jump up and down

harvest

We picked our first zucchini yesterday.  We have tomatoes, but they are still green.  I suppose we got a late start on our "garden" (really vegetable plants planted in our flower beds) because of our move and it was a cold and wet June.  I'm planning to make some zucchini bread in the next day or two.  

And if you are curious about the "harvest" of our pondering about what to do with Peter's schooling, read on.  If not, this sort of turned into a novel, so you might want to skip it.  

I think this is the hardest decision I have ever made.  It is by far the hardest decision Ryan and I have made as a couple.  There didn't seem to be one clear solution.  I worried and analyzed, thought out and prayed, fretted and discussed, and in the end we came back to where we started.  Peter is going to go to regular kindergarten, half day.  He starts a little over two weeks.  We had seriously considered homeschooling him through an online school (mostly so we could still easily get his therapy services) and that was what I thought we were going to do when I wrote the post last week.  We even had him enrolled in one, but chose regular school mostly for two reasons.  

First - Peter is still really behind in his language.  Past experience has shown us time and again that the best way for Peter to increase his language skills is to be around other people that are typically speaking - Ryan and I don't count for whatever reason.  We used to always hear him use new word combinations when we would come back from visiting family for the weekend.  We also saw a huge improvement in his language after we enrolled him in a pre-school with all typically speaking children last year.  Since we are new to town and this is a small town, if I had homeschooled him, I would have had a very difficult time getting him around other kids on a regular basis.  The kids in Peter's summer school class were all very nice and especially the girls seemed to really like him and want to be his friend.  One day when I took him to class late, a few girls turned to look toward the door and said, "Hi Peter!"  Another girl keeps bringing little things to give to Peter - a band aid, a sticker, etc.  I think this could be really good for him.  

And our other reason for going with the original plan is that Peter is highly resistant to my instruction. We have known this for a while.  I often try to get him to say things for me at home, using a bit of speech therapy at home I guess.  A few months ago he just started saying, "No Mom, I don't want to say that," to me.  I find it hilarious and frustrating.  Since we first considered homeschooling a few weeks ago, I have tried to spend a little time each day doing something similar to what we might have to do for school.  Things have gotten a little better, but he still makes a fairly huge fuss if it isn't something he wants to do.  At school though, he is more than happy to try new things and do tasks that might be hard for him.  One morning before school I was trying to get him to trace letters and he whined and moaned and then when we got to school, the teacher was having the kids trace their names and he picked up his pencil, went right to work, and then said, "Look what I did Mommy!"  We are still going to keep working on this issue at home by doing some motor and sensory play at least three times a week in the afternoons with him and Ned.  We really need to work through this before he starts getting homework!

We found out Peter is going to be in the morning class (which we wanted because he is so much more organized in the morning) and that he will not have the teacher that he had for summer school.  I don't think I ever mentioned that the teacher was a big reason why I was having a hard time with summer school - she was, umm, well, a really big grump.  Shouldn't all kindergarten teachers play the guitar and always wear a sweet smile?  I'm not sure if the teacher Peter has plays the guitar, but I can't imagine her being any more grumpy than the one he had for summer school.  

So, there it is.  I will be able to be in his classroom often because we found a little pre-school for Ned to go to here in town and the two school times overlap (the pre-school teacher planned it purposefully that way - hooray for her!).  We'll give it a go and I hope it goes well.

before and after: the living room

I think I've been teasing you long enough.  For a recap, here is the before:

and the after...

Before...

and what do we do with a wall that we don't like?  Fill it with maps, of course!  Also, there's a good view of the rug that gave me such a headache.   It took even more work than what I shared here as it got bigger and I'll have to tell you how I finally got it to stay flat when I'm done being mad at it for being such a hassle!

The couch, all cleaned up.  You also get a view of how this area transitions into the play area.

More living room details in the next post...stay tuned.

our summer groove

Living in a house in a small town and adjusting to summer is giving our day to day activities a different rhythm.  I feel like we are stilling getting into the groove here.  It's a good groove though, just one with a few more tasks (mostly taking care of the yard) and a few more diversions for the boys.  I am trying to relax and enjoy summer, and if my sparse blogging is any indication, I've been doing a fabulous job of it!

 

So what have we been up to?  We made strawberry freezer jam yesterday - yum!  And pancakes this morning for the smothering of the jam - yum, yum!  Don't you just love that last bit of jam that's left after you've ladled it into jars?

Peter is seeing two new therapists - a great speech therapist who has training in sensory issues and a new occupational therapist, also with lots of training in sensory issues.   After only two sessions, he knows more about what is going on with this boy than his last OT ever did.  We are excited for the changes and to start some new things to help Peter.  He starts summer school the week after we get back from our 4th of July family visit weekend.  I've been assured that it will be low key and I hope it will gently help him (and me) be ready for kindergarten in the fall.

I finally hung our laundry on our clothesline today.  This feature was definitely on the pro list when we were deciding if we would take this house and it rained so much right after we got here that I hadn't been able to use it.  Then when the rain finally stopped, I was too much in  the habit of using the dryer and didn't make the effort to hang things on the line.  Last week, I was inspired by Kirsten's post and got to it today.  Now, like her, I just need something to put the clothespins in.  I think maybe a clothespin apron...another project to add to the list.

And maybe we will forgive our landlord for having such repugnant taste in home interiors if he continues to bring us fresh vegetables from his garden...maybe.

another one: crochet rag rug

I was going to make myself catch up on my e-mail before I posted again, but packing is in full force now and I fear I won't post again before the move if I stick to that rule!  Please know that I love and appreciate your comments and I try to respond to them in a semi-timely manner, but I'm really not that good at any sort of correspondence unless it's a pressing matter!

Anyway, I wanted to show this rug that I crocheted this a few weeks ago -  it was a great TV watching project.  It will probably go in the kitchen in the new house.  It's made out of strips of thrifted sheets.  I meant to have it be a circle, but apparently I am not so good at getting the shape right when I'm going free hand and it's more of an oval or rounded square.  I'm just glad that it sits pretty flat.  I mostly followed this tutorial from Vintage Chica. I may have used a bigger hook than I was supposed to - the one I bought came in a two pack with two sizes, but the individual hooks weren't marked, so I just went with the biggest one.  My rug has a lot of space in between the stitches, but I think it will work well.

I'm getting really excited to get into that house and get decorating.  Our big moving day is next Saturday (the 23rd) and then we'll be back and forth for another week while we clean up at the old place and let Peter finish his last week of preschool.  I'll probably do at least one more post before moving day with a few more thrift finds.  In the meantime, I'll be back to stuffing all of our worldly possessions in boxes and trying to keep the boys from climbing all over them!

wip and some tips: braided circle rag rug

Thank you so much for your encouragement with my rug last week.  It was one of those projects that when I thought to do it, I knew I had to - I keep imagining myself lying on this rug with a pillow and a book, soaking in the sun from that big window.  So, all the trouble I was having with it was really getting me down.  Taking a little trip away last weekend was the perfect thing - a little rest from it and I came back with a renewed determination to conquer it and make it into a circle, just as I had pictured.  I knew that I had just been winding those outer rows too tight - so how to get them a little looser without creating puckers and ruffles? 

I did start with this tutorial from Moda, but there wasn't much instruction here on how to make sure your rug would lay flat.  I found a couple of tips online at various sites, but most of them were for hand sewing.  At first, I had hand sewn the rug, laying flat on the floor, and had more problems than when I tried machine sewing.  I was also much happier with the stability and strength of the rug with the machine stitching.  So, I set my machine on the widest zig zag and lengthened the stitch a bit and off I went.  

What I ended up doing was force feeding the free braid a bit with my right hand while my left hand held the already wound rug.  I would just make sure there was a little more free braid going through the feed dogs than the wound braid it was attaching too.  At first it wasn't too hard to tell if the rug was laying flat - if was flat on my sewing table (my machine sits flush with the level of my table that is a hand-me-down from my aunt that was then rigged by my grandpa to fit my machine) then I knew the rug was laying flat.  When it got a little bigger is when I ran into trouble the first time. 

So, after I'd ripped it apart again (for the third time), I just used my force feeding technique and checked every few rows to make sure that it was still OK.  And voila - a flat circle!  I am so pleased.  The rug is about 47" in diameter right now - it's getting a bit cumbersome to work with, but I want to make it at least 60", so I'll keep going.  

I should probably mention that my machine does have a built in walking foot that I almost always have on.  If you have one, I think it would probably be beneficial to use it.  If you don't have one, it would probably be a little more work to feed the layers through, but I'm hoping that it would still work - let me know if you try it.

dinner co-ops and braised pork chops

This week's dinner recipe comes to us from Rachael Ray - you can find the link to these yummy pork chops here.  Instead of talking so much about the recipe this week, I wanted to talk about my dinner co-op.  I mentioned it last fall and said I would talk more about it, but got so busy and never did. 

Last semester, there were four families in the dinner co-op (all had at least one student in the family and one or two kids - very similar to our family), which meant I was only cooking once a week.  We were only required to make a main dish, but often provided a little something else.  This ended up being a real life saver last semester when I was trying to juggle working, school, and family.  I only had to cook once a week (it was a big job when I did it, but not too terrible) and I was able to choose a day when I had a little more time.

Two families have dropped out for various reasons, but our family and one other (thanks Kellie and John!) are still enjoying eating each others meals once a week.  I love it!  We get to try new foods, it gives me a little break from cooking each week, and it saves money too.  I'm a little less busy this semester so exchanging with just one other family is working well.

I usually choose a recipe that I can make in one big pot.  This one happened to be an exception and I needed to use my two big stock pots.  To manage all the cut produce, I try not to think too much about the dishes and use bowls and cutting boards (I own 3) to keep things separated until they need to go in the pot.  This week's dinner happened to be meat based, but we just as easily exchange vegetarian meals and keep everyone happy and full.

I think the key to making something like this a success is first finding a family that is similar in size to yours and has fairly similar tastes in food.  Make sure to talk to the other family about anything that you might want to ban (last semester we had a family that didn't like seafood and Ryan is not a fan of chunky cooked tomatoes, so that's on the "banned" list too).  It also might be helpful to see if you can exchange meals on your busiest days - hopefully they don't fall on the same day.  I know one of things I'll miss most when we move from here is our dinner co-op.  It won't be easy to find a replacement for the Perke's yummy dinners!

what's for dinner: lemon spaghetti

Ahh...I must be getting back on track here with the return of the "what's for dinner" post.  I actually have to give credit to Leslie for helping me find this recipe.  Many of you might read her great style blog, a room somewhere, but perhaps you didn't know that she also has a little recipe blog too.  And she's actually a friend of a friend of mine.  I had been reading Leslie's blog for a little while before I discovered this.  The bloggin world is a small place, apparently.  Anyway, here is the link to the recipe.  It looks like it is actually a Giada DeLaurentis recipe - maybe I would have seen it myself if we still had cable.  Sometimes I am tempted to get it, just for the Food Network.

This recipe is great for our family - the kids love spaghetti, but Ryan is not a big fan of tomato sauces (or tomato anythign for that matter), so this gets us the pasta without the tomato.  I love its slightly tangy zing and unexpected flavor (for pasta that is).  I also love that it is so easy to add things to the recipe - this time we added grilled chicken breast bites.  I've also added peas, white beans, and brocolli at other times.  Yum....I think I'm going to go eat some of the leftovers right now. 

And maybe I did have a little fun playing with the lemons before I cut and zested them...

P.S.  Don't forget to enter my dress giveaway before 5 pm tomorrow!

weekend in review

We had a great weekend with my Mom here - on Saturday, we had a marathon jam and beet canning fest.  I didn't get a shot of the jam since you saw some of that a little bit ago, but I did get a shot of those beets - I just love their vibrant color!

It was also general conference weekend - the kids didn't let us watch much, but we've gotten into the habit of downloading it and watching it later.  Someday my kids will be able to let us enjoy conference again, right?  Maybe they will even enjoy it with us - a girl can dream can't she? 

Part of general conference is a women's meeting that occurred the previous weekend and when I heard this talk by our beloved President Ucthdorf, I knew I wanted to share it with you.  I had meant to do it early last week, but the text for the talk wasn't available until later this week.  It reminded me so much of my creative and generous blogging friends.  Thank you so much for inspiring me!

meal planning

Better late than never, eh?  I've been enjoying a little post test laziness, working on getting Peter set up for pre-school (again), doing a little sewing for a custom banner order, and exploring the wonders of Pandora.  A good couple of days, but I didn't make time for blogging. 

So, here it is- my new meal planning/grocery list making system that seems to be working fairly well for the past three weeks that I've been using it.  I went back to look at Mary Beth's system, because this is where I got the idea to do something like this and this is definitely the stripped down version of how Mary Beth does it.  Go check hers out if you are looking for something with a little more organization. 

I started by making a list of all of our favorite fall and winter meals.  Then I categorized them into what type of meat they were made with or if they were vegetarian (we try to eat vegetarian at least twice a week - usually something with beans or something like cheese pizza or pasta without meat).  Next, I started putting four meals together for each week - trying to get one beef and either two chicken and one vegetarian or two vegetarian and one chicken in each week.  We usually eat on the fly (pancakes, sandwiches, etc.) at least once a week, eat leftovers once or twice, and get pizza or go out once a week.  I've really tried to give the going out to eat up, but I think it's a remnant from my working full time days when we had more money than time that I find way too convenient and easy.  We usually manage to keep our going out to eat under $15 (often under $10) by taking it home where we drink water and eat carrots and fruit as sides, so it doesn't usually kill us budget-wise.  I digress...back to the planning.

So, after I had five weeks of four meals each, I started going through the recipe and making a list of all of the ingredients I would need for that meal.  I put them in a table underneath where I had listed the meals.  I also added a weekly muffin and cookie recipe. 

When it comes time to plan for grocery shopping, I just pull out a week of meals, look through the ingredients I will need and highlight the things that I need to get from the store.  Then underneath that list, I write all the other things we need for lunches, breakfasts, and snacks - usually milk, fruit, bread, yogurt, etc.  This is the one from this week - complete with Ned's scribblings that he insisted on doing while we were shopping.  When I'm finished with this five week rotation, I'll just re-print and start over.  I also started a list where I am keeping other meal ideas, so I could make a plan for a week or two more if I wanted to or substitute a meal if I didn't feel like eating something a particular week or if a main ingredient of a particular meal were on sale. 

This took me a couple of hours to put together and it's been well worth the time.  My method before this was to either not plan at all, which usually led to more meals on the fly which were not very satisfying and more eating out, or to plan each week, which would take at least an hour each week because I would have a hard time deciding what to make.  If I can keep this up (which I think I can because it's pretty self-contained and simple once you do the initial work), I'll probably re-do the process when the spring and summer seasons come around next year. 

Have a good weekend everyone!! 

before and after

You said you wanted them, so here they are - the before of my sewing room (taken early August):

and the after:

The walls are looking a little bare - this is our third room and I guess I see it more as a sort of "room of requirement", so maybe that's why I haven't decorated.  When we moved in, we put Ned's crib in here because Peter and Ned couldn't fall asleep if they were in the same room.  (Now they can't fall asleep unless they are in the same room - just how I like it and oh so sweet!)  Then after we moved them together, it became the computer/guest room.  We don't really get too many guests, so we decided that it would be more useful as my sewing space.  Now that I'm in school, maybe it will become something else.  So far, I've still been sewing quite a bit.  I am only taking two classes, one of which is a complete review for me (Spanish for Health Care) so it hasn't been too difficult, but I haven't had any tests yet either.

And it hasn't taken me a month and a half to finish.  I took the after picture about two weeks ago and I have to admit that right now it's beginning to look a little like the before picture again.  I have more of a divide and conquer sort of cleaning style versus a maintenance style, especially for rooms that don't get seen by anybody but family.  I was thinking about this today and I decided it's not the cleaning that I mind, it's all the decision making that comes along with it - should I keep this?  If I keep it, where will it go?  Where did this even come from in the first place?  Anyone have a good system for dealing with all of the decision making parts of cleaning?  I've done FlyLady and while I had the cleanest house ever, I found that all I did with my days, besides caring for Peter, was clean.  This probably isn't a fair judgement because this was when Peter was an infant and his care was incredibly time consuming.  He always had to be swayed to sleep, only slept for 45 minutes at a time (even at night unless we laid down next to him - now I know it was because of his sensory disorder, but then I was just a confused and tired new mother who wondered why my baby had so much trouble with sleeping) which meant he took several naps in a day, 3-4 until he was over nine months.   And because he refused to nurse from day one I pumped his milk at least 5 times a day until he was 9 months, plus fed him.  I don't recommend it, just nursing a baby is 100x easier.  Anyway, you get the idea - there wasn't much time to do anything but take care of Peter.  So between Peter and FlyLady and a part-time job, that's about all I did.  So anyone have quick, easy suggestions on dealing with your clutter?  It's easy to see from the before picture that I've definitely need them!