happily random

Back to school, Back to Reality

Is it the last day of September already? It seems like just yesterday that school started and now we are full swing into week four. I know I said I was ready for school to start, but I think I might have to print a retraction on that.

I miss getting up after the sun.

I always feel like I'm forgetting something.

Before I realize it, it seems to be 3:30 in the afternoon. I have no idea what happened with the day, I have nothing to show for what I accomplished except that I'm fully dressed and I have no idea what we're having for dinner.

I forget what day of the week it is.

Anyone else feel like they just got on the express train with the first day of school? Maybe it's now having three kids in school? Getting lunches made each morning, hunting for shoes (they always seem to walk away on their own no matter how many times they get put into cubbies), making sure everyone has their homework done and in their backpacks, checking homework, reading the designated amount of time each night, field trips (we have had 2 all ready!), volunteering in class, memorizing memory verses, etc., etc., etc. And my kids aren't even in sports! I can'y imagine adding soccer practices to the mix at this point.

My kids have been back to school since September 9. Rebekah is in 4th grade this year, Lucas is in 2nd grade & Tyler in kindergarten. We decided to hold Samantha out this year, mostly because she is the baby and I'm not ready to part with her for preschool yet, although there are times I question that decision. The three older kids love their teachers and classes and are already back in the swing of things, even if I'm not.

Since it seems that September truly did pass in a blur, I will recount my accomplishments for the month mostly for my own reassurance that I indeed to accomplish things. Maybe this is why I seem to have no time?

1. Washed, dried and put away about 20 loads of laundry. Have I mentioned how much I hate doing laundry? That's why it's #1 on the list of accomplishments. None of my kids go to school in dirty clothes.

2. One of our hens hatched 9 of the 12 eggs that she was sitting on. Since neither Joel and I have ever had a brooding hen, this was very cool to see. She is a great mom. It makes up for the fact that now none of our 3 hens is laying at the moment and we have had to buy eggs for the last month now.

3. Started MOPS again this year and have had 2 meetings. This year I am a Discussion Group Leader, which basically means I host a table of 6 other women at our MOPS meetings. It is something I have wanted to do since I started doing MOPS 5 years ago. Most people start out their MOPS leadership as a DGL, but not me. I went backwards: from Coordinator for 3 years and Council Coordinator with MOPS International for 2 years, now to a DGL. DGLs are the frontlines of MOPS ministry and I'm so excited to finally be in this roll!
4. Started attending the Women's Bible Study at my church for the fall classes. I'm taking a wonderful workshop on a book by Linda Dillow titled Satisfy my Thirsty Soul. I have a tendency not to finish nonfiction books if I don't have a class pushing me along to do so. I guess I need the accountability.
5. Almost ready to launch my couponing website called NW Deal Seeker, so I have been working on all the content for that. Be on the lookout for it to launch in the next month or so! Then I truly will be busy.

6. Along with my friend Jo, I have canned 24 jars of apples, 10 jars of stewed tomatoes & 6 jars of applesauce. This was my first time canning and I appreciate Jo's help teaching me how to do it.

7. We went camping the 3rd weekend of the month, enjoy the last bit of sunshine before the fall really set in.

So, even though my days pass in a blur and I feel like I'm getting nothing done, apparently I am. It's good to step back an take a look at the overall month as it really helps me from feeling discouraged. It also shows my husband that, evidence to the contrary, I don't spend all my time on Facebook or Twitter.

Apple Picking... and Canning

I had planned on canning apples from my own apple trees this year, but the deer (and apparently a moose according to my husband) beat me to it. When I went out to my trees to pick apples yesterday, there were only four apples left... on the very tippy top of the tree. Needless to say, I was not happy. But we are flexible...

So yesterday we drove over to Green Bluff to pick apples. I was not to be detered from my apple canning plans! Jo & her family joined us (I must admit the family outing was her idea, and a great one at that) as she is my 'canning instructor.' From a previous post you can see, I have made freezer jam in bulk but I had never ventured into the world of traditional canning. I have always found the whole thing a tad intimidating and felt that I needed someone to guide me my first time through.

Even though it's just the beginning of September, it was a very chilly 60 degrees in the orchards of Walter's Fruit Ranch. We braved the outdoors even with the threat of rain hanging over our heads. On the plus side, the chill in the air kept the wasps away making for a delightful and sting-free experience. We took a quick tractor ride through the orchards to an area of ripe honeycrisps. With four adults and six kids picking we quickly had two boxes of apples for pie-making. One of my favorite apples are gala apples, which also were ripe for picking. After another quick tractor ride we picked a box of apples for making applesauce.

Next stop was Jo's house, where we set about canning our prized apples. I thank God for the wonderful person who invented the apple slicer/peeler/corer as it makes preparing apples so simple! While I did that, Jo set about making the mixture we would add to the apples and the boiling water bath for the the jars once they were filled.

Using clean quart jars, I filled them to the top with apple slices and passed them off to Jo who poured in the apple pie 'sauce.' She then wiped the rim of the jars clean and placed a cap and a rim on each of them. Once we had six, she added them to the boiling water and submerged them for 10 minutes. After ten minutes she pulled them out of the water and set them on a towel to cool. It was so satisfying to here each of the jars pop as they sealed closed. Since I never have canned before, I didn't realize that the jars seal as they cool and not in the hot water. Honestly, I had no idea the whole process was so simple! It certainly does help to have someone to show you the ropes the first time around.

Now I am looking forward to making applesauce out of the gala appleshere at home in my smaller jars that collected at garage sales this summer. I also have about half a box more of the honeycrisps that I will use to make another twelve quarts of apple pie filling. What fun!

Different Definition of Clean

My children obviously have a different definition of clean than I do. The boys were told to clean their room this morning and at this stage, they came to me and told me that they were done.

"Is all your stuff picked up?" I asked.

"Yes," each of them answered.

Now, apparently they were not lying when they answered this way. They had both picked up the stuff that they claimed to be "theirs." I have to wonder who they thought all the other stuff belonged to?

I am often amazed at the speed at which the children can completely destroy their rooms. I would think a clean room would last a least a day or two, but sadly it barely lasts more than a few hours. And this is after I get promises from all of them that they will hang up their clothes or put them in the hamper after they wear them, that they will put their toys away when they are done playing with them, that there room will never be that messy again. Empty promises.

After all, they are children right? But I have to wonder why it takes 3 hours to clean a room that took them 3 minutes to completely destroy? If I could only channel that energy....

Honestly, it's the clothes that push me over the edge. I think that is because I absolutely despise doing laundry. With a household of 6, we go through a lot of dirty clothes each week. And there isn't much that makes me angrier than going through a dirty clothes hamper that is piled high with clean clothes that the children decided to throw there instead because they couldn't be bothered to hang them up. I have tried gentle reminders, "Hang up your clothes when you get your jammies on," and directing them where to put them. I have dragged them out of bed even to pick up the clothing they discarded in the middle of the floor. But really a mom can only keep this up for so long. I do have other things to do besides monitoring the clothing distribution and disposal in the household. I'm beginning to feel a little OCD where the clothes are concerned.

I would love to hear how other mothers inspire their children to keep their rooms picked up. Usually the main parts of the house stay picked up... mostly because I would have an aneurysm if the rest of the house looked like the near-constant condition their bedrooms are in. I have them pick up at set times throughout the day. But their rooms... *sigh*

If you open it, close it.

If you get it out, put it away.

If you turn it on, turn it off.

Seems simple, doesn't it?