We are on the journey of downsizing our lives,living debt free and following God where He leads. All while renovating our tiny house, running our business, cooking, cleaning, raising and homeschooling our large family in our tiny house. Everyday is different and interesting...and you get to read about it right here!
I've been on a mission to lower our food budget and to find some new recipes to go along with the new budget. It has been a bit of a challenge..because we LOVE delicious food in our house. We are kind of 'foodies'..and being a foodie doesn't always fit well into a lower priced budget. Plus, we need it to be fairly healthy because we are feeding growing bodies. :)
One of our new recipes is this large family pizza we have been enjoying.
We made 2, 16" pizza's and 1 gallon of lemonade for $10.42
We ended up only eating one pizza and half of the lemonade for the dinner...so we had it for lunch the next day,
It breaks down to $5.21 a meal!!
I don't know about you, but being able to feed my family of 6, pizza and lemonade for less than $6 is a huge win at our house.
1. Skip the pizza sauce and go for pasta sauce (or better yet, make your own!), it is cheaper and goes a lot farther. Just sprinkle in a little Italian seasoning.
2. Buy the larger block of Parmesan cheese and grate it yourself! Those blocks produce so much actual grated cheese, it is unreal! Plus it melts well, and tastes so much better than its partially dehydrated, powdery, shaker filled counter part.
The recipe breakdown is at the end of the video.
The total meal breakdown is as follows..
$4.78/ 1 pizza
$0.43/ 1/2 gallon of lemonade
Happy Baking!
Lyndsay
The Tiny House Homeschool Mom
P.S. If you would like to see more budget friendly meal idea from the Tiny House Homeschool crew..then like, comment, share and subscribe. Just a couple clicks and you are really helping our family out!
We have been focusing on the vlog a lot more than the blog...but I feel like we should have both up and running...so ...I'm back!
We have a lot going on and it doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. The budget has gotten out of hand and I decided it is time to get ahead of the curve.
Part of it was us just wanting different (More expensive) meals..and the other part was getting busy and not having the time/energy to make meals.
How do we counter act that?
We bulk freezer cook!
In the video below we baked muffins, cooked taco meat, and shredded chicken, made lots of sandwiches to freeze and two different types of pancakes to freeze and eat on when we are short on time!!
I will be back with more bulk cooking and freezing..as well as some new budget friendly large family meals!
Thank for stopping by and watching!!!
Please like, share, comment and subscribe..so I know you want more budgeting and money saving ideas!
Recently, we started attending church again for the first time in a very long time.
I did not have an issue with church as a whole.
I just had issues finding a good Sunday School for the kids when they were younger.
Cookies, kool aid and veggie tales just weren't cutting it.
So, we brought them home to teach them in the word for a while.
They are a little older now, and we felt it was time to get them out into the world of church and fellowship.
We have been so blessed to find a location literally 4 minutes from our house.
This church has an amazing children's program and the church services are amazing!
Why?!
Because the pastor's at this church are on fire for God!
The people are on Fire!
I have yet to see a service where there was not a dozen people at the alter by the end of service.
One thing I have also noticed?
I have never walked away without something smacking me up the side of the head and making me think about it for a good week.
Most recently he was speaking on having an open faith.
Do you keep it private?
Is it a secret?
Is it out for everyone to see it?
This was a hard service for me. It hit home hard!
Because in the last few years I have been hiding my faith. I have been around some people who I was worried about offending...and in turn when I was hoping to witness to them it dumbed down my faith as a result. Which also effected how my children learned to witness to others.
When I realized what I had done..I was so hurt and disappointed with myself.
I felt like I had done something terrible..and I kind of had.
I had hidden my faith and my beliefs for fear of offending people.
When, quite frankly I should be so on fire for the Lord that people who do not believe should not even feel comfortable spending time with me.
It should ooze out the doors of my van!
Pour out the windows of my house!
It should seep from my pours!
It wasn't.
It was hidden.
Because, I had fallen into the trap of hearing non Christians (Or even Christians) being so negative about hearing about Jesus..or how hypocritical Christians are.
I became afraid.
Afraid to step on toes.
Afraid to be judged.
Afraid to offend someone.
Afraid to be viewed as radical.
I have talked to a few people..and it turns out this is not uncommon anymore.
It sickens me to see the err in my ways.
I tried to ignore my mistake for a while and just go on about life.
I was miserable.
I saw my children becoming more unhappy.
I saw the mistakes I had made.
So..
After being smacked in the face with it a few times and trying to ignore it..
I fell to my knees and went crawling back to God to beg forgiveness.
I want to be on Fire!
I want to be sickenly, annoyingly, uncomfortably, contageously, amazingly
on Fire!
It needs to Ooze!
It needs to Pour!
It needs to Seep!
It needs to be uncomfortable for people who do not believe!
It needs to be annoying and loud and contageous!
It needs to be out in the open!
Because a hidden light dies.
It suffocates!
It needs air!
It needs to breathe!
It should not be a secret!
It should not be private!
It should not be hidden!
So, I am moving forward in my faith.
But..
I'm going back to how it used to be a few years ago.
It is going to be loud!
It is going to be out there!
I will not be afraid to offend everyone.
What if I shy away from telling someone about Jesus and how wonderful He is...and what if that is the last time that I see that person?
What if they got to be judged and they do not now about him?
About His love?
About His grace and forgiveness?
What if I miss that opportunity and I go to stand before Him and He asks me why I didn't do more?
Why I didn't 'offend' more people?
Why I didn't ooze, pour and seep my faith?!
Why I didn't shine brighter?
Why I hadn't been on fire?
And that, my friends, is not conversation I want to have!
Because it doesn't matter if I 'offend' or put off people for my faith. What matters is if I fulfill what He has planned for me. If that means I will have less names on my 'friends' list, or I get labeled as 'One of THOSE people'...then so be it!
I will gladly wear my Jesus Freak label with pride.
~ Lyndsay
In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
It is almost 1:30PM and I am just now drinking my first cup of coffee. I am in PJ's and my house is a bit of a mess.
I was supposed to have a blog post up by 6AM this morning..and clearly, that did not happen.
Why?!
Because, I was sleeping.
In the past I wouldn't have missed a post deadline, or I would have come up with some perfectly good excuse to give you that would still make me look like SuperMom. (Some days I really want to go back to there and slap myself up the side of the head and tell myself to sleep..and eat better and exercise more...but that is for another post. Sigh.)
However, I have recently learned some things about myself...and one of the big things that I have learned???
I require sleep. Consistent sleep.
Now, don't get me wrong. I am not sleeping the day away on a regular basis..or napping everyday. But I have learned that if I do not consistently get a certain amount of sleep...bad things start to happen.
Back in February everyone was sick. We were basically sick from December until February with a small two week break in between. If it wasn't asthma attacks, it was a stomach bug or a terrible flu like cold that lasted 3-4 weeks. I thought Anna was going to cough her poor little lungs out. It was not a pleasant time in the tiny house.
I had went about the sickness like I always do. I do it all and forget the rest..neglecting sleep and all other things that I had deemed unnecessary at the time. (Most of those things are important, but I had decided they were not at the time.) That is kind of typical of me, and most other mothers that I know.
That probably would have been ok if the sickness had passed quickly, or I didn't have a new baby, or if we didn't have a child with terribly chronic asthma in the house..who hadn't been sick for the last 18 moths straight. Either way. It is what it is and I kept doing what I do...because I'm Supermom. Or at least that is what my husband had claimed me to be.
During the last two weeks of the sickness all three girls were very, very sick. Asthma attacks, coughing, ear infection, the list went on and on. I just couldn't keep up.
I had already not been sleeping well since after the baby was born.
Some things happened that were causing me to have terrible anxiety about some things..then with everyone being sick...I was barely sleeping at all. The worst night I slept on the floor between Addison on the cough (Emma was on the other couch) and Anna in her chair...I think I got an hour and a half of sleep. I had been up all night going between the three of them with breathing treatments. I had the machine in the middle of the room and just made my rounds. By the time I finished with one, another one would need it. So the circle continued.
I had never been one to ask Dustin for help. When the first two were born he worked nights plus days at home in our own business. He was a busy, busy guy. I stayed home and so I naturally took the brunt of the household chores. I didn't mind and it worked for us.
Fast forward about ten years and two more kids...and this Mama was seriously over extended. But I felt like I wasn't allowed to say it was too much, because what mother does that?
I was super mom and super mom does not admit defeat.
Well..after the incident last Fall that had already been causing anxiety for me...and having Anna around the same time as well...I had been having issues with anxiety. Not just a little anxiety..A LOT of anxiety. The kind that grips you in your chest and you feel like you can not breath. Yeah.
The night that the girls were at their worst I hit my breaking point. I woke Dustin up (Something I never do. He is not a heavy sleeper, thanks to years of working nights. So I try not to wake him.) because I felt like I was dying. At that point I had not had hardly any sleep for days and the little I had had was broken bits or with a baby in my arms.
Dustin didn't really get what I was trying to get across to him at the time...but I kept telling him that I needed sleep, something was wrong with me. I had hit my point of breaking and he needed to listen. Super Mom was dead...she had died from exhaustion...what a Sissy!
All that was left was me...an exhausted, rundown thirty year old woman who was surviving on caffeine and clearly too little sleep. (I also wasn't eating well because of stress and not drinking enough water.)
Thankfully I have a loving husband who did eventually get the point. He sent me off to bed and then made me nap over that weekend. He has been following me around ever since asking if I have eaten and slept and had enough water to drink.. and if I am OK?!?!
Yes, I am OK. The anxiety has since moved on. Apparently sleep deprivation will do that too you.
However, I learned a few fast hard lessons about myself from those exhausting months.
1. I am not SuperMom, I do need help..having a large family only works if both parents are involved. I still think my job is to be at home and taking care of all that entails. However, I now know that this is not the season to have everything perfect...as well as...I was expecting a lot more out of myself than my husband was expecting out of me. Imagine that, I was over achieving. (I sure hope my daughters read this when they grow up!) I also know that I can't do it alone...and asking for help is the only way it will get done. Because apparently my husband is not a mind reader. ;)
2. I require sleep. I am not 19 or 21 anymore..and sleep is necessary. I have to have 6.5-8 hours of sleep on a regular basis...or bad things start to happen. I have also had to learn to pay close attention to how I am feeling..because the exhaustion creeps up slowly for me. (If you watch our vlog, I said something about being super tired on Friday..and I had started to feel it creeping up then...Look at the 3:40 minute mark.)
If I do not watch for the signs and be proactive about fixing it...the anxiety starts.
3. I have to eat well and drink plenty of water. Oh how I remember the days of living on mountain dew and a package of Ramen noodles. Yeah, I had an eating disorder..and it was not pretty. Plus we were young and drowning in debt...and it did not make for healthy choices.
I require vegetables, and water and protein! It is a must. I have to be careful about what I eat. Yes, I eat a huge variety of food items, and probably some that I shouldn't (I love ice cream!) but I also have to be sure that I am eating enough of the healthy stuff. Or I start to feel like this..
4. I have to exercise! Walking is my person favorite..because I can do it with the kids. I have also been lifting and starting back to running again...and hula hooping. One of my favorite hobbies!
I also have a fitbit and have been entering into step challenges. It helps to keep me motivated and active. :)
I know that I sleep better when I am exercising. I also know that I do not sleep well when I get too much exercise. It has to be a happy medium for me.
Any who...I did not get my post up this morning because I was sleeping.
I am honestly wondering if Dustin said something to the kids over the weekend...because Addison was 'taking care of me' and Emma kept bringing me water...and Alex kept offering to hold the baby yesterday.
This morning I woke up(After not getting much sleep again last night) and I told the kids that Mommy needed a nap. Alex jumped in and offered to watch Anna and everyone watched cartoons for a while. (Just to clarify, I was on the couch. Not off in some other part of the house pretending they did not exist.)
They all got their own breakfast.
Addison's cereal that she got all by herself. She was so proud! There was also a burned pop tart somewhere in the mix of all of this.
Alex and Emma also got dressed and started school somewhere in there....and there were some shenanigans that took place.
Everyone had on paper hats and were talking like pirates when I emerged from my slumber.
There was also a cup of coffee setting on the coffee table for me. Thanks to Emma.
Did we check things off from the never ending list? Nope.
Did the baby get dressed before she ate lunch? Nope.
Have I done any laundry today? Nada.
Where the kids perfectly behaved and silently studying their Monday morning away like all good little homeschoolers do? *Giggle* I can't even keep a straight face on that one.
Nope!
They watched cartoons and ate pop tarts while I drooled on the couch and incoherently nodded my agreement to things when they asked me questions. Honestly...who knows what I agreed to. Maybe I should ask them and find out!
I am so blessed and thankful to have loving, forgiving children who realize that Mommy is not perfect and sometime she just needs a nap.
Now to just remind myself that I am not perfect and that I do not need to be.
These kids need and deserve a healthy mom, (In mind, body and spirit) and not one who is just trying to be perfect. And I hope and pray that they notice this about their mother and that they don't expect too much of themselves or their own spouses when they grow up and have families of their own.
Because the guilt and pressure is just too much....Super Mom...is just too much.
I finally feel like I have caught up on some of my sleep and we can move forward with life. As much as we like to lean into the crazy and the expectations and guilt and we say life doesn't have a pause button...it really does have a pause button.
You just have to be woman (Or man) enough to push the button and call time out!
So, Normal life shall commence again this afternoon at the tiny house and I will continue to work at being a good Mom and not a perfect Mom.
Happy Monday!
~ Not Super Mom....Just Lyndsay
You can watch our day below.
Look us up on YouTube at Tiny House Homeschool Life
Be sure to Like, Share, Comment and Subscribe!
We are also on Twitter now, Tiny House Mom @TinyHomeschool4
We have always been the old school sort of people at the tiny house. (Hand held can openers, crank pencil sharpeners etc.)
However, recently we have had a lot of trouble finding a good wall mounted pencil sharpener that doesn't fall apart after about a year or so. The last one was actually spitting out its internal gears there at the end.We had always used the crank kind because they used to hold up really well.
Clearly that standard had changed. So...I went hunting for something different.
I was searching amazon and came upon this fancy pencil sharpener . It was originally $24.99 but I had caught it on sale for $9.99. That is actually cheaper than the last crank model we had purchased and obviously that didn't pan out! So I decided to take the plunge and get a fancy pencil sharpener.
It arrived a couple weeks ago. Can I please just stop right here for a moment and show my age? Yep...it arrived, I opened the box and literally said...."Is this it??"
Why?? Because I was picturing the electric pencil sharpeners from when I was a kid. The ones that reminded you of a loaf of bread and sounded like a wood chipper!
Yeah...like this one. (Thank you, Google Image!)
This cute, little guy is smaller than a regular stapler! It was so cute and little I almost felt bad for it. I wanted to protect it from my pack of wolveseager brood of learners, who were anxiously standing around me with handfuls of pencils just itching to try it out.
So, I popped in the batteries, gave it a tiny little farewell pat and handed it over to the kids. Never expecting it to be seen in functioning order ever again.
Ok, My kids aren't that bad, but this thing was just so little and delicate looking. I felt like I was sentencing it to its destruction.
Now let me be the first to say that I was not expecting too much out of this thing considering how much I paid and the size. There are a lot of us in this house and we use whatever we have very frequently.
However, this little thing packs a serious punch! It has done a wonderful job since day one! It sharpens great, empties easily and even has a spare blade in case the first one wears out!
The bonus? It is really quiet. Shockingly quiet.
Oh and it also came with a USB cord so I can hook it to the lap top or into a charge base if the batteries are ever dead...or if Alex 'borrows' them for his Xbox controller.
It now is sits proudly on my computer desk, having passed the test of my children using it endlessly for the last couple weeks. Addison has given this little thing a serious work out! She loves sharpening pencils and the fact that it works automatically has held a huge form of wonderment and satisfaction for her.
We went through our school supplies last week (Not a simple task, we homeschoolers tend to have a mass of supplies.) I finally found all the missing pencils and pens that had been scattered everywhere. Of course, almost all of the pencils were broken. So I plopped them down in front of Addison and set her to work. She was entertained for close to an hour and the result was a cup overflowing with sharpened pencils. Yay!
The Tiny House Homeschool Life Crew gives this fancy pencil sharpener a thumbs up!!
At least for the time being. If it poops out before it gets through one full school year...I'll be sure to let you all know! ;)
Now I am off to get these sleepy kids moving. We had a busy weekend and I nicely let them sleep in a little this morning. They have slept long enough now, and We have some things to accomplish. School work, chores, cleaning, laundry, vloggin, tweeting, etc. I also get to steal away and go running with a friend this evening and I'm entered in a work week step challenge with about 5 or 6 other women. Best be getting to it! But, I just might need a second cup of coffee first! Happy Monday!!! Lyndsay A.K.A...the ring leader to this pack of hungry wolves eager group of learners!
P.S...You can also follow us on You Tube at Tiny House Homeschool Life, OR on Twitter @TinyHomeschool4
Last week Alex and I sat down to put together one of his Christmas presents. It is a 4M Tin Can Robot. It took us a while to get around to it. Partly because we do not really keep soda in the house. So, I made him wait until I remembered to buy a 12 pack of soda.
Then the soda can was put in his room and promptly lost/forgotten about until this week. Mainly because we were sick for the majority of January and February... and partly because....That's how we roll here at this tiny house. ;)
So, with out further ado...
The Tin Can Robot Review.
The video is at the bottom. However, we thought it would be fun to take some pictures. As well as, post our thoughts on the item here on the blog. Don't forget to head over to our channel and subscribe, like and share!
Here is the project before we started.
Look at that fancy tripod set up. I knew these school books would come in handy!
All of us before we began! Alex is doing the review, Emma is manning the cameras...and Addison is 'babysitting', eating a snack and watching television in another room. Anna was just hanging out..until the end.
Me talking to the camera. It is seriously weird talking to the camera...and not screwing up. Which, I did a lot. The looks that this boy gives me crack me up. Because clearly I am clueless on how to do toy reviews and tutorials. I am waiting for him to tell me I am never doing a video with him EVER again. It hasn't happened yet, but WHEN it does I will not be surprised. lol
Lol. Poor Alex, we clearly have differing ideas on how to do a review. But, isn't he cute?!
Time for the real work to begin!
Lots and lots or tedious work!
The screws were so tiny!
Some items you need to finish the project.
Cooking oil
Q Tips
A tiny screw driver. (I honestly thought that would have been provided given how small of one was required.)
1 AA battery (The only item listed on the outside of the box was the battery.)
Some items you might want to have on hand to make the project easier
COOKIES!! (This project was a bit stressful and it was snack time!)
Super Glue!
The screws on this project are SO TINY, and they go in crooked most of the time. Super glue really does the trick.
Seriously Mom's, If you are doing projects like this with your kids, KEEP SUPER GLUE NEARBY!
Cooking oil and Q Tips
Cookies!!!
Our Final Thoughts On The Tin Can Robot
Here is the finished product. I have to say that I am very pleased with how it turned out. More often than not, these things fall apart or don't go together well,at all.
This little robot has held up well for the last couple of days and not a single part has fallen off. It also runs very well. It is quick and moves smoothly. (We did notice that it doesn't do very well on thick carpeting)
It may be a bit of a challenge to put together (At least for us), but it is worth the effort involved!
If you are looking for a challenging, fun and functional science project for your elementary aged child...this is a GOOD pick!
The Tiny House Homeschool Life Crew give this one a BIG THUMBS UP!
Also, for your viewing pleasure....the fun antics of us doing our first review/tutorial.
Have you tried the tin can robot yet?
If you have or choose to, be sure to come back and share your thoughts. I really want to know if we are the only ones who can't seem to put those tiny screws in straight. LOL
Dustin is not a fan of eating breakfast super early in the morning. He leaves for work fairly early, he prefers to eat his breakfast at his first break.
At first he was eating off of the 'Food Truck'..and not one of those nice food trucks you see on tv. Plus is wasn't very cheap. When I realize how much he was spending on his breakfast, as well as what kind of a food truck it was(Gross and SO unhealthy!)...we decided it was time to come up with a solution.
So, I went to Pinterest!
Yay Pinterest!
That was back in the Summer...I found an awesome breakfast burrito recipe. It made 30+ burritos for a fraction of the price he was spending for the burritos at work. He really liked them. They were quick and easy for me to make. Once I had them made I could sort of forget it for a few weeks..and all he had to do was grab one and toss it in his lunch lox on his way out the door. Once at work he puts in his heated lunch box, and it is piping hot by first break.
I made those for a few months.
About 2 months ago he started saying that he was getting tired of his burritos. (How dare he mess with my budgeted breakfast system!) He said he would really like some breakfast sandwiches, like Mcd's, only better.
So back to the drawing board I went. It had to be tasty and it had to be cheaper than actually purchasing them from the place with the golden arches. Why?? Because I am just that frugal. ;)
I had some certain parameters to work within.
1. It had to have Bob Evans sausage, But not the premade patties.Because they shrink up like hockey pucks!
2. It had to have Kraft American cheese. (Because, if you are going to have processed cheese product, it had to be the good kind. ;) )
3.It had to be easily freezable and had to go seamlessly from freezer to heated lunchbox to table. If there were any other steps in between...it was a no go.
Ok! Let's get started!
Here is what you will need!
2lbs BobEvans Sausage (I get ours at Sam's Club)
Kraft American Cheese (Aldi)
English Muffins (2 Packs, Aldi)
You will also need
A skillet or griddle
Aluminum Foil
Gallon Sized Ziploc Bags
A Toaster
Everything you will need to make this amazing Mc Muffins!
Now it is time to get cooking!
Our sausage comes in a 2lb tube. I am not very skilled in the department of cutting them in uniform slices. So I cut the long tube in half. It is easier to work with it 1lb at a time. I divide the each lb into five even pieces. Make sure they are even!
Then form patties and cook.
Be sure to make the patties as flat as you can.
Cook and Drain the Sausage Patties.
While we are at it, take a look at that beautiful griddle!
I got it for Christmas.
Love it!! :)
While the Sausage Patties are cooking I get all the foil pieces prepped and set up the toaster.
We are shooting for fast assembly line style here.
Slice the Muffins
Label the gallon size bag
Now you are ready to......Assemble!!!
Toast a Muffin, Add sausage and cheese.
Wrap up tightly
Repeat 10 times
Freeze in labeled ziploc bag
Now if you are me..you get to forget it about for two weeks..and the husband can happily eat breakfast at his first break without breaking the budget or risking his health.
A Few Thoughts/Tips and Some MATH
(Because, what is the point of all of this if we don't include the math?! You know that is the only reason you came and bothered to read up until this point.)
1. Don't forget to lightly toast the Muffins.
Someone has continually reminded me that this is the utmost important step..and I must not forget.
Even though I have not forgotten to toast a single one yet.
You would think he thinks I have gotten forgetful after having four children or something. LOL
2. Be sure the sausage is divided evenly, or you might hear about how inconsistent they have turned out.
I love my husband dearly, but he is pretty adamant about consistency with his meals. I am a free spirit...it is SO HARD to make everything so similar every time I do it. I love him though, so I strive for consistency. However, I like to keep things slightly inconsistent just to keep him on his toes...so.. no two McMuffins are wrapped the same!
3. Try to flatten the patties as thin as possible. Because..no matter how flat you get them...they WILL shrink up!
4. You can save even more money on these by using non name brand products. My husband really prefers Bob Evans and Kraft. However, if I was to use the sausage from our butcher it would be SO MUCH cheaper! The American cheese can obviously be purchased for less.
The English Muffins....I have used the good brand (Thomas), and we have used a few of the off brands. I have also made them from scratch before. (That was before Anna. I seriously don't have the time right now.)
The brands do not seem to make too much of a difference in the taste and consistency...and I have found that Aldi has the cheapest price as of this moment in time.
5. It is best to assemble it all while it is warm so the cheese can melt and everything can stick together in true "McMuffin' form.
6. You do not have to use foil. Clear wrap or wax paper, parchment paper or some other form of wrapping would obviously be cheaper. We do not have that option because his heated lunch box gets too hot and will melt/burn anything else. So, Foil it is for the THH family!
NOW...For the money!
(Because we all know this is why I even bother with all of this stuff. ;) )
Dustin can get a Sausage McMuffin from McDonalds for $1.
Or he can get something similar from the 'food truck' (Gag) for $2.75 (Highway robbery)
I can make them for roughly $.90.
Like I stated above, you can bring the price down even more with less expensive ingredients.
All of that being said. I'm pretty happy with the price considering the guidelines I had to work with.
Now for your viewing pleasure, We have started making some how to videos to go along with the blog posts. Because..why not?! I hear we are rather entertaining. But hey, you be the judge.
Oh and don't forget to like, comment and subscribe! Thanks!
Be nice! :)
What are your budget favorite budget friendly breakfast ideas?!
Well, February went fast! Or maybe it was painfully slow?! I'm not sure really. I spent half of it severely sleep deprived, with sick kids. Stomach viruses, Rotavirus, Cough/Cold Viruses, Severe asthma attacks, Ear Infection and an epic migraine...yep that was the month of February at the Tiny House!
I don't think I have EVER been so happy to see the calendar flip to a new Month!!!
Since I basically have not blogged for a month...figured I would do my best to catch everyone up. So you will get a brief over view of our lives...with pictures. (Wow, You are lucky! ;) )
I've sat and tried to figure out the best way to update everyone...and I am thinking it is best to do it by person. So, here you go....a updating glimpse into our tiny world.
Dustin... He managed to miss most of the sickness. Lucky Duck!
He finished up a car flip, worked on the dining room and fixed some totally awesome dinners while I was tending sick kiddos and rocking the baby. He drove to Indiana with his friend Michael to pick up a truck. From what I hear it was quite a trip. One that will go down in the lengthy book of adventures for them...and will be retold at many get togethers to come.
He also put together our new dining room table. Our dream and plan is for him to make most of the furniture for the tiny house. However, this house is a long term project and we can't go years without certain important pieces of furniture. Such as a table that we can all sit at to eat dinner. We were strolling through Kmart the other day and found this little beauty. We actually really like it. It has storage in the benches and we can all sit together. (We have lived here 18 months without being able to sit together. I know that isn't a big deal to some people, but it is to us.) It is made of real wood, and it was on clearance. Plus, it fits perfectly in the dining space nook area we had planned.
Also...do you see the paneling on the wall??
That is your little glimpse of the tiny house update. He has been
paneling, mudding, trimming and busting his tail on this room. Can not
wait to make a post about it very, very soon.
Since he wont stand still long enough to get picture of him..you get a picture of him holding Anna.
Alex... He got the least of the sickness.
He spent the better part of the month trudging through school (The worst torture of all.), staying up to date on youtube, Playing basketball, playing minecraft, and beating Assassins Creed 4 on the X box . He did get a nice surprise from his Dad. A new BB gun! He has had a blast with it ever since.
I also feel obligated to tell you about the fact that he now has something to lord over me for the rest of his entire life. He has been complaining off and on about having leg pain and cramps for a while...like 9 months. I put off taking him to the Dr...because he tends to be a bit over dramatic and kind of a whiner. (Said with much motherly love, of course.) So much so that we have a theme song for him now.
I finally get around to taking him to the Dr and turns out there really is something wrong with him. He is VERY flat footed. He has to do exercises and wear corrective Dr Scholl's inserts in his shoes. Nothing too life altering, but he will have to work on it so it will control the pain.
The second that the Dr said that there really was something wrong with him he turned to me with this look on his face and said..... "I told you there was something wrong with me!!!!!!"
Uh huh, never going to live that one down.
I am expecting my 'Mother Of The Year' award to arrive at any moment.
Emma...
She took the brunt of the sickness. She has not had a very good year in the health department. Poor kiddo.
Emma went to a gymnastics tournament and had a night away at her grandparents house. Gymnastics is one of her absolute favorite things to do. This was a serious bucket list moment for her. She had such a good time with her Grandma (and Grandpa, of course).
Sadly though, she spent most of February on the couch or in her bed. She was so sick...the poor child dropped 4 lbs in a week. After the stomach virus moved on she caught an upper respiratory crud and ended up on round the clock scheduled breathing treatments and steroids.
She is finally feeling better and back to practicing gymnastics moves, jumping on the trampoline and playing basketball with Alex.
Addison... She was the one to kick off our fun filled month of sickness. She started with the stomach bug and then ended up with the upper respiratory crud as well. She actually really scared me with the upper respiratory stuff. Her breathing was so tight one night that I thought she had croup. She did however spend the better part of the month GermXing and telling everyone else not to get her sick...despite the fact that she was patient zero. When she wasn't feeling yucky she was busy being well..Twirly....which is just how Addison is. She is sweet, fun loving and busy, busy, busy. She has been trying her absolute hardest at school lately. She finally got to the point in her reading program when she started reading actual stories..She is SO proud! She is also zooming through her math. She is so proud Addison has also been very crafty this month! She has been making from tents to zoo animals out of paper. She also decided two days ago that she had to have a boat made out of paper. She spent hours yesterday gluing paper together to make it. She eventually got frustrated and started asking me for help. Let me tell you right now...Lyndsay, is not a crafty craft person. I am just not once of those science experiment, decoupage project sort of homeschooling moms.Believe me, I have tried..but it is just not in me.
However, She asked and how do I say no...so off to Youtube I went. Youtube has saved me on more than one occasion. So we made a paper boat. She decorated it and has been happily sailing her paw patrol figures along the imaginary seas ever since.
I also have to share with you Addison's most recent little quark, if you will...the fact that she will only wear one sock. *shivers* It gives me chills just typing it. I asked her the other day why she had been only putting on one sock...she said "I did not put one sock on, I took one sock off.'
Her thought process amazes me sometimes.
I also caught her putting her boots on this past weekend without socks. I said "Don't forget socks.' She said "Don't worry, I have one on.' There is more to the conversation...but it ended with me sending her to find another sock. She went off in a huff, because how dare I require two socks of her. She then returned with one hot pink frozen themed ankle sock and a knee high gray hello kitty sock, with stripes.
She also is a firm believer that a skirt can and should go with absolutely every outfit. (Did you see the red sparkly shirt in the family picture above? Go ahead, scroll back up to Alex's portion, I'll wait.) Yep, she as her own style. I know she will outgrow it someday, so for now I grin and bear it and make sure she has clean underwear on.
Anna... Despite having what the Dr said had to be Rotavirus, respiratory crud and an ear infection...Miss Anna made some Big leap and bounds this month. She finally started liking fruit, is sitting up, sat in a high chair, drank from a sippy cup, found her feet and had (A family record breaking) 8 outfit changes in one day. (Thank you Rotavirus! I am seriously thankful for the Rotavirus vaccine. Anna had a rather mild case of it compared to the older kids, who had it without the vaccine.) She still managed to smile through it all. She makes us smile every day.
She has EPIC thighs!
Me....
Hmmm...what didIdo this month? Like I said above..most of it was a blur of sick kiddos and just plain ole craziness. I can tell you that I drank a LOT of coffee, started reading my Bible from Genesis (Again, one of these days I will get all the way through.), disinfected the house endlessly, prayed for these kiddos a lot, made up a totally awesome new garlic bread recipe, started working out again (12k+ steps a day with my fitbit), and drinking 100oz of water a day, shampooed the living room rug, dumped facebook off of my phone, left most of my social media sites and did my best to keep up with all of these people who call me Mom and this ever changing river we call the tiny house.
I have been having quite a few back issues since Anna was born. Back issues are not anything new, I just did a good job at ignoring them until after she came along. I used to use a Mody Wrap for my babies..but it was killer on my back! Plus, Anna is a "personal bubble" type of baby and Hated being that close to me. So, I ordered an ERGO! Love it! Didn't get to use it that much since ordering because it was just too cold..and we were too sick to really get out and about. I've used it more this month and it is a life saver. Can't wait to go to the zoo with it.
WEAR ALL THE BABIES!!!! <3 I'm also on a mission to lose the last of this pesky baby weight before Summer. (Because I'm too cheap to buy more Summer clothes.) I have kicked it into high gear. Using my Fitbit (Thank you husband, BEST Anniversary gift ever.) and tracking calories. I started out requiring myself to log 10k steps, and recently moved it up to 12k. With 30-60 moinutes of tracked activity, and an estimated calorie deficit of 500-1000. Yes, I am that determined. ;) I will make a post updating that as well. (I've lost almost four times the amount I have to lose now, in the past..so it is not like I am new to this. It's it just time to suck it up and get back to it.)
Ergo selfie at the Allergist; Dr visit with zero sleep; I liked my hair, and felt awesome for hitting 7500 steps before 10am. :)
How was Your February??
Here's to March! Hopefully it is Merciful on the Tiny House Homeschool Family!
Blessings!!!
~Lyndsay~
*** A couple random pictures that didn't have a place... Addison's decorated boat.
Emma reading with Anna.
Sometime in the midst of all the sickness we had a nice day and the kids had a pic lunch.
Yeah...like this one. (Thank you, Google Image!)
The screws were so tiny! 
