Should I Become a Morning Person?

A couple of weeks ago I decided that I would be a happier person if I had a few minutes alone in the morning before negotiating with all they boys. They generally sleep until 6:30ish, and we start fixing breakfast at 7:00. Breakfast time is not mellow.

So I set my alarm for 6:00. I told the boys I might be awake when they come upstairs but I am not available. I will be in the armchair reading until 7:00. A lovely plan.

Day 1: I'm up at 6:00, make coffee, and am reading before Sam wakes up. He is happy to see me and plays quietly in the living room until 7:00.

Day 2: I'm up at 6:00, Jude is up at 6:15. I read while he sits in my lap. I make it until almost 7:00.

{break for trip to MN}

Day 3: Too tired after long drive home yesterday. Sleep until boys shove me out of bed.

Day 4: Too tired just because.

Day 5: Too tired because Owen was awake until 11:30 the previous night.

Day 6: Don't bother trying.

Day 7: I get up at 6:00 and by 6:10 am at the breakfast table with Sam and Owen, who continue eating for 30 minutes. Half and hour is a looooong time to eat cereal.

I haven't given up yet, but I'm not sure how to beat my children out of bed. I do not want to get up before 6:00. Eye masks for kids?

Blender Repair

I am not handy. I am smart, but not handy. My blender was recently wounded and at first I thought it was dead. Who repairs a blender? A little poking around online revealed that many people repair blenders and the broken part only costs $6. I ordered one and tried to feel optimistic.

The part arrived with simple one-page instructions. Mostly I have no idea how things work. I could probably chat about the cultural significance of small electronics in home kitchens, the difference in women's lives since things like blenders became widely available, the homemade-pureed-baby-food movement. But I cannot describe the basic mechanics of a functioning blender. Here we go anyway.

Ready to work. Blender with broken piece, new part, and instructions.
Damage assessment: two teeth broken off the coupler. Parts supplier says the coupler is a commonly replaced part.
The instructions said to wedge a screwdriver under the coupler and pry the broken part off. "This is usually accomplished in 3-4 attempts," the instruction sheet said. In my case it was more like 3-40 attempts. I scraped off a few layers of metal in the process. Oops.
Repair completed! See the coupler with six complete teeth? Proud Susan.
Crushed ice is proof that I really fixed it. It also made excellent smoothies and margaritas last night.

Frugality Friday: Earth Day

We've been having some fun finding ways to reuse our trash, a la the Earth Day mantra "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." In theory this helps us save money. In theory it also makes us more organized, since a lot of the reuse is in the form of storage containers. I don't feel more organized, but the things I cannot find are in witty containers.

Ben is going to be away from home for the month of June (attending school in St. Louis) and plans to send postcards to the boys to stay in touch. He's cut postcard-sized pieces from fiberboard boxes and will mail those with short notes on the back. I LOVE this idea. I think the boys will be jazzed about the images from food they like.

Pouring cereal for yourself is a big deal at our house. Jude likes to eat almost anything that he can serve himself. This orange juice jug seemed especially sturdy so we filled it with Cheerios from boxes that are too big for small hands. The containers with art stuff were spice jars and a peanut butter jar.

Other handy reuses: single-serve yogurt cups for snacks (a yogurt cup of goldfish, anyone?) and multiple-serving yogurt tubs for watering plants in the yard. The boys can fill a tub with water and carry it anywhere in the yard.

P.S. Big success grocery shopping on double-double coupons Wed. Between sales, coupons, and doubling, I saved 50%.

A Frame

Ben asked me to post this video because I happened to film the boys dancing while Ben's phone was playing the song "A Frame" by Rafter. I know what you're thinking: I don't know the band, either, but he recently reviewed them on musicspectrum.org. Judging by the album cover, I'd guess it's not kid-appropriate.

BatOwen

Two of Owen's favorite things: trains and this Batman costume. The boys got a set of superhero costumes as Christmas and occasionally they all dress up and act crazy together. Owen, however, FREQUENTLY puts on the full Batman paraphernalia just to do his normal thing. He sits around in this outfit reading books, working puzzles, playing trains. Every once in a while he stops by the full-length mirror to check himself out.

Milwaukee Grocery Deal Alert!

Did you see the Pick N Save circular this week? On Wednesdays they always double 5 coupons, but this week my circular says they will double up to 10 coupons. You could get an extra $10 off on your groceries.

Here are some good places to check for coupons online

Coupons.com

Red Plum

Hip2Save

Happy shopping!

Heaven is My Van

Jude was playing with a little tower that had a door on the roof, putting guys inside and saying they were in jail. The configuration inspired me to tell him the story of the paraplegic whose friends lowered him through the roof of a house so he could get to Jesus and be healed. Owen heard me telling this story and asked to see the friends. "Oh, they're all in heaven now. With Jesus. We can't see them."

Owen looked out the window, "Jesus is in the van?"

Frugality Monday

I missed posting on Friday. It was quite a weekend. Yesterday was Ben's last day at church and all our energy was pointed toward that.

Now, to my belated report on my latest money-management efforts: when is it worth investing more in something that might (emphasis on might) last longer?

Sam has a major issue with tennis shoe wear and tear. He is hard on those

shoes. Something about the way he plays outside causes shoes to spontaneously disassemble within a few weeks.

I decided to take Sam to REI and get the sturdiest shoes we could find. I prepped him: there will be no cartoon characters on these shoes. They will not light up. They will be plain and sturdy. If you can destroy these, then your next pair will be steel-toed boots.

Coupon and dividend in hand, we paraded to the shoe section and found these Keens. The sole is on solid piece that wraps all the way over the toe and it is some serious rubber. I think these were designed with rock climbing in mind. Sam was skeptical at first but agreed as soon as he figured out how to run with the heavier sole.

That was 5 days ago. I've been feeling pretty smug about this until the shoelace broke today. Anyone have a recommendation for indestructible shoelaces?

Bed & Basketball

Owen has new roommates! Sam and Jude sleep in a downstairs bedroom and Owen has continued sleeping in a room upstairs by Mom and Dad. The other night, Owen wandered out of his room after everyone was in bed and the house was dark. He walked downstairs and laid down in the doorway of Sam and Jude's bedroom and went to sleep.

It was one of the sweetest things I have ever seen.

We took that as a sign that Owen is ready to move in with the big boys. Last night we took his pillow and blanket downstairs and talked about him sleeping in the big bedroom. At bedtime, he walked right down and climbed into his new spot. He talked for about three hours, but was happy. This morning he woke up smiling.

And in NCAA news.... Sam won the family competition! Five adults and two kids (Sam and Jude) chose teams every round and Sam came out on top. No help. Ben just named the two teams for each game and the boys each chose a name. It helps that Duke is my mom's alma mater and she is a HUGE fan. Sam's will get custody of the traveling trophy (a basketball). I am so proud. March Madness 2011: we're calling Vegas.

Frugality Friday: Kid Fun

Since I spend most of my time with my kids, I’m working on a list of absolutely-100%-free fun. Here are a few that have particularly amused me lately.

1. Borrow musicals from the library. This week we borrowed Singin in the Rain. I’ve never seen the whole movie, but thought we’d all enjoy some singing and dancing. We skipped the dialogue and watched several of the dance numbers. The kids especially liked “Make ‘Em Laugh.” Now if I just mention it Jude laughs.
2. Litter patrol. Since the time change we’ve been able to go for a few walks in the evening. Jude tried to pick up trash the first time out and I was grossed out, but promised we’d bring a plastic bag along next time. You’d think we’d planned the best scavenger hunt ever. They ran around picking up garbage like fantastic little environmental geeks.
3. Zoo. Not exactly free, but once we bought the membership it feels like free. It’s easy enough to bring food & drinks and the kids think it’s special because we’re eating at the zoo. They are often more enthusiastic about the playground than the kudu antelope, but I can cope.
4. Make your own soap. Jude thinks this is a hilarious bathtime game. I give him an old yogurt cup with a little bathwater and a spoon. We add baking soda to make a thick paste and then he scrubs himself with it and giggles. I think it is actually good for his skin. He feels very soft after his bath.
5. Print out activity/coloring pages from the Internet. Sam rocks dot-to-dot and Jude is in love with mazes. There are coloring pages to suit any mood. I especially like DLTK and Learning Page.