Nesting With Joe

With all that has been happening around here (wood floors replaced or refinished, contractor's bids to solve our drainage problems by raising our roof line, others contracting for dry wall repairs and painting, as well as, running after three school children and their activities and tests and a preschooler), preparing for baby has been pushed to the back of the agenda. Realizing that Labor Day (literally) will be approaching fast, I enlisted Joe into all that might be done to prepare for another Campbell child. Rebekah was up with her Activity Days Girls touring Temple Square and to lunch. Joe was great to work with. He stripped old (and it turns out in one spot--moldy) carpet from the flooded basement. Joe got new tires for his damaged but newly repaired car (costly--wheel rims are bent and so it must go back to Adams G3 for more repair) and took Jonathan for some "boy time." Took down bunk bed in Susie and Jonathan's bed (mattresses on the floor mean ease bed making and more comfort for "learning to sleep all by myself" little ladies.) Going for a walk and pushing Susie in the bike stroller in the sunshine after a weekend of cold, cloudy, snowy weather). Making a grocery run for casserole supplies. Vacuuming the upstairs and (revacuuming the girls room with cat indoor cats). I did laundry and more laundry and sorting (give away, donate, etc.). Swept the laundry floor (where there is a crusty layer of water hardened detergent). I helped girls sort and clean their room, start laundry in the garage machines, piano practice, and taking down the last remaining snow things from Winter and putting up minimal Easter decor. Vacuuming the downstairs... Joe decided that instead of having a family movie night, we would get a jump start on freezing and baking for the baby. We ended up cooking with Hannah, 10 casseroles:

1. Chicken Alfredo
2. Chicken Alfredo
3. Spaghetti with Meatballs
4. Spaghetti with Cheese
5. Chicken with Broccoli
6. Chicken with Broccoli
7. Russian Chicken
8. Russian Chicken
9. Tater Tot Casserole
10. Tater Tot Casserole

Also, we finished a Summer Pasta Salad and Pistachio Salad for Family dinners today. At 5:00 we go to Clayton's for Sam's third birthday and at 6:00 we go to Eggertsen's to celebrate Dad Campbell's Eighty-second birthday--whew! The only hitch came with a charlie horse cramp that set in my left instep. It turns out that ignoring it, lead to three hours of cramping and so I was up reading and trying to alleviate it when all others were fast asleep. It was great to "nest" with Joseph!