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| Come play with me! |
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| Mel loves her baby |
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| It's my nap time. Can you tell? |
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| I would really like to eat that apple, but I don't have teeth. So sad! |
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| Mommy & Jackson |
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Activity Mat!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Jackson Shows Off His Range of Emotion
This boy has been smiling like crazy lately, which makes day-to-day life a lot of fun! Here are some of the cute expressions he's making these days. However, capturing a full fledged smile requires a quick, steady hand and I haven't quite mastered it yet. So I will keep trying so that I can showcase our little boy's excellent smiling skills.
We can't believe how big he's getting. Today he weighed in at 10lbs, 3oz, which means he has more than tripled his birth weight. Way to go, big guy!
We can't believe how big he's getting. Today he weighed in at 10lbs, 3oz, which means he has more than tripled his birth weight. Way to go, big guy!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Memorial Day Weekend
We spent the weekend at Terry's family's cabin in Lake Nacimiento with our friends the Koble's. We had a blast, and what's even better, the men did all the cooking!
This was the first time we've ventured out of the house for more than a few hours at a time. I never knew it could be so stressful packing for a baby! Such a tiny guy, but he requires so much luggage! He was a trooper, though, and all in all, the weekend was a success.
This was the first time we've ventured out of the house for more than a few hours at a time. I never knew it could be so stressful packing for a baby! Such a tiny guy, but he requires so much luggage! He was a trooper, though, and all in all, the weekend was a success.
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| Carrie and her little man |
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| Terry & Adam in front of the lake and the fish that they conquered |
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| In the 6 years I've spent at the cabin, I'd never seen the water so high. Ours is the first dock you see. |
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| The screened in porch is perfect for hot summer nights. We haven't had any of those yet! |
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| Our little summer getaway |
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| Again, unusually high water levels! |
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| Directly in front of our cabin is a playground that Jackson will just love someday. |
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| Mel's inaugural visit to the Lake. She is one wiped out pup! |
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| She even got to ride shotgun on the way home! Lucky girl! |
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Action Jackson!
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| Napping in his bassinet |
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| I have been known to send pictures like this to my mom, declaring, "Look at how big and fat my son is!" Hey, when you've got a preemie, every ounce is a milestone worth celebrating! |
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| He frowns when he sleeps, just like his mommy. |
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| Cute boy! |
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| One of my friends calls this expression the "One-Eyed Jack." |
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| Mommy & Jackson |
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| Teeeny little hand |
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| Jackson & Daddy |
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| Overalls were a gift from Lori & Dan Holland. Thanks, guys! |
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| I can't stop taking pictures of this cute boy! |
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| This is his "Milk is DELICIOUS" face. |
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| Jackson looks just like his Daddy from the side |
So, A Lot Has Happened...
Greetings, friends and family!
As most of you who will be reading this know, we've had one of those years that has been so busy and cram-packed full of noteworthy events, that it's miraculous that we're still standing. For those of you who don't know, let me give you a brief update to bring you up to speed. This will be rather bare-bones, so if any of you have questions, please feel free to ask. I like to answer questions, especially when they relate to my family.
On July 7th, 2010, Terry and I took the plunge and moved from Canoga Park, California to his hometown of San Luis Obispo, California. For those of you unfamiliar with the area, San Luis Obispo (known to locals as just "San Luis," or SLO) is located on the quiet, picturesque central coast of California and in my humble opinion, is the state's best kept little secret. We are located about 7 miles from the ocean, surrounded by rolling hills that are covered by some of the state's finest vineyards. Terry was lucky enough to grow up here, and we feel very blessed to be able to relocate to one of the state's most desirable areas during one of the Nation's most uncertain economic times.
On the same day that we moved, we adopted a 4-week-old fur ball of a puppy--a Golden Retriever mutt named Melody, or Mel for short. She stole our hearts from the very moment we saw her. She is sweet and fiercely loyal, and thinks that Terry is the greatest thing to ever walk the Earth. I happen to agree with her on this matter. As energetic as she is cute, she has forced us out of our usual evening couch potato routine. Greeting every morning with gusto, she waits rather impatiently for us to come downstairs and play with her.
After talking and praying about moving out of the Los Angeles area for close to 5 years, and FINALLY feeling like God was giving us the green light, it was still difficult to actually pull the trigger. Giving up two stable jobs was an enormous test of faith. Terry left a nearly ten year career in Hollywood--where he was quite successful, to begin a career as a plumber. His family has owned and run Smee's Plumbing since the 1950's and has developed a faithful clientele and a sterling reputation for good honest work. I left behind a 2 year stint at California State University, Northridge's Admissions & Records office to open a children's retail store with my sister-in-law. We sell natural, eco-friendly children's products ranging from cloth diapers to wooden toys, and just about everything in between. We assumed that the biggest adjustment in moving to SLO would be the change in our careers. We were so wrong.
The month of August brought about change on an even grander scale. The 12 pregnancy tests that I took all told me the same thing: we were finally going to be parents! The doctors quickly confirmed what my multitude of positive pregnancy tests had said, and told me that our baby was due April 18th, 2011. We were thrilled and terrified, humbly grateful to God for this incredible blessing, and tearing our hair out in worry, wondering what on Earth we had gotten ourselves into. After over a year of trying to get pregnant, we had assumed it just wasn't meant to be. But the Lord saw fit to bless us with a child, and He also saw fit to give me the world's best, easiest pregnancy! I experienced no morning sickness and very few of the usual complaints that one might expect when pregnant. We found out in December, after what felt like YEARS of waiting, that our baby was a boy. Terry was rather pleased with himself, and walked around with a grin for quite a few days. A boy to carry on the Spaulding name! Hooray!
The baby, or "Hawkeye" as he was fondly nicknamed by his Aunt Ariana, was growing and developing right on schedule. I went in for ultrasounds more frequently than the average pregnant woman due to my thyroid condition. This didn't bother me one bit, because it meant getting to see my little guy and hear his heart beating strongly. All was going as it should have been until we went in at 29 weeks gestation. The doctors were concerned that it seemed the baby's growth had tapered off a bit, and my amniotic fluid was measuring on the low side of normal. They had me make a follow-up appointment for three weeks down the road, just to be on the safe side. My OB didn't seem overly concerned, nor did the ultrasound doctors. But I appreciated their desire to stay on top of things to ensure that both the baby and I remained healthy.
On February 23rd when we returned for our 32 week ultrasound, we knew something had gone wrong when the usually lighthearted, joke-cracking ultrasound doctor was silent. Our little guy hadn't grown at all in the three weeks since I had been there--a period during which babies are generally growing a half pound per week. In addition, my amniotic fluid was virtually non-existent. Baby Spaulding was in distress, but thank the Lord, his vitals were strong. They told me go directly to the hospital and admit myself so that the labor and delivery staff could closely monitor our boy for 2 days, with the intention of delivering him via c-section on Friday, February 25th. 8 weeks early. EIGHT weeks early. 2 months before his due date. We were so scared.
We had no idea what this meant for his health, or frankly, if a baby could even survive being 2 months early. We cried out to God to protect our boy and to spare his life. The doctors told us to expect a 2lb baby with the possibility of lung immaturity and breathing problems. I wept to the Lord and claimed Ephesians 3:20-21 over him: "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, Amen." Exceedingly. Abundantly. Those are some lofty promises! How often we forget to ask big things of God because we fail to see His superb power! So I asked it. I asked that our baby would be bigger than the doctors told us he would be. I asked that he would come out with healthy lungs and no breathing issues. I prayed that he would be wildly healthy despite our current expectations.
I love when the Lord answers prayers so clearly. I love when God's people band together in prayer to lift up the hurting and broken. Terry and I were so scared for the life and health of our little boy. But despite that fear, we could feel the peace that God was pouring over us. His calming presence was undeniable, and we were able to relax, knowing that our baby was right where he needed to be and that I was also in good hands.
Jackson Noah Spaulding was born at 10:30am on February 25th, weighing 3lbs, 5oz and measuring 15 and 3/4 inches long. He came out pink and screaming, and despite his small size, Terry and I were both THRILLED that the Lord had heard our heart's cries and had given us exceedingly, abundantly above what we had been expecting.
Jackson spent 5 weeks at Sierra Vista's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, but was healthy and strong throughout his stay. He just needed to grow, and to be monitored for the commonly occurring issues that preemies tend to experience (i.e. apnea, low blood oxygen levels, lung immaturity, and acid reflux to name a few). And for the record, Jackson never experienced any of these issues! Praise God for His goodness and His favor!
We got to bring Jackson home on March 31st, which was 2 and 1/2 week before his due date. The Neonatologists will always tell parents to expect their babies to stay in the NICU until their due date. You can imagine our elation when we were told that he was ready to go home early!
So a lot has happened. A lot has changed. I feel like I've truly become an adult since moving to San Luis Obispo, and that life has never been more frightening or exciting. We miss our L.A. friends and family, but we know that moving here was the best thing we've done for ourselves as a couple. God has already shown us in so many ways that we made the right choice.
Thanks to all who have been praying for us, especially since Jackson's birth. Words are truly inadequate in expressing how grateful we are for your love and support. Your overwhelming outpouring of love, kind words and prayers has been so encouraging.
I'm hoping to post regularly so as to avoid monstrous entries like this one. :) I promise to be more succinct in future posts. Have a lovely day, everyone!
As most of you who will be reading this know, we've had one of those years that has been so busy and cram-packed full of noteworthy events, that it's miraculous that we're still standing. For those of you who don't know, let me give you a brief update to bring you up to speed. This will be rather bare-bones, so if any of you have questions, please feel free to ask. I like to answer questions, especially when they relate to my family.
On July 7th, 2010, Terry and I took the plunge and moved from Canoga Park, California to his hometown of San Luis Obispo, California. For those of you unfamiliar with the area, San Luis Obispo (known to locals as just "San Luis," or SLO) is located on the quiet, picturesque central coast of California and in my humble opinion, is the state's best kept little secret. We are located about 7 miles from the ocean, surrounded by rolling hills that are covered by some of the state's finest vineyards. Terry was lucky enough to grow up here, and we feel very blessed to be able to relocate to one of the state's most desirable areas during one of the Nation's most uncertain economic times.
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| Mel, exhibiting her exceptional cuteness |
After talking and praying about moving out of the Los Angeles area for close to 5 years, and FINALLY feeling like God was giving us the green light, it was still difficult to actually pull the trigger. Giving up two stable jobs was an enormous test of faith. Terry left a nearly ten year career in Hollywood--where he was quite successful, to begin a career as a plumber. His family has owned and run Smee's Plumbing since the 1950's and has developed a faithful clientele and a sterling reputation for good honest work. I left behind a 2 year stint at California State University, Northridge's Admissions & Records office to open a children's retail store with my sister-in-law. We sell natural, eco-friendly children's products ranging from cloth diapers to wooden toys, and just about everything in between. We assumed that the biggest adjustment in moving to SLO would be the change in our careers. We were so wrong.
The month of August brought about change on an even grander scale. The 12 pregnancy tests that I took all told me the same thing: we were finally going to be parents! The doctors quickly confirmed what my multitude of positive pregnancy tests had said, and told me that our baby was due April 18th, 2011. We were thrilled and terrified, humbly grateful to God for this incredible blessing, and tearing our hair out in worry, wondering what on Earth we had gotten ourselves into. After over a year of trying to get pregnant, we had assumed it just wasn't meant to be. But the Lord saw fit to bless us with a child, and He also saw fit to give me the world's best, easiest pregnancy! I experienced no morning sickness and very few of the usual complaints that one might expect when pregnant. We found out in December, after what felt like YEARS of waiting, that our baby was a boy. Terry was rather pleased with himself, and walked around with a grin for quite a few days. A boy to carry on the Spaulding name! Hooray!
 | |
| Baby Spaulding, 14 weeks |
The baby, or "Hawkeye" as he was fondly nicknamed by his Aunt Ariana, was growing and developing right on schedule. I went in for ultrasounds more frequently than the average pregnant woman due to my thyroid condition. This didn't bother me one bit, because it meant getting to see my little guy and hear his heart beating strongly. All was going as it should have been until we went in at 29 weeks gestation. The doctors were concerned that it seemed the baby's growth had tapered off a bit, and my amniotic fluid was measuring on the low side of normal. They had me make a follow-up appointment for three weeks down the road, just to be on the safe side. My OB didn't seem overly concerned, nor did the ultrasound doctors. But I appreciated their desire to stay on top of things to ensure that both the baby and I remained healthy.
On February 23rd when we returned for our 32 week ultrasound, we knew something had gone wrong when the usually lighthearted, joke-cracking ultrasound doctor was silent. Our little guy hadn't grown at all in the three weeks since I had been there--a period during which babies are generally growing a half pound per week. In addition, my amniotic fluid was virtually non-existent. Baby Spaulding was in distress, but thank the Lord, his vitals were strong. They told me go directly to the hospital and admit myself so that the labor and delivery staff could closely monitor our boy for 2 days, with the intention of delivering him via c-section on Friday, February 25th. 8 weeks early. EIGHT weeks early. 2 months before his due date. We were so scared.
We had no idea what this meant for his health, or frankly, if a baby could even survive being 2 months early. We cried out to God to protect our boy and to spare his life. The doctors told us to expect a 2lb baby with the possibility of lung immaturity and breathing problems. I wept to the Lord and claimed Ephesians 3:20-21 over him: "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, Amen." Exceedingly. Abundantly. Those are some lofty promises! How often we forget to ask big things of God because we fail to see His superb power! So I asked it. I asked that our baby would be bigger than the doctors told us he would be. I asked that he would come out with healthy lungs and no breathing issues. I prayed that he would be wildly healthy despite our current expectations.
I love when the Lord answers prayers so clearly. I love when God's people band together in prayer to lift up the hurting and broken. Terry and I were so scared for the life and health of our little boy. But despite that fear, we could feel the peace that God was pouring over us. His calming presence was undeniable, and we were able to relax, knowing that our baby was right where he needed to be and that I was also in good hands.
Jackson Noah Spaulding was born at 10:30am on February 25th, weighing 3lbs, 5oz and measuring 15 and 3/4 inches long. He came out pink and screaming, and despite his small size, Terry and I were both THRILLED that the Lord had heard our heart's cries and had given us exceedingly, abundantly above what we had been expecting.
 |
| Just a few hours old |
Jackson spent 5 weeks at Sierra Vista's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, but was healthy and strong throughout his stay. He just needed to grow, and to be monitored for the commonly occurring issues that preemies tend to experience (i.e. apnea, low blood oxygen levels, lung immaturity, and acid reflux to name a few). And for the record, Jackson never experienced any of these issues! Praise God for His goodness and His favor!
We got to bring Jackson home on March 31st, which was 2 and 1/2 week before his due date. The Neonatologists will always tell parents to expect their babies to stay in the NICU until their due date. You can imagine our elation when we were told that he was ready to go home early!
So a lot has happened. A lot has changed. I feel like I've truly become an adult since moving to San Luis Obispo, and that life has never been more frightening or exciting. We miss our L.A. friends and family, but we know that moving here was the best thing we've done for ourselves as a couple. God has already shown us in so many ways that we made the right choice.
Thanks to all who have been praying for us, especially since Jackson's birth. Words are truly inadequate in expressing how grateful we are for your love and support. Your overwhelming outpouring of love, kind words and prayers has been so encouraging.
I'm hoping to post regularly so as to avoid monstrous entries like this one. :) I promise to be more succinct in future posts. Have a lovely day, everyone!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
A Funeral, A Wedding, and a Baby Shower
All week long I was yearning for some down time--time in which I might feel free to read a book or practice a new recipe of culinary magnitude. Alas, those leisurely moments were not in the cards for me.
If you know me, you know that I rarely have time to sit down, nor do I function well when I am forced to relax and sit still. My mind and body have become rather accustomed to the stress that accompanies adult life, rather--the stress that sometimes defines my adult life. I can't remember a time when I didn't have 20 things on my to-do list and I wallow in guilt when I can't check off every item on that list. Yes, I am horrible at relaxing. Even now I feel like I should be scrubbing a bathtub rather than writing. I generally do not allow myself any time to relax until I am so burnt out that I can't function without sobbing. I was looking forward to this past weekend for that very reason. I could feel the growing tension in my shoulders that led to horrendous headaches. Patience has never been my strong suit and my already short supply was rapidly dwindling. And so I entered the weekend with a bit of trepidation, anticipating that the arrival of Sunday evening would find me completely worn out and cantankerous.
Here I am on Sunday evening, shocked that I am cheerful and thankful to the Lord for giving me such an eye-opening weekend when I expected to be run to the ground and unprepared to face another week. The weekend began with the Memorial Service for our dear friend Cheryl DeLeo (I posted about her a couple of weeks ago). She was such an incredibly humble woman who loved our Lord with all of her heart. I was blown away at the size of the crowd that gathered to celebrate the life of this loving, soft-spoken woman. What an incredible testimony to her loving personality.
Saturday evening, we drove out to the Angeles National Golf Course to celebrate the marriage of my friend Laura who I worked with at Starbucks many moons ago. What a beautiful day, and what a gorgeous bride she was, exchanging vows with her now-husband David. The minister spoke honestly of love and the commitment they were making to each other. David, who boasts a sarcastic and wonderfully dry sense of humor, is a big softie when it comes to his bride. The smile that lights up his face when she enters the room is a breathtaking sight to behold. I was reminded of the spiritual parallel of Christ as the bridegroom and the Church as His bride. What a love to experience!
And lastly, today--this Sunday morning I attended a baby shower. The shower was for a girl I hardly know, but I grew up with her husband. I am thrilled for them, of course. I am always so excited to see a friend welcoming a new life into the world and into his/her family. It is such a precious thing to witness: the vast, unmeasurable love that is felt for this tiny new person balanced with the weight of tremendous responsibility in protecting and guiding the child safely to adulthood and beyond. I am so anxious for that moment in my life when I can celebrate a new life growing inside of me. What an awesome privilege to take part in.
As I was reflecting over my weekend, not only did I feel refreshed to have been surrounded by dear friends and family, but the Lord opened my eyes to something remarkable: I witnessed the progression of life, all in one weekend. Birth, marriage, and finally death. I was struck by the brevity of a lifetime. How quickly the moments in life pass by until the end of it. I do not mean to sound morbid; rather, I wish to bring attention to you, my dear friends, how precious and important each moment is. I have again been reminded to live life with purpose and passion and to serve my God with my whole heart. After all, if I am not living for a purpose, I am living an empty life void of the joy of glorifying the Lord. Each person on this earth has a purpose for which he/she was created. I beseech you to find that purpose and grasp hold of it. Life is too short to spend year after year simply drifting through the days.
And on a lighter note, I also realized that "A Funeral, A Wedding, and a Baby Shower" sounds like the title of a movie. Hmmmm, maybe my purpose is to write the screenplay for a movie.... Only kidding.
So, friends, I hope I have challenged you as the Lord challenged me this weekend. I thank God for each of you in my life and the purpose you have served in being my friends. I am so thankful for each of you.
If you know me, you know that I rarely have time to sit down, nor do I function well when I am forced to relax and sit still. My mind and body have become rather accustomed to the stress that accompanies adult life, rather--the stress that sometimes defines my adult life. I can't remember a time when I didn't have 20 things on my to-do list and I wallow in guilt when I can't check off every item on that list. Yes, I am horrible at relaxing. Even now I feel like I should be scrubbing a bathtub rather than writing. I generally do not allow myself any time to relax until I am so burnt out that I can't function without sobbing. I was looking forward to this past weekend for that very reason. I could feel the growing tension in my shoulders that led to horrendous headaches. Patience has never been my strong suit and my already short supply was rapidly dwindling. And so I entered the weekend with a bit of trepidation, anticipating that the arrival of Sunday evening would find me completely worn out and cantankerous.
Here I am on Sunday evening, shocked that I am cheerful and thankful to the Lord for giving me such an eye-opening weekend when I expected to be run to the ground and unprepared to face another week. The weekend began with the Memorial Service for our dear friend Cheryl DeLeo (I posted about her a couple of weeks ago). She was such an incredibly humble woman who loved our Lord with all of her heart. I was blown away at the size of the crowd that gathered to celebrate the life of this loving, soft-spoken woman. What an incredible testimony to her loving personality.
Saturday evening, we drove out to the Angeles National Golf Course to celebrate the marriage of my friend Laura who I worked with at Starbucks many moons ago. What a beautiful day, and what a gorgeous bride she was, exchanging vows with her now-husband David. The minister spoke honestly of love and the commitment they were making to each other. David, who boasts a sarcastic and wonderfully dry sense of humor, is a big softie when it comes to his bride. The smile that lights up his face when she enters the room is a breathtaking sight to behold. I was reminded of the spiritual parallel of Christ as the bridegroom and the Church as His bride. What a love to experience!
And lastly, today--this Sunday morning I attended a baby shower. The shower was for a girl I hardly know, but I grew up with her husband. I am thrilled for them, of course. I am always so excited to see a friend welcoming a new life into the world and into his/her family. It is such a precious thing to witness: the vast, unmeasurable love that is felt for this tiny new person balanced with the weight of tremendous responsibility in protecting and guiding the child safely to adulthood and beyond. I am so anxious for that moment in my life when I can celebrate a new life growing inside of me. What an awesome privilege to take part in.
As I was reflecting over my weekend, not only did I feel refreshed to have been surrounded by dear friends and family, but the Lord opened my eyes to something remarkable: I witnessed the progression of life, all in one weekend. Birth, marriage, and finally death. I was struck by the brevity of a lifetime. How quickly the moments in life pass by until the end of it. I do not mean to sound morbid; rather, I wish to bring attention to you, my dear friends, how precious and important each moment is. I have again been reminded to live life with purpose and passion and to serve my God with my whole heart. After all, if I am not living for a purpose, I am living an empty life void of the joy of glorifying the Lord. Each person on this earth has a purpose for which he/she was created. I beseech you to find that purpose and grasp hold of it. Life is too short to spend year after year simply drifting through the days.
And on a lighter note, I also realized that "A Funeral, A Wedding, and a Baby Shower" sounds like the title of a movie. Hmmmm, maybe my purpose is to write the screenplay for a movie.... Only kidding.
So, friends, I hope I have challenged you as the Lord challenged me this weekend. I thank God for each of you in my life and the purpose you have served in being my friends. I am so thankful for each of you.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Kitchen Cleanliness
Who doesn't love a clean kitchen? After this evening's vigorous scouring, there's not a dish in the sink, the floors have been swept and the counters scrubbed. *Sigh* I can rest a bit easier now that it's done. I feel like I should take a picture to preserve this lovely vision.
I've spent very little time at home over the past 2 months. 4 out of 5 weekends are spent transporting box upon box to San Luis Obispo. Our weeknights have been comprised of packing as much stuff as we can into our rapidly diminishing box supply. To make matters worse, my husband is back on the graveyard shift so I'm trying to do all this in addition to all of my household chores. The goal is to complete all of this as quietly as possible. What I've learned is that household chores cannot be accomplished quietly. But rather than making good use of my time to cook and clean quickly and efficiently, it's become extraordinarily easy to procrastinate and allow slothfulness to reign supreme. Laziness has become my companion in the kitchen especially. I have not cooked a meal for TWO WEEKS!! Ouch--that was painful to confess. I've been existing on Kashi cereal and bread with the occasional salad thrown in when guilt strikes for not having eaten a sufficient number of leafy greens. Instead of cleaning up after myself, I've allowed the dishes to pile up for the said TWO WEEKS. The aroma wafting from the general kitchen area was finally enough to pull me back in. However, I would be lying if I said it was merely the aroma. It was the one-two punch that truly forced me to confront the kitchen head on: I had no clean dishes. What kind of housekeeper have I become?? Oh the shame!
Step #2 to come: the purging of the refrigerator. I have been inspired by Kristen of "The Frugal Girl" blog to weekly take inventory of the food that's gone to waste. Every Friday she takes a picture of the food that's gone bad and is subsequently wasted by the end of each week. She posts the picture on her blog to keep herself accountable. I think I will start doing the same thing every week in order to keep track of what we actually eat in a seven day span along with aiding me in becoming a more efficient grocery shopper. I'm actually excited to see how much money I can save.
I will close for now with the hope of becoming a better housekeeper. I bid you all a lovely evening and hope that your kitchens are just as lovely as mine.
I've spent very little time at home over the past 2 months. 4 out of 5 weekends are spent transporting box upon box to San Luis Obispo. Our weeknights have been comprised of packing as much stuff as we can into our rapidly diminishing box supply. To make matters worse, my husband is back on the graveyard shift so I'm trying to do all this in addition to all of my household chores. The goal is to complete all of this as quietly as possible. What I've learned is that household chores cannot be accomplished quietly. But rather than making good use of my time to cook and clean quickly and efficiently, it's become extraordinarily easy to procrastinate and allow slothfulness to reign supreme. Laziness has become my companion in the kitchen especially. I have not cooked a meal for TWO WEEKS!! Ouch--that was painful to confess. I've been existing on Kashi cereal and bread with the occasional salad thrown in when guilt strikes for not having eaten a sufficient number of leafy greens. Instead of cleaning up after myself, I've allowed the dishes to pile up for the said TWO WEEKS. The aroma wafting from the general kitchen area was finally enough to pull me back in. However, I would be lying if I said it was merely the aroma. It was the one-two punch that truly forced me to confront the kitchen head on: I had no clean dishes. What kind of housekeeper have I become?? Oh the shame!
Step #2 to come: the purging of the refrigerator. I have been inspired by Kristen of "The Frugal Girl" blog to weekly take inventory of the food that's gone to waste. Every Friday she takes a picture of the food that's gone bad and is subsequently wasted by the end of each week. She posts the picture on her blog to keep herself accountable. I think I will start doing the same thing every week in order to keep track of what we actually eat in a seven day span along with aiding me in becoming a more efficient grocery shopper. I'm actually excited to see how much money I can save.
I will close for now with the hope of becoming a better housekeeper. I bid you all a lovely evening and hope that your kitchens are just as lovely as mine.
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