Cranky, Disorganized, & Running Out of Time

I am doing my best now that the quarter has ended to get the house & yard organized prior to baby arrival. However, I am being stymied at every turn by our two eldest children, who insist on making as big a mess as possible whenever my or DH's backs are turned. My son has an ongoing fascination with water, and if he's not spilling all the water out of the dog's bowl, he is spreading soap over my coffee table, over the bathroom counter, and spilling water everywhere. The only time I feel somewhat okay letting the boy have water in his possession is when we are outside, and even then it is a risky proposition. Heaven forfend he gets a hose in his hands, because he will spray anyone and everything as fast as he can.

My daughter is continuing to exhibit her unacceptable attitude on occasion. She has shown some improvement since daycare has ended, but she's still driving us crazy at least once a day. It's like her brain is simply incapable of processing the fact that SHE has a much happier day when she loses the attitude and demonstrates her ability to DO what she is told to do. My husband has forbidden the phrase, "I'll listen! I'll listen!" as this is what she says repeatedly when she gets into trouble. Again, the whole concept of it's not just listening, it's DOING is apparently beyond her intellect at the age of 4.

My house is still looking like a bomb went off in it. I have empty boxes scattered hither & yon, waiting to be removed for recycling. I still don't have all the linens back in my linen closet, so I am stepping over space bags still in the laundry room and our bedroom. I have pre-pregnancy clothes under my bed with no home to go to. I think a neighbor hit the nail on the head--I just do not have enough storage in this house, and it's driving me nuts!

DH is doing his best to finish the bathroom remodel. All but 2 rows of tile are laid for the tub surround, and then we have to grout it and seal the grout on the floor and in the tub surround. We still have to finish painting the tub room, and then install all the trim and the linen closet door. I hope we aren't going to be doing this when our parents get here, I really don't.

Nonetheless, I don't think this baby is going to wait. The head is very low, and my OB thinks there is no way we are making it to the due date. This is good news for me, because I really, really want to avoid a repeat c-section. I sincerely hope this kiddo is ready to make her appearance (assuming the u/s tech was right and it is a she), because I am just about done with being pregnant. Only a few short weeks left, technically, but she is more than welcome to come early. At least then I'll have a good excuse for my messy house. Stay tuned!

Not Nesting

To borrow a theme from a friend's blog, I am going to list all the things that I'm not doing today... *wink, wink, nudge nudge*

• I am not nesting. I have not determined a new configuration of the living room furniture which necessitates my husband moving every single piece of furniture to a new location (including the outrageously heavy piano). Nope, not me!
• I did not buy a piece of chocolate candy at Fred Meyer which I promptly ate while drinking a (gasp!) caffeinated soda when I got home.
• I did not lose my flash drive with all my lecture notes & grades on it (although I have back-ups in two different locations).
• I am not making my friend Hanna's killer salsa because I saw all the ingredients laid out in the same place in the grocery store, as if it was a sign from God that homemade salsa should be made.
• I am not the proud mama of a big boy who wore big boy underwear all afternoon yesterday and had not a SINGLE accident, even when we went out to dinner.
• I am not that wife who sends her husband to pick up the kids from daycare because she wants some more time to herself before they come barreling back in.

Yep, that's not me!

Summer Savings & Spendthrifts

It is almost the end of my quarter and I am relieved to be facing a lovely 3 month gap in teaching duties. It does bring an end to my salary, but since so much of this is eaten up by daycare costs we really aren't going to feel the pinch too much. However, it is difficult as we have many expenses pending and not very many options for paying for them. We have to put up the fence. We need to put up the new (to us) playset for the kids, which will require some new lumber purchases & new bolts. And did I mention that we are having a baby in July, which will result in a 10% copay for us? Because THAT won't be expensive, no sirree! Last time the total cost was $18,000, so you do the math. Hopefully we will avoid a repeat c-section, but this is something that we cannot control.

Therefore, I am intent on maximizing the fun for the kids & myself without maximizing the dollars flowing out for summer entertainment. Right now the kids are amusing themselves with cheapy character shaped sidewalk chalk that bears a suspicious resemblance to Santa. I can't remember when or where I bought it (Joann's?) but I do like the price, which was 25 cents for a 6 pack of chalk. They are also digging (literally) with some cheap kid-sized gardening tools from Wal Mart and Target. Add a few $1 boats and plastic excavators from last summer, and last summer's kiddie pools, and we have a pleasing entertainment center for our kiddos. Granted, we are not like our neighbors next door. They have the $3k playset (gift from grandma), the $400 huge blow-up waterslide with play pool, a zipline, basketball hoop, you name it. I know they are careful with their money, and I say huzzah to them for being able to afford it! They are nice enough to have an open door policy for our kids, too, although we don't want to abuse their hospitality. They joked about us needing to buy this year's whiz-bang blow up waterslide at Costco (again, $400), but that's just not in the budget, frankly.

I am thinking about getting a zoo membership for the family for the year. We can get our visiting family members in for free, plus have a 'go to' destination with the kids that has paid for itself with 2 visits (likely with 2 sets of grandparents visiting). Any extra visits we make over the coming year will be bonuses.

We are also trying to eat up the freezer stash this month. I have a few bags of squash to use up in muffins & breads, and enough frozen blackberries to make another batch of blackberry jelly. We have to clear out space for the coming largesse from the garden, which is sprouting up at a decent pace. I do have to replant some beans & corn, it looks like--I'm not sure, but I think I didn't keep the soil moist enough for good germination rates. And it all needs a thorough weeding, which I'm sad to say will have to just wait until the quarter is over next week and I have more time to get up there in fits & starts as the kids and dog will allow (not to mention my own energy levels). It will help save us on grocery bills, which would be a nice added benefit.

What we are not doing is going out and buying a whole bunch of new summer clothes, shoes, etc. Really we don't need them. The kids need some summer PJs and a few more summer clothes, so I hit a local consignment store this morning. Luckily for me it was a 1/2 price day sale, so I picked up some shorts & tops for both of them, plus 1 pair each of summer PJs. I will have to find some more PJs on sale at Kohls and/or the other consignment store. I will have to buy some new maternity items, but I'm holding off on that for the moment, because I am going to have to buy them online and I hate buying things blind.

With any luck, this summer will not be too expensive for our pocketbook & property. Wish us luck.