Field Report

We are on Week 4 Day 2 of Operation Potty Train.

And we've had some setbacks.

While Natalie has had some great days that seemed very promising, with only one or two accidents, her interest and will sometimes deteriorate suddenly. On Friday, she had only 2 accidents. On Saturday, 1. On Sunday, maybe 2 or 3. Then on Monday she had nearly a dozen accidents and seemed determined to exert her will by refusing to sit on the potty all day. Intent on avoiding a power struggle, I didn't press the issue and it seemed to work, with only 3 accidents yesterday. Today, she has already had 5 accidents by noon, including an incident in which she opened up the dishwasher and projectile-urinated into it. I was shocked. Somewhat because I was surprised that she would have the gall to do such a thing, but mostly because I couldn't believe how far such a little girl could project her pee.

I know that she gets it because when she wants to, she tells me when she has to go (usually this happens in front of other people when she wants to show off), then sits on the potty and pees, no problem. Plus, after the awesome FHE lesson on going potty that accompanied this illustration, I really don't see how there could be room for doubt or confusion:

I've still got some patience left, but I wish that things could be more consistent far the sake of the carpet. I've been using enzymatic cleaner that you soak the stain with, but at $10/half gallon it's pretty expensive. I borrowed a bissell carpet cleaner from a friend and had to go over the carpet a full 5 times over 2 days to dispel the repugnant odor of urine. I planned to hang onto the carpet cleaner for a few more weeks and spot clean as needed, but my friend's husband just came over unannounced and needed it back. My friend just had a baby in their apartment (not by plan) and apparently it made quite a mess.

It's cool that she had her baby today, since today is the exact day that I guessed at her baby shower. That adds credibility to my fortune-telling skills. I shall therefore publicly declare that Darlene's baby will be born on Thursday, September 5. We'll see if I can be 2/2.

And now on to more interesting things

I bought a grain mill and it finally arrived! After Natalie went to bed on Monday, we had real FHE. We tested out the new mill on our hard white wheat that we got at the LDS home storage center on Saturday. We made some nice flour, which I turned into a loaf of banana bread  and a loaf of rosemary olive oil bread. Both were fabulously delicious. After testing out the different levels of coarseness of the grinder, I cooked the less fine wheat into cereal and we gave it a try. As we sat across from each other eating our whole wheat cereal, Micah asked, "So, is this what it's going to be like during the apocalypse? You and me?" To which I responded, "Yeah, but without the milk, sugar and raisins in our wheat."

I've decided that buying whole wheat is AWESOME. I originally started researching it because I wanted a more economical way to buy flour, since I was picking up a 5 pound bag once or twice a month. Unfortunately, whole wheat flour has a high moisture content and doesn't last well unless it's in the fridge or freezer. So buying in larger bulk seemed impossible without an extra freezer. But the whole wheat grains (called berries) last much, much, much longer. The cans at the LDS home storage center come out to $.63/pound, slightly more than the $.55/pound price of whole wheat flour, but I can buy larger bulk bags for $.45/pound. The only problem is that the larger bags will need to be rotated through, since they only have a shelf-life of 3 years when open. Thought in an area so prone to bugs, my best bet would be packing it away in PETE containers (eg empty juice bottles) with oxygen absorbers. 

Ultimately, I may not save a lot. But, I could spend about the same amount on whole wheat as I would on flour while maintaining a lot more grain in our home as emergency food storage. Plus, for around the same price, whole wheat is much healthier. Once ground, a lot of its nutrients last only a couple of days. In a half cup, there are 6g fiber and 5g protein. And there's the versatility. Wheat can be sprouted, so in a Wall-E scenario, it can be planted to sustain future populations. After the walmart garbage is all cleaned up, that is. It can be made into flour, cereal, even steamed and used like rice or pasta or even as a meat stretcher with ground beef!

So, wheat is pretty awesome. And when I only need small amounts, I can make flour in a blender. How cool is that? Though I feel good about the mill we bought, since electricity won't last long after the zombies take over :)