Just another day

For whatever reason, my body has been waking up in the 5am hour for over a week now.  No matter what I say, or how late I stay up, my body just won't stay asleep past this hour.  And so my day begins.

 

 

6-7am - The children start to rise and one heads off to school while the others are happily enjoying the treats Daddy let them pick out.

 

7-8am - Mornings are never consistent with children.  Some days we are on our game, ready to tackle the day with time to spare.  Some days we are still getting ready while driving off to school.  Thankfully this was an 'on top of it' day and I got to sit down and read a bit while the kids watched TV before heading out the door. 

 

8-9am - One kid goes here, the other there.  Lots of quality time in the car every morning.

 

On this particular day, after dropping Holly off to school, I had to run home to get my mom and get back to the school for Grandparents Day.  Holly's school is in the middle of nowhere surrounded by cornfields and, honestly, I enjoy the drive.  Every day, little by little, I get to watch the seasons change and the sun rise.

 

9-11am - Grandparents Day. Its funny the things you remember from your childhood.  I remember having Grandparents day.  I don't remember what we did and I don't remember what happened afterwards, but I do remember that my grandparents were there and that's all that matters.  Hopefully the children will have those same memories.

 

11am-Noon - A quick pit stop at home to grab lunch, make some phone calls, pick up the house, get laundry going and, of course, sneak in some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

 

Noon - 1pm - Errand time!  Jake decided, with a little coaxing, to give wrestling a try.  Now in these younger years of less competitive leagues is the time to give things a try.  If you like it, keep going.  If you don't like it, you're finishing out the season so suck it up. 

 

We also made a run over to the recycling center to turn in 5 more bags of pop cans!!  The price wasn't the best but I have the money in my pocket and more space in the garage. 

 

1-2pm - Back home and time for a pick me up.

 

I also needed to put the recycling money where it goes - the vacation fund!  In January we started the penny a day challenge where you start with a penny and increase (by a penny) every day until the end of the year.  At the end of the challenge, you will have $667 - a nice nest egg for a vacation.  We're behind (it gets hard to throw $2+ in jar every. single. day) but we're sticking at it.  Now matter when we finish it, we'll have the same amount of money.

 

 

2-3pm - Didn't you hear?  My Jacob got married!  Mr. Q (Jacob) married Mrs. U and we were invited to be guests. 

 

3-4pm - Back home and back at it.  It was homemade pizza night and I was in charge of making the dough... 

 

...and the homemade croutons for salads.

 

4-5pm - Time to load up the van and head on over to the Cider Mill for our second pressing of the season.  If you haven't had fresh pressed cider, you are missing out.  It tastes sooo different from the store bought stuff. 

 

5-6pm - Back home.  Again.  Prepping pizza toppings and getting the salad bar ready to go for our dinner guests. 

 

6-9pm - Packing Party!!  Our friends and I have a deep passion for Operation Christmas Child and all that it stands for.  We shop, shop, shop all year with anticipation of this night.  Packing our boxes. 

 

9-10pm - After all that hard work, we need a reward, right?  I found a new donut recipe on Pinterest and was lucky enough to have my guinea pigs friends willing to try them. 

 

10-11pm - Bree has been asking to watch the original Parent Trap and who am I to deny her such a request.  I love the old Disney movies!  Even though Bree had enough energy to craft the night through, the other two did not.

 

11pm - Midnight - The hubby was kind enough to start a fire earlier in the evening but with dinner and shoeboxes, we didn't have time to enjoy it.  Throw a couple more logs on, start the movie over again, and that completes the end of a wonderful day. 

 

Although most days aren't as full, this really isn't a stretch of what a typical day is like.  Three kids, a house, my mom, her house, a marriage to tend to daily, my own soul to fill, and work is a lot for anyone.  Something has to change.

 

And that it will.

 

More on that later.   

My own Pdub

Lets set the scene:

We just got back from our last camping season of the year which means.... an astronomical amount of laundry - clothes, sheets, blankets.  Dishes weren't done before we left.  Emptied school bags and papers littered the tables and counters.  Holly and Jake created the biggest train track you ever did see all over my living room floor.  The house was in shambles, I had a headache I couldn't shake and on the way home Holly screamed the whole time that she was sick and promptly crashed as soon as she hit the couch.  It was definitely one of those 'adulting is hard' moments. 

Enter Bree.

"Mom, can I make dinner?"

Now you would think this was one of those 'the sky opened and the angels started singing' moments but instead it was like nails on the chalkboard.  One day, not too long ago, dear Bree wanted to make breakfast for hubby and I.  When completed, we headed out to the table to discover bowls of cold home canned tomatoes with an asinine amount of salt and a few sprinkles of cheese.  Having to stomach a similar dinner when I just wanted to check out as a parent, plunged my stomach to my feet.

However.  I was pleasantly surprise when she pulled out our beloved Pioneer Woman cookbooks and began scanning the pages.  She, on her own accord, decided that we were having meatloaf for dinner!  With little help,  deciding on the side dishes (curly fries instead of mashed potatoes, broccoli as the veggie, and cheesecake for dessert) the list was made, shopping was done, and my little pdub started on her task.

We feasted with minimal complaints from other family members...

... and lived to tell the tale.  But the most important lesson to be learned that day was - When you slave over making a meal for the entire family, you appreciate someone else cleaning it up.

And so the boys did. 

Pioneer Woman's Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

Couponing

Couponing is a slippery slope. 

 

There.  I said it.  As a former couponing fanatic, I will admit that couponing is not all its cracked up to be.  They trick you into spending money on products you normally wouldn't buy just because you can get it at a good price.  But ultimately, the generic tastes just as good as the name brand (the brand isn't better, you are just paying for the commercials, you know) and it's cheaper!  However, I do use coupons on two occasions.

 

1.  When it means I can get the name brand for cheaper than the generic or...

2.  If its for a product I already buy.

 

For example: Every. Single. Time. a Gain $2.00 off coupon is in the ads,  I clip it and buy it.  With three children and a construction working husband, I can never have too much laundry soap.

 

Recently there was a string of amazing coupons in the Sunday paper and I knew what I needed to do - pass the children off on the hubby and head to Walmart for some serious shopping.

 

Here's what I purchased:

 

 

2 boxes Puff tissues, 2 Suave body washes, 3 shave gels, 2 Herbel Essence shampoos, 2 Herbal Essence conditioners, 2 Tresemme Shampoos, 2 Tresemme Conditioners, 1 - 100 ounce Gain laundry soap, 2 - 75 ounce Tide, and large refill hand soap.

 

I had coupons for every single item here except the Equate brand hand soap but that's okay because I take hand washing very seriously and I needed it whether I had a coupon or not.  Before coupons the grand total for this purchase was....  $82.04!  OUCH!  But laundry soap is $10 a jug around here and I got three of them!

 

After coupons, the total dropped to.... $52.54.  And with the Walmart savings catcher app, I saved another $3.94 bringing it down to $48.60.

 

WOW! That's a 40% savings on items I needed (body wash, tissues, laundry soap) and stockpiled a little on items that run out quite quickly around here (I have GOT to talk to that 8 year old about how much shampoo and conditioner to use).  So maybe, just maybe couponing isn't all too bad.  When you know how to do it.

In the Beginning... Day one

Awwww.....  they really do love each other.... when they are asleep and not aware they are touching each other.... 

 

 

Our trip to Disney started at the ugly hour of 4:30am.  We headed to the airport, made it through all security checks with ease, and awaited our 7:05am flight.

 

 

Jake and Holly did amazing on their first time flying.  They weren't scared, no complaints about their ears, nothing.  Holly was so chill about flying that she managed to fall sleep during take-off on our second flight!  Pretty. Awesome.  4.5 hours after take off, we set foot on our resort.

 

As it does so often in Florida, it was raining when we arrived.  And not just the soft gentle rain that will quickly clear, but a heavy, soaking, down-pour type of rain.  So what do you do if you're going to be soaked anyways?  Put on your suit and dance in the rain.

 

 

(The view from our room is the pool and laundry area.  First floor rooms rock!)

 

Since we didn't have park passes for our first day, we spent our time touring our resort and meandering to nearby connecting resorts.  Then it was time to head to the Grand Floridian for dinner.

 

 

The Grand Floridian is a Victorian style resort with plush carpets, elegant seating areas, and a live serenading pianist that knows every Disney tune by heart.  It is also home to the 1900 Park Fare buffet style restaurant which, very suiting, hosts....

 

...character dining of the most royal Disney members.

Prince Charming

Cinderella

Lady Tremaine

Anastasia

Drizella

 

The last bit of excitement, even for the kids too, was watching a live band play even more upbeat Disney songs.   We danced and danced and played name that tune.  

 

What a great ending to the day!

 

 

Its GO Time!

The house has been cleaned.  The dishes are done.  The fridge has been purged of all perishable items.  The kitty sitter has been given instructions.  The lawn has been mowed one last time.  And, most importantly, the bags have been packed.  That can only mean one thing....

 

 

DISNEY, HERE... WE... COME!!!

Loving This

In order to avoid doing things I really should be doing this evening, I planted myself upon the couch with a bowl of popcorn and one of the many, many books I want to read. (There is always time for cleaning later, right?)  The current book I'm reading is The Year without a Purchase by Scott Dannemiller.  And I'm. In. Love.

 

The premise of the story is Scott and his wife, Gabby, were unhappy in a life that is the American Dream - a house, two cars, successful jobs, vacations...  They wanted a change and God provided them one.  A mission trip that could last as little as a one month commitment but were moved enough to stay for a year.  After living, surviving, and, better yet, thriving on next to nothing, they came back to America only to have our fast paced, busy, buy-buy-buy culture chip away that new found fulfillment, leading them back to square one.  On every page I'm moved and inspired by their insight.  If I tried to type up everything that tugged at my heartstrings, I'd be in danger of plagiarizing the entire book! I did manage to narrow down one excerpt that I wanted to share with you, but to also remember for myself. 

Recently, our Sunday school class began studying the book Firstfruits Living by Lynn A. Miller.  In the book, Miller talks about how faithful people put God first in their lives by giving away the best of what they have.  Their firstfruits.

Yes, the man is crazy.

But reading this book, I notice that I am doing the exact opposite of what it suggests is the path to fulfillment.  I am essentially hoarding the best of what I have for myself and giving away the leftovers.  If a Boy Scout comes to the door collecting canned food for a fundraiser, I am the guy who reaches into the very back of the pantry, pushing the chicken noodle soup out of the way so that I can snag that three-year-old can of hominy.

Because poor people love hominy.

Its ridiculous.  And when I do give away something of real value, I don't part with it easily.  Instead, I give it with the stipulation that the person must thank me profusely for the gift, acknowledge my awesomeness, preferably in public, and then proceed to use the gift in the exact manner I intended.  Its an unspoken selfishness constantly lurking beneath the surface.

And I don't like it.

Been there.  Done that.  Felt those feelings.  I want to change, to be better, and can do so for a little while.  And then there comes the Boss telling us we need this and that to be successful, happy, complete.  Protect ourselves first and let everyone else struggle in the meantime - the 'they've probably done something and made poor choices to deserve it anyways' mindset.  And in the very next paragraph there is more wince worthy, hitting the nail on the head, painful truth:

One evening, Gabby and I are discussing our general dissatisfaction with getting further and further away from the joy and fulfillment we felt ten years ago.  Its one of those wonderful reflective conversations where you feel that you are really accomplishing something by examining the trajectory of your life with the added satisfaction of making no real commitment to change anything for the better.

 

Oh snap.  I have had those conversations.  Many times.  There is something about them that does make you feel very accomplished.  And yet that feeling wears off and you are back in the same rut with the same arguments all too soon.  Talk is good.  Action is better.

 

That is, until Gabby asks a hypothetical question.

"What if we didn't buy anything for a year?"

 

Shaken from the comfort of my own inaction, I respond as any good husband would.

 

Defensively.

 

"Wait.  Are you saying that I buy too much stuff?"  I bark at her, ready to challenge every frivolous purchase she has made in the past six months.  A new dress.  An art set for Audrey.  Incredibly soft toilet paper.

 

"No.  I'm just saying it would be interesting to see if we could do it.  If we could get back to a simpler lifestyle.  A life more connected to God.  And one another."

 

Challenge accepted.

 

Reluctantly.

 

Holly's Big Day

Wait a minute...

 

Holly is old enough to go to school?  How is this possible?!?  I'm not sure either but never the less - the time has come and off she goes!

 

Holly Jacquelynne

Preschool 2016-2017

3 year old class

 

 

 

Don't be fooled by that cute smile.  As she realized that I really was going to leave her there, the flood gates opened and I heard her crying all the way down the hallway as I headed off to work in the school library.

 

Her wonderful teacher stopped by my room to inform me it didn't take long for her to calm down and she was happily playing with the other kids.  A short time after that, her day was done.  She joined me in the library and kept me company until my day was done.

 

We moved books, prettied up the shelves, had a snack, and chatted while we worked.  She is definitely a Momma's little helper.  And with the older two siblings at school and no younger siblings coming up, I think its safe to say, and might as well admit it now, she is going to be spoiled with quality time... and probably more. 

 

Its good to be the youngest. 

What I'm reading this week

I think this post would be more aptly titled

'What I don't have time to read this week'

The stack on my nightstand gets taller and taller but the days keep getting fuller and fuller. 

Here is what I'm attempting to read:

Into Thin Air

This is the book that the movie 'Everest' is based on.  I saw the movie but, as we all know, way too many details tend to be left out of movies and I'd just like to know more.

Hollow City

This is the second book in the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series.  Although I wasn't very impressed with the first book (which has already been made into a motion picture and hits theatres at the end of September), I am pressing forward in the series and am pleasantly surprised how much I am enjoying this book than the first.

 

Year without a Purchase

The concept of this book is simple:  "The difference between needs and wants had grown very fuzzy, and making that distinction clear again would require drastic action: no nonessential purchases for a whole year."  Well...  you've got my attention.  Lets read further. 

Disaster on the Horizon and Sea in Flames

I'm not planning on reading both of these books.  The topic of both are on the 2010 Gulf oil blowout that is also coming to a theatre near you in September.  I would like to get a little back story, a little more knowledge before seeing the action, drama, thriller Deepwater Horizon. 

Junk: Digging through America's Love Affair with Stuff

and

Unstuffed: Decluttering your home, mind & soul

Again, I probably won't read both of these.  I'll probably just scan 'Junk' for interesting and useless facts.  'Unstuffed' though...  I think that one may help in the mental stress of this season of life that I am in. 

In This House, We will Giggle

Truth be told, I'm not sure why I have this one.  Concept wise, it doesn't sound too bad, but to carve time out to read a so-so book when there are so many others out there calling my name?  I don't know.  Good thing is - I have it as an audio book too.  Here's to "reading" on the road.