June 7: Summer Diaries

 

I was asked if I'd stop blogging for the next month.  I seriously considered it, but as you all know, at this point in time, I very much enjoy taking time to write/communicate here on these pages.  I was loath to give it up.  I'd decided at some point in sleeping that I'd produce my 'summer diary' format that I've used for at least one month each summer for the past several years.  Instead of writing daily during the week, I will write on the weekend and share my thoughts about the week behind, plans I've made, etc.    It will take something off my plate to not write every day and free up time I can use to have fun with the kids or relax.  

I still was having a load of regret over losing time at Summer Reading with the other children as well.  (This is something I'd love to do with Caleb there in his town but taking Henry along would be the hardship for me.  He's very heavy to lift into and out of a car seat on my own.  But who knows?  Something might work out.)

Anyway, after a sound night of sleep, I woke this morning with the thought that some of those summer reading activities are actually being offered at 5pm.  I should be home each day around 4-4:15pm at the latest.  I could easily take the kids to those late afternoon programs as well as the few activities offered on the occasional Saturday.   So, I plotted out a program we can go to each week of June.  I'm happy because both of the wildlife programs are offered at that later time at one or the other of our county libraries.    That made me happy.   

My day with the boys is scheduled to run from 9am until 3pm.  Just six hours.  Caleb will have quiet time for at least two hours of that time.  Henry is taking just one nap a day just now but with it generally falls within the same time frame.  Is either one of them going to actually sleep?  Some days perhaps and others will be what they are.  However, both will be confined and should be reasonably quiet.  Katie has also worked out a fairly structured schedule for Caleb that involves a little remedial schoolwork to keep him at speed for starting kindergarten and plenty of time to play outdoors or craft, etc.  And since I myself love playing and teaching and using imagination to make things fun, I am pretty sure that we will have a good time together.  

Will it be hard to keep boys daily, keep house and garden, and do library time with the other kids, too?  Yes.  But I'll have done something I really want to do with the other children, too.  I often find that getting to do some of what I really want to do always makes other things easier overall. So, it seems worth the time sacrifice.  I've already talked with John about doing the basic household tasks such as making beds and sweeping up floors.  He almost always does the vacuuming about the house, and he does all the laundry.  He won't load the dishwasher, but he does rinse and stack dishes in the sink and that's half the battle of loading the thing.  

I can strip and remake the beds on a Saturday unless he wants to stick to doing that load of laundry on a Friday, in which case I can leave it all to him to handle.  He can remake the bed with the fresh sheets he's just washed and dried. I do tend to rotate my sets, but it won't harm a thing if he doesn't.  And I can clean the bathrooms twice weekly in just a few minutes time.

As for other tasks that will need to be done, we shall just ignore them until they become glaringly obvious or if I find I am rested enough, I'll tackle them in small bites.  Just like I'd do any other time.

I debated taking the children to the library today, but I decided against it.  The only activity locally was a card making activity for Father's Day.  My experience with the grandchildren is that the boys will not do it and Millie just wants to use the scissors to cut up the cards.  They might have enjoyed the morning out.  Undoubtedly, I would have as well. But I'll appreciate what I took the time to do today far more.

I spent my morning in the kitchen making up the main dishes for the week ahead.  I'd chopped vegetables and washed fruit last night and I baked a roast beef while bread was mixing and rising and baking.

This morning, I put the veg on to parboil for the Ham Pot Pies.  When I drained the liquid from the cooked vegetables, I saved it to make my cheesy sauce.  It's basically veggie broth anyway, and full of nutrients, so why not use it?  I added a splash of milk as my sauce was thickening which made it look creamier but make it lower calorie than a proper white sauce and then I added my cheese. It made a very light and lovely cheese sauce to go over the ham and vegetables.  I made pastry to fit my smaller loaf pans.  These loaf pans are 8-inch pans, but they are shallow, only about 3 inches deep.  They hold just enough for two good servings.

I got two pot pies.  One for this week, one to go into the freezer for a meal another day.  

After I got the ham pot pies made and prepared, I took time to clean up the messes I'd made and then tackled lasagna.  I had six good sized portabella mushrooms that I really needed to use.  I chopped those, along with a bit of onion I found in the fridge, a container of spaghetti sauce I'd taken from the freezer yesterday, a can of tomatoes and a cup or so of frozen shredded zucchini and cooked it all together.  I did not add anymore meat to the sauce, because I felt that between the protein content of the pasta, the veggies and cheeses, I wouldn't come up short on protein.  I bought a 16-ounce container of ricotta yesterday because it was so much cheaper than cottage cheese (that and Greek yogurt just now are ridiculous).  My recipe for lasagna is part mine and part my late father-in-law's recipe.  He always used cottage cheese and cream cheese together in his lasagna.  He said his Italian neighbors had taught him to make lasagna that way.  I mixed some Italian seasonings and cream cheese with the ricotta and egg.  

The recipe made up a big 9x13 pan.  I cut it into 12 portions when it was all baked.  This netted us a lunch today (with a salad), two portions in the fridge for supper one night in the week ahead, and three extra 2-serve portions to go into the freezer (more future easy meals).  

It always makes me happy to have a few frozen meals ahead.  Honestly, I'm in a position just now that I could literally come home for the next four weeks and simply reheat one of my frozen prepared 2 serving entrees.  And it makes me happy to know I can do just that any evening I feel I need the ease of it!

I've not had a great week this week eating wise.  I haven't done loads of damage, but I've had something nearly every single day that I knew I could have done without or chosen something more in keeping with my eating plan.  I typically eat more carbs on a Saturday than I will eat all week long.  I enjoy my Saturday morning croissant and having a carb-y lunch on weekends.  I generally call it my 'relax' day. I try to stick to proper portions and to be mindful that I do include fruit and vegetables in my eating on Saturdays, but I do relax my vigilance. I will sometimes 'save' an item for the weekend rather than add the calories to the week.  It's helped keep me on the straight and narrow path during the week.  

But last week, I could have done a bit better by my own standard.  I don't even pay attention to the squawks the app I'm using makes anymore, because I can literally have the same food for lunch two days in a row and the app will say, "Wow! You did great!"  or it will give me a super low score and tell me all the things wrong with it.  And it's the very same meal just on a different day. The app scores meals individually, not meals over the full day.  I basically am just riding out my subscription and using the app as a tracking tool.  In September when it expires, I may well choose to do this on paper.

Anyway, next week I hope to do better.  Tomorrow, I will focus on planning easy breakfast and lunches I can take with me.  

Katie has offered me meals.  That is not the issue.  It's my need to control what I am eating that has me planning these meals.  I will happily eat the occasional meal off plan; I'm just not going to do that all of the time.  I'm far more serious about losing weight. 

I got a Stitch Fix box this week.  I am still a size 24 in dresses, a loose size 22 in jeans and comfortably fit in size18/20 tops. I was cautious about changing sizes on Stitch Fix this time though because I had noted that in the past two years their sizing changed.  This was not just my own denial of my weight gain, lol.  Size 22 jeans from their manufacturers are more size 20.  18/20 tops are more size 14/16.  I did change the size of pants from a 24 back to a 22 but I left the top and dress size alone.

The stylist sent me two sized 3X dresses.  One was huge and fell off me. The other was a perfect fit. I really like that dress.   They also sent four tops.  All four were a size 2X.  ONE fits.  I'm thinking Stitch Fix sizing for 2X is nearer a size 16 because the few 2X tops I have from other stores in my closet are a little too big just now.  The size 18-20's from other stores fit perfectly.  

Just as a comparison to how their sizing was reduced, I had a blouse I'd gotten three years or so from Stitch Fix that was a 2X but was a little bit too snug.  When I gained weight, I put it in a pile to donate, and it apparently slid off and fell behind something in the closet.  I found it when I was cleaning out our closet in May and tried it on just for fun.  It fits loosely, now.  

I loved one blouse in this fix that is actually too small.  I've decided to keep it because it fits through the arms, shoulder and bust.  It's just too tight across the hips.  However, I can wear that shirt open over a tank top or camisole.  It's the perfect weight to act as a lightweight cover up until I have lost enough inches in the hips for it to fit properly.  I could order a larger size, but I feel sure I'm going to be able to wear this one properly soon.  

All in all, I was pretty happy with this Fix.  I won't get another one for three more months.  By then, I will have lost a bit more weight and will be ready for new jeans and pants, I think. 

There is a bonus to being at Katie's.  I will be very near the stores in the area where we typically shop anyway, so I can run into a grocery on my way home and grabbed the very best of sales if I feel I need them. Or I could order ahead and do a pickup at any one of three of my favorite stores.  So, there is that bonus.  Years ago, I worked in this same town for about a year and that was something I loved, the ability to run in to pick up the best sales each week.

Now that is quite enough chatter from me.  I'm trying to spend this afternoon resting.  John and I are going to run by Katie's tomorrow to see Taylor before she leaves to go back to her daddy's.  And because John promised Caleb that he'd come by on Sunday.  We must keep our word to these little ones if we can.  It's very important.  

Once I start keeping kids over there, we've agreed that John will just plan to come spend the day with me there once a week so he can spend time with the boys, and we'll skip visiting on the weekends that Taylor isn't in town, which means we'll also get to see Bella. 

I will appreciate it though if y'all will pray for me as I undertake this.  I so identify with what Jenny at Elefantz wrote in her post yesterday about being more tired and having to take things slower.  I hate to admit that at 66 I can't quite keep up all the balls in the air at once!  And I'm in rather good health...I agree 1000% that there is good reason why women my age do not have babies and small children of their own to take care of.

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