Cooking, Cleaning, enjoying the fall days

We are on a budget. We started it a little over a month ago and I'd say it's going so-so. Neither of us are very good at it but we have an end goal so it's making it easier to encourage each other to save rather than enable each other to spend money. Part of this is I am challenging myself to cook more, even with the kiddos around being crazy....somedays this is very very challenging but overall it's working out well and I'm finding ways to incorporate their help and at times their taste buds. P really doesn't care for anything spicey which is a shame and similarly to her brother has chosen one thing she will allow me to feed her (applesauce-G's was yogurt)...otherwise she has to do it herself. She's lucky she's so darn cute :) Yesterday I made pumpkin/sweet potato soup. It had a hint of chili powder, fresh lime juice, and I LOVED it! GG loved it as well and I shared some with my friend too. I served it with fresh steamed veggies and a turkey burger. I just was in love with this meal...lol...

Yesterday morning I needed desperately to vaccuum the first floor, there was bits of food and dog hair everywhere so I set to it after the kids ate breakfast. P crawled around while I got to work and G played upstairs, naked on my bed, with his Bakugan. I cracked up at this but hey, at least he entertained himself. Then it was time for us to go participate in our cleaning co-op (a group of friends are taking turns each week helping out cleaning at the others house--it's fun and my turn is next Tuesday!!). Griffin did not want to put clothes on so we could leave the house. This has not happened in a long time and I had to bribe him with taking a toy from the house to the other house (this is something we are working on NOT doing so I was aggravated at having to resort to it and of course we forgot the toy at the lady's house so he was a bit crushed later on). Griffin was such a nice friend while playing at the lady's house and I sorted boxes from her basement for her. P just crawled around. Griffin shared with the other little boy and really handled it well when the other little boy was pushing. He chose often to use his words instead of just push back (he did push back once but I prolly would have too in that situation). Anyhow, I was sooo proud of him!

When we got home is when I began cooking and let them have some quiet time. I guess the boy got too quiet and I didn't notice. The next thing I knew he came into the kitchen and said, "I did something to the toy-lip (toilet)." me-"what did you do?" G-"I don't know but it got bigger! (shows arms all big and to the side) me-bolting upstairs to find 2 inches of water all over the bathroom floor. So, 7 wet towels later and thankfully not a call to a plumber it was cleaned up. I told him he MUST inform me if he needs to use the restroom in the future. So far he has complied. It was too cute though he had tried to unplug the mess and actually had the plunger in the toilet when I got up there. He is one fiercely independent child!

gotta get back to work.