let me tell you, it made for a full house.
The wedding itself was lovely. An outdoor ceremony moved indoors due to weather. It was a little tight maybe, but ultimately great. I wish we could have stayed for the reception. Also I wish I had pictures, but I had no camera. So there is that. Sorry, Ben and Jordan. I can't wait to see what other people took!
Then it was off to home. This drive was not to be like the first. The first was at night. The kids slept somewhat. The drive home was to be a brutal 12 hour trek through daylight with kids who would in all probability be awake. For the love. So finding rest stops was absolutely imperative. That is how we made it to Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo . And this, friends, is where we got to pet kangaroos.
Anyways, the not spending money wasn't perfect this month, with weddings and trips and such, (Lets face it, I probably overspent my normal budget on stuff, in the end,) but the fact is that the money we spent went to things and people that we care about, not on random stuff. I have to tell you, that feels really great. And having a little leftover cash for a trip to the zoo was pretty great too.
I meant to post this yesterday, but we lost power last night, so it didn't happen. I'll have more to say about that a little bit later.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Of Blenders and Birthdays
Yesterday, my daughter, Amelia, turned 2 years old. Oh my goodness people. I don't even know what to say on the topic... Can my baby really be 2? 2!? Heaven forbid.
Well lets face it... Amelia is incredibly bright and fabulous, and in actions, attitude and mannerisms, she's been essentially 2 for awhile. But yesterday made it official. I have a 2 year old. And I may be a bit in shock.
Andy and I bought her birthday presents before this buy nothing experiment even started... (by the way, my little challenge is almost 2 weeks old today! Hooray!) and we got her what I am sure every 2 year old wants... a pillow and a blanket. The pillow is one of those "husband" pillows with the little arms on the side that you can lean against and the blanket is actually just a piece of material that Amelia decided that she loved when we were at the fabric store one day. For my son's one year old birthday less than a month ago, I made him a pillowcase and bought him an interesting little wooden toy. We didn't do all that much.
But people, we didn't need to. Now, I don't mean this in a "kids don't need as many toys as we think they do" (though this is certainly true) kind of way or that our kids have enough toys already and we didn't want to buy them any more (ok, this is true, too...) What I mean by "we didn't need to" is that we have the first 2 grandchildren on both sides of the family and even if we actively tried to prevent people from giving Amelia and Victor toys it wouldn't happen. They would still get toys
So on their birthdays, my kids get a whole heck-ton of toys. In many ways, I am really touched by this incredible display of affection for my daughter and son. They spent hard earned money on them after all, and gave them things that they thought that they would like.
So what is the problem here?
For a while now, I have been following blogs like Joshua Becker's www.becomingminimalist.com and Leo Babauta's zenhabits.net... There are so many other great bloggers on minimalism, that it is a travesty to just name two, but those are the one's that come first to my mind. The minimalist lifestyle appeals to me greatly, and I can't honestly say that I am thrilled about adding more to our already cluttered house. I have been battling clutter for just about forever, and I am sick of it. It is one of the reasons I am doing a little "buy nothing for a quarter year" challenge for myself. With a 1 year old and a 2 year old, time for serious decluttering sessions are slim pickings, and I think the only real way that my 5 or 10 minutes here or there will make a difference is if things stop coming into my house.
Why I thought this would work with Christmas coming up is beyond me. I am clearly a crazy person.
On the subject of toys... my poor blender broke yesterday. This was no small blow to me. I use my blender for everything, and I use it hard. Shakes, mayonnaise, icing, pancake batter, you name it, and my blender has blended it. (Possibly this is how it got in such a state.) And yes, the canister is being held together by gorilla tape. It has a massive crack down the side of it and it leaks horridly, even after the masterful tape-up. Actually, I thought that would be the first to go, but you can always get a new canister for a blender, and I was counting down the days until I could ask for one from my husband and reasonably call it an early Christmas gift. What I didn't count on was black, vile smelling SMOKE pouring out of it while it was running, and the engine refusing to stop until I forced it to by unplugging it. I legitimately thought it was going to blow up. So... now its been declared dead.
Which is a shame because I used my blender all. the. time. and I can't buy a new one lest I break a self imposed challenge rule. Never fear, though, I am now borrowing one from my mother-in-law, so I won't be breaking any rules. Yet. But I want to. Oh, do I want to.
Well lets face it... Amelia is incredibly bright and fabulous, and in actions, attitude and mannerisms, she's been essentially 2 for awhile. But yesterday made it official. I have a 2 year old. And I may be a bit in shock.
Andy and I bought her birthday presents before this buy nothing experiment even started... (by the way, my little challenge is almost 2 weeks old today! Hooray!) and we got her what I am sure every 2 year old wants... a pillow and a blanket. The pillow is one of those "husband" pillows with the little arms on the side that you can lean against and the blanket is actually just a piece of material that Amelia decided that she loved when we were at the fabric store one day. For my son's one year old birthday less than a month ago, I made him a pillowcase and bought him an interesting little wooden toy. We didn't do all that much.
But people, we didn't need to. Now, I don't mean this in a "kids don't need as many toys as we think they do" (though this is certainly true) kind of way or that our kids have enough toys already and we didn't want to buy them any more (ok, this is true, too...) What I mean by "we didn't need to" is that we have the first 2 grandchildren on both sides of the family and even if we actively tried to prevent people from giving Amelia and Victor toys it wouldn't happen. They would still get toys
So on their birthdays, my kids get a whole heck-ton of toys. In many ways, I am really touched by this incredible display of affection for my daughter and son. They spent hard earned money on them after all, and gave them things that they thought that they would like.
So what is the problem here?
For a while now, I have been following blogs like Joshua Becker's www.becomingminimalist.com and Leo Babauta's zenhabits.net... There are so many other great bloggers on minimalism, that it is a travesty to just name two, but those are the one's that come first to my mind. The minimalist lifestyle appeals to me greatly, and I can't honestly say that I am thrilled about adding more to our already cluttered house. I have been battling clutter for just about forever, and I am sick of it. It is one of the reasons I am doing a little "buy nothing for a quarter year" challenge for myself. With a 1 year old and a 2 year old, time for serious decluttering sessions are slim pickings, and I think the only real way that my 5 or 10 minutes here or there will make a difference is if things stop coming into my house.
Why I thought this would work with Christmas coming up is beyond me. I am clearly a crazy person.
Which is a shame because I used my blender all. the. time. and I can't buy a new one lest I break a self imposed challenge rule. Never fear, though, I am now borrowing one from my mother-in-law, so I won't be breaking any rules. Yet. But I want to. Oh, do I want to.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
But at Least I Got a Ton of Applesauce Out of it...
"You were only 3 days in! You gave already?" "What the heck, lady!" "So lame!" "I could do this better than you!" (yes, you very likely could.)
Yes, ok, chill. Hear me out. Yes, I bought something. What did I buy? Mason jars. Why? Because every single year, my family buys an obscene amount of apples and we make massive quantities of applesauce which we then can and use to build massive towers in our respective panties. The fact is, my family has grown from the last year, and in order to store the shocking amount of applesauce, we had to buy more jars.
The fact is this was a planned expense that I forgot to post about. And I more or less count it as a grocery. Kinda. Well maybe it isn't strictly a necessity. So I'm self justifying a little. But the applesauce was gonna happen either way.
For the past several years, my family has gone apple picking every fall in order to have some yummy, sweet, crunch-able, seasonal goodness to much on and to make applesauce with. My 6 siblings and I all grew up eating my grandfather's (to us) famous applesauce. What makes it so good? A secret ingredient... I'll never tell! (ok, the secret ingredient is vanilla extract. Make applesauce, right now, and add cinnamon and vanilla. It will change your life.) And applesauce became a family tradition.
So yesterday, my husband, me, Amelia and Bini climbed into the car with our canning supplies and drove to the market to buy apples. (We would normally pick them ourselves, but it was just gross out yesterday. Cold, rainy, windy... I am dedicated, not crazy!) We cleaned the surprised cashiers out of all of their "second class" apples (applesauce doesn't care if your apples are a bit bruised) and packed the bags and bags of them into the car and went to "Josie, Baba's house!" and began peeling, chopping and cooking 'em up. It is a lot of sticky, somewhat dangerous work (The peelers and knives present somewhat of a hazard) But it is a wonderful, cozy time of family togetherness. And I love it!
So, judge if you want. I don't care. At least I got a ton of applesauce out of it.
On a much more important, though shorter note... My son, Bini, who my husband and I adopted from Ethiopia, has been home for one month.. TODAY! We are so blessed to have him in our lives! Maybe one day I will be more comfortable sharing more personal family stuff on here (you know, if there is a one day.) But today is not that day, people. But I still want you all to know that Bini is wonderful and we all adore him! That's all for now, folks.
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