Backwoods Wife

Parades, Houses, and Tomato Soup

The three older children have been playing Duplo together a lot lately.  The most popular things to build are currently parade floats and houses.  One of Abby's essential rooms when planning a house - a sewing room.   I like the way that girl thinks!

Riley decided tonight that she wanted to try tomato soup for the first time.  She loved it.  Now I have a request that she have it for breakfast tomorrow morning!

 

Lost and found

Oh.  My.  Goodness.  What a week!  We went from having a tiny dusting of snow on Halloween to having a nice fluffy coating of snow 3 days later.  The temperature also went from being comfortable (around freezing) to being -17C with the windchill.  Brr!  (We are such wimps at the beginning of winter.  Come spring, we'll be running around without jackets at -17!)  Suddenly the push was on to make sure that I had all of the winter gear ready and accounted for.  Adults - yes.  Three older children - yup.  Snow gear for the baby - nowhere to be found.  I searched high and low.  I looked inside the house, or in bins in the storage trailer outside, or at our shop, or at my mom and dad's.  Nuthin'.  I was starting to feel like I had lost a small portion of my mind.  Normally I can find things.  I can help other people find things.  I was running out of ideas.  I asked my sister if I had sent snowsuits home to PEI with her last March when she was up visiting.  No luck there.  I thought maybe I had worse baby brain than I thought last winter.  I started shopping around online to see what MEC and Hanna Anderssonand eBay had to offer.  

After about a week of searching, I hadn't found what I had been looking for but I did find a long lost box of my childhood toys at my mom and dad's and a playpen that has been M.I.A. for about 9 months too (hello crawlspace!).  Anyway, I digress...

I had pretty much given up on finding the snowsuits.  I thought maybe the snowsuits were accidentlythrown away or given away or something.  I prayed that I would either find them in the next day or find a good deal on something online.  

Then something happened.  I ran out of laundry soap.  That probably sounds like nothing, but it took me on a path I wouldn't have otherwise traveled.  Each time my parents-in-law come to visit they stock up on basics for us like toilet paper, paper towel, and laundry soap.  Things that are expensive to buy up here because of freight costs.  Living in a very small house, we don't have much room to store such bulky extras so we keep them at our shop.  I went into the utility room at the shop yesterday for laundry soap.  On my way out I thought I better have one last look in one of the storage rooms in case I had missed the bin or bag (I was doubting my memory by this point).  It wasn't in the room but I found a potential fire hazard.  A big plastic garbage bag containing extra paper towel had slid against the heat register in the room that we thought was turned off.  Apparently not.  It must have come on with the recent cold weather, despite the thermostat being turned all the way down.  It had melted through the garbage bag, the plastic bag around the paper towel rolls, and had started to turn the paper towel a slight golden shade.  YIKES!  I grabbed the bag, restocked the bathroom and kitchen with paper towel and then proceeded to go back and check all of the electric registers in the building to make sure there was nothing touching any of them.  When I got to the kitchen register I noticed a blue bin peeking out from underneath a stack of paint trays (one of those projects that I keep intending to get done!).  I opened it up and - voila!  Baby winter gear.  I screamed and jumped around and laughed and did a happy dance.  Thankfully the air compressor was running so the two guys working in the shop at the time didn't hear me.  Although, at that point I probably would have hugged anyone who walked by.  Yippee!  It turns out I did give away the smallest sizes of snowsuits (it started to come back to me) but I do have a small snow set that will work for Emma for the next month or so until she is big enough to fit into the next size.  I'm so thrilled!

You never know what will happen when you run out of laundry soap...

 

Slowly resurfacing

It's been a good but tiring two weeks.  I'm finally starting to have some more energy, almost enough to get done what I want to get done.  But not quite.  The girlies and I have been spending most of our days inside at home as we are down to one vehicle right now and it has been bitterly cold outside.  That coupled with my lack of energy has meant a lot of time spent on the couch (Emma & I).  Riley and Abby have spent lots of time playing in cardboard boxes and piles of blankets and pillows.  We are trying not to watch too much TV.  The girls are really using their imaginations these days so it is a lot of fun to listen to their play.  There is some sort of storyline going on upstairs in the "attic" right now involving "abracadabra".  This is often followed by someone or something being turned into stinky cheese (thanks to Angelina Ballerina).  However, this afternoon it sounds like they are trying to make things fly.  Hmn.  No major crashes or bangs so all is well!  Note: Some caution should be used when giving children who possess a great sense of daring and imagination an outfit with wings attached - we had to had a little chat as to why it wasn't such a good idea to climb to the highest point possible and launch yourself off...

Time to find a snack while Emma is snoozing.  I'm going to catch up on a TV episode online and the girls are going to have some fun with scissors, crayons, and paper. 

 

No more tree!

Last night we FINALLY took down our Christmas tree.  Somehow I managed to get all of decorations off the tree and a third of the lights before the kids noticed what I was doing.  There were some minor protestations, but with the assurance of decorating for Valentine's Day today all was well again.  Today I have to pack up all of the ornaments and breakable bits from around the house.  Riley had a blast "fishing" off the loft railing last night with a long length of silver garland.  Then the garland was threaded through the sleeves of one of her dresses and hung off the antler's on the deer mount as a decoration/dress drying device.  We now have several shorter lengths of garland as a result of all of the "fishing", etc but it was a lot of fun for all of $4.

For now we are breakfasting and doing laundry and dishes.  Then it's packing up the Christmas stuff, getting out supplies to make Valentine's decorations.  The girls were supposed to resume dance class this morning after a long hiatus (the instructor wasn't well) but I've kept their big brother home from school today as he wasn't feeling so great yesterday so we're all staying put.  We'll have to make a quick trip to town later to pick up some milk and check the mail.  I am really hoping my engagement ring is waiting for me at the post office.  I sent it to a jeweller at the beginning of December and have not seen it since.  I was told 10 days...it's been about 7 weeks now - I'm not impressed.  I won't be using those jewellers again.

Dwayne's parents begin their trek home tomorrow via the winter road again.  My mom and dad are driving them back.  It works out well for all parties - Mom and Dad V get back to the airport, Mom and Dad B get a change of scenery and a few more shopping and restaurant options than we have here, and I have Dwayne and don't have to worry about the wood stove(s) or the generator and other fun stuff like that.  (Normally I don't mind doing that sort of thing, but the whole being VERY pregnant thing has kind of made those tasks a bit difficult!) :)

Off to continue what has so far been a productive morning! 

Oh, I also have to call the sheriff's office to try to get out of jury duty next week...

Update:  Apparently the sheriff's office cannot excuse a very pregnant woman with three children 5 and under from jury duty.  I actually have to go to the courthouse and ask to be excused which, I'm told, doesn't usually take more than 2 hours.  Ugh.

Too cold!

Brrr.  This is our coldest weekend of the year so far.  The temperature was fairly steady yesterday at about -39C.  We drove 2 1/2 hours to a neighbouring town yesterday to go to the dentist.  It was so cold that our van wouldn't start, even though it had been plugged in.  Thankfully, our old 4-Runner started and so we all piled into that instead.  The kids were dressed in snowsuits and boots and Dwayne rigged up a piece of cardboard as winter front so the heater would work better.  The steering column was almost frozen stiff, it was all Dwayne could do to steer around 90 degree corners.  No driving for me!  If he can barely manage it, I certainly wouldn't be able to.  It was too cold for most critters as well.  The only brave souls were grouse and a few ptarmigan, but it was so cold that they didn't even try to fly off the road as we drove right beside them.  Oh, we did see a fox on the way home as well.

Our generator wouldn't start last night so Dwayne used the 4-Runner to jump start it.  Today we weren't so lucky.  The 4-Runner would not go and neither would the generator.  As we would normally use the generator's power to plug in the 4-Runner we had to go to plan b.  After putting a small fire on in an old frying pan and placing that under the 4-Runner for a while Dwayne was able to get the 4-Runner to start.  He then used that to start the generator.  I guess it ran for about 20 seconds, made a terrible sound, and died.  Lovely.  It will have to be completely rebuilt.  For now, we will have to revert to smaller generators that we will keep inside the back door when they aren't in use so they will start in the cold.  

Also, our on demand hot water heater froze up yesterday and so we are without running hot water for today.  Thankfully, we can heat up water on the wood stove or on the propane stovetop.  The hot water heater pipes are copper and split in a spot where they can be soldered so it shouldn't be too difficult to fix.

Everyone is playing near the wood stove today.  The kids have set up shop over there with play dough, cars, pillows, and assorted other toys.  They are taking most of their food and drink over there today too.  Riley still braves the cold in just her underwear.  I have no idea how she does it.  She is currently sitting on the floor beside my chair in the coldest area of the house with next to nothing on, building a "big, big buiding" out of Duplo.  I am freezing just looking at her.  I, by contrast, am wearing wool socks, leggings, jeans, a tank top, a cotton sweater, a hoodie of Dwayne's and my toque.  Yes.  And I am definitely not overheating.  Oh, amazingly enough, Riley is wearing socks as well!  

Me: "Are you cold Riley?"  

Riley: "No."  

She did not get her warm bloodedness from me...

 

I am off to tackle putting away a mountain of clean laundry as I can't do much water-wise until Dwayne comes home with the smaller generators and the hot water heater part.  

Off to work and to stay warm!! 

Happy December!

December is here, and with it true winter weather at last.  We have been bundling up and drinking lots of yummy warm drinks.  There is finally enough snow for sleds but it is too chilly to be out for long.  The sun is supposed to reappear this weekend, just in time for a little friend's 5th birthday party at the cross country ski club.  :)

We are on the countdown to Christmas break - 2 weeks!  It will be fun to have everyone home together for a couple of weeks.  This weekend I hope to do a Christmas tree scouting expedition around our property.  I'm hoping I can find something suitable in our own backyard (literally!).  I looked a couple of years ago but there wasn't much.  We've since cleared some trees so perhaps one of the smaller trees will pop out at me that was hidden before.  

I am itching to decorate but first have to find the house!  I tackled the bathroom last night.  I tossed an entire pail of expired or unused products and reorganized all of the baskets and bins.  I don't intend to decorate the bathroom, I just want one room in the house to be completely clean and organized!  I need to take care of the current clutter before I add another layer to the mix.

This morning I am going to start on the kitchen.  It's time to start some Christmas baking!  Maybe later this weekend...

There is no shortage of things for us to do.  We're getting the chores out of the way so we can get to the fun stuff!

FINALLY feeling better - yahoo!

The last few weeks have not been so fun around here.  We've all had colds & coughs, and four out of five of us also got a nasty stomach bug.  Thankfully everyone is on the mend now and we are all returning to regular sleeping patterns, appetites, happier moods, and non-runny noses.  You can tell the kids are getting better when you again have to start saying things like, "Don't run in the house.", "Don't climb (insert furniture, other child, walls, etc).", or "Are you sure you want a third bowl of cereal?".  I still don't understand how a 2 year old can eat almost an entire large container of yogurt by herself in one sitting.  Where does it go?  They must have super stretchy stomachs.  

November is almost over!  It flew by.  We are all excited to be at December's edge and are feeling motivated to do some deep cleaning so we can do some decorating, and now we are starting to have the energy to match the motivation.  Riley is very anxious for us to get a Christmas tree, but I think we will still wait for a couple of more weeks so the poor tree isn't half dead by Christmas.  Someday I'd love to try having a tree in a pot that could either be moved indoors in fall and then back out in spring, or could just reside indoors all year long.  I suppose that would involve a room with a very high ceiling, some very large doors, and some sort of trolley.  We haven't finalized any house plans yet (not even close actually) so perhaps it can be worked in?? ;)  I'm not sure Dwayne would go for a room built around a Christmas tree though...hrmn.

I am feeling fairly relaxed about this Christmas season, despite being pregnant and chasing three kids.  I have most of my shopping done and am hoping to keep things as low key as possible.  I want to be able to spend time with the kids making ornaments and baking and playing games and reading stories.  I'm in no hurry to run out to every holiday event and sale.  I am quite happy to indulge my hermit-like tendencies.  I've even started reading grown-up books again.  Parents of young children do tend to read a lot, but not always the material they would chose for themselves.  I think I've actually finished 3 books in as many weeks.  A new record in recent memory.  Far from when I would read 3 books in 3 days...but I'll get there again some day. 

The kids and I have already started reading stories surrounding Jesus' birth and we've had the nativity set out in play for a few weeks now.  Abby is particularly fascinated with the three wise men this year and, of course, baby Jesus.  Babies are her thing.  Of late, baby Jesus has been wrapped in a Tootsie Roll lollipop wrapper to keep him warm.  I've had to warn people to check candy wrappers before they toss them!

Hopefully our feeling better around here will mean more photos and stories to share here on the blog. I won't make any promises, but we will try our best to include you in most of our festivities!  Now to find the camera...the charger would help too...

Plumbing and Moose Hunting

Hrmn.  There seems to be a correlation between plumbing problems and Dwayne going away moose hunting.  The last time he was away for an extended period of time hunting we had issues.  We have the same ones today.  Blech!  I'm off to pour my eco-friendly dish soap and some near boiling water in the toilet.  I hope it works...

Why do these things seem to happen when husbands and dads are out of town?  I guess it forces us to learn something new!  That's what I'm going to tell myself anyway.  That this is actually a good thing.  Okay, maybe not good but not horrible either. ;)

Update: Plumbing situation resolved.  2 for 2 with the dish soap and hot water.  Easy, cheap, convenient, and it works!

Home again!

We're getting back into routine again around here after assorted comings and goings.  I was in England for the Sense & Sensibility Historical Costume Tour and with travel days included, it was 16 days away.  I had a wonderful time but it was also great to get back to Dwayne and the kiddos.  Dwayne picked me up on the return portion so we could combine travel home for me with a supply run for the shop.  The kids stayed with Mom & Dad for the duration of the time as Hendrik had just started kindergarten and Dwayne was working long hours at the shop.  Everyone is home again and we are sorting through clean and dirty laundry piles, wiping noses (the kids all caught a cold), doing homework, and trying to get into some semblance of routine.  So far things are going well, today is the first day the girls and I have had home together since big brother started school.  A different dynamic - no boys!  However, I just heard Riley  and Abby suggest that they fix a broken puzzle piece with duct tape! :)  Now there is some sort of marching game happening and I'm sure there will be wands and fancy dresses and tea parties later.

We are tackling the living room today.  There are a lot of clean towels to fold and put away.  We do have a couch somewhere under the pile!  We purchased a new rug for the living room this trip as the floor can be cool in the winter for little ones.  I also found a screaming deal on a silk plant.  $20 from $100!  Not too shabby.  In celebration of that sale, I spent more money on some seasonal silk flowers to brighten up our upcoming winter days.  I found a floor lamp at Ikea to make reading easier in the evenings but will wait until a certain mechanically inclined little boy comes home from school to assemble it. :)  Then there are the books!  Time for another clear out.  Too many books, too few shelves and no room to expand at the moment.  Hopefully the living room will look completely different at the end of today than it did at the beginning!

Off to put on some music, fold towels, and brew a pot of tea to share with the girlies!

P.S.  Blogging of the trip will follow once the house looks a little bit more orderly.  In the meantime, check out our fearless leader Jennie's blog In Jane Austen's England to see what we got up to!  You can also get an idea of our itinerary here: Sense & Sensibility Tour 2010.

Photo taken in front of Bath Abbey by my delightful roommate Karen.

Hallelujah!

Hot water heater working - check.

Power inverter working - check.

Van running - check.

I LOVE HOT RUNNING WATER.

I LOVE DWAYNE who fixed above broken stuff.

I am deliriously happy right now.  It's a little bit unsettling.  Pretend to go without hot water at your house for a week or two, then turn it back on.  Guaranteed euphoria!