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Winter Weather! and Yet More Pics

We are experiencing some real winter weather for the next several days. It will be in the single digits during the days, and in the subzero levels at night. Brrr! Our little woodstove seems to be keeping up, but during this arctic snap, I will be feeding it more. That is fine with me. What is it about putting wood in the woodstove that is so satisfying?

Hey Dad, don't you wish you were here? :)

Below are some more shots of Isaac. Here is what we have been up to:

Here's a shot of Isaac sleeping on our bed. How is it such a little body takes up so much room?



One day I tried to do some piano practice. Isaac was content enough when I barricaded him on the couch, faced towards the piano, so he could see mama. But when I started practicing here is what happened:



Isaac seems to be warming up to the swing....Sometimes.


Here is one of my favorite things! :)



Here is another of my favorite things. Watching Isaac take a Sunday afternoon nap with Daddy.



You all have a blessed day!

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~ January 12

Outside my window... It is a frosty and cold, and a beautiful wintry day!

I am thinking... That if the clouds clear up tomorrow, then maybe we can get the telescope out and star gaze tomorrow night.

I am thankful for... The many, many abundant blessings of God, and His goodness to us, and the safe arrival of my new nephew!

From the learning rooms... Doing a lapbook about Lewis and Clark, starting a big unit study on Astronomy, and the regular basic work.

From the kitchen...We had chili con quesa for supper, and it smelled delicious.. and tasted even better. :)

I am wearing...a plaid "lounger" type dress, with a matching nursing t-shirt underneath, my trusty slippers.

I am creating...hopefully an atmosphere of peace and joy in my home.

I am going...Nowhere for at least a couple weeks. I am enjoying the time home, recovering from Isaac's birth, and getting to know our newest blessing.

I am reading... 2 Samual, Mommy Diagnostics, and Angels and Demons

I am hoping... To be able to sleep more tonight! LOL

I am hearing... Children finishing up some corrections on their schoolwork, and my oldest practicing piano. Oh, and Isaac just started fussing.

Around the house... Just trying to keep up with the basics as best we can for now.

One of my favorite things... Watching Isaac make faces in his sleep.

A few plans for the rest of the week: More of the same... just keeping things slow and steady, and trying to keep up with the basics.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Packages in the Mail

Don't you love getting packages in the mail? I love the anticipation of the arrival of something we have ordered. Even though I know of the order of the item, the *surprise* of the arrival is still very enjoyable. I am finding that we order more and more online. It is convenient, and if you get the "free shipping" specials, then it isn't any more in cost than buying at a store. In fact, many times, money is saved because you don't have to spend money in gas.

This past Christmas, I did most of the shopping online. I did it in my pj's drinking tea, one evening after the kids were in bed. We also order most of our school books online. I have ordered patterns online. I buy stuff from Ebay at times.

Sometimes it doesn't pay to order online. For example, our Dollar store carries a good line of products that we get cheaper there than anywhere else. I still love to hunt in thrift stores and yard sales for bargains. Sometimes a local store will have a really good clearance sale that provide for some need or another. I don't like to order fabric online. I'm the textile type, and like to feel and touch fabric before I purchase it.

What is the point of all this rambling? Nothing. I just wanted to share what we got in the mail yesterday. :)

This is the book Mommy Diagnostics by Shondra Parker. I have been wanting this book for a very long time. It was on sale this week, and when I mentioned it to dh, he quickly said "get it". I think I am winning him over to my herbal junkie tendencies. :)



Another package I got was some Indian cotton diapers, snappi's, and a couple of covers I ordered from Green Mountain Diapers. Yes, we are going to cloth! I am looking forward to it. We haven't CD'd in a long time and now that I have researched and think I figured out where we went wrong before, I can't wait to give it another try. I bought 2 dozen small Indian cloth diapers, 3 snappi fasteners, and two covers. I have some other covers I got used. The resident mathematician estimated it will take about 4 months for the diapers and CD supplies to pay for themselves.



As far as making our own wipes, we figure they cost about half what a generic brick from Walmart's cost. That is just a rough estimate. I also think they smell better, personally, and are gentler on baby's bottom.

We didn't get the item(s) in the next pic in mail but it was Isaac's first venture in the swing and I couldn't resist snapping a shot.



Another way we are saving money today, is by having Benjamin's wicked good pizza for supper. He makes two large sheet pizzas, and it costs about $5 for the two pizzas. Have you priced how much it costs to buy from Dominoes, or any such pizza place? YIKES! One time we splurged and got one sheet pizza and two larges, with sundry toppings, oh and a 2 liter bottle of soda (we never drink that stuff, but if I remember it was a special occasion with company or something.. was a while ago) and it came to about $60! Oiy vey! Our homemade pizza is MUCH much much cheaper, and it tastes better, if I do say so myself.

How to Make Your Own Wipes

I used this recipe for years, until we moved 3 years ago. In the throes of the confusion in packing, moving, unpacking, etc., I got out of the habit of making my own wipes. When I found out I was pregnant, I vowed to start up again, but was potty training the last one that was in diapers, and didn't bother starting up again.

Now that Isaac is born, I have the perfect excuse to get going on it once more, along with some other money saving ideas, like CDing (yes, I am a closet CD addict!)but that will be another post... very soon! In the meantime, here is the recipe for the wipes, and a short tutorial. Excuse some of the pics.. my camera man was my "type A" child and had some of his own ideas about HOW to take the pic. There are TONS of different recipes for making wipes, but here is what I am currently using:

1 roll BOUNTY paper towels (yes, trust me, use the good stuff)
1 TBSP. baby oil
2 TBSP. baby wash
2 cups water



First:
Sharpen a BIG honkin' knife. Then flex your muscles, cuz' you're gonna need them.



Second:
Cut the roll of paper towels in half width-wise. This is where you need the sharp knife and the muscles.







Put the halves of paper towels in size appropriate containers.



Next:
Add 1 TBSP of oil in a 2 Cup measuring cup. I like glass personally. It makes that pretty "tink tink tink" sound when you stir in it. :)



Than add 2 TBSP. of baby wash of your choice.



Add two cups of water, and it's time to stir and make that pretty "tink tink tink" sound.



Pour the water mixture over one of the containers. Pour it over the paper towel roll so it will soak down through all the layers.



Make another batch up of the water, oil, and baby wash, and pour over the other half of the paper towel roll.

No, you aren't done just yet. Reach into the middle of the paper towel rolls, and pull out the center tube. It is easier to do this after you have baptized the towels with the water, oil, wash mixture. When you pull out a paper towel for a wipe, you will pull from the middle.



Put the lids on the containers, and let them sit for a couple hours, so the water,oil,baby wash mixture will wick up and get all the innards of the paper towel wet.



Okay.. NOW you're done!

Such Cute Toes!

Okay, anyone else absolutely taken with those little toes on babies? I just can't get enough of looking at them! I have such ugly toes, it is nice to see cute ones. They must take after Daddy's. I like his toes too, but those babies toes are soooo CUTE!





Speakign of children, here is an interesting article I got from Pearables this week.

Happy New Year!

I know that is a few days late, but oh well. Time is all one big blur here, since we are on break and I don't HAVE to keep track.

I am not one for New Year's Resolutions, but I do think that making goals for oneself is a healthy thing, as long as the goals are in a reasonable range of probability. In other words, don't make goals you know you can't reach! That is discouraging and counterproductive.

One goal I have been working on, and will continue to work on, is simplifying our schedules. We are mostly a "stay home" type of family. I am not a "soccer mom". We don't go here for lessons, or Tee ball, or this or that. We are down to one working vehicle right now, so that would be out. Also, until recently the prices of gas was so high we very purposely cut out as much extra driving as possible. Thirdly, that sort of "Mom's taxi" style of living is not for us. I'm not against outside activities, per Se, just for our family, it wouldn't work well. Especially now with a baby around. But that is neither here nor there, and really has nothing to do with this post except to point out that even though we are mostly a stay at home type of family, even our schedules can get too packed at times.

It is admirable to be ambitious in homemaking and child rearing, but "more" does not necessarily mean "better". I love to get a lot done, and lay down at the end of the day knowing I worked hard. I don't think there is anything wrong with that. But there needs to be balance in our lives between work and play and rest. I would also dare to put "creativity" in there.

I tend to pack too much into my "to do" list. If we can get X done, then we can get X,Y, and Z done. What I fail to remember is that by getting X done, we are doing a great job, but by cramming Y and Z in there, we are packing the schedule too full, and it causes stress. Mainly through Mama. And if Mama is stressed, the rest of the family feels the tension either directly or indirectly. The same goes for schooling. This year I conscientiously scaled back each semester. The first semester is over, and I have to say, it was much better than last year's first semester. I am afraid to admit it, but I think I fell prey to the homeschooling mom's biggest temptation... over planning the school year. There are so many fun things to do and learn and incorporate into the schooling, that I forget that there is a limit to what I call the "wow factor". At some point, the children are ready to be done and go out and play, or do something creative. It can get overwhelming, to be sure. By scaling back some this year, I have noticed that the "wow factor" remained intact for almost the whole day, and though we aren't perfect, the school day went on with less tension, and less stress. Mostly because I knew what I had planned was doable in what we deem an acceptable amount of time. It also helped me to diagnose problems in the day. There was no second guessing myself. Did I plan too much, or is that child just sluffing off? I knew from what I had planned that day, that the child was sluffing off. I didn't have to worry that there was too much to intake in a day.

Simplifying isn't always easy. It doesn't even really mean less work. Simplifying our living meant keeping a garden, freezing and canning our own produce, going to wood heat, etc. These things are very satisfying, but are also a lot of work.

Simplifying our schedule to me means not over planning a day. Being able to take time to "stop and smell the roses", or admire artwork from the kids, or chase butterflies with them, or play a game, read a good book aloud, whatever you want to fill in the blank with... and NOT feel like I am getting behind in "MY" schedule. My goal is to keep that in mind.. balancing what needs to be done, with spontaneity, and fun, and just taking the time to enjoying these growing up years with the kids (me and them.. hahahahaha). They grow up so fast! Not that I have been ignoring them to this point, but I certainly haven't appreciated those unplanned moments like I should.

Speaking of growing up, Isaac is changing so much already. He got the usual newborn jaundice 3 or 4 days after birth, but that is almost gone now. He has lost that squished, wrinkled, newborn look. He is starting to hold is head up and twisting it around to track Dale's and my voice. He is vocalizing more. He is having more awake time. I am trying to tell him he doesn't have to do these things just yet, but obviously, Isaac has his own agenda. He is a champion nurser, too. We haven't gotten to the point where the nursing schedule is smoothed out yet, but it is getting there.

I hadn't anticipated this, but while Isaac has been a balm for our souls, for certain, my thoughts have turned towards Aaron more. What would he be like now, had he lived? Would he be walking? What would he look like? What type of personality would he have? In the throes of the usual postpartum hormonal responses, I have shed tears in rememberance of the son we will never know. At the same time, we are so thankful for Isaac. No, he doesn't take Aaron's place, but he is a gift from God, and has been a HUGE blessing to our hearts. Thank you Lord!