Friday, September 6, 2013

7 Quick Takes Friday




So I realized last night that I've begun announcing that I'm going into the kitchen before I get there, to give any mice the chance to run and hide.  I start out in the dining room saying loudly to myself "Okay, just going into the kitchen to get something..." or "Okay, walking through the kitchen to go downstairs to do laundry..." because really I don't feel like coming face to face with any member of the rodent family again this week.

Despite this I'm pretty sure there weren't any mice in there when I walked through, since our little micey visitors have been neither quiet or quick.


Maggie was a little crafty yesterday.  She had a bracelet made out of three pipe cleaners that she was wearing and the next thing I knew I looked over and she'd made it into a ring, which she is clearly very, very proud of.  Since she's pretty much always moving too quickly to get a clear picture of something as small as a ring, I snapped this when she wasn't wearing it:




I'm still coming up with a field trip for today.  The great thing about this city (and the surrounding areas) is that the Things To Do list is very, very long.  There are so many educational and fun places to go and things to see and do that I'm sure I won't exhaust the list I put in my binder after visiting the city page at the beginning of the year.  Since I have no idea if we're going to be here for 12 months or 12 years (or any other number) I'm trying to do something different.

Still, the zoo sounds mighty tempting at the moment... Also on the list today is checking out one of the local farmer's markets and the library!  I love Friday afternoons!




A year ago this week I loaded the girls in the car and drove (without Paul) through Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana to attend one of my best friends' wedding.  I still can't believe the three of us made it there and back (especially in the third trimester!)!  I have to say, I do find myself wondering when the next big road trip will come along...




Last year I made, what I thought at the time, was a year's worth of laundry detergent.  I thought it was time for another update.

We've been using the detergent for almost twelve months now and not only does it work wonderfully (and doesn't irritate our kids' super sensitive skin) but I've only worked my way through about half of the detergent that I made... so the initial batch appears to be about two years worth.

Spending less than $10 a year on detergent definitely makes the hour that it took to make it up worth it!



Apparently I've said the words "maybe we can do that once you're a lawyer" quite a few times in front of Sadie... because the other day we were in Walmart and there was  a big blow up pool on sale for $5. I picked it up and showed it to Paul and then this conversation happened:

Me:  "Of course not for this year.  But..."
Sadie:  "Maybe we can do it once Daddy's a lawyer!"
Paul:  "I wonder where she gets that from."
Me:  "I was going to say 'for next summer....'  Do I really say it that often?"
Paul:  "Yes.  Yes you do."


I'm actually incredibly excited that September has arrived.  The weather has been beautiful.  There's a chill in the air in the mornings and I've actually gotten to turn the air conditioner and fans off.  I'm so excited for the arrival of all the beautiful autumn colors!  They aren't quite here yet, but here's one of last years pictures:


I can hardly wait!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

5 comments:

  1. I've been meaning to comment about your rat and #1 just reminded me. I wanted to make you feel better by letting you know that we get mice regularly (since we are by a bunch of woods). The last time was two weeks ago and we were out of the sticky traps (our preferred method) so we used containers of poison (work beautifully in the garage). I wondered briefly about where the mice would die once ingesting but then got busy. I remembered that minor detail when I smelled a horrid smell coming from our basement. Decaying mice underneath our stairs. So gross. They are still there because we cannot reach them but they are tiny and decay quickly. *shudder*

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  2. Can you post a link to your laundry detergent recipe? I'm 125% interested in learning how to make it! I've been baking our bread, granola bars, and our own granola for some time. You laundry detergent seems like a fantastic money-saver!

    TB

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  3. Melody- That actually does make me feel better! I feel like I'm always sweeping up crumbs at the end of the day and things look clean and so I was so frustrated to find a rat! But I've had a number of people tell me that it's that time of year regionally and so that makes me feel 100 times better about them!

    TB- I found it! The link is right here: http://awomansplaceis.blogspot.com/2012/09/making-my-own-cleaning-supplies-laundry.html And I definitely think it's worth it!

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  4. Google ate my comment. Here goes again:

    It's been a month of stress and tears. Too many things to list. I read your blog and feel some peace and hope. Thanks for it. Not sure why it gives me so much happiness. You're a blessing!

    I secretly hope you guys eventually wind up in Tennessee. ;) Until then, next time you come through, lunch/dinner is on us.

    Love and hugs from one Maggie mommy to another.

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  5. Oh hugs! And thank you for your sweet comment.

    And prayers for the repose of the soul of your friend. Cancer stinks.

    I can't wait to find out where we're ending up. I hope it someplace fairly permanent. I counted up all the moves in the past decade and there were more moves than years! I'm ready to stay put!

    Hang in there!

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I love comments and I read every single comment that comes in (and I try to respond when the little ones aren't distracting me to the point that it's impossible!). Please show kindness to each other and our family in the comment box. After all, we're all real people on the other side of the screen!