Who knows what to title these anyway...

     Wow, this week has seemed really crazy busy, but it was probably just mainly the last 2 days. (Because when I look back, there really isn't much to write about from the first part of the week. It is canning season, but I only had pears from my Mom's yard, and there was only enough for 1 batch (that were ready to can at least) so I did that on Tuesday and it was all good. But there are a few things I can write about. ;)
     First of all, Jessica reading. Now, I'm not sure she's actually reading, though she does recognize "I" and "and" and I'll often have her say those words when we get to them in books. However, Monday morning I brought her books in her room, and then as I was sitting out at my computer, I start to hear her reciting one of the books (The Gingerbread Man). Now, we've had this book for about a year, and I've read it to her a number of times, but not within the past 3 (at least) months. Within the  past 3 or 4 months, I'd only read it to her once, last Sunday. So, she was basically reciting it after hearing it once. That little girl is extremely intelligent, and has a very good memory.
      This week there was also a sudden change in temperature. One day the high in the afternoon was around 90 degrees, the next morning it was in the upper 40s when we woke up (and only got up to 70 that day). Yay! Fall is here! I love the autumn season, and I was loving the cooler weather, except when I take Jacob to the park while Jessica is at preschool. That was a little more rough, because it is super windy out in Highland, which made the cold bite.
      I'm pretty sure I told you about Jessica being sick on Sunday and Tuesday this last week, well, Wednesday I seemed to catch it. I was able to keep my meals down (thankfully) but I was sick enough that I left class early, even though it was my turn to get processed. Thankfully I was better then next day too, because I needed to can tomatoes. Holy cow! Tomatoes are so easy! Seriously, scald and squish that's it. (okay, peel and core them too, but after scalding them, you can't keep the skins on) And to think I'd been dreading them.
      Now, Friday... That was crazy busy. Friday was payday (Grocery day) and there was preschool, and canning that needed to be done, and... heh, heh, heh, oh yeah, weekend training for my school that I was staffing for, so I needed to be there around 5:30. So here's how my day went. I got up and got ready, and boiled tomatoes, and ran them through the saucer, and then we left at 8AM to drop Jessica off at preschool. Then, I headed back to Mom's to drop Jacob off, so that I could go get a haircut. My last haircut had been in January, when I went with a pixie cut, and so I'd just been living with 8 months worth of growth, and it was looking really shaggy. I'm still trying to grow it out, but I really wanted it to at least look nice while I do so. So it may take longer for me to grow it out, but I will be cutting/styling it differently along the way. So, after dropping Jacob off, I headed over to Evans Hairstyling College to get my haircut.

Hard to see maybe, but its an A-line cut, and stacked in the back (and super simple to do)

     Thankfully I had a much better experience than the last time I went to a school to get my hair cut. (not naming names, but it wasn't Evan's) The last time it took them an hour and a half, and they for some reason couldn't get my haircut to be even across the bottom. And this was back when I just had long hair, and just wanted a trim. No layers, nothing extra, just cut it straight across the bottom. I should have gone to my mom.
      After the haircut I had just enough time to get back to Mom's and pick up Jacob (chat for a bit) before heading over to pick up Jessica. That was hilarious though. I drive up, and all the kids have their backpacks, and Kim (teacher) was standing there with a box. "Oh fabulous! Book orders, she's probably handing books the parents I guess". Nope. We got the box. "You know you're addicted to books, when your child brings home the box from the book orders." Then we went grocery shopping, came home, I got Jessica and Jacob lunch, and into quiet/nap time. Then I hurried and put the tomato sauce boiling, and got pears done, and then got the tomato sauce in jars. I literally got them in the canner right before walking out the door to the weekend training. Holy cow! I was tired.  And Saturday I spent the whole day staffing the Weekend Training, which was amazing, and beautiful, and probably, much easier than going through it. (Because I didn't have my own emotional trauma coming up for the most part, despite getting triggered a couple times)
     So yeah, that was our week. Hopefully I'll have more pictures, and more stuff about Jessica and Jacob next week. (Hoping to take them to Thanksgiving Point a couple times.

Lovin' the Rain

     I must admit, I really have been loving the rain recently. My kids excitement at watching it probably helps, but I think its beautiful to sit there at the kitchen sink (I've been canning) and watch the rain and the storm clouds, and feel the cool breeze. Doesn't hurt that it makes canning much more bearable since it's cooled off the temperatures. I'm used to 90 degree weather while canning, which makes for a VERY hot kitchen. This is much better. I'll take it. So far, I've canned over 50 quarts of fruit (peaches and pears) though 2 of them didn't survive. :( It sounds like a huge amount to me, and is in comparison to last year, but then I actually think about it, and realize that there are 52 weeks in the year, so I have just about enough fruit for 1 jar of fruit a week. Suddenly it doesn't sound like quiet so much. Goodness though, I'm pretty sure that it will have to be enough for me, because my body is starting to hate me for standing over the sink so many hours. And I still have tomatoes and applesauce to do. (I've also done some tomato sauce, and about 8 quarts worth of peach syrup). I love having all this home-canned produce on my shelves, enough so that I'm willing to put in the work. Now I just need to find out an inexpensive way to get more quart jars (and preferably more half-pint jars too). I'm almost out. Sadly, I haven't taken any pictures of all the jars of fruit lined up. However, I do have lots of other pictures to share. :D

Mom, this slide is awesome!

       During preschool, Jacob and I don't come home (20 minute drive, no thank you) so we found a nice little park that has been deserted every time. So he gets the entire playground to himself, which seems to suit him just fine.

Shorter bangs.

       I'd been getting requests to see Jessica's shorter bangs, after she cut them herself. Here you go. So short they're barely there.

Hiding in the hamper.

       This is one of Jacob's favorite games these days. He'll empty the hamper (his and Jessica's) and then put it over his head and go running around the apartment. Then he'll start purposely bumping into things (people) in it. Another of his favorite games lately (no video, sorry) is to spin around in circles, and then try to walk. Seriously. He does it all the time. It only scares me when I come out of the bathroom to find that he is spinning with my knitting needle in his hand.

Peek-a-boo!

       When we went down to Reno to visit Mike and Crystal, Jacob seemed to find a new favorite friend. Crystal would play peekaboo with him, and Jacob adored it. This is a picture of him placing her hands back over his eyes to do it again.

Even mannequins need hugs. 

       This, ladies and gentlemen, is Jessica, so sure that even the store mannequins need hugs. Which I find hilariously adorable. (Especially, fellow Whovians, since she has seen the first episode with Chris Eccleston)

16 weeks pregnant.

      Yup, I'm 16 weeks weeks pregnant, and sorry its a bad picture. The hall light burned out, so it was hard to get any decent quality ones.

Sleepy sick girl.

      Sadly, the past week has been a rough one here because we've been sick. Last week was a bad head cold. This week, well, Jessica hasn't been able to keep anything down, and has been laying on the couch most of the time. She was sick all day Sunday, and then seemed better yesterday, but then today it started again. :( Here's hoping she's better soon.

Well...

      Sorry for skipping last week, but we were out of town, and I tend to prefer not to announce on Facebook or my blog that we're going to be gone, just as a precaution for safety's sake. We had a fabulous time visiting some friends in Reno, (Thanks Mike and Crystal!) and I didn't have my camera out much, but Crystal took a whole bunch of great pictures. Sadly, I don't have them yet. I really need to get better at taking pictures, and I am working on it, but... we're still here struggling with pictures.
     Jessica is still loving preschool, and Jacob and I spend the 2 hours at a park most days, which he is loving as well, and the park is deserted every time except for us, so its fairly easy for me to read or write while still being able to watch him. Not sure how much longer we'll be able to do that though.
     However, I do have one big thing to write about...

     Yup, that's right, I'm pregnant. However, this picture is a little old. This was taken 3 1/2 weeks ago when I was 12 weeks pregnant. I'll hit 16 weeks on Wednesday. Most of you who have seen me in the past month (if not longer) have probably guessed that this was the case, but due to personal circumstances, I was waiting to tell. And then I just kept forgetting to tell my family, so I wouldn't post it on social media because family should know first.
     Yes, I've been sick, but not horrendously, actually, the bigger effect has been headaches lately, though, I'm not sure they're pregnancy related, they may just mean I REALLY need to see a chiropractor. No, we don't know yet what we're having, yes, we will find out. I am seeing a midwife though, so its not at an exact time for the ultrasound, though technically, I could probably do it any time whenever I decide. But I will probably wait until around the 20 week mark, just because its a little easier to be sure at that point, and to make sure insurance will cover it. So yeah... That's what's new around here. I'll try to have more fun stories about the kids throughout the next weeks and months, I feel like I've been majorly slacking on that.