Today I took my three youngest to the grocery store "just to get milk and bread".
Since we were out of bread yesterday, I made home-made bread. But, because I 'eye-balled' the amounts and proportiosn. And, because I have munchkins who like to munch on dough, the home-made bread was only enough of a loaf to last through supper last night.
Of course, there were sundry other items that creeped into the short shopping list (dinner, yogurt, salad, juice).
I often delay shopping because it can be a big ordeal, and a drain on the budget.
However, today, I was impressed that it was a relatively short trek. ( Which means that the shopping trip was less than an hour).
Like any other shopping trip, there are curious eyes when I juggle an infant, a toddler and a preschooler. (Everyone took a turn in the grocery cart.)
This log is to report that the trip was a success! I spent less than one hundred dollars (only $60!), got dinner for the evening, and we have milk for tomorrow's breakfast.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The dreaded adventure...
Well, the dreaded adventure that we had last year has re-occured:
Our heat has stopped working!
Living in the neighborhood we live in, this means I called my husband and told him to stop at the supermarket and buy some logs for the fireplace.
It's below freezing outside.
Inside, although the thermostat says "heat on", there is no heat coming from the radiators, the furnace is not on, so I deduce the heat isn't working!
Thankfully we usually keep the house at a toasty 69-70 degrees F. So, now, the thermostat reads 66F (not too cold, this is the temp my mom keeps her house). Also, although there are a few drafty rooms in the house, for the most part, the house will maintain it's heat.
This is a perfect opportunity to catch up on laundry (hey, the dryer heat should do a little something, right? ) Also a great opportunity to clean the oven (self-clean is 4 hours and gets HOT, not bad source of extra heat too, right?) And, after my dear husband comes home with firewood, a good excuse to put the fireplace to good use.
In story time with my kids, we have been reading LittleHouseOnThePrarie series. Having recently read how the Ingals "roughed it" -- barefoot chores in freezing weather etc., I think we'll still be comparitavely be luxuriously warm with the heat off until calling the furnace guy tomorrow morning.
Our heat has stopped working!
Living in the neighborhood we live in, this means I called my husband and told him to stop at the supermarket and buy some logs for the fireplace.
It's below freezing outside.
Inside, although the thermostat says "heat on", there is no heat coming from the radiators, the furnace is not on, so I deduce the heat isn't working!
Thankfully we usually keep the house at a toasty 69-70 degrees F. So, now, the thermostat reads 66F (not too cold, this is the temp my mom keeps her house). Also, although there are a few drafty rooms in the house, for the most part, the house will maintain it's heat.
This is a perfect opportunity to catch up on laundry (hey, the dryer heat should do a little something, right? ) Also a great opportunity to clean the oven (self-clean is 4 hours and gets HOT, not bad source of extra heat too, right?) And, after my dear husband comes home with firewood, a good excuse to put the fireplace to good use.
In story time with my kids, we have been reading LittleHouseOnThePrarie series. Having recently read how the Ingals "roughed it" -- barefoot chores in freezing weather etc., I think we'll still be comparitavely be luxuriously warm with the heat off until calling the furnace guy tomorrow morning.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
The adventures of finding the remote...
Have you ever looked all over the house just for that darn remote, becasue the appliance won't work without it?
We have remotes for air conditioners, tvs, vcr, dvd-player, cable-box, remote-controlled robots, remote-controlled cars, air-purifier.... Thankfully, we aren't high-tech enough for our ceiling fans, window blinds, garage door or sundry other appliances to presently have remotes too.
Ironically, as I write this, the important remotes are indeed in their cubby, waiting to be used. So later today when I need to use one, But, WHY is it that most of these appliances can't function without the aid of the remote? And, why does a whole cubby in my computer-armoire need to be filled with remotes?
The adventure will continue, when each of these remotes walks off: into seat cushions, under the couch, as play phones for kids, near the battery depot because they don't work without their life-energy of AA or AAA batteries....
We have remotes for air conditioners, tvs, vcr, dvd-player, cable-box, remote-controlled robots, remote-controlled cars, air-purifier.... Thankfully, we aren't high-tech enough for our ceiling fans, window blinds, garage door or sundry other appliances to presently have remotes too.
Ironically, as I write this, the important remotes are indeed in their cubby, waiting to be used. So later today when I need to use one, But, WHY is it that most of these appliances can't function without the aid of the remote? And, why does a whole cubby in my computer-armoire need to be filled with remotes?
The adventure will continue, when each of these remotes walks off: into seat cushions, under the couch, as play phones for kids, near the battery depot because they don't work without their life-energy of AA or AAA batteries....
Friday, January 18, 2008
Sometimes Getting Dressed is an Adventure
Every day we encounter all sorts of adventures: some big, some small.
Today, getting dressed presented a couple different adventures.
I Love uniforms for kids. Whereas my preschooler might try several different outfits before deciding on the "right one" for school, my kindergartener gets dressed efficiently with only uniform options.
BUT... somehow, although enough shirts were purchased at the beginning of the school year for each day of the week... We are down to two shirts, and both were dirty this morning!
Of course, since it's winter-time, the solution was easy: Wear your sweater, but don't take it off today!
AND... Even though it is winter outside, my preschooler and toddler both decided summer clothes were the "right" thing to wear today. It took prodding and cajoling to convince them that sleaveless shirts NEEDED sweaters on top (which must stay on), if they were to be worn at all.
AND... Little baby has now outgrown a complete wardrobe -- it took many many attempts of grabing articles of clothing out of the drawer, only to discover "wow, you've outgrown that too!". We eventually ended up with the "one size fits all" sleeper-pajamas as the clean clothes after shower time. Time to box-up little infant clothes!
Not to mention... I still am not into my pre-pregnancy clothes, but rather lingering in a post-pregnancy funk. I am making exercising more a higher priority, and hopefully those last few inches will be shed soon! (Or, should we think about getting pregnant again? Then I can wear those cool maternity clothes.... not a reason in and of itself, but a cool side-perk, if we do go that route?)
Of course... The 'experts' say that morning getting-dressed woes can be prevented by putting out clothes the night before. Maybe I'll try that sometime. Although it would be efficient, I'm not sure if I want to deny myself the fun adventure of scavanging for clothes in the morning!
Today, getting dressed presented a couple different adventures.
I Love uniforms for kids. Whereas my preschooler might try several different outfits before deciding on the "right one" for school, my kindergartener gets dressed efficiently with only uniform options.
BUT... somehow, although enough shirts were purchased at the beginning of the school year for each day of the week... We are down to two shirts, and both were dirty this morning!
Of course, since it's winter-time, the solution was easy: Wear your sweater, but don't take it off today!
AND... Even though it is winter outside, my preschooler and toddler both decided summer clothes were the "right" thing to wear today. It took prodding and cajoling to convince them that sleaveless shirts NEEDED sweaters on top (which must stay on), if they were to be worn at all.
AND... Little baby has now outgrown a complete wardrobe -- it took many many attempts of grabing articles of clothing out of the drawer, only to discover "wow, you've outgrown that too!". We eventually ended up with the "one size fits all" sleeper-pajamas as the clean clothes after shower time. Time to box-up little infant clothes!
Not to mention... I still am not into my pre-pregnancy clothes, but rather lingering in a post-pregnancy funk. I am making exercising more a higher priority, and hopefully those last few inches will be shed soon! (Or, should we think about getting pregnant again? Then I can wear those cool maternity clothes.... not a reason in and of itself, but a cool side-perk, if we do go that route?)
Of course... The 'experts' say that morning getting-dressed woes can be prevented by putting out clothes the night before. Maybe I'll try that sometime. Although it would be efficient, I'm not sure if I want to deny myself the fun adventure of scavanging for clothes in the morning!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Sunday Adventure: Hike through the woods
I really enjoyed Sunday's adventure!
We went on a family hike through the woods. I'm glad we have a friend that's an avid hiker who knows how to find treasures of perfect walking trails in hidden sanctuaries.
It was gorgeous weather: sunny, brisk enough to merit jackets and hats, but warm enough that all gloves were off after 15 minutes of walking. There were patches of snow here and there, and the ponds/lakes were definitely frozen.
We had a pleasant afternoon of exploring terrain, climbing a few trees, around several hills.
The biggest hitch of the afternoon was the end. Although the ranger station was posted as open until 5pm, it was completely locked when we got back at 4pm. This meant that the much-anticipated bathroom break at the end of the hike, couldn't happen as planned.
Thankfully, though, there was still refreshment. We had packed carafes of hot water and hot chocolate mixes, tea&coffee bags in the van. So, we concluded the terrific afternoon outing with a picnic of warm refreshment and snack (crackers & cookies).
Makes me want to pencil another hike on the calendar!
We went on a family hike through the woods. I'm glad we have a friend that's an avid hiker who knows how to find treasures of perfect walking trails in hidden sanctuaries.
It was gorgeous weather: sunny, brisk enough to merit jackets and hats, but warm enough that all gloves were off after 15 minutes of walking. There were patches of snow here and there, and the ponds/lakes were definitely frozen.
We had a pleasant afternoon of exploring terrain, climbing a few trees, around several hills.
The biggest hitch of the afternoon was the end. Although the ranger station was posted as open until 5pm, it was completely locked when we got back at 4pm. This meant that the much-anticipated bathroom break at the end of the hike, couldn't happen as planned.
Thankfully, though, there was still refreshment. We had packed carafes of hot water and hot chocolate mixes, tea&coffee bags in the van. So, we concluded the terrific afternoon outing with a picnic of warm refreshment and snack (crackers & cookies).
Makes me want to pencil another hike on the calendar!
Friday, January 4, 2008
One Adventure a day just isn't enough.
If this morning's adventure wasn't enough, this afternoon I got around to taking all four kids shopping at IKEA.
Tomorrow is the twelfth day of Christmas! There are certain kid items that I want to have under the tree before the end of the Christmas season. Since grandparents left the morning after Christmas, and other circumstances, we haven't had any babysitting lately. I had hoped we might possibly get babysitting so we could go out as a couple and shop, or, at least have some babysitting so I could go shopping solo. Well, since that didn't happen, I went ahead and took the kids shopping with me.
As a sensible parent, I started the IKEA adventure with an early dinner in the Restaurant. (Quite decent food for a reasonable price! The five of us ate for five dollars and change.) I figured it was wiser to embark on meandering through isles with kiddies stomachs full. Of course, What we saved on dinner I more than squandered on purchases.
Before we made it to the Restaurant, we hit the adjacent Children's area: with play zone and toys etc. I was able to purchase some 'classic' toys that the kids' home play area lacks: art easel, art supplies, puppets, doll cribs. I don't think they'll be surprised when they wake up to the easel in front of the Xmas tree tomorrow morning (it was the biggest item, and hence they could see it in the cart). But, I do hope they'll be surprised at a few of the items that I stashed in the cart while they were enjoying the tunnel and tent in the play area.
After our dinner, I stocked the cart with some good child plastic storage boxes (on wheels, in bright colors of pink, blue, green) . Although reasonably priced individually, the cost multiplies when you get adequate supply.
We definitely did Meander through the store.While I love shopping at IKEA (although I only make it there a few times each year), the layout of the store forces shoppers to meander through the merchandise. Of course, this creates a little challenge with baby in sling, toddler in the cart, and Kindergartner and preschooler each pulling the cart in different directions.
I gave up looking for a 'perfect' laundry hamper. It took me a while to locate the "right" lightbulbs in the lighting section. I gave up looking for the storage containers I wanted for flour. I ended up buying much more than I planned in the picture-frame area. I gave up looking for a new basket for the shoes. I gave up looking at the curtains/carpets for sale. I gave up looking for a few other things on my wish list.
My hope is that the organizational tools and the needed house hold items (such as paper towel dispenser) balance out the splurges (let the kids each pick out a poster for their rooms, etc) I made.
The biggest adventure, by far, was the check-out line. I'm all in favor of the do-it-yourself-checkout, save-some-money, etc. BUT, when you have 2 "helpers", a toddler trying to climb out of the stroller, and NO conveyor belt to put all the items on to clear out the cart efficiently, life is fun! I should be thankful that there was an associate who came over to help scan things into the register. But some things are too little, too late!
I have a feeling that, being stressed going into the shopping adventure, I didn't put on my shopping-breaks soon enough. Nonetheless, it seems the kids did have fun (after all, they did behave well -for the most part- and they did get ice cream before leaving the complex).
Tomorrow is the twelfth day of Christmas! I hope it'll be a good day. May the new items replace nicely the oodles of spent toys etc. that I've been able to fling in my pre-christmas preparations. I also hope that they occupy the kids nicely, so I might be productive tomorrow and get around to my long to-do list, including real work online.
Tomorrow is the twelfth day of Christmas! There are certain kid items that I want to have under the tree before the end of the Christmas season. Since grandparents left the morning after Christmas, and other circumstances, we haven't had any babysitting lately. I had hoped we might possibly get babysitting so we could go out as a couple and shop, or, at least have some babysitting so I could go shopping solo. Well, since that didn't happen, I went ahead and took the kids shopping with me.
As a sensible parent, I started the IKEA adventure with an early dinner in the Restaurant. (Quite decent food for a reasonable price! The five of us ate for five dollars and change.) I figured it was wiser to embark on meandering through isles with kiddies stomachs full. Of course, What we saved on dinner I more than squandered on purchases.
Before we made it to the Restaurant, we hit the adjacent Children's area: with play zone and toys etc. I was able to purchase some 'classic' toys that the kids' home play area lacks: art easel, art supplies, puppets, doll cribs. I don't think they'll be surprised when they wake up to the easel in front of the Xmas tree tomorrow morning (it was the biggest item, and hence they could see it in the cart). But, I do hope they'll be surprised at a few of the items that I stashed in the cart while they were enjoying the tunnel and tent in the play area.
After our dinner, I stocked the cart with some good child plastic storage boxes (on wheels, in bright colors of pink, blue, green) . Although reasonably priced individually, the cost multiplies when you get adequate supply.
We definitely did Meander through the store.While I love shopping at IKEA (although I only make it there a few times each year), the layout of the store forces shoppers to meander through the merchandise. Of course, this creates a little challenge with baby in sling, toddler in the cart, and Kindergartner and preschooler each pulling the cart in different directions.
I gave up looking for a 'perfect' laundry hamper. It took me a while to locate the "right" lightbulbs in the lighting section. I gave up looking for the storage containers I wanted for flour. I ended up buying much more than I planned in the picture-frame area. I gave up looking for a new basket for the shoes. I gave up looking at the curtains/carpets for sale. I gave up looking for a few other things on my wish list.
My hope is that the organizational tools and the needed house hold items (such as paper towel dispenser) balance out the splurges (let the kids each pick out a poster for their rooms, etc) I made.
The biggest adventure, by far, was the check-out line. I'm all in favor of the do-it-yourself-checkout, save-some-money, etc. BUT, when you have 2 "helpers", a toddler trying to climb out of the stroller, and NO conveyor belt to put all the items on to clear out the cart efficiently, life is fun! I should be thankful that there was an associate who came over to help scan things into the register. But some things are too little, too late!
I have a feeling that, being stressed going into the shopping adventure, I didn't put on my shopping-breaks soon enough. Nonetheless, it seems the kids did have fun (after all, they did behave well -for the most part- and they did get ice cream before leaving the complex).
Tomorrow is the twelfth day of Christmas! I hope it'll be a good day. May the new items replace nicely the oodles of spent toys etc. that I've been able to fling in my pre-christmas preparations. I also hope that they occupy the kids nicely, so I might be productive tomorrow and get around to my long to-do list, including real work online.
Panick Attack: Squirrel in the house!
Today's adventure began very calmly. Three of us were in the living room: I was listening to Bach cello suites on the computer, My 2 year old was reading a book on the couch, and the baby was playing with toys in the playpen.
All of a sudden, I heard a rustle noise in the front room. I got up and looked, and I saw two little eyes of a cute little squirrel skittering past the Christmas tree, under the piano bench, and under the stroller.
EEEEEEEK!
I was panicking -- I probably would've been o.k. if it weren't that I had two little ones underfoot, not far from the squirrel. I picked up the phone as fast as I could, called my husband's secretary, asked for him, and just told him very curtly "come home RIGHT NOW". Thankfully, he sensed the urgency in my voice, and was home within a minute and a half. I told him the scenario, and bundled up the little ones, and left him to be on rodent patrol.
He realized that the squirrel must've come in through the fireplace (the flue was opened, the fire-place door was ajar). He promptly (smartly) closed all the doors. He was unsuccessful at getting the squirrel out front or back door. So, he changed plans: opened the window in one of the bedrooms, and cornered the squirrel into the bedroom, and closed the door. He listened for the squirrel to make an exit, then closed the window, and invited me to come back inside.
Thankfully, my life isn't boring, but I'm hoping we don't have more squirrel incidents.
(This is the second squirrel in a year and a half! Last time was a little less flustering, because there was a friend with her friendly aussie in the house to assist in cornering the squirrel out the back door.)
All of a sudden, I heard a rustle noise in the front room. I got up and looked, and I saw two little eyes of a cute little squirrel skittering past the Christmas tree, under the piano bench, and under the stroller.
EEEEEEEK!
I was panicking -- I probably would've been o.k. if it weren't that I had two little ones underfoot, not far from the squirrel. I picked up the phone as fast as I could, called my husband's secretary, asked for him, and just told him very curtly "come home RIGHT NOW". Thankfully, he sensed the urgency in my voice, and was home within a minute and a half. I told him the scenario, and bundled up the little ones, and left him to be on rodent patrol.
He realized that the squirrel must've come in through the fireplace (the flue was opened, the fire-place door was ajar). He promptly (smartly) closed all the doors. He was unsuccessful at getting the squirrel out front or back door. So, he changed plans: opened the window in one of the bedrooms, and cornered the squirrel into the bedroom, and closed the door. He listened for the squirrel to make an exit, then closed the window, and invited me to come back inside.
Thankfully, my life isn't boring, but I'm hoping we don't have more squirrel incidents.
(This is the second squirrel in a year and a half! Last time was a little less flustering, because there was a friend with her friendly aussie in the house to assist in cornering the squirrel out the back door.)
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Shopping Adventures
Today we went on a Shopping Adventure.
Part 1 of today's adventure involved filling two super-sized shopping carts at our favorite wholesale warehouse. This trip was not only to restock our pantry with necessities and groceries, but also to have a fun family excursion. Although it wasn't cheap, it was productive! Now, we are stocked-up on many things including toilet paper, cereals, carrots and shampoo! The nice thing about heavy-duty shopping is that it should keep items off of the shopping list for weeks to come!
Part 2 of today's adventure involved returning Christmas-gift clothing to a nearby department store, and getting exercise by walking the mall 'loop'. I must say, we were quite appreciative of gift receipts: 5 out of the 6 items we attempted to return had them. The sixth item, lacked a gift receipt, and, the clerk said he could only give us one cent for the item. (I want to know where the rack in the store was which had 1 cent merchandise???) Needless to say, we didn't exchange that last item.
Part 2 wouldn't have been possible without the double-umbrella stroller: Our toddler took a nice after-lunch nap, and our infant joined her after a good snack.
I thoroughly enjoyed the outing. It was productive, and enjoyable. It's been quite some time since we've done it. It was nice to get exercise in the warm indoors. I look forward to doing it again sometime. (Although I won't be surprised if it isn't summer when we're all able to do it together again....)
Part 1 of today's adventure involved filling two super-sized shopping carts at our favorite wholesale warehouse. This trip was not only to restock our pantry with necessities and groceries, but also to have a fun family excursion. Although it wasn't cheap, it was productive! Now, we are stocked-up on many things including toilet paper, cereals, carrots and shampoo! The nice thing about heavy-duty shopping is that it should keep items off of the shopping list for weeks to come!
Part 2 of today's adventure involved returning Christmas-gift clothing to a nearby department store, and getting exercise by walking the mall 'loop'. I must say, we were quite appreciative of gift receipts: 5 out of the 6 items we attempted to return had them. The sixth item, lacked a gift receipt, and, the clerk said he could only give us one cent for the item. (I want to know where the rack in the store was which had 1 cent merchandise???) Needless to say, we didn't exchange that last item.
Part 2 wouldn't have been possible without the double-umbrella stroller: Our toddler took a nice after-lunch nap, and our infant joined her after a good snack.
I thoroughly enjoyed the outing. It was productive, and enjoyable. It's been quite some time since we've done it. It was nice to get exercise in the warm indoors. I look forward to doing it again sometime. (Although I won't be surprised if it isn't summer when we're all able to do it together again....)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)