7 Quick Takes (volume 4)

I did start this on Friday, but got distracted (imagine!).  I figured I may as well finish it up and post anyway.  You don't care whether it is QT Friday or QT Saturday (or Sunday, as it is getting to be!).
 Check out more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary!

-1-

Since Gus has been born, I have been pretty relaxed about housework (too be honest, I am always pretty relaxed / lazy about housework!). I do laundry most days, but that's really about it. Everything else is either ignored or done when Jon is home.  Everyone says that 3 months is this magical age where fussy babies stop being fussy and stuff like that (not that we have a fussy baby), but I think part of me thought that housework would all of a sudden do itself at three months as well, and I just needed to ride it out till then. I realised this week, though, that the things I keep putting off are never going to get done if I don't actually do them. And if I am going to be home all day every day for the next several months, I won't be very happy with a cluttered house all the time. So my goal is to do 20-30 minutes of dishes every day and 20-30 minutes of other housework. I might have to work up to this goal, but I think it is reasonable.

-2-

We have been going to Baptism class the past two weeks, and this coming week we get to schedule the Baptism.  I would like it to be sooner rather than later, but I don't know if we'll be able to fit it in before Lent. There are about 20 families on the course, and our parish only allows one or two babies to be baptised each week, so we'll have to see when we can do it. The course leader said that it doesn't matter what age you have babies baptised, but I don't really feel right delaying it too much! I was baptised at a month old, and most babies I have seen back home seem to be pretty young, so that is what I think is the "right" way to do it. Here, the babies are mostly older, and I know it doesn't matter too much, but it still seems pretty weird to me to see babies sitting up at their baptism!

-3-

The problem with the Baptism course is that it is held 8-9:30 at night. We have brought Gus with us both weeks; the first week, we didn't even think about getting someone to watch him, as we had never gone anywhere that he couldn't go before!  It means that he has a hard time getting to bed, though. This week, he slept on the way to the church and the way back, but was awake the whole time we were there. By the time we got home, he was overtired and couldn't fall asleep again. Poor thing! 

-4-

Gus and I have had a few dance parties this week. His favorite was to songs about trains, featuring Johnny Cash and John Denver.  I didn't include Folsom Prison, though, as I thought that was too depressing for a dance party.  Have a party yourself!

Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe

-5-

I made this yummy banana ice cream today. It has only bananas in it, frozen, then whizzed up in the food processor.  It was really good, and felt really indulgent. Jon, of course, loved it. I will have to make it again, although the chances of finding overripe bananas in our house are very small, seeing as Jon eats bananas like there is no tomorrow. I think next time I am going to put peanut butter in mine,  or maybe drizzle chocolate over the top (don't want it to be completely healthy!).

-6-

Speaking of food, I am hoping to make some sort of energy bars this week. The blog Enlightened Cooking has several recipes; I think I am going to try the Lara-type bars first, which are basically just dried fruits and nuts. I have been starving all of the time lately (due to Gus's insatiable appetite, I am sure!), so it would be good to have a few healthy snacks on hand, and I haven't found any pre-made bars that I like and are a reasonable price. I would rather just eat cookies and cake all day, but someone told me that, even though breastfeeding mothers need extra calories every day, those should be coming from healthy foods. Hogwash!

-7-

My favorite thing this week: sometimes, when Gus wakes up, he opens his eyes, sees me, and gives me a huge smile.  Melts my heart!

Hope you all are having a great end to January!! Can you believe we are already done with the first month of 2011?!