20 Chore Tuesday- Prepare for Winter

Two fun facts for today; it's definitely fall in Vermont and phone calls are my kryptonite. I have a fear of the baby shrieking halfway through and it's the one chore I constantly put off. The air is chilly in Vermont today and I think there may even be (shudder) frost on my car so I need to prepare. At baby group recently I heard that my 20 Chore Tuesday's were depressing because I usually advocate just getting one thing done to feel good about your day as a new mom. I still feel that way! Just nursing a baby during the day is a huge accomplishment. I make a big list on Tuesday. I try to get as much done as I can but it sometimes spills over. The toddler is in daycare on Tuesday and because I normally go work a few hours on Tuesday for some reason the baby sleeps more? I don't know why.... plus when she falls asleep at the shop I can sneak out for a few minutes and make calls and the errands are easier to do on the way home when she's asleep. My husband also knows to take both kids upon arriving home because it has always been a busy day as far as putting away farm stuff and cleaning the kitchen. Feel free to play along on 20 Chore Tuesday and link up with Joyful Abode (like I do).

Major distraction, leisurely eater.

Calls
1. Call the chimney sweep and schedule a stove/chimney cleaning for sometime in the next two weeks. Score- the chimney sweep and water guy are coming on the same day which means only one day where I can't walk around in my bra with a nursing baby.
2. Call the water system guy. We keep changing our filter but the water is coming out smelling iron-y and it's a little yellow. That needs to be fixed.
3. Schedule hair appointment for next Wednesday since I'll be in Burlington for a class anyways.
4. Call daycare and see what paperwork I need to fill out for the baby's first day next week. Luckily, I know I already like them since my older daughter goes a few days a week.
4a. Fill out paperwork they're putting in my daughter's bag and put it back in bag to go in tomorrow.

Errands
5. Pick up check.
5a. Send in timesheet.
6. Pick up farm share.
7. Go to Big Lots & buy some more clear plastic boxes for cleaning efforts.
8. Meet folks with swap items.

Laundry (seriously, I don't think the laundry ever ends)
9. Put away giant stack of laundry covering loveseat.
10. Run small load of laundry that includes the car seat cover the baby peed on.
11. Put car seat cover back on car seat.
12. Fold and put away laundry.
13. Fold and put away basket of clean cloth diapers.
14. Sew ribbons onto mesh bags that will sort dirty underwear socks. Why are all my needles sticky? This one will have to wait.
15. Remake toddler's crib so that we don't have to do it at bedtime. (I have a bad habit of washing sheets and then realizing the beds have to be remade as we try to get in them.) Kind of failed this one. Husband brought daughter up to put to bad and I hear "Daddy, no sheet." Oops, well it's made now :)

Kitchen
16. Clean out the fridge. I wouldn't use the word "clean" but I neatened the fridge. There's nothing growing in there.
17. Put away dishes in strainer.
18. Make no crumb banana muffins. This way maybe I'll stop eating chocolate chips plain by the handful. Baked one batch & I'm running out the door. I'll bake batch two tonight. The oven will help heat up the frigid house.
19. Bake the gluten-free bread dough tester recipe that is sitting on the counter. Accept that it is not really going to rise.recipe fail :(

Other
20. Make a detailed list of what I need to do food storage/processing wise for Friday. I've got produce that I need to process for winter and my husband will be home that day for me to do it. List below, but I may be working on Friday so this may slide to Sunday. I started some of it today.
             - roast half of tomatoes (in the oven overnight tonight)
             - puree half of tomatoes and cook down into sauce to freeze (in food    processor and ready to go tomorrow am) 
             - chop onions & make onion jam (do at night so it can crockpot overnight & can in the am before day is too hot)
             - crockpot carrots, puree, & freeze
             - crockpot half beets, puree, & freeze (currently in the pot)
             - roast half of beets, peel, & freeze
             - peel & dice potatoes, toss w/ paprika & salt and freeze for hashbrowns
             - make potato & leek soup and freeze
             - bag up braising greens & freeze
             - chop & freeze scallions
             - blend up sauteed onions & freeze for marinade
             
21. Go through the giant tote of fabric. Pick some to get rid of that I've had for years that I clearly am not going to use. This way maybe I can figure out where I'm putting my craft stuff. The hallway is just not working anymore. Fabric is in the bedroom, husband went to bed. This one is on hold for now.
22. Hours at roasters.
23. Figure out how to more clearly ask for help. I know I need it. I know I've said things about folks possibly coming over to watch the kids while I organize the house so I don't lose it. I know I told my mother I was close to losing it every time I walked upstairs and looked at the stacks of stuff that needed to be put away but apparently I need to be more clear because help has not materialized. And the fact that I haven't gotten a full night of sleep in nearly 4 months is not helping either. This one is going to be an ongoing effort. I'm not sure how I could be any more clear but I need to find my "village" because this lone cavewoman in a cave with a spear method is not working for me right now.

It's Tuesday so that means one cup of coffee at home and 2 more at the roasters. I'm looking forward to adult interaction..... and hopefully a baby that sleeps for longer than 40 minutes once a day.