Outside Temp: 5 F (the temp gauge claims that we had a high of 20 and a low of -1 today...)
What I cooked today:
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches: The kids wanted sandwiches today, and since it was a lazy day, they ended up with grilled cheese... yummy and warm.
Update:
I am officially bored with my blog. Hence, the missing entry from Christmas. Christmas was great and we had a great time with the family. But, I forgot my camera, and I don't have any pictures, so I didn't post anything.
Today was a lazy day, with the kids all playing with their new games. Ryan got LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean for the XBox, which means that he came over to me about once a hour, for the last 10 hours, begging me to help him. That game was designed by a sadistic evil man and, while I usually refrain from violence, I might actually hit him on the head with an umbrella or something.
The section I just helped him with consisted of you running around, using tools to wake up other people, and then having those other people do things that can only be done by those other people, such as using a specific tool. But, of course, there is no instructions or directions. You just run around, hitting things, until something happens. Oh my gosh, it's evil. Ryan loves it. Since there is no instructions, he doesn't have to read. And he's actually pretty good at it. Me, on the other hand, I really suck at it.
Katie required that I go up to the Grandparent's house this afternoon, because she forgot her new DVD of Mamma Mia. Yes, I know, it's not exactly a children's movie, but she LOVES listening to the ABBA songs, and she begged me to get it for Christmas (oh yea, she really had to fight me). So, this afternoon saw the two of us singing along with the movie. And, for the next four hours, I had to keep singing along, to the annoyance of my husband. But, he put up with it graciously.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
December 24, 2012
Outside Temp: -12 F (yes, minus 12... like below 0, although it's kind of hard to tell anything after about 10... Oh, and snow! Woo hoo! White Christmas!)
What I cooked today:
Sweet Dinner Rolls: I wanted to make dinner rolls for the potluck today. I figured that it was an easy thing to make, I had all the ingredients and it's usually pretty good. So, I got up this morning somewhat early, and mixed together the dough. I put it in the oven (warmed but turned off) to rise, and went about my morning. About an hour later, I went to form the rolls, and the dough hadn't risen... like at all. Hmmm... Maybe it will rise when I bake it. So, I formed the rolls and let it rise for another 30 minutes. Still nothing. I threw them into the oven and 15 minutes later I pulled out little tiny balls that were not really cooked in the middle and were dense as could be. Ugh.
So, I started all over. I think what happened is that I mixed the yeast in with the scalded milk, and the milk wasn't cool enough. So, this time, I put the scalded milk out on the porch to cool for about 5 minutes. That did the trick. This time, the dough rose just like it's supposed to, and the rolls turned out fine. I guess you learn something every time you screw up!
Update:
Merry Christmas!
We had a great day! After my morning of baking, we went over to the church for 3pm mass. The church was full, but not uncomfortably packed (which means that no one had to stand... always a good thing!). After church, we had a great potluck over at the community center. Then we headed home for a few hours of rest.
We went to Belt for the evening mass, in which Allen and Connor joined Patrick and Grandma and me in the choir. They were so excited to be allowed to participate, and Connor told me afterwards that it made mass go by a whole lot faster!
After mass, we headed over to Patrick's aunt's house for cookies and coffee (and tea). We got to chat with some family and enjoy good food, which is always a great combination! We got back home late (after midnight) and sent the kids to bed (with their new Christmas footy PJs!).
On a (somewhat) different note, Patrick and I have been really good about not turning on the propane heat in the house. We have space heaters in Ryan and Connor's rooms, and one in the family room and one next to the computers, but we have found that just using the electric mattress pads and the space heaters, we haven't had any problem keeping the house warm enough. Granted, it's not hot, and we don't walk around in T-shirts and bare feet, but it's keep the costs down and we've been doing fine... until today.
It was cold today. I think it warmed up to about 2 degrees, and didn't stay there long. We were fine while I was baking and the oven was on, but after church, it was downright cold in the house. I crawled into my bed, with the electric blankets on, and covered my head with more blankets. Patrick came in looking for me, and had to dig through 5 blankets to find me huddled in a ball. Enough was enough. He looked at the internal thermometer, and it was below 55 degrees in the house. Well, since it was Christmas, perhaps we could make an exception this time.
We uncovered all the registers in the floor (the under-the-house freezing cold air was seeping through, so we covered them all with duct tape to keep the cold out) and turned on the heat. Yes, it smelled bad, but it was warm. In about 15 minutes, the temp in the house was up into the high 60's and it felt so good! I was able to crawl out of my cozy hole, and get ready for church, without shivering or chattering my teeth.
I figure if we break down and turn on the heat every time it gets below 0, we might do just fine.
What I cooked today:
Sweet Dinner Rolls: I wanted to make dinner rolls for the potluck today. I figured that it was an easy thing to make, I had all the ingredients and it's usually pretty good. So, I got up this morning somewhat early, and mixed together the dough. I put it in the oven (warmed but turned off) to rise, and went about my morning. About an hour later, I went to form the rolls, and the dough hadn't risen... like at all. Hmmm... Maybe it will rise when I bake it. So, I formed the rolls and let it rise for another 30 minutes. Still nothing. I threw them into the oven and 15 minutes later I pulled out little tiny balls that were not really cooked in the middle and were dense as could be. Ugh.
So, I started all over. I think what happened is that I mixed the yeast in with the scalded milk, and the milk wasn't cool enough. So, this time, I put the scalded milk out on the porch to cool for about 5 minutes. That did the trick. This time, the dough rose just like it's supposed to, and the rolls turned out fine. I guess you learn something every time you screw up!
Update:
Merry Christmas!
We had a great day! After my morning of baking, we went over to the church for 3pm mass. The church was full, but not uncomfortably packed (which means that no one had to stand... always a good thing!). After church, we had a great potluck over at the community center. Then we headed home for a few hours of rest.
We went to Belt for the evening mass, in which Allen and Connor joined Patrick and Grandma and me in the choir. They were so excited to be allowed to participate, and Connor told me afterwards that it made mass go by a whole lot faster!
After mass, we headed over to Patrick's aunt's house for cookies and coffee (and tea). We got to chat with some family and enjoy good food, which is always a great combination! We got back home late (after midnight) and sent the kids to bed (with their new Christmas footy PJs!).
On a (somewhat) different note, Patrick and I have been really good about not turning on the propane heat in the house. We have space heaters in Ryan and Connor's rooms, and one in the family room and one next to the computers, but we have found that just using the electric mattress pads and the space heaters, we haven't had any problem keeping the house warm enough. Granted, it's not hot, and we don't walk around in T-shirts and bare feet, but it's keep the costs down and we've been doing fine... until today.
It was cold today. I think it warmed up to about 2 degrees, and didn't stay there long. We were fine while I was baking and the oven was on, but after church, it was downright cold in the house. I crawled into my bed, with the electric blankets on, and covered my head with more blankets. Patrick came in looking for me, and had to dig through 5 blankets to find me huddled in a ball. Enough was enough. He looked at the internal thermometer, and it was below 55 degrees in the house. Well, since it was Christmas, perhaps we could make an exception this time.
We uncovered all the registers in the floor (the under-the-house freezing cold air was seeping through, so we covered them all with duct tape to keep the cold out) and turned on the heat. Yes, it smelled bad, but it was warm. In about 15 minutes, the temp in the house was up into the high 60's and it felt so good! I was able to crawl out of my cozy hole, and get ready for church, without shivering or chattering my teeth.
I figure if we break down and turn on the heat every time it gets below 0, we might do just fine.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
December 23, 2012
Outside Temp: 5 (and getting colder...)
What I cooked today:
nothing...
Update:
Don't you just hate it when you wake up the next day after shopping, and realize that you forgot something? Yea, I do that a lot.
So, after yesterday's shopping spree, I found myself back in town getting a few things I forgot. Typical. However, since I went alone, it only took me about an hour (instead of 5) and I spent a lot less. Hopefully, I'm done now.
This evening, we had dinner up at the Grandparent's house, with Grandma's brothers and aunt. We had spaghetti, which was wonderful (as usual) and we got to chat. After dinner, I sent my children off to entertain themselves with various electronics, and we had over an hour of nice, adult conversation without any children around. Admittedly, I went and checked on them from time to time, but they were fine. Even Ryan was able to watch a movie, with the addition of Grandpa's wireless headphones, and it didn't bother anyone!
What I cooked today:
nothing...
Update:
Don't you just hate it when you wake up the next day after shopping, and realize that you forgot something? Yea, I do that a lot.
So, after yesterday's shopping spree, I found myself back in town getting a few things I forgot. Typical. However, since I went alone, it only took me about an hour (instead of 5) and I spent a lot less. Hopefully, I'm done now.
This evening, we had dinner up at the Grandparent's house, with Grandma's brothers and aunt. We had spaghetti, which was wonderful (as usual) and we got to chat. After dinner, I sent my children off to entertain themselves with various electronics, and we had over an hour of nice, adult conversation without any children around. Admittedly, I went and checked on them from time to time, but they were fine. Even Ryan was able to watch a movie, with the addition of Grandpa's wireless headphones, and it didn't bother anyone!
Saturday, December 22, 2012
December 22, 2012
Outside Temp: 10 F (we had a HIGH of 15 today... it was a little chilly)
What I cooked today:
Nothing... shopping, and not here to cook. Allen made pasta for the other kids...
Update:
After church this afternoon, Patrick and I braved the stores in town for Christmas shopping. Ugh, I hate this part of the season. Fortunately, since I used coupons and selective shopping during the year, we actually had money saved up to spend on presents. There were a few things that we wanted to get for the kids, and amazingly, we could buy them.
We did fine for the first few hours, but after hitting Walmart and the game store and the office store and the grocery store and the gas station and a restaurant, then going to Target to get the things that weren't at Walmart, I was in a very cranky mood. And my feet hurt.
My husband suffered through my mood and, after a pretzel and a soda, I felt better enough to finish our shopping. We got home, and I sent the kids to the other room, as I threw all our new purchases on my bed. I spent the next hour or so wrapping presents. I wanted to make sure that when the kids went into my room, they wouldn't immediately know what we got for them. Of course, they pretty much already know what they are getting, but we have 2 1/2 more days in which to make them suffer with anticipation.
Tomorrow will either be a day of rest, or we might go skiing, depending on the weather. I'm not sure which I would prefer.
What I cooked today:
Nothing... shopping, and not here to cook. Allen made pasta for the other kids...
Update:
After church this afternoon, Patrick and I braved the stores in town for Christmas shopping. Ugh, I hate this part of the season. Fortunately, since I used coupons and selective shopping during the year, we actually had money saved up to spend on presents. There were a few things that we wanted to get for the kids, and amazingly, we could buy them.
We did fine for the first few hours, but after hitting Walmart and the game store and the office store and the grocery store and the gas station and a restaurant, then going to Target to get the things that weren't at Walmart, I was in a very cranky mood. And my feet hurt.
My husband suffered through my mood and, after a pretzel and a soda, I felt better enough to finish our shopping. We got home, and I sent the kids to the other room, as I threw all our new purchases on my bed. I spent the next hour or so wrapping presents. I wanted to make sure that when the kids went into my room, they wouldn't immediately know what we got for them. Of course, they pretty much already know what they are getting, but we have 2 1/2 more days in which to make them suffer with anticipation.
Tomorrow will either be a day of rest, or we might go skiing, depending on the weather. I'm not sure which I would prefer.
Friday, December 21, 2012
December 21, 2012
Outside Temp: 17 F (and getting colder... a cold front is moving past us this evening, which brought our 55 degree temps down...)
What I cooked today:
Cookies: One of the students at school requested cookies for the last day of school, so I thought I would humor her. She was so excited! And, I got to give out cookies, and keep some for myself... win win...
Update:
First off, no the world did not end today. Sorry, Mayans.
But more importantly, it was the last day of school before the Christmas break! Woo hoo! I get an entire 10 days of NOT waking up at 6:45am. Yea!
We were treated at the school with Philly Steak sandwiches, made by our fearless leader himself! The entire community is invited to join in lunch this afternoon, so Patrick and I joined the grandparents over at the school. Ryan also had his first day of lunch at school! We are going to let him stay for lunch from now on, assuming there are no issues. He did great, except that he seemed to be coming down with a little cold. (he perked right up this afternoon, after a nap, so perhaps he was just tired!)
After school, I brought the boys to the school so they could join the pep band at the Varsity basketball games in Stanford. While I may have complained a little bit, I was actually really excited to watch the games (especially now, when I know all the players!) The boys are both in the band, with Allen on the bass clarinet and Connor doing percussion (tonight he did both the cowbell, which is awesome, and the xylophone).
The picture of Allen is during the Girls varsity game, which explains why there are no girls in the band... they are all out on the court! The situation is reversed during the boys game, in which the only boys playing instruments are the boys in Junior High or the 1 or 2 boys that don't play basketball. Tonight, we also had a special player to the band, one of our Alumni, who is back from college for the holidays. Of course, he jumped right up with the band to show them how it was done! Awesome!
What I cooked today:
Cookies: One of the students at school requested cookies for the last day of school, so I thought I would humor her. She was so excited! And, I got to give out cookies, and keep some for myself... win win...
Update:
First off, no the world did not end today. Sorry, Mayans.
But more importantly, it was the last day of school before the Christmas break! Woo hoo! I get an entire 10 days of NOT waking up at 6:45am. Yea!
We were treated at the school with Philly Steak sandwiches, made by our fearless leader himself! The entire community is invited to join in lunch this afternoon, so Patrick and I joined the grandparents over at the school. Ryan also had his first day of lunch at school! We are going to let him stay for lunch from now on, assuming there are no issues. He did great, except that he seemed to be coming down with a little cold. (he perked right up this afternoon, after a nap, so perhaps he was just tired!)
After school, I brought the boys to the school so they could join the pep band at the Varsity basketball games in Stanford. While I may have complained a little bit, I was actually really excited to watch the games (especially now, when I know all the players!) The boys are both in the band, with Allen on the bass clarinet and Connor doing percussion (tonight he did both the cowbell, which is awesome, and the xylophone).
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The picture of Allen is during the Girls varsity game, which explains why there are no girls in the band... they are all out on the court! The situation is reversed during the boys game, in which the only boys playing instruments are the boys in Junior High or the 1 or 2 boys that don't play basketball. Tonight, we also had a special player to the band, one of our Alumni, who is back from college for the holidays. Of course, he jumped right up with the band to show them how it was done! Awesome!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
December 20, 2012
Outside Temp: 39 F (it was still windy today, but clear and nice.)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Macs & Cheese: I had to whip up something quick since we got home late from our music program. It took longer to defrost the meat than to make the whole meal!
Update:
The kids had their Elementary and Middle School Christmas program today. I had the bad parent moment when I realized that, while I had my camera, I had forgotten to put in the SD card or charge it. As a result, I ended up with exactly 1 picture of the kids, and it didn't even have Connor in it. Not a proud moment for me.
As you can see, Allen got to play 'Santa', while Katie was an elf. Connor got to be Rudolph, which was awesome, but I didn't get a picture (again, bad mom). The play was so cute, and the kids all seemed happy to be up there. Sometimes, kids can be in these 'school plays' and just seem bored or annoyed that they are up there. But the kids all had smiles and seemed to get into their parts... especially Allen, who acted his way through the whole thing! It was awesome! Our music director is just amazing and all the kids did great!
Afterwards, we had a surprise visit from the real Santa, who passed out treats for all the kids. Nothing like a good wholesome Christmas play, that ends with candy!
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Macs & Cheese: I had to whip up something quick since we got home late from our music program. It took longer to defrost the meat than to make the whole meal!
Update:
The kids had their Elementary and Middle School Christmas program today. I had the bad parent moment when I realized that, while I had my camera, I had forgotten to put in the SD card or charge it. As a result, I ended up with exactly 1 picture of the kids, and it didn't even have Connor in it. Not a proud moment for me.
As you can see, Allen got to play 'Santa', while Katie was an elf. Connor got to be Rudolph, which was awesome, but I didn't get a picture (again, bad mom). The play was so cute, and the kids all seemed happy to be up there. Sometimes, kids can be in these 'school plays' and just seem bored or annoyed that they are up there. But the kids all had smiles and seemed to get into their parts... especially Allen, who acted his way through the whole thing! It was awesome! Our music director is just amazing and all the kids did great!
Afterwards, we had a surprise visit from the real Santa, who passed out treats for all the kids. Nothing like a good wholesome Christmas play, that ends with candy!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
December 19, 2012
Outside Temp: 26 F (I've decided that there is this sweet spot in the temperature. If it's over 40, it's not that cold and a sweater works. If it's less than 20, you put on thermals and gloves and you're fine. But that 20-40 range, it actually feels colder because I'm not prepared. That's it. I'm just leaving gloves in my purse at all times.)
What I cooked today:
Chicken and rice: Patrick just raved about my chicken the other night. I didn't have all the ingredients to make it again, but he still begged for it. So, we had chicken without the vegetables. It still got all eaten up.
Update:
Next semester, I mentoring an online 'Video Game Design' class at the school. Right now, it looks like 7-8 students might be in it, which is awesome. I have no idea how easy or hard this class may be, but I am really looking forward to it. I wish I had a chance to take a class like this when I was in high school, or college for that matter. But they weren't offered at my high school (or if they were, I don't know if I would have taken it.) And in college, I was too busy getting my degree to spend the time with fun classes, like game design. So, I guess I'll learn now!
Our 'Web Design' class is winding down. They still have a final exam after the Christmas break, but their final project is all completed. It was so much fun to help the kids through this class. At the beginning, none of my students could any of the HTML or code. They were a little intimidated by the first few projects, but now, they have created multiple projects with multiple pages of HTML and JavaScript. I'm so proud of how they all did in the class. And I'm so blessed that I had the chance to help them through it!
There are only 2 days left of school, and the kids are chomping at the bit to be done. It's also the end of the semester, which means finals (or in their case, end of the chapter tests, since NO ONE wants to start a new chapter at the end of a semester!). Allen and Connor were watching 'A Christmas Story' in class today... arguably one of the best Christmas movies of all time. Awesome.
What I cooked today:
Chicken and rice: Patrick just raved about my chicken the other night. I didn't have all the ingredients to make it again, but he still begged for it. So, we had chicken without the vegetables. It still got all eaten up.
Update:
Next semester, I mentoring an online 'Video Game Design' class at the school. Right now, it looks like 7-8 students might be in it, which is awesome. I have no idea how easy or hard this class may be, but I am really looking forward to it. I wish I had a chance to take a class like this when I was in high school, or college for that matter. But they weren't offered at my high school (or if they were, I don't know if I would have taken it.) And in college, I was too busy getting my degree to spend the time with fun classes, like game design. So, I guess I'll learn now!
Our 'Web Design' class is winding down. They still have a final exam after the Christmas break, but their final project is all completed. It was so much fun to help the kids through this class. At the beginning, none of my students could any of the HTML or code. They were a little intimidated by the first few projects, but now, they have created multiple projects with multiple pages of HTML and JavaScript. I'm so proud of how they all did in the class. And I'm so blessed that I had the chance to help them through it!
There are only 2 days left of school, and the kids are chomping at the bit to be done. It's also the end of the semester, which means finals (or in their case, end of the chapter tests, since NO ONE wants to start a new chapter at the end of a semester!). Allen and Connor were watching 'A Christmas Story' in class today... arguably one of the best Christmas movies of all time. Awesome.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
December 18, 2012
Outside Temp: 22 F (with the wind, it's kind of chilly... without the wind, it was beautiful)
What I cooked today:
Beef Stew: I normally make my beef stew in a crock pot. But, while I did get the beef defrosted, I didn't get started on dinner until about 5pm. So, I just browned the meat, and put it with the veggies in a pot on the stove. It turned out fine! No complaints (except Katie, who apparently does not like potatoes in her beef stew... what?)
Update:
We got the Tablet back from the repair company today. While I was not impressed with their communication skills (they sent me the UPS label, but never contacted me to let me know if they got it or were fixing it. They sent it back ground, so it took about 3 weeks round trip... a week to get there, a week to fix it and a week to get back.), it came back in great shape!
Amazingly, the company had left it turned on (but in standby) when they shipped it a week ago. It still had about 40% power when we got it! They replaced the glass, but everything else was the same, so the kids still have all their games, etc. They also replaced the keyboard (which lost some keys when it dropped) with a brand new keyboard! I didn't even think the keyboard would have been covered, but apparently it is! All this, including shipping (of course) was included for the price of the insurance policy. Best decision I could have made!
This afternoon, I made it over to the community center for the blood drive. I LOVE how the ladies around here who schedule these things intentionally schedule the blood drives at the school or the community center, with the required 8-9 weeks between them. I can donate every time, and NEVER have to actually go into town to donate. It also gave me a chance to chat with my awesome neighbors for a little bit. Oh, and get good homemade treats! Score!
What I cooked today:
Beef Stew: I normally make my beef stew in a crock pot. But, while I did get the beef defrosted, I didn't get started on dinner until about 5pm. So, I just browned the meat, and put it with the veggies in a pot on the stove. It turned out fine! No complaints (except Katie, who apparently does not like potatoes in her beef stew... what?)
Update:
We got the Tablet back from the repair company today. While I was not impressed with their communication skills (they sent me the UPS label, but never contacted me to let me know if they got it or were fixing it. They sent it back ground, so it took about 3 weeks round trip... a week to get there, a week to fix it and a week to get back.), it came back in great shape!
Amazingly, the company had left it turned on (but in standby) when they shipped it a week ago. It still had about 40% power when we got it! They replaced the glass, but everything else was the same, so the kids still have all their games, etc. They also replaced the keyboard (which lost some keys when it dropped) with a brand new keyboard! I didn't even think the keyboard would have been covered, but apparently it is! All this, including shipping (of course) was included for the price of the insurance policy. Best decision I could have made!
This afternoon, I made it over to the community center for the blood drive. I LOVE how the ladies around here who schedule these things intentionally schedule the blood drives at the school or the community center, with the required 8-9 weeks between them. I can donate every time, and NEVER have to actually go into town to donate. It also gave me a chance to chat with my awesome neighbors for a little bit. Oh, and get good homemade treats! Score!
Monday, December 17, 2012
December 17, 2012
Outside Temp: 30 F ( a little windy today, but no snow.)
What I cooked today:
Chinese Chicken: I ran out of olive oil a few days ago, and I've been using canola oil instead. Patrick said that tonight's chicken was the best I have ever made. I guess you can't use olive oil for everything?
Update:
We had a great lunch this afternoon with our priest, over at the Grandparent's house. It's really neat to be able to have him over for lunch (not to mention the fact that I don't have to actually do any cleaning or cooking!), and be able to talk in that relaxed environment. We talked about books and movies and random events. I'm so glad that we had this opportunity, and hopefully, will have it again soon!
After that, I raced over to the school for my class. One of my students was sick today, but she managed to make her way back to the school for my class, because she knew that she needed to complete her assignment (I have no control over her grades, as that is all done by the online academy). I felt a mixture of pride, for her dedication, and fear, since I really don't want to get sick. In the end, she did great and got a lot completed on her project, so I guess it was worth it (as long as I don't come down with a head cold in the next few days!)
I ended the evening with a meeting for our Booster Club. They are such a great group of women and are so extremely helpful! Our first home game (in Geyser) is the first Saturday in January, so we really needed to discuss some things. I'm sure it will be here before we know it!
What I cooked today:
Chinese Chicken: I ran out of olive oil a few days ago, and I've been using canola oil instead. Patrick said that tonight's chicken was the best I have ever made. I guess you can't use olive oil for everything?
Update:
We had a great lunch this afternoon with our priest, over at the Grandparent's house. It's really neat to be able to have him over for lunch (not to mention the fact that I don't have to actually do any cleaning or cooking!), and be able to talk in that relaxed environment. We talked about books and movies and random events. I'm so glad that we had this opportunity, and hopefully, will have it again soon!
After that, I raced over to the school for my class. One of my students was sick today, but she managed to make her way back to the school for my class, because she knew that she needed to complete her assignment (I have no control over her grades, as that is all done by the online academy). I felt a mixture of pride, for her dedication, and fear, since I really don't want to get sick. In the end, she did great and got a lot completed on her project, so I guess it was worth it (as long as I don't come down with a head cold in the next few days!)
I ended the evening with a meeting for our Booster Club. They are such a great group of women and are so extremely helpful! Our first home game (in Geyser) is the first Saturday in January, so we really needed to discuss some things. I'm sure it will be here before we know it!
Sunday, December 16, 2012
December 16, 2012
Outside Temp: 32 F (there was a threat of snow today, but to be just a threat... Clear and beautiful!)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Fettuccine Alfredo: Allen LOVES Alfredo, so I thought I'd spoil him rotten tonight. He was very, very grateful!
Update:
I started the morning with Katie at the Belt Church. There was a breakfast hosted by the Knights of Columbus, with pancakes and sausage and eggs. I LOVE having breakfast that I don't have to make! I also got a chance to chat with some wonderful people (which is really the reason I do it!)
I sent Katie home with Grandma and Grandpa while I headed into town. I haven't done much Christmas shopping, but there were some things I really wanted to get. So, I wandered through some stores, looking at things that I have no intention of buying, finally picking out a few things and trying to get out of the store without going over budget. I didn't do too bad!
I also stopped at Office Max and got some computer chairs for the boys. They have been using normal folding chairs to work at the desks in their room, and it was time to get them something a little more real. Allen was thrilled... He asked if he could sleep in his new chair. I said no.
There are only 5 more days of school before we are out for Christmas, so the kids are getting ready for the end of the semester. Allen has his final in History tomorrow, so I guess the teacher isn't doing much for the rest of the week. Part of his studying was to write the answers to a bunch of sample questions (my assignment, not his teachers). One of the questions was to write everything you know about the 100 years war. His answer was about 3 paragraphs... on a study guide. I guess if you are going to study, it's best to over do it, rather than under do it! Now, I just hope he does well on the test!
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Fettuccine Alfredo: Allen LOVES Alfredo, so I thought I'd spoil him rotten tonight. He was very, very grateful!
Update:
I started the morning with Katie at the Belt Church. There was a breakfast hosted by the Knights of Columbus, with pancakes and sausage and eggs. I LOVE having breakfast that I don't have to make! I also got a chance to chat with some wonderful people (which is really the reason I do it!)
I sent Katie home with Grandma and Grandpa while I headed into town. I haven't done much Christmas shopping, but there were some things I really wanted to get. So, I wandered through some stores, looking at things that I have no intention of buying, finally picking out a few things and trying to get out of the store without going over budget. I didn't do too bad!
I also stopped at Office Max and got some computer chairs for the boys. They have been using normal folding chairs to work at the desks in their room, and it was time to get them something a little more real. Allen was thrilled... He asked if he could sleep in his new chair. I said no.
There are only 5 more days of school before we are out for Christmas, so the kids are getting ready for the end of the semester. Allen has his final in History tomorrow, so I guess the teacher isn't doing much for the rest of the week. Part of his studying was to write the answers to a bunch of sample questions (my assignment, not his teachers). One of the questions was to write everything you know about the 100 years war. His answer was about 3 paragraphs... on a study guide. I guess if you are going to study, it's best to over do it, rather than under do it! Now, I just hope he does well on the test!
Saturday, December 15, 2012
December 15, 2012
Outside Temp: 12 F (another beautiful day! It's getting a little chilly this evening.)
What I cooked today:
Greek Chicken and Pasta: Katie asked for pasta, and I had chicken defrosted. So, I just tossed the chicken with some cornstarch and Greek seasoning, and fried it up. Yummy and easy!
Update:
Ahhh, a nice relaxing day. I love Saturdays!
We had church this afternoon at 1pm, and we spent the rest of the day relaxing. We watch a movie and played games and even took a nap. All good things for a Saturday!
What I cooked today:
Greek Chicken and Pasta: Katie asked for pasta, and I had chicken defrosted. So, I just tossed the chicken with some cornstarch and Greek seasoning, and fried it up. Yummy and easy!
Update:
Ahhh, a nice relaxing day. I love Saturdays!
We had church this afternoon at 1pm, and we spent the rest of the day relaxing. We watch a movie and played games and even took a nap. All good things for a Saturday!
Friday, December 14, 2012
December 14, 2012
Outside Temp: 20 F (it was up to 57 today! The snow is melting, but I don't think it's going anywhere fast... )
What I cooked today:
Pumpkin Pie: Patrick wanted pie crust dough... not the actual crust, not the pie, but the dough. I asked if that meant that I needed to make pie, and he said he would make it. Then he proceeded to ask me how to make it. "Use the cookbook." I said. "Which one?" Ugh. I ended up watching him make this pie dough, giving suggestions and pointers. Once he got it made up, he asked if he needed to roll it out. I decided that I would make a pie, just to use up the dough. So, I mixed up some pumpkin pie batter, and rolled out the dough and baked a pie. On a Friday. For no reason. Awesome.
Taco Pie (sort of): Since we were in a 'pie' mood, we wanted a taco pie for dinner. But, in my new found cooking world, I no longer have Bisquick in my pantry. I don't use it for pancakes, so why would I have it. Oh yea, so I can make taco pie. Instead, I thought I would try a pie crust from scratch. Bad idea. I thought to pre-bake the crust, so it wouldn't get soggy. Nope, it slid right down the sides of the pie dish. I thought it might turn out okay, but it didn't. We ate the yummy stuff on the top (taco meat, refried beans, cheese) and tossed the under cooked mushy crust at the bottom. No complaints, we still got dinner out of the deal.
Update:
You know those days where you really have something important and profound to say. Yea, this isn't one of them.
It's Friday, which is nice because the kids get out of school an hour early, and then I don't care when they go to bed, so it's currently 11:40pm, and all 4 of my kids are still awake. Perhaps I am a bad parent, but I figure they don't have to be up until about noon, to get to church at 1pm. So what do I care if they stay up. They love that.
Katie finally watched the last 2 Pirates of the Caribbean disks from NetFlix, so I can finally return them (they've been here about 2 weeks). And I finally finished reading The Count of Monte Cristo, which is very long but very good. I have ordered the latest version on NetFlix, which I have seen before but can't really remember. I do remember that they ended it much different from the book and some of the important people aren't in it. But, I still remember it being good.
And I finished the evening addressing and signing my Christmas cards. I didn't finish my list, but I got it started. I'm hoping to finish it up tomorrow and get them out into the mail by Monday... We'll see.
What I cooked today:
Pumpkin Pie: Patrick wanted pie crust dough... not the actual crust, not the pie, but the dough. I asked if that meant that I needed to make pie, and he said he would make it. Then he proceeded to ask me how to make it. "Use the cookbook." I said. "Which one?" Ugh. I ended up watching him make this pie dough, giving suggestions and pointers. Once he got it made up, he asked if he needed to roll it out. I decided that I would make a pie, just to use up the dough. So, I mixed up some pumpkin pie batter, and rolled out the dough and baked a pie. On a Friday. For no reason. Awesome.
Taco Pie (sort of): Since we were in a 'pie' mood, we wanted a taco pie for dinner. But, in my new found cooking world, I no longer have Bisquick in my pantry. I don't use it for pancakes, so why would I have it. Oh yea, so I can make taco pie. Instead, I thought I would try a pie crust from scratch. Bad idea. I thought to pre-bake the crust, so it wouldn't get soggy. Nope, it slid right down the sides of the pie dish. I thought it might turn out okay, but it didn't. We ate the yummy stuff on the top (taco meat, refried beans, cheese) and tossed the under cooked mushy crust at the bottom. No complaints, we still got dinner out of the deal.
Update:
You know those days where you really have something important and profound to say. Yea, this isn't one of them.
It's Friday, which is nice because the kids get out of school an hour early, and then I don't care when they go to bed, so it's currently 11:40pm, and all 4 of my kids are still awake. Perhaps I am a bad parent, but I figure they don't have to be up until about noon, to get to church at 1pm. So what do I care if they stay up. They love that.
Katie finally watched the last 2 Pirates of the Caribbean disks from NetFlix, so I can finally return them (they've been here about 2 weeks). And I finally finished reading The Count of Monte Cristo, which is very long but very good. I have ordered the latest version on NetFlix, which I have seen before but can't really remember. I do remember that they ended it much different from the book and some of the important people aren't in it. But, I still remember it being good.
And I finished the evening addressing and signing my Christmas cards. I didn't finish my list, but I got it started. I'm hoping to finish it up tomorrow and get them out into the mail by Monday... We'll see.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
December 13, 2012
Outside Temp: 31 F (clear most of the day, stayed between 25-35 all day... )
What I cooked today:
Nothing... I know, I'm a slacker.
Update:
Busy day!
We kept Ryan home from school again, because of the rash on his chest. It looks, acts and smells like a yeast infection on the skin, so we are treating it with anti-fungal meds, and (hopefully) all will be good in another day or two. We'll keep treating it for the next 2 weeks, but that just means using a topical anti-fungal whenever we change the dressing. No IV meds, no oral meds, no problems!
I pulled the kids out of school at 3pm, so we could race over to Great Falls for Ryan Dr appt. (we were even able to sneak in the boys allergy shots while we were there!). I absolutely LOVE Ryan's doctor! He had already gotten the results of the Seattle trip, with the changes to his TPN (we are decreasing both the volume and the calories, since he is doing so well! Woo hoo!) and his lab results. All numbers look good. He looked over his chest rash and said we were doing perfect, and he would order us some more meds. He also offered to call the school tomorrow to get the paperwork taken care of and faxed back, etc., so that Ryan can start staying for lunch.
After the Dr. Appt, we went over to Skiers Edge, to get the kids ski rentals for the season. They all have season passes, but we learned quickly that the rental rates add up over time. The 'pro shop' has a deal where kids can get rentals for the entire season (skis, boots and poles) for $120. Not too bad when you figure that the rental rate is about $25 a day! Allen already has his own boots and skis, but Katie, Connor and Ryan are now all set. We have their poles now, and the skis and boots will be ready in time for skiing next Saturday, right after the last day of school! Woo hoo!
We then ended up at Chili's and had a great dinner with the entire family. When the check came, it was for way too low, so I checked the bill, and she had somehow transposed numbers, ending up with about $40 off. I (of course) called it to her attention, and she was extremely grateful. I don't know if they would have taken the difference out of her pay for the night, but I'm sure that there would have been some repercussions. I (being me) turned it into a teachable moment for the kids. Yes, I could have walked away without paying my entire bill, but that would be stealing (and lying), and I just don't do that. I would feel way too guilty anyway!
What I cooked today:
Nothing... I know, I'm a slacker.
Update:
Busy day!
We kept Ryan home from school again, because of the rash on his chest. It looks, acts and smells like a yeast infection on the skin, so we are treating it with anti-fungal meds, and (hopefully) all will be good in another day or two. We'll keep treating it for the next 2 weeks, but that just means using a topical anti-fungal whenever we change the dressing. No IV meds, no oral meds, no problems!
I pulled the kids out of school at 3pm, so we could race over to Great Falls for Ryan Dr appt. (we were even able to sneak in the boys allergy shots while we were there!). I absolutely LOVE Ryan's doctor! He had already gotten the results of the Seattle trip, with the changes to his TPN (we are decreasing both the volume and the calories, since he is doing so well! Woo hoo!) and his lab results. All numbers look good. He looked over his chest rash and said we were doing perfect, and he would order us some more meds. He also offered to call the school tomorrow to get the paperwork taken care of and faxed back, etc., so that Ryan can start staying for lunch.
After the Dr. Appt, we went over to Skiers Edge, to get the kids ski rentals for the season. They all have season passes, but we learned quickly that the rental rates add up over time. The 'pro shop' has a deal where kids can get rentals for the entire season (skis, boots and poles) for $120. Not too bad when you figure that the rental rate is about $25 a day! Allen already has his own boots and skis, but Katie, Connor and Ryan are now all set. We have their poles now, and the skis and boots will be ready in time for skiing next Saturday, right after the last day of school! Woo hoo!
We then ended up at Chili's and had a great dinner with the entire family. When the check came, it was for way too low, so I checked the bill, and she had somehow transposed numbers, ending up with about $40 off. I (of course) called it to her attention, and she was extremely grateful. I don't know if they would have taken the difference out of her pay for the night, but I'm sure that there would have been some repercussions. I (being me) turned it into a teachable moment for the kids. Yes, I could have walked away without paying my entire bill, but that would be stealing (and lying), and I just don't do that. I would feel way too guilty anyway!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
December 12, 2012
Outside Temp: 25 F (we got a little snow today, a little rain, and a little clear... not too cold, which is good...)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Pasta: We had a 2lb package of ground beef from a neighbor, so I cooked that up as burgers. Yummy! I thought I'd switch things up a bit by using pasta instead of potatoes. No complaints from the family.
Update:
When we got up this morning, we noticed that Ryan had been scratching at his dressing, and had actually left some scratches. We cleaned him up (with alcohol and betadine, which stings!) and put some hydrocortosone on it. We re-dressed it, and kept him home from school, just in case. He didn't scratch most of the afternoon, so the meds must be doing something. If he's good tomorrow, we'll send him to school.
The school had an early out today, for teacher training, so instead of class getting out at 3:30, it was out at 1pm, which is awesome. They also had a scavenger hunt for 12-12-12, so my classes were essentially cancelled. I did have the students for the last 10 minutes of the day, but there was no way I could make them productive at that point, so I just wrote off the day. We will have to make sure that we really get working on their final projects tomorrow and Friday.
The afternoon was strange, in that the kids were home from school so early. Allen had a migraine, so he went to bed, but Katie and Connor finished up homework and played, and played, and played. At one point, it felt like a Saturday or Sunday, in that it was only 4:00, and they had been playing for hours! They love these kind of days!
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Pasta: We had a 2lb package of ground beef from a neighbor, so I cooked that up as burgers. Yummy! I thought I'd switch things up a bit by using pasta instead of potatoes. No complaints from the family.
Update:
When we got up this morning, we noticed that Ryan had been scratching at his dressing, and had actually left some scratches. We cleaned him up (with alcohol and betadine, which stings!) and put some hydrocortosone on it. We re-dressed it, and kept him home from school, just in case. He didn't scratch most of the afternoon, so the meds must be doing something. If he's good tomorrow, we'll send him to school.
The school had an early out today, for teacher training, so instead of class getting out at 3:30, it was out at 1pm, which is awesome. They also had a scavenger hunt for 12-12-12, so my classes were essentially cancelled. I did have the students for the last 10 minutes of the day, but there was no way I could make them productive at that point, so I just wrote off the day. We will have to make sure that we really get working on their final projects tomorrow and Friday.
The afternoon was strange, in that the kids were home from school so early. Allen had a migraine, so he went to bed, but Katie and Connor finished up homework and played, and played, and played. At one point, it felt like a Saturday or Sunday, in that it was only 4:00, and they had been playing for hours! They love these kind of days!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
December 11, 2012
Outside Temp: 39 F (beautiful day, but very windy. )
What I cooked today:
Bread: I baked some more artisan bread, to see if it would still have that 'alcohol' smell... it did. Apparently, our science experiment of artisan bread has required the chemical explanation of what happens to yeast when it becomes carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol. The kids love the taste, but it's just a little too much for me. I think I'm going to try just basic white bread tomorrow.
Update:
Ryan came home from school with some new knowledge.
Me: How was school today?
Ryan: It was great.
Me: What did you do?
Ryan: I learned something.
Me: What did you learn?
Ryan: I learned about money.
This prompted me to dig a penny, nickle, dime and quarter out of my purse (which is not exactly an easy thing to do). He could name each one, although he didn't really understand the quantity concept. But it's a start.
We also started in on sight words. Of course, when I pulled the index cards out and started asking him, he immediately ran the other direction. But I was prepared. I pulled out a bag of M&M's. I explained to him that he would get 1 M&M for each correct word.
He got 'the', 'and' and 'can' correct on the first try. I placed the other cards (there were about 8 more) on the table and said that he would get an M&M for each one he could name and point to correctly. He selected 'up' and took his M&M. I asked if he wanted to try any other, and he said, "Nope, I'm good. Maybe tomorrow." Okay. Maybe tomorrow! But it's a start!
With our hard won pie from yesterday's pie auction, we decided to share in our good fortune with the Grandparents. So, we invited them to pick up a pizza in town, and we headed up to their place for dinner and dessert.
The pie was a cheesecake, with huckleberry topping. Oh my goodness, it was so rich and delicious, in a sinful kind of way. Worth every penny.
What I cooked today:
Bread: I baked some more artisan bread, to see if it would still have that 'alcohol' smell... it did. Apparently, our science experiment of artisan bread has required the chemical explanation of what happens to yeast when it becomes carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol. The kids love the taste, but it's just a little too much for me. I think I'm going to try just basic white bread tomorrow.
Update:
Ryan came home from school with some new knowledge.
Me: How was school today?
Ryan: It was great.
Me: What did you do?
Ryan: I learned something.
Me: What did you learn?
Ryan: I learned about money.
This prompted me to dig a penny, nickle, dime and quarter out of my purse (which is not exactly an easy thing to do). He could name each one, although he didn't really understand the quantity concept. But it's a start.
We also started in on sight words. Of course, when I pulled the index cards out and started asking him, he immediately ran the other direction. But I was prepared. I pulled out a bag of M&M's. I explained to him that he would get 1 M&M for each correct word.
He got 'the', 'and' and 'can' correct on the first try. I placed the other cards (there were about 8 more) on the table and said that he would get an M&M for each one he could name and point to correctly. He selected 'up' and took his M&M. I asked if he wanted to try any other, and he said, "Nope, I'm good. Maybe tomorrow." Okay. Maybe tomorrow! But it's a start!
With our hard won pie from yesterday's pie auction, we decided to share in our good fortune with the Grandparents. So, we invited them to pick up a pizza in town, and we headed up to their place for dinner and dessert.
The pie was a cheesecake, with huckleberry topping. Oh my goodness, it was so rich and delicious, in a sinful kind of way. Worth every penny.
Monday, December 10, 2012
December 10, 2012
Outside Temp: 28 F (beautiful day... started out snowy and chilly, and warmed up and the snow stopped and this afternoon it was perfect!)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Mashed Potatoes: I was going to make something real. But, when I realized I didn't have time, I went with something easy... is that wrong?
Update:
The morning stated with a mid-year IEP for Ryan. He has been doing so well at school, but we wanted to get together just to talk about how things were going, and make sure we are all on the right track. He is going to be staying later and later at the school, if he handles it well. Right now, I pick him up at 11am, right before lunch, so starting later this week, he is going to get to stay for lunch... then lunch recess... Then we'll see. The goal is to get him to stay the entire day by the end of the school year! Woo hoo!
This evening we had the school's Concert and Pie Auction. What a fun night! The band (with Allen and Connor) played wonderfully. Connor was a little nervous, but he did great.
We also were treated to the choir and some solo's from some of the students. I love that any student who wants a solo, gets one. Allen is so looking forward to being in high school!
The pie auction was great and it helped out the music department. Of course, we just had to end up with a pie... big shocker there. But it was a huckleberry pie, so can you really blame us?
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Mashed Potatoes: I was going to make something real. But, when I realized I didn't have time, I went with something easy... is that wrong?
Update:
The morning stated with a mid-year IEP for Ryan. He has been doing so well at school, but we wanted to get together just to talk about how things were going, and make sure we are all on the right track. He is going to be staying later and later at the school, if he handles it well. Right now, I pick him up at 11am, right before lunch, so starting later this week, he is going to get to stay for lunch... then lunch recess... Then we'll see. The goal is to get him to stay the entire day by the end of the school year! Woo hoo!
This evening we had the school's Concert and Pie Auction. What a fun night! The band (with Allen and Connor) played wonderfully. Connor was a little nervous, but he did great.
We also were treated to the choir and some solo's from some of the students. I love that any student who wants a solo, gets one. Allen is so looking forward to being in high school!
The pie auction was great and it helped out the music department. Of course, we just had to end up with a pie... big shocker there. But it was a huckleberry pie, so can you really blame us?
Sunday, December 9, 2012
December 9, 2012
Outside Temp: 26 F (we had a low of -10, and a high of 47, although I think the 47 was because the sun was shinning on the thermometer...)
What I cooked today:
Beef Stew: I've been meaning to make stew, and I decided today was the day. I defrosted my stew meat, then forgot about it for about 3 hours. Oh well, it still turned out great!
Update:
Another lazy day. I made the kids clean up the family room today, and do the dishes (which isn't exactly hard, now that we have a working dishwasher), and get their homework done, but other than that, we just hung around the house, enjoying this beautiful Sunday afternoon!
What I cooked today:
Beef Stew: I've been meaning to make stew, and I decided today was the day. I defrosted my stew meat, then forgot about it for about 3 hours. Oh well, it still turned out great!
Update:
Another lazy day. I made the kids clean up the family room today, and do the dishes (which isn't exactly hard, now that we have a working dishwasher), and get their homework done, but other than that, we just hung around the house, enjoying this beautiful Sunday afternoon!
Saturday, December 8, 2012
December 8, 2012
Outside Temp: 6 F (it was as low as 1 today... almost 0... and snow... )
What I cooked today:
Bread: With the loss of Hostess, I had a hard time finding my bread at the store this week. As a result, we have run out of bread. So, I decided to make up some bread to make up for it. Of course, I still have my yeast from last year, which means that it doesn't rise very much. We ended up with 2 very dense, very small loaves of bread. Not really enough to make sandwiches, but yummy just the same.
Tortillas: We also found out today that we have run out of tortillas. The kids love to make quesadillas when they get munchy hungry, so we go through a lot of them. I thought we had enough, but apparently, not. So, I found a recipe online and made up some tortillas. I've decided that if we want to do this again, I want one of those really cool tortilla presses. I hate getting one use tools, but it took forever to roll out the dough to tortilla thickness! They were all munched up, so again, no complaints.
Lentil Soup: Since it was cold, it was requested that we have soup tonight. I tossed in the basic ingredients (celery, carrots and onions) then used up some of my turkey stock. I added a pound of lentils and let it simmer for almost an hour. The family loved it! Warm and cozy!
Update:
Nice, relaxing day. We had church this afternoon, so there was some requirement to get dressed. Otherwise, we spent the day playing games and listening to music and reading. We did absolutely nothing of any consequence today!
What I cooked today:
Bread: With the loss of Hostess, I had a hard time finding my bread at the store this week. As a result, we have run out of bread. So, I decided to make up some bread to make up for it. Of course, I still have my yeast from last year, which means that it doesn't rise very much. We ended up with 2 very dense, very small loaves of bread. Not really enough to make sandwiches, but yummy just the same.
Tortillas: We also found out today that we have run out of tortillas. The kids love to make quesadillas when they get munchy hungry, so we go through a lot of them. I thought we had enough, but apparently, not. So, I found a recipe online and made up some tortillas. I've decided that if we want to do this again, I want one of those really cool tortilla presses. I hate getting one use tools, but it took forever to roll out the dough to tortilla thickness! They were all munched up, so again, no complaints.
Lentil Soup: Since it was cold, it was requested that we have soup tonight. I tossed in the basic ingredients (celery, carrots and onions) then used up some of my turkey stock. I added a pound of lentils and let it simmer for almost an hour. The family loved it! Warm and cozy!
Update:
Nice, relaxing day. We had church this afternoon, so there was some requirement to get dressed. Otherwise, we spent the day playing games and listening to music and reading. We did absolutely nothing of any consequence today!
Friday, December 7, 2012
December 7, 2012
Outside Temp: cold, and getting colder... ~30
What I cooked today:
I think I've forgotten how to cook. Allen made macaroni and cheese, from scratch, while I slept off the drive.
Update:
So, yesterday (Thursday), we had clinic in Seattle. We decided after clinic, around 5:30-6:00pm, we would drive as far as Spokane (about 4-5 hours) and stay the night there. That way, we would only have another 6-7 hours left on Friday morning. Things don't always work out the way you plan.
I drove us out of Seattle (because Patrick hates driving in traffic, and I soooo love it... not) and made it up the hill a few miles. We were using the cool 'map' feature on Grandpa's andriod phone, to check for road conditions. Once we started seeing white things falling from the sky and staying on the ground, we decided that it was time to switch drivers. I can drive in the snow, I just don't like it. My husband, on the other hand, thinks it's fun. Have I mentioned that he is nuts?
So, I took an exit off the freeway, hoping to just switch driver and get back on. But no, I had to pick the exit to the Casino, which doesn't have a ramp to get back on going east. So, we just kept going on the back roads and after about 10 minutes, we found our way back onto the freeway. We did drive through a cute little town, all lit up with Christmas lights, so that was kind of cool.
The rest of the pass through Snoqualamie (the Cascade range in Washington) wasn't too bad. There was snow and some ice, but I just held my breath while Patrick cruised right past the trucks. Our totally amazing magical snow tires work great and he said the car never even slipped.
As we came down the mountain and onto the plains near Ellensburg, we stopped for dinner. There is a steak place, which sounded really good. Ryan managed to eat his entire kids steak (4oz) which is amazing. As we were leaving, the waitress warned us that the storm over Idaho was pretty bad.
We were driving through the plains of Eastern Washington (which is my least favorite part of the trip... it's about 200 miles of nothing... so boring!) and we kept an eye on the storm. The reports claimed that there was about a 8-10 hour window between the storm we just drove through in the Cascades and the storm that just passed over Idaho. And it was suggested that the storm over the Cascades was much worse, and they might have to close the freeway through Idaho.
Oh crap. We didn't plan very well, and only had one night's worth of TPN for Ryan. We needed to be home by Friday night. So, we had a choice. We could stay the night in Spokane, as planned, and hope that the freeway was open in the daytime and get home late Friday. Or, we could be crazy and try to stay in that window of time between the storms. Fortunately, my husband has a habit of staying up late.
I drove until we hit Spokane and Couer d'Alane around midnight, and the gas station guy said the storm stopped about an hour before. Patrick took over, and I had to just sit there, and pray.
The roads weren't too bad, for the first half of Idaho (the road is only 80 miles across), but by mile marker 50, it was starting to snow. We actually thought that the roads were dry, since the car was driving so well. But, it was actually still wet from the rain. Once the snow started, it got a little more scary. But, being almost 1am, there were very few drivers on the road. Most of the trucks had stopped for the night, and no one in their right mind would be out in this weather.
There were a few moments where I had to keep reminding my husband to slow down, or watch out, or something, but overall, he did fine. The car had no problem going through the snow. About 5 miles from the summit, and the Montana border, the commercial trucks were starting to have problems. There were a few points where trucks would just be stopped, in the middle of their lane, trying to get up the hill. The last 'chain up' area was so filled with trucks that there was no room for additional trucks to get in, so they were just lined up in the normal lanes of traffic.
The Montana side of the mountain was a little better, in that the snow got dryer and didn't cause as much ice. But it was a little worse, because it was downhill, which means that you go too fast. At some point, I had to just close my eyes, and pray that it would all work out (which it obviously did). It's the hardest part about being a passenger in a car.
The snow tapered off about a hour outside of Missoula, and I managed to fall asleep (it was past 2am at this point). Patrick said that there were no problems, when we stopped for gas. I asked if he wanted to try to get a room for the night, and pick up the drive tomorrow. He said no, let's just finish it. Oh, okay.
So, we kept going, leaving Missoula around 3:30am, and heading into the mountains. Its about 180 miles from Missoula to Great Falls on MT-200, which is a 2 lane highway through the mountains. It's usually one of the most beautiful drives, but since it was pitch black outside, we didn't get to see anything.
I fell asleep again, and woke up about 1/2 way through the drive. There was a little snow but not much. Patrick had gotten his second wind, and said he was doing fine. The snow started back up again, and the roads were pretty snowy. But the little car did just fine. As we pulled out of the mountains, there was a moment where the weather just stopped and it was suddenly clear. We could see the stars and there was no snow on the ground. I'm assuming that we just drove through the storm and came out on the other side.
We pulled into our driveway about a minute before Grandma brought the kids down to catch the bus (7:25am). Exhausted, but safe, we woke Ryan up and put him into his bed. Then, we fell into bed ourselves. Of course, Ryan slept the entire drive, so about 8:15, he walked back into our room and asked if he could watch a movie. Ugh, sure kid, anything you want. Zzzzzzzzz....
I have told my husband to remind me next time, do not, under any circumstances, plan on driving back home the same day as clinic. It's not possible, and we just can't do it. In this case, it all worked out, and there is snow planned for most of the weekend. Boy, am I glad I'm home and not driving right now!
What I cooked today:
I think I've forgotten how to cook. Allen made macaroni and cheese, from scratch, while I slept off the drive.
Update:
So, yesterday (Thursday), we had clinic in Seattle. We decided after clinic, around 5:30-6:00pm, we would drive as far as Spokane (about 4-5 hours) and stay the night there. That way, we would only have another 6-7 hours left on Friday morning. Things don't always work out the way you plan.
I drove us out of Seattle (because Patrick hates driving in traffic, and I soooo love it... not) and made it up the hill a few miles. We were using the cool 'map' feature on Grandpa's andriod phone, to check for road conditions. Once we started seeing white things falling from the sky and staying on the ground, we decided that it was time to switch drivers. I can drive in the snow, I just don't like it. My husband, on the other hand, thinks it's fun. Have I mentioned that he is nuts?
So, I took an exit off the freeway, hoping to just switch driver and get back on. But no, I had to pick the exit to the Casino, which doesn't have a ramp to get back on going east. So, we just kept going on the back roads and after about 10 minutes, we found our way back onto the freeway. We did drive through a cute little town, all lit up with Christmas lights, so that was kind of cool.
The rest of the pass through Snoqualamie (the Cascade range in Washington) wasn't too bad. There was snow and some ice, but I just held my breath while Patrick cruised right past the trucks. Our totally amazing magical snow tires work great and he said the car never even slipped.
As we came down the mountain and onto the plains near Ellensburg, we stopped for dinner. There is a steak place, which sounded really good. Ryan managed to eat his entire kids steak (4oz) which is amazing. As we were leaving, the waitress warned us that the storm over Idaho was pretty bad.
We were driving through the plains of Eastern Washington (which is my least favorite part of the trip... it's about 200 miles of nothing... so boring!) and we kept an eye on the storm. The reports claimed that there was about a 8-10 hour window between the storm we just drove through in the Cascades and the storm that just passed over Idaho. And it was suggested that the storm over the Cascades was much worse, and they might have to close the freeway through Idaho.
Oh crap. We didn't plan very well, and only had one night's worth of TPN for Ryan. We needed to be home by Friday night. So, we had a choice. We could stay the night in Spokane, as planned, and hope that the freeway was open in the daytime and get home late Friday. Or, we could be crazy and try to stay in that window of time between the storms. Fortunately, my husband has a habit of staying up late.
I drove until we hit Spokane and Couer d'Alane around midnight, and the gas station guy said the storm stopped about an hour before. Patrick took over, and I had to just sit there, and pray.
The roads weren't too bad, for the first half of Idaho (the road is only 80 miles across), but by mile marker 50, it was starting to snow. We actually thought that the roads were dry, since the car was driving so well. But, it was actually still wet from the rain. Once the snow started, it got a little more scary. But, being almost 1am, there were very few drivers on the road. Most of the trucks had stopped for the night, and no one in their right mind would be out in this weather.
There were a few moments where I had to keep reminding my husband to slow down, or watch out, or something, but overall, he did fine. The car had no problem going through the snow. About 5 miles from the summit, and the Montana border, the commercial trucks were starting to have problems. There were a few points where trucks would just be stopped, in the middle of their lane, trying to get up the hill. The last 'chain up' area was so filled with trucks that there was no room for additional trucks to get in, so they were just lined up in the normal lanes of traffic.
The Montana side of the mountain was a little better, in that the snow got dryer and didn't cause as much ice. But it was a little worse, because it was downhill, which means that you go too fast. At some point, I had to just close my eyes, and pray that it would all work out (which it obviously did). It's the hardest part about being a passenger in a car.
The snow tapered off about a hour outside of Missoula, and I managed to fall asleep (it was past 2am at this point). Patrick said that there were no problems, when we stopped for gas. I asked if he wanted to try to get a room for the night, and pick up the drive tomorrow. He said no, let's just finish it. Oh, okay.
So, we kept going, leaving Missoula around 3:30am, and heading into the mountains. Its about 180 miles from Missoula to Great Falls on MT-200, which is a 2 lane highway through the mountains. It's usually one of the most beautiful drives, but since it was pitch black outside, we didn't get to see anything.
I fell asleep again, and woke up about 1/2 way through the drive. There was a little snow but not much. Patrick had gotten his second wind, and said he was doing fine. The snow started back up again, and the roads were pretty snowy. But the little car did just fine. As we pulled out of the mountains, there was a moment where the weather just stopped and it was suddenly clear. We could see the stars and there was no snow on the ground. I'm assuming that we just drove through the storm and came out on the other side.
We pulled into our driveway about a minute before Grandma brought the kids down to catch the bus (7:25am). Exhausted, but safe, we woke Ryan up and put him into his bed. Then, we fell into bed ourselves. Of course, Ryan slept the entire drive, so about 8:15, he walked back into our room and asked if he could watch a movie. Ugh, sure kid, anything you want. Zzzzzzzzz....
I have told my husband to remind me next time, do not, under any circumstances, plan on driving back home the same day as clinic. It's not possible, and we just can't do it. In this case, it all worked out, and there is snow planned for most of the weekend. Boy, am I glad I'm home and not driving right now!
December 6, 2012
Outside Temp: who knows... cold.
What I cooked today:
No time to cook...and no kitchen...
Update:
Ryan had his 'hospital' day today!
We stated the morning with an ultrasound of his legs. He had a DVT (deep vein thrombosis, clot in his thigh) when he was about a year old. The body had a way of re-routing the blood flow and he's never had any lasting problems (other than his veins are very prominent in that leg), but the doctors wanted to check the rest of his legs, just to make sure. His legs all looked great and he had no other issues here.
From there, we headed over to MRI. A few years ago, we found out that Ryan had a narrowing of one of his veins in his chest, the one that goes through the liver and down into the rest of the body. They thought that his liver, which was enlarged from all the infections and other problems, was pushing on this vein, and restricting the blood flow. As a result, his blood pressure had increased and it was causing large veins in his intestines (one of which ruptured, causing GI bleeding, which is not fun). When we found the problem, the doctor went in and used a balloon to dialate his vein. If I remember correctly, she said that the flow was restricted by 90% before the balloon (meaning that only 10% of the blood could flow though the vein). When she finished dilating it, it looked to be only about 20% restricted (80% of the blood could go through), but she warned us that we would need to keep an eye on it. And, that we would probably have to do this balloon dilation thing every 2 years or so, until he gets big enough for a shunt or some other device to help keep the vein open.
So, this morning, our MRI was scheduled to push contrast into his veins and figure out how much the vein has narrowed. For this, they have to put him to sleep, which is always fun. The procedure lasted about an hour, and he came back very, very sleepy. But, of course, they can't tell me anything, until the doctor sends a report to the other doctor. Oh well, it was fun to wake him up and deal with the wobbling and 'out of it' hour or two before he finally got all the meds out of his system.
We went back to the hotel to get checked out, had a great lunch and headed back for clinic at 1:45. For the record, Ryan is 59.5 lbs and 123 cm. Which means that in the last 3 months, he has gain about a pound and 3 centimeters, which is over an inch! Woo hoo! The doctors and nutritionist were ecstatic. As a result, we have decreased his TPN, again! About 6 months ago, we dropped the sugar from 22.5% to 20%, and we were watching him to see if he could handle it. Since he did so well, we are going to drop it again to 18%! If he does well on this, they will re-evaluate in another 6 months. All is going to plan and we are thrilled!
After the initial high over his weight and height, we got the results from the MRI. They were inconclusive. Ugh, I hate that word. The GI doctor was a little concerned, since they didn't say everything was fine, but it was late in the day and we had limited options. We decided to go back over to Radiology and get an ultrasound of the area we were concerned about. There is some debate over the usefulness of the MRI over the ultrasound, and perhaps the ultrasound could give more definite results. We haven't had a MRI in about 2 years, and our other doctor's warning kept going off in our head. So, the tech started the ultrasound of his veins in his belly.
We started a movie as we came into the room, and about an hour later, the tech asked another tech to come in. A few minutes later, the new tech asked us what exactly we were looking for. I explained his history and she kept looking around. Finally, she looked back at us and said, 'it all looks good to me. But let me go show the images to the doctor and he'll come in an talk to you.'
A few minutes later, the radiologist came in and said, "Looks great. No narrowing at all. I can't make it any better!". Oh my gosh. Patrick and I were stunned. The doctor also suggested that we just do the ultrasound next time, since he doesn't need to 'go to sleep' for it. Woo hoo! Another great result!
So, on that note, we started the trek home, but I'll write that one up in tomorrow's blog!
What I cooked today:
No time to cook...and no kitchen...
Update:
Ryan had his 'hospital' day today!
We stated the morning with an ultrasound of his legs. He had a DVT (deep vein thrombosis, clot in his thigh) when he was about a year old. The body had a way of re-routing the blood flow and he's never had any lasting problems (other than his veins are very prominent in that leg), but the doctors wanted to check the rest of his legs, just to make sure. His legs all looked great and he had no other issues here.
From there, we headed over to MRI. A few years ago, we found out that Ryan had a narrowing of one of his veins in his chest, the one that goes through the liver and down into the rest of the body. They thought that his liver, which was enlarged from all the infections and other problems, was pushing on this vein, and restricting the blood flow. As a result, his blood pressure had increased and it was causing large veins in his intestines (one of which ruptured, causing GI bleeding, which is not fun). When we found the problem, the doctor went in and used a balloon to dialate his vein. If I remember correctly, she said that the flow was restricted by 90% before the balloon (meaning that only 10% of the blood could flow though the vein). When she finished dilating it, it looked to be only about 20% restricted (80% of the blood could go through), but she warned us that we would need to keep an eye on it. And, that we would probably have to do this balloon dilation thing every 2 years or so, until he gets big enough for a shunt or some other device to help keep the vein open.
So, this morning, our MRI was scheduled to push contrast into his veins and figure out how much the vein has narrowed. For this, they have to put him to sleep, which is always fun. The procedure lasted about an hour, and he came back very, very sleepy. But, of course, they can't tell me anything, until the doctor sends a report to the other doctor. Oh well, it was fun to wake him up and deal with the wobbling and 'out of it' hour or two before he finally got all the meds out of his system.
We went back to the hotel to get checked out, had a great lunch and headed back for clinic at 1:45. For the record, Ryan is 59.5 lbs and 123 cm. Which means that in the last 3 months, he has gain about a pound and 3 centimeters, which is over an inch! Woo hoo! The doctors and nutritionist were ecstatic. As a result, we have decreased his TPN, again! About 6 months ago, we dropped the sugar from 22.5% to 20%, and we were watching him to see if he could handle it. Since he did so well, we are going to drop it again to 18%! If he does well on this, they will re-evaluate in another 6 months. All is going to plan and we are thrilled!
After the initial high over his weight and height, we got the results from the MRI. They were inconclusive. Ugh, I hate that word. The GI doctor was a little concerned, since they didn't say everything was fine, but it was late in the day and we had limited options. We decided to go back over to Radiology and get an ultrasound of the area we were concerned about. There is some debate over the usefulness of the MRI over the ultrasound, and perhaps the ultrasound could give more definite results. We haven't had a MRI in about 2 years, and our other doctor's warning kept going off in our head. So, the tech started the ultrasound of his veins in his belly.
We started a movie as we came into the room, and about an hour later, the tech asked another tech to come in. A few minutes later, the new tech asked us what exactly we were looking for. I explained his history and she kept looking around. Finally, she looked back at us and said, 'it all looks good to me. But let me go show the images to the doctor and he'll come in an talk to you.'
A few minutes later, the radiologist came in and said, "Looks great. No narrowing at all. I can't make it any better!". Oh my gosh. Patrick and I were stunned. The doctor also suggested that we just do the ultrasound next time, since he doesn't need to 'go to sleep' for it. Woo hoo! Another great result!
So, on that note, we started the trek home, but I'll write that one up in tomorrow's blog!
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
December 5, 2012
Outside Temp: about 50? In Seattle...
What I cooked today:
Nothing... lots of junk food from convenience stores.
Update:
We made it safely into Seattle!
We got out of town later than we planned, which meant that when we got into Ellenburg, to get some fresh fruit, the stand was already closed. Oh well... we might make it on the way home.
The ~11 hour drive was uneventful. A little bit of snow flurries over the passes, but nothing significant. Ryan had the Surface, which means that he watched the same 8 minutes of Nightmare Before Christmas over and over and over for hours. This is what headphones were invented for!
Patrick had a call from his client in CA, with a problem, which is what mobile hotspots are invented for... I was driving, so he just opened up his laptop, connected to the Internet and worked for about 2-3 hours while we cruised through the middle of Washington. So amazing!
MRV (a contrast study of Ryan's veins, to make sure that nothing is narrow or blocked) is scheduled for first thing in the morning. Then clinic in the afternoon. Hopefully, all goes well!
What I cooked today:
Nothing... lots of junk food from convenience stores.
Update:
We made it safely into Seattle!
We got out of town later than we planned, which meant that when we got into Ellenburg, to get some fresh fruit, the stand was already closed. Oh well... we might make it on the way home.
The ~11 hour drive was uneventful. A little bit of snow flurries over the passes, but nothing significant. Ryan had the Surface, which means that he watched the same 8 minutes of Nightmare Before Christmas over and over and over for hours. This is what headphones were invented for!
Patrick had a call from his client in CA, with a problem, which is what mobile hotspots are invented for... I was driving, so he just opened up his laptop, connected to the Internet and worked for about 2-3 hours while we cruised through the middle of Washington. So amazing!
MRV (a contrast study of Ryan's veins, to make sure that nothing is narrow or blocked) is scheduled for first thing in the morning. Then clinic in the afternoon. Hopefully, all goes well!
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
December 4, 2012
Outside Temp: 49 F (there was a threat of the little white flakes, but nothing came of it... I'm not worried... it will get here sooner or later... please be after Friday...)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Mashed Potatoes: I was going to ditch the family for a second night in a row, so I felt a little guilty. I whipped up a quick dinner before I left. The kids were thrilled!
Update:
Busy day!
I worked at the post office for about an hour this morning, then I ran over to Geyser and got my studded snow tires on the yellow car. With our first snow a few weeks ago, I realized how much I missed my studded snow tires. Fortunately, we had the tires on their own set of rims, so it only took a few minutes to pop off the old tires and pop on the new ones. Of course, the totally awesome guys at Geyser Merc did this for us! Thanks Guys!!
At school, I had my students finish an entire week's assignment in 2-3 days. They had finished last week's assignment by Thursday, so I had them start on this week's assignment last Friday. They all finished up today, and took their quizzes, so they will have a 'study hall' for the next 3 days. But most importantly, I didn't need to have any one else try to teach the class while I was gone. I got yelled at last time, so I wasn't about to do that again!
Then, this evening, I had another awesome night, this time with the women from Geyser. There was the most delicious food, and then we had a hysterical fun of the Chinese gift exchange. I started out with a really cute Christmas candle stand. But then I was able to steal this awesome Rachel Ray mixing bowl. But the bowl got stolen, so then I had something else. But then I got to steal, so I got the bowl back. But it got stolen from me, and I got my own bottle of wine. Which was stolen, and I got a pillow and towels. Then I got to steal, so I went for this pretty necklace, which was stolen and I got some good smelling lotions. Then I had to steal again, so I went back for the bowl. This went on and on for about 15-20 minutes, until the last minute, when I rolled doubles and stole back my bowl. And the buzzer went off. Woo hoo!
I can't even express how lucky I am to be included in this community with such wonderful people. Such a great night!
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Mashed Potatoes: I was going to ditch the family for a second night in a row, so I felt a little guilty. I whipped up a quick dinner before I left. The kids were thrilled!
Update:
Busy day!
I worked at the post office for about an hour this morning, then I ran over to Geyser and got my studded snow tires on the yellow car. With our first snow a few weeks ago, I realized how much I missed my studded snow tires. Fortunately, we had the tires on their own set of rims, so it only took a few minutes to pop off the old tires and pop on the new ones. Of course, the totally awesome guys at Geyser Merc did this for us! Thanks Guys!!
At school, I had my students finish an entire week's assignment in 2-3 days. They had finished last week's assignment by Thursday, so I had them start on this week's assignment last Friday. They all finished up today, and took their quizzes, so they will have a 'study hall' for the next 3 days. But most importantly, I didn't need to have any one else try to teach the class while I was gone. I got yelled at last time, so I wasn't about to do that again!
Then, this evening, I had another awesome night, this time with the women from Geyser. There was the most delicious food, and then we had a hysterical fun of the Chinese gift exchange. I started out with a really cute Christmas candle stand. But then I was able to steal this awesome Rachel Ray mixing bowl. But the bowl got stolen, so then I had something else. But then I got to steal, so I got the bowl back. But it got stolen from me, and I got my own bottle of wine. Which was stolen, and I got a pillow and towels. Then I got to steal, so I went for this pretty necklace, which was stolen and I got some good smelling lotions. Then I had to steal again, so I went back for the bowl. This went on and on for about 15-20 minutes, until the last minute, when I rolled doubles and stole back my bowl. And the buzzer went off. Woo hoo!
I can't even express how lucky I am to be included in this community with such wonderful people. Such a great night!
Monday, December 3, 2012
December 3, 2012
Outside Temp: 38 F (still windy, but it's starting to taper off...)
What I cooked today:
Artisan Bread: I got a wonderful recipe for artisan bread, so I mixed it up last night, and let it set in the fridge overnight. I pulled out some of the dough and made up 2 little loaves. Of course, I forgot to slit the top of the bread, so it came out a little underdone inside, and very spherical. Oh well, it still got eaten.
Update:
I got a call last night, asking me to sub for Katie's 5th/6th grade class today. She was so excited! Even though the teacher didn't have time to really prepare a substitute lesson plan, she sent an email and her lesson plan was so precise, I had absolutely no problem following it. I'm so lucky that my teachers are so prepared!
This evening, the St. Mary's Altar Society had our Christmas party, which means that not only did I get to spend a few hours with some great women, but I didn't have to make dinner! Woo hoo! There were some really yummy dishes that were brought, and then we had a gift exchange, which is always hysterical. In the end, I managed to walk away with chocolate, which is totally my goal. Grandma walked away with a bottle of wine and some really cute wine glasses. But the best part is watching the items get 'stolen' back and forth and back and forth. I almost went after this awesome set of tea, but in the end, the chocolate won out.
What I cooked today:
Artisan Bread: I got a wonderful recipe for artisan bread, so I mixed it up last night, and let it set in the fridge overnight. I pulled out some of the dough and made up 2 little loaves. Of course, I forgot to slit the top of the bread, so it came out a little underdone inside, and very spherical. Oh well, it still got eaten.
Update:
I got a call last night, asking me to sub for Katie's 5th/6th grade class today. She was so excited! Even though the teacher didn't have time to really prepare a substitute lesson plan, she sent an email and her lesson plan was so precise, I had absolutely no problem following it. I'm so lucky that my teachers are so prepared!
This evening, the St. Mary's Altar Society had our Christmas party, which means that not only did I get to spend a few hours with some great women, but I didn't have to make dinner! Woo hoo! There were some really yummy dishes that were brought, and then we had a gift exchange, which is always hysterical. In the end, I managed to walk away with chocolate, which is totally my goal. Grandma walked away with a bottle of wine and some really cute wine glasses. But the best part is watching the items get 'stolen' back and forth and back and forth. I almost went after this awesome set of tea, but in the end, the chocolate won out.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
December 2, 2012
Outside Temp: 38 F (a little drizzly, a little overcast, still very windy but warm... in the 50's... no complaints here!)
What I cooked today:
Greek Chicken: The other night, I made chicken and tried baking it over potatoes. The potatoes didn't work out that well, but the chicken was good. So, I thought I was trying too hard. Tonight, I just rubbed the chicken with seasoning, and fried it. It turned out great! Until I realized that Katie doesn't like my Greek seasoning. Oh well!
Update:
Ahhh, Sunday. Always a good day.
We woke up late (which is good, since I don't think that the boys were in bed until way after midnight) and decided to head into town.
Patrick and I made a date of it, and had a great lunch and then got some shopping done. Which means that we spent way too much money and time looking around. Patrick loves to shop, and loves to spend money, whereas I will usually go into a store and go directly to the item I want, and then leave.
We had a slight altercation in WalMart over the 40 cup coffee urn. Now, you have to understand, I don't drink coffee. This would be for hot tea. I just cannot fathom drinking 40 cups of hot tea in a day or even 2 or 3. 40 cups is a lot. These things are used for concessions and parties and other events where multiple people are drinking something. But, we have these tea bags that are designed for large carafes. Our carafe is not that large, maybe 4-6 cups tops. Which means the tea is very, very strong. Hence our presence in the home appliance aisle, looking for a larger container for tea.
So, there is a carafe, but we couldn't tell if it was actually larger than the one we own, or the same size. And a 40 cup urn. And these are our choices. Amazingly, Patrick sat there, practically begging me for this stupid urn. I couldn't help but laugh, as he was more persistent than my children. In the end, I explained that we were absolutely not getting the urn, and that was final (in my best mom voice).
As we stood in the checkout line, I glanced over the items we had accumulated. And I found an unexpected jacket. I mentioned that it shouldn't have been there, and started to remove it from our pile, as my husband got that chagrined look on his face. "I hoped that you wouldn't have noticed..." he said softly. I glanced at the price, which was almost as much as the desired urn would have been. And, while I wanted to throw a fit, I had to just laugh. He is TOTALLY worse than my kids. And he has a new jacket to prove it.
What I cooked today:
Greek Chicken: The other night, I made chicken and tried baking it over potatoes. The potatoes didn't work out that well, but the chicken was good. So, I thought I was trying too hard. Tonight, I just rubbed the chicken with seasoning, and fried it. It turned out great! Until I realized that Katie doesn't like my Greek seasoning. Oh well!
Update:
Ahhh, Sunday. Always a good day.
We woke up late (which is good, since I don't think that the boys were in bed until way after midnight) and decided to head into town.
Patrick and I made a date of it, and had a great lunch and then got some shopping done. Which means that we spent way too much money and time looking around. Patrick loves to shop, and loves to spend money, whereas I will usually go into a store and go directly to the item I want, and then leave.
We had a slight altercation in WalMart over the 40 cup coffee urn. Now, you have to understand, I don't drink coffee. This would be for hot tea. I just cannot fathom drinking 40 cups of hot tea in a day or even 2 or 3. 40 cups is a lot. These things are used for concessions and parties and other events where multiple people are drinking something. But, we have these tea bags that are designed for large carafes. Our carafe is not that large, maybe 4-6 cups tops. Which means the tea is very, very strong. Hence our presence in the home appliance aisle, looking for a larger container for tea.
So, there is a carafe, but we couldn't tell if it was actually larger than the one we own, or the same size. And a 40 cup urn. And these are our choices. Amazingly, Patrick sat there, practically begging me for this stupid urn. I couldn't help but laugh, as he was more persistent than my children. In the end, I explained that we were absolutely not getting the urn, and that was final (in my best mom voice).
As we stood in the checkout line, I glanced over the items we had accumulated. And I found an unexpected jacket. I mentioned that it shouldn't have been there, and started to remove it from our pile, as my husband got that chagrined look on his face. "I hoped that you wouldn't have noticed..." he said softly. I glanced at the price, which was almost as much as the desired urn would have been. And, while I wanted to throw a fit, I had to just laugh. He is TOTALLY worse than my kids. And he has a new jacket to prove it.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
December 1, 2012
Outside Temp: 37 F (beautiful day today!)
What I cooked today:
Chili: It started getting chilly tonight, so this seemed like a good choice!
Update:
Connor came up to me tonight and asked me a question.
C: "Mom, do I have multiple personalities?"
Me: Sigh. "No, Connor. You do not have multiple personalities."
C: "Ok." pause. "Wait, are you upset with me?"
Me: "No, I'm not upset."
C: "Are you sure? Because I've been trying to pay attention to how people say things, not just what they say. And you sounded annoyed."
Me: Sigh. "I'm not upset. I find it annoying when you try to find problems with yourself that don't exist. You are exactly the way you are supposed to be."
C: "Oh, okay. You don't sound as annoyed anymore."
Me: "Thank you for paying attention."
As he was walking away. I just started snickering. Totally awesome moment.
What I cooked today:
Chili: It started getting chilly tonight, so this seemed like a good choice!
Update:
Connor came up to me tonight and asked me a question.
C: "Mom, do I have multiple personalities?"
Me: Sigh. "No, Connor. You do not have multiple personalities."
C: "Ok." pause. "Wait, are you upset with me?"
Me: "No, I'm not upset."
C: "Are you sure? Because I've been trying to pay attention to how people say things, not just what they say. And you sounded annoyed."
Me: Sigh. "I'm not upset. I find it annoying when you try to find problems with yourself that don't exist. You are exactly the way you are supposed to be."
C: "Oh, okay. You don't sound as annoyed anymore."
Me: "Thank you for paying attention."
As he was walking away. I just started snickering. Totally awesome moment.
Friday, November 30, 2012
November 30, 2012
Outside Temp: 46 F (still feels like fall around here... snow is almost totally gone and with the exception of the wind, it's just beautiful outside... now that I've said that, it's going to snow.)
What I cooked today:
Chicken and Potatoes: I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner. I pulled out some chicken and decided I would make chicken. But I didn't want to make the same old Chinese chicken that I usually make. So, I flipped through a couple recipe books and came up with something. I rubbed the chicken with some Greek seasoning, then seared it in my cast iron skillet. Then I took some potatoes and carrots and put them in a pot. I pulled the chicken out of the skillet, and added some stock and flour to the skillet and whisked them together. Then I poured the stock over the potatoes and cooked them for a few minutes. I threw the vegetables into a casserole dish, with the chicken on top. Then I baked it for about 30 minutes. I had a little too many potatoes, so the ones that were not in fluid were a little stiff, but otherwise, it turned out great. I think next time, I'll toss the veggies in some seasoning before cooking them, and I'll add a little more stock.
Update:
We still have Ryan in a toddler bed. I know. I know. It's time to move him up to a twin. But his room is really small, and a twin bed will fill it up. So, we've been putting it off.
Well, we've almost run out of time. About 2 days ago, I sat on the edge of his bed to hook up his TPN, and I heard the unmistakable crack of splitting wood. It wasn't totally broken, but it was sure thinking about it. I mentioned it to Patrick, but he didn't really understand. So, last night, he sat on the edge (as we do almost every night) to hook up his TPN. And then there was a really significant 'crack'. I got some zip ties and tried to stabilize the cracking wood. He slept just fine last night, although he was almost falling off the bed when I got him this morning.
So, this afternoon, Connor was playing with Ryan in his room on the XBox, and we hear the really loud 'crack', followed by a 'thump'. A few curse words later and we realized that the wood was almost totally useless. No, wait. There is always duct tape!
I grabbed my trusty roll of silver perfection and went to work on the bed. The side rails are now covered in duct tape and it seems pretty stable. I've warned everyone in the house that Ryan is the only one who can use his bed. I figure it's limit is somewhere in the 75 lb range, which means that anyone else sitting on the bed will make it break. I'm betting that we can hold out for a few more weeks, maybe even until Christmas. But, maybe not. Perhaps it's time for a trip into town with Grandpa's truck.
What I cooked today:
Chicken and Potatoes: I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner. I pulled out some chicken and decided I would make chicken. But I didn't want to make the same old Chinese chicken that I usually make. So, I flipped through a couple recipe books and came up with something. I rubbed the chicken with some Greek seasoning, then seared it in my cast iron skillet. Then I took some potatoes and carrots and put them in a pot. I pulled the chicken out of the skillet, and added some stock and flour to the skillet and whisked them together. Then I poured the stock over the potatoes and cooked them for a few minutes. I threw the vegetables into a casserole dish, with the chicken on top. Then I baked it for about 30 minutes. I had a little too many potatoes, so the ones that were not in fluid were a little stiff, but otherwise, it turned out great. I think next time, I'll toss the veggies in some seasoning before cooking them, and I'll add a little more stock.
Update:
We still have Ryan in a toddler bed. I know. I know. It's time to move him up to a twin. But his room is really small, and a twin bed will fill it up. So, we've been putting it off.
Well, we've almost run out of time. About 2 days ago, I sat on the edge of his bed to hook up his TPN, and I heard the unmistakable crack of splitting wood. It wasn't totally broken, but it was sure thinking about it. I mentioned it to Patrick, but he didn't really understand. So, last night, he sat on the edge (as we do almost every night) to hook up his TPN. And then there was a really significant 'crack'. I got some zip ties and tried to stabilize the cracking wood. He slept just fine last night, although he was almost falling off the bed when I got him this morning.
So, this afternoon, Connor was playing with Ryan in his room on the XBox, and we hear the really loud 'crack', followed by a 'thump'. A few curse words later and we realized that the wood was almost totally useless. No, wait. There is always duct tape!
I grabbed my trusty roll of silver perfection and went to work on the bed. The side rails are now covered in duct tape and it seems pretty stable. I've warned everyone in the house that Ryan is the only one who can use his bed. I figure it's limit is somewhere in the 75 lb range, which means that anyone else sitting on the bed will make it break. I'm betting that we can hold out for a few more weeks, maybe even until Christmas. But, maybe not. Perhaps it's time for a trip into town with Grandpa's truck.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
November 29, 2012
Outside Temp: 47 F (snow is gone, but I've heard tell that it's coming back...)
What I cooked today:
Nothing... migraine...
Update:
I got to sub for the math teacher today. I was amazed that I was able to remember how to do most of the assignments, even the Pre-Calculus class, which goes to show that my high school math teacher, Mr. Gregory was amazing! We were doing sin, cosine, tangent, secant, cosecant and cotangent, and I had to remember the whole 'pi' = 180 degrees, 2'pi' = 360 degrees, and then the unit circle and the ways to find the values of the sin, etc. After a quick glance at the book, I remembered it and actually attempted to help the students get it. There was at least once that a student looked at me and said, 'huh?', but it wasn't bad.
I was really happy with the websites that our teacher users. She has the students log on, and do a series of questions, related directly to the assignment. She has 3 different web sites, so they get a wide range of styles and questions. The students were great and with one class, the boys wanted to keep doing more problems, just to 'one up' the other. "I got 5 right", "well, I got 6 right!", "No way, let me do another one. Ha, I got 6 right.", "well, now I have 7 right." They were only required to do 5 problems, and I had to force them to move on after doing 10. I hated stopping them!
Once I got home, I realized that I was fighting a migraine, so I crawled into bed and slept.. for about 3 hours. Of course, I was too silly to take anything for it, so when I woke up around 7pm, I STILL had a migraine. Ugh. I talked Allen into making dinner for everyone. He made pasta, which isn't exactly a complete balanced meal, but it's enough and I didn't hear any complaints. And somehow, everyone got their homework done without me nagging. Woo hoo!
What I cooked today:
Nothing... migraine...
Update:
I got to sub for the math teacher today. I was amazed that I was able to remember how to do most of the assignments, even the Pre-Calculus class, which goes to show that my high school math teacher, Mr. Gregory was amazing! We were doing sin, cosine, tangent, secant, cosecant and cotangent, and I had to remember the whole 'pi' = 180 degrees, 2'pi' = 360 degrees, and then the unit circle and the ways to find the values of the sin, etc. After a quick glance at the book, I remembered it and actually attempted to help the students get it. There was at least once that a student looked at me and said, 'huh?', but it wasn't bad.
I was really happy with the websites that our teacher users. She has the students log on, and do a series of questions, related directly to the assignment. She has 3 different web sites, so they get a wide range of styles and questions. The students were great and with one class, the boys wanted to keep doing more problems, just to 'one up' the other. "I got 5 right", "well, I got 6 right!", "No way, let me do another one. Ha, I got 6 right.", "well, now I have 7 right." They were only required to do 5 problems, and I had to force them to move on after doing 10. I hated stopping them!
Once I got home, I realized that I was fighting a migraine, so I crawled into bed and slept.. for about 3 hours. Of course, I was too silly to take anything for it, so when I woke up around 7pm, I STILL had a migraine. Ugh. I talked Allen into making dinner for everyone. He made pasta, which isn't exactly a complete balanced meal, but it's enough and I didn't hear any complaints. And somehow, everyone got their homework done without me nagging. Woo hoo!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
November 28, 2012
Outside Temp: 34 F (beautiful day today.. the snow is almost gone, just in time for another storm this weekend... )
What I cooked today:
Italian Pasta Casserole: I told the family that I was going to make something, but I didn't know what. And they were going to like it, darnnit. I started with some ground beef and onions, tossed in some Italian seasoning and tomatoes and Worchestershire sauce. Then I cooked up some macaroni and tossed that it. I threw it all into a casserole dish, and topped it with some cheese. It turned out pretty good, although Allen and Katie weren't thrilled (Connor, on the other hand, had 3 servings).
Update:
We got some beautiful pictures of the kids from the school today. A few weeks ago, the school had their 'make up' picture day, so I asked the photographer if she would be willing to take a picture of all 4 kids, together. She agreed, and today I got the results. I am so totally thrilled! They turned out beautiful! I need to ask the photographer if it is okay to post them online (I'm sure she'll be fine with it, but I want to check first), but you can take my word for it, they are great. I am including them in my Christmas cards, so if you want a card from us, please let me know your address.
After school today, Katie was frustrated with school and people, which is not unusual at her age. I mentioned my old adage, "I wish I could put you in stasis until you were about 16. That way, your hormones would be adjusted and you wouldn't have to deal with the whole 10-14 year old stage (which totally sucked for me)."
She asked if she could just stop going to school and play computer games all day long, for the next 3-4 years. She said it was just like stasis, but more fun. Nope, sorry babe, it doesn't work that way.
What I cooked today:
Italian Pasta Casserole: I told the family that I was going to make something, but I didn't know what. And they were going to like it, darnnit. I started with some ground beef and onions, tossed in some Italian seasoning and tomatoes and Worchestershire sauce. Then I cooked up some macaroni and tossed that it. I threw it all into a casserole dish, and topped it with some cheese. It turned out pretty good, although Allen and Katie weren't thrilled (Connor, on the other hand, had 3 servings).
Update:
We got some beautiful pictures of the kids from the school today. A few weeks ago, the school had their 'make up' picture day, so I asked the photographer if she would be willing to take a picture of all 4 kids, together. She agreed, and today I got the results. I am so totally thrilled! They turned out beautiful! I need to ask the photographer if it is okay to post them online (I'm sure she'll be fine with it, but I want to check first), but you can take my word for it, they are great. I am including them in my Christmas cards, so if you want a card from us, please let me know your address.
After school today, Katie was frustrated with school and people, which is not unusual at her age. I mentioned my old adage, "I wish I could put you in stasis until you were about 16. That way, your hormones would be adjusted and you wouldn't have to deal with the whole 10-14 year old stage (which totally sucked for me)."
She asked if she could just stop going to school and play computer games all day long, for the next 3-4 years. She said it was just like stasis, but more fun. Nope, sorry babe, it doesn't work that way.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
November 27, 2012
Outside Temp: 26 F (the snow is melting... but it's still here)
What I cooked today:
Papa Murphy's Take & Bake Pizza: After our useless drive into town, I was irritated enough to decide not to cook dinner tonight. I asked the kids if they wanted pizza, and (duh) they agreed. I have finally learned that if you bake the pizza on the tray they give you for about 10 minutes, then slide it off onto a pizza stone for the last 5-7 minutes, the crust gets cooked correctly and isn't mushy. Woo hoo! I learned something today!
Update:
The boys have been getting allergy shots every Tuesday and Thursday morning for the last few weeks. We usually leave the house around 6:45, to get to Great Falls by 7:30. Their shots are done in about 10-15 minutes, which gets us back on the road by 7:45-8:00am. A short 45 minute drive gets they to school just as their first period study hall is ending, which works because then they don't have to miss any (real) classes.
But, I didn't want to wake up this morning, so I figured that since Allen didn't have practice anymore, I could bring them in after school. So, school ended and we all hopped in the car. I dropped off Katie at the house (lucky!) and Allen and Connor came with me to town.
We got to the clinic around 4:30, and headed up to the reception desk. The person in front of me was taking forever, but I was being my normal patient self, just standing there with a smile, waiting my turn. Another receptionist asked what I was there for, and when I told her allergy shots, she indicated that I needed to wait. No problem. Just waiting.
Finally, about 10 minutes later, the receptionist finished up with the person in front of me. But, instead of asking me to come forward so she could help me, she started getting her things together to go home. I waited a few more minutes, then stepped forward to get her attention. "Did you need something?" she asked. I thought something catty like, "nope, I just thought I'd stand her for the last 15 minutes because I had nothing better to do.". Silly woman.
I told her that we were here for allergy shots. She got that pained look on her face, and informed me that that stopped the shots at 4pm. She did apologize, and even with back to see if the nurse was still around. She wasn't. So, our trip into town was a total waste. Oh well. To be completely fair, I should have called this morning, to confirm that we would be in this afternoon. My bad. But, we ended up with pizza out of the deal, so I guess it wasn't all bad.
I also got to end the evening with a meeting with our Community Center. There is a great group of people here, and I love how involved they all are! We have set up a time for our blood drive in December, which is such a great event. They intentionally scheduled it for 8-9 weeks after the Geyser blood drive, so that people (like me) can do both of them! I shouldn't have to go into town for blood donations, since they are cool enough to come to me!
The only bad part is that I missed our book club this evening. I didn't get a chance to read the book anyway, but I skipped last month's book club (I was afraid of the storm), and I miss getting together and chatting. Next month, come sleet or snow or hail, I will make it (darnnit).
What I cooked today:
Papa Murphy's Take & Bake Pizza: After our useless drive into town, I was irritated enough to decide not to cook dinner tonight. I asked the kids if they wanted pizza, and (duh) they agreed. I have finally learned that if you bake the pizza on the tray they give you for about 10 minutes, then slide it off onto a pizza stone for the last 5-7 minutes, the crust gets cooked correctly and isn't mushy. Woo hoo! I learned something today!
Update:
The boys have been getting allergy shots every Tuesday and Thursday morning for the last few weeks. We usually leave the house around 6:45, to get to Great Falls by 7:30. Their shots are done in about 10-15 minutes, which gets us back on the road by 7:45-8:00am. A short 45 minute drive gets they to school just as their first period study hall is ending, which works because then they don't have to miss any (real) classes.
But, I didn't want to wake up this morning, so I figured that since Allen didn't have practice anymore, I could bring them in after school. So, school ended and we all hopped in the car. I dropped off Katie at the house (lucky!) and Allen and Connor came with me to town.
We got to the clinic around 4:30, and headed up to the reception desk. The person in front of me was taking forever, but I was being my normal patient self, just standing there with a smile, waiting my turn. Another receptionist asked what I was there for, and when I told her allergy shots, she indicated that I needed to wait. No problem. Just waiting.
Finally, about 10 minutes later, the receptionist finished up with the person in front of me. But, instead of asking me to come forward so she could help me, she started getting her things together to go home. I waited a few more minutes, then stepped forward to get her attention. "Did you need something?" she asked. I thought something catty like, "nope, I just thought I'd stand her for the last 15 minutes because I had nothing better to do.". Silly woman.
I told her that we were here for allergy shots. She got that pained look on her face, and informed me that that stopped the shots at 4pm. She did apologize, and even with back to see if the nurse was still around. She wasn't. So, our trip into town was a total waste. Oh well. To be completely fair, I should have called this morning, to confirm that we would be in this afternoon. My bad. But, we ended up with pizza out of the deal, so I guess it wasn't all bad.
I also got to end the evening with a meeting with our Community Center. There is a great group of people here, and I love how involved they all are! We have set up a time for our blood drive in December, which is such a great event. They intentionally scheduled it for 8-9 weeks after the Geyser blood drive, so that people (like me) can do both of them! I shouldn't have to go into town for blood donations, since they are cool enough to come to me!
The only bad part is that I missed our book club this evening. I didn't get a chance to read the book anyway, but I skipped last month's book club (I was afraid of the storm), and I miss getting together and chatting. Next month, come sleet or snow or hail, I will make it (darnnit).
Monday, November 26, 2012
November 26, 2012
Outside Temp: 23 F (nice today, after the ice melted off the roads)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Onion Rings: I was too lazy to actually plan anything, so somehow 6:00pm showed up and I had nothing ready. Oh well, old standby works fine. However, I didn't like the onion rings (they were frozen), so I think I'll just go with veggies next time!
Update:
I got a call from the school this morning, around 9am. It was from Allen, who let me know that there was a problem with the tablet that he takes to school (supposedly to work on his homework, but we all know that he uses it as a MP3 players to listen to his music during the day). The way the story goes, he was listening to his music (shocker!) and he had set the tablet on the bleachers. Then he turned to the side, and somehow (have no idea how it happened) the tablet fell off the bleachers on to the ground... like 4 feet on to the ground.
I can only imagine the sickening crack that occurred and the moment of fear as he hopped off the bleachers to examine his new found broken tablet. The screen was shattered. Not broken, shattered. It was not pretty.
But, being the (somewhat) responsible child that we attempted to raise correctly, he immediately called me and let me know what he had done. Fortunately, his mother is brilliant and purchased the extended care warranty, and questioned the guy at Office Max specifically for the time in which one of my children dropped the tablet and it broke.
So, I was able to call the Care center, and I now have a UPS shipping label, and a claim for them to attempt to fix it. It is not fixed yet, so I will keep my hopes up that they can repair the screen, and it will be back with us soon. Until then, my favorite part of the day was at the end, as the Junior High students passed by my door (to my web design class), and whispered, "she's here... oh, you are so dead.". I guess the students expected me to freak out or scream or yell or something undignified. Oh yea, like I would do that, in public!
To be honest, I actually expected it to break earlier.
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Onion Rings: I was too lazy to actually plan anything, so somehow 6:00pm showed up and I had nothing ready. Oh well, old standby works fine. However, I didn't like the onion rings (they were frozen), so I think I'll just go with veggies next time!
Update:
I got a call from the school this morning, around 9am. It was from Allen, who let me know that there was a problem with the tablet that he takes to school (supposedly to work on his homework, but we all know that he uses it as a MP3 players to listen to his music during the day). The way the story goes, he was listening to his music (shocker!) and he had set the tablet on the bleachers. Then he turned to the side, and somehow (have no idea how it happened) the tablet fell off the bleachers on to the ground... like 4 feet on to the ground.
I can only imagine the sickening crack that occurred and the moment of fear as he hopped off the bleachers to examine his new found broken tablet. The screen was shattered. Not broken, shattered. It was not pretty.
But, being the (somewhat) responsible child that we attempted to raise correctly, he immediately called me and let me know what he had done. Fortunately, his mother is brilliant and purchased the extended care warranty, and questioned the guy at Office Max specifically for the time in which one of my children dropped the tablet and it broke.
So, I was able to call the Care center, and I now have a UPS shipping label, and a claim for them to attempt to fix it. It is not fixed yet, so I will keep my hopes up that they can repair the screen, and it will be back with us soon. Until then, my favorite part of the day was at the end, as the Junior High students passed by my door (to my web design class), and whispered, "she's here... oh, you are so dead.". I guess the students expected me to freak out or scream or yell or something undignified. Oh yea, like I would do that, in public!
To be honest, I actually expected it to break earlier.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
November 25, 2012
Outside Temp: 14 F (it didn't get above 35 today... dropped 10 degrees in the last 2 hours)
What I cooked today:
Chicken Soup with Orzo: Chilly day requires soup. I finished canning my turkey stock, and realized I still had 2 quarts of chicken stock in the pantry. Since I'm sure I needed to get rid of it, we made chicken soup. So yummy!
M&M cookies: The kids finally found the mini M&Ms that have been in my pantry for about 2 months. I was required to make cookies... oh what a chore...
Update:
Snow today. Not a ton, but consistent snow for the last 10-12 hours. It was in the mid 30's, which means that the roads are wet... as the temp drops, that means ice. I'm not sure exactly what to expect tomorrow, but today was a day of staying inside, warm and cozy. I read for a few hours, the kids played games, and we did a whole lot of nothing. Perfect end to a long weekend!
What I cooked today:
Chicken Soup with Orzo: Chilly day requires soup. I finished canning my turkey stock, and realized I still had 2 quarts of chicken stock in the pantry. Since I'm sure I needed to get rid of it, we made chicken soup. So yummy!
M&M cookies: The kids finally found the mini M&Ms that have been in my pantry for about 2 months. I was required to make cookies... oh what a chore...
Update:
Snow today. Not a ton, but consistent snow for the last 10-12 hours. It was in the mid 30's, which means that the roads are wet... as the temp drops, that means ice. I'm not sure exactly what to expect tomorrow, but today was a day of staying inside, warm and cozy. I read for a few hours, the kids played games, and we did a whole lot of nothing. Perfect end to a long weekend!
Saturday, November 24, 2012
November 24, 2012
Outside Temp: 25 F (a little rain, a little snow today. The weather wasn't sure what it wanted to do)
What I cooked today:
Turkey Stock: I made up some stock from yesterday's turkey bones. The house smelled just like turkey all afternoon. No, I'm not sick of turkey, yet.
Update:
Patrick and I went into town this afternoon, for some shopping. He needed some things from Home Depot, and I managed to run out of both flour and brown sugar (gasp!). At the grocery store, the kid helping me was amazed that I might actually use a 25 lb bag of flour. I explained that I go through a 25 lb bag about 3 times a year. He was stunned. I laughed.
What I cooked today:
Turkey Stock: I made up some stock from yesterday's turkey bones. The house smelled just like turkey all afternoon. No, I'm not sick of turkey, yet.
Update:
Patrick and I went into town this afternoon, for some shopping. He needed some things from Home Depot, and I managed to run out of both flour and brown sugar (gasp!). At the grocery store, the kid helping me was amazed that I might actually use a 25 lb bag of flour. I explained that I go through a 25 lb bag about 3 times a year. He was stunned. I laughed.
Friday, November 23, 2012
November 23, 2012
Outside Temp: 47 F (yes, it was in the teens this morning... Now, it's in the 40's... Gotta love Montana weather!)
What I cooked today:
Turkey: We had a second Thanksgiving dinner today, so I got to make a turkey. It turned out pretty good, and we had no complaints!
Update:
As I mentioned, we had a second Thanksgiving dinner this afternoon. We invited our priest over for Thanksgiving, but since we were out of town on Thursday, we just decided to push it back to Friday. Which means that I got up (relatively) early this morning and headed over the grandparents place to stuff and prepare the turkey. Then I went back home, and went back to sleep!
We had supper around 1:30, which gave us plenty of time to chat and still got our guest back on the road before dark. And how can you refuse a second Thanksgiving dinner... yumm!
The good news is that since everyone was so full from supper, I felt no desire to make a second meal... Which also means no extra dishes! woo hoo!
What I cooked today:
Turkey: We had a second Thanksgiving dinner today, so I got to make a turkey. It turned out pretty good, and we had no complaints!
Update:
As I mentioned, we had a second Thanksgiving dinner this afternoon. We invited our priest over for Thanksgiving, but since we were out of town on Thursday, we just decided to push it back to Friday. Which means that I got up (relatively) early this morning and headed over the grandparents place to stuff and prepare the turkey. Then I went back home, and went back to sleep!
We had supper around 1:30, which gave us plenty of time to chat and still got our guest back on the road before dark. And how can you refuse a second Thanksgiving dinner... yumm!
The good news is that since everyone was so full from supper, I felt no desire to make a second meal... Which also means no extra dishes! woo hoo!
Thursday, November 22, 2012
November 22, 2012
Outside Temp: 19 F (it got as high as 30 here today... a little chilly)
What I cooked today:
NOTHING! Hehehe...
Update:
Happy Thanksgiving!
We headed down to Helena to spend Thanksgiving with Patrick's mom's aunt and the family there. It was a small crowd, only about 16 (which is small for our family). I LOVE the way our great-aunt makes a holiday meal, with the good china and silver, and appetizer of shrimp cocktail... The food was so yummy, I had to force myself to only go back for seconds and not thirds!
I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
What I cooked today:
NOTHING! Hehehe...
Update:
Happy Thanksgiving!
We headed down to Helena to spend Thanksgiving with Patrick's mom's aunt and the family there. It was a small crowd, only about 16 (which is small for our family). I LOVE the way our great-aunt makes a holiday meal, with the good china and silver, and appetizer of shrimp cocktail... The food was so yummy, I had to force myself to only go back for seconds and not thirds!
I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
November 21, 2012
Outside Temp: 34 F (Rainy and stormy today... a little sleet.)
What I cooked today:
Pumpkin Pies x 4: I'm making dessert for tomorrow, and Friday, so I just made 4 of them tonight. It's been a while since I've made pumpkin pie, and pie crust, so I was a little worried. But it turned out fine (after I asked Patrick to stop making suggestions). I spilled a little pie mix in the oven, which caused a lot of smoke, but they smelled good by the end. Now, I just have to hope they taste good!
Update:
No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth. I was tired and fell asleep early last night, which means that I didn't get my blog written. I debated post-dating a blog entry, which is totally possible, but that would feel like lying, and those who know me know how I feel about lying. So, if you noticed that I didn't get an entry written last night, I apologize.
Yesterday was a busy. I worked at the post office, by myself, in the morning. I started the shift by forgetting to scan something, which caused a little stress. But the customer (one of our neighbors, of course) was kind enough to bring it in this morning, so we got it scanned and all was right with the world. This was my first time working by myself, so there was a reasonable amount of nerves for the first few minutes. I talked to my postmaster a few times during the day, but I think it worked out fine.
After working, I ran over to the school for our class, and then headed home, with 3 of the 4 kids. Allen was so excited to have NO practice!
I managed to get a migraine, so I headed off to bed and left Patrick in charge for the night. He had to feed the kids, do all of Ryan's meds, and get them off to bed (at some point). Apparently, he did fine because when I woke up this morning, the kids were all in bed, dishes and pots and pans were on the stove (waiting patiently for me to clean them) and Ryan was fine. Who knew that my husband could actually be responsible?
Today, Allen and Connor went into town with me. They needed their allergy shots and I needed groceries. I'm not having Thanksgiving at my house, but I do have to feed my family on other days, and somehow, I was out of milk, again. We also stopped and got new headphones for the boys. Connor has re-found his MP3 player, so he was excited to use his ear buds and listen to his music. Ahh, it's the little things (like the Hershey's candy bars on sale for $0.68...)
Patrick and Grandpa were awesome and took my garbage to the dump. We've been trying to get to the dump for a few weeks now, but something (like snow or wind) always seemed to come up. Today was no exception, with the rain and sleet, but they braved the weather and got rid of my garbage! Woo hoo!
The boys spent the rest of the afternoon playing games, and I read my book (I'm reading 'The Count of Monte Cristo', which is much better than I expected!) I mixed up and baked my pumpkin pies, but I didn't feel like making dinner, so I subjected the kids to their own devices. Which means that when I offered to make hot dogs, they all said, "me too!". So, I ended up making dinner anyway. I don't feel bad about feeding them junk for dinner tonight, since we are all going to pig out tomorrow... it's kind of like fasting.
What I cooked today:
Pumpkin Pies x 4: I'm making dessert for tomorrow, and Friday, so I just made 4 of them tonight. It's been a while since I've made pumpkin pie, and pie crust, so I was a little worried. But it turned out fine (after I asked Patrick to stop making suggestions). I spilled a little pie mix in the oven, which caused a lot of smoke, but they smelled good by the end. Now, I just have to hope they taste good!
Update:
No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth. I was tired and fell asleep early last night, which means that I didn't get my blog written. I debated post-dating a blog entry, which is totally possible, but that would feel like lying, and those who know me know how I feel about lying. So, if you noticed that I didn't get an entry written last night, I apologize.
Yesterday was a busy. I worked at the post office, by myself, in the morning. I started the shift by forgetting to scan something, which caused a little stress. But the customer (one of our neighbors, of course) was kind enough to bring it in this morning, so we got it scanned and all was right with the world. This was my first time working by myself, so there was a reasonable amount of nerves for the first few minutes. I talked to my postmaster a few times during the day, but I think it worked out fine.
After working, I ran over to the school for our class, and then headed home, with 3 of the 4 kids. Allen was so excited to have NO practice!
I managed to get a migraine, so I headed off to bed and left Patrick in charge for the night. He had to feed the kids, do all of Ryan's meds, and get them off to bed (at some point). Apparently, he did fine because when I woke up this morning, the kids were all in bed, dishes and pots and pans were on the stove (waiting patiently for me to clean them) and Ryan was fine. Who knew that my husband could actually be responsible?
Today, Allen and Connor went into town with me. They needed their allergy shots and I needed groceries. I'm not having Thanksgiving at my house, but I do have to feed my family on other days, and somehow, I was out of milk, again. We also stopped and got new headphones for the boys. Connor has re-found his MP3 player, so he was excited to use his ear buds and listen to his music. Ahh, it's the little things (like the Hershey's candy bars on sale for $0.68...)
Patrick and Grandpa were awesome and took my garbage to the dump. We've been trying to get to the dump for a few weeks now, but something (like snow or wind) always seemed to come up. Today was no exception, with the rain and sleet, but they braved the weather and got rid of my garbage! Woo hoo!
The boys spent the rest of the afternoon playing games, and I read my book (I'm reading 'The Count of Monte Cristo', which is much better than I expected!) I mixed up and baked my pumpkin pies, but I didn't feel like making dinner, so I subjected the kids to their own devices. Which means that when I offered to make hot dogs, they all said, "me too!". So, I ended up making dinner anyway. I don't feel bad about feeding them junk for dinner tonight, since we are all going to pig out tomorrow... it's kind of like fasting.
Monday, November 19, 2012
November 19, 2012
Outside Temp: 51 F (nice and very windy today!)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Pasta: With all that was going on, I didn't have time to make much. So, we ended up with the old standby. Of course, Allen claimed that it was exactly what he wanted, so I guess that's a good thing.
Update:
This morning, as with most morning, I watch out Katie's window for the school bus to come down the highway. Usually, as it comes around the corner, we have just enough time to say, "the bus is here!", and then get all the kids backpacks on, jackets on, gloves on, out the door and out to the street, timed perfectly for the bus as it pulls up.
Okay, sometimes it's not timed perfectly. But most days it works out well. So you can imagine my surprise, when a white suburban pulls up in front of the house, at the exact time the bus should be there! I walked out on to the front porch and asked if this was the bus... which it obviously was, but for some reason, logic and mornings don't mix with me. Apparently, the bus wasn't working this morning, so we got the suburban instead. Fortunately, there are only 8 kids on our bus route (including my 4), so they all fit just fine! Connor said it was great because he got to sit in the front and see out the window.
After school, Allen had a game with Lewistown in Stanford. I know, basketball season is over, and yet, here is another game. Lewistown is a larger school with more kids and they play in a different division. But, I guess since our team is so good, they asked to have 2 games with us.
So, I drove Allen over to Stanford for the game. The guys from Lewistown came out, and they just kept coming! There had to be 15-20 kids on that team (as opposed to our 9). And they were tall. And old. And did I mention there were lots of them?
The game started out tough, but our boys played great! I had to leave after the first quarter for a Booster Club meeting, but Allen said they only lost by 2 points. At the end, they were actually up by 2, but the other team got two quick baskets at the end. He said our boys played great!
And now, basketball is over. Okay, so, the rest of the team is going to Lewistown tomorrow night to play the same team again, but Allen is going to skip it. We're just not that dedicated!
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Pasta: With all that was going on, I didn't have time to make much. So, we ended up with the old standby. Of course, Allen claimed that it was exactly what he wanted, so I guess that's a good thing.
Update:
This morning, as with most morning, I watch out Katie's window for the school bus to come down the highway. Usually, as it comes around the corner, we have just enough time to say, "the bus is here!", and then get all the kids backpacks on, jackets on, gloves on, out the door and out to the street, timed perfectly for the bus as it pulls up.
Okay, sometimes it's not timed perfectly. But most days it works out well. So you can imagine my surprise, when a white suburban pulls up in front of the house, at the exact time the bus should be there! I walked out on to the front porch and asked if this was the bus... which it obviously was, but for some reason, logic and mornings don't mix with me. Apparently, the bus wasn't working this morning, so we got the suburban instead. Fortunately, there are only 8 kids on our bus route (including my 4), so they all fit just fine! Connor said it was great because he got to sit in the front and see out the window.
After school, Allen had a game with Lewistown in Stanford. I know, basketball season is over, and yet, here is another game. Lewistown is a larger school with more kids and they play in a different division. But, I guess since our team is so good, they asked to have 2 games with us.
So, I drove Allen over to Stanford for the game. The guys from Lewistown came out, and they just kept coming! There had to be 15-20 kids on that team (as opposed to our 9). And they were tall. And old. And did I mention there were lots of them?
The game started out tough, but our boys played great! I had to leave after the first quarter for a Booster Club meeting, but Allen said they only lost by 2 points. At the end, they were actually up by 2, but the other team got two quick baskets at the end. He said our boys played great!
And now, basketball is over. Okay, so, the rest of the team is going to Lewistown tomorrow night to play the same team again, but Allen is going to skip it. We're just not that dedicated!
Sunday, November 18, 2012
November 18, 2012
Outside Temp: 32 F (it warmed up to almost 60 again, but was very, very windy today!)
What I cooked today:
Beef Stew: I picked up some good stew meat the other day, and I decided to try it out today. It was great! The crock pot was licked clean!
Update:
For the last few weeks, I have woken up around 6:45 every day of the week, which has been very annoying on weekends, when it's not required. So, I figured I would have no problem getting up by 7:30 this morning for church.
Imagine my surprise when I opened my eyes and it was 8:33! Which means that we missed church (which may add a layer of guilt, but since we don't miss often, I wasn't too worried). I got up, got breakfast, realized the rest of the family was still asleep, and crawled my tail back into bed. I slept until almost noon! I guess I was pretty tired.
The day was quite lazy, with the kids finishing up homework, reading or playing games most of the day. Patrick and I watched a movie tonight (the new 21 Jump Street, funny but also very crass... beware) and the kids were in the other room playing games together (no, we did NOT let them watch it... not kid friendly).
I'm looking forward to our upcoming 2 day school week and then Thanksgiving! How the time does fly!
What I cooked today:
Beef Stew: I picked up some good stew meat the other day, and I decided to try it out today. It was great! The crock pot was licked clean!
Update:
For the last few weeks, I have woken up around 6:45 every day of the week, which has been very annoying on weekends, when it's not required. So, I figured I would have no problem getting up by 7:30 this morning for church.
Imagine my surprise when I opened my eyes and it was 8:33! Which means that we missed church (which may add a layer of guilt, but since we don't miss often, I wasn't too worried). I got up, got breakfast, realized the rest of the family was still asleep, and crawled my tail back into bed. I slept until almost noon! I guess I was pretty tired.
The day was quite lazy, with the kids finishing up homework, reading or playing games most of the day. Patrick and I watched a movie tonight (the new 21 Jump Street, funny but also very crass... beware) and the kids were in the other room playing games together (no, we did NOT let them watch it... not kid friendly).
I'm looking forward to our upcoming 2 day school week and then Thanksgiving! How the time does fly!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
November 17, 2012
Outside Temp: 50 F (It was almost 60 today! I guess last week's storm was just teasing us!)
What I cooked today:
Nothing: Busy day today, so I didn't cook.
Update:
So proud of our boys today! They played at 2:30, and then again at 7:30, against the same team! It's amazing how the tournament bracket ends up working, but they did great. The team they were playing is the only team they lost to during the regular season.
For the final game, they were neck in neck for the entire first half, never more than 2 points difference between the teams. We were evenly matched, with us (in the stands) on the edge of our seat as we would pull ahead, then they would tie it up. Back and forth, for most of the first half. Then (I don't know what the coach told them during halftime), by the second half, they pulled ahead and ended up with a 44-28 win!
By the time we were about 10 points ahead, the other team seemed to be psyched out enough that they were making desperate moves. The last 1:30 of the game, both teams put in their second string players to finish out the game. I think that was the most fun, as the stress was (mostly) removed, and the players were less experienced, so they made some unexpected moves. Allen got a foul for being too aggressive, which was fun to watch.
Allen had such a great time on the team this season. Although he is not a starter, with 10 kids on the team, everyone ends up playing at some point. He has learned so much and has really improved! His coach is amazing and so supportive of him.
And I have to admit, I'm kind of glad the season is over... no more picking him up at 6pm every stinking night! Woo hoo!
What I cooked today:
Nothing: Busy day today, so I didn't cook.
Update:
Congratulations to our District 7C Junior High Boys Basketball Champions!!
So proud of our boys today! They played at 2:30, and then again at 7:30, against the same team! It's amazing how the tournament bracket ends up working, but they did great. The team they were playing is the only team they lost to during the regular season.
For the final game, they were neck in neck for the entire first half, never more than 2 points difference between the teams. We were evenly matched, with us (in the stands) on the edge of our seat as we would pull ahead, then they would tie it up. Back and forth, for most of the first half. Then (I don't know what the coach told them during halftime), by the second half, they pulled ahead and ended up with a 44-28 win!
By the time we were about 10 points ahead, the other team seemed to be psyched out enough that they were making desperate moves. The last 1:30 of the game, both teams put in their second string players to finish out the game. I think that was the most fun, as the stress was (mostly) removed, and the players were less experienced, so they made some unexpected moves. Allen got a foul for being too aggressive, which was fun to watch.
Allen had such a great time on the team this season. Although he is not a starter, with 10 kids on the team, everyone ends up playing at some point. He has learned so much and has really improved! His coach is amazing and so supportive of him.
And I have to admit, I'm kind of glad the season is over... no more picking him up at 6pm every stinking night! Woo hoo!
Friday, November 16, 2012
November 16, 2012
Outside Temp: 42 F (Almost 60 today... Clear skies for the next few days!)
What I cooked today:
Frozen Pizza: I threw a frozen pizza into the oven for the kids, before we headed off to the tournaments. It may have been terrible, but it might be considered food. Maybe.
Update:
Allen's team had the first game of their tournament today! They won! Woo hoo! We get to play again tomorrow at 2:30, so we'll see how that goes. We are playing a really hard team, but I have faith in our boys! The only downside is that the tournaments are in Moore, which is about an hour away. Lots of driving time!
Kathryn woke up this morning with a migraine, so she took some Excedrin, and went back to sleep. Around 9:30, she woke back up, saying she was feeling good enough to go to school, since she was worried about all the tests she had today. Since I was going to the school to get Ryan at 11am anyway, I said I'd bring her then. She went right into class, and took her tests that she missed in the morning. She even offered to stay in during lunch to make sure she got them all done. I'm so proud of her dedication!
What I cooked today:
Frozen Pizza: I threw a frozen pizza into the oven for the kids, before we headed off to the tournaments. It may have been terrible, but it might be considered food. Maybe.
Update:
Allen's team had the first game of their tournament today! They won! Woo hoo! We get to play again tomorrow at 2:30, so we'll see how that goes. We are playing a really hard team, but I have faith in our boys! The only downside is that the tournaments are in Moore, which is about an hour away. Lots of driving time!
Kathryn woke up this morning with a migraine, so she took some Excedrin, and went back to sleep. Around 9:30, she woke back up, saying she was feeling good enough to go to school, since she was worried about all the tests she had today. Since I was going to the school to get Ryan at 11am anyway, I said I'd bring her then. She went right into class, and took her tests that she missed in the morning. She even offered to stay in during lunch to make sure she got them all done. I'm so proud of her dedication!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
November 15, 2012
Outside Temp: 28 F (we had a high of 54 today, which means the snow is almost totally gone... but I've heard tell that it will be back...)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Pasta: Didn't plan, or organize anything. Asked the kids the age old question: Beef or Chicken. Chicken would have been chicken soup, but I'm almost out of chicken stock (gasp!), so it was burgers...
Update:
Busy day!
I got to substitute today for our music and Junior High teacher, so I got to spend 3 periods with Connor and 2 periods with Allen, and a period with Katie. I love getting the chance to teach my own kids! Granted, it was a test in Civics, then a worksheet in Math and another worksheet in music, but it was fun just the same!
During lunch, I stopped over at the Senior Center, where we were having a meal (of totally wonderful turkey and stuffing and potatoes, yum!). There was a local company that was giving a donation to the center, so they invited the community to come out for the presentation! And, Katie's class went over there, to distribute their monthly newsletter. It gives them a chance to mingle with some of the community members, which I just love!
On the drive home, we were listening to the radio and Katy Perry's California Gurls (yes, spelled incorrectly, because the woman does not know how to spell), and Connor spent the entire song explaining that it was totally not true. After all, we lived in California for years, and no, people did not walk around in stilettos and Daisy Dukes and Bikinis. The grass there is not green, it's brown. The palm trees are imported. And most of LA is not anywhere near a beach. The song is such false advertising. And yes, this is how Connor actually talks.
Today was also the last practice for Allen's basketball team! We have tournaments tomorrow night, and then again on Saturday, and then the season is done, finished, over! Does it make me a bad mom that I am cheering right now, if only because I don't want to drive back and forth to pick him up from practice. :)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Pasta: Didn't plan, or organize anything. Asked the kids the age old question: Beef or Chicken. Chicken would have been chicken soup, but I'm almost out of chicken stock (gasp!), so it was burgers...
Update:
Busy day!
I got to substitute today for our music and Junior High teacher, so I got to spend 3 periods with Connor and 2 periods with Allen, and a period with Katie. I love getting the chance to teach my own kids! Granted, it was a test in Civics, then a worksheet in Math and another worksheet in music, but it was fun just the same!
During lunch, I stopped over at the Senior Center, where we were having a meal (of totally wonderful turkey and stuffing and potatoes, yum!). There was a local company that was giving a donation to the center, so they invited the community to come out for the presentation! And, Katie's class went over there, to distribute their monthly newsletter. It gives them a chance to mingle with some of the community members, which I just love!
On the drive home, we were listening to the radio and Katy Perry's California Gurls (yes, spelled incorrectly, because the woman does not know how to spell), and Connor spent the entire song explaining that it was totally not true. After all, we lived in California for years, and no, people did not walk around in stilettos and Daisy Dukes and Bikinis. The grass there is not green, it's brown. The palm trees are imported. And most of LA is not anywhere near a beach. The song is such false advertising. And yes, this is how Connor actually talks.
Today was also the last practice for Allen's basketball team! We have tournaments tomorrow night, and then again on Saturday, and then the season is done, finished, over! Does it make me a bad mom that I am cheering right now, if only because I don't want to drive back and forth to pick him up from practice. :)
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
November 14, 2012
Outside Temp: 37 F (it was almost 50 today!! The snow is melting, but I've promised the kids that it will be back!)
What I cooked today:
Nothing! Woo hoo!
Update:
Thank you so much for all the wonderful birthday wishes! I love facebook! I got to re-connect with so many friends and family! I would say I wish I had a birthday every day, but then I'd get really, really old, so I'll just be grateful for my once a year thing!
What I cooked today:
Nothing! Woo hoo!
Update:
Thank you so much for all the wonderful birthday wishes! I love facebook! I got to re-connect with so many friends and family! I would say I wish I had a birthday every day, but then I'd get really, really old, so I'll just be grateful for my once a year thing!
Katie made this cute little guy in our front yard yesterday afternoon... The snow is melting fast and she wanted to make at least one snowman, while she could. I keep trying to tell her that the snow will be back, but I don't think she believes me. This morning, she asked if we could have a white Christmas, because "I've never had one before!". How do you argue with that logic?
So, I was welcomed this morning by multiple 'Happy Birthday's" on my email and facebook, which I just love! As the day went by, I looked forward to checking my e-mail or facebook page, to see if I had any more messages. I love it! At the school, our (totally fabulous) secretary told the entire school, over the PA system, to wish me a happy birthday! Heheheh, I feel so loved today!
After school, Patrick and I headed into town with the kids to get our shopping done, and have a great family dinner out (which means that not only did I not have to cook, but I didn't have to clean either! Score!). I even picked up our monthly meat order from our wholesale guy, so I have a freezer full of protein.
As my 37th birthday draws to a close, I am so grateful for my life, and all those in it. With all the crap going on in the world, I am so utterly blessed to have my family and friends. I firmly believe that every moment of your life, both good and bad, has brought you to who and where you are today. And, since I am thrilled with my life right now, I have all those people who have existed in my life (at one point or another), and all the moments prior to this one (both good and bad) to thank. So, Thank You!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
November 13, 2012
Outside Temp: 38 F (it was into the 40's today, which really helps the ice and slush on the roads)
What I cooked today:
Chicken and Fried Rice: We went with chicken again tonight, mostly because I haven't gotten to the store to get any ground beef. Hopefully, tomorrow. But, the chicken worked and made everyone happy, so no complaints!
Update:
Woo hoo!
Allen's team won their game tonight, which means they are in 1st place going into the tournaments this weekend! I'm so proud of the team!
We drove into Great Falls this morning, to get the boys their allergy shots. The temp was right around 33, and the roads were very, very icy. However, at one point I had to complain about the person driving the car in front of me. The highway out to Great Falls is a 2 lane highway, with areas where it might be safe to pass, but only a few actual 'passing' lanes. So, if you get behind someone going slow, you may be out of luck for a while, until there is a safe place to pass and no oncoming traffic.
With the ice, I was very hesitant to pass, even when it was clear. However, I think this young girl just kept getting more and more nervous. We started out going about 50 MPH, which seemed okay. After a couple miles, she dropped it down to 40 MPH. There was no (or very little) wind, and it was clear. So, the only problem was the icy roads. And I could understand 40.
But, when she dropped down to about 25 MPH, on the highway, I started getting annoyed. At one point, she slowed down so fast, I was afraid I would slam into her. I finally decided to pass, which made me very nervous, but it was fine. As we passed, I glanced over at her, and she seemed just as calm as could be, not even aware of the 10 cars or so piled up behind her, going 25 MPH on the highway. I was so grateful to speed back up to my 43 MPH!
This also gave me the opportunity to talk to the boys about driving on ice and snow. I can't believe they might be driving soon, so I want to use every excuse I can to remind them about black ice, and going slow, but not so slow that you make it dangerous for drivers behind you, using turnouts when you are uncomfortable but cars are piling up behind you, and avoiding driving at all if you have the option. I don't know if they actually heard any of it, so I'll have to try again next time!
What I cooked today:
Chicken and Fried Rice: We went with chicken again tonight, mostly because I haven't gotten to the store to get any ground beef. Hopefully, tomorrow. But, the chicken worked and made everyone happy, so no complaints!
Update:
Woo hoo!
Allen's team won their game tonight, which means they are in 1st place going into the tournaments this weekend! I'm so proud of the team!
We drove into Great Falls this morning, to get the boys their allergy shots. The temp was right around 33, and the roads were very, very icy. However, at one point I had to complain about the person driving the car in front of me. The highway out to Great Falls is a 2 lane highway, with areas where it might be safe to pass, but only a few actual 'passing' lanes. So, if you get behind someone going slow, you may be out of luck for a while, until there is a safe place to pass and no oncoming traffic.
With the ice, I was very hesitant to pass, even when it was clear. However, I think this young girl just kept getting more and more nervous. We started out going about 50 MPH, which seemed okay. After a couple miles, she dropped it down to 40 MPH. There was no (or very little) wind, and it was clear. So, the only problem was the icy roads. And I could understand 40.
But, when she dropped down to about 25 MPH, on the highway, I started getting annoyed. At one point, she slowed down so fast, I was afraid I would slam into her. I finally decided to pass, which made me very nervous, but it was fine. As we passed, I glanced over at her, and she seemed just as calm as could be, not even aware of the 10 cars or so piled up behind her, going 25 MPH on the highway. I was so grateful to speed back up to my 43 MPH!
This also gave me the opportunity to talk to the boys about driving on ice and snow. I can't believe they might be driving soon, so I want to use every excuse I can to remind them about black ice, and going slow, but not so slow that you make it dangerous for drivers behind you, using turnouts when you are uncomfortable but cars are piling up behind you, and avoiding driving at all if you have the option. I don't know if they actually heard any of it, so I'll have to try again next time!
Monday, November 12, 2012
November 12, 2012
Outside Temp: 38 F (it was as high as 41, and the low was in the high 20's. The snow is turning to slush, which is a bear to drive though. Fortunately, it didn't freeze back into ice for the drive home!)
What I cooked today:
Chicken Soup with Orzo: Patrick asked for soup, and since he helped me clean up after the game, I figured I owed him. It's so yummy with the Greek seasoning, and a dash of lemon juice. The pot was licked clean!
Update:
We had to finally dig our cars (or at least one of them) out of the snow this morning. The kids got on the bus as usual, but I had to drive to pick up Ryan, which meant that I needed my car.
I decided to go with the van, since it had the least amount of snow on it, and it (still) has the snow tires. I went outside, and there was just a little snow on the ground. Okay, there was still a lot of snow, but it seemed a lot less than it was, so I figured I was safe. I brushed the snow off the windshield and the windows, and climbed up into the van.
I started the car and threw it into reverse. I thought the tires were straight, so I just backed up slowly. However, with the amount of snow on the back window, I couldn't tell that I was veering to the right, right off the driveway and into the snow bank. After a few feet, I was stuck in the snow. Doh...
So, I woke up my 'knight in shining armor' to rescue me. We went back and forth for a while, trying to get the van out of the slushy, snowy, wet mess it was now stuck in. Finally, we got the car mats out of the Aveo, and put them under the front tires. After making sure the car was in first gear, not drive, we slowly pulled forward. Voila, we were out of the snow!
Patrick then drove back and forth over the driveway, compressing the remaining snow, and making sure that I could get back into the driveway without a problem. Of course, I was smart enough to do all of this at 9 am, a full 2 hours before I needed to be at the school. So, when I went to leave to pick up Ryan, I was assured that my van would work, and I wouldn't have any problems with the snow!
This evening, Allen had his 2nd to last basketball game, at Geyser! I love basketball games at home, since it means that we only have to drive 14 minutes after the game to get home. And, in this case, I got to work the concession stand. I actually love working concessions, since I get to chat with everyone. I only wish that I didn't have to miss the game. However, due to the marvels of modern technology, I got Katie to video it on the Microsoft Surface, so I could enjoy it when I got home.
They won their game, which was great. That means that they have only lost 1 game this season! Their last game is tomorrow night, and they are expecting to win (they have already won a game against this team). That means that they will be in first place going into the tournaments on Friday! Woo hoo!
What I cooked today:
Chicken Soup with Orzo: Patrick asked for soup, and since he helped me clean up after the game, I figured I owed him. It's so yummy with the Greek seasoning, and a dash of lemon juice. The pot was licked clean!
Update:
We had to finally dig our cars (or at least one of them) out of the snow this morning. The kids got on the bus as usual, but I had to drive to pick up Ryan, which meant that I needed my car.
I decided to go with the van, since it had the least amount of snow on it, and it (still) has the snow tires. I went outside, and there was just a little snow on the ground. Okay, there was still a lot of snow, but it seemed a lot less than it was, so I figured I was safe. I brushed the snow off the windshield and the windows, and climbed up into the van.
I started the car and threw it into reverse. I thought the tires were straight, so I just backed up slowly. However, with the amount of snow on the back window, I couldn't tell that I was veering to the right, right off the driveway and into the snow bank. After a few feet, I was stuck in the snow. Doh...
So, I woke up my 'knight in shining armor' to rescue me. We went back and forth for a while, trying to get the van out of the slushy, snowy, wet mess it was now stuck in. Finally, we got the car mats out of the Aveo, and put them under the front tires. After making sure the car was in first gear, not drive, we slowly pulled forward. Voila, we were out of the snow!
Patrick then drove back and forth over the driveway, compressing the remaining snow, and making sure that I could get back into the driveway without a problem. Of course, I was smart enough to do all of this at 9 am, a full 2 hours before I needed to be at the school. So, when I went to leave to pick up Ryan, I was assured that my van would work, and I wouldn't have any problems with the snow!
This evening, Allen had his 2nd to last basketball game, at Geyser! I love basketball games at home, since it means that we only have to drive 14 minutes after the game to get home. And, in this case, I got to work the concession stand. I actually love working concessions, since I get to chat with everyone. I only wish that I didn't have to miss the game. However, due to the marvels of modern technology, I got Katie to video it on the Microsoft Surface, so I could enjoy it when I got home.
They won their game, which was great. That means that they have only lost 1 game this season! Their last game is tomorrow night, and they are expecting to win (they have already won a game against this team). That means that they will be in first place going into the tournaments on Friday! Woo hoo!
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