Category Archives: Homemaker’s Journal

Dec 26

A Christmas We’ll Remember

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We woke up early Christmas morning to a winter wonderland filled with ice and snow. The ice started Christmas eve, and the snow fell during the night. The boy’s were hoping for a white Christmas, so they were extra excited when they made their way downstairs.

They tore into their presents at rapid speed, and were giddy with giggles as they got out all of the gifts that Santa brought. The little miss was a little overwhelmed and took a long mid-morning nap.

We were planning on having all of the family in to celebrate, but the weather was just too bad. The roads were ice and snow-packed, so we called everyone early and rescheduled Christmas celebrations for another day.

James and I had a relaxing day, and we even got each other the same gift. It was a board game called Ticket To Ride, so we had a fun afternoon playing board games on the dining room table while the kiddos played with their new toys.

At nightfall we were finishing up dinner, and were talking about what a nice Christmas it had been. The kiddos were happy, and we had a fun day together as a family, then we noticed that the room was getting a little chilly.

James asked me if I thought it was cold, and I thought it was just a little. We looked at the thermostat and it read 65. It has been really cold, so we didn’t panic right away. Then we felt the vents, and they were blowing cold air.

We scrambled to get the kids upstairs where it was warmer, and where we had space heaters in place. We went back downstairs, and tried to shut off the heater, and it wouldn’t shut off at the thermostat. We then had to shut it off at the breaker, and I made a phone call to our neighbor to see if they had an extra space heater to spare.

Keep in mind this is all happening at about 8:00 p.m. Christmas evening, and the roads are terrible, so no one is getting out. Our neighbors are awesome, and they sent their kids over with an extra space heater. We put that one in the kitchen, so the pipes wouldn’t freeze. Once we had all of the space heaters on and the kids calmed down, a breaker blew, and we lost all of the power to the house.

I went back up with the flash light, and to sit with the kids, and James went back downstairs to get the power back on. We went through the house unplugging whatever we could, so we could have the space heaters on, and power too. By this time it was after 9:00 p.m., and the kids were exhausted. I got the boy’s off to bed, and their room was plenty warm with the help of a space heater.

The miss got to crash out in our room, because we had a space heater going too. We decided to stay put for the night, and get on the phone first thing tomorrow.

So here it is Saturday morning, and we’ve been calling every hvac number in the phone book, and praying that we get a call back. We are all upstairs in the two bedrooms, staying warm, but going a little stir crazy at the same time. Right now I’m just hoping that the phone will ring, and maybe the roads will get cleared so we can get someone out here.

The heater going out in an ice storm definitely made for a Christmas that we will remember for a long time…

Dec 19

Finishing Up

I am wrapping up the Christmas shopping and wrapping too. I’m down to two presents that need finished and wrapped, and I’m calling it good.

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We finished shopping for the boys last night, and I stayed up till midnight wrapping all of their gifts. Thade was getting a little worried that he was on the naughty list because there wasn’t any gifts under the tree. I tried to tell him, that he was on the good list, and Mommy is a little behind schedule this year. Both boys were happy to see the gifts this morning, but Dylan wanted to tear into them. He’ll have to wait just a little bit longer.

Nov 23

Thanksgiving Week

This is a short school week for Thade, and my hubby is on vacation this week too, for a little bit anyway. I desperately need to get caught back up around the house with the dishes and laundry, and I’ve got a few pumpkin pies to bake too. Better get to the store first, and get the kitchen stocked back up with all of the Thanksgiving necessities.

I hope that everyone has a great week, and Happy early Thanksgiving too!

Nov 20

Boredom Busters from MOPS

Today was MOPS, and we had several speakers on the topic of Boredom Busters, or how to keep your kids happy in the car during holiday travel. I was the last to speak at the meeting, and I thought I would share my tips for keeping the kids happy in the car with all of you too.

If you find yourself spending extra time in the car, and the kiddos are getting restless, here are a few tips that have helped be out.

  • Pack along a small tote or small back-pack filled with your child’s favorite toys, and rotate the stockpile of toys often. You can purchase a small plastic container to keep in the car at all times inexpensively at your favorite store. We like to bring along picture books, travel sized magna doodle, and travel sized aqua doodle. All of these items store well, and aren’t too messy either.
  • If your child has a favorite noisy toy that they insist on bringing along, locate the speaker on the toy, and cover it with painter’s tape. The tape is low tack, and won’t leave a sticky residue on the toy, but it will muffle the sound.
  • The car is also a great place to practice learning colors and spotting letters. We like to play “I Spy” while waiting in the car. Dylan likes to look for something orange, and something that starts with the letter B. The game keeps kids busy in the car, and enjoying the scenery too.
  • Bring small snacks and juice boxes for your car trip. Taking the time to pack healthy snacks for the kiddos will save you time, money, and a trip through the drive-thru.
  • If a long car trip is on the horizon, I like to use Google Maps or Map Quest to help plan the fastest route of the trip, and also spot some much needed rest stops along the way.
  • If the weather is nice visit a park that you haven’t been to before, and have the kids pick up some leaves for a craft project. Making sure that the kiddos get out of the car often to stretch their legs will make for a happier car ride, and the fresh air just might bring on a much needed nap too.
  • If your kids are older let them be the “navigator” of your car ride. Print off an extra map for them, and let them help with the directions.
  • Bring your camera and extra batteries, so you don’t miss out on any photos of your adventure.
  • Don’t forget the music. Pack along some of your favorite cd’s and your kiddos too. Let them sing along, and play “car-trip Karaoke”
  • Always plan for the unexpected… If your kiddos are anything like mine, and car rides can bring on some tummy troubles, you need to be prepared. Pack an extra change of clothes (or two) for each of your kids, along with plenty of diapers and wipes too. I also keep a small trash can lined with plenty of plastic bags (just in case), and a roll of paper towels in the car too. You never know when you are going to need them.
  • Have your child bring along a favorite stuffed animal or blanket for the car ride too. Having their favorite bear might just calm their little worries.
  • If the weather is going to turn cold, I bring along a few extra blankets, just in case there is car trouble. I also like to keep an emergency kit in the trunk during the winter months. Always make sure and have your cell phone charged and ready just in case their is an emergency.
  • Don’t forget to remind Grandma, or whomever you are visiting to put away the breakables and baby-proof if you have small children that are crawling or toddling.

I hope these tips make your holiday travel a little more peaceful this holiday season.

Sep 30

Feeling Like Fall

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Yay! October is almost here!

I’m pretty sure that October has to be my very favorite month in the year. The weather is always amazing, and October brings along some pretty great days too. My hubby’s birthday is in October, and our anniversary, my favorite holiday is in October, and we should be bringing home our little girl this October too. So I’m a little excited about next month.

Fall has definitely arrived too. I had to turn on the heater this morning, which Thade loves, but Dylan says, yuck too hot. This afternoon it is supposed to be back up to 80 though, so I’ll probably have to turn on the air conditioner. Fall in KS, gotta love it.

Today I’m visiting the surgeon and tomorrow I’m visiting my Doctor, and starting weekly visits until I deliver. I’m pretty much going to be living at the hospital for the next month. The boy’s get to go along to today’s visit too, and Thade already has a ton of questions for the Doctor today.

We have our second MOPS meeting this Friday, and my team is bringing breakfast. We have a super tasty breakfast planned too, and I get to try our my new waffle iron. I also had a request from my hubby’s work for Candy Bar Cookies for Friday, so I’ve got to bake a big batch of those too. It is shaping up to be a pretty busy week around here.