Simpler Times

Today is a day to make more chocolate chip cookies and make rice krispy treats. That is what we have done today. The picture was taken on the 19th of January. Michael and Jacob helped make a chocolate cake in remembrance of Papa's birthday which was that day. They put all the ingredients that the boxed recipe required(no- I'm not that good!).

Since we have started cutting back and being more frugal, we have found we love made from scratch treats better. Even the cake we baked on the 19th, just wasn't that great. It's amazing how the more simple things are the better things become. We are finding life is more fun at home. We are finding we don't want to even go out anymore. Steven and I went on a date night last Saturday night. It was a fun time to be together. Steven is great fun to be with, don't get me wrong. But after venturing out into the crowd and the cold, freezing air of -2 degrees, we found ourselves heading home and not staying out nearly as long. And I would have been happy with a grilled cheese. Barnes and Nobles used to be fun. The library is a lot more fun now. I personally love the Oxford Library but I've heard there are wonderful ones all over.

I just got an advertisement in the mail to try a 7-day VIP pass at a local gym. Hey, now if you like gyms, don't get me wrong. But I would rather go walking with a friend, buy an elastic band, and use the weights that I have bought in the past to work out. Oh, and hey, how about the friends with the Wii Fits or those stairs that are in your house? Who needs a gym membership! Soup cans work too. I have a subscription to a fitness magazine that gives you lots of tricks of the trade, hints, and other mags that Steven has found for $3 for a year subscription or even for free. He's a frugal guru and teaching me a lot. But when the weather breaks, I'm sure you have friends who are feeling like they need to absorb that wonderful fresh air and sunshine. Grab them and go walking! (And if I don't quit eating these wonderful treats that I cooked, I'll need to climb the stairs much sooner). But I have to admit, I love the YMCA for their membership with the youth. The boys have a membership each that they can go swim, play in the gym, go to the youth fitness area, and rock wall climb during this time when they can't go out to play outside. We only go on Fridays now due to homework, school, and scouts. But during their school breaks, we go more. And your health insurance will give a discount depending on their policy. Pack the snacks and earn yourself some quiet time while they go play.

Another thought to help with these tough times is to read the frugal websites, start a coupon swapping system (another one's trash is another one's treasure), have a Mom's social time once a month (in the summer for older children). I have found the book reading groups in our church have been beneficial. I may not join in but it keeps me aware of the latest book that might be popular.

Back to the libraries, they have summer reading programs that allow the children to receive passes to places that get them in for free. And then there are the passes that are available all the time that give a discount or get you in for free. There's nothing like a picnic lunch packed, joining a group of friends, and it provides the social hour for both mothers and kids. I've heard the Purgatory is wonderful and plan on going when the weather is much more cooperative. Anyone who is interested in going on a day trip to the coast for a picnic lunch and sight seeing, let me know. When it's warmer of course.

Well, I think you are getting the jist of what I am writing about lately in my blog. But I have come to realize that I must cut back. I have become intrigued into how many ways I can save and do without. Many of you out there are much better than I am. So, if you have an experience or idea, I'd like to hear it.

The Newest Member of Our Family

There is a new member of our family. My Mom has an old cat that we will keep when she goes back to Ohio. It was my Dad's cat. The cat has taken to just the boys and Steven. She knows me as the lady with the cage, medicine, and vet office. The thanks I get! Oh well... But this morning as the boys were watching their Saturday (cherished) programs, the old cat, Cordibell, was "kneeding bread" and loving life. Cordibell decided that Michael and Jacob was just what she needed for her needs. I'm just glad to give her a new home. But please, no more cats! Three is enough!

Another Bit of Spring

Another tulip from the flowers we received at Christmas. I love the fact the tulips are so far different colors. There are about three other bulbs with their greenery growing. I watered them today and they seemed very happy to get it. I could handle getting the arrangements every month of the year. I now wish I had planted bulbs last year. But this will remind me to do that next fall. I must admit tulips are one of my favorite flowers. I just wish they bloomed more than once on each stalk. There is a house down the road from us that has a wonderful garden in the spring. The woman is meticulous and her tulips are in the hundreds. Her flowerbeds are the type that look like those seen in magazines.

Michael's School Project

Michael is being required to do a project on a historic site in Washington D.C. at school. There were many historic sites to choose from. Michael choose the Washington Monument. And I think every other fourth grader at the school has too. I think all the books on the Washington Monument in the libraries are checked out. The project requires a visual model. If it weren't for Steven and his know how, it wouldn't look this great. Michael also has done so much. He has had so much fun painting. He has done such an awesome job. Tomorrow we finish the visual and start writing the report. Yep, just can't help but brag!

A Good Day for Baking

With the big snow flakes falling, it just seemed to fit that today we needed something warm and sweet. There was a bag of chocolate chips sitting on my counter calling my name. I made them and received the compliment that I was the best chocolate chip cookie maker in the world from two wonderful boys. I had a wonderful "other half helper" who was so good at literally watching the cookies bake in the oven. I couldn't get them out of the oven fast enough to figure how many I really made. Oh well, does that matter? That was at 4pm today. The glass jar is half gone. Think I need to make some more?

Spring

This was a gift for Christmas. When the planter arrived, it was nothing but dirt. Honestly, the thought it was dead. But after adding some water and waiting a few days, there was a glimmer of life. Then suddenly there have been several bulbs. The question was, what bulbs were they as the
card did not say. So, we have patiently waited and then it was figured the leaves look like tulips. We figured the blooms would not come about until closer to about February. As the snow was falling today, I was in the foyer talking on the phone and looked up at my plants. What a wonderful surprise! Yep, the picture says it all! Happy Spring! What a beautiful bit of sunshine on a gloomy day!

Living Frugally

Living frugally can be fun if you put a positive attitude toward it. With the economy as it is, our family is not exempt from the pitfalls. How thankful I am for the church and the guidance it gives about food storage, preparing, and living within our means. I'm wondering if the United Order will ever come into effect? But for right now, finding free things to do is being fun. And what's wrong with just staying home? Especially with these cold days and nights, who wants to go out in the frigid air anyway? I saw a portion of, "Wifeswap", on Friday night. I don't watch the show as I keep wondering why any wife would want to abandoned her family and try to live with someone who doesn't have the same "standards" as they do. But this one wife was very frugal. It made me wonder if this family was LDS until they showed 14 cans of coffee in their food storage. They had food storage that put mine to shame. The family did not do anything without a coupon or buy anything full priced. Their house wasn't fancy, their cars were used, and they were very clever in buying takeout pizza with a coupon. But with everything going on with the economy I must say we are being able to teach the boys about various ways of how the government works, living within our means, being blessed by Heavenly Father, having more family time, creating fun meals, rediscovering old toys, and realizing we just don't have it all that bad. It just takes willingness to live on less and have gratitude.

O'Malley and his trip to the vet

O'Malley went to the vet today. Really, enough said...
It was not a fun day for him. I really don't think any animal likes to go to the vet but honestly, I don't ever remember having a cat that ever was to the point of being so petrified that a bath towel was just not big enough to contain him. Jacob refers to O'Malley as the, "Howling Menace", because of the howling episodes he does to go out. But after today, I must say Jacob hit the nail on the head with the description of O'Malley. Steven woke O'Malley up from a nap this morning as I was taking him to the vet right after I would drop the boys off at school. Well, that was mistake #1. Then stuffing him into a cat carrier was the next mistake. Oh boy, O'Malley knew where he was going. And then the big mistake was traveling him in the car. I wondered if he thought he was never coming home again. I even offered egg and bacon from my BK croissant meal but he was so upset, the food hound wouldn't eat it. For O'Malley to skip food is not heard of. But as I was taking the boys to school, O'Malley pawed the cage, stuck his paws through the bars like he was in prison(oh- sorry he was) and then oh, the howling was amazing. Oh, the story gets better. After I got him to the vet, in his carrier, he contended with 3 big dogs, a sweet kitten, and the smell of the place. Then the most horrible of all the trip- "going into the room!". He literally had to be dumped out of the carrier- he wasn't coming out for nothing! And then he spotted the window and thought he was safe. Well, the vet assistant picked him up and oh- he was all teeth, snarls, and claws. I have never known a cat could be such a great contortionist. I came out wounded, the towel I think was still intact, the assistant was very good at keeping herself from being wounded(she was a pro!) and after three shots and a swabbing of his ears and hissing two good hisses for the vet to see the inside of his mouth, he was somehow stuffed back into the cat carrier. I was bad and illegal, but I let him ride out of the carrier in the car on the way home knowing I wasn't stopping anywhere (I'd didn't dare) until I got home. He rode in my lap and howled for the majority of the way home then when he was allowed to escape, he went in the house and disappeared into the basement for the rest of the day. Now, tonight he was on Jacob's bed but was still growling at us, especially me. Yes, I am the mean one!

Update on Mack

I took Mack to the vet today for another x-ray and leukemia test. It was negative. The x-ray looks better. There is still a mass but it is thought it is most likely asthma. So, we have two in the household with the problem. What we need to do is keep him on Revolution all year long once a month to prevent the heartworm and help the fleas. For some reason heartworms can cause a reaction after they have died and it is asthma. So, we are keeping him comfortable and we will go back in three weeks to see if he needs another steroid shot. But he was so good according to the vet. He was the only cat out of all the others that didn't have to be sedated. And the vet said she loves the fact he is a big purr box. Yea for Mack- it isn't as bad as thought. The tumor is still being watched though.

The Incident with Bagged Coleslaw

A couple of days ago, I bought some shredded coleslaw to use in my salads as I am trying to eat healthier and loose some weight (always the story for us girls, huh?). Today I was eating my wonderful salad before going to volunteer at Michael's school in the library. I got down to the last of the salad only to hit down on what I thought was a small pebble, but then thought,"oh great-my tooth broke or one of my fillings came out. So, I got the foreign object out of my mouth only to find it was a shard of glass the size and shape of a shark tooth. I have had a lot of hesitancy in buying the bagged salads but naively figured, "it couldn't happen to me". Well, after today, I think I will use my food processor and make my own coleslaw from now on.

A Winter Activity

Michael, Jacob, and Mom decided since it was
too cold to go out and build snowmen, we would
do one of our favorite indoor activities of making
snowmen or our own creation. Michael did a
snowman. And Jacob made a bridge. It's amazing
what you can do with
toothpicks, marsh-
mallows, and candy.

Mack

Mack isn't feeling well. He is being checked for possible cancer. We will find out tomorrow what the next steps are. He isn't in any pain, just coughs like he has a cold or fur balls. But he has shallow breathing. He is a Momma's boy. He can give better requests than a human can many times. Mack is part Burman, part Siamese.

An Early Morning Laugh

O'Malley likes to get a drink from the master bathroom shower. Unfortunately, he chose to get a drink and was in the shower getting his drink when I was closed the shower curtain and turned on the water which is ice cold until it warms up. How thankful the shower area doesn't have glass doors. I have never seen a cat run and move so fast. It's wonder there aren't skid marks on the cabinet as he turned to run for his life. Yes, I guess he forgave me as he let me pet him after I went to him after my shower.

Other Activities

  

Some of you are aware of an activity that I will be doing in the spring. I am going to keep a hive of bees!

In case anyone is interested, I am going to chronicle my adventure in a separate blog here. Feel free to check in from time to time.

And, regarding the picture of the guys above? Ummm... I don't think so!  :-)

Little Sayings

Live life today as if it is your last.
Dance today as if no one is watching.
Sing today as if no one is listening.
Love today as if there are no enemies.

New Year

We had a wonderful New Year! We found the confetti poppers were quite fun and "messy". But we would do it again!

2009

Yep, it's time to start the ol' resolutions or goals as I like to call it. But I am being told and finding comfort that one should use the goal as a guiding star and not use it as a stick beating one over the head.

Malley And the Winter Blues

O'Malley, our orange tom, is so unhappy about the cold weather. He loves to be outside. His cries are ranging from feeling so sorry for him to burying your head under the pillow when he starts his cries at 5am in the morning. Hurry Spring!