Coupons

How dull is it to hear about someone else saving money with coupons, or whatever?  Well, actually, I don't find that sort of conversation all that dull, but in a third-person 'put yourself in someone else's shoes' type way, I can understand why it would be.

I'm mentioning this because I've started clipping coupons occasionally, and today we're heading off to the store and getting what I think are some really quite good deals.  99 cent toothpaste, for example.  I'm not a huge fan of coupons for food because I find that most of the food is very over-processed, but coupons for toiletries and cleaning supplies are great.  I struggle with the desire to 'stockpile' necessities, and the equal and sometimes stronger urge to throw away everything I own and live a minimalist life.  I think, I hope, I'm achieving some sort of balance.

I try to live frugally, while still having a good life, and I think we do fairly well at that.  I know that I have the skills to run this house on very little if necessary, but I also know that forcing my family to live in 'survival mode' for the sake of saving money is mean spirited.  And yet, I do enjoy aspects of the frugal life a lot.  I like making the 'best' decision - finding the best price or even choosing to spend more with the knowledge that a product is higher quality.

My competitive nature wants me to push myself, and I have to find grace in life and realize that the struggle to be the best at saving is as bad as wanting to be the best at anything.

World Day of Prayer stuff, church, my children.

Well, I announced in church this morning that the World Day of Prayer is on Friday, and hosted by the United Church this year.  We need to bring two readers, and I gamely volunteered to be one of them and hope that someone else will stand up as the second so I don't have to start calling people and asking them.

Trying very hard to keep the focus on our big vacation in 10 days - we're heading off on a 12 hour drive to see relatives and shop for summer clothes and other things that are difficult to do where we live.

Also at church - a large, gooey, celebratory cake which reminded me of that passage in Lauren Winner's book Girl Meets God.  Perhaps I am meant to be an altar guild member forever.

Saturday

Oh my word I just discovered that I'm supposed to be posting for seven days, not five.  Seven.  Which means that today, which I assumed was my last day of inflicting inane ramblings on the poor folk of facebook is, in fact, not.  I need to think of things to write about for another two days.  People, I'm not that interesting.

I woke up this morning, after having slept in until an embarrassing time, and David asked me if we could have company for supper tonight.  Now, I'm almost always up for company.  No, that's not true, here's the deal: when you don't have children entertaining consists of looking through lots of cookbooks and spending an afternoon shopping for food and possibly even a few days cleaning depending on how important your company is.  And then you all have a lovely long visit and eat all sorts of things and enjoy yourselves.

When you HAVE children, you can only cook in shifts, because otherwise whomever is in the kitchen is attempting to move around whilst dragging the dead weight of a toddler clinging to her legs asking for cheese/a drink of water/ cuddles/ more cheese.  "Oh how sweet' the childless among you coo; no it is not sweet.  It is, in fact, very far from sweet.  Your options are baby gates or a spouse who can effectively distract.

There is also no point whatsoever in cleaning anything because, as my living room can currently attest to, cleaning lasts 3.2 seconds.  And I'm not talking 'well we'll need to re-fluff those cushions' type cleaning.  There is currently a torn apart bun all over the floor.

This means that the only real option is so serve something from the slow cooker, arrange for the children to leave the premises for the majority of the day (or at least just before company arrives) and tidy everything by throwing it into the playroom.  I've been told that this changes as the children get older - but I can't see it from the trenches.

So, the company.  We're having it, and this company falls into the 'I'd like things to look and taste nice' camp, as opposed to family or friend company where my hope is that they like pizza.

I think I've decided to try and make my mother's recipe for zucchini stuffed chicken, and then serve that with something totally store bought, possibly even a store bought dessert.

Friday

When you are pregnant with your third child everything is very different.  There isn't the same level of nervousness when you get your ultrasound; you can recognize things on the screen; all is fine.  We're having a girl, it was discovered, and I'm very pleased.  As is typical of us, we have no name chosen but lots of ideas.  I don't feel any panic, though.  We'll figure it all out.

Today the telephone person is supposed to come and fix our line, and I have intentions to take Samuel to the library and possibly even playgroup, depending on how optimistic I am.  There will also be something decadent for dessert, although I don't currently know what that will be.  Possibly homemade popcorn balls.

Thursday Stuff

We are so blessed today to have someone to watch both of the children while David and I head into the city for the ultrasound to find out if the baby is a lady or a gentleman and all of the other measurements.  She's a wonderful girl and adores the children, who know this and probably take advantage of it.  They're excited to have company, and I'm trying to figure out what to make for lunch so they can all eat without having to defrost things.

In the meantime I'm on cup of tea #2 in order to face the day.  And when I say cup, I mean vat, since David kindly purchased some huge mugs for me a few years ago, and I use them daily.

I have been fighting with the cats (and losing) on whether I'm allowed to keep even one houseplant in this life.  They eat everything.  And the children aren't helping the situation - but I think I've solved the problem.  Cacti.  No one will want to touch them, no one will want to eat them, and I can forget to water them.  Perfect.

In Between Day

Yesterday's trip to the OB was exactly what I had hoped for - quick, efficient and productive.  I even had all of the blood work that modern medicine seems to require done, and done quickly.  The ultrasound is booked for tomorrow (!!) and so one of today's big to-do list items is going to be finding care for the children whilst David and I make a trip into the city again.  I'm hopeful that we can get some grocery shopping done as well, buy a zipper to repair David's winter coat, some embroidery floss and possibly a storage solution for our bedroom.  The last will only happen if we have neither child with us, because then the back seat, usually filled with coats and boots and carseats and angst, will be empty.

And I came home to a functioning shower!  And a non-leaky sink!  It was a glorious day, let me tell you, and getting to have a shower in my own house for the first time since August was wonderful.

We had honey garlic marinated steak for supper, and I made a double meal and froze half, which is how I'm freezer cooking this week.  Tonight will either be green chili pork tacos or chicken enchiladas.  I think...I think I want the enchiladas.  And since I'm the one making supper - hallelujah I can decide.

And so this morning has become, through no fault of its own, an incredibly busy day.  I get to do all of the work from yesterday's cleaning schedule (Tuesdays are mopping), and today's (Wednesdays are vacuuming upholstery/dusting) and Thursday as well since I won't be home (Thursdays are scrubbing the kitchen table and highchair and windows).  But the very first thing that needed to be done was to give Samuel a haircut - which he wasn't happy about at all.

And David, before he left to lead prayer group, called the phone people to tell them that our line is still not receiving calls, and they've booked an appt. to arrive on Friday.  

Supposed to be Monday

This pregnancy is going by so much faster than either of my others; I'm over halfway (22 weeks and change now) even if you factor in that there's no chance of my giving birth at 40 weeks.  I like to think that, because it involves less pain and frustration on the other side of it all when you're huge and hot and uncomfortable and want someone to put you out of your misery and all you can do is sob to people "but I'm full term...".  No, much better to think about these things now, while I still have some shreds of sanity about me.

And this morning is the joy of my OB appointment, which I have been thinking of in terms much less pleasant than I am prepared to share, but which just now, this very moment, I have decided to be grateful for and happy about.

While I'm gone one of our handy parishioners is going to come over here and fix our shower, which I am unreservedly thrilled over.  We've been living in the parsonage since August and haven't had a working shower, only a bath.  I like baths, but having a bath seems to be Such An Ordeal in a way that showers aren't.  I need to find time for a bath, I need to prepare a beverage, a book, a schedule...is there hot water in the tank?  A shower is easy, and easy is what I like.

I am also going to actively be Very Optimistic about this shower thing because I have a feeling that it isn't a quick fix but is going to require removing part of the wall and fixing the plumbing.  And I shall write a note for the gentleman to also take a look at the leaking sink.

Yesterday, when I intended to post this, was not a great day.  I had high hopes of getting all sorts of freezerish food prepared and such, but went over my grocery budget (not surprising, I hadn't researched it well and was shopping with everyone) and that frustrated me.  The children, who had been promised rides on the mechanical pony if they behaved in the store, did not get their rides, and cried loudly.  The embroidery floss I needed to continue this cross stitch was gone from the store.  I was exhausted and barely managed chicken and rice for supper, which neither child wanted or ate anyway.  And our attempted family tv show ended in everyone going to bed.

Today is going to be wonderful!