I’ve spent the last two weeks regrouping. Work was not as time-intensive as usual (also, I consciously skipped volunteering for extra projects, which helped) . Scott was finishing up an easy rotation. We didn’t have many things on the calendar. It was incredibly blissful and recharging.

Projects started and/or completed:

  • Taxes. Ugh. I’m always very glad to cross that one off the list!
  • Budgeting. Scott and I have never been big on budgets. We tend to just live as frugally as we can and enjoy it when we splurge. We live within our means and save the rest. However, I did want to get a better feel for how much money we were spending monthly on groceries (for instance) and how much money we put away in savings over the course of a year. I tried a few different methods, including Pear Budget and Mint.com, and settled in on taking the best bits from both and doing my own via simple spreadsheeting. We use credit cards for almost everything, so each transaction is neatly recorded. I save receipts for “mixed” shopping trips where I buy something in addition to food and I split those out using Mint. I then put monthly totals for interesting categories (such as “groceries” “electric bill” “gas” and “donations”) in a running spreadsheet and pull out a few things I’m curious about (such as how much we spend a year on diapers).
  • A Taste Book. I’m adding our favorite recipes to it, and as I make them over the coming months I’m going to take a quick photo of each so the book is more colorful. I don’t think I’ll take the time to type up recipes already found in cookbooks on our shelf. Instead, I’ll write up an index in the tastebook to point me to our favorites with the page number and cookbook title. That way, when I’m planning a grocery shop I will have a list to skim for inspiration. Of course, I got Scott involved and we found a zillion recipes we want to try soon!
  • I took an inventory of my freezer. I printed out a simple, blank chart online and filled in the left column with every item in the freezer. On the same line as the item, I wrote in a date for every instance of that item. Unless it was food I froze myself that was labeled, I didn’t bother figuring out an accurate date to start the list.. I just used this month. So next to “mixed veggies” I have “2/9″ “2/9″ “2/9″ because we have three bags. When we polish something off, I cross off the date. When we buy more stuff for the freezer, I write the month and year next to the item for each bag I am putting in the freezer. Sound crazy? Maybe, but it took all of 15 minutes and it solves 3 freezer-related problems that have been nagging at me lately: 1) I never know what freezer stuff we need more of when I go shopping, so I have to dig through and count each time. 2) Some stuff languishes in the freezer and ends up unnecessarily burned. Poor stuff. 3) It’s a waste of money not to eat the frozen stuff in a timely manner. We tend to only use/buy 3-4 bags from the freezer a week so it should be an easy enough system to keep up. After seeing what’s actually in there, I’ve been pulling out stuff I froze late last summer and it’s like finding free food! :)

Mackenzie stuff:

  • We go to a music group for toddlers at a friend’s house once a week and Mackenzie loves it. She claps her hands and marches around with the bigger kids. Her favorite part is when the “snowballs” (white pom poms from the craft store) get piled on the blanket for the snow song. The big kids shake the blanket, and Mackenzie scurries around like a little chipmunk picking up all the snowballs and storing them in her cheeks for the long pom-pom-less winter week ahead.
  • Taught Mackenzie a LOT of “sign language”. Most of it isn’t ASL, but just pulled from a book I checked out of the library. She’s like a little sponge right now and loves making signs and little (unintelligible) sounds to accompany them. Her favorites: “Nap/Sleepy” “More” “All done/all gone” <– that one is tricky when she’s eating because it could mean the grapes are done or she is done with the grapes! “shoes” “socks” “book” “bath” “baby” “please”. I absolutely love talking with her and having her respond.
  • Mackenzie has a new girlie cousin! And three more girlies are still on the way… (including twins!).
  • I’ve been putting on lots of music for Mackenzie lately. I’m working less when she’s awake now, so I put on tunes while I’m cleaning or cooking and she and I groove out together.
  • Mackenzie has become a giggler. She’ll ask for “book” “please” then sit down and turn the pages and laugh out loud at each one. I hope this isn’t a phase.

Things I’m doing for me

  • I’m training for a half-marathon with a friend. Yay for a friend who kicked me back into exercising again. It hurts but it feels sooo good to be out running and moving again. Unfortunately, I probably won’t be able to do the actual race, but I’m meeting up every Saturday until then to run with my buddy so that’ll motivate me to keep up the workouts for sure. It’s been incredibly humbling to start from scratch because I’m thin and I consider myself an athletic, fit person. I’m now having to push myself to run 4 slow miles straight. It just goes to show, you have to put in to get out. I’m determined to be fit for my next pregnancy, though, because I think it helped so much during the first one. It’s frigid cold here some days, but I have to remind myself I always feel better a few hours after a run than I did before the run.
  • I stopped breastfeeding Mackenzie. Three weeks ago, actually. We both enjoyed all 13 1/2 months, but Scott really wanted my body to have a chance to go back to “baseline” before we tried for more children. And I have to say, it was a good call. Mackenzie adjusted well, and I am finally done adjusting (really, it wasn’t bad). I’m enjoying the extra bit of freedom. To run harder than I would if I was worried about my milk supply. To really and truly let Scott take care of her any time of day. When I was down to just 3 feedings a day, it was fairly convenient but still not quite the same as zero feedings a day. In fact, as much as I loved breastfeeding.. the phrase “free as a bird” comes to mind. :)
  • I’ve started training my replacement at SmugMug. In fact, Mackenzie and I are taking another trip out to California in the next few months to get some training face time in. It’s a strange feeling, to be honest. I know I’m replaceable… it’s just hard to be replaced. I have to put my pride on the shelf and remember this is my choice. :)
  • I’m reading the Old Testament in the Bible. I read the second half in college, but somehow I’ve gone 24 (almost 25!) years without reading the first half through. I’m familiar with many of the stories, but it’s been really eye-opening to see them in context. At the rate I’m going, it’ll probably take me close to a year to finish it.

Cooking

  • I made whole wheat potato gnocchi tonight. It needs some perfecting (I had some potato chunkies in the end product) but I thought it had definite potential and it’ll be fun to put Mackenzie to work making a mess forming little pillows. I used the recipe I linked to, but used all whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour. I did use the egg(s) it called for, but will probably skip those if/when I get better at it. I ended up rolling my gnocchi into little torpedoes because the fork thing was too much trouble. Next time, I’ll borrow someone’s potato ricer instead of taking a fork to them.
  • We discovered the most amazing kale salad recipe. Ok, it’s the only kale salad recipe I’ve ever tasted but I kid you not… we went to the store and bought THREE heads of kale just so we could make plenty for both of us the next time around. We still fought over the bottom of the bowl. It’s insanely good, and it’s located right here. We used dried cranberries instead of currants, and you can skip the shaved parmesan (though it is delicious). You must go with the white balsamic, though. It makes the whole dish! Don’t be afraid to just salvage the balsamic from soaking the cranberries. You can use that just fine. I will cut back on the salt next time, but the saltiness is part of the appeal so I won’t skip it. Anything that gets a pound of kale in my belly and leaves me smiling is ok by me.