Two loads a day, weather permitting

Our dryer is broken, and the landlord couldn't seem to care less. So, I tell myself, at least it ain't the washer, right?

I like to hang clothes out to dry. I like the zen and the meaning and the conscious and purposeful work that is involved. I like that it is slow, and I like how much it makes us appreciate each piece and article that much more.

Except, it has been raining here alot, and if it isn't raining it has been humid and cloudy. Crappy for hanging out my zen clothes, for sure.

When it is warm and dry, though, I can wash and dry two loads--big loads--in one day. If we had more clothesline I could do much more.

One of these weeks we will scrape together the money for a new (used) dryer, and possibly take that amount out of the rent. Before it is cold out, etc.

For now, wish me sunny breezes and children who don't spill so much

:)

The Salmon and Salad diet, day three

I sent a bunch of my friends an email which contained a link to a "diet" (HATE that word) which is, in essence, extremely low in sugars. Its nickname is the Salmon and Salad diet, and it has alot of sound wisdom and information on the website, confirming all the things my body and my research have shown me to be very true.


This was a weird weekend for us, with my husband being out of town, unseasonal pouring rain, and of course, almost no money--so I did not go buy anything very special, but did decide to implement this new --you know-- D WORD as smoothly and as mindfully as possible, without fretting too much about going off of it. I cant tell you how excited I am to go buy a bunch of beans and greens from farmers market this weekend.

Here are the changes I have made since Sunday: I will start from waking time and end at bedtime.

Coffee with no sugar or delicious poisonous powdered creamer. Yeah, black. Shudder. Woulda went down better with a donut, but alas, that would be sugar ;) I am switching to tea someday soon...

Eggs and fake sausgage, but with no toast. So yeah, you guessed it, that means no cinnamon sprinkles, no strawberry jam, no nutella.

For me, eggs are pretty nasty without a sweet drink, and so I had some DietPepsiMax with this. Pepsi max has ginseng! I know, I know, carcinogens, yadda yadda, Im tryin, here, folks. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Tons of water, just because.
I like lemon water--and squirt a big squirt of reallemon in my water. Tastes less like city sewage and more like something sparkly. In case you didn't know this already, I love sparkly foods, and this adjective is the highest honor I can bestow upon a food.

Sunflower seeds to munch on, as well as cheese cubes.

No more sandwhich for lunch, instead I had salad. But dont think iceburg-ranch-and a crouton, more like dark greens, feta cheese, black beans, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, onions and olives.

Hummous to eat would be good and I want some soon.

No candy, no ice cream, no popsicles, and no regular pop!

We had mexican food last night, and while it might not have been on the "diet", what I had was really low glycemic index stuff. Black beans, cheese, salsa, sour cream, lettuce, pinto beans, jalapenos and more diet pop. I had a few tortilla chips but not mountains of them. I passed on the tortilla soft shells and the dessert which the kids enjoyed.

So, now comes my annoying born-again pushy part:

I feel like a new person and it is only day three.
No sleepy feeling after breakfast
No falling over after lunch
No evil mood swings which cause my children to look at me and wonder which mommy they will get this 5 minute interval

No sweats
No shakes
No temper tantrums
No confusion
No nothing, really!

The two greatest things so far:
No "IM SO HUNGRY! OH MY GOD! I GOTTA EAT RIGHT NOW OR I WILL PASS OUT!"

AND
No feeling like I got hit by a Mack Truck in the morning. My late night carb freakouts were causing my sugar to crash while i slept, making my awakening 7 hours later feel like a herculean task. No more, and this is the greatest gift I can think of. Yeah, it sucked a little when Charlie cried at 5:50 am. But I went and got him, and we went out in the living room, and that was that. I made my pot of black coffee and started up some eggy-wegs for me and him and was a normal girl.

It is 3:40 pm and I have not had ONE episode of hypoglycemia today. Casey left most of his pb+j on white bread on his plate and I did not jam it in my mouth. I put it in a ziploc and poured myself some more lemon water and had a handful of sunflower seeds.

Small victories!

"compacting"

http://leighsteele.wordpress.com/2007/08/15/eco-groove/

Check this out and tell me what you think!

We are looking into/talking more again lately about simplicity and de-cluttering, but this time I dont mean buying $100 worth of cute containers.

morning snack

As we tackle all the obstacles in the way of us having harmonious times this school year, I am analyzing just exactly what it means when our days feel like they have, for the most part, been whiney and bad.

Today's subject to tackle: mid morning snack.

Invariably, just as the breakfast mess is starting to congeal, I will hear a voice or two saying "Hey Mama!? Im sooooooooooo hungry."

I havent been too nice about this, but it isnt about then not being actually hungry, it is about my frustration with what in the heck to give them, especially if they have had a sugarish breakfast.

Here are some high protien, or at least not sugary things I have come up with, that they CLAIM they like:

Peanuts

String cheese (not Mickey)

Those cheese-n-peanut butter crackers

Pinconning cheese

Wheat thins

Cheez its

Carrots

So, if they eat at 7:30 am which they did today (so much for Mickey sleeping in!! yikes!! its all falling part before it starts!!! breathe breathe its all ok) they cried and begged for more food at 9:45. So, a couple of hours. which now makes our 11 oclock lunch rediculously early AND Greta is still asleep, so is she going to waste away as she misses one of the three meals each day?

ARGGGGGGG

this seems hard today.

I know I could tell them no, or I could go get Greta up. But, feeling both extremely exhausted myself today, AND knowing all about needing to eat ASAP, I dont have the heart.

We need a more accessible kitchen, more snacks that they can get themselves, and all sorts of other solutions that I am too tired to think of right now.

Night time bliss

Camraderie
Comfort
Closeness
Closure

Late evening bliss

Kids all in pajamas, teeth brushed
I read the baby a story while they get their ice waters ready
Baby nursed and put to bed in his crib without a fuss
Daddy reads the older ones a bit from a chapter book while I start the laundry
We put them to bed together; kisses all 'round
Older kids read to themselves for 1/2 hour on the bell-timer
Casey goes right to sleep
______________________________
Steve picks the CD: Iggy, MC5, Dylan, the Black Lips and more
We talk while doing 1/2 hour of power straightening and tidying
Laundry in the dryer
I lay out the next day's school work
I use the computer while he showers
He does the same while I shower
Meet up on the couch, 9:30 at the latest

Early evening bliss

Children helping with setting the table, making the meal, or watching the baby
Supper hot, ready when Daddy walks in the door
Gratitude for our nourishing, colorful, seasonal food
Nobody tells me it is gross
Everyone puts their plate in the sink
Daddy and the children go to the park, or in the backyard, or play a game together
I do all the clean up in the kitchen
Brazilian Girls on the CD player
Small pot of coffee just for me when I am done

Afternoon bliss

Breakfast and lunch dishes soaking in the sink
Chalkboard and dry erase board covered in writing
Homeschool lessons finished and put away
Stereolab's Margerine Eclipse on the CD player
Baby asleep in the crib
Children outside; running, talking, jumping, climbing, digging, laughing, solving, being
or
Children inside; reading, playing, coloring, building, gaming, researching
Mail brought in; letters, bills and junk all divided and sorted
Receive a phone call from a friend
Chop up dinner while we chat
Fold the couch clothes
Finish dishes/lay them out
Get my baby up
All go for a walk

Morning bliss

The house all tidy and freshly scrubbed
Sunlight pouring all over the wood floors, the glassware, the toys and the kitty
The Magic of the Harp playing on the CD player
French roast coffee in my tummy and in the pot
Me, wearing a clean outfit, shoes laced, showered and clear headed
The day's homeschool lesson plans all laid out
Empty the dryer's contents onto the couch
Love and gratitude in my heart