February 29, 2012

Outside Temp: (in Seattle) around 30-40... not really sure, but it was clear and pretty.

What I cooked today:
Oh yea, like I cooked today... hahahahahaha

Update:
We survived the drive out here!  Woo Hoo!

We are in Seattle for a clinic appointment for Ryan.  I know, just a clinic visit.  But it's worth it to meet our new Transplant team and let them meet Ryan.  And it's much better to meet a new team when things are going well, instead of when things are going, uh, not well.

So, we headed out around 8:45am this morning from the house.  We stopped in Great Falls to fill up the gas tank and spend about $50 on junk food, soda, chips, and extra candy bars (just in case we crashed the car in the snow, and needed the extra calories...)

The drive was absolutely beautiful!  I don't think I can explain how pretty it was, and since I totally forgot to take any pictures, you'll have to believe me.

It took about 3 hours to get to Missoula, MT.  We went over a snow pass on the way there, but it didn't snow much and we had no problems.

From Missoula, we headed through the rest of Montana, and into Idaho.  Apparently, Idaho is only about 60 miles across (at least this part of it), but there was another pass.  We, again, made it through with no problems.  A little snowy at times, but the roads were clear.  We stopped outside of Spokane for gas, and started across the plains of eastern Washington. 

By around 6ish tonight, we made it to the Cascade mountain range.  This time, there were traffic advisory warnings, etc.  "Traction Tires Advised.  Chains on trucks over 10,000lbs."   The snow was coming down pretty hard, and the roads were filled with slush and snow.  By the time we hit the top of the pass, the "advised" for traction tires was upgraded to "required".  We saw 2-3 cars that slid off the road.  A U-haul truck, towing a car, slid off the road, and ended up straddling the snow pack on the side of the road.  No one seemed hurt, just slipping and sliding on the road.

Of course, we have 'magical' tires.  Our totally awesome snow tires, with studs, are amazing!  We were not only able to skip the 'chains' thing, but we could stay on the road the entire time, and were even able to pass other cars and drive at reasonable speeds!  For a while, we stayed behind the sheriff's car, since we figured if he could go 45 MPH, then we could go that fast as well.

As we got closer to the top of the mountain, they lowered the max speed to 35 MPH, which was fine since the sun had gone down, and it was dark and we had no problems slowing down. 

We made it down the mountain by 8ish PM, and headed into Seattle.   Not bad timing!

Of course, about a hour outside of Great Falls, we realized we had forgotten one of Ryan's medications.  So, we stopped at a local pharmacy and got a few pills to tide us over until we get home.  Really nice pharmacist who had no problem checking out prescription and getting us the meds we needed.

Then we picked a hotel.  Since we weren't sure if we would make it into Seattle tonight (if the pass was closed or if we had any problems), so we didn't reserve a hotel room.  We picked one in downtown Seattle, so we headed over there.  By the way, for those who have never been to Seattle, it totally reminds me of San Francisco, mixed with downtown LA.  Lots of tall buildings, but also hilly.  Of course, it's dark, so I'm not sure if I'll stick to that assessment tomorrow. 

The hotel was even kind enough to give us a discount since we are going to the hospital!  We decided to walk down to a pizza place in town for dinner.  Ryan realized he likes mushrooms. Who knew?

Clinic is tomorrow afternoon (2:45pm), so we have the morning to check out Seattle.  We might go to the aquarium or maybe the Space Needle.  I'm not sure what to do, since we can only play for half the day (or maybe only a few hours,  if we sleep in). 

Ryan is already knocked out, and Patrick is catching up on some work he didn't get to do today (obviously!).  Hopefully, everything will got great tomorrow!

February 28, 2012

Outside Temp: 29 F (although it's probably hitting single digits tonight)

What I cooked today:
Burger and Pasta: Woo Hoo!  No more food out for me!  (until tomorrow)

Update:
We're Home!!!

The docs said that since Ryan was totally NOT sick, he couldn't stay anymore.  Okay, that's not how the phrased it, but it's good that we got to go home!

I was even able to make it to the school for the spelling bee.  Neither of my kids did well, but I was there to be supportive.  After all, I can't spell.

I got Katie's poem and her check for $50 today.  They took her picture to put it in the paper, so hopefully, I can get a copy!  The certificate says, "1st place in the 4th Grade Division of the National Pet Week Essay Contest".  I've included her poem here:

I have a dog

Who couldn't get up

She tried and tried

But she couldn't get up

I knew that something was wrong

So I took her to the vet

So I could know

What's wrong with my pet

But when I got there

I found what was up

My dog that I have

Was going to have pups

So in the end

We had six pups

Now I know

Why she couldn't get up.

I still laugh, since she has not only not ever had a dog who had puppies, but she has never had a dog.  She doesn't even own a pet!  My girl has a great imagination

We are heading to Seattle tomorrow, with Ryan. We finally get to meet the transplant team over there, assuming we survive the drive.  I'm praying that the weather behaves, although we are preparing with lots of extra water, granola bars, blankets, etc.  We're also stopping to get chains for the car, even though it has studs on the snow tires... just in case. 

If all goes well, I'll get a chance to blog about our trip tomorrow night... assuming I'm not stuck in a snow bank!

February 27, 2012

Outside Temp: 32 F (it was in single digits this morning, then suddenly was in the 30's... hmm)

What I cooked today:
Nothing, since I'm in the hospital with Ryan, I had cafeteria food for breakfast and went out to dinner with Patrick.  So spoiled.

Update:
So, we are still in the hospital, but Ryan is trying his best to convince the team that he is not sick.  He was running around, jumping up and down, laughing and playing all day long.  I guess he's convinced them, since they are intending on discharging us soon.

Our current plan is to still head out to Seattle on Wednesday.  Since we have the appointment set up, it seems silly to put it off.  We are only on one IV antibiotic, and it's only once a day.  Really, really easy.

Patrick came into town today to get the oil changed in the car.  I vividly remember a Jiffy Lube on Margarita that was $19.99 for an oil change.  Granted, we never actually just got an oil change, but that the base price.  Apparently, either oil prices have gone through the roof, or things are just more expensive up here.  The base price for the oil change was somewhere in the $40's.  Wow!

As for regular gas prices, I was sitting here smugly two weeks ago, when people started complaining about gas prices.  Ours held steady at $2.99 a gallon up until about a week ago.  Suddenly, the prices jumped.  Granted, I can't complain.  Gas is $3.25 a gallon today, but it was $3.20 yesterday.  Oh well, if only we weren't planning a long driving trip!

February 26, 2012

Outside Temp: Not sure... probably in the teens

What I cooked today:
Nothing...

Update:
I switched with Patrick today, so I'm at the hospital with Ryan, and Patrick is hopefully asleep, or if not, then staying up until 7am to get the kids ready for school.

Ryan is feeling a lot better, and spent most of the day playing video games on the XBox.  We're not sure how long we are going to be in, but hopefully, we'll be home quickly.

I think the kids went up sledding at the grandparents, but since I wasn't there, I didn't get any pictures. 

I'll probably be here for at least a few days.  I only hope that Patrick doesn't leave me with a weeks worth of laundry to do when I get home!

February 25, 2012

Outside Temp: 14 F (it's been snowing most of the day, and the temp has ranged from the high 30's to the low teens.  Fortunately, I didn't have to drive today, except the block to and from church)

What I cooked today:
Burgers and Pasta: Katie wanted meat, and she didn't care what kind.  Two days this week of no meat (Ash Wednesday and Friday for Lent) was really getting to her.  Allen wanted pasta.  I made everyone happy... Go me!

Update:
So, Ryan's bug turned into a real bug.  We got the call last night from the doctor that his culture was growing Gram Negative Rods, which is medical speak for an infection.  Patrick and I figured that it was probably an infection, since he started shivering after we hooked up his TPN, so this just confirmed it.  We packed up the bag and Patrick headed into town.  We are totally fortunate that our doctor is also the hospitalist, which means that he's the doctor on the Peds floor (at least last night).  When Patrick walked into the hospital, Ryan's room was all ready for him, and his antibiotics were waiting. 

After about an hour, his shivers had stopped and he was feeling better.  Antibiotics are so stinking cool!

He still has a slight fever (around 99ish), but he might have a cold on top of the infection.  Of course, this little trip into the hospital will alter our plans for Seattle, but that's okay.  We are thinking that the hospital might just fly us out there during this admission, or we might delay our clinic visit for another few weeks. 

Patrick said he has been behaving today, and even tried eating some things.  We are debating if I'm going in tomorrow to switch with him.  I said I wouldn't mind, but he has to get the kids ready for school, ON TIME, in the mornings... That might be reason enough to stay.  That, and the shower with real water pressure...

February 24, 2012

Outside Temp: 27 F (no more snow, yet...)

What I cooked today:
Lentil Soup:  It's a Friday during Lent, which means no meat.  Patrick has been asking for soup, so I made up a soup with my chicken broth and some beans.  It amazing how easy it is, and good.  We used a few garbanzo beans, yellow split peas and some lentils.  Added to the onions, celery and carrots, it was great.  And, we had no leftovers, which is good since it means I don't have to find a Tupperware bowl to put it in!

Update:
First and foremost, GO WOLVERINES!  Our boys basketball teams won both games today, which puts them in 3rd place for the division.  If Highwood looses the game that is going on right now (it should be over by 10:30ish), we can play them to challenge for 2nd place.  Woo Hoo!

Patrick finds it hysterical that I'm so excited about the basketball games.  Since I had too much to do today, I couldn't actually attend either the game at 12:30 or the one at 7:00.  But I could listen on the radio!  It's amazing how I can actually follow the game on the radio. Prior to coming up here, I never even watched a basketball game (except the one Lakers game we got tickets through the hospital).  I couldn't even tell you how many players were on the court or how much each basket was worth. 

But tonight, listening to the game at home, I was pacing around the house, calling out cheers for our boys, booing when the ref called a bad play, and running into the bedroom to tell Patrick each play.  After the 9th time I came in to update him, explaining that we were still ahead by 5, but it was about time our coach called a timeout, since we'd lost about 7 points in the last minute, he just dissolved into laughter.  I know, I have absolutely no idea how to coach the team, and our coach is doing an awesome job, but, but, but...

Okay, enough basketball...

Today, I brought Ryan into clinic.  After getting his labs drawn, we went to lunch, where he asked for chicken strips.  Ryan actually asked for something to eat.  I was stunned.  But I went ahead and ordered him chicken strips (I had the fish, since, again, Lent so no meat.  But Ryan is exempt, I'm sure).  He actually ate about half of a chicken strip before he started to complain that his tummy hurt.  Uh, duh, his tummy can only hold about 5 bites of food.  But hopefully, the more he eats, the bigger his tummy will get!

After lunch, he started acting tired and a little cranky.  By the time we got to clinic, he was shivering and still complaining about the cold.  In clinic, our doc told us that his labs were awesome.  Not tolerable, not good, but awesome.  His platelets were stable and his electrolytes were totally normal.  Even his white blood count was in the 4s, which is totally normal for him.  So, we figure that his ucky feeling was probably related to a bug or virus, not a line infection.  He had a low grade fever (around 99-100), and just fell asleep in the doctors office.  We went ahead and drew blood cultures, just in case, then gave him a dose of Tylenol.

Our doc asked that we stick around in town for another hour or so (which worked since I had to get my shopping done), and give him a call before we headed home.  After clinic, he laid in the cart while I shopped, then fell asleep in the car on the way home.  His fever seemed to go away, and he didn't show any other bad signs.

He slept about 2 hours after we got home, then perked right up and watched his movies. I didn't ask him to join us for dinner, but he seems to be doing okay right now.

The big test will be the two hours after we hook him up to his TPN tonight (we just hooked him up, so I have to watch him for the next 2 hours or so).  If he stays good with no fevers, we can just write it off to a standard virus.  Otherwise, we'll either bring him in or wait to see how the cultures end up.

The good news is that he gained another 1 1/2 pounds!  He's around 58 lbs now, which is totally awesome.  He's gained about 7 pounds in the 6 months since we got up here!  For him, that's great!

February 23, 2012

Outside Temp: 27 F (a little bit of flurries, but no significant snow...)

What I cooked today:
Chili: Yummm, totally easy and warm tonight, which worked since we had so much going on.

Update:
We went into town tonight to watch the boys divisional game.  The game was at the Montana Expo, which is a large stadium.  We had so much fun cheering on our team.  The game was so stinking close (and I firmly believe that the refs made some really bad choices), but we lost, just barely.  It was still really fun being part of the community with our team.

The boys are playing the consolation game tomorrow, but we have clinic with Ryan, so I'll have to cheer along with the radio!

February 22, 2012

Outside Temp: 28 F (crazy weather today... see below)

What I cooked today:
Nothing: not because I didn't want to, but I couldn't... (again, see below).

Update:
Oh my goodness... I finally get it!  They say if you don't like the weather in Montana, just wait a few minutes, because it will change.  Boy, were they right!

We started the day nice and breezy.  Clear skies, even though the weatherman said it would rain and/or snow today.  Oh sure, it was pretty!

Around 9am, it got a little cloudy, but not bad.  Just that cloudy when the clouds cover the sun and it gets kind of dark, but then the clouds move and it's pretty again.

By 10am or so, it was windy.  Not just your nice day wind, but real wind... like knock you over wind.  But still pretty and clear.

By noon it was warm.  The sun was blazing down and it was clear as a bell.

By 2pm, it started to rain.  Not enough to clean my car (which really, really needs it), but enough that I used the wipers 2-3 times on the drive into the school.

By 3pm, it was a mixture of sleet and hail and rain and snow.  I couldn't really tell which one, since it kept changing. 

By 4pm, as we drove home from school, it was snowing.

Around 4:15pm, the power went out.  Not sure if this would be a quick thing or a long thing, we sent the kids out to play in the snow.  But after a full day of school, no one really wanted to play.  Lazy bums.

At 4:30pm, we decided the power wasn't coming on anytime soon, so proceeded to play Clue around the kitchen table with candles.

At 5:45pm, we left for church (Ash Wednesday) and the power was still out.(of course, the garage door wouldn't open, but we were lucky in that it wasn't that heavy to lift).  About half way to Belt, we finally saw lights on in houses again.  We tried calling our house (to see if the answering machine answered), it didn't.

Fortunately, the power was on at the church in Belt, so we were able to have the Ash Wednesday service.  Of course, afterwards, the power was still out at our place, which limits your choices for dinner.  Fortunately, Aunt Marilyn (who is totally awesome) invited us to her place for Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. 

Around 8:30pm, we finally got our answering machine, so we headed home. 

The drive home was slushy half way, and then snowy the other half.  We probably got a few inches of snow in the 3 hours since we left.  The house wasn't too cold (I guess we were lucky again in that it was only in the 30's and 20's today, not the -10's!) and the pellet stove and space heaters came right on as soon as the power did. 

I'm so grateful that the power company was able to restore the power so quickly!  I was a little afraid of how cold the place might be, especially without my awesome electric mattress pad.  But I knew that worse case, we could always invade the Grandparent's house!  Now, we don't have to worry!

February 21, 2012

Outside Temp: 43 F (yes, 43... like, 11 degrees above freezing... I'm guessing we're just having an early spring... Just don't ask me when we had winter... I missed it...)

What I cooked today:
Walnut Chicken: I even made up some fried rice to go with it.  The kids and Patrick and I really, really like this chicken.  It's made with sherry, sesame oil and soy sauce.  Yummm.

Update:
Ryan's teacher was sick today, so we didn't have to go into school.  I'm going to try to make an appointment for him to see his doctor tomorrow, since I doubt if she'll be up to seeing him tomorrow... she sounded really bad on the phone.

Patrick's mom made cookies today, and Ryan got to help!  Patrick didn't want to say aloud how much he liked the cookies, since he thought it would make me upset.  I couldn't complain... I loved them!  And not only did I not have to do anything, I didn't have to clean up afterwards either!  Bonus!

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, so we have been debating which mass to attend.  Logic would have us go to the 8am mass, since we could just get ready with the kids and head out the door as they got on the bus.  But, we know that we are too lazy to actually get up and ready by 7:30am, if we have the option.  And there is another mass at 6:30pm, so I'm using the excuse that the kids can come with us.  Does that make me a bad Catholic?

I got the notification from the IRS, California and Montana that our taxes have been accepted.  Woo Hoo!  We didn't have to pay either state, and we got money back from the feds.  Of course, while looking over my Montana state taxes, I realized that TurboTax made a mistake (okay, I made the mistake, but TurboTax didn't catch it).  It filed my state taxes as full year resident, not part-year resident.  So, today I waded back through the bowels of TurboTax to create my amended state return.  Oh well, I still don't have to pay anything!

February 20, 2012

Outside Temp: 26 F (we had some snow flurries today, but nothing stuck... we are 'scheduled' to have snow or rain for the rest of the week)

What I cooked today:
French Toast (with bacon):  Okay, the bacon was on the side, not actually in the french toast.  But, as Connor says, everything is better with bacon... Smart kid.

Spaghetti Sauce: I didn't have time to make it in the crock pot (okay, so I had time, but I didn't get started until about 4pm, so given that, I didn't have time... Had I scheduled earlier, I would have had time), so I just made it in a pot on the stove.  It wasn't bad, but it didn't have time to really absorb all the flavors.  No complaints, though, and there's a little extra for lunch tomorrow.

Update:
So, I struggle with 'President's Day', since I don't think the office of the President is significant enough to justify a holiday, especially with some of the offenses of some of our presidents.  I really don't like us elevating the President to the status of a king, as some do, since he is simply a man who has been elected to a position.  But, it does mean that I get a Monday where I don't have to wake up and get the kids ready for school, so I can't complain too much. 

Katie had a birthday party for one of her friends as school, so I was up somewhat early (by 9:30am) making breakfast for everyone.  I was able to finish up my three thousand loads of laundry, that didn't get done last week, due to my illness.  Okay, it wasn't really 3000 loads of laundry, but it has been running for the last two days, practically non-stop. 

We are also starting to plan our trip to Seattle.  Ryan has clinic in Seattle on the 1st of March.  We are probably going to drive (it's about a 9-10 hour drive), since it's cheaper and faster than the train, and no one wants to fly.  We'll probably stay an extra day to sightsee or something like that.  I've never been to Seattle, so I'm hoping that we have a good time.  More importantly, I'm hoping that Ryan stays healthy, since our hotel reservations are non-refundable. 

February 19, 2012

Outside Temp: 27 F (it was absolutely clear tonight... You could see thousands of stars!)

What I cooked today:
Nothing: The kids went skiing and then we had dinner with the Grandparents... Woo hoo!  No dishes!

Update:
I was still a little under the weather, so I decided to stay home with Ryan while the rest of the family went up skiing.  I never realized how much the other kids help to entertain Ryan!  With just the two of us, he was quite demanding of my time... Mom, come play with me... Mom, let's play zombies... Mom, come and get me!... Ugh, I'm exhausted!

Katie and Connor both went down intermediate (Blue) runs up at the ski slopes.  They have really advanced this year!  In fact, I think since I wasn't at the lodge to hang out with, they spent about 6 hours skiing, with very few breaks!  I'm so proud of them!

We had dinner with the Grandparents tonight.  One of our friends gave Grandma some Elk steaks.  Since we'd never tried elk, it was a great way for us all to try it together.  It was great!  Really, really lean, so, next time we might try marinating or tenderizing a little bit.  But it was really good. 

We finished the night watching 'Red Riding Hood' with the kids.  I was a little worried that it would be more of a horror movie, which I usually hate. Instead it was more of a murder/mystery with a little romance on the side.  It was much better than I expected.  I only hope that I don't have nightmares of werewolves tonight.

February 18, 2012

Outside Temp: 33 F (I've decided that we've just skipped winter and started an early spring... )

What I cooked today:
Nothing: After church, Patrick and I decided to have a date night in town...

Update:
We had church today, where I got to do the readings.  Afterwards, our priest said I did a good job and he wanted me to help with the Good Friday readings.  I am so excited!  I still get to read again next week, and then I'm off for a few months.  I just love our church!  They make me feel so accepted and appreciated.

Date Night!  Woo Hoo!

Patrick's parents took Katie and Ryan after church up to their place, and we were bored, so we decided to head into town for a DATE NIGHT!! 

Of course, being us, we spent about an hour and half at the bookstore.  Since my bible is packed somewhere in a box labeled 'Books'  (there are about 15 boxes labeled 'Books' in my garage) and I didn't want to go searching, we decided it was time to get a new bible for the kids. 

We then went out to an awesome Greek place in Great Falls, and tried their 'Illiad', which is a combination of all the classic Greek foods.  It was wonderful!  I think it's because everything Greek seems to have lemon juice in it.  Even the lamb was great (of course, anything is great with served with Tzatziki sauce).

We even stopped at Baskin Robbins for ice cream.  And every day is great if it has ice cream in it.

It was sort of our 'Valentine's Day' dinner out...

The funny part was that we were going to watch a movie, but it didn't start until 7:20, so we decided not to ask the parents to watch the kids until 10.  As it was, we didn't get home until about 9:30, so our big sacrifice was useless.  Oh well, I'm sure the movie will be out on Netflix before long!  And it did give us a few hours to just talk.  Amazingly, after 17 years together, we still find things to talk about!  :)

February 17, 2012

Outside Temp: 17 F (it was darn right warm today... somewhere in the 50's?)

What I cooked today:
Tacos: Totally easy and made everyone happy.

Update:
I'm feeling better... at least better enough to spend 4 hours in town today. 

I even managed to go to the library.  I haven't been in a public library in probably 20 years.  Not since high school.  But since the Great Falls library allows you to 'borrow' e-books for your Kindle, I thought it would be worth it.  Patrick wanted some books on hydroponics and Connor is doing a report on Jefferson, so I picked up a few books for them.

I got into one of Connor's books on Jefferson during lunch.  Who knew how interesting the election of 1800 was?  The battle between the Federalists, who wanted big government, and the Republicans, who wanted limited government.  Hmmm, sound very familiar... I wonder how it ended?

Then, when I got home, I looked up the e-book stuff.  I spent the last 3 hours reading a book that I didn't have to pay for, on my Kindle!  Woo Hoo!

To top off the day, one of the people at the school posted a picture of Allen dancing yesterday... LOVE IT!

February 16, 2012

Outside Temp: 37 F (still haven't stepped outside, so it really doesn't matter)

What I cooked today:
Goulash: I actually felt good enough to cook dinner.  I still couldn't smell it, but everyone ate and we have a little for leftovers, so maybe I can smell it tomorrow.

Update:
Feeling better today.  Not great, but better.  I think tomorrow I should feel good enough to go into town.  We seriously need milk.

The kids school had a pep rally in Stanford today for the Basketball team.  At the rally, they had a dance competition, and wouldn't you know it, my oldest decided to participate!

I really, really wish I felt good enough to go!  He said that he had fun and the kids cheered him on.  He did a few moves that I would call breakdancing, if it was 20 years ago.  Not sure what they call it these days, but it looked kind of awesome to me.  Afterwards, he said some kids said he was cool. 

Hopefully, someone at the school got a picture, so I can post it.  He was so proud of himself! 

February 15, 2012

Outside Temp: 29 F (again, didn't step a foot outside)

What I cooked today:
Soup: I talked Patrick into making dinner, but he got called away with work stuff, so I had to brown the meat and toss in the veggies.  But since he did all the cutting of the veggies, I guess he gets to claim he cooked.  Not sure exactly what you would call the soup, but it was a sort of ground beef, vegetables, taco seasoning stew, and pretty good.  (Considering that I can't smell anything)

Update:
Still sick.

Praying that I feel better tomorrow. 

In my head, while I was debating writing my blog tonight, or just skipping it, I was coming up with the top 10 reasons why it sucks to be sick, but I kept forgetting them as I thought of new ones.  Here's what I have as of this moment:

10. Unable to remember basic facts.  Allen will be studying FDR and the New Deal, on which I know I have strong opinions, and I can't remember what my opinion is.  Then we went on to Algebra, one of my favorite subject (I know, I'm nuts), and I couldn't remember which axis was X and which was Y.  I'm useless to the kids until I feel better.

9.  Everyone want to snuggle with you, and all you want is to be left alone.  I don't want to get anyone else sick, my breath is toxic, I ache everywhere, and yet, my kids need to give me hugs.  Ah, I love them, and I'm grateful for them, so I'll suffer through the snuggles. 

8. The simple knowledge of everything that is not getting done while you're in bed.  I know that laundry will still be waiting for me, when I feel better.  We're out of milk and fabric softener.  I need to order more ground beef.  And that doesn't help me want to get better any time soon!  (at least the kids are keeping up on the dishes, so I don't have to worry about those!)

7.  That period of time between the time you realize you're sick and you finally break down and take something for it.  It usually takes me between 5-10 hours of sniffing and sneezing and aching and stuffy, pressure head, and complaining, before I get around to taking something.  We have plenty of medicine in the bathroom, just waiting patiently for someone to use it.  But no, I have to be stoic or something. 

6.  NyQuil is not as effective as it used to be.  I vividly remember taking NyQuil as a kid (or young adult) and being unconscious for 10 straight hours.  In fact, if you woke me up before the 10 hours were up, I would feel drunk and totally out of it.  Either they've modified the recipe or that extra weight makes a difference.  Last night, the NyQuil lasted a total of 5 1/2 hours.  Which means I was up at 3:30 am, sniffling again.  Of course, I didn't want to take more, since I had to get the kids up for school at 7.  So, I just suffered. 

5.  Boring.  Even when I'm sick, I can only sleep so much.  Mostly, because I kept sniffing and sneezing.  So, I'd lay in bed, tossing and turning, trying to get the ache out of my shoulders.  I gave up trying to sleep and tried to read instead.  After reading the same page about 4 times, I gave up.  I should have known better than to try to read The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer, when I'm sick. 

4.  Inability to smell.  In this case, it was a good thing, since Patrick complained there was something that wasn't right in the fridge.  The smell was so bad that he was gagging.  But, since I couldn't smell anything anyway, I was able to go through all the leftovers until I found the leftover mashed potatoes from last week (or was it the week before?).  Of course, it also means that I couldn't smell the awesome dinner we had, but I guess I'll be grateful for little things.

3.  Other people just don't appreciate how loud they talk.  In my family, everyone (yes, me included) talk way, way too loud.  In fact, the standard operating procedure is that if the other person isn't responding, just talk louder.  Of course, when you are trying to sleep in the next room, it's insane.  I yelled a few times for them to quiet down, but they were talking too loud to hear me.  When I banged on the wall, Patrick came in and said "Are we too loud?".  Uh, duh!

2.  Ability to focus is gone.  I asked the kids the same question about 3 times, before I just gave up.  If they went to school without their gloves, I really don't care.

1.  Breathing is totally taken for granted.  Who knew how useful it was to be able to breathe through your nose when you sleep?  Now I have chapped lips. 

February 14, 2012

Outside Temp: 11 F (not that I would know... I haven't stepped outside at all today!)

What I cooked today:
Nothing: Unless you count the 4 pieces of toast I had today. 

Update:
Sick.  Ugh, I hate being sick.

Woke up with a stuffy head, and it just got worse during the day.  I had 2-3 peaceful hours when Patrick took Ryan to school.  But as soon as the kids came home, it got loud and annoying.

I only pray that I'll feel better tomorrow.

Now, I get to get stoned on NyQuil and pass out for 10 hours (I hope!)

February 13, 2012

Outside Temp: 35 F (we had a 10 minute snow storm around 9am this morning, then clear and almost warm the rest of the day!)

What I cooked today:
Chicken Soup: A great way to feed the family (quickly) for (almost) free.  I had my chicken stock from a few weeks ago, along with the chicken breasts (from that chicken).  I sauteed up some onions, celery and carrots, then tossed in the stock.  I took a chicken breast from the freezer, cooked it up and threw it into the pot.  We still had a half a box of pasta stars, so that went in.  And voila, we had a really healthy, delicious dinner.  Woo Hoo!

Update:
Ryan had speech, and occupational therapy this morning.  I need to remember, when we go skiing on Sundays, that Mondays are just going to suck.  Ryan was tired as well, so we were quite the pair, trying to stay awake during class time. 

His occupational therapist was quite impressed at his ability, and thinks that he's doing great.  She'll keep an eye on him, and continue to suggest things that will help.  Right now, we just need to work on his fine motor control, such as trying to write his letters.  His speech is also coming along.  He's been working on 'F', which he really struggles with. The interesting thing is that when a new word is introduced, he can make the 'F' sound just fine.  It's the words he's already learned incorrectly that he really struggles with.  He said 'Firefly' just fine today, but he couldn't say 'Phineas and Ferb'. 

The best part was the end of the day, after he'd been borderline awful with getting his work done.  We went outside to the playground, where some of the other kids were already playing.  One of the boys looked over at us and yelled, "Hey!  It's Ryan!" and came running up to play with him.  They played 'Zombies', which I figured out was a form of tag, and Ryan was in the middle of the kids, playing along.  I almost cried, it was so stinking awesome.  Of course, then I got tagged, and became a zombie and had to chase after the other kids.  After all, zombie's don't cry.

This evening, we had our Adult Faith Class, which was great, as usual.  A lot of the people who are normally there, were gone since it's now calving season.  Which means, we finished up the video early.  Which, then in turn, meant that Patrick and Grandpa could start discussing politics and economics.  The other members graciously allowed them to discuss for about 30 minutes, before Grandma and I could get the menfolk to head out the door.  I laughed, since I've warned Patrick about discussing his radical economic views in the community too early.  Oh well, they're going to figure it out soon enough! 

February 12, 2012

Outside Temp: 37 F (argh, warm... snow is gone... )

What I cooked today:
Nothing: Since I don't really count the breakfast sausages I made before we went up skiing, since it was more like a side dish and not a real meal.  Okay, wait, I did have to turn on the oven and it did take some time, and I had to clean a dish, so yea, I made sausages. 

Update:
It's Sunday, which means we HAD to go skiing!  Woo Hoo!


Allen, Grandpa and Patrick took off as soon as we got there and I didn't see them again for hours! (which explains my lack of pictures of my oldest).

Connor and Katie went up by themselves, which allowed them to ski at their own pace.  They both did great and Patrick has a new run he wants them to try next time.  I was a little surprised, when both of them came down the mountain, alone, then just jumped back on the lift... like they'd been doing this for years.  So proud of them!

Ryan is starting to get the hang of the 'snow plow', but he still has a ways to go.  We let him go down the practice slope without the harness a few times today, which resulted in him smashing into either me or Grandma (he broke one of her nails when he ran into her, so I took over the duties at the bottom of the slope, since I have no nails to break).  We had to put him back on the harness, just to keep his speed reasonable.  But, I like to go FAST!  I think next time, we might actually let him go up the mountain with Patrick and Grandpa, just to see how he does.  I think he sees the lift and the mountain as this magical place, and he really, really wants to go up there. 

We couldn't have asked for better weather up on the mountain today.  It was in the mid 20's, sunny and clear with a few pretty clouds, with almost no wind!  I had to take off my jacket, my vest and my scarf.  I even went without gloves for most of the day.  It was simply beautiful!

February 11, 2012

Outside Temp: 17 F (a little chilly, and no more snow)

What I cooked today:
Burgers and Potatoes: You know that day where you really, really don't want to cook dinner.  If we were in CA, we totally would have gone out to eat tonight.  But, alas, no food within 20 miles, so, I had to make dinner.  Of course, the troops were rightly grateful, but I still didn't want to make it.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (without the chips!): The kids made cookie dough a few nights ago, so they have learned how easy it is to make.  They love the dough and Patrick suggested they leave out the chips.  I thought he was nuts, but it made everyone happy.  I seriously doubt if the dough will ever see an oven.

Update:
I got to do the readings for church, again.  It was easier this time, since I'm starting to feel more comfortable reading in front of people.  It's a great way to get over my (very common) fear of speaking in public.  I think I'll have Allen read next week, since it would be great for him to get the experience.  I love that we have this opportunity!

We also assigned liturgical assignments for the year, so both Patrick and I (and the grandparents) got ourselves assigned to multiple positions in the church.  I love how easily they have accepted us into the community.  Of course, they may just be happy to have a warm body able to do these things.  But I'm trying to think that they might actually like us.

Ryan joined us for dinner, again, and managed to eat 1/2 of his hamburger, some potatoes and a few green beans.  I know, it doesn't sound like much.  But for him, it's a feast!  He's still learning about not stuffing his face, swallowing between bites and using his drink to wash down his food.  But he's eating!  I can't wait for clinic (probably next week, or maybe the week after) to see how his weight is doing.  I'm so excited!

At school last week, Ryan's teacher had him name off things in the fridge.  Items like a cob of corn, or a turkey (or chicken, I couldn't tell) or milk or ice cream or Popsicles.  Ryan couldn't really name most of the items.  And his teacher thought he just didn't know the names.  I was trying not to laugh too hard and I said, "Not bad for a kid who doesn't eat."  She just looked at me stunned, then laughed.  She'd forgotten that he doesn't eat!  But, if he keeps eating like he has been, maybe by next year, he'll know some of those items.  Especially the ice cream! 

February 10, 2012

Outside Temp: 14 F (a little bit of snow today... not enough to stick, but still really pretty... big fat flakes of snow!)

What I cooked today:
Pizza: After my trip into town, and spending the rest of the day at the computer, I just didn't want to cook.  So glad I had my Little Caesar's pizzas still in the fridge.  Everyone had their own special personal pizza!

Update:
I went into town to get all my shopping done.  It's amazing how fast and cheap it goes when Patrick isn't with me!  When he's with me, we spend an hour at a nice lunch, and then while shopping, he keeps picking up things that are not on my list.  Not today!

Once I got home, after spending less that $100 for all my shopping, and gas for the car, and getting my necklace fixed, I spend the rest of the afternoon working on the inventory for the church.  We took pictures last week of every item that needed to be inventoried, so I spent this week entering in all the descriptions and pictures into the database.  By the end of the day, I had over 150 items catalogued and documented. 

Tomorrow, I can bring the list to the church and we can determine if anything is missing (or if anything needs to be removed).  I'm so glad that I can do something useful!

During dinner, Ryan decided he wanted his own piece of pizza, and then proceeded to eat the whole thing (okay, so he left the crust, but he ate all the toppings and most of it!).  Patrick and I couldn't stop grinning!

February 9, 2012

Outside Temp: 25 F (it's been getting a little colder the last few hours... I've heard that we might be in for a little snow... )

What I cooked today:
BBQ Chicken: When I made up my chicken stock last week, I packed the legs and thighs into FoodSaver bags and tossed them into the freezer.  Since neither Patrick nor I really care for the legs or thighs, I used to put them in with the stock and just throw them out.  But, the kids really like them, so I thought I'd save them back.  So, today, I pulled out the eight legs and thighs, defrosted them, tossed them in BBQ sauce and threw them in the oven.  Totally easy meal, and essentially free... awesome...

Update:
When the kids got home from school, all four of them started playing a game.  I know it sounds funny, but Patrick and I were both shocked to hear Ryan playing along with the other kids.  He usually does his own thing, but tonight, they were all playing together!  It's not uncommon for normal siblings to do this, but with Ryan, it's sort of like a break through. 

On top of that, he sat with us all through dinner, and actually ate some chicken without us having to force it down his throat.  Usually, we're lucky to get 2 bites into him, before he takes off.  But tonight, he stayed at the table the entire dinner, and ate about 10 bites.  A small amount for a normal kid, but it's really great for him. 

So, we're just feeling really grateful, that being up here seems to be agreeing with him so well!

February 8, 2012

Outside Temp: 36 F (we had a low of 5 degrees this morning, when I sent the kids to school... it was in the 30's by 11am)

What I cooked today:
Bean Soup: Patrick asked for soup, and I didn't know what to make, so I tossed 2 quart jars of chicken stock into a pot with some carrots, celery and onions.  Then I threw in some garbanzo beans, black eyed peas and split peas.  Next time, I have to make sure I measure the beans.  An hour or two later, all the fluid was gone and the beans has swelled up to fill almost the whole pot.  I added some water, and it turned out fine, but next time, less than 2 cups of beans.  Measure them!!

Pitas: Patrick's mom gave us some home grown sprouts, and Patrick wanted to make pita sandwiches tomorrow.  We got some really thin sliced ham at the store this week, so I decided to make up a few pitas.  Either I just stink at this, or there is something weird with my oven.  I cooked up two batches of 4 pitas each, and each time, one of the 4 pitas puffed up correctly.  Each time, the other 3 pitas stayed pretty flat.  They were all the same thickness, in the same oven.  Not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I guess I'll just keep trying until I get it right.

Update:
Allen went to a Trade Rodeo (like a trade fair) in Great Falls today, where they had people from different professions telling the kids about their trade.  He got to play in a Carpentry race, where they had to hammer in nails, measure area and carry 2x4s.  There was also a R/C car, powered with bio-diesel fuel.  And an engine, where they were shown the different parts.  I don't know if he learned anything or now has a trade he might be interested in, but he did get to miss school for the day, and had fun.  I guess that's all that matters!

February 7, 2012

Outside Temp: 13 F (A little more snow today, not much... So pretty!)

What I cooked today:
Chili and Cornbread: Of course, I only had one little can of kidney beans, so we had mostly ground beef and tomatoes, with a few kidney beans.  Oh well, it still got all eaten up.  And we have some leftover cornbread to munch on tomorrow!

Update:
So, we have officially been accepted into the community.  Apparently, there is a rumor around town about us.  I had to laugh at the comment: "Everybody is talking about it."  Must be a slow day around here.  Oh well, I guess this is what you get in small towns.  The good part is that I'm sure there will be another rumor next week about someone else.

We are still looking for a new place to live.  We found a place we were pretty happy with, but it was a little small (3 bedrooms, so all 3 boys would have to bunk together).  Then we found out today that we might be able to rent a place with 5 bedrooms, but it won't be available for a few months.  Now, we have to decide what to do. 

We talked with our current landlord today, and he seems pretty happy to have us stay a while longer (at least through the winter, as we're paying the heating bills), assuming no one wants to buy the place.  We're asking some questions, trying to determine if the larger place will work for us, while still keeping the smaller place in our minds.  I'm trying to be positive that everything will work out for us eventually.

February 6, 2012

Outside Temp: 21 F (We had snow today!  Woo Hoo! )

What I cooked today:
Steaks and Potatoes: So, I bought some petite sirloins at Smiths about 2 months ago, and I immediately packed them and put them in the freezer.  So, I pulled a few out today to defrost for dinner.  I knew, before they were even defrosted, that they wouldn't be great.  They weren't.  They were edible. Allen liked them.  But they weren't great. I think I'll avoid grocery store steaks from now on.  Just the meat warehouse...

Update:
So, about 2 weeks ago, it was Pet Week for the Auxiliary American Veterinary Medical Association.  They had a creative writing contest, with the title "Love Your Pet, See Your Vet".  It was open to elementary school students, so, Katie's class had everyone (yes, all 6 of them) write either an essay or a poem, to submit for the contest.  We got the call today, Katie won for all the 4th graders in Montana!  She gets $50, a press release in the local paper, and moved to the National contest! 

The best part: She doesn't even own a pet!  Her poem was about a dog having puppies, or something like that.  I haven't even read it.  But I think she's probably the only kid in Montana who doesn't have a pet!

Ryan got to play 4-square with the 1st and 2nd graders in school today.  I really need to spend some time with him, teaching him how to bounce a ball.... you know, little things that you naturally assume kids know how to do.  The other kids were so nice to him, and he did fine, but I think his teacher would like to be able to let him play without her having to hit the ball for him!

We had our faith class tonight, on Peter and Paul.  I learned so much about both of them, it was great!  The DVD was talking about Paul, during the time he was prosecuting Christians, when he was met by Jesus on the road to Damascus.  He took about 3 years in Arabia afterwards to re-evaluate his life before he fully committed to preaching.   Even though he had an amazing experience, it ran counter to everything he believed.  So, instead of just having an immediate 180 degree switch, he spent time thinking, and praying, and analyzing before he felt confident enough to speak about the subject. 

February 5, 2012

Outside Temp: 22 F (again, it's been in the high 40's - low 50's all day)

What I cooked today:
Pizza: I used the personal pizzas from Little Caesars Fundraising kit tonight.  They were fun, because everyone got to have exactly what they wanted on their own little pizza.

Update:
Patrick and I went into town today, while 3 of the 4 kids hung out with Grandma (Allen got to go skiing with Grandpa today).  The Realtor from Great Falls showed the house today, so we had to be gone anyway.  It's actually kind of nice to have to clean the house, since I end up with a clean house out of the deal.  I know it's kind of a pain, but I really hope that the owner can sell the place.  That may sound a little strange, since if he sells the place, we'd have to move, but since we're planning on moving anyway, I'm just grateful he let us rent it in the first place!

The only downside is that we'll have to actually move again.  Which means I need to start thinking about boxing things up.  And, of course, the ugly part of moving the furniture.  I'm soooo not looking forward to that.  We have a piano... 'nuff said. 

In town today, it was in the high 40's (ish).  We saw many people out and about in t-shirts and saw one guy in shorts.  I had to laugh, since I'm sure 50 degrees up here is summer weather.  He even had flip-flops on!  Patrick and I both thought we were too warm with our sweaters on, over a t-shirt, with jeans.  In February!!

The weather is a little bit different from what I expected.  I really thought that it would be freezing every day from November until May.  But here we are, in February, with only a few days of snow and a few days below 0.  I'm sure winter will be here soon enough, so I'm trying not to be worried.  Out here, the farmers need a certain amount of moisture for their crops.  I only pray that we'll have a wet spring!

February 4, 2012

Outside Temp: 25 F (it was over 50 most of the day... we opened the house and aired it out for about 3 hours, until it started getting cold)

What I cooked today:
Burgers and Potatoes: I asked and this is what Katie wanted.  Easy!  I laughed, since I was prepared to make something big and time consuming... Nope.  Just burgers and potatoes.

Update:
So, Allen and Connor both wanted to say Grace tonight, instead of Patrick or me, which was fine.  Allen's Grace consisted of:

"Thank you God for this food... and for making it smell so good."

Connor then said his Grace, which was:

"Thank you Lord for giving us the resources to enable our mother to make this wonderful meal." 

I had to hold in my snicker.  I mean, really, what 10 year old kid uses words like 'enable' appropriately in a prayer to God?  I loved it!  I asked him after dinner to repeat it, just so I'd remember it to write it down here, and he could repeat it word for word.  I think he'd been working on that all day. 

Today was a pretty good day.  We spend a lot of time cleaning, in preparation for the people who are looking at the house tomorrow.  Patrick kept asking me how we could produce so much dust in just 5 months.  I laughed and said that if he was willing to help me clean sometimes, it wouldn't get so bad. 

We boxed up the homeschool curriculum, since we'll be moving soon anyway, and we aren't currently using it.  It was kind of hard for me, since I was really enjoying homeschooling the kids.  But I still firmly believe that at this point in their lives, going to Geyser is better for them.  I struggle with some things, especially when I see their work come home and I know they can do better, but because I'm not hanging over their shoulders, they are allowed to slide (a little).  The school is great, please don't think I'm complaining about the school.  I'm just struggling with the fact that I'm not really involved in their day-to-day school work anymore. 

On the flip side, I'm not involved in their day-to-day school work anymore!  We never have the complaints about "Mom, I don't want to do my spelling or my English or my math" anymore, since they almost always finish their work in class.  Which means the time at home is much less stressful and more fun and happy.  And we still have some great conversations over the dinner table.

Tonight (after our awesome Grace), Connor asked for the salt, and when he said "thank you", he said it in a voice that reminded me of Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels.  If anyone has seen the movie, where Steve Martin is sitting at the dinner table, and he asks to use the restroom... Oh my goodness, I almost choked on my dinner, I was laughing so hard.  Then I turned to Patrick and just said the movie title and repeated "thank you.", which resulted in Patrick laughing so hard he almost spit out his drink.  Then, the kids started saying "thank you", thinking that was the joke... which only made us laugh harder.  I'm not sure if they would appreciate the awesomeness of that movie yet.

I also got to do the first and second readings for church today.  (for my non-Catholic friends, church always has 2 readings and the Gospel, which is always read by the priest.  A lay-person, i.e. me, usually reads the first two readings).  I still struggle with speaking in public, just like 90% of the world, but it's just a great group of people in our church, that I wasn't all that nervous.  Okay, I was a little nervous.  I was just so happy that the church has accepted us into the community!  Our family gets to do the reading for the rest of the month, so I'll probably be up there next Saturday, too! 

February 3, 2012

Outside Temp: 19 F (a little chilly outside, but it's been nice and warm all day, in the 40s.)

What I cooked today:
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup: A total classic.  Is there anything better?  Of course, at least one child had only the soup and one child had only the sandwich, but Patrick and I ate enough to make up for it!  Yummmy.

Chicken Soup with Stars: I think my husband was the biggest kid at the table.  "ooooo, stars!  They're soo cool!".  He was so excited about the silly stars.  Of course, he really liked the soup and only added a few pinches of salt.  He is always, always adding salt to food.  I've come to realize I can never salt it enough, so I just salt it enough for me, and let him add all the salt he wants.

More Chicken Stock: I was almost depressed when I saw that whole fryer chickens were on sale for $0.88 / lb at Albertsons this week.  But I picked up two chickens anyway, and waited until today to make my stock.  I'm getting better at it.  I'm really getting better at cutting up the silly chicken.  Legs and Thighs come off in one nice slice, and they go right into a FoodSaver bag and into the freezer for BBQ chicken, someday.  Then I slice off the wings and throw them in the pot (that is already simmering with onions, celery and carrots, and about 8 cups of water).  Then I carefully slice off the breasts.  This is the kind of tricky part, since I like to have them cut off perfectly.  I'm getting pretty good.  Then, of course, the rest of the carcass goes into the pot.  Add some salt and pepper and the lid and just babysit all day, adding extra water as necessary.  I pulled out about 4-5 cups of stock to make my soup, and just added extra water back into the pot.  Since I had another 2-3 hours before I started pressure canning the stock, I knew the water would absorb all that nice flavor. 

I also realized that I only have to pressure can the stock for about 25 minutes, not the 90 minutes I did last time.  Which is good, since I have 2 batches to can.  The first batch is already done, just de-pressurizing. 

Update:
Thank goodness, today was a better day than yesterday.

We were able to finish off some our apologies today (one will have to wait until tomorrow), which prompted my child to say:
"You know, mom, saying sorry does actually make you feel better."

Then came the day of forced manual labor.  My child had to scrub some really nasty windows, inside and out.  Then clean the bedroom.  Then Ryan's room, vacuuming both.  Then the laundry.  Then the dishes.  Then the floor.  Then homework could finally be started.  After dinner consisted of cleaning the family room, which is kind of a mess (all Ryan's fault, I'm sure). 

No computer, no TV.  Not even watching siblings play. 

Oh boy, did the day suck for my child.  But I hope that lessons were learned.  We may continue his forced labor through the weekend, I haven't decided yet.

We also got a call from a Realtor in Great Falls, saying they wanted to show the house to someone on Sunday.  Now, we're not total slobs, but we have a lot of stuff that really has no place.  Since we knew our stay here was not permanent, a lot of things are still in boxes and such. 

So, today and tomorrow have had us going around the house, closing up boxes and putting them in the garage.  We really want the place to look nice for whomever is coming by.  We have been here since September, and this is the first time someone wanted to see the house.  I know the owner really, really wants to sell it, but with all the issues, I can imagine it's going to be pretty hard to sell the place.  If we can make the place look nice, maybe the person coming by will buy it.  And since we're looking for somewhere else to live anyway, there's no hard feelings. 

So, in a "making the best of a bad situation", I'm getting a little extra help cleaning up the house, and my child is getting the chance to make justified reparations.  Talk about killing 2 birds with one stone... which is pretty hard to do, I can imagine.  Not that I've ever tried to kill a bird with a stone... Or tried to kill a bird, period.  Hmmm, I'll have to try that sometime, just to see if it's really that hard!

February 2, 2012

Outside Temp: 19 F (we got a little snow this morning, but it's supposed to be sunny for the next few days. Most of the snow was gone by this afternoon.)


What I cooked today:Pasta: I didn't really want to cook today, since I had a few other things on my mind. I had the kids make pasta, which is totally easy. I know, no protein, but I didn't really care.

Update:
Have you ever had that day where you really questioned your ability to raise good children? You know, that day where your kids do something that makes you think you must be the worst mother in the world to have created and raised a child who would behave in such a manner? Yea, I've had that day today.  (Patrick butted in and said I was making it sound like this child killed someone or something... it wasn't that bad.)

Without getting into details, one of my children did something, then didn't tell the truth when asked about it. Ugh, I hate lies more than anything in the world. Finally, around 7:30 tonight, we finally got down to the truth.

Once I had an idea of what occurred, I forced this child of mine to repeat the details of the event. He asked me, "Well, if you already know the truth, why do I have to say it?". Ahh, teaching moment.

We spent some time discussing the power of admitting what you did, out loud, to someone. Even if everyone knows what you did, it can make you live in denial if you don't have to admit it. Maybe you start to justify what you did. Maybe, as time goes on, you change the story; change your role in it. You might even make yourself into the victim, or at least absolve yourself of guilt. But without admitting it, and apologizing and asking for forgiveness from those you wronged, you can never move on.

So, my child started by apologizing to me, for lying. And for being stupid. And for embarrassing the family. Punishment, in the form of forced labor and removal of privileges, has already begun.

My child still needs to apologize to others, but since it was so late by the time we finished our discussion, we couldn't make those calls tonight. Hopefully, we will be able to resolve this soon, because this ugly feeling in my tummy just sucks.

February 1, 2012

Outside Temp: 41 F (it was supposed to snow tonight... I don't really see that happening unless it drops another 10 degrees, and starts raining... maybe tomorrow... )

What I cooked today:
Orange Chicken: Katie had to do the dishes tonight, so I thought if I made something she liked, she might not complain as much.  Although she was not happy, she did the dishes without complaint.  Woo Hoo! 

Update:
We saw a house that we might be renting today.  Although it needs some work, mostly just a little love and a little elbow grease, we have a few things we need to check on first.  Most important would be if the location can get DSL.  I'm not sure Patrick could survive with dial up.  :)

Allen got to go to a Health Care Career Day in Great Falls today.  He really enjoyed himself (I think because he got to miss half of the school day)!  Of course, he's only 13 and in 7th grade, so he has a while before he really has to think about long term careers.  But it was great to get him thinking about stuff like this early.  He kept asking if I thought it would be a good idea for him to be a surgeon.  I laughed.  Uhhh, sure.  Why not? 

Most important, I finally got my garbage dumped!  Patrick and his dad took the garbage to the dump this afternoon, which was so totally awesome.  Who knew, a little thing like removal of garbage could feel so awesome. 

I'm also working on a new project.  I haven't programmed in a while (I was kind of busy with homeschooling and stuff like that), but I find myself with some free time lately.  So, I decided to work on a web site application that can keep track of my recipes and my meal planning.  If I do it right, I can select recipes, drag and drop them on the calendar, then print out both the meal plan and  the shopping list.  Since I have to plan my meals in advance, since I can't run to the store to pick up green onions or sugar anymore, it would make things easier if I had a program to help me keep track of it. 

I sometimes forget how much I LOVE to write computer programs.  Patrick and I first met in a computer lab (yes, I know, totally geeky), and our first couple of weeks consisted of him helping me through my first computer classes.  That feeling I get when I make something work, is just awesome.  I know, most people might think it's lame, but that's me. 

I'll update when the program gets a little further along.  If it's something that something thinks they can use, I can design it to have multiple users.  And if it's just me, that's okay too!