Gearing up to go

So we made it to see Dr. Tom this morning, all our necks and backs are thankful!

Then off to get the CSA and almost got backed into by a HUGE UPS truck! When they finally stopped, they were just inches from the side of my car, and it would have been pretty bad since they were backing up fast. Gray and I would have been hurt and the car would have been totalled, so I am glad they didn't hit us!

We got a ton of great stuff this week. A nice melon, some cukes, tons of squash (great since we have none here), tomatoes, herbs, lettuce and onions. As we are leaving, I will skin the tomatoes tonight and freeze them. When our tomatoes come in, I will skin them, add the frozen ones, herbs and lemon juice and can everything. The squash will also be frozen today, some we will eat with dinner, the rest will e put up for future use.

I am not sure what we will have for dinner tonight. I have some leftover steak from last night that the kids can have. I may also have chicken for Ryan, I can make a big salad, some squash and rice. I don't want to leave a lot of leftovers, so I am using up what we have here before we leave.

Off to pack!

The sad affair that is our garden

We knew this year wouldn't be the best, mostly because we were trying some new things, and out garden was brand new and the soil was iffy. We built the large two tiered structure in the spring and tried to amend the soil, but it just wasn't enough. We have gotten some lettuce, green beans and snow peas. The tomatoes in the back are HUGE, and in the next few weeks I should have a ton of tomatoes to freeze and can. The squash and zucchini plants are big and full of flowers, but still not fruit :( My lone pepper plant has two peppers about ready to pick, and the one cucumber plant to make it through the floods looks like it will make up for the ones we lost, although we won't have any pickling cukes. I also have carrots that are doing well back there The side garden that suffered the big washout in the spring is redeeming itself. The pumpkins are taking over, and the sweet potatoes seem to be doing OK as well.

For next year, I have my eye on an area for corn. The side garden will get a frame around it to protect it from washouts and will house only pumpkins and winter squashes. We want to add one more tier to the back gardens, the lowest tier will have lettuce, carrots and potatoes. The middle tier will have cukes, peppers, eggplants, zucchini/yellow squash, the top tier will house the tomatoes and beans, hopefully on arches.

We have a ton of compost for fall, and will till the current gardens in preparation for winter. If we can swing the cost, we will have the low garden built late fall so the soil can be amended through the winter, giving us a better chance to get results in spring. Ah the joys of gardening :)

I have been crabby

So, the last few days I have been crabby with the husband and kids. Although much of the crabbiness has come as a direct result of the husband and kids, I have decided enough is enough. So they screwed up and made extra work for me. So I am really tired now and feeling overwhelmed. Now I need to focus on moving forward. I had the kids help me make the bread, they each had jobs to so an seemed to enjoy being part of the process. I still need to make dinner tonight, switch laundry, fold laundry, pack for the kids, run a few errands and work. The kids are watching a movie, so I will get some work done now. In a bit, they will gather what they can to be packed and I will marinate the chicken and shape the bread. Then I can switch laundry and finish packing what is needed, and I can run errands while they eat dinner. I know it is going to be another long day, and tomorrow looks to be the same, but that is life. I am now going to try very hard to not be crabby.

Revisiting the slave labor idea

So, we got the inside of the car cleaned out, wiped down and vacuumed. The kids were not so keen on the helping thing, so we never did wash the outside. I am thinking of enticing them later with promises of getting soaking wet and bribing with a popsicle when they are done. I really don't want to have to go to the car wash.

Tonight we will have a nice homemade dinner, I have been sort of slacking off the last few days cooking quick meals like tacos. I will grill up some chicken breasts, and I am planning to back bread. We have a ton of beautiful greens, and I might even have a few tomatoes hiding in the garden, so we will have a grilled chicken salad with homemade bread. MMMMM!

Oh and did I mention that my sister got me a new canning book and a subscription to Mother Earth News? We love that magazine, and now each month we can keep planning our next house which we plan to build on loads of land as eco friendly as possible!

Times are tight, so use slave labor

Everyone can agree that the economy stinks and most people I know are trying to stretch a buck. We leave on Tuesday to head to NC and the car is a wreck, it needs a good vacuum and washing before we leave. Normally I would empty the car and take it to car wash and spend $20 to have it cleaned. I decided today that I have three little worker bees who make the mess, so they are going to help me clean. Tomorrow morning after breakfast, we will head out and clean the car out before it gets hot. Then they can help me vacuum and wipe the interior and the windows. Then we can make a big bucket of soapy water and wash the car the old fashioned way!

The best part is, the sponges, soap and interior cleaner cost me less than a single wash, and I can get about 30 washes out of them.

Bounced out!

We had a great time at the indoor bounce house place. There were almost no other people there when we arrived, so the kids got to run from bounce house to bounce house and check everything out. There were 3 large and 1 smaller bouncies, plus a whole play kitchen/store area, Foosball, a mini train for little kids, and airplane balancer, ball pit and more. Each kid found something they really liked, and everyone bounced and bounced and bounced. The best part was that there were no husbands, so my sister and I actually had a chance to talk to each other. We don't have a lot in common, but sometimes it is really nice to chat and catch up!

After the bounce place, we headed over to Friendly's for lunch and ice cream. The kids were really great, everyone was starving so they ate all of their lunch and all of their ice cream!

Then we came home and the kids and I are so sleepy. They are happy watching a movie in the family room, and I am trying to get some work done. If all goes well, they will fall asleep early and I can write my paper and get to bed early myself. The bounce place will be my winter secret weapon for when Grayson is tired of being trapped inside and needs to burn off some energy!

Restless nights and bounce houses

Last night I had one of those awful sleeps where you fall into a gorgeous deep sleep and then at 2 am for some reason you wake panicked. Then the rest of the night, you doze into sleep and then wake panicked again. Needless to say, I am a bit sleepy.

This morning the kids and I are going to meet my sister and her kids at the indoor bounce house place. The kids can leap and hope and burn off tons of energy. After wards, we will go grab some lunch and then I will head home to finish cleaning the house.

Liar Liar

Here is what happens in my house when you keep doing a crap job cleaning the playroom, I dump everything out and make you start at the beginning. Then, after hours of fighting, screaming, bitching and whining you tell me you are done. I walk in and the room is not clean, and you just haphazardly threw stuff in bins including trash, and you hid, YES HID, blocks behind the couch. What happens then is I dump everything out again and I clean the room the right way, and I vacuum and dust and I BAN you from using the playroom.

Both my girls are banned from using the playroom for one week. We decided that we are nice enough to give them one of the largest common rooms in the house for toys, their computer and their tv, and they just keep abusing it. So now they can't use the room, only Grayson can.


They don't even seem to care.

What a day

We had plans to do some simple housework, and it seems to have exploded. Currently the playroom is in shambles as the kids clean, the upstairs is a mess as Ryan is organizing, I have scrubbed the dining room, folded a ton of laundry, washed more laundry and more and more.

Now I need to go and make the bread dough, unload and load the dishwasher and switch laundry. Then I will vacuum the playroom and clean the bathroom. Make tacos for dinner for the kids, something else for ry and I.

Off to work

Decisions

So, my husband is hating his job....but the economy kind of sucks. I found a bunch of IT jobs at a university about an 1 1/2 away, nice back road ride and he commutes that long anyway. He would have a secure position, probably more pay, and IF we decided to stay here in VA, him working there would give me more options for teaching positions and the ability to move to an area that is more rural.

It might be difficult to manage the kids on the days I teach. Worse comes to worse, I am sure I beg Em to keep Gray after school on Fridays, and Ryan should be home in time for me to leave on Wednesdays. Now I guess we will apply him and see what happens. I would love for him to be on a traditional schedule, and the pay scale was really great.

We will see....

Reflections

So, tomorrow Brittan turns six. I cannot believe it has been six years since that sweet baby entered our lives. She was a rough delivery, emergency c-section and a double blood transfusion. I wasn't awake when she was born and I don't remember much from the first few days since I was so ill. From the day we came home, I knew it was all worth it. She was such a happy baby, all smiles and joy. She has always been a bit standoffish, and to this day is still the least likely to have an extreme reaction to anything. She is however, a sweet loving little girl, always willing to do what needs to be done and quick to give a hug to someone who needs it. We love you Bubbles!

Watch me flounder

So, anyone who thinks I breeze through life, baking bread, writing papers, shepherding children, I am sorry to tell you that I don't. Right now I am in a drowning stage, they hit from time to time. I have a lot of stress over the economy, both the world's and my own. I also have a lot going on with work, plus school is busy and I have to get ready for heading back to PT school and the kids going back as well. In addition, the house is just tough to keep up with. With all the kids home, that means way more dishes, more laundry and more messes. I feel like I am spending all of my time picking up after them, that I cannot get to the big tasks I have looming. Laundry is always an issue, plus moving the girls room will be a beast. I need to regrout the kitchen counters, plus get ready for my parents visit and the work we will be doing then in August. Add in that I need to pack, tomorrow is Brittan's birthday, and that I have two faculty calls!

So tomorrow Haven has riding at 9:30, we need to take Brittan to lunch for her birthday at 11, I have a call at 1:30, then another at 9. Add in that I have to do my regular work, and well, it is a crazy day!

Today I will finish my conference call and take the kids to the pool. I need to get home by 4 so I can make dinner, then write a paper and run out to pick up Britt's birthday present.

I need a break!

One tired mama

We were busy today, especially given the lack of sleep :)

Went to Rite Aid, they were out of what I wanted, got a raincheck. Also got the kids water bottles that have the frozen thingy in them for the trip to my parents. They are pretty small, which will help me monitor the fluid going in, and the potty breaks. I will bring some extra water with me for refills as needed.

Nest we went and had lunch with Em and the kids. My two were demons, but they had my soup and I was very excited about that! Then Em offered to drive to the farm, I am not sure she knew what she was getting into. Not only did Gray whine most of the time, but I gave her a hard time about recycling. I promise I am tired and I was just trying to understand and sometimes I am not so good at it!

Then I stopped by Dr. Tom's and am here to tell everyone, that if you are ever here, and you need a chiropractor, he's your guy!

Now I am home, I did a little work and I am about to switch laundry and vacuum. I have school work to do, and the kids are just having and egg and ham scramble for dinner, easy peasy.

Another rough night

So I had a hard time falling asleep, and around midnight, Gray woke up. He was then up for 3 1/2 hours. We finally fell asleep around 3:45 and got up at 8:30. Needless to say, I am very tired. Add to it that Brittan's old room-which will become the girls new shared room, was TRASHED. They even shoved clothes I had just washed and folded into the corner of the closet. So after breakfast they need to go get that room under control.

I was going to start clearing rooms next week, but I think Ryan and I may need to work together while he is off this week. I think we can dismantle the big bed and lean the mattress, I can help him get his stuff out of the closet, and I can deal with Brittan's stuff so the closet is empty except for hanging stuff. Then all I have to do is empty Haven's cabinet and bookcase, and he can worry about the beds.

Going to be a busy few days :)

I had to share

OK, so I ran out to hit CVS to stock up on some goodies and I wanted to run to Bloom to see if they had the ice pops and italian ices the kids wanted and they were out of yesterday.

Here is the tally for CVS
10 folders
2 downy
4 airwick warmers
4 air wick refills
3 things of werthers (ry loves them)
1 shampoo
1 conditioner
3 body wash
3 deodorant
4 boxes of cereal
2 shave gel
Should have cost me just over $96, I paid $29

Hit Bloom
Got 3 Powerades-the big ones
4 fruit juice bars
4 italian ices
Should have cost $29, cost me $9.

That just makes my heart skip!

Oh, and we got patty pan squash in our CSA bag this week and it was so yummy cooked up with the freshly dug onions.

Big bursts of energy!

So I decided to get a few things done. First I went through my CVS list and found a bunch of stuff for cheap that I can stock up on, I will make that run tonight after dinner. I also found a few more coupons for Rite Aid for the free things, so tomorrow before Carlos I will stop in there too. I then decided to clean the downstairs, vacuumed the whole thing, had the kids make the playroom presentable, cleaned a few walls (if you have kids and animals, you understand the need for this), did dishers, prepped dinner and so on. I feel much better, I always hate when Ryan comes home or wakes up to a crazy messy house.

Now I just need to finish dinner, the squash and onions are cooking (all CSA), the chicken and baked beans are baking and the coleslaw is sitting in the fridge getting yummy. Mostly I am just happy it is all almost made :)

What is going on here???

I swear I am more tired today than I was yesterday. I was up until after 11 last night after only 3 1/2 hours sleep, and this morning I had a terrible time getting up. Rolled out of bed at 8, took a shower and got ready for the day. Kids and I went and picked up the CSA and ran into the farmer, John, again. It is so nice to see him and to hear all of the great things he is doing on his farm. I also feel great knowing who grew our food, and playing a part in keeping his family farm going, as I know he loves what he does!

Ran home, dropped off the goodies and went to Big Lots. Didn't realize that they were getting ready to be torn down (whole shopping center is being redone) so the pickings were slim. I ended up spending more than I wanted, but I got some things that were needed and will keep the house stocked while I am away.

Today is my mom's birthday, so we wished her a happy day. We are getting excited to head down there next week, the kids always have fun and I always have help :) Too bad I have work and school while I am there, but the class I am in isn't too bad and I know my job well enough to be able to get things done ahead of time.

I need to go do some cleanup and work on dinner. Tonight we will have BBQ chicken, homemade baked beans (real from scratch), coleslaw (CSA) and sauteed squash (CSA). Yummy!

Whoops, I forgot

So, Husband got up, we ate, then he reminded me he was going in early...uh oh.

Well it is fine, he is off to work and I packed his lunch, dinner is cleaned up and put away, dishes are done and I think the kids are in bed.

I am very sleepy now.

Yet another small moment

As I have said, I am very, very, VERY tired right now. Dinner is cooking away, the honey ham is ready and staying warm, the candied carrots are finishing up, the creamed corn requested by Haven is moving along as well (easy tonight since I had a ton of left over corn on the cob). I need to put the biscuits in the oven in about 20 minutes.

So everything is truckin away and the kids all came in all excited. I asked why and they said that dinner smells SO GOOD and they cannot wait to eat. My kid's are not dinner eaters, so that is quite the compliment.

After they go to bed, I am pretty sure I will crash. Maybe I should head upstairs when they do :)

Wiped out

OK, the lack of sleep is setting in.

It is almost 2:30 and I need to go unload and reload teh dishwasher, vacuum the house, switch the laundry and start dinner. Right now I don't want to do any of it, any volunteers?

OK, I am off to do what needs to be done.

Shopping with monkeys

OK, so we made it out and back. I cannot say it went perfectly or that everyone was well behaved. Gray was just terrible in all three store, I think he is just at the age where if something (shopping) is boring, he will do whatever he needs to entertain himself, although it gets him in trouble. I had one small mishap at Rite Aid, I bought 2 too many dish detergents for the coupons I had, so I actually had to PAY something. No biggie, I will just go back and return those tomorrow.

Here is the tally:
Rite Aid
2 loreal vive shampoo-FREE
2 loreal vive conditioner-FREE
1 electrasol gel pacs-paid .75 for one and will get $2.00 rebate (yes, they PAID me 1.25)
1 electrasol jet ball-same deal as above, and yes they paid me again.
4 nutra air -All FREE

Total original cost of products: $40.96 Total out of pocket was $8.86, but when I return to two mistaken products it will be about $2.00. Plus I will get 2 $2.00 rebates, I made money on this one!!

Target:
This was a bit harder
4 various boxes of General Mills cereal
2 packages of butter
1 big thing of bleach
2 packs of sandwich meat
small sour cream
1 all natural dog food (7 lb bag)
1 HUGE 38 lb thing of litter
2 new coupon files to save my sanity

Normal cost (some estimates as it isn't on the reciept)
$60.33, I paid $39.98-not too shabby, not fantastic either (saved 34%)

Bloom
6 yogurts
2 pkgs tortilla
1 hard shell taco
2 taco seasoning
milk
2 orangeade/lemonade
2 brownie mix
1 1/2 lbs of american cheese (they eat ALOT of cheese)
1/2 lb salami
2 boxes all natural juice pops
1 package of bone in chicken breast

should have cost:$54.20
Did cost $ 31.75 (41% savinggs)

overall
Spent $73.73
Should have cost $155.49

Saved 53%

Coffee helps

So I finally fell asleep around 4 am, and the kids were up at 7:30 as expected. When I am this tired, I usually turn into super nice mom, I give them lots of treats, don't yell, etc. They are lucky I only got 3 1/2 hours sleep, four or more and things run as usual :)

We have a TON to do today, which is ok since being tired and stuck at home would stink. As it is Sunday, I have to lay low a bit longer and then we will venture out, I really need us to be home for lunch. Today we are going to Rite Aid, and unusual shop for me, but all the things on my list there are FREE after coupons, so it is worth the extra few minutes. Then we must hit up Target. I haven't been there in awhile, but there are about 5 things I must purchase there, most importantly a great deal on cereal, and the way my kids eat cereal, I need all the deals I can find! Next will be Petsmart, great deal on cat litter for the three smelly little beasts. Finally we will hit Bloom, there is a treat on my list so I know the kids will get through that last store, and then home.

Who needs sleep, umm...me?

I hate insomnia, I really do!

Summer is a stressful time for me, we are down an income and around now I begin to panic. Oh I have done all the things you should to prepare, but a tumbling economy, some misplanned changes, and unforeseen trip to NY, well, they wrecked my plan.

I can only hope to do better next summer, and somehow make it through this one. To be fair, we will be a-ok, just tighter than I like. But come September, and my extra pay...well then I feel much better.

I am off to TRY to sleep. At least all I have to do is run errands tomorrow, I can always doze on the couch if needed!

Day in and day out

We had a productive, yet quiet, day. I got a lot done around the house, made the family a nice dinner of lime/basil shrimp and rice, baked and iced a chocolate layer cake and ran a quick errand to get dog food. I also picked up two extra newspapers (Sunday) so I could get a jump on cutting coupons. I told Ryan that I am enjoying the quiet time, cutting and organizing, and he said that he could see how the repetitive action could be pretty zen to me. He is right, not only do I enjoy saving the money, I also enjoy the time I spend just cutting and organizing. Funny what different people find calming!

Tomorrow I fear we will need to venture out, I need to go to the pet store and Target, Monday is CSA pick up and grocery store runs (although those may happen while the family eats dinner) and Tuesday is farm day. I so enjoy our schedule.

So very quiet

My kids have been sent upstairs, hopefully Gray will rest since he is being a bear, and the girls could use some quiet time!

I need to get the floor mopped while they are entertained, and then I promised them them a chocolate cake for dessert, so I will get busy baking. What is it about summer that makes you feel so laid back? The same things are getting done, but not having to drag the kids out the door every morning just makes it so much easier. Just when I think we have it all down, it will be time to go back :(

Finding joy in where you are

I had a dream last night about someone I knew from HS. In the dream he seemed so sad with his life, so unhappy with his marriage, etc. When I woke up, the first thing I thought was, wow, I am so glad I don't feel that way anymore. For so long I expected things to be more than they could, to be easier than they should, and I never could understand why I was unhappy.

Life is is different now, more relaxed and more fun. I really enjoy my family, I enjoy being with them and feel we have hit our stride. Do the kids have bad days, YES! Do Ryan and I have bad days....YES YES YES! But there are fewer bad days and we learned to get over things faster.

Right now, we are both happy in the marriage and with the kids, now if only we could move!

Plan plan plan

So.....we owed my parents a visit since we never made it down there after the trip to the outer banks, this was due to the wedding we needed to attend in NY.

So in a week and a half, the kids and I will again pile into the car and head to NC. This time Ryan will stay home, and he will take on the task of moving all the beds around. Without us underfoot, it should be easier and quicker for him. When we get home, the girls and their beds will be in the bigger bedroom (Britt's old room) and the queen sized bed will be in Haven's old room-now the guest room. The closet will be emptied, and I will be able to come in and organize the closet and dressers to get the most space possible out of the room. On the agenda, buy one of the Ikea wall mounted desks although the color is wrong and I will need to repaint, the girls can store all the markers, etc in here and lock it up!

Then my parents will come in August for Gray's birthday and they are going to help us take care of some the wants in the house. Buying a house that is older and wasn't cared for has been a lot of work the last 5 years, but we have done a lot to address the problems. Still on the list, we NEED to address drainage out back which means jack hammering and building a wall, and we NEED to redo our bathroom, rip out the shower and replace it and the floor. So the wants right now include painting the kitchen cabinets and replacing the hinges, redoing the fireplace mantle and finishing the molding in the dining room. As an anniversary gift, my parents are coming to help and will buy the supplies, so my wants will be done and we can stay focused on the needs. Wooohooo!

oh so not moving

The girls and I were up at 7:30. Gray got up around 8:30 and I guess he woke Ryan up since they both came down, too bad as I was planning to let Ry sleep in today.

So far, I haven't done much today, sent a work email, ran the dishwasher, switched the laundry and vacuumed the family room. I do have a huge list of things I NEED to do, so maybe I will get cracking soon. I must do more laundry, I must mop the kitchen and bathroom, I must unload and reload the dishwasher, I must clean my bathroom and Haven must clean the hamster cage.

I am making hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill with corn on the cob, pasta salad and regular salad for dinner, gotta love summer dinners! I may make two more loaves of bread, we are down to just over half a loaf, and after lunch, that will be gone. Today will be a quiet family day at home, maybe we will watch a movie tonight and I was thinking of making cupcakes for dessert.

Confessions of an OCDer

OK, I have OCD and an addictive personality. When I decide to do something, I go all the way. When I decided to go back to school, I went to the extreme. Let's go organic, local and eco friendly you say....I go all the way and throw myself into it.

So right now my obsessions are the grocery shopping group I joined that is saving me TONS of money and a ridiculously tasty ice cream flavor called Graham Central Station. Thankfully I am spending way more time on the planning of shopping than on eating ice cream :)

Lonely movies

So I took the kids to see the American Girl Movie. Between me and my three and Emily and her three, there was a total of........8 people in the theater. That's right, we were the only ones there, which was good because the kids, specifically Grayson, seemed to have ants in his pants.

I like when we have our own theater....would have been good for a date ;)

This bakes my beans....

OK, there are lots of issues that I feel passionately about, but the one that makes me the most angry is in regards to human relationships. I never understood why anyone cared who sleeps with who. People get all bent out of shape about gays and lesbians, why do they care? People get all stressed and angry over open marriages and polygamy, hey if all partners are for it, why do you care? I am so sick of hearing all the biblical reasons why gays are wrong, bigamy is wrong, etc. Did anyone ever think that the people who are the so called "sinners" don't believe the same things or don't adhere to that bible. For me, it is like telling me that Aesop's fables said something was wrong, so the whole world should adhere!

Please people, let everyone go about their business as they want to. Be happy for those who find love and happiness, does it matter the gender? Does it matter that there are two wives instead of one? As long as everyone involved is happy, content, willing and of age, leave it be.

Readjusting the plan

So we got a late start, Britt, Gray and I slept until 8:30, and Haven just got up at 9. It is already raining, so my plans to do the garden this morning are already put on the back burner. Maybe this afternoon it will clear and not be too hot, and I can finally get the peas planted and the weeds pulled!

I am anxiously awaiting a new shipment of coffee, and it should be here today! I am very excited as I have had to drink the crummy coffee, and I miss my good stuff.

If I can get moving, I may get the bread dough going before my call, but I also need to move the clean laundry out and get laundry pushed through. Lots of laundry to do, a paper to write, bread to bake and homemade sauce to make for tonight's dinner. It will be a long and productive day.

I need a day at home...

I am just exhausted, not sure why, but I am.

Tomorrow I am refusing to leave the house. That being said, I have a lot to accomplish. I have to weed the upper garden in the morning, and plant a new round of snow peas. I then have a conference call at 11. Then feed the kids, bake two loaves of bread and do laundry. I also have a ridiculous amount of basil, so I am thinking of making and canning some tomato sauce. Lots of housework, but I can do it in my PJs. Lastly I will need to write a paper. Maybe I should go out :)

The big haul!

My Sur La Table order arrived and I am so excited!!! It was so thoughtful of Ryan to sneak to Sur La Table and get me a gift card, he knows I love the store, but also that I would never spend the money on myself. He also had to stop on his way home at the big mall which I am sure was a pain when he was tired. He is so very sweet!

Here it is...2 big bread pans, one smaller one, a silicone pastry brush, salt pig, dough scraper, popover pan and ceramic baking dish. Tomorrow the new pans will be used for bread (the big ones), the smaller pan is perfect for zucchini or banana bread. The ceramic dish is the just the right size for roasted root veggies and I have been missing popovers for years!

Thinking ahead

So as I recently stated, we are planning to add a fourth kiddo to the tribe, if all the stars align.

I think moving into having another child, and our quest to be more eco friendly has lead me to plan to try out cloth diapering. Will I still use disposables, probably sometimes. The new diapering systems are so much easier than when I looked into for Haven. Being that our kids are home with us all the time, I wouldn't have to worry about someone else navigating cloth diapers, and being that we have a bit more flexibility in our income, we have the option to stock up ahead of time.

We will have to see if we actually get pregnant, but it only seems right not to clog up the landfills with more disposables.

Hard to get going....

It is just after 9 am and I have to get moving. The kids are fed and a few are dressed. I need to vacuum the house, get dressed, get the bottles for the farm and get ready to go. I would like to leave at at 11, so we can do an hour at CEC, then the farm, then we will see what the weather looks like for the pool. I am planning to grab suits and take them with me, just in case we can swing by for a quick dip. Hopefully Emily will give us some fridge space to store the milk and yogurt :)

Oh so tired

My busy day of shopping and then making a full huge dinner has wiped me out!

I promised the kiddos a trip the Chuck E Cheese, then the farm, and if the weather cooperates, a trip to the pool. Not sure about dinner tomorrow, I never did get those candied carrots made (we had green beans instead) so I was planning a meatloaf, but I am not sure I will be home in time.

Now Wednesday, I am staying home, cleaning the house and doing laundry, and then hubby is home and maybe we can attack the upstairs!

Wow wow wow

We have been a busy bunch over here.

Last night's dinner was a huge success, so much so that the kids had the leftover pizza for lunch!

We got up and at 'em early today and attacked the list of errands I had to do. We left before 9 am and hit up a grocery store, saw Dr. Tom, hit another grocer store, went to get the CSA and came home for lunch. Then back out for CVS and a treat for the kids for being so patient with the errands. I am really enjoying the new program I joined, I feel like I am saving a TON of money! I will try to list what we bought and what I spent a bit later when I have it all together.

In the midst of making lunch, I fielded another call from my mother-there was one last night as well. After the call, Emily really helped me see some things clearly, and understand that my mother doesn't know who I am because I made a choice to change my life drastically 10 years ago. She had a great suggestion that I write to my mom and give her an opportunity to get to know the person I am now, so that she and I don't fall into old patterns.

We are now home and a roast chicken is cooking for dinner. We had some beautiful fresh sage in the CSA today, so that is stuffed in the chicken. We also had cucumbers and carrots, the cukes will be in tonights salad, the carrots will be candied and I will make some stuffing. A nice home cooked meal to soothe the soul!

Here's what we are doing today

I opted for a quiet day at home, as I know that tomorrow and Tuesday we run around a lot!

So far I have vacuumed, done laundry, did some work, gotten the errand lists together for the week and fed the kids two meals. I also reorganized all three freezers. It is so nice that everything is in its place now, but it was quite a task!

I am about to switch laundry again and fold clothes, dust, do the dishes and start on dinner. Husband wanted me to make a pizza dough that we saw in a cookbook a friend just sent, so I will make one batch of the pizza dough and the kids will make pita pizzas so they can customize.

Tomorrow we will go see Dr. Tom, stop at one grocery store to pick up some deals and then off to get the CSA. Dinner will probably be potstickers, I am planning to make the filling tonight so it can chill really well before I assemble.

Tuesday I promised the kids a trip to Chuck E Cheese (I have a pass for free food and tokens!), then we will run to the farm and put the milk in a cooler, then to another grocery store to grab their deals :)

A better morning

Well, it isn't bright and shiny, the weather is still a bit gloomy, but again I am not having to water the garden.

The kids slept in a bit, and woke up in good moods. I am not in as much of a funk, I got some decent sleep and terrific cuddles first thing this morning, so that helped.

I just joined one of those grocery sites where you get a list of sales, coupons, etc for your local store. I don't get too much at the grocery, but enough that I feel the pinch of the high prices. Let's face it, it may not hurt much buying laundry detergent for one or two people, but for a family of five with a huge dog and three cats, I need to buy the good stuff on sale :)

I have tried coupons before and found them frustrating, so I hope this will keep me organized. Yes I do know it is odd to be so excited about grocery prices, but I am looking to save where ever I can!

Funky funk funk

I am in a funk, a bad, bad, funk.

Maybe tomorrow morning will be shiny and bright. Maybe I will be able to get into the garden and weed. Maybe tomorrow the funk will go away.

Our little secret....

OK world, some of you may know that we are thinking of having a fourth child, but some don't. This has taken quite a bit of talking and discussing and now the time is here where we will begin trying. What is interesting to me is that we never had to try with the other kids, I was fortunate enough to get pregnant very quickly. Now I am much older and figure it may take a few months, but I hope that next spring/summmer brings a new member of the tribe!

Well we are quite the match

Husband is superior as well!

130 As a 1930s husband, I am Very Superior Take the test!

So strange

Now I am quite the modern woman, educated, opinionated, etc. I am also a traditional wife, I cook, clean, take care of the children, etc. I saw this on another site and thought for sure that I would be a nightmare as a 1930's wife, but lookey here.....

82 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

We need to get organized

I have a lot of projects looming, and I am watching summer run away with us. The first big project is to organize the house. I think I will splurge on a desk for the girls, plus we need to move the girls into Brittan's old room, which means lots of taking apart and putting together of beds. I need to paint my bathroom and put in a new floor, thankfully I found a cute shower curtain here

The bathroom is an odd shape and the shower is small, so I am going for the bold curtain to jazz the room up a bit. I am guessing I will paint the room sage, although I may use a contrasting color in one area that is like a small alcove. The best part about having a teeny tiny shower is that you can cut the curtain in half and use the other half to make matching curtains!

Following the girl's room, general organization and the bathroom, I MUST paint the kitchen cabinets. That can wait until later in summer, but it is a huge job and I need to find new hinges to match the hardware, so it will be quite the task!

Where are my children??????

Since we came back from the beach/NY trip, my kids have been terrible! Mouthy, whiney, and into EVERYTHING! I just cannot take it anymore, Grayson has decided that destroying things and being disgusting is funny, well, it's not. Brittan has become his partner in crime, never thought I would see that day come. Haven has just been practicing for her teenage years, pulling nasty faces and mouthing off. We need a better plan for next week.

Dark morning

I woke today to pancakes made by my husband and a rainy, gloomy day. On the bright side, I don't need to water the garden.

Yesterday's random storm that cropped up during dinner had torrential rain and huge straight winds that came out of nowhere. It caused a lot of damage around the neighborhood, next door lost a tree and I though we had only lost a few branches, until.....

Ryan went out to the car and saw that a huge portion of the tree that had been hanging over the driveway, and making me nuts when I parked the car, had broken off. Thanks mother nature, now I have a clear walkway again!

Small moments

There are small moments that fill my heart and make me believe that it IS worth all the hard work, and that choosing to live our life the way we have is positive for our kids.

I had planned on baking a cake for dessert and making a red, white and blue trifle. We got busy, there was rain that delayed dinner and a cake was never baked. I decided to go the healthy route and make parfaits for the kids. A layer of farm vanilla yogurt (all natural, no antibiotics or hormones), a layer of the strawberry topping I canned after Haven's birthday party, another layer of yogurt, fresh blueberries on top. They went CRAZY for it! They want it for dessert every night and couldn't stop saying how yummy it was. It made me so happy that they enjoyed the parfaits so much and that I knew what I was feeding them was healthy, local and delicious.

In a jam

So, the day was off to a rough emotional start for me, but we had jam to make and no time to wallow. Thankfully, Ryan and Haven helped me check the berries and remove stems. We made the jam, and Ryan was eager to be involved which made it fun. A few hours later, we have 10 jars of blueberry jam and they are lovely and thick and delicious. I always feel better about myself when I complete a big task or provide something for my family. I am still struggling a bit emotionally, this morning was quite a slap, but Ryan and the kids make it easier, and I am just moving forward, tomorrow is a new day.

Volatile relationships

Those who know me also know that my relationship with my mother has always been rocky. As I have grown older, and possibly wiser, I have learned to let go of a lot of the things from the past. I will admit I was a trying teenager, although a good student and still always there for my family. I understand how people go through life with filters, and that perceptions are more important than truth. My mother sees me as someone I am not, and it is really hard to deal with and makes me very sad. She thinks I don't care about her, and when I tell her I call a number of times a week and ask her about her life, she doesn't share with me. She tells me she doesn't want to let me in because I don't care (but I do and I try to show her) and she tells me that I am mean (which I don't think I am). I admit, I hold people to a high level, but I also hold myself to that level if not higher, and I am pretty forgiving if I am wronged.

Right now she is mad because a few weeks ago I told her that something she did hurt my feelings and I thought was wrong. I thought about what I wanted to say for days, and tried to approach this as calmly and rationally as possible, but it still blew up. The things she says I said are not true, she claims I said she was a bad person, bad grandmother, etc but I never said those things, implied them or even thought them. I can understand that she is so upset given what she believes I said, but I cannot get across to her what I really said and meant.

We had a phone call of over an hour in which she cried and yelled at me. My heart breaks for her, as she is never happy and really doesn't see people or life for what they are. I do love my mother, I care for her and want to be a part of her life. She shuts me down at every turn, she can be quite nasty and sour, and I know she disapproves of many of my choices in life. I am sorry she sees me the way she does, and I really wish she knew the real me, I think she would like me. I hate that this is still going on, that she can't let go of the past or understand that I have moved on. All I can hope is that I don't allow this to happen with my kids, that I make sure to enjoy what I have and to love them, even if I don't understand their choices.

My whole life I have felt like a disappointment, and now as an adult, I refuse to judge myself through my mother's eyes, but as a daughter, I still wish I had her approval. I dreaded telling her I was pregnant each time, and I know she will be unhappy if we have another child. She doesn't understand how Ryan and I stayed married, she cannot understand that sometimes you have to let the past go and move forward and be happy.

I wish she was happy, she has a great life now, and I wish we could be close.

Lazy summer days!

So it is just after 9 am and the whole family just came down for breakfast. The kids were kind enough to let Ryan and I doze in bed while they watched a movie. Brittan was especially kind as I know she was up around 6:30 am!

Now they are rested and fed and happy!

So excited

Ryan got me a gift card for Sur La Table for my birthday, and I just SPENT IT...whooooooooohoooooo!

I would never spend so much money on myself, so it is always so much fun when I get a gift card and can be a bit self indulgant. This time I got quite a haul, three bread pans, a salt pig, a ceramic baking dish, a popover pan, a dough scraper and a new pastry brush. I just received an email that my order has shipped, and I cannot wait for it to get here so I can try everything out!

Blueberries baskets

So we went blueberry picking. It was hot, hot, hot! Thankfully the farm is very close to the house, and when chatting with the owner we found out she lived in a house just down our street before moving to her little farmette!

The berries are delicious and we got about 7 1/2 pounds. I will be processing them in the morning, I am just too tired to do it today and want to enjoy a quiet afternoon. Half the berries will be frozen for pies, tarts, muffins, scones and pancakes, the other half will become jam.

If we get daring, and it isn't as hot, the kid and I may go back out next week in the morning. The only bad thing was that Haven had two little ticks on her pants when we left. No one was bit and the kids stripped down and took showers when we came home, so they are spic and span now too!

Proof

Here are some pictures of my big freezer, one small freezer and some of the pantry....yes, just some. I still need to stock up on canned goods, especially home canned items, so those shelves will be packed by fall!

Eat what you have

We have been learning to use everything we have, repurpose what we can, and most importantly, eat the food we have in the house. There have been a bunch of things in the CSA haul that we have never had before, or that I don't usually use, but we have found a way to use them or save them for later.

Today I processed and froze our chinese cabbage knowing it will be used in pot stickers, so the texture is not as important. We also froze some baby broccoli, it wasn't enough for a side dish, but will be great in veggie soup come fall. I have also blanched and frozen kale for sausage soup in the fall and winter. I love using new ingredients and using what we have up.

I wasn't sure it would fit!

So Emily and I loaded up the six kids in her Acadia and drove to pick up our meat. We left with 10 boxes of beef-3/4 of a cow (4 for Dr. Tom and 6 for us), 2 gallons of milk in half gallon glass bottles, a quart of half and half, a quart of yogurt, two huge bouquets of flowers, tomatoes, peaches (for em so we don't kill Haven), zucchini, squash, 3 dozen eggs, and six pounds of sausage(I think that is it). The kids in the middle row rode with boxes at their feet, the kids in the back had milk, and I had flowers on my lap, but we were still comfy and fit it all in, it was AMAZING!!

We dropped Tom's eggs and meat off and then Em and I sorted in the parking lot, and sorted and sorted and sorted. I came home and thankfully Ryan was up to help, and we crammed all of the food into the big freezer. Now I have a lot of freezer space, 1 upright and two top freezers, and I think we are packed in pretty well now and will be eating what we can reach :)

At this point, between the fresh stuff from the garden and the CSA, we should only need minimal things for the summer. We will rock the Eat Local Challenge!

I will try to get some decent pictures of the freezer and mud room, and the worse part is, I still have a ton more canning and freezing to do for winter eats. This will be interesting!

Making him crazy...in a good way

So I think my marriage is the best it has ever been. Sure we argue, and sometimes it is loud, but at the end of the day, I think we are pretty kind and loving to each other. Hubby has come a long way in the last five years, and I have learned to roll with some things, so it makes for a happier household.

I am so happy he is off the next three nights, and yes I do know that he was on vacation with us and off for 12 days, but we had fun and miss him when he is gone.

Tomorrow morning I will go get the meat, get adjusted, and then come home to clean the house, bake some bread, do some laundry and make a yummy dinner for the family. Summer is very calming :)


Oh, and I had a great shopping day today, 14 boxes of cereal, 2 packs of ziplock bags, the HUGE thing of cat litter, and two organic shopping bags for $50, and then 5 cases of soda (we don't drink it often, but it is good to have and was soooo cheap) and 24 ears of corn for $15! The girls husked half the corn and we packed it up in groups of four to be frozen. We will husk the rest tomorrow and eat some for dinner and freeze the rest, I may even go back and get 12 more ears, I mean corn for .16 cents, that is a good deal.

Dinner tomorrow will be steak from the cow, corn and smashed taters from the CSA. Thursday we will have grilled sausage from the farm, cole slaw from the cabbage in the CSA and some starch, probably rice. I also will be making potstickers with the chinese cabbage, some leftover water chestnuts and ground pork that I will grab at the farm tomorrow for a quick meal this week. This family eats great :)

To continue the theme

My girls decided to cover themselves with tattoos. The most interesting placement were the two butterflies on Brittans rear end. I think I am in trouble here......

Kid's are funny

He decided that the fish mask from the nebulizer was his firefighter mask.

Too cute!

The best in the land!

Just in case anyone was wondering, Emily is the best source for unusual knowledge....can't say useless since it came in handy today,

Since getting home our garbage disposal wasn't working. Odd since it was put in only two or three years ago, and I actually splurged for a good one. Emily came to the rescue and over the phone told Ryan and I how to fix it. She saved us just in time since I have to clean all of the CSA stuff in the morning.

Thanks Em, you are my hero!!!!

Food... glorious

I love CSA day. Today we had herbs, cabbage, chinese cabbage, lettuce, what looks to be the end of the broccoli raab for the season, fresh dug potatoes and blueberries! The berries came from another farm, so I called and we are headed out there later this week since I can't pass up PYO berries! We want to get 10 lbs of blueberries, five will become jam and five will be frozen for blueberry pancakes, scones, muffins, etc. The berries we received today will become pancakes tomorrow morning if I get some decent sleep :)

Today, while chatting with Em on the phone, I was organizing my freezer(s) and discussing the fact that we have quite a big stash. While talking, she and I both commented that we were due to get our next delivery of beef, and where it would fit. Just then, Farmer Ben beeped in to tell me the meat will be there on Wednesday!! With some pushing around, I now have the room for my meat and anything Emily needs me to store. Then we will be packed to the gills in the freezer....now we need to start canning!

I also placed an order for more green coffee beans since I am out. I decided to try a different supplier, if I like them, I will link to them :) Next big order will be for wheat and white flour. I found a place to buy in bulk in special storage pails to keep the moisture and critters out. They also have wheat that I can grind into flour, I am planning to try that this winter if I have the time. The final items I need to purchase this summer are the cheesemaking supplies (for Mozz and ricotta) and some cheesecloth for yogurt making.

Home, happy and exhausted

Yesterday husband and I enjoyed the wedding of a good friend of his from HS. Interestingly enough, he married a girl that went to MY high school, and we are from Long Island so there are lots of schools and people!

The wedding was very nice, and I even got to catch up with some people who I have known since elementary school :)

Post wedding, we headed back to Ryan's mom's house and met up with Kristin and Matt who had entertained the tribe all afternoon with pizza and swimming. We decided that it would be best of we did the hell drive back at night so the kids didn't have to spend the whole day trapped in a car again. We planned to go to dinner in Port Jeff with Ry's mom, brothers, Kristin and his friend Erik then leave straight from there. Dinner was hell as it took TWO HOURS to get the food (and it was wings, burgers, etc) so my poor babies were so tired and hungry and barely even ate when the food was served at 11 pm!

After dinner, we made a potty stop, loaded the sad tired kids in the car and took off. I ended up driving all but the last two hours (and remember I slept only 3 hours the night before) and handed over the keys when I couldn't see straight anymore. Three hours of sleep in a 48 hour period is just not fun.

We got home at 6 am and everyone went to bed for a bit. I got up at 9:30, woke Ryan and went to pick up the dog at the boarders, dropped her off, went and picked up the CSA (more on that later), then had to go BACK to the boarders since she gave me back the wrong medicine for Rosie, then to the grocery store and whew, then home.

Now I am wiped and going to lay down for an hour on the couch. I still need to cook dinner, switch laundry and write a paper, and then I am in bed EARLY!!!

Grades

You know what rocks?

When you blow off an assignment because you are at the beach on vacation, knowing full well that it would mean you only get a B+ in the class....and then you check your grade and find out you got the A anyway.

Woooooohooooo

In NY

We made it to NY, although it was a LOOOOOOOOOOONG NINE HOUR CAR RIDE!!!

Needless to say, by the end of the trip, we were all falling apart. I was in tears, Grayson was screaming, Britt was whining and Haven was sulking. Good times for all!

We made it to Ryan's friends house, and I think we were overwhelming him a bit. I suggested I take the kids to Ryan's mom's house, and sometime around 11 pm, we got there and settled in. I couldn't seem to fall asleep and was up until after 4:30 am, and was not thrilled when Gray woke at 8. Now the kids need to eat, I NEED coffee and we need to pretty up for a noon wedding.

I cannot express to anyone just how thrilled I will be when I lay in my bed Monday night. Tuesday I will need to get up early and get the dog, and we will need to go to the farm to get milk, but that will be all and I will be happy to stay home for awhile.

Sea, sand, sun and sound

We are back home....for one night. The kid's had a blast on the beach trip, and they were so sad to have to come home. We enjoyed playing in the sand, watching kite surfers, splashing in the sound and the ocean. Tomorrow we begin stage two of the vacation, with a seven hour drive to NY. Ryan and I will be going to a wedding Sunday afternoon and the kids will hang with Uncle Matt and Kristin, probably at the aquarium or *GASP* THE BEACH!!!

The kids are total beach bums now, begging to head down to my parent's house ASAP, little do the folks know that the kids want to head to the beach at 8 am and home at dusk.

Off to write a paper and repack!

The best pic I could get

The kids were a bit excited, so this was the best I could do. At least I included the important elements, the kids and the ocean!

Five little ducks on their way to the beach

The sixth was behind me :)

Salty and sandy

On the right track

I knew we were onto something when we joined the CSA and got our meat direct from the source. Not only healthy, but now more economical too! Check this out

So everyone knows, we MADE IT!!

We are here at the beach all settled in. We spent today at the beach in the morning and the pool in the afternoon. The kids are having fun, although they were up really late last night and are a bit overtired today.

Pictures and videos to come...tomorrow we go to Ocracoke Island, which should be lots of fun.

Whew, off to prep dinner for the growups :)

Tomorrow we go!

The big day is upon us, tomorrow we leave for our trip!

We are almost ready to go, Ryan just needs to pack himself up. Tomorrow I will drop the dog off an run a few last minute errands, set the cats up (our neighbor is checking on them) pack the cold food into the cooler and pack the car. My goal is to be on the road by noon, at the beach by dinner time. We plan to lay low, mostly hanging at the beach or the pool, maybe a quick outing or two. Then we head home Friday, and are back on the road on Saturday to drive to NY for a wedding. Then home on Monday. Whew, it will be busy and fun and we are all so excited it is VACATION TIME!!!

Back in the berries

So since I, ahem, cannot blog about what "we" have to do, I figured I would blog about what I did do.

Today we ventured to the farm for milk, eggs, yogurt and berries. The plants were sparse, and it took some work, but we got five more pounds of strawberries. Emily took some of the more firm ones home for her kids to eat, and I packed up two bags to be frozen. When we get home, I will make those into about 12 jars of jam, yumm!

Rush rush rush

I feel like this week is barreling by!

Today, as promised, I am taking the kids to lunch and the pool. We decided to go to the farm tomorrow as they have a special on pick your own strawberries ($1 a pound!) and the weather looks to be perfect tomorrow.

I am still not anywhere near packed, but I will start today when we get home from the pool. The Fallon kids will be here, so I am hoping they will entertain each other while I finish laundry and pack for Ryan and I. Tomorrow morning I will pack the kid's clothes, have my conference call and then we will head off to the farm. Thursday Haven has a riding lesson at 9:30, then we will go to Brittan's birthday party at noon, then home to finish getting ready for the trip. Friday, if husband will watch the kids, Emily and I can get the rest of the food we need, and I can get the car cleaned out and ready to go. Saturday morning I will pack the food, we will pack the car, drop the dog off and we will be on our way!

Cooperation and CSAs

So, today has not gone as planned. I had instructed the girls to clean their rooms yesterday, so that today we could have had a fun day. This morning I saw that the rooms were not only not clean, they were TRASHED. Needless to say, the outings were cancelled. Grayson is also upstairs napping because he couldn't say a single nice thing today, gotta love 3/4 year old boys!

We did however get to pick up our CSA stuff and had a surprise, blackberries! We also got some beautiful kale and cabbage. The cabbage has already been made into coleslaw to go with our BBQ chicken and beans tonight. The kale will be grilled and served with a vinaigrette, and the blackberries will grace our table tomorrow night when the Fallon kids are here for dinner. Tomorrow will be breakfast for dinner, sausage, eggs, biscuits, hash browns and fruit salad including those delicious blackberries.

Also in the haul were some herbs and bunch onions that will go into the vinaigrette, lettuce, chinese cabbage and my eggs. Tasty!

Hopefully today we can get started on packing, finish the laundry and a few other odds and ends. Tomorrow we need to go to lunch, the farm, I need to grab a few things in Fredericksburg, the pool and then the Fallon kiddos will be here while their parents are at a swanky event :) Wednesday I will clean the car, get extra litter boxes for the cats and get ready for Britt's party on Thursday. Friday we will finish packing, and Saturday we are off!! We will come back the following Friday, then Saturday morning leave for NY, returning on Monday. Whew!

Countdown

We are leaving for the beach in FIVE DAYS!!!

As we count down, I am also feeling a bit stressed about getting everything ready to go. I have some last minute things to do at the house... I need the house clean before we leave, I need to set the cats up, drop the dog off, get and pack the food, pack the kids and us, etc.

I am a list maker, so I have my lists ready to go!

Let the fun begin!

Trapped

As I have posted a lot lately, I have the itch to get out of Virginia. My job is one that I take with me, so I can live anywhere we want and still have the same income. Ryan is ready to leave his current position, but with the unstable market, he is just staying put since he knows he has job security. It kills me that we are sitting here wasting time just because of the housing prices. If this were one year ago, we could have sold our house, paid off a little debt and moved.

We are still planning to stay put until the doctorate is done, or close to it, but my fear is that two years will not be enough to fix the drop in housing. It just stinks as the kids are getting older, and I don't want to wait until they are in middle school or high school to move them. Haven would be in fifth grade in two years, and I think that is the best time for us to go, but housing has to get better. Soon right???!!!

The best Daddy ever!

My husband is by far the best daddy ever! Since the day we found out we were expecting Haven, to today when he is willing to indulge me in trying for #4, he is a dad who is always involved with the kiddos. He may not know everything that is going on, but he is the first to hang with the kids, play with them and I trust that he will guard them with his life. The kids adore him, and as we speak, he is following the treasure hunt the kids made up for him, even though he is exhausted and hungry. He makes the kids laugh, he was always there to rock them as babies, and he changed a mean diaper, and the kids and I know that he loves us all deeply.

My children are very lucky to have such different parents, I am more rigid and uptight and he is all about fun. They are very lucky to get a dad who loves them as much as he does.

Happy Father's Day!

Pears

When we bought this house, the previous owners told us that they had two pear trees in the front of the house. We have been here almost 5 years and never saw any pears, probably because the trees were planted in the shade and in the worst spot ever for fruit trees.

Today I was driving by the front of the house and I saw bulbs on the trees. Further inspection showed pears, lots of pears! They are a few weeks off from being harvested, but if they continue to grow we will have a ton of fresh pears to eat and can, right from the front yard!

Need an adventure

Ryan and I have long known that a deadline is approaching. We know that when my doctorate is done, we need to make choices about where we live and what we do, and it has been a source of excitement and stress. The deadline is still about two years away, but we have a few ideas on the table.

One is that I will look for a full time teaching position here and that we will stay in VA. That is great since the kids are happy here and we own a home, etc, but we really don't have much tying us to this area -except the Fallons of course.

The second choice is that I look for a FT teaching position somewhere else. The problem with this is, we are not sure I would make enough to support the whole family or if Ryan would easily be able to get a job. We are also not sure if we would be near friends and family, etc.

The last choice is that I go back to the corporate world, and teach on the side. My degree really is meant to be applied in the field, so this would be an asset for me when looking for a job. We know that the best place for me to work in NYC, so we are considering moving back up north if I find a job in the city. We are even thinking of living in the city for a year and think it would be a really neat experience for the kids! We also know that the NYC school system has lots of opportunities for our children, as do the cultural events, museums, etc. If we do this, Ryan will probably stay home with the kids and finish school.

Ah, the joy of the unknown!

School's out for summer!

Yesterday was the last day of school and I couldn't be more excited! Haven finished up second grade doing well, and Britt finished out kindergarten wonderfully!

We picked the kiddos up and headed to Busch Gardens for some last day of school fun with the Fallons. It was warm, but once I was soaked on the rapids....and again on the Log Flume, I wasn't hot at all!

The kids seemed to have fun too, only thing we need to do next time is see a show. Since we have season passes, we all know we will be back soon, so everyone was pretty good about waiting to try new things, etc.

The ride home went well, not a peep from Haven and Brittan except when they were thirsty. They all watched a movie, and Grayson kept trying to talk to us, but still it was a very nice ride.

All went well until Haven got up at 3 am and threw up! I think she is fine, she has a bad cold and I think it just made her reflux act up. She is doing well this morning, enjoying the first lazy day of summer, and I am just so happy that the beach trip is less than a week away!

New toy!

Husband's Father's Day gift came today, and of course I let him open it. We got a new Flip ultra camcorder

Ours is orange and I got the matching case for it, and it will be perfect for our beach trip!

Here is what happens around here when you play in the mud.

The stars are Grayson and Maggie...

Still kickin'

So Gray was up until 4 am last night, that is right 4 AM!!!!

He hadn't slept or napped in days and was just terrible, so off he went to bed last night at 6 pm. He woke around 10 and then stayed up until 4 am. Needless to say, I am just exhausted!

Nevertheless, I got up and made the girls lunch and got them off to school for field day. Then I spent 3 hours doing course checks, did the dishes, scrubbed the dining room, cleaned the bathroom and planted the last few things that needed to go into the ground. Husband has overhauled our bedroom and is working on the bathroom (hurray) and then I will shower and go see Dr. Tom and run a few errands.

I still have to unload the dishes and switch laundry, and then I think I will crash!

Buggers!!!!

Growing up on Long Island, my husband and I know all about fleas. Being that LI is mostly sand, fleas are a major issue and one that our families dealt with each and every spring and summer. Since moving to VA, we have never had any issues with fleas. I have always used the cheapy flea treatments you buy at those cheapy stores, and they worked just dandy. This year something went wrong.....

The cats don't go outside, but the dog does. The dog was treated with the normal cheapy thing in May, and a few weeks ago we noticed the kittens had some fleas. I bought them the cheapy treatment and treated the dog and all three cats. Well, three days later and still fleas, so we bathed them all in dish soap on the advice of the vet (that was NO fun)

Fast forward a few days and...they still have fleas. So we bought a spray and sprayed the, and then three days later we sprayed them again as instructed, sprayed the carpets etc. Now I hate pesticides, so it sucked having to spray.

So tonight I check the cats again, and I saw fleas again. Now they have never had A LOT, but if I see one or two, that is enough for me.

Tonight I sucked it up and order the really expensive treatments. I just spent $100 on treatments for all three cats and the dog. The stuff had great reviews and claim to kill adult fleas in a few hours, and will kill the buggers that are on the floor and jump on board. The only down side is I won't have this miracle treatment until Monday :(

Damn buggers!

Stop the ride!!!

I need a break, a true, laying down with nothing to do, no cleaning, no cooking, no running the household break. Britt had her awards today, and now as I sit here, I still must clean up from dinner, vacuum, switch laundry (and the clean pile has grown to scary heights again) and bake cookies for tomorrow.

I want to sit, drink coffee and watch a stupid movie, but I know that by the time I finish all that I have to do, it will be 9:30 and I will not want to watch a movie anymore. Tomorrow morning I have a course checks, which take a few hours, but class is almost over and I get a blessed FOUR weeks of no work!

Oh just get me to June 21st and the beach......

So proud I could burst

There are very few moments that my children make me so proud I could cry, and today was one of those days. Haven, my oldest, has struggled with reading and writing, and we are sure the child has dyslexia which has aided in the problem. This year it all clicked for her and she can read beautifully.

Today she had awards at her school, and in kindergarten and first grade she always won the kindness award, especially when dealing with any students who face challenges, including her friend K who is in a wheelchair. While Haven can be a lot to handle at home, she is always empathetic and tries to help anyone who needs it.

Today at school she earned the Super Reader Award for her class. I also saw that she and my middle child were in the top 10 for their grade level in reading points. For Haven, this award meant she has come full circle and is finally able to work through the challenges she faced and is able to show her true potential. I knew that she would be getting this award before I went in, and was so proud, but then she earned another award. Haven and two classmates earned a special award from central office given to children who help those in the special ed program, such as K. She was nominated for this award by a number of teachers, and it made be so proud that she could be so kind and giving. We were given copies of the nomination letters and it was so amazing to see all of the kind words spoken about my girl.

While she can be my most difficult at home, I know that when she is out in the world, she is really a spectacular kid.

Rough nights

Soooooo


No sleep for the weary.

Seems Grayson has the cold that has been going around, and with him, it makes his asthma pretty bad. We will be starting breathing treatments today, hopefully keep him healthy before the big trip.

It should be pretty exciting today when we go see Haven get her award.

The day picked up

So, Em told me to blow off the training, that the little money I would get from tutoring at this place wasn't worth the time and effort. I am going to see about tutoring some local high school students, much more profitable and a better use of time.

The kids played ok this afternoon, and my husband had a really nice gift card to Sur la Table, so I can o spend like crazy and not feel bad. We also had ice cream cake, and the kids sang, although Gray was a phrase behind.

Now I just need a quiet night and all will be right with the world!

Not off to a good start

So far, not off to a good start. Last night the power went out for a little while, and then Gray was up and down all night, and then I started to get hit with the cold going around. When we got up this morning, I was already exhausted, plus no one in my family bothered to wish me a happy birthday. Now I need to go and bring the girls to school, come home and water the gardens (since it will be 100 degrees today) and switch the laundry. Then I will drive to pick up the CSA stuff, maybe take Em up on her offer for lunch, then off to training for 2 1/2 hours. Lucky, lucky me.

33

Tomorrow is my birthday and I will be 33. Big whoop. Know what I have to do? I have to pick up my CSA stuff, see Dr. Tom and go to training. yippee.

The simple tasks

Having three kids, 8 and under, simple tasks become HUGE!!

We have had a growing pile of clean laundry to fold. It had grown to take over the loveseat in the living room, so this morning I decided to start folding. I seperated half of the clothes into parents and kids and then folded all the kids clothes. The next step should have been easy, put the clothes away, but now that we have switched into summer, I needed to clean out all of their dressers and drawers. So this simple task turned into an ordeal, complete with closet reorganization, toy clean up and Space Bags!

Now I plan to feed the kiddos lunch, and take them over to the pool. Then when we get home, I will fold the OTHER half of kids clothes and the girls will put them away. Then I can tackle the rest of the dirty laundry :)

A good cup of Joe

When I asked Ryan for my own coffee roaster for Christmas, I never knew just how much I would enjoy roasting my own beans. Even though it makes the house a little smokey and smelly (so says Ry, I like the smell) I love the freshness of the coffee, and that I can control how deep the roast is.

As I have been trying different beans, I have found that I really enjoy a dark roast coffee. Prior to roasting my own, I never liked the taste of dark roasts, they were always bitter or burnt tasting. Now I know that the beans I used before were either old, or over roasted, dry or stale. Nothing compares to a roasting a batch of beans and making a fresh cup of coffee, it is by far the best tasting coffee I have ever had in my life. I encourage all coffee drinkers to buy a small home roaster (mine was only about $80). The green beans are cheaper, and usually free trade organic, and so much better than the roasted beans you find in the store. Roast in small batches, I do under a lb, and enjoy a cup of coffee as it should be.

Feelin' HOT

It is really warm today, and looks like it will near 100 degrees. The whole family had a busy day, the kiddos and I loaded into the car and drove Brittan to her birthday part. While we were in Fredericksburg, we got gas, for ONLY 3.76 a gallon! Being that it is about 3.93 here in our town, I was happy to get the cheaper price. We dropped Britt off and then ran to grab the kids some lunch. Off to the farm to get milk, as we were alomost out and I can't pick up our milk order until Wednesday. Back to get Britt and then home to see hubby who was sweating outside replacing the dryer vent cover. Then Gray and I took off for the grocery store to grab some things for dinner.

Now I need to do some grading and make dinner. The kids voted for homemade mac and cheese and grilled BBQ chicken sandwiches with cheddar cheese and of course salad.

I have to say, I was very happy when we were at the grocery store and the things my kid begged for were bananas and cucumbers.

Sleepy Awareness

Husband let me sleep in a bit today, which is really good since I haven't recovered from Grayson's middle of the night conversations last week. I woke up and the house was messy (really messy) and the kids running around, and toys strewn about. What I realized in that moment was that if I had been up first, the house would have been cleaned, but that would have been the only difference. While my husband has the avility to push each and every OCD button I have, he is a great dad and he really was nice lettin me sleep. I will need to vacuum and do the dishes, wipe the table and dress the kids before we leave in two hours to take Britt to a party, but I am thankful I got a little extra sleep and that he got up and made the kids a hot breakfast and made sure they were happy.

Antsy Pantsy

Everyone few months I get really antsy. I start thinking about moving, or a new job, or during bad times, a new husband :)

I like the area we live in enough, and I can see why lots of people love living here, good schools, amenities, etc. To me, it is all very BLAH. I feel like we live in limbo, not the north, not the south. Being that Ryan has sworn never to move south, I guess that means we will someday look to head back north. We live close to DC, but I really don't like it there. I am not sure if it is because I don't feel comfortable getting around, or that I am not sure where things are, but I really don't enjoy going into DC to spend time. Last summer when we were in NYC with my family, I really enjoyed showing the kids "my" city. Having grown up so close, and spent so much time there both playing and working, I am very comfortable in NYC. If we lived within an hour of there, I would bring the kids in all the time, as I know my way and feel happy when I am there.

So where does this leave us? Right now we are trapped here, the housing market is so bad that we couldn't move if we needed to. I have two more years on the doctorate, and we hope the market is better around the same time I am done. I have two big choices when we are able to move again, do I look for a job in education or corporate America? Obviously the later will pay significantly more, but a job in education is much better for my soul. I guess time will tell. I am not opposed to working in NYC again in the future, although we would buy a house upstate. Ah the joys of planning a life, good thing I have time.

Hanging in there

The weather situation here in Virginia is crazy. It seems we live with a constant threat of severe weather, and I am very tired after a night of watching for storms and avoiding flooding the house.

I hope we have warm weather the next few days and minimal rain so we can dry out a bit. Enough is enough with the weather!

Too much to do, too little time

I am just feeling swamped.

On the bright side, I received my performance review today and it was really great. My boss had a lot of nice things to say, and it made my day.

Also, my birthday is on Monday, no big plans so tell the band not to come.

Pool was a bust

Never fails, just when you think you have all your ducks in a row....the cosmos messes with you!

I left to pick the kids up at school. That means Gray and I got in the pickup line at about 10 to 3, the kids came out at 3:30, I gave them juice boxes and snacks. I had the girl's bathing suits ready to go, they could change at Dr Tom's, all the towels and toys were neatly packed and dinner was ready to be finished at home. When we were almost to Dr Tom's (which took forever, damn construction) Em called and said the pool was closed :(

The kids were sad, but we went to Em's and they played in teh sprinkler and had popsicles, so it wasn't all bad. Then it only took 20 minutes to get home (it is only 6 miles or so) Then rush and finish dinner and throw the kids in the bath.

I am sleepy now.

Water babies

OK, so not to beat a dead horse, but Gray didn't sleep well again last night. Oh well.

We had a good morning, got some things done, went to pick up CSA and I know Haven will be thrilled as there are sugar snap peas in the bag today! Gray napped in the car, which is a good thing since I am picking Haven, Brittan and Declan up from school to go to the pool. I love when we hit summer, everyone's mood improves and it feels so free!! This i why I keep considering homeschooling, I think my kids would really enjoy the time at home and the more flexible schedule!

So now I am quickly making chicken parm so that I can leave it in the warm oven while we swim. Then when we get home, all I have to do is make the pasta and toss a salad and we are ready to eat. Summer rocks!

Mud is only good for wrestling

So we had a nice day. I didn't get all of the things I needed to done, but instead I took the kids to get new pool toys and to the pool with Emily, her mom and the kiddos. We had fun, went back to Em's house so the kids could horse around a bit more, Declan beat me at a Guitar Hero battle (watch it kid, I am going to practice and come back and beat you!!) then home. I had a nice dinner all planned, steaks on the grill, twice baked loaded potatoes, corn on the cob and salad. Then the skies opened and it POURED. I waited a bit, seemed the rain passed, started the grill. Just when I needed to put the steaks on, the skies opened again, and as the good wife and mother, I ventured out. The problem was that the mud was slick and I slipped and wrenched the hell out of my back. Thankfully Ryan came and saved the day, he cooked the steaks and served the kids and gave me tylenol for my back. Tomorrow morning before getting the CSA, I will see Dr Tom. Damn mud!

General updates

OK, just a few quick updates on what we have been up to!

We now have found all the kittens new homes with the exception of the two little guys we are keeping. We have kept an all gray striped kitten named Tuesday and a wild gray and white male fluff ball named Jacks, and of course mama cat Helicopter! This brings the animal count in the house even with the people, 1 huge Newfoundland (Rosie), a hamster (Sammy) and the three cats!

The garden looks like it is going well, nice flowers on my squash and zucchini, tomatoes in the main garden seem to have come back since the floods, the cukes are looking betterm beans and peas are growing strong, and carrots and one set of lettuce look great. The eggplant is still really small, but I am hopeful. The side garden was pretty washed out, but I do have some pumpkins growing and I put the sweet potato plants in the ground, so we wil see. I have more acorn squash and butternut squash seeds that I will put in the ground as we have a really long season and they are fall bearers. I also bought the kiddos a watermelon plant, although I have no idea where I will plant it! Maybe where the potatoes washed away :)

The bucket graveyard will go up next week, 5 tomato plants, i pepper...for now. These will live in a sunny patch in front of the playroom, near the side garden. Herbs are growing out back, and I am getting ready to start a new set of herbs in the aerogarden.

Haven's birthday has passed, Brittan's is next in July. We are planning a party for her in June so that kids from school can attend as well. She chose Chuck E Cheese...oh well, it is her party :)

My birthday is just around the corner (6/9) but as usual, I am not planning to do too much. It is a Monday, so Ryan has to work, and it is the last week of school for the girls. I am happy to take the trip to NC at the end of the month (and all of the new clothes I ordered for the trip) as my present :)