To Market, To Market to Buy a Fat Pig...

...Home again, home again, jiggity, jig.  My mom often reminds me when I haven't been posting on Kirkpatricks and Co.  Despite what you may think, not every day around here is as noteworthy as others might think.

As I hear my husband's shower begin around 4:20 a.m. I somehow slide (our bed is quite high and with my short legs you can take the slide part literally) out of bed.  I stumble in the dark and manage to find my croc slippers and with more fumbling my robe.  By 4:30 am the kitchen is purculating with Matthew's coffee and there are 2 large eggs slowly frying in a small bit of butter.  By 4:40 I'm joined at the counter by my freshly showered husband who is enjoying his eggs, toast, large glass of 2% milk with everything dunked in his favorite "Sweet Baby Ray's" Barbecue sauce (yuck for me too).  On the weekends he gets hash browns and Turkey Bacon with that.  By 4:50 Matthew is downing the last bite, and with a complimenting smack to his lips he tells me "I'm Hung" (as a thank you for the breaky) and kisses me goodbye.  He is trailing his lunch in hand that I have somehow managed to make in-between the short conversation between 4:40 and 4:50.

For the next 10 minutes I sip my cocoa and relax by emptying the dishwasher and drainer.  As 5 a.m. rolls along I start Tatum's shower and gently wake her.  By 5:20 I am banging on the bathroom door telling her to save some hot water for her brother and hurry up (this time not so gently).

6:10 finds two teenagers eating homemade pancakes (or French Toast) - Luke with his maple syrup and Tate with her boysenberry.  By 6:30 lunches and gatorade are shoved into backpacks and a rush for the trunk as 1 guitar, 1 extremely large purse and 2 very heavy backpacks are thrown into it.  Toby is half asleep and securely fastened in his carseat.  Big sister is curled up next to him moaning, "poor thing" and covers him with his blanket.  The two pampered teens are then off on the bus and now it's Toby's turn to get ready.

While Toby sits blurry-eyed on the sofa, I warm the last half of my cocoa on the 30sec microwave cycle and try and get 10 more minutes of solitude.  10 minutes goes by so fast.  While the little guy is eating his pancakes, I try and sneak a load of laundry in.  Before we know it it's 7:40 and we're off collecting our next door neighbor (and Toby's best friend).   


The day is filled with errands, more laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, baking, sewing, blogging, doing bills etc.  Then the whirlwind starts all over as school is nearly over and there are children to collect from clubs, girlfriends and other after school activities.  There is dinner, dishes, homework and yes...somehow, more laundry...and more dishes.

So you see...our days probably aren't much different then your own.  I thought though, that I might share with you my recipe for my homemade laundry detergent (yes, I make my own -- surely you do too..?  After you milk the cow, right?  The children and I seem to be sensitive to a lot of soaps and so this has really helped:

1 Bar Fels Naptha grated
1 Bar Ivory Soap grated
2 cups Washing Soda (not baking soda)
2 cups Borax

Mix together in a large container.  I have a rather large front loader, so I use a slightly heaping 1/2 cup in the drum BEFORE I put the laundry in.  I also use the warm cycle (hot for towels and whites).  This has made our clothes quite clean and fresh smelling -- and it's easier on the septic system (and pocket book) too.  (4 cups of Ivory Soap Flakes would be ideal in place of the bar soaps, but it's nearly impossible to find these days).


There you go.  Just a day in our life. X  (I promise I'll try and have a story for you soon).