this hurts me more than it hurts you

It has become normal around here to clean one time a week on Saturdays.

I used to get all the cleaning done by doing one job a day.  That worked for a good many years.

Since we moved into this house, though, I have had not just Jackson, but Lena has really stepped into her own as a solid household helper.  It's like after all these years, she's finally coming off the bench and into "the show".  (Yes, I'm watching the game as I write this.)

A usual Saturday morning includes cartoons, a bigger breakfast, and then an hour of regular chores and house cleaning.  Jack had basketball today, though, so we tackled it after dinner!  And we got it all done except the kitchen floor, which maybe I'll still tackle if I have playoff nerves working through my system.

So I post the house cleaning chart and everyone just chooses the jobs that seem the least tiresome.  Oh, and PJ took a bath, so he was content for a good 40 minutes!  It's not a deep clean, for sure, but if we do the minimum every week, at least, we keep on top of things.  I leave toilets and bathroom/kitchen floors for myself and I usually re-do the sinks, too.  While doing those tougher jobs I just try to keep the two kids moving and in less than an hour, we finish.

I think the kids realize that their help each day around the house frees me up to play games with them in the evening, like tonight.  I'm also able to fully devote myself to homeschooling and food prep during the week days.  I don't even do dishes throughout the day, because I know in the evening we'll all work together to get the place picked up.

In this case, and with the cozy size of our home (read: small, which I love BTW), it doesn't take a village, but having two extra pairs of hands to help really makes a difference!

These are the guys.

Spent a week with these guys.  Yep, that's the guys.  Pops with the glasses and Gram with the very long face.  Ha  ha ha ha.  Artwork by PJ.

 

Though I'm sure all the time we spent with the Grandparents playing and reading and watching Christmas movies will be the true memories the kids hold forever, this day trip to the Aquarium was certainly the most adventurous, er, exciting!

 

Thanks for and to the family!

 

 

red hot black

 

 

I'm thankful for the preservation of summer and for those who graciously shared their bounty.  We'll be enjoying some tasty smoothies and shakes during these colder days!!

For now, I continue to take in the last of the tomatoes and potatoes.  Say that three times fast. 

I made a really simple pasta sauce tonight.  Fried onion and garlic in olive oil.  Added boiled down fresh tomato juice, salt and garlic.  I would have eaten it as such, but the family needs sugar to to tone down the tart.

I'm pretty sure I'm one of those gardeners who actually pays $64 for each tomato brought in from the home garden.  By the time you add up all the labor and costs, you could more easily buy it at Walmart (or around here, the Amish auction).  But for me?  The time spent outside is priceless!  Take that Walmart!

 

red sauce

 

 

 

You know it's September when...

 

you're processing tomatoes in your sleep!

But, the season is nearly done!

 

 

 

your love is amazing

Jack woke up this morning speaking of a "great dream".  His dream was that one afternoon he walked into our local library and they had EVERY single book that he was looking for on the shelf.

Funny kid.

So tonight before bed we did his weekly scour of the online book catalog and reserved far more books than really necessary.

Did you know there are still Garfield comic books in print?  We reserved the 36th book.

I love how your own kid's quirks secretly make you smile.

PS.  Jack wondered aloud if in this book Jon would marry Liz....what do you think?

what can you say

We near 16 years of marriage this August!  I have known this guy in so many different ways over the last 20+ years.  This photo shows the role in which he shines the most....father. 

Thanks, Paul, for taking us to the 'crik the other day! ... and for all the other adventures we never would have gone on if not for you!  Hopefully they all end up as amazing (and with only a minority of us crying to go home!)