We made it to Friday

We did manage to eat all day on Wednesday, and the Ian and the kids ate Thursday. Elizabeth ate my breakfast and I ran out of lunch so I just had a handful of nuts before we went grocery shopping. Now I have a housefull of food! I decided to buy more in the interest of being able to go longer between shopping trips again. I used too much money for the weekly budget, but it's killing me to have to make weekly trips to SAMs and Walmart! I will still have to go shopping next week, but probably only a quick trip to Walmart- unless I run out of diapers! So, now we are sorta 'back to your regularly scheduled program.' I made lasagna last night- one meat (deer- you can't get cheaper than roadkill ;) and one spinach. They were both good, and there's enough left over for one more meal. I don't think I'll cook tonight- the boys are going to Grandad's, and Micaela is having a sleepover. We may make cookies or some other treat.

In other news...
Micaela's new deal is this: she gets a school schedule and instructions on Sunday night. She is responsible to make sure that it all gets done on time, and done well with a good attitude. She'll have several books to read on her own, several chapters of books that I have to read to her, a math lesson and test, a science lesson with projects, daily handwriting practice, daily grammar, memory work, a weekly writing assignment, and several history crafts, projects, and games. I'd say about half can be done without me, and the rest we do together. She determines the time we work together and the pace of her own work. At the end of the week, she receives a tangible reward for work done well with a good attitude- $5 for completing the whole schedule. She's saving for a bicycle. After today (if it's all done, which I think it will be ;) she'll have $20.99 in her jar, and she'll be a third of the way to her new bike. She's really motivated, and I'm excited for her, but I laugh to see how she organizes her days. I try to encourage her to do hard things first, so she dutifully starts with handwriting or something on Monday morning. After about half an hour she starts reading, and then invariably she tries to read every book for the week in one day. As in, she won't leave her room for anything but meals, and she just snuggles up in her bed and reads and reads and reads allll day- only to find out that Tuesday she'll actually have to work. Tonight's sleepover is another reward for having done so well finishing her school and keeping her room clean daily over the last 2-3 weeks.

I'm hoping that Nathaniel is going to notice all these rewards and want to do school. I'm sure that's right up there with Asher magically potty training himself!

In the interest of lowering weekly expenditures...

... I have limited our diet to meals made with flour, eggs, and oil (like waffles or pancakes) and pinto beans. It never occured to me that I would quickly run out of baking powder, oil and beans that way. It's time to rethink my cheap meal philosophy, since I've scraped the bottom of the barrell and I've still got to make it another lunch, dinner, and breakfast before I can go shopping. I have two apples, two oranges, three beets, 4 small potatos, an assortment of condiments, white wheat, canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and enough milk to feed a baby for a day. There are only 7 hungry mouths to feed and three meals left- that's 21 meals to make- well probably 28, since I most likely won't shop till after lunch on Thrusday. I have half a loaf of bread and no honey, no peanut butter. I am going to have to drastically change the way we shop and eat if we're going to continue our current spending/saving regime. I'm glad to be actually saving, but I'm definately feeling the pinch!
For those who don't live near us, Ian's job has changed the way we get paid, and we have to actually pay premiums for insurance. We have several new automatic deductions, and we're trying to build an emergency fund, finish the room addition, pay off two loans, and figure out how to live in between. With no food co-ops around, my grocery budget is severely hurting! Any cheap meal ideas out there?

Paying the Piper... I mean Plumber

I like our plumber. He's friendly and honest and always positive- and did I say expensive? Remember the room addition we started waaaaay back in May? This is the latest installment- hehe, don't pardon my pun :) We now have plumbing in our concrete, and a shower that works in the new bathroom. You can't use it because the electrical wires are still just hanging out of all the studs around the shower, but it's there. There's no toilet, and no sink, but my washing machine, dryer and freezer are back in the laundry room- Praise the LORD!!, as my plumber says ;)- and he means it! Anyway, we ran into a lot of existing plumbing problems- surprise, surprise- so without taking on another loan, we will probably be able to drywall the bathroom and install the sink and toilet. I doubt there will be a floor for a very long time. It's possible that the laundry room will not be drywalled for even more time. I suspect our room addition may last yet another year just because of finances... Yes, Ian's family, this does mean that when you visit you will sleep in the rooms with old yucky stinky carpet, ugly panelling, and ceiling tiles. I really am sorry. I was hoping to have them fairly decent by June.
Of course, we may think that another loan is wise in the interest of finishing this mess and reappraising the house- which is fiscally important to us, so maaaaybe it will be done this year. And then, maaaybe not :) I know Who knows!