My Home is a Safe Haven

I like to think of my home as more than just a house. As a shelter from the storm, a safe place, a haven of sorts.

Currently it is a place of refuge for my family. A place to be with those you love, away from the world and its scary parts. I like to think that it is a place filled with the Spirit, where my husband and children can feel peace and calm. Sometimes its a loud, chaotic, peaceful calm, but I think it is still there.

It seems to also be a place of refuge for a few of the neighbor kids who wander in from the common back yard. One girl in particular seems drawn to our kitchen table, for homework help and family dinners, and loves to tag along to church activities. I hope that the welcome and "warm fuzzy feeling" she gets will heal her heart a bit from whatever it she is avoiding at her own dinner table and fill the void created by a latch-key afternoon routine and two working parents. Or maybe its just the full cookie jar and popsicles leftover from summer.

However, there is one area in which I am rolling up the welcome mat and refusing to offer safe shelter. Apparently, the warm smells and lighted windows are attracting the attention of these guys.

I find one or two a day, trying to sneak in around doors and windows and hang out in corners and toy boxes and kitchen cabinets. Yucky!
And these. One or two are cute. Three or four interesting. A whole mass trying to infiltrate and hole up for the winter? Not cute!

I found them in the dining room chandelier, in the car, under the table, in kitchen cabinets, and in the windows. And they fly. And stain. And scare little kids when they try to hitch a ride in hair or swim in your drink.
And these guys. A present from imported Chinese junk. Now wreaking havoc on area crops and homeowners. Brown stinkbugs.

They buzz, fly around your head, and smell bad and leave a stain when squished. They sneak in window frames and hide out in boxes in the storage shed. And they freak everyone out. Why can't they get together and go find a hollow tree to hang out in?

I admit that nothing can compare to the horrors of the great Georgian flying roach invasion, fire ant swarms, or mosquito clouds that we just left. So I will count myself lucky and try to adjust to the new native wildlife- we really liked the fireflies in June and the funny groundhog that used to wobble across the lawn!  

In conclusion:
Extended family visitors, you are welcome any time, please bring cookies.
Stray children who just need a warm meal, the door is always open as long as your mom knows where you are and you pick up after yourself.
People who live here, I hope you feel safe and protected and wanted always.
Critters with more than four legs- consider this your warning. I am off to buy a can of Raid. Go find your own safe haven!

Thanks and Giving

November is always a busy month at our house. We have two birthdays, a wedding anniversary, and that little holiday called Thanksgiving usually gets squished in between cleaning up the birthday streamers and setting up the Christmas tree. This year, I am going to try to place more importance on the holiday that gives us a chance to focus on counting our blessings and giving thanks to Heavenly Father for all he has given us as well as "giving back" with service to others. I have been concerned about my children's attitude regarding things and money and the overall feeling of entitlement that seems to everywhere these days. I want my kids to learn to be grateful for what they have instead of always wanting more, stop expecting to be given things without having to work for them, not expecting payment or some sort of reward for everything they do, and remembering to say thank you to people and express gratitude to the Lord for what they are given. Seems like a fitting Thanksgiving lesson right?
This year I am trying something new- a whole month of Thanksgiving!
We usually put up Thanks and Giving Trees the week before Thanksgiving, but we are starting tomorrow instead. I hope to have more leaves than ever before! We usually just make one tree and work on it as a family so it doesn't turn into a contest.
Then last week I saw this post about a Thanksgiving Advent and thought "I can do that!" 
However, I don't do a lot of paper crafting so mine won't be that pretty. Instead I'm going to make some construction paper turkeys and use numbered tail feathers. Just a brown pear-shaped body/head with colored feathers in a fan shape behind. Kind of like this:

A number on the front of the feather with a coordinating a blessing and activity on the back. You don't need a pattern, just wing it!
I had the kids brainstorm a list of things they were thankful for, from silly to profound. Ironically, my 3 yr old gave answers like "Jesus" and "My family" while her older siblings went silly with things like "toilet paper" or "Halloween candy" in a test to see if I would really write down all of their ideas. Oh well. They made it 100 without too much help, so I will use that list to get started. I tried to use all of their ideas, no matter how silly they seemed, so they knew their contributions were important. I also put in a day for each family member, even the ones who weren't having a birthday, so everyone was included. I aimed for a mix of service, fun, work, and thank you's. And I worked around our calendar as much as possible to avoid making more work for myself- like the open house that was already scheduled or the flu shots they were going to have to get anyway.

Here is our first week if you need some ideas:

1. We are grateful for books. Go to the library and bring a thank you note for the librarians.
2. We are grateful for music. Thank your music teacher for helping you learn and spend an extra 15 minutes practicing. OR listen to a new song and do a dance for mommy and daddy.
3. We are grateful for our beds. Make someone else's bed in secret today.
4. We are grateful for tv. Watch a good movie or show together as a family.
5. We are grateful for our family. Take a family picture.
6. We are grateful for B. Do something nice for her today to make her birthday extra special!
7. We are grateful for school. Go to the open house and volunteer to host. Tell visitors how great your school is and grateful you are for all of the special learning opportunities you receive there.
8. We are grateful for trees. Collect some colored leaves from outside and make a picture to hang on the wall. Send one to each grandparent.
9. We are grateful for modern medicine and flu shots. Go get a flu shot and don't whine about it!
10. We are grateful for dentists. Go to the dentist and get your teeth cleaned. Show off your shiny smile and take silly pictures of each other.
11. We are grateful for food. Help make dinner. Make extra to freeze and give to a relative who will have a baby soon.
12. We are grateful for pizza. Have a mobile pizza party- take pizza and treats to your cousins for a surprise. Play games and have fun!
13. We are grateful for church. Write a thank you note to someone at church who has helped you in some way.
14. We are grateful for L. Do something to make her birthday extra special!
15. We are grateful for new babies. Make a gift for your newest cousins and deliver or mail it.

I'll post the rest of our list next week as we go. Today, we still have to finish up with Halloween. There are pumpkins to carve and cookies to make and costumes to find one last time. And baby is asleep, so I better get started!

Happy Thanksgiving month!

Things to love right now

* Chubby baby cheeks with dimples and giggles
* Toddler tea party with mini pumpkin jack-o-lanters as the guests of honor
* Magic red and gold leaves, pink sunsets, and chilly mornings
* 7 yr olds with wiggly front teeth who make everyone waffles for breakfast
* Fourth grade student of the month, nominated by her peers for being  trustworthy- a good friend, honest, and reliable
* Finding a giant chocolate bar in a grocery bag while cleaning off the top of the fridge, that I didn't know was there, that had been bought and left sometime earlier by a thoughtful husband
* A kitchen that smells like pumpkin chocolate chip muffins
* An organized front closet
* One week until my mom getaway- room with housekeeping, a hot tub, a pool, no cooking for two days, and great company. And that is before the event even starts!
* Fresh picked apples, apple crisp, apple pancakes, and apple pie
* I found the box with my sewing machine inside- welcome back friend!
* Celebration season in our family- 2 birthdays down, Halloween, 2 more birthdays, Thanksgiving, Wedding anniversary, and Christmas! I can think about presents and celebrating, and baking, all the time instead of laundry and boxes and humidity.

Menus and Such

I started on my menu planning journey by making a master list of all the things I could think of that my kids eat. Now when I have to make a menu, I will just pull one thing from each section of the list, add sides, and be ready to go off to the store. One of the hardest things- decision making- already done!

Now this isn't a food blog, so I am not going to post recipes or links or how-to's, but I will share our master list with you. I will be adding to it as we try new things and decide if they are "list worthy" or not.

Our basic week goes like this-
Sunday: Breakfast for dinner
Monday: Croc pot meal
Tuesday: Mexican (we use that term pretty loosely)
Wednesday: Italian or pasta (again, pretty flexible definition)
Thursday: Chicken or beef (usually some sort of casserole)
Friday: Pizza night
Saturday: Other, anything that we want to eat that doesn't fit in the above plan

And here is a copy of our "meals my kids will eat" list. Some things are healthier than others. I wish there was more variety in some areas. Some are like that because I just don't know how to make some things. Other areas are smaller or left out because my kids just won't eat some things (like beans). You can tell it is unedited because I left in the things like Hamburger Helper and frozen pizza instead of substituting something more interesting like veggie burgers or roasted asparagus or something. So, keeping the above disclaimers in mind, here is our menu planning list!

Meals my kids eat:

Chicken: Chicken noodle soup; Chicken spaghetti; Chicken taquitos; Chicken enchiladas; Chicken salsa tacos; Grilled chicken; Chicken alfredo; Chicken patty- marinara sauce, bbq sauce, plain; Chicken drumsticks; Creamy chicken pockets w spinach and tomatoes; Mandarin chicken salad; Chicken salad sandwiches; Chicken stove top casserole; Chicken and rice bake; Chicken wraps; Chicken nuggets –scratch or frozen; Chicken tenders – honey bbq, marinara, crackers, cereal, buffalo, frozen; Chicken lasagna- frozen; Chicken breast w seasonings or gravy;
Baked chicken w/seasoning

Mexican: Beef tacos; Chicken salsa tacos;  Taco salad; Beef taquitos; Nachos; Beef enchiladas- rolled or layered; Rice and chicken quesadillas; Cheese quesadillas; Bean burritos; Bean dips w Spanish rice; Soft tacos w beef or refried beans; Breakfast burritos; Chicken taquitos; Fajitas- chicken or beef; Homemade tortillas; Taco casserole; Fried bean roll ups; Crescent roll taco ring; Chicken and cheese enchiladas
Italian: Lasagna-scratch;  Lasagna roll up; Frozen lasagna- white or red; Spinach pasta toss; Spaghetti; Chicken alfredo; Stuffed shells/manicotti; Chicken gnocchi soup; Chicken Parmesan; Ravioli (frozen); Tortellini (frozen) with red or white sauce; Hamburger helper; Lasagna pasta toss
Pizza: Traditional toppings; Bbq chicken; Chicken alfredo; Cheeseburger; Taco; Can crust balls; Cheese breadsticks; Rolls ups; Calzones; Bread dough roll up or braid; Monkey bread pizza bites; Bread sticks; French bread pizza

Chinese: Stir fry- chicken or beef; Noodles; Fried rice; Teriyaki rice bowl; Frozen meals; Spring rolls;

Beef: Beef and barley stew; No water beef stew; Meat balls-bbq, spaghetti, meatloaf; Meatloaf; Hamburgers; Chili; Sour cream noodle bake; Pot roast; Beef stroganoff; Hamburger stew; Bbq beef sandwiches; Steak; Steak kabobs; Shepherd’s pie; See Italian; See Mexican

Other: Hot dogs- plain, pigs in a blanket, chili dogs, beanie weenie; Corn dog muffins; Fish sticks; Baked potatoes w ham, cheese, broc; Grilled- cheese, turkey, ham, pbj; Chef Boyardee; Canned soup; Soup in bread bowls; Sausage and potatoes; Scalloped or augratin potatoes with ham; Pork chops; Tuna/chicken helper meals; Chef Salad w/ eggs, ham, turkey, cheese; Cheese and crackers plate; Sandwiches- rolls, bread, bagels, pitas, tortillas, waffles, English muffins, croissants

Breakfast: Eggs and veggies and ham crescent braid; Oven pancake; Pumpkin pancakes; Oatmeal apple pancake; Skillet apple pancake; Waffles; Eggs; Potato casserole; Broc ham egg quiche; Crepes; Eggs in a nest; Cinnamon rolls; Scrambled eggs- cheese, ham, sausage, veggies, etc; Fried eggs; Pancakes- fruit in or on top; Rice pudding; Oatmeal; Baked French toast; French toast; Muffins; Coffee cake; Cereal; Frozen waffle sandwiches; Yogurt w fruit and granola; Smoothies; Egg/ham/cheese muffin; Bagels; Biscuits and gravy;
Sides: Hush puppies; Rice a roni; Pasta roni; Mashed potatoes; Smashed potatoes; Steak fries; Sweet potatoes- casserole, fries; Rice- butter, cheese, salsa, etc; Couscous; Gnocchi; Macaroni and cheese- box or scratch; Cottage cheese w fruit; Garlic bread; Rolls; Boxed pasta salad; Mozzarella sticks (frozen); Cheese bites (frozen)

Fruit/Veggie: Steam in bag veggies w/ sauce; Corn on the cob; Steamed fresh or frozen veggies- corn, broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, acorn squash, green beans, carrots, cauliflower; Fresh veggies for dipping- celery, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower,peas, cucumber; Zucchini strings; Fried squash or zucchini; Salad- greens, shredded carrots, diced tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, add dressing, cheese, and croutons; Baked apples; Applesauce; Fruit salad; Canned fruit- peaches, pears, oranges, pineapple, etc; Fresh fruit- apples, pears, pineapple, mango, peaches, nectarine, banana, berries, strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, kiwi, grapes, plums;  Frozen berries in yogurt, cereal, smoothies, pancakes, or just eaten; Fruit or veggie kabobs w/ dip.

Now you know more than you ever wanted to about our family's eating habits. It is a start right?
Here is our menu for this week.
M- chicken spaghetti, salad, bread (Pioneer Woman Cookbook)
T- Taco Salad, fruit or melon wedges (Taco Supreme from Mels Kitchen Cafe)
W- lasagna rolls, salad, bread (copied from a meal brought by my friend Kathryn after I had a baby)
T- hamburgers, curly fries, fruit salad
F- pineapple chicken sandwiches or corn dog muffins (idea from my friend Sue)
S- beef and barley stew for church picnic (recipe ripped from a parenting magazine years ago) (and I'm really nervous about this one, I usually sign up to bring watermelon or cupcakes, things I can't mess up)
S- French toast bites

So far, one week into my meal planning adventures, and I am doing well. Grocery store this morning took an hour and 15 minutes, but I figure that is good enough for having all 4 kids with me. And I spent $165, with $200 the before discount total. Could have done better saving. Next time.

Menu Ideas

One of the areas I really wanted to get back on track and organized was our eating habits and more specifically my cooking habits. I always fall off the wagon in various degrees when we come upon a crisis. We end up eating out or prepacked processed food way too much, and our budget and health suffers for it.
My latest excuse list for why I haven't been planning and cooking regular, healthy, and inexpensive meals:
Child birth
Moving
Husband working late
Babysitting extra kids
Summer vacation

Not bad, right? Except it started 6 months ago and now it is time to get thing back on track.

This area is a challenge for me for several reasons.
First of all, I hate grocery shopping. It is one of my most dreaded homemaker chores. I tend to put it off as long as possible, and when I do go I try to shop for as long as possible. This tends to result in a cart overflowing with food, accompanied by a crying child or two, who have been shopping for too long and told "no" one time too many times.
After surviving the trip through the check out, loading and unloading the car, and putting it all away, I am $200 poorer and have to figure out where to store 2 weeks worth of milk. I cook it and serve it and my kids eat it (sometimes) and about two weeks later we are again out of food. So I have to do it all over again- with nothing at all to show for the previous week's effort. In my task/result oriented brain, this is a huge waste of my time and resources. So we order a pizza and call it dinner and I don't have to worry about it.

The other reason is that I have never considered myself a good cook. My husbands always replies that he has always eaten what I put in front of him, that I have never served him something "inedible." Since this is coming from a man who had to eat mystery meat and poop mushroom goulash in Russia for two years of his life, and was happy living off ramen noodles and tater tots when we met, I don't really think his opinion counts. My 6 year old who gags on grreen beans or the 9 year old who bursts into tears at the sight of chili, those opinions matter. Because the whole reason I am cooking is to make food that they will eat. So I have had to do some teaching myself how to cook, with the help of some food blgs and some friends. My mom did her best, but I seemed to have tuned out everything but how to make spaghetti for 15 people (but my toddler hates spaghetti) and chocolate chip cookies (sorry Mom, someone else is going to have to carry on your cooking legacy).

Finally, I hate having to decide what to make. I often find myself staring into the cupboards at the rows of cans and boxes and wondering what in the world I can do with tomatoes and pasta and frozen chicken that will turn it into something healthy that my kids will eat, in less time than it takes for the baby to wake up from her nap. I usually come up pretty short.

So I have challenged myself to turn meal planning, shopping and cooking into something I can view as productive, enjoyable, and worthwhile. And if the food is good enough for my kids, helps me lose some baby weight, and makes dad happy, that would be great too!
I developed three measurable goals for myself, to satisfy that task-oriented college girl who still demands to be heard once in a while:
1. Make a menu plan. A week of planned meals that I will have the ingredients to prepare, planned around our schedule to I will also have time to prepare them. Croc pots and salads on days we will be out late, more elaborate meals on our stay at home days, and try a few new things to expand our list of meals. And I won't have to stare at the fridge and wonder what to make, I will already know.
2. Make grocery shopping a happy time. Ok, maybe happy will be a stretch, but I think I can make it more enjoyable. Challenge myself to get in and out in an hour instead of two or three, to save a certain percent by shopping sales or using coupons. I will not become obsessed with couponing but am willing to adjust things to use the food that is on sale. My starting goal is 30% off at the checkout with sales or coupon discounts.
3. Cook good food. I am going to try one new recipe each week untilI have a solid stash of go-to meals that are yummy to everyone and easy for me to make. Food blogs and tutorials to the rescue. My kids are pretty good at trying at least a bite or two of new foods, and I rarely force them to eat things I know they hate. Limiting take out to once a pay period (because I am also realistic) and increasing our fruit and veggie servings to two at each meal plus snacks should also help us to feel healthier and maybe even shed a few pounds.

So there it is. My three steps to better meals. Next, my attempts at menu planning!

On Empty Pots

No, this isn't a gardening post. I already wrote about that in this post. This post is more concerned with the emptiness than the growing.

There is a stack of empty flower pots sitting on my front porch. They have been there since we moved in about 6 weeks ago. They sit there collecting rain water, pollen, dust, and dandelion seeds. I don't think about them during the day, the business of life keeps them "out of sight, out of mind." I do notice them, however, every time I enter or leave the house. And I think of the things I could be growing there.
I have made plans for them many times. Lots of plans and great ideas. I have read books and blogs and articles about container gardening and helping flowers and vegetables grow in pots on porches and window sills. I think I could probably write my own article or blog post on the subject. With all my knowledge though, the pots are still empty, briming with possibility and potential and plans, but empty.
I have a house full of empty pots- blank walls waiting for decorating, pattern print outs waiting to be cut and sewn into clothes and dolls and other objects, stacks of empty journals with blank pages, and drawers of photos waiting to be put into albums or scrapbooked. I know how to do it, but findig the time and motivation to do it all is still eluding me. And I have decided that it is okay. The flowers can wait a few weeks or months or even years. And it's not that important if the walls are blank or the sewing machine stays in the box.

There are however a few "pots" that can't be neglected or postponed.

I have been watching some rebroadcasts of women's conference where Sister Beck mentions some of the womanly duties that can't be delegated or negotiated or neglected. I heard a quote from a member of the First Presidency that explains how to move into a "survival mode" of sorts when things get out of control by focusing on just the essentials. Various other sources have all sent messages of the importance of focusing on the best things, instead of getting distracted by all the good things. Roles of wife, mother, sister, and daughter. Essentials like prayer amd scripture and family time.
I have five empty pots that have to be tended to now. They have names, and needs, and I have a sacred responsibility to tend to them. My husband needs a supportive and functional wife. My four children need a mother. And all that other stuff isn't that important.
It took a big move that took me way out of my comfort zone and away from my external support network to show me that I have to create my own comfort zone. To turn to my husband- my eternal support, when I need comfort or distraction from lonliness or depression or overwhelming feelings of doubt. That the responsibility of turning an house into a home rests on my shoulders. That the family relationships are more important than all the others. Right now I have a unique gift of time- no church calling or ward family to pull either of us away in the evening or on Sundays, no school volunteer duties, no girls nights or lunch dates to provide social outlets. Just my family to focus on. And we need a date night!
I have a job to do as a mother. Right now, I'm all they've got! They are little empty pots themselves, ready and waiting for me to plant all the right seeds. Or not plant anything, and let weeds and bugs and happenstance take over. I have been finctioning in the wrong survival mode for so long that I haven't been doing much mothering. Lots of caretaking and providing, but not mothering. I filled my days with busy-ness, but not essentials.
It hit me today as I was reading a blog about the importance of reading to your children, while my toddler watched tv or played alone. I could write a great book about mothering- I know a lot about it! But knowledge doesn't do any good unless it is applied. So I turned off the screen and sat with my girls and we read lots and lots of books and played with her toys and made lunch and sang songs.
I didn't need a book or a blog to tell me how to do it, I already knew. I just needed to do it. And as I sat and thougt about it, I thought of so many other ways I knew but wasn't doing. Right now we are all facing challenges nad my children need a mother, not just someone to feed them and wash their clothes.
So I am cutting out all those extras. It is not important if the photos ever come out of the box. No one will care in the eternitities if I learned to knit socks or paint murals or grow tomatoes or if my girls go to church in matching skirts I made myself. They need long talks and warm hugs and sincere prayers to grow strong, not homemade bread or custom drapes or hand glued hairbows with giant flowers. Blogging about motherhood and marriage and eternal families isn't nearly as important as having family home evening and reading our scriptures together and going to church together.
I can drag tham all over the state this summer and take them to concerts and museums and carnivals and make clay volcanoes and toothpick towers, but it is most important to teach them to love eachother, to serve others and their families, to play together, to learn about who they are and their amazing potential and eternal destiny. I just spent a week planning our summer camp, three months packed full of outings and day trips and adventures of all sorts. I think I am going to start over with a more important focus than just keeping my kids busy. We are going to grow together and learn about love and families and working and playing together, not just stay busy. I am pretty sure that one of our activities this summer will be to grow something in those empty pots, but maybe not. I might just leave them there.

So if you come to my house and see the stack of empty pots, know that they are there on purpose- to remind me of the more important things.

Summer Camp Wannalaffalotta

Introducing Camp Wannalaffalotta-

For moms and kids who "wanna laugh a lotta!"

Just a little something I threw together for my kids as an alternative to the $100-200 weekly day camps that abound here. I am excited about it and they seem to be as well. If you a local, feel free to join us! If not, make up your own camp! You can print out the little brochure- it's not official until there is paper work, according to my oldest- and party with us.

I am still working on the 2011 version, but you get the idea, right?

Boxes

203 items or boxes unpacked and put away. 52 to go. Here is one corner of my living room, the before picture.

In case you have been wondering where I have been lately. I am giving myself another 2 weeks to finish. If I meet my goal, I am taking myself shopping at the outlet mall that is a block from my house. Wish me luck!

And what do you do if you are a kid and all your toys are in a box? Well, turn the boxes into toys. We have a cardboard condo row in our living room now.

And finally, B and I took the one sunny day last week to walk to the park across the street. I hope it dries out so we can return, it was really beautiful!

I Should Have Bought the Extended Warranty

This weekend my dishwasher, oven, stove, and washing machine all stopped working.


For two solid weeks, they worked amazingly well. Friday morning, they stopped.

First, the stove and oven. I walked into the kitchen at meal time, and there wasn't food ready and waiting. No yummy casseroles, warm cookies, or even a peanut butter sandwich for the little one. The burners were off, the oven cold and empty. I have checked back several times over the weekend, and there is no sign of improvement. Turning on the oven light didn't help, nor did placing the empty pots and pans on top of the range. I am out of quick-fix ideas.

Next, the sink and dishwasher. I used to be able to put dishes into the sink at various times throughout the day and by the time I went to bed, they had been moved to the dishwasher for cleaning, and by morning were all back in their rightful places in the cabinets. I have been dropping things into the sink all weekend and they are still there. Opening the door of the dishwasher didn't seem to help, except for letting the kids get their own dishes out more easily.

Finally the washer/dryer combo. The dryer has stopped spontaneously producing loads of clean laundry. The clothes hampers are filling with clothes and they are not being emptied into the washer while I sleep, and thus unable to be transferred to the dryer and made available for use.

The weekly vacuuming time for the rugs is fast approaching and I am afraid that my vacuum cleaner is going to follow suit and somehow refuse to do its job as well. And when the groceries run out this weekend, I suppose that the fridge and cabinets will also go on the fritz and not refill with food while I am in the shower or feeding the baby?

In a case of really poor timing, the above described appliance disasters all coincide with the departure of my mother. I am not convinced they are completely unrelated.

I should have signed up for the extended care plan.

Clean Sweep in Baby Steps

Today I made a list of everything I want to do before the baby comes to get the house ready for company and real estate people and such. It was long and overwhelming. However, I know I will feel so much better to no longer be surrounded by all this stuff and have this giant list hanging over my head.


I have decided to break it up into little manageable baby steps and try to conquer one little job at a time. I rotate through the rooms of the house each day doing deep cleaning, hitting each one about once a week, and add in my de-clutter job, and my daily upkeep things and when I am done, I stop. No worrying about the next thing on the list. Going to keep track of my progress here under the label "clean sweep."

Today's job: the medicine cabinet. Out with everything that was expired or nearly empty. Sadly, there wasn't much left! I couldn't believe how much junk had accumulated up there. It felt good to toss it all out. And thanks to an awesome Christmas present from my friend, I had a box of new everything ready to take its place. One bag of old medicine out, one box of new medicine in, one less box taking up space on my counter, one less thing on my list. And it only took about 30 minutes!

Wonder what I can knock out tomorrow?

Hits and Misses

Weekly Menu check.

Hits:
frozen ravioli with garden-style sauce, salad
tacos, applesauce, carrots
garlic bread sticks
apple dumplings
KFC, potatoes, melon,
chic-fil-a in between pool and movies
burgers, veggies with dip, peaches
rigatoni spaghetti with cheese
mini taco pizza- corn tortillas, refried beans, shredded cheese quesadillas, with the name changed so the guest would eat it.

Misses:
chicken and gnocchi soup- too thick, odd taste, possibly the onions? Was ok with thinned broth.
coleslaw
fried zucchini strings- they may be fried crisp, salted, and tossed with parm cheese, but they are still green! Mike and I liked them.

On Deck:
pizza rolls (cinnamon rolls with pizza toppings instead of cinnamon sugar and such)
chicken stir fry
breakfast casserole with sausage, eggs, cheese, and veggies
something with ground turkey?
lunch with elders and guests- salad and cookout?

Goal:
get kids to eat more veggies.
Start adding baby food purees to sauces and such?

Weekly Report for August 30

1. Home- still a tornado. But I have a plan, a system, a written out routine for all of us. 2 hrs a day of cleaning- 1 hr for keep up, and one hour for catch up, to be replaced with projects later. Going with the daily docket from "simple mom" and the household binder and mom space from "JOY". This week's goal: organize living room to accommodate new compact corner unit desk so I can move the computer out to the living room (need to be able to keep an eye on the kids) and turn the office room into Andy's room.

2. Fitness- made it to the gym 4 of 5 days. Drum roll please- I have lost 8 pounds since returning home from vacation 6 weeks ago. Yeah me! If I could have the willpower to cut out the ice cream and chocolate chip cookies it would be more. Still can't get into my "old clothes" yet.

3. Spirit- Found new plan for family scripture study to implement tomorrow. Involves waking up 15 minutes earlier- I hope it works. Going to start Book of Mormon over tomorrow and start reading it with Lenna at night to fill her homework reading requirement. Hope to find a sitter and spend my 30th birthday at the temple.

4. Education- I learned to knit at enrichment Saturday. Have plan for square-foot garden to implement after house caught up, probably for spring plants. Going to try new recipe with the kids this week.

5. Family- Going to take my kids to the pool this week. Going to start getting up in the morning with Mike as often as I can. I think the few minutes together will make a difference. Starting with 2 letters/cards/emails per week to far away relatives. Sept is birthday month, so it will be just cards this month.

I am still feeling motivated. So far, so good.

Two out of three?

One of my goals is to provide healthy meals that my kids actually like. I need a teacher. Or a year-supply of chicken nuggets. Either will work for me. Anyway, this is what we are eating.

Monday- chicken nugget day, with baby carrots and canned fruit. I had no energy and no time. But they ate everything I put in front of them.

Tuesday- chicken alfredo with veggies (one of those microwave in the bag meals). I thought it was going to be a hit. My kids usually love pasta and alfredo sauce. I liked it, Becca liked it, Andrew wouldn't touch it, and Lenna just picked out the pasta. Will have to try it again another night when they aren't so cranky (it was ballet day).

Wednesday- pork chops, rice, peaches, and pizza zucchini boats. I was feeling proud that I had made a "real" dinner. Lenna tried everything, then made herself a sandwich. Andrew ate everything but the zucchini then finished with a bowl of cereal. Becca loves rice by the handful and cheesy zucchini. Lenna was cranky, she usually eats all of that stuff. Thought for sure calling zucchini a pizza boat would sell it, but they wouldn't even touch it.

Thursday- need to make something up to do with frozen chicken breast or ground beef, preferably in the croc-pot. Thinking meatballs. They usually eat those.

Friday- dinner with daddy. I feel pressure to produce a meal worthy of adult consumption. Will let you know how it goes. Chinese chicken stir fry? Grilled something? Stand-by taco salad?

Saturday- picnic at the pool one last time. PB&J's all around.

Sunday- breakfast for dinner day. Waffles or apple pancakes. Leaning towards pancakes.

What is Operation Joy?

Operation JOY is my new personal quest for, well, joy.

This past year has been a real struggle for me, and I am finally feeling motivated and energized enough to set up some new routines and habits that will bring some joy to my life.

No more waiting until the next phase- after the kids start school, after Mike graduates, after I lose 20 pounds, after we get a bigger house, after... what? After my life is over? No thanks. So I am trying to set up some systems to make it easier for me to enjoy my life now. How? Just Organize Yourself. This will be a place to set goals, track progress, and share results!

I have five basic areas that I need to organize:
1. Home
2. Fitness
3. Spirituality
4. Education
5. Family

1. First, my house. 2 years of working, a move, and a new baby have thrown things into chaos (can't have anyone over syndrome). Time to de-clutter, organize, deep clean, and keep clean. And time to share the load and let everyone who lives here start taking some responsibility for their own stuff! I have never been enthusiastic about my role as a homemaker,  but I am ready to step up and embrace my role as keeper of our home. Cooking, cleaning, and creating will be chronicled in this section.
I want my house to feel like home- a place to feel peace, a place to relax, and place to have fun and grow as a family, a safe-haven from the outside world where the Spirit of the Lord dwells.

2. Next, my body. Four kids and a year of inactivity due to pregnancy and the Georgia summer have taken their toll on my body. My metabolism has changed and I can no longer get away with eating the junk I used to. A new exercise routine, healthier eating habits, and a determination to fit into my old jeans are to be chronicled here.

3. Next, spiritual things. Time to re-read the Book of Mormon, strengthen my testimony, and magnify my calling. Now that baby is old enough to go without nursing for several hours and will take a bottle, I have no reason to not be at the temple regularly. I am making a renewed effort to be a good example for my children, to hold regular home evenings, family prayer and scripture study, and make our home a learning place.

4. Next, education. Not more formal schooling, at least for me. My learning will be done outside the classroom. I want to read more good books. I want to finish all those projects sitting in the closet, not quite completed. I want to learn to do simple home repairs. I want to grow a garden. I want to learn another language. I want to find something that I can be passionate about. I want to make sure my free time is filled with meaningful things and not simply things "to pass the time". No letting my brain "turn smushy" as my kids would say. I will share what I am learning here.

5. Finally, family. I have a big family. I have many roles to play in it- wife, mother, sister, daughter, granddaughter, in-law, aunt. I can do better at all of them. I want to be better at keeping in touch with far-away relatives and building relationships with those who I am not close to. I want to keep my marriage strong. I want to find joy in my role as a mother and learn to have more fun with my children. My adventures in my many roles will be shared in this section.

So there you have it. Operation JOY. Wish me luck- leave a comment! Want to help? Share an idea! Want to come along? Join me in your own operation joy and become a contributor.

Time to get started!

Jannet