Wordless Wednesday - cloth diapered cutie!

Click the pic above to get to other Wordless Wednesday Participants.

For more Wordless Wednesday go check out 5 minutes for mom and 7 Clown Circus!

Getting ready

Preparations for the move is going so well. Everything is falling into place and I am starting to get excited that this will work out okay. The only part that makes me nervous is all that packing. UGH! I am sure that once I get a good bit done, I won't feel so nervous of it, but I am soooo looking forward to getting there.

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I absolutely DID NOT start packing and look up to find my 14 month old daughter playing with my bra and then stop to take a picture. I would never find that amusing! NOPE! NOT ME!


I certainly DID NOT a lovely new outfit from Grandma Great and then proceed to give Princess Magpie a chocolate covered granola bar! I would never do such a thing. NOPE! NOT ME!

Upon getting up this morning after finally finding a place to move to, you know I DID NOT wait until 10:30 to get started on our homeschooling finishing up some moving phone calls first. NOPE! NOT ME!

I really DID NOT keep checking out my new house all day. I am not so excited that I am obsessed. I would never be that excited over such a silly thing as a house. NOPE! NOT ME!

I DID NOT get totally thrilled when I was talking to the lady who would have been Princess Belle's teacher this year and she expressed how much she thought I was doing the right thing for Princess Belle by homeschooling her. I don't need her approval and it didn't matter one bit that she told me that she knew Princess Belle and the school environment really was not the place for her. NOPE! NOT ME!

Preparations

It has been a good day full to the brim of preparations for our upcoming moves. As we prepare, more and more things are falling into place. I have high hopes that this move will go smoothly.

Our new house is bigger than this one is and it has a beautiful big yard with a deck that we will enjoy. It is out in the country and it has been known to have lots of rabbits running around our yard and even the occasional MOOSE!!! I love the idea of having cathedral ceilings in the living room and dining room. I love the idea of hardwood floors. I love that our bedroom is on the same floor as the laundry room. We will even have 1 1/2 baths!!! We have never had more than one bathrooms before. There are lots of things I love about the house alone, let alone about the fact that I get to move away from certain people and I get to be near to my favorite person in the whole world. I just love my Mother-in-Law more than anything. Being there with her, having my children growing up knowing her, being near her when my baby is born, enjoying summers by the backyard fire, trips on my Father-in-Law's boat, and so much more. I have wanted to go home for so long and now I get to. I told Prince Charming in the past that if I ever get a chance to move back home, I NEVER intend to leave again.

Pics of our new place

I got some pics! The house used to be for sale but has been taken off the market. (It was on the market for 1 1/2 with not a single bite at all. I will probably paint some of the walls and we will have our own decor of course but here it is.

WE GOT A PLACE!!!!

It is a lovely house 3 bedroom, with really great rent, hardwood floors, 1 1/2 bathrooms, a lovely dining room, and so much more!!! I am so excited!!! I am so glad to get that worry off my plate. Now on to the work of packing!

Cute Pics

Cloth Diapers

Well, we have used cloth diapers today for the first time. I can tell this is not going to be a problem at all. I really like the Kushies ones I was given. They are easy to use and Princess Magpie has not had any leak problems.

I washed the prefolds and covers that I got and will try those out too at some point, but right now, the Kushies are my favorites.

And she so darned cute in them too!!!

Too cool!

This is too much fun and really cool. I love that the one guy is doing all the backup singing, all the singing and everything and the guy who made the video is also doing the music. These guys are talented.

A New Day

We are working hard again today. We got a lot of new textbooks yesterday and I am excited to see that the math book looks like something that Princess Belle will have a lot better time at. I am excited to be doing the homeschooling with the resources they provided us yesterday. I am going to have to change some of my organization systems but I am happy to be doing it. It is even worth all of the extra meetings I will have to do this year (because it is my first year homeschooling). I feel like they are all behind me to help me educate my daughter and I know this will go well.

Wordless Wednesday - 6 month belly pic

Click the pic above to get to other Wordless Wednesday Participants.

For more Wordless Wednesday go check out 5 minutes for mom and 7 Clown Circus!

Update from our Homeschooling Meeting

I just got back from our meeting with the assistant director of the board of education. It went really well. The official approval will come from the director himself, but I have a feeling we got it. They were arranging our next meeting, explaining the reporting process, and providing us with all sorts of resources that we will be able to use. They were very positive and helpful. They apologized for our last meeting (the one that upset me so much), said that any negative things said last time about our homeschooling were said in error and have arranged that all records of that meeting be destroyed and this more positive meeting be the one that goes on the record so that there will be nothing to hinder our homeschooling in the future.

heading out

We are heading out to our meeting with the assistant director of the board of education. Wish us Luck!! Princess Belle said that she didn't want us to go because, "What if he says, NO". I reassured her I thought it would be okay, now I need someone to reassure me!

Long day

It has been a long day today and I am too tired to think of something interesting to post right now. I got up and went to the healthy baby club. After I got home, I tidied up the house a bit. Then after that Princess Belle and I did homeschooling. Now I am blogging before I get up to make supper. Usually on days I have healthy baby club, we take the day off school and make it up on Saturday, but I have another meeting tomorrow with the board of education and didn't want to miss two days in a row. I am super tired, but I am glad we got everything accomplished. If I get the energy later, I will throw a load of laundry on too.

Woohoo!!

It looks like the hold on our application to homeschool is going to be lifted!!!!! I am so happy! I don't know whether my lawyer has anything to do with this, but I am thrilled. Things should be okay after all. I am so glad I decided to spend the weekend not stressing about it.

Monday Menu Plan

Monday Menu Plan
Monday September 21 - Sunday September 30

Monday: Cheesy Corned Beef Hash Casserole
Tuesday: Beef Fried Rice
Wednesday: Noodle Casserole
Thursday: Beef Pot Pie
Friday: Mexican Crockpot Pork
Saturday: Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs
Sunday: macaroni and cheese (with ground beef)

Cheesy Corned Beef Hash Casserole

Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) package egg noodles
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of
mushroom soup
1/3 cup milk

1 (15 ounce) can corned beef hash
1 small onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 pound processed cheese, cubed

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x8 inch casserole dish.
3. In a large bowl, mix together soup, milk, corned beef hash, onion, salt, pepper and noodles. Spoon into prepared casserole and sprinkle with cubed cheese.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.


Beef Fried Rice

Ingredients:
3 eggs
Dash pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained

2 cups cooked long-grain rice
2 small onions, chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Directions:
1. In a bowl, beat eggs and pepper. In a skillet, heat oil. Add eggs. Cook until partially set. Lift the edges, letting the uncooked egg flow underneath. When eggs are completely set but still moist, remove from skillet. Cut into strips; return to pan. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Gently cook and stir for 5 minutes or until heated through.


Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package wide egg noodles
2 (5 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of

mushroom soup
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Return pasta to pot with chicken, soup, garlic salt and pepper over medium heat. Heat through, 5 minutes.

Mexican Crockpot Pork

Ingredients:

* 2 pounds boneless pork roast, cut into 2" piece
* 2 cups chunky sals
* 15-ounce can pinto or black beans, rinsed and draine
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leave
* 1/8 teaspoon peppe
* 1/4 teaspoon sal

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients in 4-5 quart slow cooker and cover. Cook on low 6-7 hours until pork is tender.


Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ingredients:

* 2 handfuls spaghetti pasta, broken into pieces
* 26 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
* 20 frozen fully cooked meatballs
* 1 cup water

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in 3-4 quart slow cooker and mix to combine. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 4-7 hours until pasta is tender and meatballs are thoroughly heated, stirring once during cooking time. Serves 6

24 Weeks (6 months) and Scrabooking Layouts

I am 6 months pregnant now. I am feeling pretty good. I mean, I have the normal pregnancy stuff, my back and me knees are sore, but I am coming to a routine regarding homeschooling, taking care of Princess Magpie and taking care of the house. My belly is getting huge as you can tell in the pregnancy layout above (that one pregnancy pic was taking today). I am feeling lots of movement now and I LOVE every minute of it.

Fetal development - 24 weeks pregnant

Your fetus weighs more than 1.3 pounds/ 600 grams. Though she still has little body fat and her skin is thin and fragile, she's now well-proportioned. Her brain is growing rapidly, and she is starting to fill the space in your uterus. From crown to heel she could measure 11.8 inches / 30 centimetres. If you went into labour at this time, however, many obstetricians and midwives would make every effort to halt the progress of premature labour to enable your baby to continue maturing.

You may be noticing faint, red or brown streaks known as striae or stretch marks on your abdomen, hips and breasts. While creams won't erase them, wearing a supportive bra may help prevent or minimize them on your breasts. They are very common at this stage of the pregnancy -- about 90 per cent of women get them. After you've given birth, the reddish or brown pigmentation in the stretch marks gradually fades, and the streaks become lighter than the surrounding skin.

Also, your eyes may be light-sensitive and may feel gritty and dry. This is a perfectly normal pregnancy symptom known as 'dry-eye'. To ease your discomfort, use an "artificial tears" solution to add moisture.

A New Day

I am feeling better and confident today. I trust my HSLDA lawyer to take care of things as he has assured us he will and in the meantime I am goingt to continue to educate my girl. I spent today organizing my homeschool books, papers and files and doing research for new and more interesting things to add to our curriculum. I am feeling really good about where we are. Prince Charming and I have talked and we have decided that we will do whatever it takes to make sure we can do this for our girl. She needs it. She needs the extra help I can give her. She needs the extra attention she can get from me that she can't get in a public school. And for her, we will do what it takes.

Tomorrow, I hope to make a nice family breakfast, do some extra housework and enjoy a day with my family. I will not let anyone get me down. I am loving my family too much.

Thought I would share these

Sooo Frustrated!! (updated)

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I am being forced to enroll my girl in public school for the time being. I am contacting my lawyer and making some phone calls to get this straightened out. But it all goes back to those same harrassing neighbours who are the reason we are moving!!! Will they ever stop causing us troubles???? I am so done. So now my girl is crying, she doesn't want to go to school, she says she likes how I help her learn. I am telling her that it is temporary and that we will do what we can to get her home as soon as possible.

I am really upset and stressed and as we speak right now, I believe Prince Charming is talking to our lawyer. But why do people have to make things such a hassle.

EDITED TO ADD: I was right, Prince Charming was talking to our lawyer. He has advised that we are completely within our legal rights to disregard the instructions we received today and we are NOT to send Princess Belle back to school. He has given me confidence that we can rely on him and this will all be taken care of. I tell you, retaining this legal counsel when we decided to homeschool is the best thing we have ever done.

Thursday Thoughts

I was nervous yesterday morning and the evening before. I hadn't felt any movements from the baby and I was getting scared. I know my feeling the baby is a little limited because of the placenta being in the front, but I had been feeling her and suddenly I couldn't. I drank some orange juice . . . . waiting . . . . nothing. I got busy again and then drank some more . . . . waited . . . . and there she was! A big huge kick! Then last night, I was eating spicy supper and she really started kicking. Apparently she doesn't like when I eat spicy food. LOL What a relief. I have decided that I am keeping orange juice and spicy foods around for every time I get nervous and need to feel her kick me.

As I felt her kicking me, she felt so real, like a real baby in there. I started to wonder about her. How big is she now? How big will she be when she is born? Where exactly is she right now? What will she be like. It was nice to sit there bonding with my baby. It was a wonderful time.

There has been so much going on and I have been so stressed I just haven't been obsessing thinking about her as much as I did in my previous pregnancies. I have felt guilty about that. I have been afraid that this baby won't feel that she is as special as my other babies. That I won't love her enough. But as I feel her move, as I feel closer to her, I begin to realize that I will love her just as much as my other babies. She will know that each of my babies are super-special and that all my children are my world.

Wordless Wednesday - Window Watching

Click the pic above to get to other Wordless Wednesday Participants.

For more Wordless Wednesday go check out 5 minutes for mom and 7 Clown Circus!

This week

Big things are going on in my world right now. I have two really important meetings going on this week:

1. I am meeting with the board of education to get my official approval to homeschool.
   
2. My house is getting inspected to see if I can get approval to get a transfer to a house owned by the same people in the town I am moving to. This would make moving SOOOO much easier!
   

I am kind of nervous about both of them, but I am doing everything to make sure I am completely prepared. Or at least as prepared as I can be.

How sad

I woke up this morning and decided to check my email before getting a start on the day. When I did, Prince Charming had left something open on the computer, he knew I would want to know. Patrick Swayze has passed away. I am so sad. I LOVED watching him act. Dirty Dancing is tied (with Grease) for my all-time favorite movie. I loved how dedicated he was to his wife in real life. I LOVE his personality as well as how incredibly sexy his facial expressions could be. There are moments in Dirty Dancing when he looks at Baby that have always just touched me to my soul and still does every time I watch the movie. To know someone who touched me so deeply so long ago has now passed away, just makes me want to cry. It is silly because, I never knew the man and I did know he was sick, but I feel a little heartbroken today.

Monday Menu Plan

Monday Menu Plan
Monday September 14 - Sunday September 20

Monday: Ground beef gravy and french fries
Tuesday: Lazy Cabbage Rolls
Wednesday: New England Dinner
Thursday: Hotdogs with a Twist (coleslaw and corn on the side)
Friday: Sloppy Joes (fries and veggies on the side)
Saturday: Quick Tater Tot Casserole
Sunday: Mexicali

Lazy Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients

* 1/2 medium cabbage, shredded
* 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
* 2 onions chopped fine
* 2 tins tomato soup
* 3/4 tin water
* 1/4 tsp garlic powder
* 1 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp pepper
* 3 cups cooked rice


Directions

1. Place 1/2 of the cabbage in buttered 9x13" dish
2. Combine soup with 3/4 tin water, and pour about a fourth of this on the cabbage.
3. Saute onions and brown the ground beef.
4. Mix beef ,onions,spices, rice and another fourth of the soup mixture and place on the cabbage.
5. Top with the rest of the cabbage, and pour on the rest of the soup.
6. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.


New England Dinner

Ingredients:
1 medium head cabbage, chopped
16 ounces kielbasa, diced
6 potatoes, chopped
1 cup water
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cabbage, kielbasa, potatoes and water. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.


Hotdogs with a Twist

Ingredients:

* 8 hotdogs
* Instant mashed potatoes
* American Cheese (4 slices)

Preparation:
Make the mashed potatoes as directed on the box. Make it for the family of 4. Split the hotdogs down the center but not totally through; just so that they have enough room to stuff them. Take the mashed potatoes and put them in the slit you made covering the dog. Top with half a slice of cheese and bake at 350 until cheese melts; about 10 minutes!

Throw some veggies and another side item like pork and beans and dinner is done! This is the fast way to get out of the kitchen. Plus talk about frugal!


Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

* 1-1 1/2 pounds ground beef
* 2 or 3 celery stalks, chopped
* 1 can tomato soup
* 1/2 can of water
* About 3 or 4 tablespoons ketchup
* About 2 or 3 tablespoons brown sugar
* About 2 or 3 tablespoons vinegar

Preparation:
Brown ground beef and celery. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes. (Add enough water to bring it to the thickness you want.) Serve on buns with sliced cheese, if desired.


Quick Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients:

* 1 pound ground beef
* 1 16-ounce bag tater tots
* 1 can cream of mushroom soup
* 1 can of milk

Preparation:
Brown the ground beef in a skillet; drain and place in a casserole dish. Place tater tots over meat. Mix can of cream of mushroom soup and a can of milk. Pour this over the tater tots and ground beef. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Mexicali

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of
mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of
chicken soup
1 onion, chopped
4 ounces chopped green chile peppers
1 (15 ounce) can chili with beans
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions:
1. Place chicken in greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Cut tortillas into small strips, and lay them over the chicken.

2. Mix together the soups, broth, onion, green chilies, and chili with beans. Pour mixture over chicken and tortilla strips. Top with shredded cheese. Cover. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Uncover, and bake 30 minutes more.

Noticing things.

I have been thinking about Princess Magpie and how much of an individual she is. She is just so much her own person and so different from her older sister.

One thing I have noticed about her is that she is very emotional. Whatever she feels, she feels with her whole being. So that when she is pissed off, (yes at 13 months, she get pissed off. LOL) she is pissed to her very soul. She screams and cries and acts like the world is going to end. But when she is happy, her whole little body radiates happiness. When she something is funny, she laughs so hard her little body shakes and the look in her eyes will light up your world.

It seems like she feels everything just a little deeper than her big sister did. Her big sister was very very easy going at this age and just kind of went along with the flow. Princess Magpie has a mind of her own and she knows just how she wants things to flow and she gets upset when we miss our cues.

I think it is fun to notice things about her, to see this. It is actually kind of funny to see her get soooo angry when we have the nerve to take the television remote from her. She gets so upset it looks almost like someone overacting in an old silent movie, she is just so dramatic, she makes me laugh. And I love how easy it is to see how easy to light up her whole world and fill her with joy.

Sunday Sum up

Well today is our day off homeschooling and I am enjoying it and taking advantage. I made a big breakfast. It would be nice to do this more often. Today I made, ham, bacon, bacon cheese biscuits, and pancakes. Prince Charming my meat-a-holic is so in his glee!

I have been working hard the last two days to get laundry done. I don't know how I got so behind, but I am working my butt off to get it done.

I have done our homeschedule for this week. Just a little tweaking but I like how our weeks are progressing. My next two goals are:

1. include more fun things in our day
2. include some outings in our homeschooling

I have gotten caught up on my visiting my blogging friends. I have found a few homeschooling blogs that I enjoy and added those to my sidebar as well.

I still need to get more laundry done, clean the kitchen, do my menu for the upcoming week, get started on packing and I know there was more, but my preggo brain won't let me remember right now.

Epiphany.

I had an epiphany the other day. I was at the bus stop at the local university watching the college students hurrying to classes, worrying about their schedule and being excited to get back to classes. As I looked at them, I realized that for the first time, that I can remember, I have no desire to go back to school. I loved college, I had a good time there. And many times over the years that I have wished I could go back to school and take something else. I have longed for a different job, a different education than I have. But now, I am happy in my life (other than the current neighbour harassment, moving situation.) I love teaching my girl, taking care of my girls, being a SAHM. I don't know that I am always on top of things, and I don't know that I do it perfectly, but I am doing the best that I can and the journey is by far the most fulfilling thing I have ever done. I love being here with my girls and watching them grow and change. I love having conversations in homeschool where I see into my girl's soul and her life. I am so much more a part of their lives. And while I am struggling to keep on top of the housework, I wouldn't change it. I will get better at it. But I am good at the important part, being a mom. That is what I enjoy and that is what I wouldn't change. And that is why I have no desire to go back to college, or to get a new job. I am finally doing what I was meant to do.

(BTW, I had a friend give me a bunch of Kushies cloth diapers!!! I was so excited!)

Friday Five

1. Well the neighbour stress is getting to me and I had crazy nightmares all night long. For once I was glad when Princess Belle woke me because she had been sneaking drinks before bed and peed her bed for the first time in a while. I had been dreaming that I had the swine flu and I was worried about losing my baby and my mother and sister were telling me to give up on the baby, move on and just view it as a terrible tragedy and I was soooo angry at them.
2. Schooling is actually going great. We have come into our own now and I am happy with our balance. She is enjoying it and still learning. I intersperse parts of the harder subjects with interesting related projects or related shows that can illustrate what we are learning. I find related worksheets and activities on-line that I can supplement our bookwork with so that we are not just glued to the book all the time. We do our spelling on the computer which makes it so she doesn't have to write out the words. (speaking of spelling she went from knowing 10 our of 20 words on Monday to knowing 17 out of 20 today!!!) I had a moment this week where I saw her finally get a math idea that she had been struggling with and I was so excited for her, I gave her a big hug and kiss! She loved it.
3. We learned about Mexico yesterday so I am making Mexican Lasagna for supper tonight. Just a little something that I thought she would like. We went to the library last week and Princess Belle loved it. I told her that once we move, we will be doing more and more outings as a part of our schooling. I want her to learn about the world around her. I want to make these lessons feel real to her.
   
4. We are making strides towards our move. We are having an inspection on our place done soon so we can transfer to a new unit in our new town. I am thrilled a little nervous about that, but I did find our inspection for when we came in and I can fix most things really quickly as there has been no big damage since we moved in.
5. I am losing my memory these days. I had a 5th point all thought out and then I lost it. Oh well . . . I have a long list of things I need to accomplish and I just wish I just had more energy in this 5 1/2 month pregnant body of mine. I want to paint our cupboards, do our laundry, wash our floor, pack some boxes, get outside with the kids and enjoy some fresh air, avoid the people that are the reason I am moving while still talking with the ones that I like. I can't wait until this move is over.
   
6. (OH I remember number 5 now . . . so now you get a bonus ramble) I had a doctors appointment this week with my OB-GYN. He was really proactive and had a list of tests he wanted to do on me because of my previous complications. I really like that. The other doctor I have been seeing seems not to know anything really about pregnancy and I had to request some things. When I told my OB-GYN what I had requested he exclaimed, "GOOD GIRL!" which made me laugh. He heard my baby no problem and he said she sounded like a girl. LOL He is going to order another U/S to check on her and he ordered some blood work to check on me. I wish I could take him with me when I move.
   

Random Wonderings

I look at Princess Magpie and I just enjoy her so much. I love her personality. I love how stubborn and opinionated she is at only 14 months old. I love how happy and giggly and loving she is. I love to walk into her room and see her standing in her crib, saying, "Oh Hi!" when I walk in the door. I LOVE to stand beside her crib and rub my fingers in her hair while she looks up at me and talks a mile a minute in baby talk. I love her chubby, stirdy little legs and her cute little diapered butt. I just love to soak up the moments with her.

And sometimes I wonder about the future. As we move towards the future and I have less and less time (due to homeschooling, cloth diapering, and the new baby), I wonder if I will miss out on those little things. Will I continue to enjoy them with her and will be sure to enjoy the little things with the new baby girl as well? I don't know.

I know that the new baby is becoming ever more real as she moves and makes her presence felt. And I wonder about her too. Will she be big like Princess Magpie or slender like Princess Belle. Will she be strong-willed or easy going? Will she be a good sleeper? How will she fit into our family? How will I be as her mommy? Will I remember to stop and soak it all in as I only have to look at Princess Bell to know just how fast it all slips away.

Wordless Wednesday - looking serious

Click the pic above to get to other Wordless Wednesday Participants.

For more Wordless Wednesday go check out 5 minutes for mom and 7 Clown Circus!

Family Fun Day at the park