Blurry. That's what today is. Lily has really been struggling at night. Two nights ago she was just wide awake from 3-4am and last night when I got back from meeting with a girlfriend (after putting Lily to bed for the night, so I thought) around 9:30pm, there she was - watching football with daddy in the living room. Apparently she had no interest in going back to sleep for him and I didn't have much more luck. She sat quietly with us, happily sucking her binky, until I had had enough and managed to get her back to sleep close to 11pm. And no, that didn't stop her from getting up ALOT in the night. Whew! What a day it will be...
Ava also had a rougher sleep, er rather naptime, yesterday. When her screaming reached an interesting pitch (not the usual "come rock with me" but a little something more sinister), I went in to check on her. Not only had she climbed out of her crib, she had climbed onto the dresser beside her crib and was hunched there on the top trying to figure out how to get back down! She also had a one track mind that afternoon, sleeping (it's doubtful though) for an uber-short 30 minutes (max), greeting me with an enthusiastic "I awake Mommy!", popping up from her bed, "I have candy now!" I had promised her a small Halloween-size bag of M&Ms after naptime and she had definitely remembered, so much so that it was all she could think about and just couldn't nap due to the excitement.
Monday too brought a couple of new Ava adventures. When I kept denying her a morning snack she resorted to a new tactic - she told me her Blue Bunny wanted a snack. I asked her what Blue Bunny would like and it was apparent she hadn't thought that far ahead and wandered off with no answer. We also got to experience a call to Poison Control for the first (of what I am sure will be MANY) time. Ava got into my nightstand while we were prepping Lily for bed and apparently I had stashed a travel pill box in there. When I realized it was way too quiet and discovered what she was doing - happily making piles out of Benadryl, Tylenol, vitamins, and sleeping pills - I freaked out and called Poison Control since I had no idea if she had actually ingested any. In the end it was a false alarm (I realized AFTER the phone call there was simply no way she would have enjoyed the taste of those pills on her own) but it was nice to get a test run at the Poison Control nurse before the next emergency happens.
What will the the rest of the week bring? Stay tuned...
Soup/Stock Update
So I would say that on the frugal end of my experiment, it was a success. I made (wait for it...) - 4 GALLONS OF STOCK AND 4 GALLONS OF SOUP! Yeah, I said GALLONS! I don't know what the heck I was thinking except that I am ambitious and I didn't realize it would make that much. All of that for under $20. So not too bad. Now when I am going to sneak all that soup into Elliott? Hmm...
Week in Review
The weather is absolutely gorgeous these days (high around 76-80 each day) but the mornings are getting brighter later, which makes it so harder to get up every day. Then soon we will get earlier nights in return. So I guess it's all even then.
As you know we celebrated Ava's second birthday last Sunday, with a little family fun on her actual birthday October 21, this past Tuesday. That night we went to Denny's (yes, I know, Elliott laughed at me too but I had coupons and she wasn't particular! Bonus - when we got there we found out it was kids night and she got to eat free!) followed by Cold Stone Creamery. She had a fantastic time all night - making faces at a couple of boys at Denny's (who in turn entertained her back), picking out her own ice cream flavor at Cold Stone ("blue", i.e. cotton candy), then dancing to her own beat after her ice cream high to the amusement of the other Cold Stone guests. The poor girl is really jazzed up over it all and continues to think every day is her birthday, asking to blow out candles and open presents. I have to tell her that her birthday is done, but so far she doesn't believe me.
Lily cut her first tooth sometime this past week. It completely escaped my notice until one morning she must have been chewing on my finger or something, and lo and behold there it was! She must be working on some more in there as she is constantly chewing on things and drooling all over herself, to which Ava reports to me that Lily is "spitting up". Yesterday Lily also accomplished pulling herself up on a chair in the living room, which means it isn't just the crib she is successful at. She also tries to stand straight up from the floor without the aid of a chair, but it results in her doing a headstand, a form of the yoga pose "downward facing dog." It is quite funny to see her with straightened legs and head on the floor.
Wednesday we went to the pediatrician for Ava's two year well-check and flu shots for both. Ava is doing very well, almost three feet tall. The doctor says her language skills are quite advanced for her age (once again, I take no credit; it must be PBS) and warned me that she may also be a bit more challenging to discipline as she will learn to reason earlier and pit mommy against daddy. Check and check on that one (anyone remember the "fingers drop" incident?). So now I really am challenging myself to step it up a notch as her mom/educator. Momma Kay suggested moving on to helping her write her letters (since she knows them all) and learning opposites (hot/cold, up/down). We'll see how she does, but I'm sure the answer will be "great."
Once again Jack had a little medical scare this week. The stupid dog, for the first time I can remember, got into a dirty diaper. I wouldn't have been so concerned but he ate the filling. ALL OF IT. Which expands. In his stomach. Elliott noticed that night that we was quite fat and if you looked down at him from the top he was quite wide. His belly seemed pretty hard as well and Elliott suggested we call Lizzie, our resident vet tech (how can I never remember that??) who at 10pm came over to check him out. She suggested we keep an eye on him and make sure he was pooping OK, to know that his intestines weren't blocked. After an uncomfortable night for him (I'm sure) the morning brought a renewed appetite and a couple rounds of visiting his favorite spot in the backyard to get rid of some of that diaper filling. Sigh of relief! HOWEVER he did it again this morning!! He wiggled open the baby gate to the office and got into the trash. So I have decided that if he decided to kill himself by eating diapers, so be it.
Today I am attempting to make chicken stock. I had decided to make a turkey and rice soup that I LOVE (and since I also needed to use up some carrots and celery) but since I didn't have turkey I decided to use dark chicken meat. So I went to the store, picked up some thighs and thought "why don't I just make stock first?" I had watched Martha Stewart yesterday when she did it and it seemed easy enough. Plus I had to cook the chicken anyway for the soup, so why not? I wish I had the results of both the stock and the soup to report to you right now, but alas you will have to wait. The stock just finished cooking and I still need to strain it and then make the soup. If it turns out well I will let you know!
As you know we celebrated Ava's second birthday last Sunday, with a little family fun on her actual birthday October 21, this past Tuesday. That night we went to Denny's (yes, I know, Elliott laughed at me too but I had coupons and she wasn't particular! Bonus - when we got there we found out it was kids night and she got to eat free!) followed by Cold Stone Creamery. She had a fantastic time all night - making faces at a couple of boys at Denny's (who in turn entertained her back), picking out her own ice cream flavor at Cold Stone ("blue", i.e. cotton candy), then dancing to her own beat after her ice cream high to the amusement of the other Cold Stone guests. The poor girl is really jazzed up over it all and continues to think every day is her birthday, asking to blow out candles and open presents. I have to tell her that her birthday is done, but so far she doesn't believe me.
Lily cut her first tooth sometime this past week. It completely escaped my notice until one morning she must have been chewing on my finger or something, and lo and behold there it was! She must be working on some more in there as she is constantly chewing on things and drooling all over herself, to which Ava reports to me that Lily is "spitting up". Yesterday Lily also accomplished pulling herself up on a chair in the living room, which means it isn't just the crib she is successful at. She also tries to stand straight up from the floor without the aid of a chair, but it results in her doing a headstand, a form of the yoga pose "downward facing dog." It is quite funny to see her with straightened legs and head on the floor.
Wednesday we went to the pediatrician for Ava's two year well-check and flu shots for both. Ava is doing very well, almost three feet tall. The doctor says her language skills are quite advanced for her age (once again, I take no credit; it must be PBS) and warned me that she may also be a bit more challenging to discipline as she will learn to reason earlier and pit mommy against daddy. Check and check on that one (anyone remember the "fingers drop" incident?). So now I really am challenging myself to step it up a notch as her mom/educator. Momma Kay suggested moving on to helping her write her letters (since she knows them all) and learning opposites (hot/cold, up/down). We'll see how she does, but I'm sure the answer will be "great."
Once again Jack had a little medical scare this week. The stupid dog, for the first time I can remember, got into a dirty diaper. I wouldn't have been so concerned but he ate the filling. ALL OF IT. Which expands. In his stomach. Elliott noticed that night that we was quite fat and if you looked down at him from the top he was quite wide. His belly seemed pretty hard as well and Elliott suggested we call Lizzie, our resident vet tech (how can I never remember that??) who at 10pm came over to check him out. She suggested we keep an eye on him and make sure he was pooping OK, to know that his intestines weren't blocked. After an uncomfortable night for him (I'm sure) the morning brought a renewed appetite and a couple rounds of visiting his favorite spot in the backyard to get rid of some of that diaper filling. Sigh of relief! HOWEVER he did it again this morning!! He wiggled open the baby gate to the office and got into the trash. So I have decided that if he decided to kill himself by eating diapers, so be it.
Today I am attempting to make chicken stock. I had decided to make a turkey and rice soup that I LOVE (and since I also needed to use up some carrots and celery) but since I didn't have turkey I decided to use dark chicken meat. So I went to the store, picked up some thighs and thought "why don't I just make stock first?" I had watched Martha Stewart yesterday when she did it and it seemed easy enough. Plus I had to cook the chicken anyway for the soup, so why not? I wish I had the results of both the stock and the soup to report to you right now, but alas you will have to wait. The stock just finished cooking and I still need to strain it and then make the soup. If it turns out well I will let you know!
You Have Set Me Free!
Good Morning America is reporting this morning that food allergies in children are up 18% in the past 10 years. One of the top reasons: people oversanitizing their homes. So parents - STOP CLEANING! This is the best news I have heard all year. Have a great day knowing that by cleaning less, perhaps you are saving your children's lives. Win-win! Ha ha ha!!
Videos for Aunt Tracy & Uncle Matthew
Aunt Tracy and Uncle Matthew, I love my presents! Especially the Sesame Street book. Elmo is my favorite!! I love to watch him on Elmo's World everyday. Today I am going to read this book in bed before naptime (and I think I will make daddy read it to me again tonight). Thank you!
Love, Ava
PS - Lily really loves my present too!
Ava's 2nd Birthday Party
Sunday was a very special and fun time. We celebrated Ava's second birthday (which is officially tomorrow) by BBQing with family and friends. Grammy and Papa Kay were visiting from Utah; Josh & Lizzie and family were here; and friends Babette, Lisa and son Grant, and Jon & Ashley McFerrin with son Quinn. Ava had an absolute BLAST running around with all of the kids, saying hi to everybody and generally being loved upon. The girl also cleaned house on the gift front. Despite telling people they didn't need to bring anything but themselves, Ava was showered with some new clothes, a baby doll stroller, bath toys, and an entire baby doll care set (including a second stroller and other baby equipment). She also got a toy kitchen from Mom and Dad (which is the toy I scored garage saling a few weekends back) along with some dishes and fake food to play with.
We have a few more random toys to give her tomorrow (her actual birthday, October 21) and we are going to go celebrate with dinner at Denny's followed by ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery (all of which is courtesy of birthday clubs, hence FREE). So happy birthday my little girl. We love you!
Lily - getting closer towards walking
Lily really enjoys pulling herself up on things these days and is ever so proud of herself! She is never completely satisfied to just sit quietly these days, but is happiest when she is standing up, preferably by herself. She even has no fear about letting go with one or more hands, only to learn she is not as advanced as she thinks she is.
Child Costs
OK, I am gonna go out on a limb here and blog about my thoughts on Suze Orman on the Oprah show today. (Yes, people, I TiVo Oprah and watch her when I can IF I am interested in the topic). Last week I was a little upset at Suze for laying into a couple with 23 credit cards and $90,000 in debt - "Sell you house! You can't afford it!" To who Suze? Who is going to buy their house right now in this economy? WHO? I understand they need to do something, but have you seen the housing market lately?
Today she is telling a young woman, pregnant with her second child, that she can't afford to stay at home after the baby is born. The numbers break down like this: IF she stays working they will have $2500/month left after expenses (but doesn't take into account extra childcare costs I don't think). IF she stays at home and loses her income, they will have $900/month left after expenses (saving on childcare costs). But Suze says NO, she MUST go back to work because $6,000 in the bank and only $900 month to save is too little and the woman is not taking into account the additional costs of a new child.
OK, you know how I feel about this, but bottom line - I think I have lost all respect for Suze Orman. Elliott and I broke down the numbers when Ava came along. If I didn't work, sure we would lose that income. But by only being a single income family it puts us in a different tax bracket and thus saving money. By not working outside the home we save money on commuting costs, work clothes, lunches out, daycare, and all other manner of things which add up when you are on the run (your morning Starbucks trips, too tired to cook - just order out, etc). By staying home I have been able to shave even more off the family budget by using coupons, planning shopping trips, watching sales flyers, and all of the other things I tell you about.
I have a personal conviction that it is important for me to be home for my children. I know I am fortunate that I am able to do that. There are absolutely instances where you MUST work to support your family and I would be the first in line IF I needed to be. Like I said, I know I am blessed. But I want to encourage you that if you have a personal conviction and are feeling torn by what the world says - "you can't afford not to work" - take a long look at your priorities, where you can cut corners and expenses, and try (just try) to not buy into what the world says. IT IS POSSIBLE! I, along with thousands of other Americans, are living proof that even the Suze Orman's of the world aren't right 100% of the time.
Today she is telling a young woman, pregnant with her second child, that she can't afford to stay at home after the baby is born. The numbers break down like this: IF she stays working they will have $2500/month left after expenses (but doesn't take into account extra childcare costs I don't think). IF she stays at home and loses her income, they will have $900/month left after expenses (saving on childcare costs). But Suze says NO, she MUST go back to work because $6,000 in the bank and only $900 month to save is too little and the woman is not taking into account the additional costs of a new child.
OK, you know how I feel about this, but bottom line - I think I have lost all respect for Suze Orman. Elliott and I broke down the numbers when Ava came along. If I didn't work, sure we would lose that income. But by only being a single income family it puts us in a different tax bracket and thus saving money. By not working outside the home we save money on commuting costs, work clothes, lunches out, daycare, and all other manner of things which add up when you are on the run (your morning Starbucks trips, too tired to cook - just order out, etc). By staying home I have been able to shave even more off the family budget by using coupons, planning shopping trips, watching sales flyers, and all of the other things I tell you about.
I have a personal conviction that it is important for me to be home for my children. I know I am fortunate that I am able to do that. There are absolutely instances where you MUST work to support your family and I would be the first in line IF I needed to be. Like I said, I know I am blessed. But I want to encourage you that if you have a personal conviction and are feeling torn by what the world says - "you can't afford not to work" - take a long look at your priorities, where you can cut corners and expenses, and try (just try) to not buy into what the world says. IT IS POSSIBLE! I, along with thousands of other Americans, are living proof that even the Suze Orman's of the world aren't right 100% of the time.
Week in Review
Fall, or rather winter, in Vegas visited us this weekend. Saturday through today it has been about 60 degrees here - a great excuse to bust out a whole new warmer wardrobe. Fun! Ava has still be wanting to play outside so I just bundle her up and send her on her way.
We had an exhausting week this week! Tuesday I had a doctor's visit for an annual check-up (she and I agreed it was unusual to be visiting her and NOT be pregnant!) and freezer group in the evening. Ava spent almost the entire day at other people's houses (which she loved), who lovingly accommodated my hectic schedule and need to not have children with me.
Wednesday we went to music class like normal, with an extra amount of trauma following. One of the ladies had her car robbed while we were in class! A locked car in a church parking lot, when we had less than an hour of classtime and some of that was spent marching around the parking lot. I don't know when the burglars had time to get in and get out, but regardless they cleaned her out. I was SO thankful that the Holy Spirit had been prompting me to lock my car that morning (which I normally don't do) since I had a small deposit set to go to the bank after class. I know they broke into a locked vehicle but maybe since I didn't make it oh-so-easy for them to steal my money they left my poor little Hyundai alone. Thank you Jesus!
Thursday after Bible Study a lady in my group brought over a play yard for our backyard. Their family had outgrown it and she offered it to me. I am feeling overwhelmingly blessed! This had been on my wishlist for awhile, but we simply couldn't make it a financial priority. So once again, the Lord provided. It has a rock wall they climb up and then a small slide. It also has a sandbox with a digger, but it is separate and hence hanging out in the garage for awhile. Ava LOVES it! Even with the colder weather blowing in she insists on being outside to slide and climb, of which I am so grateful. It make the days so much more enjoyable for her and I love that she is outside, taking in the fresh air and getting her energy out.Friday Lily perfected a new talent - pulling herself up on things. She started with the bars of the crib and is quickly moving on to other things, most of which don't support her (the little toy piano) so she topples over and tries again. Oh boy! She is ever so proud of herself when she is standing and it is now her favorite activity. On the down side, her night sleeping habits are horrible! I am getting a little desperate over the situation and know I need to find something that works. I must have been up with her at least eight times last night. I think one of the contributing factors is indeed her mobility. When she sits herself up or, like last night, pulls herself up on the crib bars she doesn't know how to lay herself back down. When I came in last night and she was hanging pitifully on the crib railing, crying, I knew that part of that was "how did I get here and how do I get down?" My midwife suggested The No Cry Sleep Solution book, which has the longest waiting list at the library (naturally!) so I may break down and head to Borders today. We used the crying-it-out method for Ava, but I am just not convinced that this is a what will work for Lily. So I will keep you posted.
Friday was also nephew Xander's birthday (see the earlier post) and we celebrated with them for cake and ice cream in the evening. Mom and Dad Kay were in town on their way to San Diego for a week and it was nice to spend some time with them too. They will be travelling back through next weekend, just in time to help us celebrate Ava's birthday. Fun!
Saturday I went garage saling at the semi-annual Aliante development garage sale. I look forward to it twice a year and since I haven't been going out regularly on Saturday mornings, I had this on the calendar weeks ago. I haven't been going to garage sales because I felt I didn't need anything, but I love Aliante sale time. I managed to spend all my money in less than two hours (so much for a long morning) but feel like I got some GREAT finds. Among the big ticket items is a birthday present for Ava (I can't reveal it here but will post pictures and reactions next week), a Christmas present for Lily (once again I can't spoil the surprise! What if she reads this?), and a fabulous double stroller for $25. It seats the girls both facing forward - we learned after we bought our Sit n Stand stroller (which I still love and highly recommend) that Ava will only take long walks if she is sitting front facing - AND it folds up super small, almost like an umbrella stroller, which is perfect for our little car. So a present for mommy too! Plus I got a lot of great long-sleeved tops for the girls for winter, which was the big thing on my shopping list, so I think I did very well.
Saturday afternoon we started celebrating Elliott's birthday a little early, with some gift card shopping at Wal-Mart, which netted him a much desired video game, then dinner at On the Border. Sunday we celebrated the rest of the way with presents (I bought him a new tie rack for his closet and the girls created a special picture collage which says D-A-D for him to take to work), a favorite meal (enchiladas) and cake balls for dessert. I taught Ava to say "happy birthday" (which really she already knew from Signing Time) and I think Elliott got a kick out of it every time she said it during the day. She even made up her own "Happy Birthday" song which she enjoyed singing to herself and we enjoyed listening to. I can't wait for more birthday celebrations next week when Ava turns two!
Pumpkin Patch Trip
Last Friday was our nephew Xander's fourth birthday. As part of his fun day, his family went to the local pumpkin patch. Since Lily was taking a nap and I was tuckered out from the week's activities, Josh and Lizzie offered to take Ava with them. She had SUCH a great time! Lizzie is an amazing photographer and shared these shots with me. The final picture shows you where Ava is displaying her pumpkin - and her collection of pinecones from our frontyard.
Week in Review
I feel that usually my blog posts are mostly about Ava and since she is the more active of the two girls it is normal. However Lily is quickly growing up and I have decided to try and tell you a bit more about her this week. I think some people think the first child is a "blink and you miss it" phase of life, but I think that it is number two and beyond. Gone are the days to sit around and simply admire my precious child. Now there are more chores and more things that need to be accomplished each day. I feel that I have reached a "I blinked and missed it" moment with Lily. WHERE did my baby go?
Lily is now 7 months old. She has no problem whatsoever sitting up on her own these days and she also can crawl two or three steps at a time before her belly hits the floor, so she is officially crawling. The other day I left the room to check my email, leaving the patio door open as Ava was wandering in and out. I heard Lily start to fuss but just put it out of my mind as she does that regularly enough it didn't seem out of the ordinary. When I went back to the living room there was Lily sitting up looking at me - from the patio outside!! Apparently she must have cried out as she went over the door threshold (it's not that far down) then recovered nicely and enjoyed her freedom eating dirt.
Lily also is really starting to try and communicate more, which usually comes out as raspberry blowing , screeches, or gutteral growls. I swear, somedays I think she is more of a bear than a little girl. But the interaction between Ava and Lily is so sweet to watch. The other day I brought Lily into the living room after a nap and started to put her on the floor away from where Ava was lining up her toys. "Ninny sit here" Ava called out to me and patted the floor beside her. So I sat Lily down there and Ava promptly handed her a toy and said "There you go Ninny. I share with Ninny." (In full disclosure this moment was extra sweet because 99% of the time Ava screams "That's mine!" and takes toys away from Lily; she has been landing regularly in timeout due to this transgression.)
Ava's new thing this week is making up her own sign language. I told you before how she likes to say a word and then tack on "Like this" and show you the sign for that word. Well, this week she added the "signs" of toot, commercial, and dinosaur to her repoirtoire. "Ava toot. Like this." "Mommy, dinosaur! Like this." Trust me - they do not cover the signs for T-Rex or passing gas on Signing Time.
I forgot to tell you that last week my friend and neighbor Ashley cut my hair (I know, she is so multi-talented isn't she?). I had been living with the excuse of "I have a baby and that's why I look like this" long enough. When the baby is now 7 months old and has a daily routine, I should indeed be able to fit showering somewhere in there. So I am back to my short do - and loving it! The day I cut it Elliott came home from work and visited with me a few minutes before he noticed my hair. "Did you cut your hair?" Yes. (Elliott - pregnant pause with stricken look). "Today?" The poor guy thought I had maybe cut it several days ago and he hadn't noticed. Ha ha ha!
This week I have been kept busy with domestic stuff. During one of my Freegan runs, I got alot of produce and turned it into a dozen jars of strawberry jelly and 10 jars of salsa, along with some baby food peaches, pears, and appleasuce, plus extra veggies to cook up for dinners. We also just wrapped up a garage sale yesterday. Several other friends participated - Lizzie, Lisa, Babette, Gina, and Ashely - and we all made out pretty well. Ava enjoyed hanging out with us in the garage and "shopping". The best part - TONS of stuff is now out of the house and very little left to take to Goodwill. Yeah! So today I am kept busy by cleaning up the remaining items and also prepping food for Freezer Group this Tuesday (I was invited to sub in again this month). Now that I have a deep freezer that is extra exciting! We still have a few meals left from the last time I did it, June I think, because I like to sprinkle in new recipes and meat sales with the freezer meals. That is actually why it is SO perfect for me - there is always something in the house to eat, so there is less of an excuse to eat out.
Lily is now 7 months old. She has no problem whatsoever sitting up on her own these days and she also can crawl two or three steps at a time before her belly hits the floor, so she is officially crawling. The other day I left the room to check my email, leaving the patio door open as Ava was wandering in and out. I heard Lily start to fuss but just put it out of my mind as she does that regularly enough it didn't seem out of the ordinary. When I went back to the living room there was Lily sitting up looking at me - from the patio outside!! Apparently she must have cried out as she went over the door threshold (it's not that far down) then recovered nicely and enjoyed her freedom eating dirt.
Lily also is really starting to try and communicate more, which usually comes out as raspberry blowing , screeches, or gutteral growls. I swear, somedays I think she is more of a bear than a little girl. But the interaction between Ava and Lily is so sweet to watch. The other day I brought Lily into the living room after a nap and started to put her on the floor away from where Ava was lining up her toys. "Ninny sit here" Ava called out to me and patted the floor beside her. So I sat Lily down there and Ava promptly handed her a toy and said "There you go Ninny. I share with Ninny." (In full disclosure this moment was extra sweet because 99% of the time Ava screams "That's mine!" and takes toys away from Lily; she has been landing regularly in timeout due to this transgression.)
Ava's new thing this week is making up her own sign language. I told you before how she likes to say a word and then tack on "Like this" and show you the sign for that word. Well, this week she added the "signs" of toot, commercial, and dinosaur to her repoirtoire. "Ava toot. Like this." "Mommy, dinosaur! Like this." Trust me - they do not cover the signs for T-Rex or passing gas on Signing Time.
I forgot to tell you that last week my friend and neighbor Ashley cut my hair (I know, she is so multi-talented isn't she?). I had been living with the excuse of "I have a baby and that's why I look like this" long enough. When the baby is now 7 months old and has a daily routine, I should indeed be able to fit showering somewhere in there. So I am back to my short do - and loving it! The day I cut it Elliott came home from work and visited with me a few minutes before he noticed my hair. "Did you cut your hair?" Yes. (Elliott - pregnant pause with stricken look). "Today?" The poor guy thought I had maybe cut it several days ago and he hadn't noticed. Ha ha ha!
This week I have been kept busy with domestic stuff. During one of my Freegan runs, I got alot of produce and turned it into a dozen jars of strawberry jelly and 10 jars of salsa, along with some baby food peaches, pears, and appleasuce, plus extra veggies to cook up for dinners. We also just wrapped up a garage sale yesterday. Several other friends participated - Lizzie, Lisa, Babette, Gina, and Ashely - and we all made out pretty well. Ava enjoyed hanging out with us in the garage and "shopping". The best part - TONS of stuff is now out of the house and very little left to take to Goodwill. Yeah! So today I am kept busy by cleaning up the remaining items and also prepping food for Freezer Group this Tuesday (I was invited to sub in again this month). Now that I have a deep freezer that is extra exciting! We still have a few meals left from the last time I did it, June I think, because I like to sprinkle in new recipes and meat sales with the freezer meals. That is actually why it is SO perfect for me - there is always something in the house to eat, so there is less of an excuse to eat out.
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