Monday, Monday

It's 10:45 and I'm still trying to finish my breakfast (see apple crisp above)- it's one of those Mondays. When things get moving around here, they really get moving. The goal is to get everyone up, dressed, and eating by 8, with morning chores done between 8:30 and 9:00, followed by everyone hitting the books. There are usually enough new concepts being worked on that I'm busy moving from one kid to another almost constantly for an hour or two (or three...), interspersed with nursing the baby and training the 2 year old not to scream every time something doesn't go her way.

I am on a constant quest for organization helps and ideas. I've created my new planner page for this year and have instituted the MIT concept - loving that!

Todays MITs:

1. Plan week's menu (it's Monday already, I know...)
2. Write out grocery list, e-mail it to husband
3. Spend an hour on the next step in current design project

If I can get those done, then, well, I will have managed to get 3 things done; 3 things that could easily be put off and forgotten about causing frantic freezer searching for a crummy supper (and the guilt that comes with that), continued barrenness in the kitchen cupboards (more guilt), and prolonged breathing down my neck for my overdue design (even more guilt)... Do you see the stress and anxiety I can avoid by getting my MITs done?!

I'm also hoping to dehydrate a few dozen more apples! I love dried apples to snack on. We were gifted with 3 huge boxes of apples that need to be used up quickly (thanks again theblondeknitter!) I spent much of saturday processing 16 half pints and 3 full pints of apple butter! That's probably more apple butter than one family needs... I also managed to dehydrate 3 quart bags of apples and cook up a couple quarts of applesauce (with a liberal dose of cinnamon), bake an apple crisp, and several dozen sugar cookies- they have nothing to do with apples, but I was kind of on a kitchen roll.

I've got another pot of applesauce stewing, six racks of apples drying, and am planning on trying out an apple spice cake recipe tonight. It's been way too cold, but we've had some sun most every day lately, and that's almost like spring, isn't it? Spring brings me energy, and apparently so does spring like sun on a cold winter's day. I'll take it.

The only downside to sun induced (and free produce induced) bursts of energy would be the way it cuts into my knitting time, hehe. If this keeps up, the legwarmers I'm working on won't be ready until next winter. The two February birthday hats I've got on my list? Well, I'm gonna need a couple of overcast days next week.

I've got a couple *free* patterns that I'm hoping to post by the end of the week- a simple cotton baby hat, a soft and simple scarf in the brushed suri, and a fun washcloth. Maybe if I announce it to the world, I'll be more likely to actually get around to doing it. Ya think? That's the theory I'm testing... I'm also hoping to get the Girly Wrist Warmers written up in a couple sizes, including one for Mom, and posted soon. Fun stuff.

It's now 1:30- Back to the daily grind.

• Organizing/cleaning/decluttering Zone 5 this week.
• Today's work- clear off piano top, clean/dust mantle, & declutter computer desks.
• Toddler needs a nap
• Teenager needs to do some Algebra
• Somebody needs to vacuum
• Some more reading should get done

And knitting, there should be some knitting.

Enjoy this day,

happy knitting-

ali