Monday, February 20, 2012

Gas Prices

Have you heard that gas prices are supposed to go up to $5.00 a gallon this summer? What is the deal with that? We drive a mini van and it gets 20 miles to the gallon which is good for that type of car. We can't get anything smaller and we actually could use something bigger. We are always taking extra kids to church and other places with us. We just can't afford the gas for a bigger vehicles. We sure can't go any smaller. We barely fit in the van.

I guess this summer we will be staying home more and more. I hate it, but what choice will we have? When we lived in Leesburg we had a pool, but here we do not. My mom has a pool, but she lives 20 minutes away from here. They spend alot of time in the summer at the beach, so we may just stay at her house a few days at a time just so that we can swim and be closer to town for outings. I have also thought about spending some extended time at the beach this summer. My grandma has a beach house and lets us go. We will have to share some with my parents, but extra time in the water would be great! We do live 5 miles from the river, so we can take a picnic lunch and let the kids go swim there. I do worry about snakes. Yuck! I like pools better, but there is not one around here to join.

I don't know why I am worried about summer already. That is four months away.. I guess I should worry about this week first. Like, what am I going to wear to my cousin's bridal party this weekend with this boot on my foot?

Presidents Day

It is Presidents Day today and the kids are out of school. I love these one day holidays. I usually take the kids to the movies or out to lunch or at least to a park with a picnic, but right now with this ankle I really can't take them anywhere. I could take them to the movies, but there is nothing really out right now that we want to see, so we are just going to stay home. I might let them bake and decorate cupcakes later. I don't know. We will just wait and see.

I am babysitting the crew this week again. Luckily, my sister is out of school Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so I will only have him two days this week and the other kids are coming on Thursday and Friday. I will have two days free with no kids. I am going to go and get my hair cut one of the days. I would love to go poking around Goodwill, I will just see how my foot is feeling. I can't walk a long way, only a short distance.

Well, I guess I will get in the kitchen in a little bit and fix these kids some breakfast. I might bake some biscuits for them. That would be a treat!

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Shopping with a broken foot

Well, since I broke my ankle I have not been able to go shopping. I have sent Steven to the store a few times to pick up stuff to get us through, but no big shopping trips. I did send him to Publix with coupons and he did pretty good. He didn't like the selection of items that I sent him for (granola bars and fruit snacks) but he bought them on sale with a coupon, so I didn't think that was a bad deal. I can't stand in the kitchen for a long stretch right now, and the kids take the snacks to school and eat them on outings, so I don't think it is a bad thing. It did get me to thinking about what we are eating and what we are spending our money on. Would I be better to make some granola bars from scratch? Would it be better to eat home baked cookies. We already eat alot of homemade bread and scratch goodies, but should they all be from scratch? I don't know the answers to these things, but I am going to think about them.

Steven is going to take Evan to buy a baseball bat and pick up some items for me at Aldi and Kroger. He hates shopping, but hates eating out more and hates spending the money to eat out.

The guys are going to a monster truck show tonight. The girls and I are going to my parents house to cook out. Nothing big. Maybe hot dogs and hamburgers. That is our usual Sunday lunch so I guess I will fix pizza for tomorrow. I think I will bake the crusts today and wrap them and put them in the freezer. Then we just have to thaw them and put the toppings on.

Well, I need to go shower and get moving. I love to lounge on Saturday a little too much.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Time to Reflect

While I have been laid up with the broken ankle I have had time to reflect on things. I was upset when I first broke my ankle that it seemed like no one was really concerned about our situation. With my ankle broken, I couldn't get in the kitchen and cook or do any house chores. I am starting to be able to hobble around the house now, so we are doing some simple dinners and the kids are helping with the heavy housework on the weekends. My mother in law did not even call me to see how I was (she is still angry with me over other issues I guess), two of my sister in laws did not even call me, and some other family members just made some half hearted requests to help us. My mom did bring us a roast and my sister brought us a lasagna and took off of work to keep the baby at home so I could recover. Then, two families from church brought us dinner, and several called and asked if we needed anything. I realized that we live in a selfish world. Most people don't mean anything by it, but they think only of themselves and what they have going on at that moment. We have a bread basket ministry at our church that takes food to those in need, and I try to do what I can to help with that, and even though the church did not do organized meals for us (we really didn't need alot) we were blessed with enough to get us through. We can count on our church family even when we cannot count on our own family. This is when being in a body of believers is nice.

Steven has been doing the shopping. He is not enjoying it, but he has been doing OK. I am hoping that I can walk well enough to shop for myself next week. We will see. I am getting cabin fever so I am hoping I can.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

It is broken

Yes, I did brake my ankle. It is in a big black boot. I am just starting to be able to walk on it a little. It feels like wearing a ski boot. It is not very comfortable, but at least I am not in alot of pain anymore. I just have to be careful how I walk. If I turn my ankle at all then there is the pain. I am slow, but at least I am not on crutches anymore. Those things are a pain. I have to wear the boot until March 6 and then I have it re x-rayed. I hope I can go back to regular shoe then. I am glad that they did not cast it. At least I can put it in the bath and shower.

Valentines was nice and low key. Since I really can't go anywhere, we got some Chinese take-out. We really never get take out, so that was a real treat. Then we just sat around and watched TV and the kids worked on their AWANA books for church tonight.

I took Ashley to the orthodontist today. It was my first real outing by myself since I broke the ankle. We did OK but now I am tired. I hear a nap calling me. I think I am going to but clothes in the drier and try to nap for a few minutes. We have church tonight, but I am not doing the little kids. I don't think my leg is up to it. I think I will try to help out and listen for the AWANA kids to say a verse of something. Maybe I can be helpful and not walk.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Is it broken?

Yesterday afternoon I feel and hurt my ankle.  What was I doing?  Nothing!  I just stood up, walked about four steps and fell in my living room.  Don't ask me what I tripped over, I  don't know.  All I know is that I injured it.  It really swelled up and I could barely walk on it so off we went to the urgent care.  They said at the least is it is a third degree sprain at most a crack in the small bone.  So for now I look like this.


Yes, I have on a plaster splint and I am on crutches.  I have to call today and see if the radiologist thinks that it is broken.  They showed us the x-ray, but he couldn't decide if the fracture he saw on the x-ray was an old injury or a new one.  I broke this same ankle when I was 13.  I didn't think it would still show on the x -rays.  You know that I am the big 40 now.  If it is broken I will go to the orthopedic doctor.  If not I stay off of it for a week.  Either way it is going to be a pain!  I really can't do much on crutches, so the kids and Steven are going to have to pick up the slack.  It is probably going to drive me crazy!  Steven said the Lord is trying to teach me to let some things go.  I know he is right, I will have to just relax  and like it!  I will let you know if it is broken or not.  

Saturday, February 4, 2012

This week at Publix

I went to Publix this week just to get a few sale things.  That is what I do in-between my big shopping trips, I just stop in various stores when I have time and pick up sale items and coupon items.  This week I went to Publix when I was already going to the bigger city.  We live 20 minutes from the bigger city that has Publix, Kroger, Sams and Aldi.  These are all of my favorite places to shop, but I only go when I am already going to be in town for something else.  The cost of gas right now is too much for me to make special trips.  Anyway, this is what I got:



I paid $5.33 out of pocket.  I had another box of pasta, but I gave it to my mom.  The crackers were the Wednesday penny item and the celery was on sale for $.99.  It came just in time as I was making chicken and rice soup and needed some celery.  My kids also love it with peanut butter. The only time I really buy cereal is when I can get a great deal.  If not we eat oatmeal, bagels, toast, or eggs and grits.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Friday Night

I am relaxing on a Friday night with my family. I am sitting in the living room with the family watching NCIS (which is the new favorite). We were doing Just Dance on the Wii. If you want a workout, try working out with Just Dance. It is also fun. Every time we have friends over the kids end up dancing. It is really funny to watch some of the guys. I need some relax time. The babies did not nap much at all this week, and while I do enjoy little kids, I do not enjoy tired little kids who won't nap. I told my sister to get Collin's ears checked to see if he that is the reason he is not sleeping. If there is nothing wrong with him I guess that he is just spoiled or rotten. Either way we need to nip it in the bud.

I am taking the kids to an animal refuge tomorrow if it doesn't rain. They are bringing a friend and we are hoping to bring our cousins. We never know if they are going to be allowed to go with us when we go somewhere. The grandparents are weird that way. We are also going to take a picnic. I might stop off and get them a movie to watch tomorrow night. I guess we will see what kind of mood we are in when the time comes.

I did really good with the shopping this week. I spend $6.00 at Publix and $28 at Wal-Mart. I price matched at Wal-Mart and used some coupons. The lady tried to tell me that I couldn't use both coupons and price match. I told her that I could, to just scan the coupons. She finally did and it worked. I don't know why some checkers hate to have you used coupons. All they have to do is scan them. It is not much more work. I often have to tell the clerks how to do their job. It gets to be annoying. I will put up with it because I save so much money shopping sales and using coupons. Combine that with trips to Aldi and Sams and I don't spend near as much as most of my friends. I also cook more than most and spend lots of time in the kitchen . We rarely go out and that is fine with me. I usually don't really like restaurant food and I hate spending that kind of money for one meal when I know that I usually spend that much for a whole week of groceries. Yes, I am cheap!

Well, the kids want popcorn. We pop it in the air Popper and put butter on it. Yum and so much cheaper than microwave. The kids are so spoiled with good popcorn and real butter that they don't really like the other kinds. I guess I will make them some right now.