Weekend Recap- Madrigal Feaste and Feed My Starving Children

What a crazy and busy weekend. It was so great, though. I'm really enjoying maternity leave, although I have to say that it's ending up being more like a vacation because The Peanut still hasn't arrived on the scene.

I did want to show off some pictures from the high school's Madrigal Feaste. It was a blast. Here's some rehearsal photos:

Friday night I got to see the lovely production.  But I would say the highlight of the evening was the shout out to The Peanut. It might be a little hard to understand, but it's the thought that counts. :)

That's the Husband, way back in the background of the picture. He's directing the handbell choir

These were our table wenches, the "Holey, Moley Sisters. They were afraid of my camera.

It's really dark, but that's a good friend of ours in the stockades for "pinching the wenches"

Saturday morning we headed to the park center to take part in Feed My Starving Children. If you don't know what this organization is, you really should check it out. It's an awesome organization, with 93% of all proceeds going directly to feed children around the world. It only costs 24 cents per meal, which is really pretty phenomenal. The goal for our (very small) region was to pay for and pack 600,000 meals this weekend.  632,016 meals ended up being packed, which is so awesome. That means that 1,732 children will get to eat for a whole year because of our small community. I definitely challenge you to do it if it's offered in your community, and to give to it if it's not. It's so rewarding.

Orientation

Don't let those smiles fool you

These guys mean business

The packing stations

Hearing the numbers so far and learning about some awesome kids that get to eat now because of us!

Husband and I rocking our hairnets for Jesus!

It was a great weekend, rounded out by a trip to see my dad for his birthday and hearing a friend of ours play at a concert in town. Way too busy to update, but I think that this long long long long post definitely made up for lost time.

In other news, I really need a nice camera so that I can stop torturing all of you with the point and shoot. Gross pictures.

Countdown

14 Days til my due date!!!

Madrigal Feaste

Tonight I went to the local high school's madrigal feaste. It was spectacular and lots and lots of fun. With lots and lots of food. I shall post some pictures from it tomorrow. Tonight, however, I think I will just be content with laziness and shut the computer to cuddle with the husband.

Wassail! What, ho! Huzzah!

Thursday Book Review

You know, this blog basically started as a reading blog. And I failed a little lot with that. I kind of hope to remedy that to a certain extent, even though the blog has now taken a new (and really, better) direction. I really hate to not finish what I started, even though I have miserably missed my deadline of one year to read 100 books. Besides, I really believe that moms still need to set expectations of themselves that have nothing to do with baby. I want The Peanut to know that his mom can accomplish big tasks. And this is really just a place to start.

This past week I finally finished "Baby Wise." It was recommended to us by approximately 800,000 people. The subtitle is "Giving your baby the gift of night time sleep." I'm already wary, since I've been oh so politely told by many women that my days of sleeping are forever gone. Why does everyone like to pass their misery on to the next pregnant woman. Maybe I will sleep! You don't know!

....ahem...

The book really is great, though. It's a step by step guide through feeding and sleeping times. It gives you approximate baby weights by age and how many times in a day your baby should poo (which is something every pregnant woman should know). Not only this, but there are CHARTS in the back of the book for you to keep track of how many times your baby has poo'd! It's like a miracle in paperback.

I would definitely suggest that if you read this book you answer the "review" questions at the end of each chapter. I didn't, because I thought, "How hard could it be to just find the chapter that it's in and look it up?" Well, considering that the chapters overlap (the way that, really, good self-help book chapters should) it could be a major pain.

I would also suggest that you read the next to last chapter "Parenting Potpourri" at a time in your pregnancy when you are not feeling particularly vulnerable. There was a section on SIDS in that chapter, and I almost had a meltdown.

**Husband and I are sitting in the family room reading together quietly**

Me: **random outburst** OUR BABY IS GOING TO DIE!!!
Husband: **slowly looks up from book**
Me: I mean it. I can't remember to do all this stuff!
Husband: What?
Me: EVERYTHING causes SIDS! Everything!! I can't leave a bottle with him in his crib? How am I ever going to remember that? What if I lay him on his back, but he rolls over anyway? He'll suffocate in his Snoopy comforter!
Husband: **pats me on the leg, slowly turns back to book**
Me: **weeps in corner of couch**

Overall, though, reading it WAS a pretty enjoyable experience, although I think I already ascribed to that view point anyway. It's always good to feel reaffirmed, though.

New layout!

Do you dig it? Hate it? Opinions, please!

Whiz Cleaning Wednesday

I've decided to try a kind of experiment. It's so easy to get bogged down with housework and chores, and I know that some women just want to scream all the time because it just doesn't seem like it's ever done. In fact, some women totally work themselves to the bone trying to make sure that their house is spotless.

Just a disclaimer: I am not a spotless house kind of person. I used to be, when I was in high school and my first year of college. But I soon realized that when you're sharing a living space with others you only have three options: 1. Clean up after everyone  2. Be the crazy witch lady who yells at everyone all the time  3. Loosen up and live

I decided on option three. And it's suited me well so far. Of course, things tend to get behind a lot easier because of this attitude. And that's why I'm experimenting with a new plan.

This week the experiment was to clean like a mad person for 3 hours, one day a week. Just imagine that you JUST found out that someone (preferably someone that you want to impress with your beautiful house) is coming over. In three hours. This plan should be fairly easy to maintain- given that my child isn't colicky. Basically, it's just necessary to remember to give yourself forgiveness if you can't get in all 3 hours every single week. You will probably make it up some other week.

So, yesterday at 12:30 I began. I took pictures... and I'm a little ashamed to share them, but I will, for the experiment's sake.

Living Room Before

 

 

Living Room After

This was really just a matter of picking up a couple things and hanging a stocking. No big. Took about 2 minutes.

Breakfast Nook Before

Breakfast Nook After

It doesn't look like it, but this part probably took the longest. After the baby shower on Saturday, we had so much stuff! And I didn't want to just move this to the baby's room for look's sake. So all the bags that are gone from the floor had their contents removed and put away. It took me about 45 minutes before I finally decided I had to move on.

Kitchen Counter Before

Kitchen Counter After

Kitchen Sink Before

Kitchen Sink After

The kitchen. Oh the kitchen.

I got the counter cleaned off pretty quickly and then went to work on the sink. I couldn't fit all the dishes in the dishwasher... because I hadn't done dishes in so long. I'm bad. So I did what I could, then rinsed out the rest so that when I emptied the dishwasher I could just throw them in. At least that looks respectable. And it doesn't smell bad.

My Office Before

My Office After?

Didn't really do a whole lot with this. I just couldn't get to it. Which is a crying shame because it looks awful. If you'll notice, though, I felt bad for my office, so I did take the brown paper bag full of hangers and put it away and I threw away a plastic filing cabinet that was broken. Go me!

Master Bedroom Before (yes, there are clothes in that bassinet)

Master Bedroom after

Yes, I am ashamed that we had piled clothes into the baby's bassinet. It's so "Hoarders" of us. But can I just say that my husband did it? Also, they were clean clothes. So at least we have that going for us.

Laundry Basket Before

Laundry Basket After

Will the shame never end??? Now, not all of that laundry is done, mind you, but I did get three loads dried and folded. And all the dirty clothes are where they belong- in the laundry room. Where I can keep people out.

I would say that that's a pretty successful 3 hours. Especially for a very pregnant woman.

The other great thing about giving yourself a time limit on cleaning is that you tend to prioritize what needs to be done and when. You begin to combine trips up and down the stairs with missions to do other things. It really does help get a lot more done in a lot less time.

Am I suggesting that three hours a week alone is enough to keep a house sparkling clean? No. I will be trying to mostly keep the dishes washed and things picked up a little better than they were so that I can keep moving forward. But I don't see a need for mothers to guilt trip themselves over not deep cleaning every day. I am hoping that with this plan I can have a decent place for my child to live as well as a decent life outside of cleaning.

Do you have a clean regiment? What has worked for you in the past?

Facebook Following

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I'm trying to figure out how to put the "like" button on this page, but, honestly, I don't quite understand the instructions. If anyone can help me, please drop me a comment or an email!