This moratorium thing is mostly okay, but it sucks when everyone else in the office goes out to lunch.

The snow finally melted, and we finally made it out of the house. We did have to spend some unplanned money this first week in addition to the normal groceries and gas type stuff:

– $10.00 the insurance company didn’t cover for the tow truck.
– $0.50 for the pay phone to call daycare lady so she’d know when to meet us at the end of her street because their driveway was so bad only 4WD could get through.
– $2.00 for a parking permit at work because we forgot to take my permit out of the car when we took the truck to work on Thursday (actually, I still owe my coworker for that).
– $10.00 for lunch on Friday because I packed Andy a spoiled lunch, and I really had to get out of the office.

Not so bad. Definitely could have been worse. We almost had to buy a dryer because ours conked out on Wednesday (what a week), but daycare lady just got a new washer and dryer Friday, and she gave us their old one. We picked it up today, and yeah it’s old, but it works!

We also picked up an armoire to serve as our (mostly Andy’s) closet since our bedroom doesn’t have a closet. It’s really an entertainment-type armoire, but we got it for fairly cheap from my boss. Andy put a pole in, and it works just fine. Now he doesn’t have to keep his clothes in Anya’s room anymore, and I get his dresser drawers for my stuff. Yay! (I’d paid for it two weeks ago so no moratorium violation.)

And finally, we picked up Anya’s new bed frame Friday. It’s an early birthday gift from Andy’s mom (so no moratorium violation), and Anya really likes it. It’s not put together yet, but when it is we’ll put up a picture. It has drawers!

Again, what a week!

One of the neat things about this adventure is that we’ve been trying to use what we have in the freezer and pantry. I made an apple pie today from some apples I canned when we first moved here. Or maybe even before? Hm. Andy made some chili with a bunch of the beans, and I made cornbread to go with it. Yum!

So that ends week 1. It wasn’t too hard not to buy stuff, and it’s definitely fun to say, “Moratorium!”

We are still trapped by the snow. Andy made a valiant attempt to escape this morning, but he had to abandon the truck down by the pond. The electricity is going strong so far, and we have water, but I am concerned about the level of the propane tank. Will the cookies finish baking before the propane runs out? My biggest worry, though, is what we will do when Anya starts asking for her beloved “nana” tomorrow morning since she ate the last one today. Perhaps I can distract her with an icicle.

See, it’s true!

Yeah, um, we haven’t had time yet to get new plates for the car. Um. Yeah. Or it could be that for the first time in the three years we’ve been living in VA, we got more than an inch of snow. More like ten inches.

Too bad we don’t have a tractor, or 15 kids with big arm muscles, or a flamethrower. (Oooo, wait I do have a flamethrower!! I wonder where it is.) We are trapped in the house right now, and we may be trapped tomorrow. Temperatures aren’t expected to be over freezing until Wednesday. Andy tried to get the truck out of the parking spot and into the driveway this morning. Two hours later, and it was not happening. He said he may try again tomorrow.

I’d like to say that being trapped at home was helpful for Day 2 of the Moratorium, but it gave Andy the chance to finally load about 200 photos to the printing website. Now I want to order about 200 prints. Blergle!

Also? Anya does not like snow.

Today is the first day of our Spending Moratorium. So far, we are doing very well. Of course, it’s not yet 10am, and we are all still in our pajamies. Yesterday we went out and visited our favorite stores to say good-bye: Target, Home Depot, and Lowes. We also made a stop at the chinese buffet for our last meal out. Andy was very sad because he did not find anything to buy. I did. I got a few more plants for work and some stuff to rebuild the bunny cage. Oh wait! Andy got some fabric bins/cubes to go into the armoire we bought from a coworker last week. Happy day!

Moratorium! Moratorium! Moratorium!

Last November, after I realized how often we were eating out, we went on an Eating Out Moratorium. We didn’t eat out (except one or two meals when my parents were visiting) the whole month. Every time one of us would get weak, the other would shout, “MORATORIUM!” It’s a fun word. So, lately I’ve been pondering a full-out Spending Moratorium. Somehow today I managed to convince Andy we should do it. So, we are. MORATORIUM!

Guidelines:
1. Begins at midnight on March 1, 2009, and ends when our credit card is paid off.
2. No unnecessary purchases.
3. Must log all purchases.
4. Must post weekly about status.

What is allowed:
1. Medical care for the people and the animals.
2. Food for the animals.
3. Kitty litter.
4. Basic toiletries.
5. Food basics.
6. Automobile maintenance / repair / registration / inspection.
7. Gas for the automobiles.
8. Propane for the stove.
9. Febreeze refills.
10. Shoes and clothes for Anya if she outgrows what we have.
11. Birthday present for Anya.
12. Supplies needed to finish kitty room / plant room.
13. Plants for vegetable garden.
14. Baby ducks.

What is not allowed (not all inclusive):
1. Junk food (chips, cookie dough, soda, ice cream, frozen pizza, etc.)
2. Eating out.
3. Shoes and clothes for Andy or Carol.
4. Furniture.
5. Electronics.
6. Toys.
7. House plants.
8. Tools.

Exceptions:
1. Eat out once a month.
2. One 12-pack of soda a month.
3. Other things possibly excepted if both Andy and Carol are in total, non-coerced agreement that said things are necessary.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

This morning I asked Andy to take some pictures of Anya in the V-Day outfit her Grandma Diane sent. He obliged by getting a bunch of great shots in the kitchen with wonderful backgrounds like….the stove covered with dirty dishes; the cluttered microwave area; and the spot on the floor where one vinyl tile has been pulled up to reveal the subfloor.

I suggested we go outside to get some nicer shots. We parked Anya on a little bench, and Andy took some really nice shots with wonderful backgrounds like…our car and truck; the cluttered porch; and the water spigot.

I guess Anya is just so cute, Andy doesn’t see anything but her when he’s taking her picture. Awwww.

Anya has finally outgrown the fabulous car seat her Auntie Kc and her Uncie Ken got her for her 0th birthday. Andy and I pondered buying Anya a new car seat, but we decided that we’d do as the natives do. I mean, why waste a perfectly good pickup truck bed?

Last night we were watching “Finding Nemo,” and apparently the theme got to Anya. I guess she figured if Nemo could get the pebble in the tank filter even with a gimpy fin and if Marlin could travel the ocean to find his little boy…well, then, Anya surely could stand up on her own two feet and dance the night away!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

After 24 hours, she is a pro at walking barefoot on flat floors. Walking in shoes or outside still is a bit of a challenge, but she’ll get there. I told her she could run around outside nakie butt when it warms up, and I believe she is motivated to reach that goal.

I am very happy and very relieved that Anya has hit this milestone. I knew she would walk, but sometimes I wondered anyhow. Plus? She is getting very heavy. I told her if she got much bigger without walking, I was going to strap wheels to her butt and pull her around.

I think I’m gonna rename this journal, “Potty Time,” because most of the news lately is about pottying. Drumroll please….

Anya pee-peed and POO-POOed in the potty this morning! Yay!!!!!

I think Anya’s gonna be using the potty full time before she’s walking full time. It’s a bit strange, but I look forward to diaperless days.