I Love To Jam . . .

My mom was transferred to the rehab center today. I wish they could keep her longer. I know she will do better there. 

Lela is loving school more then ever. She's having a ball with all the online games she is supposed to do for school. Now if I could only get her kindle set up for the games!

Belle and RJ fight over Lela's desk daily. So I'm looking on Craig's list and Freecycle for them two just like it. So far I have a few bites. I'm really hoping the free one comes through! We are very tight on money since Vince had to miss work for little RJ and he got docked twice the pay for that. grrr.

Vince found a very cute scarecrow during work today and brought her home. She is such a cutie. I can't believe some one was going to throw her out. She's in perfect condition and very expensive. I have some cheapo walmart ones that are made of very thin fabric and like Styrofoam. But, this girl is made of nice fleece and stuffing and is just really cute. Probably a 40 dollar scarecrow at the store.  Probably from hobby lobby or Michael's and not wally world. She's sitting pretty on our porch now.

I am so glad I discovered wool soakers. I wish that is what I had invested in with Lela they are so much nicer then other diaper covers, and work great. Belle so far is the only reason I have to wash them at all. RJ doesn't vomit or poo on them but Belle does! haha Other then that though they are working great. Funny thing happened though I didn't put RJ's cover on just his diaper, and the snappi got stuck on the bed. I was hearing squealing and it was him and his diaper stuck to the bed! lol

I just love all the jam I made this summer, so I got out my canning books and decided it's time to start making a list of all the new things I want to try this spring and summer. Now to collect enough canning jars to do it all! I want to make strawberry rhubarb and strawberry lavender jams for sure. A navel rhubarb one sounds interesting too, also bluebarb. For sure with out a doubt peach jam. Last year the farmer's market had awesome peaches, so that will for sure be one for canning. I am kind of intrigued by my recipe or peach lemon thyme jam...not sure though if I will try that one. But, will be making plain peach and for sure pineapple peach jam. And with out a doubt I have to make some tomato basil jam with sherry vinegar.  Hopefully I can get to my dad's property in time for mulberry picking and make some mulberry jam, one of my favorites. I also for sure on the list have rhubarb date marmalade, the recipe says you can add cherries, or strawberries etc to it as well. That sounds awesome. I better make small batches! Cause there's way too many I want to try. And I want to make zucchini bread and butter pickles. I love those things. Next fall I also have Apple Tomato Marmalade on my must try list! Later this month I'm going to make pumpkin butter and lemon curd, I just have to gather up enough jars. Hmmm...maybe time or another freecycle request! WOW I have a lot of must tries, and have only went through two of my four books! I have a feeling people will be getting a lot of jams and preserves as gifts next year! haha

After looking through my canning books I came across a recipe I HAVE to try this week. Date Lentil soup. We love the coconut milk lentil soup I make, now this sounds yummy too! The only thing is where to buy the dates close to us. I know there is a Indian store on the southeast side of town with wonderful dates. But, I used to get great big lovely dates really cheap at Costco. I don't think our Sam's sells that kind. Mainly the stores around here sell the tiny dried up things. I like the great big juicy ones you can fill with cream cheese! haha mmmm maybe have those as appetizers with this soup! And some olives and hummus too! mmmm My grandma Martha loved dates, and cultivated a love of them in me as well. yummy yummy! 

What a week . . .

WOW it has been one looooong week. Last week poor little RJ had to have emergency hernia surgery. He's healing up pretty well, but now him and all of us have the flu.

My little brother Nick and his wife Megan and baby boy Seamus all got to come visit as well. So nice to finally meet Mister Seamus. Such a sweet baby. Can't wait to see them again!

Vince's grandparents and parents came to visit on Thursday and stayed till Sunday. We had a nice time visiting with them. Great Grandma and Great Grandpa said they want to come back and stay for much longer. So we really look forward to that. We have really missed them. They said they liked it here. And grandma said it was the first time her phantom leg hasn't hurt in years. So that was nice for her too!

Friday I went to Joann's black Friday sale and got enough flannel for a bunch of things. I should of bought some from diapers too but just didn't. Grrr. Then I went to Healthy Baby and bought Belle and RJ another set of longies. And ended up also buying a used set from Sweet Cheeks, and placing a order for the Osocozy better fits, as I've really been liking those. Sadly later that morning though my mom had a stroke. She had another one today. I've been taking care of her little kids, and dog. Sure hoping she can recover from this. She's been in the hospital ever since. I'm hoping though they will put her in a nursing home so she can get better care then she was at home. I just don't have the physical strength to give her that kind of care, or the time since I have such little kids.

Saturday we took all the kids to Mc Donald's for breakfast and got to eat with the service group who had been working the rurals. Very sweet group. One of the brothers was the husband of the sister that used to come on most of my studies with my teacher Jerri. So it was nice to get to spend some time with them.

Nifty Thrity . . .

Went back to Healthy Baby once Vince got home from work and picked up a premium osocozy to give it a go and see if I like it any at all. I also picked up a shorty for RJ, and a wool skort for Belle. I think I will go to target and look for some socks to make leggies to match it so her legs will be warm, may do the same for RJ. Funny the shorties I picked for RJ match the skort, probably made from the same sweater.

Then I hit the Goodwill, I didn't have much time there cause I got there 5 minutes before closing. But, I still came home with some good deals. RJ needed long sleeve winter shirts, they didn't have many in the time I had to look, but I was still able to get him some from Gymboree and Children's place. And one cord suit jacket for meetings. I happened upon the cutest little red coat for Belle as well. It was clearly from the 50's or 60's but in excellent condition, and has little white puff balls on the ends of the ties. A cute shell button in the back. It's from Millicent's of San Francisco. It is just so stinking cute! Then I hurried to the sweaters, and was able to get two wool sweaters. One in baby blue that will be darling. And another in white, but it is 100 percent lambs wool and is so yummy cushy soft! They had one more that was black with flecks but I didn't get it cause the sleeves would make bell bottoms, but now I am thinking maybe I should of gotten it. I don't know. But, I'm super excited. I'm going to start felting them tonight, and by next week, I'm going to have some of my very own long woolies made, for RJ and Belle. Hopefully it will be as easy as I think it will. I am going to go to Needle Nook tomorrow to pick up some elastic and have Anne do the math for me on how much elastic to use for their waist measurements. I may end up at the sewing machine store and getting a overcasting foot as well.

Right now I'm lanolising the Sugar Bee's I got today for RJ and Belle. They smell heavenly!

Woolie Boolie . . .

Both girls had dental appointments today. I didn't know they started seeing babies at 12 months, of RJ would of went too, but he will go back next month to be seen. Belle's teeth were great, except she's been complaining of her teeth hurting, they said it was molars coming in. Poor baby. I think I need to get her a unpolished amber necklace, the polished one is not working on her like the unpolished works on RJ. RJ hasn't cried or been fussy at all ever with his teeth. But, poor Lela who hasn't complained at all, had a small cavity. She has rough teeth surface to begin with which stain easily but also they warned me would be easy to get cavities as well. Sad....I hope her adult teeth aren't rough like that.


RJ in his new longie wool diaper cover
Well, since I am ever so proudly all caught up on laundry, and we have our own washer/dryer, I decided to go back go cloth diapering. I hated disposables for Belle and RJ, I only cloth diapered Lela. So I am ever so happy to be back to cloth. However, I have discovered wool covers and love them! So I'm going to sell most my diapers I used for Lela and use the money to get my prefold stock for the wool diaper covers I got Belle and RJ. They are so cute, and locally hand made by stay at home mom's. I just love them. I got Belle a pair with a owl, and Friday I'm going to buy her a skort one. Bubba's are pretty cute too though! I also really love the scent of the locally made lanolin....it's yummy. lol Even Vince turns his head when he smells it. ;o) It's a melon scent. They had monkey fart scented lanolin too! lol haha The dad's at the store really thought that was funny! The store also had lullabies by Johnny Cash, both Vince and I said we would HAVE to get that! We both love Johnny!

We seen Wizard of Oz play, for Lela's school field trip and it was very funny and cute! Went over time by 2 hours, but we loved it! And yes yes yes we are finally completely moved out from our apartment and into our new home.

On some sad news, a sister I have known online for many years, who has been fighting a debilitating disease, and has been in a nursing home for many years died the other day. Very sad, but at the same time I am happy she will no longer have to be in the severe pain she was in for so many years, and when she wakes up she will be healthy and pain free! 

Love my cloth!

Since I'm all caught up on laundry and we have our own washer/dryer, I am finally going back to cloth. I cloth diapered Lela the whole time, but after the big move and no washer of our own I slacked. Well now back to it. and I am in search of organic cotton bummi prefolds, or hemp or bamboo prefolds of any brand. Needing a good price though....I'll be selling all my wonderworks/wonderroos, kushies, and probably the wisper wraps and fuzzi bunz too. I've went with woolies and love them...so getting rid of the rest of my stash. I'd look at used woolies as well...medium sized, longies, shorties or skorts.

Off to see the Wizard . . .

We have almost every thing completely out of our apartment. I'm thinking by the end of next weekend we will be DONE! I can't wait. We don't get very much time to move and such cause of Vince's very long work hours, usually from 4 am till 8 pm, only one or two nights a week does he get off work by 6 or 7 pm, instead of 8. And when he has to be there by 4 am, not much we can do before work. When he gets of work, it's usually just eating dinner, saying a few things to the kids and then it's time for bed. So it's taken us a while to get every thing out, but I am so happy it will be over next weekend!

Amazingly I was able to get the house so clean, I was able to reorganize the garage. I can't believe it. I'm usually so behind the garage would be the last thing on my mind. But, I was able to completely and utterly organize the garage. And now the kids can play in there when it's too cold outside. They have a play kitchen in there, and some ride on toys. They love playing out there.

I've been working on recipes again, and I came up with some pretty good ones I think. The kids liked my pumpkin mac and cheese the best! I liked it pretty well too.

We have been having a ball, quite literally with Lela's gym class that is part of the Calvert curriculum.  We've been playing a lot of four square. However, I ended up buying the two littles their own ball so that they won't keep getting hit in the face, trying to play with Lela and I. They like just chasing the ball any how. And our nature walk was really lovely as well. Lela really likes it. And it for sure is something I needed to start doing! Yesterday was so nice and warm we spent nearly all afternoon out there, from the time Lela was done with school, till Vince got home. Today though it suddenly turned frigid out there. Glad we had one good day out in the sun before the cold came in though!

I've always wanted to decorate our door, but in NYC anything I put on our door was stolen....I think the janitors may of taken them and threw them in the trash, but I just don't know. I know they wouldn't even last a week on the door though. Which is kind of sad. Yesterday at Walmart's clearance section they had all their fall decor on sale to bring in the winter stuff. So I got a really cute autumn sign for the door. I can finally decorate again! Little by little I'm getting the house just how I would like it. Finally, only took a little over a decade. haha I'm hoping they will hurry up and put the fall sugar on sale so I can use those colors to decorate sugar cookies we are going to be making soon. All they had though was halloween colors on sale and I really didn't want them at all. I would like the rich orange though and burnt red like colors they have out for fall though. I bought a leaf cookie cutter and they will be really really cute, with those colors of sugar on top.

Today we are going to see the Wizard of Oz for Lela's class field trip. When I signed up they said they were full, but then I got a email two days ago that they had tickets for us! So that should be fun. The only thing is only Lela can go, no children under 3. I had already signed up for 5 tickets though, we are going to take Hunter and Casey to see it as well. It's in a local high school here, a brand new one, so that should be nice to see how they did this brand new school. I only went to really really old schools when I was growing up, very outdated ones, the first ones built in our town in fact. haha My grandparents had went there! haha Now every thing is new and modern with heat and AC! lol My younger siblings look at me like I'm from the stone age, when I tell them that we didn't have AC in school in fact we didn't even have fans, unless a teacher brought in their own! And our heat was those old oil things that clunked really loudly all day long. Funny how much things have changed very fast around here it seems. Anyway, it's been really nice all the little field trips that the school has planned. I'm so glad that Maize is hosting this for our state. I just love it. I need to check in with the co-op though and see if there's any more planned soon with them as well. After the play we are going to pack more stuff. Then my brother will bring his daughter Lily over and she is spending the night. Lela and Belle will be very very happy about that!