My Christmas List

I know, I know.  It's not even October, and here I am discussing Christmas.  But right now is when I'm doing Christmas shopping.  I keep an eye out for clearance items, so I can buy gifts that are out of our price range, but become in our price range when it's 75-90% off.  I already have my nieces' gifts, one nephew's gift, and two of Kaia's gifts.

So I got to thinking about what I would really like, and then laughed at how simple it all is.  What I really would like for Christmas:

1. A House Keeper.  Seriously!  I've realized that I cannot keep up.  My schedule keeps getting crazier, and the kids seem to get messier.  I went on Care.Com and found that there are several in my area that work for $10-15 an  hour.  And I really would just need someone for 2 hours a week. Even if someone just paid for a few months, it would be so nice to have some help!
2. A steam cleaner.  This was a Christmas gift a few years ago from my parents.  I loved it.  It made cleaning our textured vinyl floors simple and they came so clean!  Then it died.  It died after I told Kaia to quit messing around with it or she would break it.  Not sure if the two things are related, but my floors haven't been clean since.  I've cleaned them, but it's not the same.
3. Food.  Yes, it sounds so crazy.  But I love when we get a Thanksgiving or Christmas box from the church.  Being able to fill up the pantry, and not have to worry about groceries is a luxury.  Last year we received a gift certificate for meat from a local butcher, and that was so nice.  And the added bonus is, when we don't have to buy a bunch of groceries each week, it frees up some money to buy things that we like to eat, but are more expensive.  
4. Electrolosis.  I will fill you in on something.  I'm hairy.  Really hairy.  Worse though, is my hair grows insanely fast.  It's a blessing for the top of my head, but a curse everywhere else.  I'd love to have electrolosis on my underarms.  Not only would it save me the daily shaving and ingrown hairs, but it helps cut down on sweating.  And that would be fantastic!

So there is my list.  Practical as always.   Have you started any holiday preparations?

A Meal Plan at Last!

Summer's seem to be an unscheduled, go with the flow time for us.  It's something that definitely does not work during Fall, when Kaia is in school (and Morgan is enrolled in the Virtual Academy), and Dana and I are both busy at work.

With everything that has been going on this month, we haven't left that summer schedule behind, and it shows!  The house is a disaster, meals are last minute, and the grocery budget is out of control.  It is time to stop this insanity, and get some order back into our lives.  Step one is a meal plan!

Monday: Connecticut Beef Supper and green beans.  This is a Betty Crocker Recipe that is a favorite.  It's sliced beef (any inexpensive steak cut works) browned with onions, then cooked with thin sliced potatoes in a cream of mushroom, sour cream and milk mixture.  Topped with shredded cheese and crushed wheat cereal.

Tuesday: Spaghetti and meatballs.  The sauce is going to cook in the crock pot all day, so when I get home, all I need is to cook noodles.

Wednesday: Pinto Beans and Ham in the crock pot.

Thursday: S.O.S. with fruit

Friday: Chili Dogs

Saturday: Potato Soup

Sunday: Roast or leftovers day

What are you eating this week?

Not in my house!

When I first realized we had a flea infestation, and the doctor confirmed the Bobos were covered in flea bites, I was sure that I was the worst housekeeper and mother ever.  I knew they had come in on our cat Callie before we had her put down.  I remember clearly the time she came in and was so filthy, something very unlike her, and one of the first signs that it was time to consider euthanasia.  But to have them in our home bad enough that the boys were bit all over, I had to have won some sort of award for my inadequacies.

Then, when I posted such thoughts on Facebook, my eyes were opened.  So many people came forward telling me about their battle with fleas.  So many, that I realized, this isn't something to feel bad about or ashamed of, it is something that many people deal with.  Many people deal with, and few discuss.  That's where I come in.  I discuss it.  So, let it be known, we have fleas in our home.  I'm still fighting them.  It's not an easy battle.  The doctor recommended using a bug bomb.  I have problems with that.  Number 1, I don't like the idea of spreading poison all over the house.  Number 2, everyone I've talked to, and everything I've read says that the bomb doesn't do it.  You still have a ton more work.  So I researched our options.

I researched and opted to spot treat all the remaining cats.  I also bought pesticide for the carpets, but they can only be used in limited rooms, at limited times because we have 4 kids and 4 cats.  So I treated the Bobos room, as it is one of the worst, and have been using Borax on the rest of the carpets and vacuuming often.  We will win our battle, and I won't be ashamed that they are living in my house.  The little bastards will die!

I have to wonder though, how many things do many of us live with, and hide for fear of being looked down on?

A Memory Saved

At the end of Despicable Me, the Minions line up to get a goodnight kiss from Gru.  One minion keeps cutting back into line to get an extra kiss.  I was blessed to watch this scene play out live, every weekday evening as I picked the boys up from Grammy and Papa's house.  The twins would go give Papa a kiss, and then head to the door, then run back for one last kiss.  And run back again for just one more.

Yesterday, we said good bye to Papa Gordie.  He passed a few hours after we left.  It breaks my heart knowing that I won't ever see this sweet scene again.  Also, I know from my own experience, that the boys will have limited memories of Papa, if they remember him at all.  So I will hold on to this memory, and more to share with them as they grow.