While on our road trip this summer, we joked about the 5 people that needed taking care of: Jason, Meggan, Rachel, Ava, and the car. It seemed common that we'd just have solved diapers, snacks and potty breaks, have a sleeping child... and then we'd need gas. We also vowed to get home from the trip and get the interior completely detailed because it's so dirty inside our car.
Well now we are home, and one thing is happening around here for sure: spending. We seem to be spending money against our will, and this is not a good thing when off work and living off one salary in our household. Missing Canadian maternity leave? YES! We spent a lot of money on our back yard this year, since new houses come with only mud pits in the back yard. We had no idea landscaping cost so much money. We love the basic patio, retaining wall, and ground cover we had done over a fancy pipe irrigation and water drainage system. It seemed to have proven its worth with the recent flooding, because we watched the water all being diverted away from our house/foundation. Now we need to spend another $1500 to finish the back fence. We also now need to spend $1000 to have the high amounts of radon in our house mitigated.
So we are doing our best to avoid spending money. We haven't bought ski passes this year, and don't plan to ski much, which is going to be very sad. We just made $100 at our garage sale last weekend, sold some other things on craigslist for $85, and sold a new tv we were given as part of our solar installation promotion for $350. Jason is picking up sub work when he can, and I am trying not to do too many expensive things with the girls.
So apparently it cost $120 around here to get the interior of your car detailed. Seems like a luxury that we can't do right now. So this morning we dropped Rachel off at preschool and Jason off with a work colleague to go to a conference, and Ava and I started project car.
First we took the car to get its oil changed. First time we've gotten work done on the car that was not at the dealer, since our warranty is done. By the time we got a 'fast lube', replaced the oil, cabin and engine filters, we owed them $116. While the car was in the shop, I ran a slow 4 miles and Ava napped in the Chariot. Then we went to the 'self serve auto spa' down the street, and after taking care of Ava for a while, project car continued. I fed the machine $1 bill at a time, then worked frantically to vaccum everything and shampoo seats while crawling all around Ava in her car seat. She likes the vacuum sounds. The parking lot around the car had Rachel's car seat, the chariot, and all the other things that normally live in the car strewn about.
We came home and continued. In between packing for our next trip and feeding/changing Ava, I wiped down all the interior surfaces and scrubbed out dirt here and there. I filled the car back up with emergency clothes, food water, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, maps, hair ties, chap stick, cutlery, paperwork, tissues, wipes, diapers... etc. The car now looks good, has everything we need in it, and nothing extra. Unfortunately, the seats are all still very stained and the shampoo work really didn't seem to do much. But I feel good that I spent $4 and have a clean car and didn't spend the $120 right now. Maybe in the Spring we'll try the detail option and see if the seats can come clean. Or maybe we'll just put a towel under Rachel's car seat.
Our next road trip begins tomorrow. Jason is already in Breckenridge for a school conference Thurs and Fri. I'll drive the girls up Friday... in the snow. Yup, it's supposed to be rain and snow showers in the high country tomorrow. The mountains had their first snowfall last weekend. It's still been as high as 80 degrees here during the day, but starting to get much cooler at night now. It's actually wonderful weather down here on the front range.
Saturday Jason will run 100km from Breckenridge to Vail through the mountains. We're very excited. We stay at his conference hotel in Breck Friday night. He starts at 7am Sat morning and will likely finish in the dark Sat night, possibly around 9pm. We have a hotel room very close to the finish but will probably not see him finish in Vail. Sunday he will catch a ride back with his pacer, and I will continue with the girls to Moab. We will spend 3 nights in Moab and see our friend get married, and then drive home Wed.
What else is new?
Ava is starting to roll from back to side and from tummy to back. She has discovered her hands and likes to grab things and try to shove them in her mouth or eyes or nose. She can sit in the bumbo chair for a few minutes at a time, but it's still pretty hard work.
Rachel is doing as well as always, and keeping us smiling. Funny things she has said lately:
"This medicine is for her tummy ache. This medicine is for being sick. This medicine is for when she farts. This medicine is for her spots."
And, in the car, while Ava is crying "Ava, it's ok. The light is red which means that Mommy has to stop. When the light turns green for go for us then we can go and then you can be happy and not mad because we will be moving."
Jason has had some long days at work recently, with work meetings and cross country practices/meets. He is also having allergy shots twice per week so that he can eventually become tolerant of grasses/pollens/dust/plants and not have such horrible allergies. Unfortunately, it's quite difficult to schedule all these things with just one car for our family.
My own world is all about the girls, trying to catch up on things around the house, and trying to exercise. We have a new hardcore swim coach, and I can't believe that our 'warm up' is 1400 yds. The other day I swam 2400 yds total and I love it but I am wiped. It seems every length I am being told another thing to change on my form, so my head hurts by the end of practice. Running has been a real challenge... Ava was born 12 weeks ago and finally today I made it 4 miles... but very slowly! I will keep on trucking but it's been a slower process than I expected. On the other hand, I did go out for a lovely road ride on Sunday. Because Ava still won't take a bottle, Jason drove the girls out to meet me half way. All of Boulder was out on the same part of the city that remains open, while many other roads and almost all trails are closed from the floods. I ended up riding 37 miles and loved it, but was exhausted. I didn't realize what my friends had in mind when I suggested we ride together! The longest ride I'd ever done before was 25 miles at my Olympic Tri last August.
Sorry no pictures right now but more will be posted after Moab.
Think of Jason running Saturday and send him some happy mountain energy vibes.
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