Taking Back The House

This is what happens when Mom is decommissioned for over a week.  Priya was much more excited about the laundry than I was.  It's still scattered all over the floor in front of me in various degrees of completion.  Laundry made me miss Downton Abbey so I pulled up the suggestions on Netflix for similar shows and found this little gem.  I feel like I must have been living under a rock to not know about this.  I was newly wed when it aired which it's pretty much the same thing, right?  I really liked this North & South series, another BBC, Bates is in it, the characters are great and it's different from Downton Abbey so it is a nice variety.  It helps with the void a bit.

Mr. Thornton isn't nearly as charming as Matthew but so good lookin'!

One bonus laundry pic, because she's just that cute!  Big news for Priya first step on Tuesday and 3 steps tonight.  I'll try to get some videos and pics for a more in depth post about this big milestone.  She must sense I don't want her to walk because she will never walk for me. She's my little baby bug and I'm not ready for that to change.  She's such a feisty delight! 

I caught the kids being destructive, but playing so nicely together.  I went to take a picture and Porter saw me trying to document his kindness and would have none of that.  They have formed a resistance together against my efforts to reclaim the home.  Porter was following me around yesterday literally undoing everything I had just cleaned up.  Guess things being a bit messy doesn't bother him.

I encouraged her to play with TP like her brother used to love to do but she was only interested if I draped it over her head.  To each kid their own, right?

I took this picture and sent it to Aaron at like 9 a.m. with a text message that said, "Sometimes I wonder who really is in charge."  Bath at 9 in the morning?  They asked with such authority.  They would play really well then burst into tug-of-war over bath toys, which escalated to pushing and shoving then yelling.  Then they'd be back to laughing together before I could intervene. 

Priya is not as innocent as she may seem.  Mobility and coordination have blessed her with fighting back skills for better or worse.  She is also a tad over dramatic about things.  She reminds me of a soccer player flopping in the world cup.  "I saw, but really?  Seems a bit much, dear?"  She has also become a sneaky instigator.  I have to really focus on being positive and focusing on their good behavior towards each other in those bad moments where I feel like I'm wresting two small animals away from each other.  I pray about it a lot and I make them pray about it a lot.  *shrug*  I smile and try to see the humor in it while hoping to teach them how to love each other.

Today was an exhausting day.  I haven't been able to sleep in our bed for over a week.  I've been sleeping on the couch and it takes me several hours to go to sleep, a combination of coughing and residual runner's high.  I'm switching my run to the mornings to test that out and feel like the coughing should stop soon.  P has been waking up at 6 this week which is killing me and him.  He's cranky, I'm cranky, his nap schedule is off and as a result so is his sister's and we're all a little foggy all day.  When Porter is tired there seems to be endlessly destructive energy.  I tried so hard to redirect him all day today; he simply wasn't interested in any activity I tried to engage him in.  We got him ready for bed on schedule then I announced that he got to stay up late to watch "The Lion King", his current favorite.  He was super excited and tired when it was over. Here's hoping this kid sleeps in tomorrow.

Last but not least, FOOD STORAGE!!!  I went to the cannery this afternoon with my dear friend, Heidi.  She was a champ and taught me everything I needed to know to have a successful dry pack experience.  It was much easier than I had imagined.  I came home with 5 cans quick oats, 13 cans regular oats, 2 cans dry milk, 2 cans dehydrated onions, and 2 cans dehydrated apples.  The kids dived into the apples 2 minutes after I walked in the door.  I'm so excited to be working towards better preparedness in this home!

Grandma, hopefully, this time next year when you ask what my food storage supply is I can tell you we have a year supply of food instead of 2 weeks. :)  

Love you all, 

Good night! ~Meg

(Our internet service has been flacky so this post has been one that I've have written in several sittings.  Just in case it's disjointed, that's why)