House Cleaning

For over a year now I have stuck to this cleaning schedule...

Monday: Laundry (kitchen towels & floor mats)
Floors- vacuum mop & sweep
Tuesday: Dust & wipe down walls (rotate rooms each week)
organize a drawer or cupboard
Wednesday: Wipe down fridge/freezer or microwave/oven/toaster
Make bread, dry fruit or canning etc.
Thursday: Laundry (bed sheets rotating parents and kids)
Floors- vacuum mop & sweep
Friday: Bathroom
Grocery shopping

Anyway I love this schedule. That way I don't feel completely overwhelmed with house work all at once. When the bathroom looks kinda dirty on Wednesday I say to myself "It can wait 2 more days". This is an example of today, which is why I am on here blogging. I am taking time for myself instead of cleaning the toilet. If I clean till the house is spotless I never get my "Amber time". It keeps everything spread out, yet I know everything does get clean on a weekly bases. So choose wisely which day you come visit :)

Cloth Diapers

Yes we made the change to cloth diapers a week ago now. I love them. They are more attractive, eco-friendly (yes you use water to wash them but they are still better for the environment then disposables) decreases diaper rash and in the long run they are cheaper. I thought the cleaning part would get to me... but it hasn't. I worked in a nursing home for 5 years I guess baby poop can't scare me anymore :) My only regret is not getting them sooner. I wouldn't of had to dress my kids all summer with these. I think they are so cute! And they have so many color options. We have 2 different colors of blue, 2 different colors of green, white, orange, yellow and pink.

Pre Preschool

Since school started for Robert I have been doing preschool lessons with Pepper twice a week. On bug day we went on a bug hunt. We found ladybug, ant, worm, spider fly and grasshopper. We caught the grasshopper in a jar so she could examine it closer (notice the picture). We also read " The Lovely Ladybug" & "Buzz Buzz went the Bee". Then she put a whole bunch of bug stickers on a piece of paper. We finished by feeding crickets to our frog. For "tree day" we went outside and found a leaf from several different trees and then glued them on to a trunk on a paper. Additionally we read "Franklin Plants a Tree" and talked about how trees start out as seeds and grow into big big trees. (P.S. "big" is one of the words Pepper can say). We have now started the five senses. We have done taste and touch so far. Art and books with each. Next is I see. I am excited we are going to use glasses, binoculars, magnifying glass etc. I tried teaching her colors a few months ago but that was more of a struggle. She now is eager to learn and very cooperative. We will have to hit the colors again (we only did 3 colors, but she does know which one is yellow) now that she is understanding more.

Is SuMmEr AlReAdY oVeR?

Summer is over and Robert is in his last semester of school! He graduates this December and we are so excited! Between school, work & kids he is a busy man. But he did school/work on the computer summer semester so he had a little bit more freedom. Unlike July we stayed home the majority of the time. We did make a trip to Yellowstone with my sister & a couple of Roberts siblings. It was freezing during the night, but we had a blast. A few weeks at home without a whole lot of a schedule was just what we needed to find the motivation to go jogging in the mornings. The kids are fairly good in our double jogger. And in three weeks I went from running under a mile to running three miles without taking breaks to stop or walk. And I feel less tired everyday. Most people can run MUCH better, but still I am pleased with my progress. This last weekend my nephew Pryson was blessed so my parents & brother came down for that. With them around we keep busy. We love the outdoors! I dont know what we will do when the weather holds us inside!