Busy and tired...

I never realized just how hard it would be to accomplish anything with a baby around.  Even with the use of baby carriers (which I can't figure out how some moms do without) I still just can't seem to accomplish as much as I feel like I should.  I haven't canned or frozen nearly as much food as I wanted to.  There are tomatoes and green beans out in the garden waiting to be picked.  I did get 7 quarts of spaghetti sauce canned last week, using only tomatoes that I grew.  That was a great feeling.  I've still got a few quarts left from last year, so I think I'm all set.  I found out that I don't eat as much marinara sauce as I thought I did!

I did make lots of jam, and I still have a half flat of raspberries in the freezer.  My grandma loves my jam, and I think she's been eating about twice as much as I have!  It's just about time to send her some more. 

I've also been busy just doing routine maintenence-type chores.  The freezer needed to be defrosted, which was a huge chore since the door didn't shut all the way at one time, and there were MASSIVE blocks of ice holding everything together on 2 of the shelves.  I also checked and organized my basement pantry in preparation for winter.  I don't anticipate such a huge snowstorm this winter that we would be homebound for a month, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.  I should stock up on baby formula next time it's on sale, just in case.  It was so much easier (and cheaper) when I was nursing...  I should also make sure we have enough kerosene.  We usually keep about 30 gallons on-hand in the winter.  If nothing else, Shayne will use it out in his garage workshop. 

Yesterday I edged the 75' long driveway and our front sidewalk.  Using a shovel.  It was nice enough that I could just plop Ethan on the grass, and he thought it was hysterical when I would jump on the shovel to dig it in.  I filled the wheelbarrow 4 times with all the overgrown grass, and our front sidewalk is 30% bigger.  I had no idea that so much grass had grown over the concrete, since we haven't edged in the 5 years we've lived here.  Yeek.

But the list of things-to-be-done still keeps growing.  I don't even want to get into it, since there are things on there that I've been needing to do for about 2 years.  I am taking some time off towards the end of the month, though, and I'm absolutely determined to have all of the living room woodwork back up and the stairway shellacked by the time I go back to work.