I ROCK!

So it is 4:23pm on Thursday afternoon and my laundry is (almost) DONE!!  I rock!

And... I have next week's menu planned already, too!  Now I just need to do the grocery shopping to make said menu.

Sunday: Superbowl party at the Miller's
Monday: Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
Tuesday: Chinese (make our own or order out - TBD)
Wednesday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches in the crock pot
Thursday: Salisbury Steaks (frozen or make our own - TBD)
Friday: Whatever.  Jon's having a wisdom tooth pulled - no food for him.  I will whip up whatever I have time for (probably Easy Mac).
Saturday: Soup (Make our own, I think, but the flavor is TBD).

OK, so maybe the menu needs a little more definition.  I will work on that.  BTW, I am not as big of a rockstar as I make myself out to be -- the only reason this stuff is done is because my hours were cut - AGAIN.  Boo.  And I let the girls watch TV all day.  Ha.  I don't rock at all!  Oh well, better luck tomorrow!

Living in the Laundry room TOO!!

Ann,

Please tell me how you get by with (typically) 4 loads of laundry/week.  Do you know I do 13 or more loads every week!?  I get 7 done over the weekend and at least four or five during the week and most of the time I still don't get all my wash done. What am I doing wrong?!   I don't even have sick kids and zero accidents since before Christmas - OK, I lied, we have had one accident but it was an overnight and he fell asleep before we could have him go potty and didn't wake him up to go. Oops, my fault 100%!  Still, accidents in sheets are not fun!    I think I have so many loads because I have a very tall husband - his clothes are big and his towels are too!

Towels
Boys x2 (sheets, towels and mattress pad included here)
pink/red load
Colors x4
whites
Workout clothes
bed sheets
dog blankets
Socks

I planned out dinner this week for the first time in a while.  This is what we're having:

Monday:  Cheddar Broccoli Rice Cups (easy peasy!)
Tuesday:  Chicken nuggets (I make my own now w/ Chicken and Lemon Pepper or Italian Planko) - YUM - and also super easy!
Wednesday: Taco Stuffed Shells.
THursday:  I have broomball on Thursdays - still not sure what the kids are going to have.  Leftovers?
Friday: Minestrone Soup (its supposed to get really cold.
Saturday:  I hope to not cook but I have frozen Crock Pot Beef stew I prepared that I could throw in.

Well, I hear my dryer telling me its time to switch the laundry.    Gotta run.  Have a great week!!

Living in the Laundry Room

I am usually pretty good about laundry.  In fact, it is "my" thing in the house.  Do not mess with Mom and her laundry.  I typically do 3 loads on the weekend (hopefully washing, drying and folding all in one day) and 1 load mid-week.  If Jaeden doesn't have any accidents, then maybe I can skip that mid-week load :)

Not this week.  It all started last Saturday.  Poor Mya, still getting over a "really icky" ear infection, puked in the car on the way home from my parent's house.  A late night just got later.  After getting home, her jacket, Jon's jacket and her blanket now needed to be washed.  Her car seat had to be removed, disassembled, laundered, dried and (eventually) put back together.  Oy vey.  That was like 3 loads right there.

Then, I did my normal mid-week load (Tuesday or Wednesday), even though Jaeden was accident-free.  Until Thursday.  Daycare sent home the dreaded "wet bag" (bag of wet clothes).  OK, time for another load!

Friday, I began to do my normal weekend laundry (usually just Jon's and my clothes).  I thought I was ahead of the game until Jaeden peed in her car seat on the way home from lunch Saturday.  Yikes.  It was a repeat of remove, disassemble and reassemble of the car seat (only this time it was the other kid's).  Not only did I feel like I was living in the laundry room, I became an expert at the removal disassembly and reassembly of car seats.

I thought I was all done.  Until 2 hours later, when Jaeden woke up from her nap wet.  Seriously?  OK, I pulled off the "training pad" to wash it, only to realize she had been wrapped in her top sheet funny, so that was wet too.  So, not only did I have to wash the pad, I had to wash the (brand new) spare sheet set so that I can take off her sheets and wash them too (there is no way I am going to be able to wash, dry and replace the sheets before the next time she needs to sleep - I am just too tired).  So here we are...  I am just waiting for the next time I need to wash something :-)  P.S. I can't wait to see our water bill this quarter.

On to the obligatory this week's menu!
Today: Spiral sliced ham.  I have no idea why I have been craving this, but I am           sure the girls will love it too!
Monday:  Way too busy for dinner.  We will have a freezer meal (Macaroni Grill           Basil Chicken Pasta something).
Tuesday: Tacos
Wednesday: Leftovers (there is probably going to be a TON of ham left)
Thursday: Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups (made and frozen previously - heat and eat!)
Friday: Dinner out with the Millers
Saturday: Pizza? Burgers?  TBD.

Here's to no more laundry, at least of a couple of days!  Have a great week!

P.P.S.  Oh yeah, I washed the sheets from Jon's and my bed, too.

Back to "normal"

I return back to work on Monday after my 5 weeks as a SAHM.  That means that after 5 weeks of "abnormal", life will get back to normal.  Is there such a thing?  Maybe it's just that we are getting back into our routine.  Is there such a thing?  Whatever.  I think we are all ready for Monday.  Well, everyone except for me.  What was I doing at work when I was told to take the next 5 weeks off?  Ugg.  Whatever.  I can't be blamed for the lack of consistency because the 5 week break wasn't my idea.

Anyway, I LOVED the time at home with the girls.  I got to know them even better that I already did.  They are growing and developing a lot.  They surprised me in a lot of ways.  I got a lot done around the house (including cleaning the kitchen, 2 bathrooms and 3 bedrooms more than they have been cleaned in months.  Years?).  I made a lot of meals and learned that I can be (and am) somewhat domesticated.   I can work, be a mom and get dinner on the table.  It takes planning.  And having ideas (thanks ZipList and Pinterest)!

So here goes...next week's menu.
Sunday: Dinner at That's Amore for Baka's birthday

Monday: Something from the freezer (I have been doing so well at making fresh meals that the pre-made frozen stuff is taking up all the room in the freezer so nothing else fits.

Tuesday: Stuffed Shells (to be made on Monday)

Wednesday: Bruschetta Chicken

Thursday: Beef Stroganoff

Friday: Leftovers/O.Y.O.

Saturday: Dinner at the Miller's


Here's to happy returns.  Make it a great week!