The ice hasn’t arrived yet, and that is fine by me. The kids were happy to have the day off from school. We just bummed around the house and watched netflix all day. I like lazy days like that.
Agnes is also feeling better today. Thank goodness for that too.
We are still keeping an eye on the weather, just in case. Well I had better run, my oven has preheated and it is time for me to make dinner.
I woke up early, got my shopping list together, and I was packing lunch for the kids, when Agnes stumbled downstairs. She said she wasn’t feeling good at all. I kept her home from school, and she ended up having a yucky tummy-bug. I really hope that the rest of the family doesn’t catch it…
I was hoping to make one more run to the store, but we skipped it. We’ve been keeping a close eye on the weather, there is a bad storm heading our way. We are supposed to see some ice, high winds, and really cold temps. There are concerns for power outages too.
I got the text this afternoon that school would be cancelled for tomorrow, and I’m really happy that our city is taking extra steps to keep everyone home and safe. I really hope that the weather isn’t too bad, but we are ready just in case.
Stay safe and warm out there.
Thanksgiving is one of my very favorite holidays. It’s right up there with Halloween. I love to cook a giant meal for the family, and make way too many desserts.
I start my Thanksgiving planning early, some would say a little too early.
For starters I cook a practice “thanksgiving” meal at least once a month from August through October. It helps me get the timing down on all of the dishes. It also helps me to remember how to cook a turkey. I keep the sides simple, and I love that there are always yummy leftovers from the practice.
When October rolls around I start making lists. I plan out the meal, desserts, and then a small snack dinner for the evening. I gather up recipes, and make a big shopping list. I also make a separate list starting with three weeks before, and ending up to the big day. I make notes on what needs to get done week by week. It looks a little like this:
Then I’ll go day by day with what task needs accomplished, and what dish to prepare ahead. The lists really help keep me on track. I can also delegate chores or meal prep to the kids if they want to get involved.
This year I’m doing something a bit different with the Thanksgiving supplies. I’m taking the big shopping list and breaking it down into about four weekly trips. I’ve cleaned off two shelves in the kitchen to organize the supplies and the serving dishes.
The little shopping trips here and there have been easier than one giant shopping trip. I’ve got the pantry stocked so far, and I’m heading out for frozen goods tomorrow. On Monday I’ll finish up with the fresh goods, and get to work.
There is still a lot to be done before Thanksgiving rolls around, but it will be fun getting there.
I started setting goals as soon as the kids went back to school. I was going to walk three times a week, get the house in order, complete projects, and so on.
If you haven’t guessed already, I have not been successful in my goals.
I’ve made daily to-do lists on my phone, and I’ve started bullet-journaling to organize my thoughts. Neither one is doing the trick. I’m still stressed about what I’m not getting done.
I decided to try something new… I decided to schedule myself a “do nothing day” once a week. It just so happens to fall on Wednesday.
It might seem silly, but it has helped. Tuesday and Thursday I’m more productive, and I’m not as stressed during the week.
Mentally, it is nice to accomplish everything on my “nothing” to-do list.
For now I’m enjoying the quiet restful Wednesday. I knit, crochet, watch a little netflix, make some tasty vegan meals, and decompress.
Tomorrow I’ll be back to the stresses of everyday, but for now, I’m going to make another cup of coffee.
There were good days, and some not so good. Some days were filled with tantrums, tears, and boredom. Some days flew by, and others were met with constant challenges. No matter what the day was, I was there for every single one of them.
This Summer the kids seemed to have grown faster than ever. They all grew taller, and they also gained great maturity.
They had a lot of plans. Some were grand, others were small. We only went on one road trip out of town. For a while I felt guilty that we didn’t do enough, but by mid-July I embraced the art of staying home.
We visited the pool, parks, and walking tracks. We took Dad lunch at work, saw friends, and we even took care of foster kittens. We also talked a lot… The kids seemed to have a million questions this Summer. They had several worries, and some complaints. After all of those talks, and even gripe sessions, the kids know that I am always there for them.
This Summer I seemed to live in the kitchen. There was endless cooking, cleaning, baking, and grocery shopping to be done. And there was a lot of laundry, but that doesn’t happen in the kitchen. I think that I only got caught with all of it maybe twice.
When I was feeling bummed out about the piles of laundry to fold, and dishes waiting for me, I would take a big breath, and just a minute to think. Our kids had exactly what they needed, they had clean laundry, and home-cooked meals from scratch. Dylan would often give me a giant hug after a favorite lunch or dinner, and he would always say “thanks mom”.
August seemed to go by quickly, We worked on getting our school route mapped out, and supplies purchased. We visited the Dentist, and picked up a few new clothes too.
On the last day of Summer the kids and I went out for lunch, and we enjoyed a very lazy afternoon. I made sure to take a moment with each of my kiddos, I gave them each a big hug, and let them know just how proud of them that I am.
They are all growing up so quickly, but I love the amazing people that they are becoming.
Throughout the Summer, with all of the good, the bad, the tears, smiles, and many slammed doors. The endless snacks, and relentless chants of “I’m bored”, real hugs, and happy moments, I am grateful that I didn’t miss a moment of it.