Video...now!

I know, I know - It's not Monday, but since I have missed sooo many in a row- I wanted to post one at this very moment! =P   Katelyn and Chris play ...Where'd Katelyn Go?

Hello Chicago

It was out first weekend with Victoria - Of course, we did the traditional first! CHICAGO, baby!

This is right as we left the the parking garage. So, really - It is Victoria's first steps in Chicago.

At the BEAN!

Other than the airport, this is Katelyn's first trip to Chicago too! We kinda stumbled into that darn rabbit hole like Alice in Wonderland! haha!

We searched and searched for a public bathroom without having to go all the way back to the park, so we found a hospital. While I was going, I came out and found them with masks on and a nasty stink in the hall. A homeless guy had walked through and he smelled sooo bad, the security guard came over and gave them each a mask to wear.

Beautiful! (I see Mickey Ears in the clouds!)

Victoria on the boat. We did the Architecture tour with Wendella Boat tours. It was nice.

Victoria with more Chicago behind her.

Katelyn and I enjoying the water. 75 minutes was just a bit too long to keep her crawling all over the place.

Family Photo!

After the boat we went to Navy Pier where we introduced Victoria to the nastiest elephant ear known to man. We promised her a delicious fair-style one next time. Katelyn was asleep most of the time we were at the pier, so we have to go back and ride the Ferris Wheel.

 

It was a super nice day.. little warm in the sun, perfect in the shade. We ate Chipotle and bought some ice cream from Walgreens. Lots of walking.

Check It Out

Katelyn is showing off that pearly white!

 

Still only one tooth, but more have to be on the way. (They just have to be, right?)

 

Chris likes to tease me, because I'm afraid to give her more than a teeeeny-tiny bite of food at a time - but remember, it was on my watch when she choked on a teething biscuit, and started puking everywhere. I never, ever want it to happen again, so until she has a few more teeth - the solid (like solid, solid) food feeding is up to Chris.

Who Killed Kenny?

Oh, Chris did!

HaHa! Check out the peanut M&M we found in our bag! Is this super cute or what?

I told Chris we needed to put it on eBay! How much do you think it would sell for? 

Katelyn waits on the Cat in the Hat...

Does this not remind you of the little kids from The Cat in the Hat? We had a couple days of icky, rainy weather - and Katelyn was really missing being able to play outside on her swing. She sat in her little rocking chair and just stared out into bad weather. (Please, excuse the terrible deck. We're getting ready to PowerWash it, honest.)

Scrub-A-Dub-Dub

Katelyn loves the TUB!

 

Reorganizing...

Ha, you thought I was being serious by the title of "Reorganizing," didn't you?

Yes, Miss K was a big help the other night.

She didn't like the way I had that cabinet, so she fixed it. =) She pulled almost everything off the two shelves before she was done. I can't say that I will complain because it distracted her long enough for me to finish food prep and dishes. (And it gave daddy a great reason to Skype with both sets of Grandparents...to show off her handy work.)

*Temporary Exchange Student*

 

This is Victoria. She is a Junior this year. Katelyn has really taken a liking to her too! She has had such a blast hanging out in Victoria's room with her.

 

Hosting was not something we were looking to do this year. We decided we really think it would be fair, since we don't know how much traveling she'll get to do with us having Katelyn, but....We were asked to be a temporary home for her. Of course, we couldn't say no, but now we are glad that we didn't turn her away. She is sweet and polite. Super, super shy (way more than Bela or Emilia), but....We have offered to be her home for a longer amount of time, but that is a decision for her parents and the organization to make. We have never worked with this organization before, so we would have to go through the application process to host her longer, and I know the coordinator has calls out for families already cleared and ready to go.

 

Unfortuantely, I was told this evening that she has a mandatory meeting on Saturday, Sept. 1 - so she won't be able to spend the Holiday weekend trip to Indy/Illinois to meet the family. She'll be staying with the program coordinator. (*tear*)

 

I'll keep you updated on if she stays with us or not.

The "No Work" Potty Method

Miss K will be getting one of these (ok, maybe not THIS one, but a potty chair of some kind,) very soon. I'm calling this the "No Work" Potty Training Method. Basically - you take your child into the bathroom with you every time you go. You make funny squeezy noises, and tell them, "One day you'll be sitting on this very same potty chair as mommy and going potty in it like a big girl!" Then, at about 10 months old - they'll start pounding on the seat to tell you they need to use it.

Ok, the method may be a bit of a joke (although that really is what I have been doing with her since I can't leaver her alone while I go), the part about the 10 month old is not.

Katelyn is basically potty training herself. She hates her diapers, and I think she has figured out how to get out of them... using the toilet. (I can't say I mind, I'm tired of changing them already. BONUS!)

It started on Thursday- when she was banging on the seat taking her diaper off. I joking sat her on the seat, and boom- she pee-peed.Then, Saturday she did the same thing and went #2!

Sunday- she took her diaper off and peed on Chris's arm in the bed. (but we chucked that up to "Hey, I took my diaper off. How else could I have told you?") I promptly removed her from the bed and sat her on the pot where she finished with #2.

She went three times on Sunday. She tried for 4, but all she had to do was fart. LOL!

I'm sure this post will come back to haunt me when she is actually ready to wear big-girl panties, but for right now I'd like to think my daughter is a potty genius!  =)

"Soookie"

*Spoilers=Yes*

Yes! I bought it June - and slowly made my way through it. Finishing it up last week. Here's what I thought about it: 

Almost like Torture. (And I love me some Sookie!)
If you enjoy the Sookie world of Charlaine Harris, you might be disappointed with the story. I fought a hard battle to survive this one, but I think it's time to face the word...
The series has given us the best it has to offer.
This one took me a while to read due to three factors, with B being the bigger reason:
A) Katelyn keeps me busy.
B) It lacked excitement.
C) It was slow.

A lot of times books start slow and pick up as you get into them. This one picked up about 200 pages in, and even that only lasted for a few pages. I don't think I've been this disappointed in a book in a while. Nothing seemed to jive within the story. Here is my biggest peeve:

  You just wondered aimlessly around with an angry Sookie. I get that Sookie was meant to "grow" in this book, but it could have happened a little more interestingly. She was hurt and mad the entire way through, I feel like I don't even know Sookie. I miss her sitting in the yard, sippin' her tea, working on her tan, and being somewhat polite. We followed her for days on end, in chapter after chapter, where all she does is cook, work, check her mail, sleep, and throw angry insults and negative energy around the town. Even when Tara had the twins and named one after her, she mentions a tear, but no real happy thoughts. In truth, I guess you can say that her life would turn anyone cold, but that's not why I fell in love with her. (Hey, she's a fairy- she can keep her positive outlook when the rest of us wouldn't.)  I miss my quick-witted southern friend with a good sense of humor.

  If you don't already have years invested in the series, you won't want to read this one. (Not that you'd make it past the first chapter, only die-hards, like me, kept going out of obligation.) I'm going to spare you all the rest of the boring and failed (and way missed) opportunities in this book here because I love you, but the review won't be pretty on the book club sites.

I'll leave you with a quote from one of my review buddies:
"Literary Abortion is not being attacked, put it [Sookie Series] out of its misery while it's still the humane thing to do."

Big Brother? Nope, just TED.

Miss K has been quite the helper around the house. She loves going on the deck and helping me put the clothes out to dry, and bring them back inside (even though she doesn't always understand that I don't want the socks on the ground, lol)... Maybe she just likes to ride around in the laundry basket?

We were inspired by the lack of need for a dryer while we were with our family in Bath, England. So, we decided to go dryer free, and see what happens. It's a little more work, but the sun is free- and she dries and shines. We've been doing this for a few weeks now, but... Chris and I were wondering... does it really save money, and we're we really using that much energy anyway?

SO.... (Chris loves a good case to investigate...)

Last week he purchased this nifty little device called TED. No, not the raunchy teddy bear movie that just flopped out, but TED as in "The Energy Detective".

You hook it up to yout box, you set it to the cost of power, and it tells you what you are paying. (Our rate at the moment is $0.10.)You have a seperate handset device (shown above) to watch and it tells you how much power you are using to run your house (or business, whatever).

Chris watches it from his iPad too, but I can monitor it during the day in the TV room.  At this very moment (4 am) we are  using 577 watts which is costing us $0.07 cents per hour. It goes up higher during the day when the air conditioner is running among other things.

It is really awesome, because it reminds me to turn lights off. Many times I've come out here to sit on the couch, and look over at it, and get back up and turn the kitchen light off. It's interesting to see the difference by turning a light on/of, or the stove top vs the oven.

If you are conscientious about the energy you use in your home, it may be something for you to look into.

CLICK HERE FOR the TED website! (I'm sure they explain it much better than I do!)

Winter Corn

What I love most about the Farmer's Market is all the great Sweet Corn. It's been a rough year for corn, so the options have been more limited. LAST Saturday morning, we hit up the Market and grabbed a bag full. Last year Grandpa West (Great Gpa to K) gave us a cooler full of frozen corn on the cob. It was delicious. This year- we're freezing our own.
I found some sites that say to Blanche the corn first, but Grandpa West didn't do this, so we didn't either. The bags are big and bulky (Thankful for the spacious deep freeze) - We just:
1) husked the corn,
2) tossed them in a Freezer Bag,
3) and froze.

The seal popped open on one bag and now I have a frozen pond in my freezer..booo! I think we're hitting up a neighboring Farmer's Market tomorrow .. and maybe the Orchard.

It's my Burfdey!

It's my BIRTHDAY!  And Katelyn gave me an early birthday gift last Thursday, that really got *wow-wow-wowwed*- up yesterday... She got me a ROOT CANAL! Oh Joy! (Actually, the root canal itself was not bad, the pain for six days before-hand was!)

Yes, she gave me the root canal by jumping in my lap and slamming her head into my chin, which sent my teeth crushing together with no resistance. She hit it hard enough to make my front tooth completely unresponsive. It just may have been the worse pain in my mouth ever. (And I've had an infection that blew my cheeks up like a chipmunk before.)

I don't think I'm going to put this one in her scrapbook. I'm on some Motrin and an antibiotic for the next couple days, but I was feeling better (numb, but no pain at all) by the time I paid my $274 portion of the bill. Fingers crossed y'all that I won't have pain today for my birthday!

(And YES, I have already updated my age to 28 on the sidebar! Had some difficulties with the new background, hope it looks alright on your end!)

Annnd... the work flows in...

I am so excited that the school year is beginning, because this means parents are seeking out tutors. I have three students already, and they don't go back to school until the end of this week. It's not much, but the extra 28 bucks a week is really going to help little Miss K's savings account. (And let's be honest, probably help feed my crafting addiction a little too!)

One student is Pre-K, one is 1st grade, and the other is 3rd grade. I'm waiting on two other moms to get back to me. If they both decide to go with me, I'll have another third grader, and a sixth grader.

As if the possibility of 5 students isn't going to keep me busy enough, I also passed the "Essay Writing" test for a tutor website (the subject area they have marked as 'immediate need'), but I haven't really had time to figure the program out on there yet, so I guess that means I'm not yet totally serious about it. :/ But, I think I'll get there soon.

Peachy King!

Fresh Peaches have arrived.

 I'm pretty sure it is a group my grandma is involved with that sold these lovely peaches by the case. (I suspect her and not my mom since she suckered Chris into buying an entire 25lbs when he doesn't even like peaches.)

Regardless, We have a plan for them. Chris is hoping to make a few small jars of Jam with part, and today I boiled, cooled, peeled, sliced, and bagged most of the peaches. This way they will stay sweet and delicious all winter long. Chris can make his Peach Cobbler to take into the office, and I can enjoy some homemade Peach Ice Cream! (Is it weird that I crave Ice Cream in the winter?)

Freezing Fresh Peaches is a pretty simple process. Every 2 bags took 7 peaches to fill. Some were big, some were small, and granted you could more than what I did in the bags, but (as mentioned) we are not huge peach eaters in this house. (Although, I do enjoy a fresh one from the Farmers Market when were walking through.)

To Freeze your fresh Peaches:

1) Make Your Solution.
Heat 6 cups of water, and slowly dissolve 2 cups of sugar into it.
Remove from heat.

2) Prep Your Peaches.
Boil a pot of water.
Wash Peaches well in cold water.
Gently place Peaches in boiling water for 40 seconds.
Remove from pot and place in bowl of ice water for 5 minutes.

3) Peel Your Peaches.
The skin should pretty much slide right off.

4) Slice Your Peaches.
Removing the pits, Cut however you desire.

5) Protect Your Peaches.
Lightly coat the peeled and sliced peaches with lemon juice to keep them from turning dark.

6) Bag for Freezing
Add your solution to the peaches.
Mix well.
Label the freezer bag with date and PEACHES.
Fill bag as desired for usage, but no more than half full.
Remove air from bag.

7) Freeze Your Peaches.
Place in Freezer.

WhaLah! Thanks Mom and Grandma.

Happy Anniversary to US!

Today is our 8 year Anniversary. Eight Years ago today we were experiencing the simple life on the Beaches of Montego Bay, Jamaica with each other and with our parents, ready to pledge to spending the rest of our lives together.

The Video:

I came across this a few months ago, and thought it fit for the day:

If I had a son, and he was exactly like Chris- I'd be a proud momma. Eight Years later, I'm one happy wifey (and momma)!

  

It's A No, But I Like...

I'm still checking out bedroom ideas. It is REALLY going to happen before the end of this year. I can not take another year with those Stripes and Dogs from the previous owners. This is not something our room is equipped for, but I am really drawn to it.

Click Here for the Tutorial Post.

On the other hand - I would LOVE to put a map up for Katelyn to track her travels. I've been looking into the thought, and I found these awesome vinyl world maps to do just the trick. I am going to get her one, but I don't know when/if it will go up in her room. I'm thinking one of the basement walls would be most appropriate, that way as her style changes through her teens she won't be tempted to paste boyband posters all over take it down. Hmm... I wonder if I shouldn't put it on a mobile piece, then if we move she'll still have it, and then in thirty years she can be rummaging through the attic (something I LOVE to do at my parents house) and have something great to keep when she is ready for it.

Check them out here.

Amazing, and I Want...

Wow! Is all I can say. Works from Jun Tsunoda have shown up on two of the blogs I read in the last 3 weeks. After seeing this series from the 2005-2009 collection, I seriously want a piece for my living room. They are so mesmerizing in their beauty and simplicity. So, who is going to get me one??

(2000-2004)

Benefiting Day

Whewey! This morning was(IS) my PREP morning in the kitchen. Onions, Green Peppers, and Vine Tomatoes were super cheap at the Farmer's Market, and I had some I bought from the grocery when they were on sale as well - so needless to say.. I have A LOT to do while Miss K naps today.

Are you wondering how this is a benefiting day besides the fact that I won't have to cut Onions or Green Peppers for at least the next three months? I love Prep days because they (will) provide a much needed bulk addition of veggies to the Compost Bin. It's a new adventure for us, but I think we'll pick it up in no time. There are a lot of great websites to get you started, if you'd like to start your own compost.

I enjoyed this site for information:
http://web.extension.illinois.edu/homecompost/building.html

The boys (A & D) planted Chris's veggie tray of seedlings while they were here for Spring Break. The tiny garden that we thought was planted too early, has strongly developed. We have successful Tomatoes, Carrots, Broccoli, Jalapenos, and Green Beans. Chris has what could have been the biggest compost pile ever going in the back yard, and that got me thinking.....I couldn't help but think how great it would be to have my own Organic compost to add to the garden mix next year. I mean, come-on! I have all the materials needed (With the exception of the "optional" manure, but a quick post asking for grain fed animal manure on FB has me a big bag of HORSE POOOO waiting for me to pick up. (Thank you Sherill)





My first task was to learn more about compost.


Next, I needed wanted a bin. We already have this huge pile of yard waste, and it is a major eye sore. We went to Menards looking for a compost bin. You can one like this for less than $40. (Or they had them as expensive as $200)

We weren't ready to buy, but just wanted to feed my new obsession with some more knowledge. Check.







I was ready to get this going, but I didn't want to invest ANY new money into it. 
 I found a site showing us a cheap starter bin using a plastic storage bin: http://organicgardening.about.com/od/compost/ht/storagecompost.htm

Storage bins can be pricey, and I really don't have any empty ones just hanging around. BUT, we do have Bojacks (RIP) old dog crate, and we have NO PLANS for a new dog anytime soon. (New dog would get a new crate anyway.) So, this thing is just hanging around on the garage beams anyway, my cheap bin is found.

BONUS #1: No stirring, just flip the bin a few times.
BONUS #2: No Drilling - Ventilation already provided.

My compost is ready to get started, and hopefully I'll have a positive follow-up post in the Spring.