The Bliss of Exhaustion
Yes, yes, I know: weird title!
Hubby has been home for most of the week and it has been wonderful. My Favourtie memory made would have to be the time spent sledding with the children on the 26th. We had the hiking trails to ourselves and it was a perfect 1 degree C with a mysterious fog. The children were amazing and even lil Miss hiked and played in the snow for an hour! Mummy's legs were even tired!

The week has been full of fun, but also a lot more cleaning. Making the Goons beds today I was shocked to find 2 inches of dust behind Magoo's bed, Yuck! so while they were enjoying a bubble bath the floors were vacumed and fresh linens changed in each room of the house.

Now that they are old enough, I find bath time is the perfect oppurtunity to get a lot of jobs done on the second floor of the house. Vacuming, folding (I hate folding) and putting away laundry and simple tidy up time can always fill the 30 minutes!

Tomorrow we head off on a road tril to visit Grandpa, so tonight has been spent baking. So far we've finished 2 ham/brocolli/onion quiche, 3 dozen Morning Glory muffins and a ton of mitten and star shaped sugar cookies. Packaged up with some tins of nuts, homemade bread and some fresh fruit, and it should make a nice goodie basket to help stock up his fridge.

I was thinking, I know it is shocking when that happens, but it is such a good lesson when the children are involved in helping make/bake things for others, especially if you explain to them the reason why (they are sick, older, need help, tired!). The kids and I have enjoyed this project, and it got me thinking that it is so easy to double a recipe or a dish that we should really be baking and cooking for others more often. There certainly are many in the area that can use the help!

Until next time,

Hugs,

The Goon Family

Preparation begins!

I believe nesting has started, much to my husband's delight! I'd like to share with you what the children and I did last week. In a burst of energy we emptied the pantry cupboard, the small tea cupboard and a junk cupbaord. The children were thrilled with stacking the cans, and making piles. We gave the now empty cupboards a good wash with a mix of water, white vinegar, and soap, and left them to dry overnight.

The next morning when I awoke to the chaos in the kitchen I had been wishing that the job had never been started! But off we went, rolled up our sleeves and put everything back. In the tea cupboard went all of the herbal teas, a shelf (the highest one) of vitamins and supplaments, and on the lowest shelf the regular tea, pepermint tea, coffee filters and hot chocolait tin as we use them nearly everyday.

The bottom cupboard is a 'lazy susan' which was a pain to clean, but it had to be done! Organizing this took some thought as the shape (round) and size dictates where items must be placed. Must to my amazement everything fit in! Now the cereal it all together on the top shelf instead of being randomly tossed about, the baking items are on the top and then all the pasta, stew and canned items are on the bottom. In cleaning this all out I discovered a huge crack in my white sugar jar so that was tossed and an old wooden one brought up from the basement (and disinfected) now sits in there instead. It is a little bit of a pain as it doesn't fint an entire bag of sugar but we'll make it work.

The junk cupboard is what I am most pleased about. I got out our large mason canning jars and my Mother (who is amazing) gave me some screw on white plastic lids made for them. We barely do any canning choosing instead to freeze for the winter, but I digress. So now instead of a hog-pog of half empyt bags of goodies and such that always spilled and made a mess, everything has a jar. Carbo chips in one, walnuts in another, raisins in another, coconut in yet another, chocolait chips in another and in the biggest one (an extra wide one that my Grandma used to use for pickles) I put the children's treats such as bozed raisins, sugar free suckers and fruit leathers. They look so preety when you open the door and see everything peeking out of the glass jars.

On Tuesday we had the whole family over for dinner for, and with the new organized cupboards the baking and cooking went much easier. I estimate that for each meal of the day I save 5-10 minutes because of the simple fact that I know where ingredients are...bliss!

Now for next week I believe we shall attack the linen closet.....Help!