By the Grace of God we haven't had any ER visits yet, but Mo's accident today reminds me why we pay $400 a month for insurance. He was walking out the door at Grammy and Papa's and fell right into the wooden box that holds the ice melt.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
It's a good thing we have insurance
Monday, August 6, 2007
Vacuum Update
Well I was able to order the part straight from the manuafacturer. After tax and shipping it was less than $25. Now that is $4 more than the ebay one, but that was used, and no longer available. So in approximately one week, I'll be able to vacuum my house again!
A New Budget brings New Thoughts
With Kaia's pre-school days coming fast upon us, we found that creating a new budget was a necessity. It's not like we had the close to $180 a month just sitting in the bank. We had planned to start saving for it, but when it became necessary for Dana to find a new job, it didn't happen.
So now we have a livable budget, and it's going pretty good. I'll be packing Dana's lunch several days a week. He bought a new lunch bag today that will be easy to transport on the bike. His new bike (motorcycle) will drop our fuel bill substantially and give him something fun to play with. Yesterday I made a few batches of muffins to use for breakfasts this week. First I made my harvest pumkin muffins. I added a little bit of Smart Fiber cereal, which happened to be the most disgusting cereal I'd ever tasted. But it worked well as a fiber addition in my batter. So healthier muffins, and I won't waste the box of cereal. The next batch didn't turn out as well. They are chocolate cherry and taste ok, but didn't rise, so they are a bit heavy.
I find the budget fun. How much can I do, what can I make and stay within budget. It's a challenge and keeps me on my toes. It also keeps me creative. But now, I need a part for my vacuum. If they can get it in town (he wasn't sure as it wasn't coming up in his computer) it will likely run $30. I found it on ebay for $9 plus $12 shipping and handling. Except I know that it doesn't cost $12 to send the roller brush from Colorado to Washington. If we were to buy a new vacuum the "like" model from Bissell today would be $89.99. I'm sure it will go on sale eventually for 69.99 or something close. I believe that the vacuum is worth the investment of a $30 part. There are no other problems with the vacuum, and we now have a spare belt for it. So I'm back to looking for a part and hoping I find it soon (and for a good price!). With 4 cats and 2 kids, we NEED a working vacuum.
One of my budget friendly meals is the pot of beans we will enjoy tonight. It's one of my favorite meals. A big bowl of pinto beans that have been in the slow cooker all day. Add some onion and a tiny bit of ketchup. A big slice of cornbread on the side, it just can't be beat. Plus I will use the leftover beans to make refried beans tomorrow night. Which I'll serve with salsa (using the ripe tomatoes in my garden), corn tortillas, and seasoned meat that is in the freezer.
Tonight after our meal, I'll be busy putting peat moss on the garden. I also have some lettuce seeds to plant. Sampson finally managed to get the cube of peat moss out from under the deck stairs, and had it spread across the back lawn this morning. I had been putting off getting it on the front garden, but when it's piled in the yard, I can procrastinate no longer.
So now we have a livable budget, and it's going pretty good. I'll be packing Dana's lunch several days a week. He bought a new lunch bag today that will be easy to transport on the bike. His new bike (motorcycle) will drop our fuel bill substantially and give him something fun to play with. Yesterday I made a few batches of muffins to use for breakfasts this week. First I made my harvest pumkin muffins. I added a little bit of Smart Fiber cereal, which happened to be the most disgusting cereal I'd ever tasted. But it worked well as a fiber addition in my batter. So healthier muffins, and I won't waste the box of cereal. The next batch didn't turn out as well. They are chocolate cherry and taste ok, but didn't rise, so they are a bit heavy.
I find the budget fun. How much can I do, what can I make and stay within budget. It's a challenge and keeps me on my toes. It also keeps me creative. But now, I need a part for my vacuum. If they can get it in town (he wasn't sure as it wasn't coming up in his computer) it will likely run $30. I found it on ebay for $9 plus $12 shipping and handling. Except I know that it doesn't cost $12 to send the roller brush from Colorado to Washington. If we were to buy a new vacuum the "like" model from Bissell today would be $89.99. I'm sure it will go on sale eventually for 69.99 or something close. I believe that the vacuum is worth the investment of a $30 part. There are no other problems with the vacuum, and we now have a spare belt for it. So I'm back to looking for a part and hoping I find it soon (and for a good price!). With 4 cats and 2 kids, we NEED a working vacuum.
One of my budget friendly meals is the pot of beans we will enjoy tonight. It's one of my favorite meals. A big bowl of pinto beans that have been in the slow cooker all day. Add some onion and a tiny bit of ketchup. A big slice of cornbread on the side, it just can't be beat. Plus I will use the leftover beans to make refried beans tomorrow night. Which I'll serve with salsa (using the ripe tomatoes in my garden), corn tortillas, and seasoned meat that is in the freezer.
Tonight after our meal, I'll be busy putting peat moss on the garden. I also have some lettuce seeds to plant. Sampson finally managed to get the cube of peat moss out from under the deck stairs, and had it spread across the back lawn this morning. I had been putting off getting it on the front garden, but when it's piled in the yard, I can procrastinate no longer.
Monday, July 23, 2007
The camping trip from...
I don't need to say more, you'll know exactly where as soon as you read how our Friday night went.
First: the road to the lake is awful! Just really knocked the trailer around. But we got to our spot got all setup, everything unloaded and had dinner and a fire going. It was drizzly, but a nice spot and we were looking forward to the weekend there.
That's when someone showed up saying it was their spot. I pull out my confirmation, and sure enough it's for the wrong weekend (how I managed with all the double checking, I will never know). So we give the kids their hotdogs while we pack everything up. So back down the horrible road, and to our regular campground. During the drive I had a panicked thought, did I latch the fridge door? Decided I must have, as I always make sure it's latched. We found a great secluded spot where the trailer door actually faced the table and fire (not too many are setup that way.) I went in to get the inside unloaded only to discover that I didn't get the fridge door latched tight. So there was salsa and mushrooms all over the trailer!
Dana was not happy with me, understandably. I started cleaning up the mess. Then went to get the kids bed made, cause they were tired. I picked up our bed to get the blankets out, and then put it back. But when it closed, it closed off kilter. So I lifted it again. Looked at the lifters and all looked ok. Closed it again, and it was even worse. So I lifted the mattress up to look and all the hinges had pulled out! I wanted to die right then and there. I dreaded telling Dana with all else that I'd just done, but was glad when he looked and it wasn't my fault, just something that was waiting to happen. Luckily he always has his drill and a tool kit. So he fixed the hinges. Kaia went to bed, and Mo came outside while we had dinner.
We went to bed and sometime in the middle of the night Sampson was yapping, so Dana went out to find him all tangled up. We were definitely thinking nothing else could possibly go wrong, but when he unhooked him Sampson started to take off and Dana fell scraping up his leg. At this point it can't get any worse, can it? Oh it does. When he came back in he walked back to the back of the trailer to turn the heater up. That's when he realized his slipper was coated in poo. So we cleaned up the rug, threw the slippers outside and realized that the heater had turned on and almost right back off and it was still cold. At this point it's ridiculous. It's the middle of the night and Dana goes outside to see if he could find a problem. He couldn't, and the heater never did blow heat, so we had to pile into bed with Kaia and cuddle to stay warm. (Mo was nice and cozy with his blankets in the kids' bed)
The heater didn't work all weekend, but Saturday night was much warmer, and we didn't need it. We did have a good time playing at the river, and I ran into a gal I went to highschool with and got to see her 6 week old baby boy. Sunday we got into town just in time for Dana's oldest brother's surprise 50th birthday party. Today the trailer will go into the shop, and I canceled our reservation for next weekend, that we won't be using. I guess you have to have a bad trip to appreciate all the good ones!
First: the road to the lake is awful! Just really knocked the trailer around. But we got to our spot got all setup, everything unloaded and had dinner and a fire going. It was drizzly, but a nice spot and we were looking forward to the weekend there.
That's when someone showed up saying it was their spot. I pull out my confirmation, and sure enough it's for the wrong weekend (how I managed with all the double checking, I will never know). So we give the kids their hotdogs while we pack everything up. So back down the horrible road, and to our regular campground. During the drive I had a panicked thought, did I latch the fridge door? Decided I must have, as I always make sure it's latched. We found a great secluded spot where the trailer door actually faced the table and fire (not too many are setup that way.) I went in to get the inside unloaded only to discover that I didn't get the fridge door latched tight. So there was salsa and mushrooms all over the trailer!
Dana was not happy with me, understandably. I started cleaning up the mess. Then went to get the kids bed made, cause they were tired. I picked up our bed to get the blankets out, and then put it back. But when it closed, it closed off kilter. So I lifted it again. Looked at the lifters and all looked ok. Closed it again, and it was even worse. So I lifted the mattress up to look and all the hinges had pulled out! I wanted to die right then and there. I dreaded telling Dana with all else that I'd just done, but was glad when he looked and it wasn't my fault, just something that was waiting to happen. Luckily he always has his drill and a tool kit. So he fixed the hinges. Kaia went to bed, and Mo came outside while we had dinner.
We went to bed and sometime in the middle of the night Sampson was yapping, so Dana went out to find him all tangled up. We were definitely thinking nothing else could possibly go wrong, but when he unhooked him Sampson started to take off and Dana fell scraping up his leg. At this point it can't get any worse, can it? Oh it does. When he came back in he walked back to the back of the trailer to turn the heater up. That's when he realized his slipper was coated in poo. So we cleaned up the rug, threw the slippers outside and realized that the heater had turned on and almost right back off and it was still cold. At this point it's ridiculous. It's the middle of the night and Dana goes outside to see if he could find a problem. He couldn't, and the heater never did blow heat, so we had to pile into bed with Kaia and cuddle to stay warm. (Mo was nice and cozy with his blankets in the kids' bed)
The heater didn't work all weekend, but Saturday night was much warmer, and we didn't need it. We did have a good time playing at the river, and I ran into a gal I went to highschool with and got to see her 6 week old baby boy. Sunday we got into town just in time for Dana's oldest brother's surprise 50th birthday party. Today the trailer will go into the shop, and I canceled our reservation for next weekend, that we won't be using. I guess you have to have a bad trip to appreciate all the good ones!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Happy Birthday!!
July is a fun month for our family. July birthdays include 2 nieces, 1 nephew, 1 brother in law (wait, it might be 2), both dad's, 1 sister in law, my grandma and Dana. Plus our good friends' son and Kaia's birthday is just one day before July. Oh and my secret prayer partner. Today is the birthday of 3 of those people.
Happy Birthday Grandma/Granny! We love you lots and can't wait til you visit again!
Happy Birthday Dana aka Daddy/Daadaa! We love you so much!
My secret prayer partner's birthday is today also, but as she doesn't read my blog (or I wouldn't be posting this) I sent her a birthday card.
Today is also my good friend's anniversary. July 18th is definitely a popular day for big events.
Happy Birthday Grandma/Granny! We love you lots and can't wait til you visit again!
Happy Birthday Dana aka Daddy/Daadaa! We love you so much!
My secret prayer partner's birthday is today also, but as she doesn't read my blog (or I wouldn't be posting this) I sent her a birthday card.
Today is also my good friend's anniversary. July 18th is definitely a popular day for big events.
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