Grocery day...fun fun fun...and Maddie's sick AGAIN!

Todd and I have really re-done (or FINALLY figured out) a grocery budget. He gives me cash twice a month and I spend it. I HATE grocery shopping. I truly do. I hate trying to figure out what my family will eat, making a detailed list of what I need, cutting coupons, dragging both kids to the store (and I go to 2 stores because I refuse to buy wal-mart milk/produce/meat). And knowing that I get to actually COOK it. Yeah. Not my idea of fun.

But today was different. Our AM trip to Wal-Mart resulted in only a very small tantrum by Dallin "but I waaaant a DONUT!!!" and a short screaming fit by Maddie who was on my back in a Beco Baby carrier. I handed her a slice of wheat bread and she stopped. Apparently she was hungry. Go figure.

So I get the Wal-Mart part of the shopping over with. $122 later I have just about everything on my list. We go home, I fix sandwiches (Dallin's "cold cheese" which I suppose is the opposite of grilled cheese) and I take Dallin to preschool. Usually he LOVES preschool. His teachers actually come to the car to get them out and put them in (which is wonderful when Maddie falls asleep) but today, he came RUNNING back to the car in TEARS before I drove off saying that he missed me and wanted more hugs. I felt awful leaving him but his teachers assured me he'd be fine. And of course he was.

After dropping him off, Maddie and I ran to Safeway to get produce, chicken, milk, cottage cheese etc. and some random stuff that was on sale. I was SO excited after I handed the cashier my pile of coupons, my total went from $142 to $77. Yeah me! And this will last 2 weeks PLUS I've been buying extra for our food storage.
We also have 15 gallons of water under Maddie's toddler bed. Woohoo!

Maddie woke from her nap with a low grade fever (99.8) and her nose was still running from the last ear infection she had just been treated for (10 days ago). I knew that this was not a good sign and after Todd came home from work and I fed everyone dinner (salmon, alfredo w/ veggies and cookies for dessert) I took her to Urgent care where sure enough, we find that her right ear is STILL infected. Yipee. So the doctor put her on a stronger antibiotic, which no doubt will give her the runs, but hopefully it will kick it quickly.
I'm hoping to get some sleep tonight and find out if our insurance will cover tubes for Maddie tomorrow. I can't imagine going through another winter like last one. Ugh.