Apparently I only post here every three months or so lol
And it's also apparent I lost most of my blog links?? Weird...will have to figure that out.
We're still plugging along here! I got totally immersed in the election and was just freaking GIDDY with excitement when America proved to the world we do NOT in fact have our collective heads up our collective arses. I can't wait to see what the next EIGHT years bring!
I did my gardning thang, and once again I seemed to lose interest in the fall lol I got some good tomatoes and learned some lessons (no more broccoli). I'm going to go all square foot gardening next year, that sfg was so easy compared to the tomato garden. The raccoons got all my corn. ALL of it. Not kidding. But I'm still thinking next year will be better...each year is a learning experience.
I can't believe it's November already...another month and here's another year gone.
The kids are doing great, Lily is fast approaching three and as long as I can get through to her birthday I think we're done having babies. I'd LOVE one more, just one more...when I see families with five kids I just feel so wistful. But I think we have to be done. As I've said, my head has to win this one. It doesn't win often lol
I'm STILL fat! I try to think positive that it will change, but I don't know that it will. I can't seem to get serious about it, whether it's depression or stress I don't know, but I can't "go there" (to serious weight loss) for the time being.
Anyway...things are good! We're all happy and healthy and holding on!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Been awhile! We're still here, still working on the homesteading thing...
The garden has been doing well. Like last year, I suffered from mid summer lack of enthusiasm. Some of the patches got pretty weedy, but still producing so it's not all bad. My square foot garden did the best, and I think I'm going all sfg next year. I realized broccoli takes up too much space and is too finicky for my gardening ability. Plus, one per plant?! Not enough bang for my buck.
I've canned some green beans and tomato sauce so far. Am going to diced tomatoes for the rest of it. Way too much work for little result with the sauce; once it boils down to the right consistancy more than half is gone! I can use the diced to make sauce as needed and still use it for chili and such.
The kids are doing well...
Lily is running around, loving being outside! She's communicating more and seems to actually be more and more typical for her age all the time. She's 2.5 and really acts like a 2.5 yr old lol. Into everything, wants to do big girl things...even sorta, maybe thinking about potty training! She knows what it's for...and goes in that direction when she needs to go...but often doesn't make it lol She'll get there though...
Mace is doing well. I may have posted, but we didn't do the autism spectrum eval. He's still his quirky self :) but I think it's evening out. We're starting a yeast die off with him, and all of us really, to see if that helps him. He has many of the signs of it.
Maddie is getting ready to turn TEN! Yikes! She's still working on some of her fears, but she's doing well. She's starting fall soccer again
Gage is 12, getting near those teen years. I'm enjoying this time with him, and Maddie as well, as we're starting to have more in depth discussions and talking about bigger kid issues and dilemmas. It's challenging, but lots of fun and very enlightening!
Homeschooling getting underway again...we sort of take a little summer break though we still hope and believe that they're learning all the time. We'll work with Mace on reading more this year; he knows his alphabet but isn't very proficient at writing letters. We need work on some fine motor skills. I don't want to push reading, yet I want to make sure we're encouraging it.
Dh and I are doing well...I still haven't managed to lose weight to any appreciable degree. It's frustrating, yet I know it's in my power to change it. I just haven't yet. I'm hopeful I will get to "that point" where I'm ready to make a commitment to it; just not there yet. Still want another baby, dh doesn't. Don't know really how that will all play out. I'm getting older, but as long as my ovaries are throwing eggs down the chute I'll likely want more babies. And probably even when they don't.
Better stop while I'm ahead, my fingers are not cooperating and it's making me crazy how much I've had to go back and fix just in this short post. Dyslexic fingers, I keep typing turned around letters lol
The garden has been doing well. Like last year, I suffered from mid summer lack of enthusiasm. Some of the patches got pretty weedy, but still producing so it's not all bad. My square foot garden did the best, and I think I'm going all sfg next year. I realized broccoli takes up too much space and is too finicky for my gardening ability. Plus, one per plant?! Not enough bang for my buck.
I've canned some green beans and tomato sauce so far. Am going to diced tomatoes for the rest of it. Way too much work for little result with the sauce; once it boils down to the right consistancy more than half is gone! I can use the diced to make sauce as needed and still use it for chili and such.
The kids are doing well...
Lily is running around, loving being outside! She's communicating more and seems to actually be more and more typical for her age all the time. She's 2.5 and really acts like a 2.5 yr old lol. Into everything, wants to do big girl things...even sorta, maybe thinking about potty training! She knows what it's for...and goes in that direction when she needs to go...but often doesn't make it lol She'll get there though...
Mace is doing well. I may have posted, but we didn't do the autism spectrum eval. He's still his quirky self :) but I think it's evening out. We're starting a yeast die off with him, and all of us really, to see if that helps him. He has many of the signs of it.
Maddie is getting ready to turn TEN! Yikes! She's still working on some of her fears, but she's doing well. She's starting fall soccer again
Gage is 12, getting near those teen years. I'm enjoying this time with him, and Maddie as well, as we're starting to have more in depth discussions and talking about bigger kid issues and dilemmas. It's challenging, but lots of fun and very enlightening!
Homeschooling getting underway again...we sort of take a little summer break though we still hope and believe that they're learning all the time. We'll work with Mace on reading more this year; he knows his alphabet but isn't very proficient at writing letters. We need work on some fine motor skills. I don't want to push reading, yet I want to make sure we're encouraging it.
Dh and I are doing well...I still haven't managed to lose weight to any appreciable degree. It's frustrating, yet I know it's in my power to change it. I just haven't yet. I'm hopeful I will get to "that point" where I'm ready to make a commitment to it; just not there yet. Still want another baby, dh doesn't. Don't know really how that will all play out. I'm getting older, but as long as my ovaries are throwing eggs down the chute I'll likely want more babies. And probably even when they don't.
Better stop while I'm ahead, my fingers are not cooperating and it's making me crazy how much I've had to go back and fix just in this short post. Dyslexic fingers, I keep typing turned around letters lol
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Been feeling yucky lately. Not physically, just everything else lol. Not sure why and that bugs me.
Well, to be honest, there has been some physical stuff (extreme fatigue, heart palps, etc..) and putting it all together...it looks like it could be something like a potassium deficiency. I'm trying t work on that, hoping that's all it is. My mom has this, and when she was first talking about it I thought big whoop, it's just potassium lol. But apparently, it IS a rather big whoop as it does a lot of different things like regulating blood pressure and the heart. A friend of my mom's had gone to the ER thinking she was having a heart attack; it was her potassium and she had to have an IV to get it back to proper levels. So I guess it's pretty important. Can't hurt to eat a bit better and get my vites. Supposedly it also can make you irritable, depressed, etc.. if it's caused by something like adrenal fatigue. Yeah, I fit the description for that too. Fun fun.
And what's the rx? The usual, less stress, more exercise, less junk foods. I always feel like I need to add, I don't really eat "junk food" but I like to bake...and while brownies made from scratch aren't as bad for you as a Twinkie, they're not health food either lol. I dunno. How many more signs from God, the Universe and Everything do I need to get off my butt and DO SOMETHING?! Hopefully, this one is the one. I'm trying...
Well, to be honest, there has been some physical stuff (extreme fatigue, heart palps, etc..) and putting it all together...it looks like it could be something like a potassium deficiency. I'm trying t work on that, hoping that's all it is. My mom has this, and when she was first talking about it I thought big whoop, it's just potassium lol. But apparently, it IS a rather big whoop as it does a lot of different things like regulating blood pressure and the heart. A friend of my mom's had gone to the ER thinking she was having a heart attack; it was her potassium and she had to have an IV to get it back to proper levels. So I guess it's pretty important. Can't hurt to eat a bit better and get my vites. Supposedly it also can make you irritable, depressed, etc.. if it's caused by something like adrenal fatigue. Yeah, I fit the description for that too. Fun fun.
And what's the rx? The usual, less stress, more exercise, less junk foods. I always feel like I need to add, I don't really eat "junk food" but I like to bake...and while brownies made from scratch aren't as bad for you as a Twinkie, they're not health food either lol. I dunno. How many more signs from God, the Universe and Everything do I need to get off my butt and DO SOMETHING?! Hopefully, this one is the one. I'm trying...
Monday, May 26, 2008
Really. This is getting old.
This weekend I was in the vicinity of a 3 week old baby girl...okay, I was holding her and ooohing and ahhhing over her constantly. And I had a couple conversations about my baby love. Of course, it's right near ovulation time again and I'm in BABY FEVAH mode. I suppose I'm going to have to ride this out until menopause. That'll be fun every month. Yeahhhh. So maybe another 10 years or so lol
Though I have been feeling quite perimenopausal these past few months, so who knows. Both my mom and eldest sister started having girl problems in their early 40's and both have had hysterectomies, so I'm assuming here in the next five years things will start winding down. I admit to have hopes of one of them there menopause babies I hear so much about. Actually, back that truck up, I don't really want a baby in my mid forties. That would be much older than I'd feel comfortable with. But I seem to know more than a few women who ended up unexpectedly pregnant during that crazy pre menopausal period when things are all wonky. My preferred timing would be SOON, as in next year, next fall. Next Spring, whatever :) I'm not picky lol
So I'm going to ride out this week...here's hoping I can shut my ovaries up with an offering of chocolate and a re-reading of Harry Potter.
This weekend I was in the vicinity of a 3 week old baby girl...okay, I was holding her and ooohing and ahhhing over her constantly. And I had a couple conversations about my baby love. Of course, it's right near ovulation time again and I'm in BABY FEVAH mode. I suppose I'm going to have to ride this out until menopause. That'll be fun every month. Yeahhhh. So maybe another 10 years or so lol
Though I have been feeling quite perimenopausal these past few months, so who knows. Both my mom and eldest sister started having girl problems in their early 40's and both have had hysterectomies, so I'm assuming here in the next five years things will start winding down. I admit to have hopes of one of them there menopause babies I hear so much about. Actually, back that truck up, I don't really want a baby in my mid forties. That would be much older than I'd feel comfortable with. But I seem to know more than a few women who ended up unexpectedly pregnant during that crazy pre menopausal period when things are all wonky. My preferred timing would be SOON, as in next year, next fall. Next Spring, whatever :) I'm not picky lol
So I'm going to ride out this week...here's hoping I can shut my ovaries up with an offering of chocolate and a re-reading of Harry Potter.
Friday, May 16, 2008
So gardening season has seen it's first casualties.
My cukes, cabbages and cauliflower have officially not made it. I'll have to buy the plants at the local nursery or diy store. They looked so good inside, but small, like everything else I've got. But the temps were right so I transplanted. Something "got" the cauliflower, I think the cukes and cabbages were still a bit small for whatever it was to get them. The cukes, I think, just blew their stack inside. When I had them inside, they looked fabulous, but by the time the weather cooperated enough for me to get them outside, they were pretty limp.
Right now, I've got tomatoes and peppers...and beans (green, black and pinto) still inside. The beans are huge and ready to plant. The peppers..aren't huge but they are pretty hearty I think, so they'll go out soon too. The tomatoes, my dear darling indeterminate heirloom tomatoes, the ones I want to work most of all...still look green and healthy, but they're so small. Only a few have their second leaves. They're getting enough water, light, they have adequate space...I don't know what's wrong. And I DON'T want to buy replacements because there's no way I'll find ones like these (most places just have hybrid determinates). I guess I'll just keep babying them and see what happens.
Potatoes are out and popping up like crazy. But I think we'll need to re-till the rest of that garden to plant the corn and tomatoes when they're ready. It's weed central. Since a lot of it was grass just a couple months ago, and with all the rain, the grass is trying to take over again. And succeeding I might add lol
Everything else is going well. Waiting on the roto rooter guys this morning because our second bath has overflowed...again. This will be, what, the fourth time in the last year? Whoever set up the drain pipes underneath (and hell, we can't remember who did what at this point...it was one of the two plumbers we had out last Spring) set them up oddly, and there's a point at which they keep getting clogged. Yeah, we need to have someone come out and fix that. Scott's got too much on his plate already. I think he's feeling overwhelmed at the "stuff" yet to do. I'm trying not to nag, but I don't always succeed lol
The kids are doing well. We've been discussing our different ideas about homeschooling around here. My heart wants to unschool, but honestly I just don't feel I do enough to help them cultivate their interests for it to be worthwhile. I have to admit that much as I just adore my kids, I'm not a "get down on the floor and play" kind of mom. And I do tend to let them do their own thing, especially the older kids. That sounds worse than it is lol what I mean is, I don't, and don't want to, hover over them all the time. Scott likes the unschooling idea too, but he wants to make sure the bases are covered and that they do workbooks and such. I just hate doing them myself, and the kids hate them, which makes it hard. I don't know which way to go with it. I know they're learning stuff, but my "public schooled brain" keeps feeling inadequate, like we're not "doing enough". I need to get past that I think. To be honest, I don't need to worry about whether or not they know the state capitals. I think things are going to change drastically in the way that we all live (hello peak oil) and when that happens, I think things that are important are things like gardening, living sustainably, knowing how to take care of yourself. But that's just me and my tin foil hat talking lol.
Well, coffee pot is telling me it's ready...really need some this morning.
My cukes, cabbages and cauliflower have officially not made it. I'll have to buy the plants at the local nursery or diy store. They looked so good inside, but small, like everything else I've got. But the temps were right so I transplanted. Something "got" the cauliflower, I think the cukes and cabbages were still a bit small for whatever it was to get them. The cukes, I think, just blew their stack inside. When I had them inside, they looked fabulous, but by the time the weather cooperated enough for me to get them outside, they were pretty limp.
Right now, I've got tomatoes and peppers...and beans (green, black and pinto) still inside. The beans are huge and ready to plant. The peppers..aren't huge but they are pretty hearty I think, so they'll go out soon too. The tomatoes, my dear darling indeterminate heirloom tomatoes, the ones I want to work most of all...still look green and healthy, but they're so small. Only a few have their second leaves. They're getting enough water, light, they have adequate space...I don't know what's wrong. And I DON'T want to buy replacements because there's no way I'll find ones like these (most places just have hybrid determinates). I guess I'll just keep babying them and see what happens.
Potatoes are out and popping up like crazy. But I think we'll need to re-till the rest of that garden to plant the corn and tomatoes when they're ready. It's weed central. Since a lot of it was grass just a couple months ago, and with all the rain, the grass is trying to take over again. And succeeding I might add lol
Everything else is going well. Waiting on the roto rooter guys this morning because our second bath has overflowed...again. This will be, what, the fourth time in the last year? Whoever set up the drain pipes underneath (and hell, we can't remember who did what at this point...it was one of the two plumbers we had out last Spring) set them up oddly, and there's a point at which they keep getting clogged. Yeah, we need to have someone come out and fix that. Scott's got too much on his plate already. I think he's feeling overwhelmed at the "stuff" yet to do. I'm trying not to nag, but I don't always succeed lol
The kids are doing well. We've been discussing our different ideas about homeschooling around here. My heart wants to unschool, but honestly I just don't feel I do enough to help them cultivate their interests for it to be worthwhile. I have to admit that much as I just adore my kids, I'm not a "get down on the floor and play" kind of mom. And I do tend to let them do their own thing, especially the older kids. That sounds worse than it is lol what I mean is, I don't, and don't want to, hover over them all the time. Scott likes the unschooling idea too, but he wants to make sure the bases are covered and that they do workbooks and such. I just hate doing them myself, and the kids hate them, which makes it hard. I don't know which way to go with it. I know they're learning stuff, but my "public schooled brain" keeps feeling inadequate, like we're not "doing enough". I need to get past that I think. To be honest, I don't need to worry about whether or not they know the state capitals. I think things are going to change drastically in the way that we all live (hello peak oil) and when that happens, I think things that are important are things like gardening, living sustainably, knowing how to take care of yourself. But that's just me and my tin foil hat talking lol.
Well, coffee pot is telling me it's ready...really need some this morning.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
We've been busy, busy, busy this week!
The weather finally got nice enough to get outside and get started on our yard work. I planted, covered and mulched about 500 sq ft of flower beds out front. Scott and Gage used the brush hog to clean off a huge area of brush and such out back of our house, adding almost another full size yard to our existing yard. We laid out the square foot raised bed, I'm only doing one which is 4' by 25' instead of a bunch of individual boxes. As well as two regular garden plots behind that for the potatoes, corn and tomatoes. I've started a lot of my seeds, onions, broccoli and tomatoes are all sprouted. I need to go out today and get more planters to start everything else.
So we're really making progress!! It's rained the last two days though, so I'm trying to catch up with indoor chores. I've been working so hard this week, and been so terribly sore, I've lost 5 lbs lol.
The kids are helping a lot and it's just been a really, really good week. I feel productive!
I've also been working on our eating habits. I hate saying "diet" because of the connotations. But I'm trying to cut out artificial flavorings and colorings, mainly "excitotoxins". Thus far, I've been baking all our bread; haven't bought commercial bread in about a month! It's been a lot of fun, making a daily loaf. Even made bagels which turned out really good - the only drawback is that they're not as easy to store as commercially made bagels. Homemade ones have about a one day shelf life. We're trying to cut out the "fake meats" we've been using too. I'm making more veggie burgers from scratch now.
Anyway...feeling good. Still can't fully shake the baby fever though. Staying busy is helping, and it has dwindled a bit. But it's still there, underneath.
The weather finally got nice enough to get outside and get started on our yard work. I planted, covered and mulched about 500 sq ft of flower beds out front. Scott and Gage used the brush hog to clean off a huge area of brush and such out back of our house, adding almost another full size yard to our existing yard. We laid out the square foot raised bed, I'm only doing one which is 4' by 25' instead of a bunch of individual boxes. As well as two regular garden plots behind that for the potatoes, corn and tomatoes. I've started a lot of my seeds, onions, broccoli and tomatoes are all sprouted. I need to go out today and get more planters to start everything else.
So we're really making progress!! It's rained the last two days though, so I'm trying to catch up with indoor chores. I've been working so hard this week, and been so terribly sore, I've lost 5 lbs lol.
The kids are helping a lot and it's just been a really, really good week. I feel productive!
I've also been working on our eating habits. I hate saying "diet" because of the connotations. But I'm trying to cut out artificial flavorings and colorings, mainly "excitotoxins". Thus far, I've been baking all our bread; haven't bought commercial bread in about a month! It's been a lot of fun, making a daily loaf. Even made bagels which turned out really good - the only drawback is that they're not as easy to store as commercially made bagels. Homemade ones have about a one day shelf life. We're trying to cut out the "fake meats" we've been using too. I'm making more veggie burgers from scratch now.
Anyway...feeling good. Still can't fully shake the baby fever though. Staying busy is helping, and it has dwindled a bit. But it's still there, underneath.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Life's been crazy lately. Reallllly crazy lol. But we're dealing. It'll be okay in the end. It's just getting to that "end" that will be frustrating.
Some financial problems have cropped up that we thought had "gone away"...funny how problems with money really never seem to just disappear on their own lol. Again, we'll manage and it'll end up okay, it's just trying to figure things out and work everything around that's really stressing me out. And we'll have to use money we had earmarked for some repairs/renovations on the house. Ohhhh well. We'll still be able to add on a nicer front porch and do the new roof, but the addition will have to wait a little while. And hopefully the other "problems" that are still out there floating around won't come down on us anytime soon :(
We've had someone offer to help us get the addition started...and no, they don't know about these current problems lol. But I hate being endebted to someone, and this person has offered because they think we're insane and too crowded in this house. Nevermind that in most countries people live in houses this small and much smaller even. I guess in the US everyone thinks you MUST have a thousand or so square feet per person (rolling my eyes here). So it's not that this person just wants to help out of the goodness of their heart, it's a "pity" thing and will come with strings. Of course we'd be working on paying it back right away, and dh is for it, but I'm just not sure. I don't like owing people! So we may just do a little here and there and see what happens.
AND this person would literally FLIP if we ended up having another baby in the midst of all this. So I don't want to be endebted to a person who will be really angry (yes, angry about US deciding to have another baby...why people allow themselves to get all up in other people's business I'll never know) so I don't want to be in that position, yk?
Not that I'm thinking we definitely will or won't be adding on in that way :) Dh has said things like "I'm not saying we won't" and "maybe" a lot lately which is really surprising me. Though he doesn't want to do anything soon and my eggs are getting older by the second lol so it likely won't happen anyway.
BUT, anyway...here's hoping this "thing" will be easy to pay and take care of and we can get on with things. I've got my onions started, got my gardening calendar filled in, planning some fun day trips for this Spring and Summer with the kids...things are going well overall.
Some financial problems have cropped up that we thought had "gone away"...funny how problems with money really never seem to just disappear on their own lol. Again, we'll manage and it'll end up okay, it's just trying to figure things out and work everything around that's really stressing me out. And we'll have to use money we had earmarked for some repairs/renovations on the house. Ohhhh well. We'll still be able to add on a nicer front porch and do the new roof, but the addition will have to wait a little while. And hopefully the other "problems" that are still out there floating around won't come down on us anytime soon :(
We've had someone offer to help us get the addition started...and no, they don't know about these current problems lol. But I hate being endebted to someone, and this person has offered because they think we're insane and too crowded in this house. Nevermind that in most countries people live in houses this small and much smaller even. I guess in the US everyone thinks you MUST have a thousand or so square feet per person (rolling my eyes here). So it's not that this person just wants to help out of the goodness of their heart, it's a "pity" thing and will come with strings. Of course we'd be working on paying it back right away, and dh is for it, but I'm just not sure. I don't like owing people! So we may just do a little here and there and see what happens.
AND this person would literally FLIP if we ended up having another baby in the midst of all this. So I don't want to be endebted to a person who will be really angry (yes, angry about US deciding to have another baby...why people allow themselves to get all up in other people's business I'll never know) so I don't want to be in that position, yk?
Not that I'm thinking we definitely will or won't be adding on in that way :) Dh has said things like "I'm not saying we won't" and "maybe" a lot lately which is really surprising me. Though he doesn't want to do anything soon and my eggs are getting older by the second lol so it likely won't happen anyway.
BUT, anyway...here's hoping this "thing" will be easy to pay and take care of and we can get on with things. I've got my onions started, got my gardening calendar filled in, planning some fun day trips for this Spring and Summer with the kids...things are going well overall.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
I'm feeling really good today...I've lost 9 lbs over the last week and a half! I'm going to leave my ticker above as is, because I'd last changed it in mid November (after that awful sickness that lasted for almost three weeks..os obviously some of that was illness related and came back pretty quickly lol) I'll be back at that 34 lb loss in a few days, so it's all okay lol I'm sitting at 32 lbs total right now.
I was saying recently that I hate focusing on the number on the scale. It's hard to explain, but it feels so silly to worry about that. To feel that I'm defined by that. But it does motivate me, I'm not one of those people who can get internally motivated or feel motivated by occasional clothing looseness lol so I need that number to let me know I'm going in the right direction, making the right changes. I wish I weren't like this, but I am.
And as I've said ad nauseum, I'm not striving for skinny. Just to feel better and look better in my clothes is what I'm working on. The former moreso than the latter. I know my back pains and other assorted aches and pains are mainly due to my weight.
I guess, deep down, I'm also hoping it has a positive effect on my dh's desire to have another baby. I know he worries about my health and would just like me to lose some weight too...
Who knows lol
I was saying recently that I hate focusing on the number on the scale. It's hard to explain, but it feels so silly to worry about that. To feel that I'm defined by that. But it does motivate me, I'm not one of those people who can get internally motivated or feel motivated by occasional clothing looseness lol so I need that number to let me know I'm going in the right direction, making the right changes. I wish I weren't like this, but I am.
And as I've said ad nauseum, I'm not striving for skinny. Just to feel better and look better in my clothes is what I'm working on. The former moreso than the latter. I know my back pains and other assorted aches and pains are mainly due to my weight.
I guess, deep down, I'm also hoping it has a positive effect on my dh's desire to have another baby. I know he worries about my health and would just like me to lose some weight too...
Who knows lol
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Okay, I have to quit kvetching about another baby. My husband is pretty much done and I have to just get on with things. I can't stay in this place of longing and sadness forever, I have four other babies who need me right now!
So in that vein...
I'm planning my garden this year and I'm just loving it! I'm going to try my hand at square foot gardening instead of the typical gardening set up. Hearing how it's less work, less weeding, less watering, I think it's at least worth a shot.
I'm also going to grow enough to put up some things for winter. Potatoes and onions mainly as those are the things we go through pretty quickly around here. I also want to make a lot of pasta sauces and salsa. We go through both of those fairly quickly as well. Plus more freezing. We don't have loads of freezer space, but my mom has generously allowed us to put some of our freezer stock in her two extra freezers if need be so that might be what we'll do. I'm thinking about canning more than I'd originally planned on. Freezing is easy, but it's not the cheapest way to go. The green beans, saurkraut and vegetable soup as well as the tomato sauces will be canned.
So this is my plan...here's hoping I get at least half of it completed lol. I've never really done much canning and such and so this will be a learning experience at least.
Things are well here. Scott has finally gone back to his normal hours. While this means less money, we're all loving having him home more. The kids benefit greatly from his being here, he's super involved. Just this morning he's done a treasure hunt with each kid PLUS put together a multiplication game that involved lots of running around, throwing balls, laughing and much math. He's much more creative about this stuff than I am lol.
We've decided to put off having Mace evaluated for ASD. While I think he has his issues, after my thought and mindfulness I feel he doesn't need a diagnosis at this point. Some of the behaviors can be quirky, but nothing that is interfering with his life at this moment in time. Mostly it's stuff I think he'll outgrow as time goes on, with our constant guidance of course. He really is an amazing kid, and I don't want to label him. In many cases, that can be a great thing, but he's just not having so much difficulty that I feel it's warranted at this time.
Lily is getting ready to walk! It's amazing she'll be 2 in just a few short months. She's doing amazingly well from what I've learned about Downs. I'm eternally grateful for that. She's a spitfire and has this great fiesty personality that's emerging more every day.
I can't believe in a few weeks I'll have a 12 year old. Crazy. Gage and Maddie are just great kids...I hear all the time from Gage's friends' mothers how great a kid he is and how they love having him over. That's always nice to hear. Maddie still wants to be my shadow most of the time, and that's okay. I know this time will pass before I know it, as each phase has inevitably done. They're both playing basketball this winter...actually, must go and run errands before a practice tonight.
So in that vein...
I'm planning my garden this year and I'm just loving it! I'm going to try my hand at square foot gardening instead of the typical gardening set up. Hearing how it's less work, less weeding, less watering, I think it's at least worth a shot.
I'm also going to grow enough to put up some things for winter. Potatoes and onions mainly as those are the things we go through pretty quickly around here. I also want to make a lot of pasta sauces and salsa. We go through both of those fairly quickly as well. Plus more freezing. We don't have loads of freezer space, but my mom has generously allowed us to put some of our freezer stock in her two extra freezers if need be so that might be what we'll do. I'm thinking about canning more than I'd originally planned on. Freezing is easy, but it's not the cheapest way to go. The green beans, saurkraut and vegetable soup as well as the tomato sauces will be canned.
So this is my plan...here's hoping I get at least half of it completed lol. I've never really done much canning and such and so this will be a learning experience at least.
Things are well here. Scott has finally gone back to his normal hours. While this means less money, we're all loving having him home more. The kids benefit greatly from his being here, he's super involved. Just this morning he's done a treasure hunt with each kid PLUS put together a multiplication game that involved lots of running around, throwing balls, laughing and much math. He's much more creative about this stuff than I am lol.
We've decided to put off having Mace evaluated for ASD. While I think he has his issues, after my thought and mindfulness I feel he doesn't need a diagnosis at this point. Some of the behaviors can be quirky, but nothing that is interfering with his life at this moment in time. Mostly it's stuff I think he'll outgrow as time goes on, with our constant guidance of course. He really is an amazing kid, and I don't want to label him. In many cases, that can be a great thing, but he's just not having so much difficulty that I feel it's warranted at this time.
Lily is getting ready to walk! It's amazing she'll be 2 in just a few short months. She's doing amazingly well from what I've learned about Downs. I'm eternally grateful for that. She's a spitfire and has this great fiesty personality that's emerging more every day.
I can't believe in a few weeks I'll have a 12 year old. Crazy. Gage and Maddie are just great kids...I hear all the time from Gage's friends' mothers how great a kid he is and how they love having him over. That's always nice to hear. Maddie still wants to be my shadow most of the time, and that's okay. I know this time will pass before I know it, as each phase has inevitably done. They're both playing basketball this winter...actually, must go and run errands before a practice tonight.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Since I'm fairly sure no one is reading here lol I'm going to rant on...
So I'm not sure what is up with my up and down desire for another baby. Just within this morning, I went from thinking I was really done and felt good about it to wanting to be pregnant RIGHT NOW! lol I have no idea what's up with me.
I know I'm trying to let it go and let whatever is meant to happen, happen. But, for many reasons, that's hard to do. It's hard for most people to do. About most things.
For me, I think what I'm most concerned about is the time factor. I mentioned something to dh the other night about him not wanting to take risks in regard to birth control. His response was "not yet". I don't get that. I'm going to be 36 in just over two months, it's not like I'm 25 and we could do this anytime in the next 10 years. I sort of want to know, in a general way, where my life is going. Do I let myself step out of this baby time, looking forward and just try to let it go? Or are we going to be doing this for a bit longer? I know none of us can know, with certainty, what tomorrow, next month, next year holds. But I just want a vague idea lol. I'm a planner, yes, but most people would want this hashed out in some way.
Even without the age issue, I have issues with certain times of the year. I want to garden and preserve...so Summer and early Fall would be a bad time to be either green feeling or heavily pregnant. I know many women can do all that and feel perfectly fine, I'm not so sure I could. I wouldn't want to get pregnant in the Spring when they're spraying God knows what all over the fields. AND I can't be due in the middle of winter because my midwives are over an hour away and I'm half an hour from the hospital. So...lol that looks like I'm screwed doesn't it. I've covered every month I think. I guess there' s not a spectacular time to be pregnant, and I'd get by no matter what. The Spring spraying and the bad weather are my biggest concerns. Getting pregnant this month or next would probably be ideal but there's NO way dh is going to be onboard with that. And wait until next year? hmmm. Mid summer would probably work well too though...I could get through the fatigue and "morning" sickness to get things harvested and canned I think.
Dumb. This is all just dumb planning for no reason. I have no idea what I want or what he wants. Crazymaking (as I'm sure anyone reading this would agree..I AM stark raving mad lol)
Now back to my not-so-insane life :) I have a seed order to place and preparations to make for my first big gardening year. I'm really excited!!
So I'm not sure what is up with my up and down desire for another baby. Just within this morning, I went from thinking I was really done and felt good about it to wanting to be pregnant RIGHT NOW! lol I have no idea what's up with me.
I know I'm trying to let it go and let whatever is meant to happen, happen. But, for many reasons, that's hard to do. It's hard for most people to do. About most things.
For me, I think what I'm most concerned about is the time factor. I mentioned something to dh the other night about him not wanting to take risks in regard to birth control. His response was "not yet". I don't get that. I'm going to be 36 in just over two months, it's not like I'm 25 and we could do this anytime in the next 10 years. I sort of want to know, in a general way, where my life is going. Do I let myself step out of this baby time, looking forward and just try to let it go? Or are we going to be doing this for a bit longer? I know none of us can know, with certainty, what tomorrow, next month, next year holds. But I just want a vague idea lol. I'm a planner, yes, but most people would want this hashed out in some way.
Even without the age issue, I have issues with certain times of the year. I want to garden and preserve...so Summer and early Fall would be a bad time to be either green feeling or heavily pregnant. I know many women can do all that and feel perfectly fine, I'm not so sure I could. I wouldn't want to get pregnant in the Spring when they're spraying God knows what all over the fields. AND I can't be due in the middle of winter because my midwives are over an hour away and I'm half an hour from the hospital. So...lol that looks like I'm screwed doesn't it. I've covered every month I think. I guess there' s not a spectacular time to be pregnant, and I'd get by no matter what. The Spring spraying and the bad weather are my biggest concerns. Getting pregnant this month or next would probably be ideal but there's NO way dh is going to be onboard with that. And wait until next year? hmmm. Mid summer would probably work well too though...I could get through the fatigue and "morning" sickness to get things harvested and canned I think.
Dumb. This is all just dumb planning for no reason. I have no idea what I want or what he wants. Crazymaking (as I'm sure anyone reading this would agree..I AM stark raving mad lol)
Now back to my not-so-insane life :) I have a seed order to place and preparations to make for my first big gardening year. I'm really excited!!
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
I've had a very....enlightening few weeks. I've been excited about this year because I've finally decided to put some work into ME. And not in the usual sense, not concerning weight or appearance. I'm going to put more time into figuring out what I can do to be happier and mentally healthier. I've started reading some books that have already had an impact on me, on my thinking anyway. I'm trying to implement these new thoughts and make some positive changes. It's hard to talk about, or type about, because I can't completely explain it myself. But these things I'm reading seem to be resonating with me, I'm feeling drawn to these types of changes and this way of thinking. I feel happier in just the short time I've been treading these waters. Of course, big changes aren't always easy and I'm seeing that there's big work to be done. I'm looking forward to it though, and hoping I can stay in this place.
I'm trying really hard not to dwell on things I should or should not do in the future. I truly feel those things are already written and I can't change them even if I wanted to. So obsessing about whether or not to have another child is pretty useless. I'm just open to whatever is supposed to happen. I've always thought that if a spirit needed in badly enough, it would find a way. I'm just going to remain open to it, open to anything really.
I know I might sound silly to some, but it's just so neat to finally "get" these things (as much as I can this early on anyway). It's a work in progress and I'm hopeful!
Everything is as it should be...
I'm trying really hard not to dwell on things I should or should not do in the future. I truly feel those things are already written and I can't change them even if I wanted to. So obsessing about whether or not to have another child is pretty useless. I'm just open to whatever is supposed to happen. I've always thought that if a spirit needed in badly enough, it would find a way. I'm just going to remain open to it, open to anything really.
I know I might sound silly to some, but it's just so neat to finally "get" these things (as much as I can this early on anyway). It's a work in progress and I'm hopeful!
Everything is as it should be...
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