Dream results in some action!

About 3 weeks ago, I had this dream that I went in to labor and we weren't ready. So I made myself a "To-Do" list of about 5 things:

1. Clean out the deep freezer, then stock it with easy meals for when Alivia arrives.
2. Pack the diaper bag and our hospital bag.
3. Have groceries available here for our girls and their caretakers while we are in the hospital.
4. Clean the van.
5. Do some deep cleaning of the house and get all the laundry caught up.

• The first thing we did, was got the diaper bag all packed. There's nothing more fun than washing clothing for the one that's not here yet. It stays clean!!! Then we packed our hospital bag. I originally packed a summer dress to come home in.  then I changed my mind,  have you ever tried to nurse while wearing a dress?  It's been about 7 months since I've had to think about that.   So we bought me a pair of drawstring capris because I couldn't pack up a pair of maternity pants and not have use of them for so long. Both bags, and the car seat have been in Louis' van for 2 weeks.
• We then hit the grocery store. Twice. One night for dry goods as we passed through Albany to Somerset to go to Bob Evans to eat. We always forget they are an hour ahead of us. We pulled in the parking lot 15 minutes before they closed at 9 (their time) and you should have seen the looks I got from the employees when I walked in to ask their closing time. We drove all that way for Bob Evans, and by goodness, we were gonna eat at Bob Evans. Louis' comment made me change my mind, and so we headed to find another place. I was sure Frisch's wouldn't spit in our food because they closed an hour later.
• The next day, I had to pick up donuts, and so I hit Save-A-Lot in Albany again for all the cold stuff. It helped my legs to break up the shopping like that. And pyschologically, it felt like I spent less. My receipt total was $77 for the first night and $140 the next day. Not bad. (I would have felt bad if I saw the total at $217.00). Hehe.
• As we unloaded all the groceries, I had to kind of rearrange cabinets to accomodate everything.  I made special food baskets for the girls that has been off limits until Alivia is born.  For a few days they were saying, "I can't wait til Alivia is born so I can eat that food".  It's fun kid food like ravioli, spaghetti-os, fruit snacks, pudding cups, and pop-tarts.  Not stuff we generally buy, but stuff that would be easy for someone to get out for them.  I have no worries, that Abigail and Anna will go for that as soon as we head to the hospital. 
• Then I had a cook day (that lasted 2 days because I ran out of energy).  Abigail and Anna helped me clean out both freezers.
• After spending two days in the kitchen, I turned around to notice our house was turned upside down.  So when Monday rolled around we spent about 3 hours cleaning.  I made out a game board for them that had tasks written out above circles that led to a Game Over box at the bottom.  Once they completed their tasks, they could color in the circles that were below the written tasks.  They loved that game.  Then when they all got to the Game Over, they got to eat popsicles outside and play for 30 minutes,  Then I painted all their nails after their baths.  At the end of the day, we had our clean house again.
• A few days later, we had a "Sure" Day (where I just said "sure" to the girls' requests.  One of their requests was to wash the van in their bathing suits.  Cool...it'd check off part of my list. 



Below the microwave are the 2 red food baskets.   Our older 3 girls are very proud of them and super protective of them.  Adalyn discovered them Thursday and helped herself to some of the fruit snacks.  You've never seen more upset sisters! 

So it took about a week to check off the 5 things.  But it felt good.  I felt like THEN we could go in to the hospital and have a baby because all of that was done!  The fridge and freezer were stocked, the bags and carseat loaded, the house was clean and the laundry was caught up.  These days, I feel like we're gonna eat through our stock and by the time we finally have this girl, the house will be a wreck and the laundry will be piled high. 

Cook Day

When we were preparing for the birth of Adalyn, I had a mega cook day.  My mom and I prepared a bunch of meals for the freezer.  Then later on I tried the 30-meals-in-a-day mega cook day.  That was fun...long hours, but a time-saver during the week for SURE!!!
2 Fridays ago, I had a mega cook day.  Then Saturday I finished it. By the end of 8 hours, I had 16 meals ready to go in the freezer.  Ahh, accomplishment.  I then talked to my sister-in-law who said you can freeze lasagna noodles uncooked by adding water to the sauce.  That would have saved me 2 hours in the prep!!!  I can't wait to try that next time. 

These are individual helpings of sloppy joes.  For the times when the girls just want cereal for lunch or pb&js and Louis and I want something heavier.  I got the idea from a Quick Cooking Magazine a few years back.  You line a muffin pan with wax paper or plastic wrap.  Then use 1/2 measuring cup of prepared sloppy joe filling to fill each section of the muffin pan.  Freeze for 30 minutes.  Then plop out the servings and put them in freezer bags or containers.  When you want to eat them, defrost them in the microwave in a bowl, then heat.

These are hot dog buns-turned garlic bread.  Cheap!  I like to make our garlic bread like this and fry them buttered side down in a skillet.  So I thought I'd try making them ahead and freezing them like you can buy in the store. 

Our other meals included 4 pans of lasagna, many bowls of chili, vegetable soup, prepared taco fillings, prepared enchilada fillings, fried sausage to go in gravy, and several servings of spaghetti sauce.  It's taken me 12 years to be able to make buttermilk biscuits from scratch and I really want to try to do freezer biscuits but haven't tried out a recipe yet.  There are so many with varying ingredients. If you have a tried and true, by all means, please share!! 

 

 

 

Breaking News

Our girls hate tomatoes.  They don't want them on their salad, in their chili, or in their spaghetti sauce. Last night at dinner, the girls asked what ketchup is made from.  We had to break it to them, and yes we were blunt. 

Sweet tea afterthoughts

Today I fixed a big 'White Castle' cup full of sweet tea to drink on as we headed over to check on a friend's chickens and cat.  Tasted as refreshing as I thought it would until Louis asked what was in the bottom of the cup.  Upon my investigation, I realized it was the cup we used last week to rinse paint brushes in.  The dried white paint blended right in with the white cup bottom!  It must have gotten loaded into the dishwasher and put into the cabinet (thanks to my sweet helpers around here).  Sorry Dollar General for using your parking lot to dispose of the liquid.

Last week, Anna so sweetly fixed Louis a big cup of sweet tea with lots of ice.  He politely brought it to me as he's been trying to stick with water only.  It was refreshing.  I got up from the table and headed to the kitchen where I discovered red dirt all over the handles of the freezer and refrigerator.  Anna was being so thoughtful, she didn't remember to wash her hands BEFORE fixing the tea.

There's No Such Thing as a Free Lunch

Well, it all started with free tickets to the movies.  We thought we'd go Saturday night so I made our older 3 daughters lists to help around the house Saturday morning.  And their reward?  Their own bag/bucket/box of popcorn when we went to see Alvin & the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.  {insert their screams here}.

As we worked, I was just super proud.  We were working together, gonna get out together for super cheap, and all was wonderful.  We anxiously plugged through the day.  We got baths early, dressed, got our chore lists done, school completed,  fixed 3 heads of their hair, fixed an early supper, cleaned up, and bounced into the van to go.  We made good time, arriving in Jamestown 30 minutes before the movie would start to hear the dreaded words, "SOLD OUT".  Whaaaaat? 

I walked back to the van to meet my crew who had dropped me at the ticket window just minutes before.  What in the world do you do for your super helpful kiddos who you promised their OWN BAG OF POPCORN to? 

Louis and I quickly strategized (I'm thinking we must have looked like coaches, laying out a quick plan for the team).  We were loud enough that one caught the details of what happened, whined about it, and then spread the horrible rumor through the whole van.  They all were whining in their best girly voices of their disappointment.  We were then quiet enough to plan the "official play" that hopefully would save the night and we'd come out winning afterall. 

$100 later, we walked out of Wal-Mart with 3 movies, chips & the makings for Mexican cheese dip, and other necessities, like light bulbs.  We got to the van, and waited for all to buckle up.  A woman walked over to the driver's side, and Louis rolled down the window.  "Would you like a free puppy?"  I'm thinking, "She didn't just say that loud enough for all to hear!!"  Then the little "Yeahs, and Please, can we have a puppy?" pleads filtered up from the back of the van.  Louis politely apologized we couldn 't take it right now.  Then he went to roll the window up.  It didn't budge.  The button didn't even make a sound like it usually does.  Dead.  And it's cold.  And we're in Jamestown (always a 35 or longer drive home with all the windy, curvy roads).   

We pulled through the Long John Silvers drive-thru and ordered their $15 Family Pack.  If we're gonna be cold on the drive home, it's better that the girls are distracted.  The more they had in their mouth, the less they could complain of being cold, and my theory was correct!    Louis did do a hero number and shut the door over his coat which broke the wind a lot.  The sound we heard all the way home was of whipping coat and snaps slapping the window behind the driver's side.   

We got home, unloaded the van and all got into their jammies ready to watch, "Dolphin Tale".  What a night. 

We went with free movie tickets.  We returned with $115 (+tax) less money, and a costly car repair to make.  Hmm, the statement Dad used to tell me in high school rings true, "There's no such thing as a free lunch."  Thanks Dad, for always being right. 

Forget Cheerios...she wants an oatmeal cookie!

Aliza went to the pediatrician Wednesday for a check-up and the second part of her flu shot. She cried very little, Anna was so proud that Aliza got to have a Dora band-aid on her thigh! Aliza weighs 19 pounds and measures 28 1/4 inches long. For her age she is right under the 50% group for weight and height! Her doctor discussed several things with us this visit, among the topics was starting her on table/finger foods. He said, Cheerios were a good thing to start her on. (She's already had several finger food things- like those veggie puffs, etc.) That night at church we found Aliza just chomping away at a homemade oatmeal cookie that Anna left on the kids' table- which was right at her level in the walker. We then watched her as pieces just crumbled perfectly into her mouth. She handled it well, and didn't take bites until she finished chewing what was in her mouth- OUR BIG GIRL.