Wednesday Tidbits

 Well, we are all having trouble waking up this morning.  I woke up before alarm. At 5am. I'm already having trouble waking up. Coffee ☕ didn't even help. The girls got here around 6:30am. They are having trouble waking up. Makes me wonder what time they got in bed. We are just chilling on the couch and watching Scooby Doo. 

I think today is just going to be a day of play and just chilling out. Maybe movies and coloring and etc. 

I did manage to do my stretches after breakfast. Other than that, I have no energy. Some days you just have to go with the flow. 

Tonight we will go to church and eat and go to class. I do not cook on these days. 

I am staying away from all news today and probably for a long time. I made this decision a while ago to just turn off the news and get back to family. People should try it. I need my peace of mind. 

Enjoy the pics of our times of enjoyment.  

I've had to calm temper tantrums, settle disputes,  do alot of explaining why we can't be ugly to our sister, ease fears and the likes of what goes through toddlers minds. It has been one of those days. 

We had a good night at church ⛪.  The girls got to get their mind on something else and let off some steam and be around some fresh faces. 

They are spending the night with me.  Dakota has been so overwhelmed with confusion and thoughts the past few days and just needed some time to himself to try to work some things out in his head. God is doing some work on some situations and I am so glad. I have come to realize when you ask God to work in your family, you have to get out of his way so he can. I have always tried to fix my kids problems for them. It's hard to let go sometimes because that is just my heart and how it works with my kids. I've poured 23 years into my oldest son and 17 into our youngest. It's hard for me to step aside but God has also been showing me some things too. 🙏 He is also working in me. 

Dear hubby went to the hospital today to stay with his mom. He let me know while we were at church that she was being discharged and they were waiting on an ambulance to come transport her home. He will get home late. It is 9pm and they haven't left hospital yet. 

I've got the girls in bed and maybe they will sleep better tonight and we will have a better day tomorrow. No 5:30 am alarm for me. 😁🤪 

Tuesday Tidbits

I woke up at 3:45 am and had to pee. I had trouble going back to sleep. I had to force myself. I only had an hr and a half left til time for alarm ⏰.  🤪 I use to could just pop right up out of bed. Now, it takes me a while. I finally dozed back off and then, bam, alarm goes off. I got up, made ☕and let it touch my soul. ❤ I read my devotions for the morning and prayed. Some prayers are being slowly answered and imma just gonna wait. I would love to tell you some now, but I don't want to jinx anything. 

The girls got here and we watched a few minutes of cartoons. Then they got hungry. I pulled out some waffles 🧇 I made and froze, and heated them up and they picked out their sprinkles. They ate every bite and licked the sprinkles off the plate. 😁 

I fixed me and dear hubby some breakfast and I ate. Hubby had a rough night and just couldn't hardly wake up yet. They played a few minutes while I ate mine. 

I got finished and did my stretches. Atleigh was right along with me. I have missed her the past two days. She's my partner and motivation. 

Now it's on to showers and baths 🛁.  

I got my shower first while they played with Poppie a few minutes. Then I  spruced myself up for my man. Just because I stay home doesn't mean I still don't try to make myself up for him. We keep that spark going as much as we can. 

I will tell y'all a trick I have for cleaning my shower. The night before I plan to clean, I will spray my shower down with my homemade cleaner and let it soak over night. When I get done showering, I will take a cleaning rag and wipe down walks and glass doors. Then rinse if off. Now mind you none of this gets on me. I'm already in the shower 🚿so why not? I kill two birds 🐦with one stone.  

I ran their bath 💧. While  they were in the bath, I took advantage of that time and cleaned some things. Wiped off our counter, sinks and mirror.

Then they got out one by one and I help and teach them how to get dressed and take care of themselves. 

We go in the living room and I have to put some clothes on to wash. Then we get in the kitchen and make a treat. Oh yes, we made Reecees peanut butter cup blossoms. 

They tossed back and forth between helping me with the treats and playing with Poppie. 

I make them some cheese qusedillas and I have a tuna wrap.

Dear hubby had to go to his mommas house and wait on them to deliver her hospital bed. They got it all set up and ready to go for when they discharge her. 

It was nap time for us then. 

The girls are getting use to getting their own beds down and get it ready to sleep on. 

We got up from nap and had coffee and snack and Atleigh wanted to do school 🏫

Then I folded laundry. 

Poppie came back around then and their attention was on him again. He kept them busy so I could fix supper. I made sweet and sour meatballs. Pioneer Woman recipe and her sesame noodles. Along with some fried rice. 

I made the mistake this morning of not emptying out the dishwasher so my dishes kind of piled up on me today. Hey, some days are better than others. Today was 0ne of those days. After we ate Atleigh just wanted me to sit and hold her. Sometimes you just have to do what's best at the time. Especially when they say, "Gmaw, I want you."  

Dakota came and picked them up. He went to the hospital to see nanny. They were ready to go home. 

After they were gone, I got my kitchen cleaned. Sometimes things will go perfect in your day and by your schedule and sometimes they want. Just give yourself grace and rearrange. Marine Corp motto is, Improvise,  Adapt, and Overcome. 

Update

 Update on dear mother in law, she is getting on the mend slowly. Her kidneys are functioning again slowly and her potassium is still down. She is eating a little more at a time. Her sores are looking a little better. They are talking of discharging her in a few days. They finally got home health approved for her and we found a hospital bed for her. She is still weak and will be bed ridden for just a bit. This is not her cup of tea because she has always been mobile and can't keep her down. But she will improve. She is strong. 

Sunday turned out to be a lazy day. Dear hubby stayed at the hospital all night and only got two hrs sleep in 24 hrs. I was going to get up and go to church that morning but I was prepared to get ready and go to the hospital and relieve dear hubby so he could come home and take a shower and rest. But his brother in law came in and stayed a while and then niece. Then his sister came in and stayed the night. So I got lazy. I had my coffee in my princess 👸bed and read my devotions and prayed. The rest of the morning I did meal planning and got caught up on some YouTube videos.  Then I took a nap and planned to cook supper but dear hubby ate a very early supper and I wasn't very hungry at the moment so we just fended for ourself.  Last night we just watched TV and I did some computer work with all my pics on my computer. 

I got up this morning at 5:30 am and was expecting my girls. Their mom did not inform me the night before that she was off and they wouldn't be coming.  😴 oh well, I just went ahead and got busy with my day and made use of my time. 

Dear hubby went looking for a hospital bed and grabbed a presc of mine at Walmart. I ate breakfast and rolled up my sleeves and got busy. I asked hubby to pull out the stove away from the wall before he left. I swept and mopped behind and cleaned off sides of stove where food has dripped down the side. Cleaned the glass top and it looks so good. Stove is maintenanced and cleaned. 

I then got out my big cutting board that goes on top of our stove and oiled it down along with our medium sized one. You have to oil them occasionally so the wood doesn't rot after washing and drying. It needs to be coated real good and protected. I love the big one that covers the stove. My microwave is right above the stove and I am always afraid of dropping something on  my glass top.  Not to mention, we love this size because we are always cutting up large portions of meat when we smoke. 

I could tell I should have called it a morning after I got done with that because my leg was starting to swell and my feet were hurting, but oh no, I never listen. 🙃 I then proceeded to sweep, mop and steam mop. I am deep cleaning and this is how I do it. I'll share a few cleaning hacks right quick. 

I take all the chairs and stools out of the kitchen and put in living room. 

I sweep and then mop. I love the mop I have because the head is removable. I can throw it in the wash when I'm done. I don't do the mop and bucket thing. To me it doesn't make sense nor is it very clean to dunk your mop back into dirty water and mop. That is exactly what you are doing. You are spreading dirty water back onto your floor. 

I will wet my mop under the faucet with hot water and mop a little section. Then repeat. Just a good hot water mop. 

I usually stop right there, but since I'm deep cleaning right now, I get out my steam mop. I love this baby. It has a removable pad to throw into the wash. 

I have gotten into using essential oils and I will sprinkle a few different scents onto my mop pad. It smells so awesome when the steam hits. It is also sanitizing my floors. 

Sorry, but yes,  I'm in my pajamas.  If I have cleaning to do, I have to get it done first thing in the morning because I sweat and then I can take a shower. 😁😁 

Then I put everything back into its place. If I don't put these stools back out, I would have some very upset girls. One time, Poppie folded up the white stool and then put the big stool in another room and these girls had a come apart. 🙄🥴 so no matter how much room they take up or how big they are, DON'T TOUCH OUR STOOLS.  

Here is a Gmaw hack for y'all.  I keep bibs at the table for when they eat. I put command hooks on the back of their chairs and hang their bibs on them. They know to grab their bibs and put them on and get into their seats. You're welcome.  

I have a different mop/vac for quick maintenance between deep clean moping. This is for after supper pick up from under the table and around stove and counters after cooking. It is a Swiffer Wet Vac. I love it too. It vacuums and mops at the same time. Dear hubby buys me the dry cloths and I make my own homemade cleaner to put the pads in. Grab one, put it on and go. 

I bought the girls these little broom and dust pan sets at the Dollar Tree. They can help Gmaw anytime. Alot of times they will sweep their little crumbs up under their high chairs. Then when they start chasing each other with them, I have to take them away. 🙄😁

I was hurting so bad after all that I had to call it quits for the morning.  I could not hardly walk. I took a shower and went to lie down. My feet and legs were swollen. 

I got up and had my second cup of coffee and had to soak my feet in hot water. 🔥

My feet got better long enough for me to cook supper. I made bbq chicken in the air fryer,  homemade potatoe salad with the potatoes I canned, and home made pork and beans that I canned back during the summer. Yummy. 

And occasional taste testing along the way. 

Here is another tip. CLEAN AS YOU GO.  Please do this. It makes cleaning up after supper easier and faster. Usually at night I will run a load of dishes in the dishwasher. Then the next morning( provided I don't forget) I unload the dishwasher so all day long if we mess up a dish we can rinse it off right then and put it in the dishwasher.  That's the best thing to do,  but like I said if you forget, then unload it before or while you are cooking.  Then load and clean as you go. Some of my pots and pans have to be hand ✋washed, so I can do that while something else is cooking. If they get served in the pot or pan, then all I have to clean up is maybe a pot or two. 

Be good stewards of your time ⏲️and make things easier on yourself.  I will share more tips and tricks as I clean this week. I already have alot of ideas on our Homemaking Page. Check them out. 

Today we were in the 50's so I opened a few windows and put my plants 🪴 in the sunshine 🌞.  

I felt rejuvenated too. 

One day I plan on me and the girls playing with my new attachment I got for Christmas with my Kitchen Aid Mixer. 

Well, y'all, I am pooped and it'd almost my bedtime 🌙.  See y'all tomorrow 🤪😴

Saturday Tidbits

 Today has been half lazy, half work. I didn't have the girls today. Daddy is home from his duck hunting trip so they wanted to see him. 

I got up and had my coffee ☕ and read my devotions and got my mind right. 🙃 I ate brunch and just took my time getting going. 

I finally decided to tackle our oven. I did not get alot of before pics because I didn't want people to see how bad it was. Trust me, it was bad. I'm not really complaining about it, I'm just glad I was able to cook good meals and all my holiday baking and cooking for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  And baking all those sweet potatoes 🥔.  I will keep a better cleaning schedule for my oven cause it looks awesome now. 

I took that baby apart. 

I scrubbed and scrubbed til I wore myself out and was exhausted.  I had to take a break. I went and took a nap and tackled the rest when I got up. I am so sore I can't hardly move but afterwards, I ate supper and took a Epsom salt bath with some essential oils.  I just had to pamper myself. 

Dear hubby text and said his mother's kidneys were functioning a little again and they got here potassium back down. She drank a little and held it down.  His sister had to go home because she was running fever. So he is staying the night with her.  

I am being lazy again tonight after I had a soak and supper. Now I'm just catching up on some YouTube videos of my favorite people. 

Friday Tidbits

 I was up bright and early this morning so I could wait on our girls. They got here on time this morning to my surprise 😮. 

We had our coffee and milk and took time waking up. We ate breakfast and then we did our stretches. Atleigh loves to do kids yoga. I'm glad she does because she keeps me motivated. 

After that they helped me fold a load of clean towels and rags. They love helping fold laundry. They got a button for that. We put them away and I let them play for just a bit. 

It was time to get ready for the day so they took a bath and I showered. You know you love your grandchildren when you let them have all the hot water to take a bath and you get a cold 🥶shower. ❤❤❤ 

Then they helped me in the kitchen for a bit. I deep cleaned somemore in there. I got the rest of my cabinets and table and chairs. Next will be appliances and floors. I am so happy. While I was finishing in the kitchen, I fixed them a picnic lunch and spread a sheet on the floor and let then eat lunch and watch some preschool videos. 

The next room is get is our bedroom. I have purged some clothing and organized drawers. I just need to deep clean now in there. Just a little bite at a time is all I can do. 

We laid down for nap and they are still asleep. 

While I have it on my mind,  we would covet your prayers right now. My sweet mother in law has had some medical issues for some time now and she is getting worse. She has been admitted to the hospital and my dear hubby and his sister have been staying with her. Before they called an ambulance to get her, dear hubby was helping his sister get her cleaned one day and he lifted her up to help her stand and she passed out right in his arms. He was scared. I know it is hard for him seeing his mother get worse. She is 88 years old and nothing has ever been able to knock her down. Always had a huge garden and worked in it up until last year.  She hates not being able to do anything. She is the pillar of the family and a true servant of the Lord. 

I woke up from nap first and I'm having my  second cup of coffee ☕. 

I'm sometimes tired of coming up with meals on the whim because I am not really creative.  So I am going through my Pioneer Woman cookbooks and coming up with so many ideas. The girls woke up and came and joined me. 

I think we're gonna have an early supper then later dessert. Then we will play a while til the girls go home. 

I gave them their buttons for the day and let them put them into their lock boxes. 

The girls left and now it's just me. Waiting on dear hubby to get home from hospital.  He said his mom is not doing too good. I know he's worried.