Yesterday I made a decision to devote most of my free time and energy to getting rid of stuff. I’ve realized there is little point in trying to organize anything else in the house until I get rid of more stuff. When I got started I dealt with the stuff that I was tripping over, and stuff that was otherwise always in my face. A couple weeks ago I finally sold Emma’s kitchen, which was a task I’d been putting off. Having the extra space in the room is wonderful.

Emma and I tagged along to a conference with Bob over the weekend. While he was presenting to his fellow economists, she and I went to the New York State Museum, which I recommend highly if you’re ever in Albany. Afterwards we got lunch and went to Barnes and Noble. I’ve been limiting my book purchases for the sake of not adding to what’s already in the house, but I let her get a couple books. This was one of her choices:

It’s a great book. I love how it focuses on teaching basic food preparation skills, like chopping, but it has great recipes too. Today was Bob’s birthday, and instead of going out like we normally would, she made a menu for tonight’s dinner, which consisted of cheese straws, minestrone and lemonade.

A little blurry, but I had to share because she was so proud.

It took us nearly two hours to make everything, because she did a fair amount of the work, but it was fun. She’s already chosen other things she wants to make, and I think it’s going to be a great way for us to spend time together. I may sit with her and review October’s menu, see what ideas she has and make some revisions.

Paperclips, thumbtacks and a chipmunk.

When we got home Sunday I filled a bag of clothes, mostly Emma’s too-small items, and a box of office supplies. I scheduled a pickup for next Tuesday, which gives me a decent amount of time to add more stuff.

This week is shaping up to be almost as busy as last week. It seems like we missed the boat on apple picking- we have a couple places fifteen minutes away so I thought we’d go one day after school, but I think we still have time to get pumpkins.

I’m behind with this month’s book- I will post about it next time.