She did it! She did it! Do do do do do do do do

That is my interpretation of the Dora song!


Yeah Ashley! Yesterday her little baby girl came into the world at 4:40 am MST. She was in labor for 36 hours and she went totally natural! Wow! I know that was something she really wanted to do and I'm glad she was able to.

Lydia Eve Crummett
7lbs 13oz
18 in long

Hooray! We can't wait to see her pictures and scrunch her face and kiss her in July! Congrats Ash and Pat hope she is wonderful!

Over the river and through the woods....

To Grandma's house we go!

Ok, so there are no woods, but it is a jungle out there on the Jersey Turnpike! Hopefully we'll take 87! See you soon!

Anya says

The other day Ed and I were talking. He had gone out for Chinese with the work guys the previous night and one of the guys was saying,"Ed you gotta try this.."
In true Anya style she had to be part of the conversation so she parroted back,"Edward try this, and Mamaward try this."
She obviously knows he Papa's name is Ed but she doesn't know my name is Leah!

DIY

Lately in my quest to become greener, I have been making my own cleaners and laundry detergent. I have to say they are super economical also. Here are the recipies, I have had a few family and friends ask...

Laundry detergent
If you can make pasta you can make this.
1/2c. washing soda ( made by arm&hammer, in laundry isle >3.00 a box)
1/2c. borax ( in green box, laundry isle >3.00 a box)
1/2 bar Fels Naptha soap grated ( in laundry isle 1.00-1.99)

Heat 1 gal of water on stove, add ingredients and melt together. After all melted dump into a 5 gal bucket, allow to cool. It will turn into a gel. This takes a few hours or overnight. Mix with 2 gal. hot water. Mix well. Store in 3 gal container. Shake before using in washer, it'll seperate a little. This lasts my family about 6 wks. (6-8 loads a week) It ends up being about .01 per load. Has no smell, and I use vinegar as a fabric softner in a downy ball.
* We have SUPER sensitive skin and we react less to this than to ANY other detergent I have tried.

All Purpose cleaner
Fill a large container(1 gal) with water add 2c. white vinegar. Add 2 T. of peppermint castile soap and 5-10 drops of Tea Tree Oil. I use this on everything. Windows, floors, bathroom, etc. I love it. It smells a little vinegary but it is not bad and cleans great. It is also good for detailing your car. (At least that is what Ed says) If you use on window make sure your cloth is very dry.

My visiting teacher Alice will be teaching me to make soap soon too. I'll let you know how that goes. They will be Christmas presents!

Grandma Webster

We just found out the other day the Grandma Webster( Dad's Mom) has pancreatic cancer. I just wanted to say that our thought and prayers are with you and the family close to you. Be strong and anything can happen. We love you.

Ed isn't home

Ed now works 2nd shift (3-11) It has actually worked out perfectly for us so far. We have dinner for lunch and he gets to spend more "quality" time with the kids too. We don't have much time together but it works out. For dinner I have been able to eat the things that no one in my family will eat except maybe Kevin, he is the only one who shows promise of liking veggies. Tonight I made this...

It was Uncle Ben's quick cook brown rice, zucchini, chopped spinach, Trader Joe's organic marinara, and some mozzarella cheese. Super easy, super healthy, super yummy!

Kevin's new haircut

It has been long enough. His hair was too long so I buzzed it all off. Ed wasn't home so I put him in his high chair and did it myself. The sides around his ears are a little messed up but he is a boy and it'll grow super quick! P.S. This was taken today so it's as recent as you'll get!

A little reading

We are a family of huge readers. Ed loves to read, I love to read, Anya loves to read, and I think Kevin is starting to show signs of a potential literacy lover too.

Matching outfits

I mentioned when my Mom came about how she got the kids matching outfits, here is the picture finally.

Washing cars

It's pollen season and here in the southern part of the Garden state we are all covered in a light coating of green. We have 2 black cars and a gray car so this especially makes Ed angry. We wash the cars at least once a week now. Anya thinks it's great!

P.S. I am trying bee pollen to get rid of seasonal allergies. I'll let you know how it goes, it'll be about 3 mo.