Monday: I wasn't sure we'd get to see Taylor at all this weekend. Katie was about to head her way home on Sunday for family lunch when her boyfriend noted that her tires were shot. Off she went to get new back tires. They finally got here about 2pm. Caleb was very glad to see us, and we were glad to see him. Of course, we barely had time with them before they left to take Taylor back to her Daddy, but a glimpse is better than nothing.
Last night, Caleb asked John to sit with him in the bathroom while he bathed. Those two laughed and giggled and laughed for a good half hour all because of a silly rubber duck he'd gotten over the weekend. Everything they did was funny to the other. Katie and I took advantage of the guys being busy to have a catch-up chat. I've missed her as much as I have Caleb and I'm glad to have her back home once more, but glad they had a chance to have such a pleasant week away as well.
I worked on prepping food for the week ahead this morning. All my harder work has been done now and it's just a matter of finishing up sides. It was nice to have a morning in the kitchen and not get all hot and bothered. I remember now that was why I gave up these marathon kitchen Mondays. It was too darn hot! Not anymore. I wore a jacket and socks most of the morning and when I did finally get a little too warm, all I had to do was go sit outdoors to watch Caleb play and found myself pulling on jacket and socks once more. I looked at the thermometer on the back porch and it read 57F. Brrr! Caleb was happy sitting in a sunny spot digging in the dirt.
I slipped back indoors and watched him from the window. I could work and watch him play, too, so that was a bonus. He's a lot less 'scared' than he was a few weeks ago and happily wandered about the yard and willingly went off to play. I think being away from home did him a world of good, but it certainly didn't make the angst of potty-training decrease any. He fusses just as much about going as he did prior, but at least training continued while he was away. We push on.
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Tuesday: That old saying of no news is good news...well sometimes the silence is just like that before a storm, ominous and still and you just know it's coming. So, it is today. Warnings we've been sensing of changes ahead weren't all with Katie and Caleb and a simple text proved us right. Frustratingly we know something is wrong but not what. It's been a time for lots of prayers as we try to sift through what we know and what we fear.
At times like this all you can do is just face things the best you can.
Friday: Well, when I said I was going to reduce the scale of the weekly diary I hadn't planned to skip days in between writings. I guess I just plain forgot!
Wednesday, we took the day out and went to choose pumpkins. Caleb chose the tiniest little pumpkin. John chose a lovely big one. Then we took him to Burger King so he could play outdoors. It was gorgeous weather out and there was a score of little boys there about Caleb's age and off they went to play together. Not one mom complained, lol.
Thursday, we got news that our younger son's job with Geico had been terminated. We assumed when Geico shut down all operations in the state of California that something was up and warned him then. Earlier this summer there was a huge layoff that affected the office he works out of and mentally he's been preparing himself for what he saw as the handwriting on the wall. Trouble is you can't ever really be fully prepared. He's got a solid plan in place which involves taking some time to really think about what direction he wants to take next in his life. He has that luxury, thanks to his thinking ahead, but he's still in a state of shock. He was all prepared to go to work yesterday morning and an email came telling him he needn't.
Today, Katie has contacted the Montessori school in town. In a couple of weeks, Caleb will start school there on a part time basis, going five mornings a week. After the first of the year, we'll try to get him in full time. The director is going to work with him on potty training these first two months and said he'll be going cold turkey with no pull up and straight into 'nowears'.
John was skeptical. "How's she going to do that? We've been working with him for almost a year!" I pointed out that the woman does this routinely and has proven methods. "I hadn't worked with potty training in nearly 36 years and you yourself haven't been around a potty-training child in nearly 45...I should think she has just a touch more experience than we do." And yes, I skipped over Katie's potty training because frankly, her nursery provider did all that hard work with little help on my part. I can take no credit for Katie's childhood training at all.
For those of you who might not read the comments, Lana shared a video that has slightly revolutionized thinking on the 'budget'. I've known for some time now that I really need to separate out the cleaning/paper/pet foods from my food budget. 'Centsible Living with Money Mom' has this video that explains a concept shared by See Mindy Mom whom I used to follow. Seriously, give this video a listen. She makes perfect sense.
And just because things like this seldom are random, I shared with Lana that this past Saturday I'd gone into the grocery store to pick up random items, none of which were intended to boost the pantry, freezer or meals around here. The items were all 'recreational eating' items so to speak and I'd decided that after all I wasn't going to include that amount in my grocery budget for the month as it in no way helped the overall food storage/usage. I considered it all ought to be 'entertainment' because really that's exactly what it was!
We had a very rainy morning here this morning. John cut grass for the last time yesterday and was planning to go cut Sam's but alas the rain stopped that plan. I noted that the green beans shot up about four inches with the warm sunny day yesterday and this morning's rain. Will I get the much-desired chance to harvest beans this year prior to frost?
The sun is shining, and the wind is blowing steady and heavily, so I suspect we'll have another cooling down of weather.
We've got a busy weekend ahead of us which includes small groups, church, possible babysitting for the children across the field and I need to run to the UPS store if at all possible.
What did your week behind look like? How does your weekend look? Do come share!
5 comments:
I have no plans to purchase food from any budget other than my food budget. I do plan to be more aware of how much I am spending on items that are extras.
Lana, Nor will I as a rule! This was just an easy way to deal with foods that weren't going to fit any other portion of the budget. Since we've missed two Saturday dates this month we can afford to slide it over but I'll not make it a habit.
I have always had dog budget, non food budget, canning/preserving budget, and food budget also includes eating out INCLUDING THE TIP. Clothing budget was separate from shoe/boot budget. Then there was the extra school stuff budget. Probably a good thing as Hubby was in the middle of a Chapter 13 (slow pay) bankruptcy with his ex wife. I ended up sitting both down (they struggle with that but I grew up with stepmom being involved) and separating it out. Both have done well since then.
Even though I am now alone, I think a budget is more important than ever. I am probably a bit overboard but I separate items into categories, food and only food, snacks (they do add up), cat, paper products, cleaning products for home. Enertainment, eating out, and then other once a month, health insurance, utilities, donations,ect. Then once a month savings for Christmas, birthdays, and other gift occasions. Other yearly such as taxes, car and house insurance. Savings and then a fund for variables such as hiring lawn mowing, snowplowing, home repairs that I estimate. Yeah, old accounting major here. Gramma D
Juls, my personal clothing budget comes out of my allowance. It's always done simply because there was no room in the budget for clothing for me otherwise. John's has come out of the main household accounts only because he very very rarely purchases a thing for himself (and won't allow me to). I think next year though I'm going to have to be ever more specific with budgeted areas and include things like clothing and healthcare, pets, household goods, and such.
Dora, I think I would be wise to further dissect my grocery budget into snacks/pantry and preserving/and regular foodstuffs. I already do insurances, gifts, prescriptions and dr. visits, taxes, tags, etc.
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