Oh the Joys
• Sep. 4, 2008 - All's well here, still no baby
I just realized it's been over 2 weeks since I last posted. We're fine here. We've just been incredibly busy with Steve's father being in the hospital in another part of the state, trips to see him, starting school, and getting ready for the baby.
Also, about the time I last posted, we found 5 little kittens in what we felt was an unsafe location ... so we moved them to a safer spot. But we apparently messed with them too much, and the Mama cat quit coming to feed them. So we spent 2 weeks bottle feeding them, weaning them to food, and burying them one by one. We've buried two already, and have another one to bury today. *sigh* Lesson learned ... don't mess with kittens no matter how unsafe you think their position is. Of the two that remain alive, one is definitely smaller than the other and we aren't sure if he'll be the next to go, or not. The lone female is so much more robust, that we are hoping we don't lose her.
I have 12 more days until my due date, and still have details to take care of. We started school 2.5 weeks ago. This is our third week, and we will try to get one more week of school in. There are still details and chores to do before the baby comes. Some of them are not things we usually leave until the last minute, but everything has been so different this time, and then Steve's Dad's health has thrown just one more gigantic issue before us.
The pregnancy continues well, and we're praying for a safe delivery and healthy baby. We're definitely counting down the days now ... and reassuring people that I don't usually go early. Everyone seems to expect it after "so many babies". I wasn't early with my 6th, however, and doubt the 7th will be any different.
And that's our last two weeks in a nutshell. I'm hoping we can have a very productive weekend, so I can relax for the final week of the pregnancy.
Trusting in Him,
April |
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Aug. 19, 2008 - This was not in my plans ...
I had no intentions of trying to potty train 2 yo L right now, but she is potty training. None of my children have been ready or willing to train at age two, since my firstborn. The rest were 3.5 yo, and almost 4 yo. I thought I had another year before this was going to come up. But, with just 4 weeks until baby is due, she definitely seems ready to train.
It has been over a week since this started. One night she had undone her diaper while Steve and I were busy. We told her siblings to get her to sit on the potty chair until we'd be free to diaper her in a minute. Well, surprise! She wet in the potty!
It was another 2 days before she used the potty again, but she succeeded that time, too. For the past week, she has succeeded once or twice daily.
I'm not really encouraging her to train. Her siblings are encouraging her more than I am. But usually she just removes her diaper and declares she's going to use the potty. Sometimes she succeeds, and sometimes not.
This was definitely not in my plans, but I'm not going to stop her, either. I need to begin to work with her more directly and intentionally. It will be easier to do now, than it will be in 4 or 5 weeks after baby is here. She has older sisters to help her, but once we get to the stage of messing in the potty instead of just wetting in it, they will be reluctant to wipe her.
Why do my children always choose inopportune times to potty train? 13 yo A first tried to train when R was due. I discouraged that, and she instead trained when I was in the midst of unpacking after we moved. 4 yo M chose to train when I was in the midst of packing for the move here last Fall. And it seems one other child trained around a due date, also ... but I can't remember who.
Steve finds this very funny. He is laughing. I am merely resigned. He says it is because I didn't have enough to do or worry about. Really?
At least we no longer have a fully carpeted house. We've already tested the fact that wood floors make cleaning up accidents easier.
So, here we go! I guess we're potty training again.
Rejoicing in Him,
April |
Comments (2) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Aug. 18, 2008 - The Simple Woman's Daybook ~ 3
 Click on this image to visit The Simple Woman blog, and find daybook entries by others.
For Today...
Outside my Window... same green lawn, green trees, blue sky with fluffy white clouds as last week ... empty clothesline and a clear view of the field and highway since a friend came with his tractor and mowed down the section of really long grass and shrubs.
I am thinking... that my upper back hurts and I'm not sure why.
I am thankful for... the fact that my Father-in-law is back in KS, checking into his regular hospital with his regular doctors today ... and thankful Steve was able to get time off to go get him and help check him in today.
From the kitchen... a pile of dishes my dishwashers need to tackle. They're reading over my shoulder as I type and pretending they didn't just read this.
I am wearing... denim maternity capris, black birkenstocks, and a light purple maternity t-shirt, with my hair in a pony tail with a purple floral scrunchy.
I am creating... nothing. I finished most of my school planning, and we started school today. I was just revamping my "nesting for baby" list. But otherwise, not creating anything.
I am going... to wash the baby bath tub and infant car seat today.
I am reading... nothing. I just finished The Tale of Hawthorn House: a Beatrix Potter Cottage Mystery last night. I still haven't finished "Homeschooling With A Meek and Quiet Spirit", but I also haven't picked it up in over a week.
I am hoping... that the five gray striped kittens we just found in the attic of the old granary don't fall down and get hurt.
I am hearing... Donut Man singing "O-B-E-Y: Obey your Mom and Dad!" What a great song! :D
Around the house... there are lots of scattered toys. I need to bring the 3 middle kids inside to start picking up, and then I need to do a phonics lesson with 7 yo J.
One of my favorite things... when my husband comes home from a trip.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... continue with our first week of school, continue with house keeping and baby nesting, and try to figure out how to do some math review with some of the kids who were out of practice today.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... these are the Persian kittens we are currently selling, although we actually sold the red one (orange to most people) on Friday. Aren't they sweet?
Trusting in Him,
April |
Comments (4) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Aug. 14, 2008 - Hooray for my husband!!
My handsome hunk of a husband fixed my shower! He first replaced the stems and washers in my shower faucet handles, and the shower head, to stop the dripping leak. He did that on Tuesday night. Then we attempted to snake out the clogged shower drain Tuesday night, without success. We decided that we needed to cut off the cast iron S-trap drain so we could reach the clog. Then we'd replace the S-trap with a PVC S-trap.
So last night we started that job at 9:30 pm. Not the best time to start, but Steve has other commitments this weekend and really needed to finish this last night. The sawing was hard work, because he was working above his head and needed to put heavy pressure on the reciprocating saw to keep it cutting through the pipe.
Thick dark water sprayed out as he worked, and spilled out when the S-trap came off. Yuck! Then we started snaking out the remaining cast iron pipe. Messy, nasty, wet job. And it took so long to break up all the rust clogging the pipe. We had kids start getting ready for bed while we were working, shortly after 10 pm. At midnight, we finally had good water flow through the pipe, and had removed rust, a giant hairball, and some plastic labels from liquid soap bottles. Our drain cover is not secured in place, and I guess kids let labels go down the drain when it was uncovered, at some point.
We took a break to tuck the kids into bed and went back down to rinse the pipe out some more, and then begin gluing our PVC S-trap together and securing it to the cast iron pipes. It was 1 am when we finally came upstairs and were able to get showers. But it works perfectly now! At last!! We put a hair catching filter under the drain cover, and will be securing it in place to prevent hair and labels from going down again.
And my amateur-plumbing husband has the supplies to fix my running toilet tonight, too. So, by tonight, I should have my bathroom working properly again!
Trusting in Him,
April |
Comments (2) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Aug. 11, 2008 - Mountain Morning Homeschool Cookbook/Apron Giveaway
I believe this is the most blog entries I've ever made in one day. A new record! But not necessarily a goal to aim for again. I should likely feel ashamed or embarrassed, but ... oh well.
I wanted to get the word out about Brandi's contest at Mountain Morning Homeschool early in the week this time, instead of waiting until the very end of the week. She's having her second blog giveaway ever, and is being very generous. She is giving one winner the book, Martha's Family Cookery by Martha Greene of http://www.marmeedear.com, and a vintage apron. And if 30 blogs link back to her contest, she'll give away a second apron to a second winner.
Brandi says that Martha's Family Cookery is full of delicious recipes for the family that are free of white sugar, bleached flours, preservatives, artificial colors and nitrites. And Brandi asked us to share our favorite healthy recipe.
I really want to share a recipe for "Easy Whole Grain Applesauce Cake" which my entire family just loves, but it was one that I found several years ago on an email list: Real Food Living Digest by Vickilynn Haycraft. I'd share the recipe, except I believe it is one she intends to include in the book she's trying to publish: Real Foods for the Real Family. So I don't feel I can share the recipe. But I can highly recommend her email list to anyone interested in healthy recipes that are "free" of white sugar, bleached flour, preservatives, artificial colors, and nitrites.
So, I guess I'll have to share a different healthy recipe. I guess I'll share the recipe I'm cooking today, although I confess my version is not as "stuff-free" as Martha's recipes. It could be if you used organic canned salsa, and beans ... or if you make your own salsa and cook your beans from scratch. Um, I just used regular salsa and canned beans, though.
Crockpot Chicken Taco Filling
Place 3-6 skinless boneless chicken breasts in the crockpot.
Pour 1.5 cups of your favorite natural healthy salsa over the chicken.
Let cook on high for 5 hours, then shred the chicken and stir the salsa into the chicken.
Add 1 - 2 cups frozen or home-canned corn.
Add 1 - 2 cups of cooked great northern beans.
Stir well.
Season to taste with chili powder, pepper, cumin, and onion powder.
Continue to cook on low for 1-2 hours.
Serve in taco shells or flour tortillas with shredded cheddar cheese.
It's easy and delicious! Enjoy!
Trusting in Him,
April |
Comments (1) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Aug. 11, 2008 - Another Apron Giveaway Contest ...
• Aug. 11, 2008 - The Simple Woman's Daybook ~ 2
Click on this image to visit The Simple Woman blog, and find daybook entries by others.
For Today...
Outside my Window... our five guineas are pecking their way through the green yard, huddled together, under the blue skies with white clouds scattered here and there.
I am thinking... that my day hasn't been a very productive one so far, and I'm not really upset about it.
I am thankful for... good news today!
From the kitchen... chicken taco filling in my crockpot smells delicious!
I am wearing... a different pair of denim maternity shorts from last week, a red maternity v-neck t-shirt with white collar and trim, with bare feet that need to have their toenails repainted. My hair is twisted up into a figure 8 bun and secured with tiny octopus clips.
I am creating... school plans for this school year, which starts in a week.
I am going... to be more productive tomorrow.
I am reading... the Summer 2008 issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.
I am hoping... that my Father-in-law will be released from the hospital later this week so Steve can bring him home to Kansas.
I am hearing... the dribbling of the leak in my shower, children's voices, and a Veggie Tales movie playing across the room from me.
Around the house... I have two baskets of clothes I need to fold, and I need to start washing cloth diapers.
One of my favorite things... dark chocolate, and today I feel like I need a lot of it.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... put away a few bigger toys in the living room to make room for the bassinet, another prenatal appointment and library trip, finish school planning so we can resume school a week from today.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
 This is our bassinet, with the skirt/cover and sheets my Mom made for it,
and the afghan a friend's Mom made for us.
This was actually taken in our old house, when we were expecting 4 yo M, but we'll be using the same bassinet and bedding for this baby.
I'll be setting it up this week, although it will be set up in the living room this time, for day time naps, and the baby will sleep with us at night.
Trusting in Him,
April |
Comments (3) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
|
|
|
|
