Monday, September 13, 2010

Update on just about everything...

I'm sorry for the impromptu break! I am, just like everyone else, preoccupied with the start of school. We got several new curriculums this year and I am really enjoying how the first days of 'not back to school' is going for my kids. (I will review curriculums on my homeschool blog.)

I have also been sick for weeks. The cold I wrote about two weeks ago has still hung on (with teeth). It was bad until this last weekend where it switched from a nasty cough that wracked my whole body to a mild chest cold. That, I can handle. Being sick has effected everything though. I haven't been able to plant my fall crops (hoping to get that done this afternoon, but it may be too late to get any yield from it). I haven't been able to get my house ready for school. We just jumped in and hoped for the best (which is working out fine, but not quite what I wanted). And I haven't really been able to go out and do anything lately. We missed the Elk Rut at NW Trek, and the opening of the new Wolf Exhibit at the zoo. We also had to cancel many playdates and even a couple school classes due to being sick. Now that things are almost back to normal, I have been trying hard to catch up. But it isn't always possible to do everything later.

Belly bean is growing well. I now don't fit into any of my clothes although I am not big enough for maternity yet. I am in that wonderful inbetween phase. Just in the last couple weeks, the babe has really become active. Nothing you can tell from the outside yet. It's little jumps and kicks are like a well kept secret that makes me smile at random moments as a reminder that Bean is well and growing. 19 wks now... almost half way there.

I have never been so grateful to have a helpful family. They can not, of course, cover everything I do, but they have really tried to keep up on housework and even started the frame for the winter chicken coop (pictures to come later). Our bitties will be warm and dry come winter and I am excited about a permanent place for them to roost as well as nice new nesting boxes. We have also started letting them free range in the yard a bit and they have LOVED that! We are only weeks away from our first 'farm fresh' eggs and I couldn't be happier with the way our girls are growing!

The garden is growing well, although the abrupt change in the seasons has taken it's toll. Many of my squash have rotted right on their stems due to being damp and wet for too long and the rain has caused many tomatoes to split where many more have not even taken on the hint of pink. I fear that the frost will come long before they are ripe enough for sauce.

My menu binder has been a God send. Really, it's fantastic! I love not having to go to the store and not having to guess about dinner. It has made the world so much simpler to have all of that done in advance, although it seemed to take forever in the planning. But I have 8 full weeks of recipes, set up with grocery lists and suggested sides. It has been wonderful and I can't recommend making one enough.

Ok, that is the update for now. Pictures to come...

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2 comments

Frannie said...

Oh Val! You are in dire need of a good prego mommy break. You do so much as it is...then sick, pregnant...ahh. I'm just in shock that you "sound" so happy in your post and not psychotic:) I have to tell you that as soon as you mentioned the menu plan I started one of our own. I'm only to the point of having the weeks laid out with meals. We've followed it for 3 weeks now and what a God send! it helps me stay sane. Next up is typing out the recipes and grocery lists but it's already helped me stay within budget these past few weeks. so- with that...I just want to extend my thanks to you for your ideas and permission to take a big long rest...you deserve it:)

Val in the Rose Garden said...

Thank you so much Frannie. That made my day. I actually did spend quite a few days being REALLY bitter last week when this cold would just not let go. I couldn't take anything to make it get better and I was coughing so much that my preggo mama gag reflex would kick in and I would throw up! It was horrible!

But today has been a beautiful, blissful day. I started teaching my creative writing class this morning and it went amazingly well. The sun came out as I got home. My kids came home and got to their school work with no fuss whatsoever and got finished in a really short amt of time. Logan woke up from nap in a happy mood, and played outside while I painted shelves white under the carport. We had minestrone for dinner, the biggers cleaned their rooms and Logan looked at books from the library on the couch.

I sound happy because this has been a very happy day. :) I need a few more like this, but I'll take what I can get.

Have a beautiful day, my friend! And thank you for the wonderful compliment. I think I am getting better from being so ill... and that is exactly what I needed.

Blessings,

Val

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