We're going out!

The hubby and I are going on a date! Not a wedding or some other non optional thing but a date. In the past year we have gone out to eat together once, yes that's right ONCE. And the poor hubby had a salad and nothing else, he knew to eat first. This is excluding the rare Wendy's or Sara's pizza which happens bimonthly, maybe. The time before that was a year ago and we went to the home show. We're going out this Friday to The Bonefish Grill and the home show again. I think going out is overrated, I'm a homebody can you tell, but on occasion it's kind of nice. We used to go out all the time. I think of all the money and time we blew on nothing, it's crazy. Now for fun we pop popcorn and watch movie or just sit and talk. This year has been a big year for him so lots of talking after the kiddo's are in bed. After the baby is born we'll be back to our two nights a week in the hot tub talking for an hour or two. Last summer we sat on the porch and did sudoko puzzles like mad crazy people. Last night we piled into our over sized chair and read books, not talking but together.
One of my favorite things to do is to watch him with the kids. In the summer it's after dinner water balloons and rocket balloons. Winter is juice snow cones in the hot tub and playing in the snow. Just earlier he made then paper airplanes and flew them all over the house. He lets them watch non kid movies and answer a billion "why is he doing that" questions during superman or Zorro. He even took the oldest to the after work hang out and got him an apple juice while I was at my last midwife appointment. He takes turns taking them to run errands, like getting a movie or running to the hardware store.
That in my book is what life is about, not what we have planned for Friday night. We were talking what we were going to do when they all move out, besides sleeping in we decide we will be watching the grand babies. We are richly blessed indeed.

New Cleaning Schedule

I read "A Mom Just Like You" by Vicki and Jayme Farris this weekend and loved her cleaning schedule that she uses, or has used. She has broken her house down into 5 zones and cleans 1 zone per weekday for an hour. Before children I would spend all day cleaning on my day off. I would start on the top floor and work my way down with laundry done all on this day too. I would actually prefer to still do it that way but with kids and homeschooling finding an 6 hour uninterrupted chunk of time to clean the house just isn't going to happen. Here is my first attempt at zones.
Monday Zone 1 master bed and bath bedding
Tuesday Zone 2 Kitchen and dining room and living room
Wednesday Zone 3 Kids Bed room and bedding
Thursday Zone 4 "Wood" floors
Friday Zone 5 Basement
I'll try this this week and see how it goes, some jobs I know will not take an hour (wood floors 45 mins) and some will take more (1 1/2 hours for the basement.) But this is the newest attempt to stay on top of things.

Kid Talk

The hubby and I discover some marks in the drywall in the basement and start lecturing the kids about putting holes in the walls. Nobody confesses. Lula says with all sincerity"maybe it was a woodpecker." Hubby manages to keep a straight face and keep lecturing, I turn and die of laughter. Come on a "woodpecker."

I bought some maternity underwear last week and they were hanging to dry and Lula starts talking about how cute they are. Racky then chimes in "those aren't mom's, those are too small for her." How large does he think my backside is?

Kids they say the darnest things.

Frugal Fridays Bath tub Toys

My children love to take a bath and play in the tub. Instead of buying bath tub toys I give them empty bottles and different containers to play with. Examples would be the empty bubble bath, shampoo or a ketchup container. Maybe the scoop out of the laundry detergent. I've even given them the liquid laundry detergent bottle for the kiddie pool in the summer. They love to fill things up and dump it out again. This would work good for going to the lake too, no worrying about the expensive beach toys. Then when they get dirty of soap scummy I just toss or recycle it and give them a new bottle. Free and disposable toys gotta love it. Go visit Crystal for more frugal ideas.

On a side note: When should kids stop taking a bath together? I have three kids 6-2yrs, 2 boys and one girl and they love to take baths together. Should I be putting an end to this, its so easy just throw them all in together and get it done and over with than three seperate baths. What do you think?

To Do List!

I'm having a no school but all work day.
1. Wash living room, dining room, and kitchen valances.
2. Vacuum/dust wood blinds.
3. Rearrange living room and clean under everything.
4. Go to store and get something to feed kids tonight.
5. Mop floor through the whole upstairs except master bedroom.
6. Clean air purifiers.
7. Read chapter in Created to Be His Helpmeet, for meeting tonight.

Well I'm off to scrub and clean, what are you doing today?

Ramblings

I thought I was doing so good but yet I have a million things to do today. This weekend I washed, dried and IRONED all of the hubby's laundry for his trip. I baked and froze cookies for his trip. All clothes and shoes are packed and waiting. All his food prep that can be done early is done, but yet I have some much to do. Did I tell you that I got out of bed at 5:40 and I still have stuff to do. Like wash master bed sheets, a Monday job and Lula's because she wet the bed, that's seven loads of laundry. And then all the last minute prep stuff before a vacation. All I want is to take a nap but I must keep going. I have to do way to much night/all day before prep to get us out of the house as a family at 7:45 in the morning. You know clothes set out, hubby's plane lunch packed, myself bathed and sanity intact. I will still have to be up no later than 6:15 to be on time. Oh if only the kids could drink cow's milk and eat pop tarts in the backseat and the hubby could eat airport food, life would be bliss;) Just kidding, but seriously how do women work outside of the house, even part time.

Daily News

We went sledding! I haven't been sledding in I don't know how long. I only went down once, sledding is very tough on the pregnant bladder when it is very full;) The kids had a ball. I brought the camera to get some pics but forgot it in the car, oops. The place was still busy at 6:30 at night, crazy. I guess I can understand it's Saturday and its the end of January and we finally have snow. Now I'm baking, crazy I know, I hate to bake but the idea of a chocolate chip cookie out weighs that today. Well before I eat all the cookies I better get off of the computer and freeze some, hubby want some for is up coming trip and the way I'm going I'm going to have to bake more. I hope you have a good rest of the weekend.

The Results

We saw the Doc this morning and got the rest of the news. Lula is much more reactive than her big brother, lovey huh? I know I didn't know it was possible either. So reactive that the whole family is going be tested too just to make sure there isn't more problems. She has 41 VL reactions compared to her brothers 6 VL reactions. 6 +1 reactions, Racky has 4. They each have 1 +2 reaction and both have 2 +3 reactions. Her outside IgE level is almost as high as Racky's too. The test also showed signs of hypoglycemia. So we have to experiment with different proteins to boost her protein intake to help balance her blood sugars, in attempt to prevent diabetes. I think that all the news, at least I hope. The baby and myself are going to get tested next week to see if anything shows up on us.

Are you "Crunchy"

What do you do that fits a "crunchy" lifestyle? The more I try to cut our budget without jeopardizing our food budget the more the answer seems to be a "crunchy" lifestyle. We already shop second hand for I would say 90% of our families clothing. I garage sale April till September then second hand store it in the winter. I buy in bulk from a buying club, you know 25 pounds of rice at a time. I make our own granola. The making of the bread is not going as well though. Paper products kill us every month, toilet paper, diapers, wipes, paper towels, tampons and stuff all add up. The hubby wants paper napkins or towels in the house, he is less than impressed when cloth napkins are the only thing left. I know that there are cloth diapers and I have them but I need to get some plastic pants that fit, otherwise I do way to much laundry and then I'm not saving and money. In the summer I try to hang the laundry outside but I have to dry the kiddos inside because of the allergy thing. Our air is ran constantly in the summer too because of the allergy thing, no point saving 30 bucks on our electric bill when they get sick and we end up at the Doc's forking over an extra 45 bucks because of it. So please give me 'crunchy' ideas.

Quick up date

Just got word about Lula's allergy test results. "Too much to discuss over the phone" is what I was told. I did ask what were the big ones, Peanut and Soy +3, she's never eaten a peanut before, how scary. If your wondering about that allergies can develop in utero or from breast milk- lovey huh? Almond showed up as +2 also, once again she's never eaten those either. We have to wait until Thursday before we can get in a discuss the rest of the results. I hate waiting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back to normal or maybe not

Today we stayed home. It was wonderful. We stayed home all day Monday but that seems like such a long time ago. We didn't get too much done today besides catching up on school and the minimal housework but it was still nice to be home back to normal after a few very busy days. The baby and my sinus thing flared back up today, the thing just keeps hanging on.
We got the results of Racky's food allergy test back but not Lula's yet. After hearing Racky's my curiosity is through the roof to know about her. Our life and food is about to drastically change again I am afraid to say. Three years of the same and now I have to change. I don't care for change much but I'm trying to be thankful for what we know and the fact that we can find these things out. After a good cry to the hubby after I got the results I felt much better, it could be so much worse. Well say a little prayer for us that Lula's results don't throw a bigger monkey wrench in things. I'll post the result once I have Lula's also.
The hardest part is now that he is older he understands what is happening and that when I told him no beef for at least six month he knows that that is a very long time. He got choked up and told me "but I like steak." The poor honey hopefully he'll eat venison or lamb. Well my mind is still racing so I'd better go.

Lula turned 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me sweet baby girl is four already, my where does the time go. We tend to go a bit overboard on birthdays around here. The day started off with a round of Happy Birthday to You as soon as she made it to the hallway. On the table were party hats and party blowers and a few gifts that she was allowed to open first thing. She got a dress up set with gloves, headband and necklace, etc. and some magnetic dress up dolls. Then we ventured off to Crazy Bounce, a play place for kids and adults alike, they had a ball. Aunt Sharon and Ambry came with us. I'm so glad Aunt Sharon can with, if I would have taken Ambry and my three by myself I would have gone crazy trying to keep track of them. For her birthday dinner we had steak that hubby did a wonderful job grilling in the cold January weather, and all the fixin's.

Then it was out to the pole barn to break the pinata open.

After that we had apple sauce cake and ice cream and rice dream. The cake was very tasty and its naturally egg free. Then she got the reminder of her gifts from us, chap stick, new markers, and a princess dress. She also got to go to build a bear the day before with my mom. She got a my little pony that walks around, blocks that make make a girlie fort and a paintable piggie bank from all her other adoring fans. The girl made out like a bandit. We are definitely going to have to scale back on the birthdays, this is crazy, but it's just so much fun.

Because I can!

I was wandering bloggersphere and found one gal who had a list of her opinions because she could, and I haven't been able to get the idea out of my head so here are my opinions, most very different form hers.
1. A parent should never put their child on a diet, especially girls. If you think your kids fat what are YOU feeding them? Change the way YOU feed them and go out and play with them to get them moving, they will learn soon enough from this cruel world that they are overweight it shouldn't be from their parents who feed them.
2. The good LORD gave us boobs to breast feed our kids.
3. "Me Time" is overrated and a sinful concept.
4. If you don't like how I raise my kids mind your own business.
5. You are not allowed to gripe about not having enough money when you spend $100 getting your hair done every 6 weeks or have cable or high speed Internet. (I too am guilt of this, not the hair though that's a waste in my book.)
6. If you kids are driving you nuts its most likely our own fault. They either need some attention or some good biblical disciple to their back side.
7. Animals belong outside.
8. Little girls should not be dressed like little harlots.
9. Little girls need baby dolls not Brats and Barbies.
10. Credit card debt usually shows somebody that can't delay pleasure.
11. A teenage girls on welfare should not be given an epidural, maybe it would help them remember.
12. The only thing people DESERVE is to be banished to hell, not raises and vacations and new clothes
13. Food coloring and additives should be banned.
14. There is something wrong with the health care system if 50% of kids, or more get put on drugs before the age of 1.
15. If you wouldn't let somebody touch it cover it up, because if they're looking at it they might as while touch it. (Speaking of clothes here)
16. People care way too much what others not the LORD think about them.
I could go on and on but I better stop. You didn't know I was so opinionated did ya.

My things have changed

I'm currently reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, if the library ever gets the last two in, and it just blows my mind the changes in the past 100-150 years. Sometimes I wish for the simpler times, no TV, no food coloring, fake processed foods, no extras. You know back in the day kids went out to play, not on play dates or gymnastics or pre-k, but OUTSIDE to play. Not that there is anything wrong with that stuff but its just one more thing to clutter up our lives. Women cooked (ALOT), cleaned and sewed. No running here and there all day they just stayed home with their family and did their work. This week has been crazy and I wish I could just stay home, and my kids aren't even in any out of the house activies. Maybe this is why we hear parents talk about sedating their kids with Tylenol of Benadryl, they need a break. I personally think these parents let the kids run their lives. Yes someday I'm sure my kids will be in some activities but not anytime soon. And can you image a time when your whole house could fit in the back of a wagon. When we moved it took to trips in a rental truck and I thought our house was kind of empty back then and it's not that big.
Don't get me wrong I love the advances on technology, the flushing toilet, the thermostat on the wall, the refrigerator that preserves food. I can't imagine my kids life without the wonders of science that have ability to test their blood for food allergies, they would most likely be very miserable. I don't want to go back in time but I definitely want to simplify. I think its time for a big purging of the drawers and closets, some sleep wouldn't hurt me any either.

The New Year!

I've been busted! The kids and I were at the Doc's this morning and I got the monthly you need to workout speech even if its only ten minutes a day, but he also threw in you need to eat better and get more sleep. I swear the guy it psychic, if I didn't feel so funky I would swear he makes this stuff up. I can definitely tell that I ate way to much garbage this weekend and barely had any healthy stuff to kinda balance it out. The lack of sleep isn't helping much either. At least he has five kids and understands that life is busy, he also understands that in my pregnant state I would rather sleep that exercise. So I guess for the New Year we will try to exercise more and eat better. Have any health snack ideas that don't contain nuts, dairy or soy that still have some protein. I was thinking of whipping up a batch of muffin sized quiches to have in the freezer, but I don't have the stuff so they have to wait.
This year I also hope to come with some more or different foods for the kids to eat, they have got to be bored eating the same thing every four days. This will be on the back burner until we get the oldest two's food allergy test results back. We hope to get their blood drawn tomorrow and then its 3 to 4 week wait. We've never had Lula tested so hopefully she isn't too different that her brother. I guess that I'll be spending lots of time in the kitchen in this up coming year.
Well I'm off the finish my healthy grocery list and to hit the store. Have a good day.