The Challenge Is Met

Hannah can inchworm. Backwards. About 1/2 a foot.

Technically fulfilling the requirements set for the challenge...

Fall Celebration

Today James had no preschool (P/T conferences this week??) so we planned a huge Fall Celebration. Started off preparing some applesauce for the crock pot...it's stewing away and smells wonderful.

Next up, spiders. For Halloween of course. We sang Itsy Bitsy, read Anansi the Spider, and made paper spiders which we hung from the ceiling in the basement. Which led to the great idea of making a Haunted House, but that was later.

After spiders we made cinnamon muffins in Halloween muffin papers for snack time. Delicious. Mmmm.

Then off to the pond (don't want my boys getting nature deficit disorder). Today is a lovely fall day. Lovely. 61 degrees out, sunny, beautiful. Watched ducks for 15 minutes. Collected sticks, feathers. Found the 'river' that empties into the pond, raced sticks down the river, built a damn. Followed the river to it's origins. Collected rocks, large branches. Headed home.



After lunch the Haunted House was put into action. Ghosts and spider hanging from the ceiling, glowing pumpkins, lego monsters, spooky bats. Very terrifying. All set for when Dad arrives home to scare him silly.

Boys get in wrestling match over Matt pulling down a ghost. When finished and both are crying Mom set one on the couch, one on the floor with pillows and blankets. "Now don't go to sleep, but rest just for 5 minutes so you're ready for the movie." 2 minutes later everyone is sleeping peacefully. Mom is picking out her new phone.

One hour until we eat that yummy applesauce and then leave to meet friends for Where The Wild Things Are.

A perfect Fall Celebration.


(no, Hannah cannot crawl. or move.)

My Job Replacement

James: Mom, how could you grow up and not be anything?

(long pause)

Me: What? You think I don't do anything?
James: Like a submarine driver or something.
Me: I'm a mom. I stay home with you. What would you do if I was gone all day?
James: I would wash Matt. And Hannah's bed would be full of water.
Me: What would you eat? Who would feed you?
James: Sugar. I would give Hannah a pile of sugar.


Nice to know if I ever leave the house my younger children would be in James' capable hands.

'Tis the Season

The boys and I have been singing Primary Christmas songs together for weeks learning the words and tunes. A few days ago the boys requested the Little People Nativity come out.

But this morning we listened to Little Drummer Boy by Josh Groban. Shhh, don't tell Taylor.

Amazing Grace

Check out my sister in law's newly released cd.

You could really help her out by posting her widget to your side bar for a couple days! You can just click "SHARE" on my widget or find it on her home page with really easy copy instructions for adding it to your sidebar. Thanks!

The Challenge:

Learn to crawl by the end of this week. October 16 by the latest. Any form of movement will be accepted as meeting the challenge, even purposeful backward motion. Both the boys crawled 2 months earlier than this and I'm just saying Hannah would probably have a lot more fun if she could get around...and we're all about fun here!



(also, in all fairness I should mention that I have two fridges and a full extra freezer. this goes a long way in facilitating the two times a month shopping. we go through about 5-6 milks, 4-5 yogurt packs, 2-3 dozen eggs every two weeks. plus over a month of frozen baby food, almost 50 lbs of venison, homemade bread (2-6 loaves in the freezer), etc. without two fridges and the extra freezer this would not work. due to renting we have the extra fridge, neighbors gave us the freezer.)

All this for $96.23

Okay so I didn't take a picture of my groceries, but boy did I get a lot of stuff and it only cost me $96.23. Best part being it will feed my family happily and healthily for 2 whole weeks! Because I loathe visiting the grocery store. Every since becoming pregnant with Hannah grocery shopping was no longer a great thing to fill my time, it became a burden and a stressful event. Only to get worse and worse. I actually haven't taken my children grocery shopping for almost a year now and it's heaven. Also I decided I really dislike grocery shopping.

While we were in college I loved going to the store each week because James and I then had something to do for an hour and also I could spend $40 without feeling bad at all.

But now it is just a chore I do not enjoy. So we backed off to 2 trips a month and it has been wonderful! I can almost always find milk that will last to my two week mark, but occasionally we do have to make a random stop for a gallon of milk and some bananas. You can find lots of produce that last two weeks...the first week after grocery shopping we're eating grapes, bananas, asparagus, etc. The second week squashes, apples, carrots. Love shopping twice a month.

And a little secret that may cause me to be branded with blasphemy, but I hate couponing. Hate it. I can rarely find coupons for anything we eat other than cereal (and recently yogurt), plus I like to shop in 45 minutes or less which really makes coupons hard when you only have 1.5 hours a month. But really it's because I spend approximately 35% of our grocery bill on produce and 30% on dairy. Both of which don't seem to have a lot of coupons. (if you have ever see a produce coupon please send it on to me, I might make an exception just once.) We rarely use condiments, I do not use boxes unless it is cake. Period.

Some are happy to coupon and I am happy to never set foot in a store.