It is official, Thanksgiving will be in PA, which means I have to pack...and plan...and debate on what to do with the kids, and who all we get to see.

I am seriously considering renting a hotel 'conference room' or something to do a brunch with the one side of the family so we actually get to see them.....I hate using the ILS house, they have enough trouble with us taking up so much room and trouble without having to plan for unknown company. And I hate restaurants, one year olds cannot roam in them (much less the 3 and 4.5 year olds) most houses are either in a totally non central location, or very small/not baby proofed.

I know many people think making a list is somehow rude. But I was raised to ask for two things every christmas..not a huge list, I had to think about what two things I wanted, and if I asked early I kept them in mind...and I never wanted to waste a request.

I still hold my mother to that rule, I still ask for something for every christmas and birthday, and I love getting what I asked for. (insulating curtains for my bedroom this year)

Last year I tried it out on my ILs, it was by far the greatest Christmas I have ever had with them. I still use the gifts (every other week for the sheets and daily for the napkins) When I get them I smile thinking how my MIL managed to get me a greenish sheet set that is wonderful.

But deciding to make a wish list is harder than actually doing it! The trick is to pick something that you want, and that you will use and remember, and not out of anyones price range...not that I ever know the price range availible.... And one with room for them to personalize...pointing out the EXACT gift is ok sometimes, but many times people want to make some choice regarding the gift. Preferably something the giver will be happy to give (no asking the teetollar for wine)

When I make my list I start with things that are practical..honestly I leave the impractical flowers and perfume up to my husband, I find impractical is fleeting, and not something worth asking for (not to mention it is best a suprise).

To figure out I really want, I try to make a list of 4 or so early on, then I try to remeber it a week or month later, anything I am struggling to remember can wait. I redo the list thruout the year till it comes time to ask. Remember I only get to chose one, so that one has to push out all the others!

To leave room for personalization I try to stick with things that don't requre much work/research on my part..oh wait that is me being lazy. But it still works out, I asked for napkins, i have a boring kitchen, and am a simple girl, anything simple would be fine. and I didn't have to shop for them, the best part to me!

Keeping the gift to what they are willing to give is easy for me, I buy my own wine...

Now to make my list this year.

For the kids, a computer game each older kid....(exact game to be specified)
clothing ideas for each (dress vest for GMC, not sure on the other two yet)

For my husband, a dremml, my father in law loves tools and would love to get him one to replace the one that failed.

for me.......errr time?

I mostly do what I want, but I don't seem to have time for all I want..maybe I want to much. If it were money I would say really you can't have it all...and if you did, you wouldn't appriciate it.

in the morning I want to make 'real' breakfast and eat it with the kids, I want to

figure out the day with them I want to keep the bathroom clean (though flylady's idea of 2 minutes is a far cry form a bathroom with 5, one of whom is a boy who still has lousy aim! but still 15 minutes usually suffices)

I want a made bed (or 4) I want clean floors and clean dishes, and clean laundry.

I also want to do crafts and games.

I want to read with them, I want to read to them. I want to play on the computer with them.

I want to bake, and cook a healthy dinner (lunch was leftovers, I have my limits ont he amoutn of cooking I want to do .)

I want to take walks with them and I want to play more games with them.

I fit all those wants in, yet I still complain about wanting to do more..really every day is pretty full. but so long as I can squeeze out my 'complaining' time, I can fit an awful lot of wants in my day......now I shou;d stop complaining and go study flash

speaking of flash, I found a boook, and I made a button that works

I don't have unlimited text.

I have never had the patience to type in using my phne keybad anyway, and if I have long enough to do that, I have long enough to make a quick call....

I did discover that I can ignore texts and then I don't pay for them, so don't bother texting I wont even read it

We got yet another mailfrom one of our many credit cards. I asked my husband if maybe we couldn't cancel it. I think it is wise to keep a couple, and wise to not cancel right before we buy a house or car or other major purchase, and wise to keep the oldest. and the one with lowest interest. But right now my bedside table has a dozen never activated cards in it! (several duplicate companies)

Seriously we have too many. SO I got my husband to agree, as soon as I pester him to call he has agreed to do so, but first we will tell them they could try to lower the rate to keep us if they really want to .

A friend called me and asked if I would be willing to work at the Renaissance Festaval yesterday. I happen to have a piratish costume..so I wore it for pirate weekend and they paid me! OK actually they paid me to sell swords, but I had to be in costume all day to do it.

I got to play with swords all day, and they paid me to do it! very cool

'Course the money they gave me will finance our trip as a family next Saturday .

I make it my goal to deal with less each year, so last year my goal was to get us used to a house at 65, this year the goal was to go lower. First I went down 2 degrees, I always go two at a time, that way you can go back up one and still have progress.

Then when Dh started to complain, something he never does with my changes (he just goes back up one degree)I though maybe getting the house to 60 was a bit far, but I still hate wandering around in winter with less than a sweater (what a waste of sweaters if you never wear them!)

I hit upon a better idea, I told DH to get us a programable thermostat, we could keep it at 60 at night, and 65 in the day. He said to turn it down manualy. Err how low tech can you get!

But the upshot of it is, I turned it down all the way to 60 a couple nights ago, and there it stayed! Because the wonderful carolinian weather cupled with window coverings (opening on sunside) means my house has not gone under 65 in the daytime yet. Pretty nice comprimise

err, normal! I was accused of having anormal life?

"....everyone else has so much drama in their life...."

Drama? you want drama I can find you drama!

I can find you drama, but who wants to go looking for it! I guess I will stick with my boring life, after all I just

teach all day, how boring.

Did'ja miss me?

first day back and we got our first check from the new income for one week..almost the same as our former 2 week check!

we know it isn't an enourmous amount of cash and we have responsible things to do with it, but man it is hard to resist that giddy 'we are rich' feeling!

The check included some overtime so we can't base the budget on it fully but we have some preliminary plans...

1. 50 a week to church (my request)
2. extra gallon of milk each week
3. 500 a month for health 'stuff' (mini insurance plus a saving to cover anything else)
4. second phone, as I type Dh is on his way to the store without a full list, so he will have to go back (for medicine for UE)..so a second phone prolly wont save me the whole cost, but it will be a very nice 30$ spent each month.

Other than that we have to see just how much there is each month, more relaxing on the food bill, and definatly upping the auto ING deposit, but not to sure by how much.

So we are now going to PA Wednesday night, I have to pack all of our stuff, cancel two events (poker and birthday) make some food, and figure out how to bake and eat the traditional pumpkin pie for Halloween.

Oh and get reservations for a hotel.

Oh and bake for church next sunday, we will be home just in time to go, but not in time to bake...

and between now and then I am supposed to send out an update email about

dimeed.comI so have too much to do.

including sew the shirt together for the costume! Oh and fix GMCs vest...heh it is held together with electrical tape Oh and adjust the purple pirate shirt for him too..safety pins there.

They don't have to be perfect..right? Right? maybe...or maybe they do....I dunno.

See every year we go to the renfest, and every year I drool over the overpriced clothes and boots....

Well this year I took a linen shirt my mother made and tried to fudge it... I never really wore it because I don't have the 'right stuff'

well...you can do some odd things with strips of cloth and wearing the corset on the outside....Is it good enough?

It isn't perfect..so I am debating on wearing it..because it isn't perfect I might not.....I never thought I was a perfectionsit, but here it is... self doubt over lack of proper skirt or boots...

It is all relative, I don't have enough time, except I do.

I have time for GMC to take 20 minutes getting shoes on because he is learning to tie them. I have time to read 'the goldbug book' and hunt him down on each and every page. I have time to bake, and read, and go to friends, or have them over. Time to write (never said I was good at it, just that I have time for it) Time to count toes, and find noses…time to play, time to learn, time to watch the leaves fall. Time to sit by UE as he falls asleep (in is own bed!!!!) Time to write an email to a friend, just becaue, time to write a book with GMC, time to write a blog entry about time....

And yet, I never seem to have enough time to clean it all.......(but my room and the kids rooms are clean..that is over half the house so I am happy.)

Since I have two new bookshelves I can organize some books. I found charlotts web, that wonderful childrens classic hiding in my kids room, shoved under a ton of other books. We JUST finished reading it, froma copy borrowed from the library!

see here for whats nextIf I had been in my old spendy days I might have bought a copy...it is a good book to rearead IMO, but instead I borrowed it from the library, and then read it, and then found it! Sheesh. I have been weeding out books little by little and everytime I borrow from the library a book I know I own, it reinforces my need to purge the excess!

I am not a neat person, I have 'stuff' issues, and worst of all, I have a bad habit of not really putting things away quickly. You know the stapler right beside where I made the mini book, the pen beside my bed where I made my note.

To compound the problem DH is a pack rat, no two ways about it, he likes to keep his stuff. So we have stacks of 'stuff' around the house, stuff to sell (yeah sure) stuff to play (err and when do we have time for that?) stuff to sort, stuff to work on, stuff to do stuff to.

Since I like to entertain I keep hiding the 'stuff' and the stacks of things I forgot to put away in my room. No one should be in there anyway.

Well I tended to have a house with two clean kids rooms, an OK living room and OK kitchen, and a cave of a dump of a bedroom. I finally decided there is no sense me having a dump for a bedroom each night, I should have a relaxing place, I insist the kids rooms be rather neat and clean because I know they sleep better and behave better when it is clean....so I did it.

I stacked all of Dh's stuff up in the living room, yes thats right, my living room, so next time you come over, just remind yourself it is his stuff and I can too keep a clean house, just with stacks of his stuff in there.

I kicked out the toys, the games, the junk, the paper, the miscelaneous mini parts to who knows what, and I kicked out the computer parts...

My wonderful DH (really aside from the pack ratting, which could be worse he is wonderful) build me two shelves, and later this week he will build me two more. I put my books up there, reference books, pregnancy notes, and some books kids aught to be taller to read. plus some decoration, like my mothers old Ken doll and skipper. I even moved the gargantuan ugly book case out to the living room.

I now have a clean, almost empty, room with just stuff I like..ok and a few of DHs things I am a nice wife, the bedspread is black, no frilly girly stuff. the curtain is black and simple, the decorations are half his, Anyway, point is the place is relaxing, I a tually had to go get a chair to fil up a tiny bit of space, and it is the perfect spot to sit and relax.

My living room on the other hand...

When it comes with a gigantic insurance bill!

My wonderful husband had a contract for three years, it just ended. Instead of hiring him outright, or firing him, he was switched to a new contract company...with a raise.

Not to shabby of one eihter...Not tops, but should keep us in milk even with our newest drinking his share instead of nursing.

Then we got the information on insurance with the new company...almost 1 grand a month!!!!!

That is a month! 1,000 a month for insurance! We pay only 400 now, and that is killing us!

So my genious husband figured out the math, and went back to the recruiter...he got him to give us a real raise. One that will keep us in milk and insurance. I am soo proud of him, a raise you expect is good, one you ask for and get is even better!


We now have an actual raise...not only will it keep us in milk, it will keep us in donating to the church and socking away a 'real' amount of money (as in more >1% as opposed to

I looked up weed in the dictionary:
weed
–noun
1. a valueless plant growing wild, esp. one that grows on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop.
2. any undesirable or troublesome plant, esp. one that grows profusely where it is not wanted: The vacant lot was covered with weeds.

so stuff you don't want..well I like everything that isn't hard baked clay..so I have no weeds, nothing is 'undesirable' hance the rediculous letter stating I had a yard full of weeds is wrong.

I also checked on wildflower:
wild·flow·er
n.

1. A flowering plant that grows in a natural, uncultivated state.

yep that describes my lawn, uncultivated..oh everyonce in awhile I go chop down some things so I can see the kiuds if they go out, ut for the most part I only chop down the ugly stuff..I keep the flowers and the trees.

Apparently I am not the first to hassle over the weed vs wildflower issue

backyard story

Unfortunatly the whole 'garden for wildlife' seems to be a lot of work..it might be easier and cheaper to get the chemicals and fertalizer and manicure my lawn...

backyard habitat rules

dunno if href works here...

This Scepter'd Isle
by Mercedes Lackey and Roberta Gellis

It happens to also have a CD rom of other stories, because and I quote:

"The publisher did not provide this out of the goodness of his heart...He figures you will start reading ....and discover you really don't want to continue reading on the computer ......you will buy the book"

Pretty tricky..if I hadn't read the disclaimer I prolly would have popped the CD in and gotten hooked for another night or 10.

In general I avoid it, I like to touch and feel what I buy, but in reality, I don't have time to go to all the stores and play. So yesterday I started peeking at toys, and found a better price for UE,

animals rock

plus a doll family for DD,

Note the red hair , though it is on the girl not mom....

Plus a dino thing for DS...

glow in the dark!

and yeah some drool worthy doll stuff

Its a computer!!!!I so want that! But DD is more into baby stuff, which we have.

While looking for the exact toy for UE (he'll be one, loves pulling things,

the one we'd get 'cept for the price!
like drums, bags, thought we would get him something designed to be dragged along)

I thought I would peek at things for JC, she is a true girly girl, in love with dolls, babys, and pink. For christmas Pappap is restoring my old tin dollhouse, and I would like to get her some furnishings and dolls. I did have dolls but they had wires poking out, not sure the laws on what the wires were made of, but I decided to ditch mine before UE chewed them and got sick...

so while hunting online I found Adorable doll stuff! I want it. All of it!
from the baby in pink


to the shiny white mattress!


I have seriously green eyes! check out more adorable doll stuff

This is the question I am pondering, generally I run in one of two modes, 'you can't spend a dime, cause you don't have it' or 'go ahead we got it'

Now go ahead is reserved for groceries, and dont got it is the rest of hte time, but somedays I have to spend outside of the grocery store, like birthdays..I am getting him a present, maybe two. I know what I want, I just have to find the right price and not buy anything else while I am at it.

I was looking for a picture and I came accross this interesting post about

the tv police


Fortunatly not america, but it makes you wonder just what all countries will do for money, you forbid one method, so they chose another......when will it end? (and how long till the TV police come here? we already pay a tax on owning 'stuff' and land, and cars, and err, oh yeah everything.

So my dishwasher is on the fritz again, this happens, a lot. And I go back to hand washing, but as I discovered over the last week...I don't like my dishwasher. I wont run it without a full load, and while I generally get one a day, I also have 'leftovers'.....

I know I should hand wash the leftovers, but I find my brain is either one or the other.
I am on 'wash the old fashioned way' or on 'wait for the full load modern convenience' way. Somehow it seems my 'convenience' is causing me more stress than relief!

Today while trying to find room for 'stuff' I briefly fantasized about shelves. What I could do with shelves instead of the dishwasher. I could fit the ice-cream maker, the kitchen aid, the waffle maker (which I love, thanks again) and the toaster, and the popcorn maker, and the ricer! (I know plenty of convenience stuff there!)

That’s the thing, we choose what is a convenience to us, and what is a hassle, and right now a half working dishwasher is a hassle, unfortunately If I ever want to sell this house I have to have a dishwasher, no self respecting home buyer pays much for a house without one!

Unfortunalty the 'mall' was rained out, so poor GMC still didn't get to see the monuments!

But we did get to the zoo, and we got to see the smithsonian for a little while and we made it to the science center, plus mount vernon.

Plus I got to see my cousins newest. Absolutly adorable 7 week old .

I havn't totalled up everything, tbut my initail WAG is underbudget by a lot, which means after I find the suprises I should be underbudget by a bit .

We ate all the convenience food we brought and ran out of fruit by the last day, but had more water than we needed. Oh yeah and we fogot some essential stuff so we had to buy lunch out every day...not so cool, but we will live.

Managed to get souveniers, without breaking the bank, found a store that was going out of buisness, gotta love stuff at 40% off, makes the DC prices downright reasonable. We also found stickers on sale at the smithsonian store, and a reasonably priced book.

And I discovered something, my kids didn't knwo they could spend money! I had to mention it to them or they would have come home without anything! which is sorta a good thing, I don't want them asking for things all the time, but also I was so busy looking at the cool stuff I forgot to go near a store till the last day!

Thank you to all who gave advice, support and ideas, they started to fade last night around 10, and this morning when I peeked at him they seem to be all gone (well he is still sleeping, so from what I can see anyway)

We still have a best guess of the apple yogurt, he used to get a rash from applesauce and juice, so maybe this form is not good..or maybe we are completly off base!

I found the home remedy link helpfulll, next time we will have more ideas on how to ease the discomfort anyway. Well actually we hope there is no next time! But just in case we are packing the benadryl to take to DC!

My kid had a ton on his upper leg when he got undressed for a shower (odd day it was like 2:30...)

then after the shower I put some baking soda and they faded a bit (I didn't know what they were at the time) then after dinner they were worse, and now a couple hours and some baking soda later they are even worse,All up and down both legs, the kid is definatly uncomfortable, though he says they don't itch, he is 'squirming' My son is a bouncer not a squirmer.

I put him in the tub with some baking soda, I don't know if the water will help or not, but I am hoping.....I also sent poor DH for some benadryl.

Normally when we go out I pack food, we eat alot and even if we think we will be back, we wont if I fail to pack, so elaving my house requires food and beverage packed.

Well the other day I got ready and said: "Hey I could just take a bottle of juices, One of water, and a thing of the applesaue for UE"

Err wait, like my cuboard doesn't have plastic cups waiting for juice? I can't put the applesauce in a plastic dish with lid?

Just because the convenience was there I was thinking of using it..now I could pack a jar of sauce for DC..but washing dishes in a hotel sounds like way more work than washing them here in my house.....so I refrained while home, but I am glad I splurged for DC (or rather I will be in DC!)

So I went to the store, I sniffed and smelled till I found the one scent I KNEW you would like, I wrapped it up, got the kids to make a card and we gave it to you.

You oohed and awwed, You sniffed and sighed at the perfect scent I found (ok fine, my husband found) and then what did you do? You put it on a shelf and turned it into a dust catcher! What was the point of me finding the right scent if you were just going to leave it on the shelf!

If I screwed up and it stinks to you, give it away, someone will like it, and I don't have to be reminded of the dustcatcher I found!

On the other hand if I did good, take it out, dust it off, and USE IT!

Thank you.

The worst part of PTing a kid (regardless of method, or least between traditional for oldest and EC for middle and current) is the phase where they pee on demand, yet will pee agian 5 minutes later! and of course will also follow that up by refusing to pee when asked or not at all for hours on end!

GRRRRRR! that is where Ue is. He will wake up at night mad because he has to pee, but yet if you take him he may not pee, if he does he will go back to sleep for awhile thankfully, if he doesn't I am in for a bad night till he decides to (in a potty or a diaper).

And during the day he will pester me, fussing, I run thru the list,'nurse?, potty? Diaper? Sometimes he nurses regardless (and yes I am trying to stop that!) sometimes he heads to the potty. when he does I think way cool and figure I am off the hook for a bit, but like 10 minutes later he will come up with a wet diaper! grrrrrrr!

On another note, he can take off the cloth diapers..which is a bit risky seeing as he is still learning..Though he is nicer about laying down for a a diaper..
We bought some 'pull ups' huggies brand..not what we used on my DD, the very first one ripped as we put it on him! not what I need in a diaper!

I tried a fuzzy cover, to see if it would hold the pee (not really), the diaper doesn't stay inside unless you pin it and he plays with the pins, grrrr. I was debating on trying to stich a diaper into a rough underware state, and use it under the cover..tried just a diaper before he started messsing with the pins, doesn't contain enough pee to save my carpet.

And I was debating on going the easy route and getting 'training pants' (thick underware) and using the fuzzy cover over that....but that would be money spent.

Oh and I remembered what else I think I need for DC..shoes for UE..he will be doing more outside walking htere, and I don't want his feet cut up by the rough concrete....kid has been walking for two months almost and I still haven't gotten him shoes!

In other words, I and many others should stop reading into comments, and or compliments.

I know a girl (ok lots of girls) who is (are) upset because someone told her "you look really nice today"

Now common, how about your wedding day, when everyone said 'wow' did you take that as an insult on your daily wear? of course not, and no way you should spend every day in a wedding dress, or the equvalent. you look nice today means nothing less than you look nice.

How about

They said: "I have too high of standards for homeschooling"
you think " so my standards are not high enough?

They actually prolly meant they do not feel confident enough to meet their own standards....maybe they also think you do a lousy job, but I doubt it...anyway who are you teaching for, them or your kids?

They said "that dress is nice, is it new?"
you think, what all the old stuff is bad? or I never wear anything new?

What they meant was "nice new, dress...."

They said "are you losing weight?"
you think "should I be?"

what they meant "you look thiner" no offense, no implied need to do so..just fact...

They said: "MMM this is good, this you should cook again!"

you think..so my normal food you do not want me to cook?

What they meant.."This is good, I would like it more....."

They say "I would never pay that much for that!"
you think, so I am an idiot for paying?

What they meant "I am not into that, not my splurge area"

They say "I could never afford to live there"
you think "what so you think I am rich? I gotta prove you wrong!"

What they meant "I do not think I could live there on what I make (regardless of how it compares to yours)

Now there are exceptions, and people who are really rude..but not as many as we make up!

Trying on winter clothes...

Normally winter kind of creeps in, One morning you need a sweat shirt So you dig it up, but by lunch you are glad of shorts. Another night you think, warmer PJS are in order...So you grab a pair, but the next night you need cool barely there stuff.

Anyway, by the end of october you might have all the winter stuff, and to make life easier ont he kids I get rid of the shorts (nothing like being asked every morning..is it warm enough for shorts? when it is 65 degrees, but you know it will be 75 by bed....

Well, next week we are going to DC, and then on to PA..I hear they need coats in PA lately..I don't havea friend in DC to check with, but I am guessing shorts are not in season!

So this morning I dug up all the 'will grow into' that was wintery (but not to fridged) and tried it on, ok J and G tried it on, U I kinda guessed..hope I am right. I found a few gaps in style, but I am not buying stuff for one vacation, G will just have to suffer with no PJ pants....J has no warm 'dressy' long skirts, or tights, but for one day (sunday will be church in PA) I think she will live..I'll hold her in a blanket from the car to the church if I ahve to (though we will need tights eventually here in NC)

Hmm phooey, there was one other reason I was thinking of going to a store besides the tights...if I can't remember it, I guess I don't have to go and spend money