Hotel-like Service

Asher's school requires him to do some service hours each term, & he was a bit short, so this weekend he decided to help Chancery out by re-organizing her bookshelf.  It was a disaster to start with, so I figured it would take about an hour for him to get it under control.

What I didn't anticipate was that once he finished the big bookcase, he'd then move on to the small shelves, the nightstand, & even under the bed!  It took him 2 hours to get it looking like this, hopefully it stays clean for a while!

Asher told me, "I just made it look like how I'd want it if it was my room."

And when Chancery got into bed, her comment was, "I feel like I'm at a hotel!"

Yardwork CAN Be Fun!

PChad is gone this week, so it fell to me to mow the grass.  It was long... and we have a weird mower... I got my exercise for the day!

Clean Clothes

PChad has been after me to hang the laundry on the clothesline in our backyard for awhile now, & since today is such a nice day & I was doing laundry anyway, I decided to appease him so he could have some nice outdoorsy smelling shirts.  I got the entire load pinned on the line, & was raising the line up to the “don’t bonk your head on the laundry” level, when the line snapped & all my freshly laundered clothes fell to the ground.

 

So, I employed the kids to help me gather all the clothes back up off the ground, & put the load in the dryer.  There may be a few things that had a bit of dirt on them, but dirt smells outdoorsy too, right?

Lovely Knife

When I was in high school, one Christmas I asked my parents for a pocket-knife.  I was a bit disappointed when I received the smallest possible Swiss Army Knife ever…

But I started carrying it around & it proved it’s usefulness time & time again.  It’s been used to cut the wayward strings off clothes, trim & file fingernails, remove splinters, & of course open packages.  When the kids’ toys need new batteries, I don’t have to search for a screwdriver to remove the battery covers.  When I worked in retail, I never had to borrow someone’s box-knife to open the tape on boxes.  It’s handy, & it’s useful.

Yesterday’s post about Asher locking my doorknob resulted in many comments advising buying a new knob for the door.  I had come to the same conclusion LAST time Asher locked the door, requiring a locksmith to open it.  IN fact we had it all figured out that we could take the knob & trade it for one on the storage room, since the storage room has 2 doors.  Even if Asher (or someone else) inadvertently locked the door, we could go in the other door & unlock it, no problem.  We just hadn’t gotten around to switching the doorknobs yet.

Sunday night, I set about trading the knobs.  I figured if we left it again, we’d be out another $40 in about a year’s time when someone had the bright idea to try it again.

I decided it was time to switch the knobs right then & there.  Since I always have a little knife in my pocket, I thought I’d try using that.  I got the basement knob off quite easily, I decided to trade knobs with Asher’s bedroom door too, so we could get the push-lock knob back on our door instead of his.  That knob was pretty easily removed & replaced as well, but when it came time to remove the offending key-lock on our door, it seemed that the bolting mechanism was a bit too big, so it had been jammed into the hole of the door quite tightly.

I almost had to get a real screwdriver…

PChad came to see what I was doing about half-way through & inquired about my choice of tools.  But my little knife was working fine, & it was handy when I started the project.

And when all was said & done, how many tools can boast being able to change 3 doorknobs, file fingernails, remove a sliver, & clean your teeth?

I’ve had to replace my original knife about 6 times due to forgetting to remove it from my pocket before flying.  I’ve had it in red, cobalt, & sapphire, mainly due to whatever colour happens to be available when I’m picking up a new one.


But I just discovered the new summer line… aren’t they pretty?

Helping Hands

Why is it that when kids want to help with chores, they always gravitate to the ones you don’t mind doing?

Emptying the dishwasher, no big deal
Laundry, I can handle it.
Dusting, well, someone should do it from time to time, so why can’t they take over THAT?

Asher has decided it’s great fun to load the washing machine, then transfer the clothes to the dryer, but the BEST part is when the dryer is done, because that means he gets to clean out the lint trap.

Luckily, he also finds matching socks to be an enjoyable activity, which is probably my least favourite part of laundry.

Somehow I’ll have to convince him that cleaning sinks & showers is fun, but perhaps I’ll wait a few years ‘til he’s past the water spraying stage.

Distressed Shirt

I have said it before & I'll say it again, I have very little fashion sense, if any at all.  A few weeks ago I had some soiled items that I thought I'd soak in bleach before I washed them.  The next load of laundry I did, I threw them in as well.

Unfortunately, that was a load of DARKS that I had in the washing machine along with my bleached items.  I didn't really think about it until I was folding the laundry, and at that point I was just really thankful that nothing seemed to have gotten bleached from it.


Then I ran across this shirt:

So, my question for you fashionable lot is, does my shirt look like it's just a bit distressed, or does it look like a laundry mishap?  Can I still wear it & not look like a cleaning lady, or should I just start using it as a cleaning rag?

Fruit Fly Trap

We've been having real trouble with fruit flies this summer & we've tried a couple different methods to get rid of them, but much to our chagrin, none have worked.

A friend of mine recently blogged about the same problem & mentioned she had a solution that killed like no tomorrow, so I thought it was time to give it a shot.

Put a little bit of apple cider vinegar in a small glass and add a few drops of liquid dish soap. Apparently the fruit flies are attracted to the scent & then die. I have yet to see a fly actually go in, but I have seen the results & I'm a believer!

In the last few days we have had over 50 fruit flies caught in the trap. (I told you we had a real problem!) So, many thanks to Tracy of Meengs Family Moments for putting an end to my infestation!

A Newfangled Invention

Last weekend we had a ladies conference & as I was packing up the kids to leave, Asher stopped because he saw a very interesting sight. He began to question what was happening:

"What are you doing, Man? What is that thing in your hand, Man?"

Me: "He's mopping the floor."

Asher: "Why? What is that thing in his hand?"

Me: "Well, the floor is dirty, & he's washing it with the mop."

Asher: "Can I watch?"

I guess mopping is a totally foreign concept to him....

The Ants Go Marching

For the past week we have had an ant problem. I believe it all started last week, when the power was out & Asher was helping me put some groceries away. Somehow a bottle of juice was dropped on the floor & half the contents spilled out & under the fridge.

Since the power was out, I decided I might as well wait until the power was back on so I could use my steam mop to clean up the mess. Then, since housecleaning isn't the highest priority on my list, it was suddenly a week later & the mess still hadn't been cleaned up. So a few days ago, PChad & I pulled out the fridge & properly cleaned up under it.

We were alerted to the ant problem by Thanet. He has a very distinctive cry that he makes when he is doing something he knows he shouldn't be doing (like going into the washroom, climbing on the counters, etc.). The other day he was in the hallway & started doing the cry, so I went to see what he was up to. He was chasing an ant down the hall & perhaps he just wanted me to know there was an intruder in the house.

These ants are not the small ants that I am used to seeing in a house. They are the larger, garden variety ants that you'd commonly find on an anthill outdoors. Every now & then, Thanet will decide to sniff one, but I think they have pinched him a time or two b/c he ends up shaking his head & running away.


We don't really know where they are coming from, but we tend to find them in the vicinity of the fridge. Thanet has taken up his post & can be found in front of the fridge for a large percentage of his day. When one appears, he lets us know with is little cry, sometimes he'll even sit up & point his paw at the ant, keeping a safe distance.

There aren't a ton of them, we kill around 20 a day. I'm hoping they disappear soon, though. I really hate creepy, crawly things! Chancery has suddenly taken a liking to watching them & I hope she doesn't end up sampling one, like she does everything else she finds on the floor. Although, I hear in some countries, ants are considered a delicacy!

A Decorating Tip

One thing I have learned over this past week of being under the weather.

If you are thinking about decorating your washroom with red polka-dots, there is a quick, non-permanent way, to find out if it is the decorating scheme for you.

Just pour your feverish, under-the-weather self a shot of NyQuil, hold it aloft & sneeze violently. If there is still some medicine in the cup, sneeze again until all the liquid has been distributed across your washroom.

It might not have come out evenly, but it will give you a pretty good idea of what the finished project would look like.

And as you're cleaning it up, you'll be amazed at all the little places that you'll find it.

A Housework Analogy

A few weeks ago at Coffee Break we were talking about how our relationship with Christ is something that we have to maintain & work at. It's a bit different from our relationship with our spouse b/c our spouse is physically present to remind us if we haven't spent enough time together & the effects of it can be a bit more obvious.

It got me thinking that living in relationship w/ Christ is a bit like cleaning house. It's not something that you can do once (accept Him into your life) & figure it's good. Rather it's something we have to keep working at. We have to keep asking Him to renew us & consciously keep Him as the number one priority in our lives.

Image what it would be like if you went on one date w/ a guy, then he asked you to marry him, you said, yes, but never saw him again. It wouldn't be much of a relationship, would it?

No Splatter Rice Cooking -WFMW

Every time I use my rice coker, I end up with splatters all over the counter/stove/cupboards what-have-you. It was irritating. I'm not all that excited about cooking anyways, and I REALLY don't like to have to cook AND clean up a huge mess afterwards. So I started "tenting" my rice cooker with a dishtowel &, viola, problem solved!

I have only had one issue since I started doing this & that is sometimes the little vent hole gets a bit of rice stuck in it causing the lid to rattle around as the steam has no escape route.Afterwards I just peel the towel off & throw it in the laundry pile. Problem solved, easy-peasy!

For more great ideas, visit we are THAT family

Cleaning Schedule

The Queen B asked the other day about how people clean their houses. Here's what I do:

I like things tidy, so I'm constantly putting things away, that way it doesn't seem like too big a job b/c there's not that much to put away. Basically when the kids leave a room, we tidy it before we go.

As for cleaning? I generally clean when it looks like it needs to be clean (ie. you can SEE that the floor is dirty). That being said, I only vacuum once a week or so, but there is no set day/time. I have central vac, but I HATE it b/c I find you have to lug everything out & it's not conducive to doing a quick cleaning, so I use my old vacuum most the time unless I'm going to do a thorough cleaning. Monday is laundry day. Everyone knows to have their laundry in the hamper on Monday or it has to wait another week. I fold right away b/c then I don't have laundry lying about & I'm done for a whole week (unless there's a huge spit-up accident like there was yesterday). Dusting? Well I should probably do that from time to time......

I Think I'm Ready To Move

Last night we got a call from the U-Haul guy saying that the closest place that had a trailer of the size we had reserved was 2 hours away. Well, we had ordered the smallest trailer b/c we have a VW Jetta to pull it with, so getting a bigger trailer wasn't really an option. His offer was to cut the price from $250 to $100 for the week.....

So Chad has gone to get our cheaper trailer! I declared it unfair that he gets to go driving for 4 hours this morning while I have to stay home & pack & clean, but then I remembered that I would have the computer, so I decided that I'd check emails & blog a bit!

So, now I have a few loads of laundry going, everything is pretty much packed, & I basically only have vacuuming to do, which I will wait until everything is pretty much out of here to do b/c you can't really vacuum w/ boxes everywhere. I'd show you a picture of all our boxes, but the cord for the camera is packed & I don't really know how to connect it to the laptop. Maybe I'll get them up in a few days.

Surprisingly, our phone has been disconnected already. I ordered it to be done today & they kept saying it would be done by 5 pm. I checked it at 9am & it had already been done. It figures that if you need a phone connected they'll wait until the last minute, but to get it disconnected it's done right away so you can't make anymore calls!

Tomorrow we head out on our way from Ontario to Alberta! It's supposed to be a 42 hour drive. We're going through Canada b/c we've never been that way before. It adds about 8 hours onto the trip, but since we have a trailer full of stuff we figured it doesn't make sense to cross the boarder if we don't have to.

I'm actually really looking forward to the trip both b/c it's seeing things we haven't seen before, & b/c we'll have lots of time to think about the calls we have received from churches. We don't really know where the Lord is leading us, so we have to really pray & figure out what His will is for us. We have 3 really good offers & we just don't know what our decision is.

So for the next week I'll be at the mercy of hotel internet. Hopefully most the ones we stay at will have wireless so I can still post about all the exciting things we do & see on our "big trip" as Asher has been calling it.

Traditions are Grand

Today we went into London to do some shopping. Chad had some Christmas money that has been burning a hole in his pocket. He wasn't really sure of what he wanted (other than a haircut), so in & out of shops we went. We had the stroller, so it wasn't too much of an issue w/ Asher.

We started out by going to Starbucks b/c that's the way one is supposed to begin shopping on Oxford street, obviously. There is literally a Starbucks every block, it can't be a coincidence. Up & down the street we went. We decided to appease Asher for lunch & eat at McDonald's. He'd been such a good shopper & he didn't even complain when we passed the first McDonald's, he just watched it slowly go by.

After lunch we stopped at a green space for Asher to run around for awhile. It was a bit wet, but we thought it more important for Asher to get a chance to expend some energy than to keep his shoes clean, so off Chad & Asher went chasing pigeons. Shortly thereafter I heard a wail that was distinctly familiar. Apparently Asher had been running to investigate a statue & found the only puddle in the park, slipped, fell & cracked his head on the cement base of said statue. Amazingly he was more concerned about being wet & dirty than the fact that he had a giant goose-egg forming right b/w his eyes. We cleaned him up as best we could & moved on. I figured it was about time for a nap & kids tend to sleep better after they bonk their heads!

On to more shops. Chad still had not bought anything & it was going on 2pm. We had circled all the way back to where we had started & the rain began to fall. We decided that since Asher was now either sleeping peacefully or passed out in the stroller, we'd go into Starbucks & read for awhile until the showers passed. At about 3pm we decided to head for Piccadilly Circus & Leicester Square since there are a few more shops along there.

Chad suddenly remembered there was a jacket that he really liked in one of the shops we had gone to earlier that morning, so we went to try & find it. We had no luck, BUT he did finally make his first purchase.... a pair of sunglasses! We decided since we were so close to Chinatown at this point we really should have dinner at Wong Kei's since it was where we went almost every week with our friends Jeffy & Meigan. It was all we remembered it to be & Chad really enjoyed the garlic hot sauce.

After a scrumptious dinner it was time for the traditional dessert.... Ben & Jerry's ice cream! I was sad to discover they were not serving "One Sweet Whirled" as it is my absolute favourite, but I made do with a scoop of "Coffee, Coffee, Buzz, Buzz, Buzz!" & a scoop of "Baked Alaska." They were the perfect compliment to each other. And off we went to try to find Chad's jacket once more.

After nearly an hour we managed to find the correct shop, but in the course of the day they had sold the last of the jackets he liked. Needless to say, he was disappointed, but hopefully he'll find something else to take his mind off the "jacket-that-wasn't-meant-to-be-Chad's."

Now we're back at G&M's & I'm doing yet another load of laundry. I thought I'd make it until we got back to Canada, but I didn't really want to haul a bag of wet muddy clothes back with me. Sounds like the washing's done, so I'd better get everything all laid out on the radiators! Yay!

Laundry in London

That's right folks, today I spent doing the exciting task of washing our clothes. Yes, apparently they do that in England too, although their methods are a bit different from ours. To start, you need to take the 2 loads you have & split them again into 3 or possibly 4 b/c the washing machines are front load & quite a bit smaller. Then you load the washer & wait about 1 hour for your load of washing to be finished.

When the washing is done, you take all your wet clothes out & sort out all your undergarments. Then place all your wet clothing items on the radiators in the house, taking care to place your unmentionables in your own room in a discreet place. Then you wait about..... well, it's been about 10 hours & only about 1/2 of the laundry is dry. Of course you can count on your jeans taking at least 24 hours to dry.

During all this time you must have discussions with your spouse who is feeling the heat of all the radiators being turned way up. If he turns them down, drying time is increased, if they stay turned up, sleep is fleeting as the room must be cool in order to get a good nights sleep in.

Once the laundry is dry, you must fold, grab, wrinkle it so that it softens a bit. It can get quite crispy, especially thicker items such as thermal shirts & jeans. Ahh, it makes me glad to have a nice large washer & dryer waiting for me at home, but it sure gave me something to do all day!

Laundress

Stupid Laundry.... where do you come from, & how can you breed so quickly? I just did 3 loads 4 days ago, & now must do 4 more?

Time

Why does it always seem like when we get a little free time, it's just that.... a LITTLE free time? I have so many things it seems like I never have a chance to get around to b/c I never have enough time. I have a book I've been trying to read for about a month, A blog that is sadly waaaay behind, a house that could use a good cleaning (Katie? April?), Movies I would really like to watch... There's just too many things, and too little time. I can't wait 'til I'm retired.... although by then I'll probably need large-print books, close-captioned TV, and a house cleaner, but I don't think I'll mind having a house cleaner.

I was planning on updating this blog today, only to discover as soon as I started, that Asher has decided he has slept long enough. Guess I'll have to get around to it another day.