We ran out of diapers, that means we have to use cloth, or have a kid pee on us, or an emergency run to the store.

Actually it is easier to have to use them, than it is to chose to use them!!!

very odd.... I might have to think about that the next time I sigh in choosing a frugal rout. It might just be the choice that is the hard part!

But we will be making a run to the store before Easter vacation, for veggies at least if not diapers, oh and diapers out, I am not packing/washing diapers at the ILs!

Well my baby had to go to the Docs yesterday, he ccame home with two perscriptions, one for albuteral! They have a nifty little inhailer thing for kids, very odd looking, but does the trick, he had the best nights sleep up till 3 am in 4 days, I on the other hand had company, so I still didn't sleep!

The scripts came to 50, a 150 without insurance. The apointment was 40, again 150 with no insurance. I have normally healthy kids (4 sick visit in 4 years) but with all the vacinations, and well kid checkups (and pregnancy) we still save money having insurance.

(3 am btw, we changed a diaper worried about the new weezing then fell asllep, without wheezing or gurgle breathing, no meds, just pray and wait, and this morning he ate solid food!)

Well I saw the blog about different coin jars, and thought how weird mine is now.

We have one for pennies, I am not usre why? Partly because we don't drive the church crazy by letting the kids take pennies, which brings us to our other 'jar'.

A tupperware coin tower. The kids love to sort the coins and then take them to sunday school (no bills, they would rip) meaning we generally have none to call our own around.


Except wierd coins and special coins, for that we have a lock box (like anyone wants our 2$ worth of foriegn currency and holey coins (really with holes)

Mainly I think it all takes up space, so what does that say about us? we have to much junk?

Well I found the best 'games' for a birthday party-science! GMC got a book on gravity and wanted to do some 'tests' so we did, water that won't pour (and later goes up into the bottle) and balloons that wobble. (not to mention pop, twist and wiggle!)

I also discovered as much as I dreaded it, just how much fun making (decorating) a dinosaur cake could be, messy, not perfect, but loads of fun! We did one big one and I also had a bread pan that we let GMC decorate. (the picture is his version)

We are on our way yet again. I have a list of things to look for

-reading material for DS, he still needs reduced number of letters per page, he gets frustrated looking at the same page for more than a paragraph..

-books on paleantology for DS, he is majorly interested in dinosaurs right now.

-books on counting/math to spark more interest in DD

-books on anything they like, cause I hate reading the same thing over and over, I have a once a day limit!

-Oh and maybe something for me to read, in caase I have time and no kid listening!

I am sooo proud of myself, I made a box for books! Now to understand what on earth I am talking about you might need to have seen the Saxon lil readers...

Which I doubt you have, but they are small readers perfect for little hands, and with a few words per page (building up to more of course) I love them, though they are really to slow of a progression for the grades, but thats beside the point, I homeschool I can use them when my kid is ready!

Anyway what on earth am I going to do with all the advanced readers while JC gets them one at a time, answer a book box, just like the Saxon one, only for the 'unearned books' I just copied the pattern of the built one (or best guess) and made a construction paper one for the books. (and of course I am reusing the ones GMC used, no way am I buying a new set!)

Have I mentioned how proud I am that JC can read

It finally kicked the bucket... I suppose when DH gets home he can check into it to see what might be fixable, but I am not much of an optomist, it is dead, and I am going to be line drying more than just the occassional load, or the 'Im in a frugal mood' kind... That sucks, I really hate line drying cothes! well I shouldn't complain, at least I have a working washer(err knock on wood?)

Well since I commited to ten a day, I find myself sticking with the

It is small, really small, but hard....get a plant to grow!!!!

Every spring we try and every spring we get, well some shoots, but his year I am going to do it right! I am going to remember to water them (ok make the kids do that!) and remember to weed sometimes, and I might research frugal fertalizer.

Now all I have to do is plant them!

Keep good insurance! I just had to get two perscriptions filled for my two kids. cost to us 6$, cost without insurance 70!

The drs apointments were almost 70 for us, but without insurance they would have been almost 300!

Really glad we have insurance!

Putting all that food (breastmilk, puree, whatever) means only one thing. More output! Which must be caught, disposed of and cleaned up somehow. I am not going to tell you that to be frugal you must have cloth, (though it certainly works!)

I am not going to say to be frugal you should IPT or EC (potty train an infant) (though it again can work.)

I am not going to say you should get the cheapest store brand (though they may work).

Nor that you need cloth wipes to afford a kid (err I still don't use them!) I just think researching the options will open up lots of ideas for saving money. Decide what is important (not changing diapers any longer than neccessary is my priority!) and research the cheapest way to meet that goal. (we EC, use cloth at home, and disposable medium brand out a mix that fits!)

Rule number 3: there are multiple waste options! Pick the cheapest you are comfortable with.

There is soo much more that can be done! right now I am going to go work on rule 4 (education)

I keep seeing all these estimates of how expensive kids are, and I am wondering where they come up with the expense. sure they can cost, but they don't have to be that bad. (though any cost is more than zero, I'll give you that) Looking at my own budget I can safely say that 5 are living as cheaply as the two of us used to. So what makes us so different?

If I look at the first cost of a baby, the hospital, good insurance is essential! My boys cost me around 300 each, my Girl, well she was one of those, 'lower the insurance and just don't get pregnant' I learned my lesson!

Rule number 1: Have good insurance, check maternity care first! Then check well baby/child visits.

Then there is feeding a newborn, really breast milk is practically free, a little extra food for mom, and that is it! No you don't need a pump unless you really want to go back to work (search info on the 'two income trap' before you buy one) Once your baby is ready for solids, invest 10 or 20 in a hand blender, then cook and puree your own, it really is easy, not quite as easy as opening a jar, but almost (and you never have to worry about running out so long as you have a bag of frozen fruit, or vegetable around..which you should since the rest of the family is eating healthy right?) Once you move to 'table food' (meaning non pureed) it is even easier, smush up exactly what mom and dad are eating. No extra work!

Rule number two: Feed them real food! (it is cheaper, and healthier

I'll get back to you with more, but right now I have to attend to rule number three- potty business!

I feel terrible about it, but DH just took the kitten off to be cared for by someone experienced at this sort of thing. I just couldn't do the midnight double feedings (several for the kitten, several for my baby)

Now I am going to miss the little thing, I didn't even get a picture

Well the backyard scrap stealer had kittens, and is now MIA, which leaves us with one adorable kitten, umbilical cord still on!

Wanna know how much formula for a kitten costs? I havn't found out yet, but I bet it will be a depressing number, and sad to say I am a pessimist, there is no way a baby cat looks about a day or two old, will survive! But I am not going ot let it starve without trying...

I suppose I am happy that Jeffery and Nate are making some money, but....