Outside Temp: 52 F (clear and beautiful, then cloudy, then rain, then cloudy, then rain, then clear, then... It's been like this all day.... I love it!)
What I cooked today:
Taco soup: It's just ground beef with taco seasoning, then carrots, celery, onions and tomatoes. But it's a soup, which Patrick wanted. It's ground beef, which was defrosted. And it's easy, which I wanted!
Update:
Church today, then into Great Falls for some shopping. Allen needed track shoes (as opposed to basketball shoes, as opposed to street shoes, as opposed to baseball or soccer or football shoes... I mean, really? Different shoes for each sport. lame)
So, I'm traveling down the highway at around 80 (which is pretty normal), when I see the highway patrol pass me, and immediately turn around on the highway and come up behind me. I mean, really?
"I clocked you going 79 MPH back there." he said.
Really? 79? And I wasn't getting passed?
I had my licence and my registration and my insurance info ready for him, and he looked it over and asked, "Where are you going?"
I explained that I was heading into town for my weekly shopping, since we're from Raynesford and we only go into town once a week.
He looked over my car (yes, my little Aveo) and said, "You can fit a week's worth of groceries in here?".
He was kind enough to give me a warning and let me go, which was totally awesome. I'm sure he ran my plates and my licence, just to make sure I wasn't wanted for murder somewhere. But I was totally stunned that he was letting me go. In California, I think they run your plates and issue the ticket before they even step up to your window.
There was a 'Officer in Training' standing back, so I'm figuring that he was training a new recruit. And my car is yellow, and I was going over the speed limit, so I was an easy target. And since I don't have to actually pay anything, and it only took a few minutes of my time, I'm more than willing to be a teaching moment for someone else!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
March 30, 2012
Outside Temp: 44 F (not sure of the weather here, but it was 70 and beautiful in Billings)
What I cooked today:
nothing... ate out twice, which makes me really want to cook tomorrow, since I'm decided I hate food at restaurants. I mean, Denny's... okay, I expect crappy food there. But we went to Red Robin for dinner, and it was, well, not bad, but certainly not good. Maybe it's not enough salt. Or maybe the beef wasn't as good as what we get here. There was nothing specific to complain about, it just wasn't good. Oh well, I have no reason to eat out for the next few day (or weeks...)
Update:
Allen had the Geography Bee in Billings today. He didn't win, and he could have done better than he did, but I think he did okay. We didn't study as much as we could have, but I don't think he took it that seriously. Now, we know the format and how the Bee is done. He did great on the US Geography questions, which is where we spent a lot of out study time. But he got 3 questions about Africa, and he is just not interested in that continent. So, we didn't study there as much as we could have. Next time, he'll do much better.
The drive out to Billings was about 3 hours, so we brought the other kids up to the Grandparents place around 7am this morning. I'm not usually up at 7, and I'm certainly not dressed and ready to go. And Ryan is NEVER up that early. But we somehow managed to get up and out the door. While I was bringing the kids up there, Patrick and Allen got ready. So we were out of here by 7:15ish.
We, of course, had to stop for junk food at Eddie's Corners (which is about 45 minutes from the house). We just needed to have donuts and soda and beef jerky and candy. I'm not sure exactly why we needed all this junk food, but I'm sure it was a matter of life and death.
We made it into Billings around 10:30, which was about an hour too early. So, we hit Denny's for breakfast/lunch. By the way, Denny's is just nasty. Just in case you didn't already know. I mean, Denny's has always been mediocre, but now, it just tasted terrible.
We went back to the Bee, and got registered. They split the 100 students into groups of 20. Each group went through 8 rounds of questions. Allen did fine on the first 3, but he got stumped on the 4th. By the time they got through 8 rounds, he knew that he had missed too many. Out of the the 100 students, there were 7 kids who didn't miss any. The 9 kids who only missed 1 competed for the remaining 3 spots in the finals.
We stayed to watch the finals, which were great. I'm sure if Allen had made it to the finals, he would have been so nervous, he would have missed questions anyway. The girl who won was so relaxed and calm. I was amazed at how comfortable she was, standing in front of about 200 people (the other 90 students, and their parents and siblings, etc). She was very gracious when she won, and we were rooting for her (especially since we no longer had to root for ourselves).
Allen was a little upset that he had let his school down, but I figure he made it this far and I was pretty impressed. And, since he's never done anything like this before, I think he did great. And now, he knows how to prepare better for next year!
We hit Red Robin for dinner and then started the 3 hour trek home. It was kind of nice, though, to be able to talk with Allen. We got to just have those awesome discussions about random things, from politics, to economics, to history, to life in general. I love our discussions!
What I cooked today:
nothing... ate out twice, which makes me really want to cook tomorrow, since I'm decided I hate food at restaurants. I mean, Denny's... okay, I expect crappy food there. But we went to Red Robin for dinner, and it was, well, not bad, but certainly not good. Maybe it's not enough salt. Or maybe the beef wasn't as good as what we get here. There was nothing specific to complain about, it just wasn't good. Oh well, I have no reason to eat out for the next few day (or weeks...)
Update:
Allen had the Geography Bee in Billings today. He didn't win, and he could have done better than he did, but I think he did okay. We didn't study as much as we could have, but I don't think he took it that seriously. Now, we know the format and how the Bee is done. He did great on the US Geography questions, which is where we spent a lot of out study time. But he got 3 questions about Africa, and he is just not interested in that continent. So, we didn't study there as much as we could have. Next time, he'll do much better.
The drive out to Billings was about 3 hours, so we brought the other kids up to the Grandparents place around 7am this morning. I'm not usually up at 7, and I'm certainly not dressed and ready to go. And Ryan is NEVER up that early. But we somehow managed to get up and out the door. While I was bringing the kids up there, Patrick and Allen got ready. So we were out of here by 7:15ish.
We, of course, had to stop for junk food at Eddie's Corners (which is about 45 minutes from the house). We just needed to have donuts and soda and beef jerky and candy. I'm not sure exactly why we needed all this junk food, but I'm sure it was a matter of life and death.
We made it into Billings around 10:30, which was about an hour too early. So, we hit Denny's for breakfast/lunch. By the way, Denny's is just nasty. Just in case you didn't already know. I mean, Denny's has always been mediocre, but now, it just tasted terrible.
We went back to the Bee, and got registered. They split the 100 students into groups of 20. Each group went through 8 rounds of questions. Allen did fine on the first 3, but he got stumped on the 4th. By the time they got through 8 rounds, he knew that he had missed too many. Out of the the 100 students, there were 7 kids who didn't miss any. The 9 kids who only missed 1 competed for the remaining 3 spots in the finals.
We stayed to watch the finals, which were great. I'm sure if Allen had made it to the finals, he would have been so nervous, he would have missed questions anyway. The girl who won was so relaxed and calm. I was amazed at how comfortable she was, standing in front of about 200 people (the other 90 students, and their parents and siblings, etc). She was very gracious when she won, and we were rooting for her (especially since we no longer had to root for ourselves).
Allen was a little upset that he had let his school down, but I figure he made it this far and I was pretty impressed. And, since he's never done anything like this before, I think he did great. And now, he knows how to prepare better for next year!
We hit Red Robin for dinner and then started the 3 hour trek home. It was kind of nice, though, to be able to talk with Allen. We got to just have those awesome discussions about random things, from politics, to economics, to history, to life in general. I love our discussions!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
March 29, 2012
Outside Temp: 46 F (sunny and beautiful all day...)
What I cooked today:
Chicken Soup: Dinner was late tonight, and I tossed in lentils into the chicken stock (with veggies) before I realized I was already putting in chicken (I diced up a chicken breast and sauteed it first). I should have cooked it a little longer, but it was still good.
Update:
Parent teacher conferences tonight. The kids are all doing well in school, although I had to get on Allen's case for getting a B+ in math. It totally should have been an A (yes, I am one of those parents). He did do an awesome project in Shop class. He made a fish out of wood, stained it and sanded it down. I was pretty impressed!
I also found out that my fingerprints were rejected... because they were too smudged (not because of a wild night in Mexico during college). I had to go back into Stanford to the Sheriff's office and get re-fingerprinted. It's amazing; they make it look so easy on TV to fingerprint someone, but it's actually really hard. I could not relax my hand enough and it took about 20 tries before we decided it might work. Oh goodness, I am praying that it gets through okay.
Tomorrow is Allen's Geography Bee in Billings, which means we have a very long day ahead of us. The other kids will be hanging out at the grandparents place, so they don't have to make the 3+ hours into Billings and the 3+ hours back home.
Allen is pretty nervous, mostly because an article came out in the paper today about the Bee. He made the front page, which is stinking awesome. I love it out here. But I have to make sure next time that I check his interview answers before it goes to press... there were a few things he got wrong, but I think he did okay. I just hope that he doesn't get so nervous tomorrow that he messes up. He really wants to make his school proud!
What I cooked today:
Chicken Soup: Dinner was late tonight, and I tossed in lentils into the chicken stock (with veggies) before I realized I was already putting in chicken (I diced up a chicken breast and sauteed it first). I should have cooked it a little longer, but it was still good.
Update:
Parent teacher conferences tonight. The kids are all doing well in school, although I had to get on Allen's case for getting a B+ in math. It totally should have been an A (yes, I am one of those parents). He did do an awesome project in Shop class. He made a fish out of wood, stained it and sanded it down. I was pretty impressed!
I also found out that my fingerprints were rejected... because they were too smudged (not because of a wild night in Mexico during college). I had to go back into Stanford to the Sheriff's office and get re-fingerprinted. It's amazing; they make it look so easy on TV to fingerprint someone, but it's actually really hard. I could not relax my hand enough and it took about 20 tries before we decided it might work. Oh goodness, I am praying that it gets through okay.
Tomorrow is Allen's Geography Bee in Billings, which means we have a very long day ahead of us. The other kids will be hanging out at the grandparents place, so they don't have to make the 3+ hours into Billings and the 3+ hours back home.
Allen is pretty nervous, mostly because an article came out in the paper today about the Bee. He made the front page, which is stinking awesome. I love it out here. But I have to make sure next time that I check his interview answers before it goes to press... there were a few things he got wrong, but I think he did okay. I just hope that he doesn't get so nervous tomorrow that he messes up. He really wants to make his school proud!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
March 28, 2012
Outside Temp: 40 F (pretty this morning... then thunderheads... a little rain... now clear... I love our changing weather!)
What I cooked today:
Walnut Chicken: We got home late from church, and I had to rush dinner. I got it on the table in 22 minutes, which isn't bad. But it still meant that we ate at about 9:05. And on a school night, too!
Update:
Ski Day!! Today was the second ski day for the school, so the kids headed up the mountain with Grandpa for skiing. They said the conditions were better than Sunday, except that there was a lot of ice. Allen tagged along with the other kids from school, and Katie and Connor took off on their own. I stayed home with Patrick and Ryan, since Patrick had to work and Ryan was a little cranky. No biggie, I spent an hour on the phone with medical billing, so it was productive!
As soon as the got home, I rushed Allen over to Stanford for Track practice. Although he told his coach that he probably wouldn't be home from skiing in time for practice, he asked to go. He said he really needed the practice (which I agree with, but I was surprised that he would be that mature!). His coach ended up letting him out early (which worked since we had other places to be), but I made him run a few more sets. Up and back on the football field, which works out well since he thinks he's going to do the 100 meter dash. Of course, the wind was a little high, so there was about a 5-10 second difference depending on if the wind was in front of him, or behind him. I see a lesson on physics in our future.
After practice, we raced back to Belt for mass, and then our Confirmation class. We had a great class tonight (as opposed to last week, when the kids were spastic). We've set up the class so that we don't have too much to cover each week. That allows us plenty of time for discussions, even those that go way off topic.
Tomorrow is Parent-Teacher conferences, so I'm looking forward to that. At least, I hope I am looking forward to it...
What I cooked today:
Walnut Chicken: We got home late from church, and I had to rush dinner. I got it on the table in 22 minutes, which isn't bad. But it still meant that we ate at about 9:05. And on a school night, too!
Update:
Ski Day!! Today was the second ski day for the school, so the kids headed up the mountain with Grandpa for skiing. They said the conditions were better than Sunday, except that there was a lot of ice. Allen tagged along with the other kids from school, and Katie and Connor took off on their own. I stayed home with Patrick and Ryan, since Patrick had to work and Ryan was a little cranky. No biggie, I spent an hour on the phone with medical billing, so it was productive!
As soon as the got home, I rushed Allen over to Stanford for Track practice. Although he told his coach that he probably wouldn't be home from skiing in time for practice, he asked to go. He said he really needed the practice (which I agree with, but I was surprised that he would be that mature!). His coach ended up letting him out early (which worked since we had other places to be), but I made him run a few more sets. Up and back on the football field, which works out well since he thinks he's going to do the 100 meter dash. Of course, the wind was a little high, so there was about a 5-10 second difference depending on if the wind was in front of him, or behind him. I see a lesson on physics in our future.
After practice, we raced back to Belt for mass, and then our Confirmation class. We had a great class tonight (as opposed to last week, when the kids were spastic). We've set up the class so that we don't have too much to cover each week. That allows us plenty of time for discussions, even those that go way off topic.
Tomorrow is Parent-Teacher conferences, so I'm looking forward to that. At least, I hope I am looking forward to it...
March 27, 2012
Outside Temp: 40's (I think)
What I cooked today:
Take and Bake Pizza: Which I didn't even cook, since we were up at the Grandparents' place and Grandma did all the work.
Update:
It was one of those days.
At the school, Connor's class finished all their reading goals for the quarter, and as a reward, they were allowed to duct tape their principal to the wall. Totally hysterical. Even Ryan join in on the fun.
The duct tape held after they removed the block he was standing on, for about 6 seconds. Not bad for some 5th and 6th graders!
After school, I ran into town, to pick up Ryan's meds and get some groceries.
Then back home. Patrick had picked up Allen from track practice, so at least I didn't need to then drive all the way back into Stanford. I picked up a TracFone for Allen in town. With him at Track practice, he usually will get back to the school around 6pm. But, if practice runs long or is cut short early, I wanted him to have a way to call me, to pick him up. At least these phones are only about $10, so if he brakes it, it's not a big deal.
Of course, the phone doesn't get really good service at our house, so as I'm trying to set it up, I had to take it outside and do the 'do I have service, yet' thing, with the phone in the air. It would seem appropriate that Ryan's teacher was on her way back from town, and saw me in the front yard, with my arm up in the air, praying to the cell phone service gods. She had to stop in and ask what on earth I was doing. Priceless.
What I cooked today:
Take and Bake Pizza: Which I didn't even cook, since we were up at the Grandparents' place and Grandma did all the work.
Update:
It was one of those days.
At the school, Connor's class finished all their reading goals for the quarter, and as a reward, they were allowed to duct tape their principal to the wall. Totally hysterical. Even Ryan join in on the fun.
 |  |
 |  |
The duct tape held after they removed the block he was standing on, for about 6 seconds. Not bad for some 5th and 6th graders!
After school, I ran into town, to pick up Ryan's meds and get some groceries.
Then back home. Patrick had picked up Allen from track practice, so at least I didn't need to then drive all the way back into Stanford. I picked up a TracFone for Allen in town. With him at Track practice, he usually will get back to the school around 6pm. But, if practice runs long or is cut short early, I wanted him to have a way to call me, to pick him up. At least these phones are only about $10, so if he brakes it, it's not a big deal.
Of course, the phone doesn't get really good service at our house, so as I'm trying to set it up, I had to take it outside and do the 'do I have service, yet' thing, with the phone in the air. It would seem appropriate that Ryan's teacher was on her way back from town, and saw me in the front yard, with my arm up in the air, praying to the cell phone service gods. She had to stop in and ask what on earth I was doing. Priceless.
Monday, March 26, 2012
March 26, 2012
Outside Temp: 37 F (a little chilly today, clear... then foggy... then clear... then rain... then foggy... The weather couldn't make up it's mind today.)
What I cooked today:
Tacos: Of course, after the meat was cooked and spiced, and the refried beans were heated up, and the tortillas were warming in the oven, I looked in the fridge and there was no cheese. I looked up at my husband and asked, "Did you eat all the Cheddar cheese?"... uhhh, maybe... So, we settled for mozzarella cheese. It was fine, but I still glared at my husband during dinner.
Update:
It's Monday, so Ryan had speech therapy at 8am. Which means that I have to, not only get the 3 other kids ready, but myself and Ryan. Sure, no problem. I'm pretty spoiled anyway, so doing this once a week isn't all that bad. But, we discussed next year today, and we'll probably have him go to school in the mornings until 11ish (or so). So, I'd better be happy not getting him ready for the next 6 weeks. Next year, it will be very different.
I talked with Ryan's speech therapist today about a conference that she went to over the weekend on Autism and Aspergers kids (like Ryan, and Allen, and Patrick and pretty much all my kids!). She brought me her notes, so I could look over them. There were some descriptions of how Asperger's people can overreact or react inappropriately. So, being the good mom I am, I discussed some of these over dinner.
Our favorites were:
One Sided Sid: The conversation is only about you.
Glass-Man: Overreacts emotionally to insults or criticisms
Destroyer of Fun: So competitive that it's no longer fun to play
The best part of the conversation was that these were generally perceived as negative personality traits, i.e. traits that you would prefer not to have. Yet, my kids (and husband) were competing on who had the most traits and which traits each could claim as ones they exhibited. I never claimed that my family was normal. Allen's claim tonight was that while Patrick is obviously Aspergers, Allen was 'tempered' Asperger's, since he wasn't as bad as his father.
Part of the conference covered the concept of a Perception Taker, which I understand to be your ability to recognize how other people see the world. I was talking to Patrick about the different levels of impairment regarding this, and while he was appearing to listen, apparently wasn't listening well. I said, "I think that you are an Impaired Interactive Perception Taker", (which was the most normal of the options, while still being Aspergers). He looked at me like I was talking Greek, and said, "What did you say? That sounded like 4 random words." Which prompted me to respond, "Candle, Bunny, White, Truck.". We both started cracking up, and the tears started running down my face. It took about 10 minutes to get us back on track to explain what on earth an Impaired Interactive Perception Taker could mean. I still don't think he got it, but he pretended to pay attention, so I had to give him credit for that.
The conversation ended with 3 kids laughing hysterically on the floor. Ah, well, that's dinner at our house. Discuss our mental abnormalities in a loving environment, and keep laughing!
What I cooked today:
Tacos: Of course, after the meat was cooked and spiced, and the refried beans were heated up, and the tortillas were warming in the oven, I looked in the fridge and there was no cheese. I looked up at my husband and asked, "Did you eat all the Cheddar cheese?"... uhhh, maybe... So, we settled for mozzarella cheese. It was fine, but I still glared at my husband during dinner.
Update:
It's Monday, so Ryan had speech therapy at 8am. Which means that I have to, not only get the 3 other kids ready, but myself and Ryan. Sure, no problem. I'm pretty spoiled anyway, so doing this once a week isn't all that bad. But, we discussed next year today, and we'll probably have him go to school in the mornings until 11ish (or so). So, I'd better be happy not getting him ready for the next 6 weeks. Next year, it will be very different.
I talked with Ryan's speech therapist today about a conference that she went to over the weekend on Autism and Aspergers kids (like Ryan, and Allen, and Patrick and pretty much all my kids!). She brought me her notes, so I could look over them. There were some descriptions of how Asperger's people can overreact or react inappropriately. So, being the good mom I am, I discussed some of these over dinner.
Our favorites were:
One Sided Sid: The conversation is only about you.
Glass-Man: Overreacts emotionally to insults or criticisms
Destroyer of Fun: So competitive that it's no longer fun to play
The best part of the conversation was that these were generally perceived as negative personality traits, i.e. traits that you would prefer not to have. Yet, my kids (and husband) were competing on who had the most traits and which traits each could claim as ones they exhibited. I never claimed that my family was normal. Allen's claim tonight was that while Patrick is obviously Aspergers, Allen was 'tempered' Asperger's, since he wasn't as bad as his father.
Part of the conference covered the concept of a Perception Taker, which I understand to be your ability to recognize how other people see the world. I was talking to Patrick about the different levels of impairment regarding this, and while he was appearing to listen, apparently wasn't listening well. I said, "I think that you are an Impaired Interactive Perception Taker", (which was the most normal of the options, while still being Aspergers). He looked at me like I was talking Greek, and said, "What did you say? That sounded like 4 random words." Which prompted me to respond, "Candle, Bunny, White, Truck.". We both started cracking up, and the tears started running down my face. It took about 10 minutes to get us back on track to explain what on earth an Impaired Interactive Perception Taker could mean. I still don't think he got it, but he pretended to pay attention, so I had to give him credit for that.
The conversation ended with 3 kids laughing hysterically on the floor. Ah, well, that's dinner at our house. Discuss our mental abnormalities in a loving environment, and keep laughing!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
March 25, 2012
Outside Temp: 35 F (foggy in the morning, clear as a bell in the afternoon!)
What I cooked today:
Sweet and Sour Chicken: Exhausted from our ski day (not sure exactly why, since I didn't ski), I decided to make something easy. I know, it doesn't sound easy, but it totally is! I put the rice in the microwave for 22 minutes (I need to add an extra 2 minutes, I think because of the altitude). Cut up the chicken, toss in a Ziploc with green onions, ginger, oil and cornstarch. Then put in the frying pan for about 10 minutes. While that's cooking, cut up some onions, celery, carrots and peppers (pineapple is already cut up, since it's in a can). Saute the veggies while the chicken browns. Mix up the sauce with some red wine vinegar, ketchup (I was stunned, but really, ketchup), sugar and honey. Throw the veggies in the pan with the chicken (once it's done) and cover with the sauce. Simmer for an extra 4-5 minutes. Dinner was on the table in less than 30 minutes! Woo Hoo!
Update:
Skiing today! There is only about 2 weeks left in the ski season, so we just HAD to go up today. Unfortunately, it was about 70 F up at the top of the mountain.
While I wasn't skiing, the others told me that the conditions were bad. Really, really bad. It was slushy and ucky most of the day.
That being said, Ryan did go up with Grandpa and Patrick for 2-3 runs. Once they were done, Grandpa took him on the beginners area and he practiced his turns. No really, he actually went around the cones, correctly! I was stunned. I'd been trying to get him to do that all season! Woo Hoo!
Katie, Allen and Connor went up on the slopes together, and they did great. Allen stayed with them on the intermediate slopes, and he said they all skied really well.
After skiing, Patrick and I had to run into Belt, and we started counting hawks. Yes, hawks, like the birds. By the time we got home, we were over 20. I'm not sure if it's the warmer weather, or the fog lifting, but apparently, the hawks are out in full force today! Of course, I forgot my camera, (ugh!) or I would have gotten some great pictures... Maybe tomorrow...
What I cooked today:
Sweet and Sour Chicken: Exhausted from our ski day (not sure exactly why, since I didn't ski), I decided to make something easy. I know, it doesn't sound easy, but it totally is! I put the rice in the microwave for 22 minutes (I need to add an extra 2 minutes, I think because of the altitude). Cut up the chicken, toss in a Ziploc with green onions, ginger, oil and cornstarch. Then put in the frying pan for about 10 minutes. While that's cooking, cut up some onions, celery, carrots and peppers (pineapple is already cut up, since it's in a can). Saute the veggies while the chicken browns. Mix up the sauce with some red wine vinegar, ketchup (I was stunned, but really, ketchup), sugar and honey. Throw the veggies in the pan with the chicken (once it's done) and cover with the sauce. Simmer for an extra 4-5 minutes. Dinner was on the table in less than 30 minutes! Woo Hoo!
Update:
Skiing today! There is only about 2 weeks left in the ski season, so we just HAD to go up today. Unfortunately, it was about 70 F up at the top of the mountain.
While I wasn't skiing, the others told me that the conditions were bad. Really, really bad. It was slushy and ucky most of the day.
That being said, Ryan did go up with Grandpa and Patrick for 2-3 runs. Once they were done, Grandpa took him on the beginners area and he practiced his turns. No really, he actually went around the cones, correctly! I was stunned. I'd been trying to get him to do that all season! Woo Hoo!
Katie, Allen and Connor went up on the slopes together, and they did great. Allen stayed with them on the intermediate slopes, and he said they all skied really well.
After skiing, Patrick and I had to run into Belt, and we started counting hawks. Yes, hawks, like the birds. By the time we got home, we were over 20. I'm not sure if it's the warmer weather, or the fog lifting, but apparently, the hawks are out in full force today! Of course, I forgot my camera, (ugh!) or I would have gotten some great pictures... Maybe tomorrow...
Saturday, March 24, 2012
March 24, 2012
Outside Temp: 29 F (foggy all day... stayed in the 30's most of the day)
What I cooked today:
Blueberry Muffins: I had a boxed mix for muffins, so I made them up today. Yummm!
Soup: Not sure exactly what to call this one. Ground beef (yes, I drained off the fat), onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, corn, green beans and pearl barley. Then we added some beef broth, rosemary and oregano. We let it simmer for about a hour and half. We had to keep adding more water, since the barley absorbed a lot of it. It turned out great, very, very hearty. Katie asked if I just tossed everything in the fridge... maybe...
Update:
Today was a pretty lazy day.
We had church at 1pm, which means that somewhere around noon, we had to kick everyone off computers, wake up Patrick and start getting Ryan ready.
After church, Patrick and Allen went up to help the grandparents, and Katie went with them. So, Connor and Ryan were home alone.
And, since I couldn't justify spending the entire day reading trashy romance novels or playing computer games, I decided to clean up the front entry to the house. I've decided that the most awesome thing in the world is a mud room. But, since we don't have one, and we haven't bought the house so I can't go making structural changes (yet), I had to do with what we had.
I used some old wood 2x4 blocks and an extra shelf (that I haven't put up on any walls yet), to create a shelf area for boots and shoes. Then I used those cool 3M hooks to put more hooks on the walls. Then I stole a cloth bin out of Katie's room for gloves and scarves and hats. I used another box for snow pants (the ones with bib overalls got hung up).
Now, I actually have some room to walk in the front door, without tripping over crap. I'm hoping that it will stay somewhat picked up for at least 10 hours.
What I cooked today:
Blueberry Muffins: I had a boxed mix for muffins, so I made them up today. Yummm!
Soup: Not sure exactly what to call this one. Ground beef (yes, I drained off the fat), onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, corn, green beans and pearl barley. Then we added some beef broth, rosemary and oregano. We let it simmer for about a hour and half. We had to keep adding more water, since the barley absorbed a lot of it. It turned out great, very, very hearty. Katie asked if I just tossed everything in the fridge... maybe...
Update:
Today was a pretty lazy day.
We had church at 1pm, which means that somewhere around noon, we had to kick everyone off computers, wake up Patrick and start getting Ryan ready.
After church, Patrick and Allen went up to help the grandparents, and Katie went with them. So, Connor and Ryan were home alone.
And, since I couldn't justify spending the entire day reading trashy romance novels or playing computer games, I decided to clean up the front entry to the house. I've decided that the most awesome thing in the world is a mud room. But, since we don't have one, and we haven't bought the house so I can't go making structural changes (yet), I had to do with what we had.
I used some old wood 2x4 blocks and an extra shelf (that I haven't put up on any walls yet), to create a shelf area for boots and shoes. Then I used those cool 3M hooks to put more hooks on the walls. Then I stole a cloth bin out of Katie's room for gloves and scarves and hats. I used another box for snow pants (the ones with bib overalls got hung up).
Now, I actually have some room to walk in the front door, without tripping over crap. I'm hoping that it will stay somewhat picked up for at least 10 hours.
Friday, March 23, 2012
March 23, 2012
Outside Temp: 28 F (snow today... big fat flurries... awesome)
What I cooked today:
Pancakes: Since we'd almost run out of milk, we decided on pancakes, so the kids wouldn't need milk for their cereal. Of course, my recipe calls for buttermilk, but I just used regular milk. It worked.
Lentil Soup: Being a Friday, during Lent, we went with soup for dinner... and what is more appropriate than lentil soup? I meant to put in black eyed peas, and accidentally put in barley. Oh well, it was kind of like rice so it worked.
Update:
I headed into town today, during the blizzard. We were out of milk and a few other things, so it was either go in today, or explain to my boys why they didn't have any milk for dinner.
There was also an awesome deal on laundry detergent at Kmart. Of course, they were out, but Wal-Mart did that 'matching' thing, so it was all good.
As I headed home out of Great Falls, the blizzard was in full force. Snow was coming down hard, and the roads were white. I passed a car in the ditch, which I've decided is a common occurrence during snow storms up here. I passed the sheriff about a mile later, so I assume the guy in the ditch was getting taken care of.
The funny thing about driving in the snow, is that you just have to take your time and be patient. I was behind a guy who was going about 35-40 MPH, and normally that would have driven me crazy. But, today, I was just fine with it. It was cold enough, that I wasn't worried about my frozen goods defrosting on me. And there was no reason for me to rush. So, I just hung out behind him (okay, about 100 yards behind him... I didn't want to take any chances), and plodded along.
By the time I hit Belt (about 20 miles outside of Great Falls, about 1/2 way home), the storm seemed to lighten up and we were able to go a little faster (about 50 MPH, instead of 35). It was here that a semi-truck felt we were going too slow, and decided to pass us. Fortunately (for all involved), he passed safely and took off (way too fast, I might add). I'm not sure if it's a Montana thing, or perhaps my life is just a little slower now, but I don't feel the need to drive 80 MPH everywhere. There's no rush. Things will happen in time.
What I cooked today:
Pancakes: Since we'd almost run out of milk, we decided on pancakes, so the kids wouldn't need milk for their cereal. Of course, my recipe calls for buttermilk, but I just used regular milk. It worked.
Lentil Soup: Being a Friday, during Lent, we went with soup for dinner... and what is more appropriate than lentil soup? I meant to put in black eyed peas, and accidentally put in barley. Oh well, it was kind of like rice so it worked.
Update:
I headed into town today, during the blizzard. We were out of milk and a few other things, so it was either go in today, or explain to my boys why they didn't have any milk for dinner.
There was also an awesome deal on laundry detergent at Kmart. Of course, they were out, but Wal-Mart did that 'matching' thing, so it was all good.
As I headed home out of Great Falls, the blizzard was in full force. Snow was coming down hard, and the roads were white. I passed a car in the ditch, which I've decided is a common occurrence during snow storms up here. I passed the sheriff about a mile later, so I assume the guy in the ditch was getting taken care of.
The funny thing about driving in the snow, is that you just have to take your time and be patient. I was behind a guy who was going about 35-40 MPH, and normally that would have driven me crazy. But, today, I was just fine with it. It was cold enough, that I wasn't worried about my frozen goods defrosting on me. And there was no reason for me to rush. So, I just hung out behind him (okay, about 100 yards behind him... I didn't want to take any chances), and plodded along.
By the time I hit Belt (about 20 miles outside of Great Falls, about 1/2 way home), the storm seemed to lighten up and we were able to go a little faster (about 50 MPH, instead of 35). It was here that a semi-truck felt we were going too slow, and decided to pass us. Fortunately (for all involved), he passed safely and took off (way too fast, I might add). I'm not sure if it's a Montana thing, or perhaps my life is just a little slower now, but I don't feel the need to drive 80 MPH everywhere. There's no rush. Things will happen in time.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
March 22, 2012
Outside Temp: 40 F (it was actually in the 60's today. Totally beautiful and I opened up the windows to 'air out' the house... At least the 2 windows that do not have plastic on them... I'm looking forward to taking the plastic off, but I'm going to wait a few more weeks, I think)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Pasta (again): I normally don't make the same thing twice in a row, but I didn't really plan anything, other than using the ground beef that Patrick got in town today. Everyone ate, but it didn't have the normal 'Wow, mom, you're the greatest cook in the world' feeling to it. I guess I'm going to have to make something different for the next few days!
Update:
Ryan is still doing okay. He was a little punky in spurts today, but not bad. I think he might have had a stomach bug, or something like that. It's fortunate that he has his TPN, since he didn't get dehydrated or anything, and since he doesn't need to eat, he didn't have to. He's in his room playing, so I'm hoping that it's all just a fluke.
I headed into Stanford today to get my TB test read. Oh my goodness, it's negative! Woo Hoo! (oh yea, big shocker there!). I guess that means that the school can hire me to substitute teach, assuming that my background check comes back okay.
Patrick went into Great Falls today, to get a new set of glasses (it's about darn time!). His last eye appointment was about 5 years ago, and his glasses have been crooked and bent for the last few years. Of course, he had to get new frames and new lenses. Oh, and he might as well get new sunglasses as well. Spoiled husband. We joked with the kids that daddy was wearing their new computer on his face. They were not happy with him, but I tried to explain that it was long overdue. And, they will probably get a new computer as soon as we get the whole house thing resolved.
While in town, Patrick picked me up more ground beef from our meat wholesale place. Normally, the meat from them is totally awesome. This time, I think the meat is more than 20% fat. It was practically white. I made burgers out of it, and boy was it fatty. I'm debating calling them up and asking what the heck happened, but I don't want to cause problems. We've gotten meat from them twice before and it was awesome. Perhaps it something different with the cows at this time of year. I'm not sure, but I'm going to be more careful next time. I only wish that we hadn't gotten 20 pounds, instead of our normal 15. Patrick asked that I make more soups or tacos or dishes with browned beef, instead of burgers with it. Ouch.
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Pasta (again): I normally don't make the same thing twice in a row, but I didn't really plan anything, other than using the ground beef that Patrick got in town today. Everyone ate, but it didn't have the normal 'Wow, mom, you're the greatest cook in the world' feeling to it. I guess I'm going to have to make something different for the next few days!
Update:
Ryan is still doing okay. He was a little punky in spurts today, but not bad. I think he might have had a stomach bug, or something like that. It's fortunate that he has his TPN, since he didn't get dehydrated or anything, and since he doesn't need to eat, he didn't have to. He's in his room playing, so I'm hoping that it's all just a fluke.
I headed into Stanford today to get my TB test read. Oh my goodness, it's negative! Woo Hoo! (oh yea, big shocker there!). I guess that means that the school can hire me to substitute teach, assuming that my background check comes back okay.
Patrick went into Great Falls today, to get a new set of glasses (it's about darn time!). His last eye appointment was about 5 years ago, and his glasses have been crooked and bent for the last few years. Of course, he had to get new frames and new lenses. Oh, and he might as well get new sunglasses as well. Spoiled husband. We joked with the kids that daddy was wearing their new computer on his face. They were not happy with him, but I tried to explain that it was long overdue. And, they will probably get a new computer as soon as we get the whole house thing resolved.
While in town, Patrick picked me up more ground beef from our meat wholesale place. Normally, the meat from them is totally awesome. This time, I think the meat is more than 20% fat. It was practically white. I made burgers out of it, and boy was it fatty. I'm debating calling them up and asking what the heck happened, but I don't want to cause problems. We've gotten meat from them twice before and it was awesome. Perhaps it something different with the cows at this time of year. I'm not sure, but I'm going to be more careful next time. I only wish that we hadn't gotten 20 pounds, instead of our normal 15. Patrick asked that I make more soups or tacos or dishes with browned beef, instead of burgers with it. Ouch.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
March 21, 2012
Outside Temp: 34 F (clear and beautiful all day, in the mid 40's, which means all my snow is turning to slush...)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Pasta: Since I knew we'd be at church until after 8, we had dinner early. Which means I needed to get dinner on the table by 5:30. So, we settled for burgers and pasta. Which is awesome, since the ground beef has been in my freezer for over a month. Still tasted wonderful. I have got to get into town and get some more meat.
Update:
Since the roads have been plowed, the bus picked the kids up outside the house, so no trudging through the snow this morning. Ah shucks.
Ryan was acting a little punky today, so I'm worried, as usual. He doesn't have a fever or anything, he's just acting a little punky. So, we'll have to watch and see... Right now, he's in his room playing video games, so I guess that's a good sign.
We had our Catholic Confirmation class tonight, which was an experience. I'm not sure if the subject matter is over their heads or if it's so late in the day, that they are all just done. I've designed the class so that there isn't that much to cover in each specific class, but keeping them on task is becoming hard. Of course, with Patrick and I going off onto tangents, it might be more of keeping us on task! Oh well, only 5 more classes!
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Pasta: Since I knew we'd be at church until after 8, we had dinner early. Which means I needed to get dinner on the table by 5:30. So, we settled for burgers and pasta. Which is awesome, since the ground beef has been in my freezer for over a month. Still tasted wonderful. I have got to get into town and get some more meat.
Update:
Since the roads have been plowed, the bus picked the kids up outside the house, so no trudging through the snow this morning. Ah shucks.
Ryan was acting a little punky today, so I'm worried, as usual. He doesn't have a fever or anything, he's just acting a little punky. So, we'll have to watch and see... Right now, he's in his room playing video games, so I guess that's a good sign.
We had our Catholic Confirmation class tonight, which was an experience. I'm not sure if the subject matter is over their heads or if it's so late in the day, that they are all just done. I've designed the class so that there isn't that much to cover in each specific class, but keeping them on task is becoming hard. Of course, with Patrick and I going off onto tangents, it might be more of keeping us on task! Oh well, only 5 more classes!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
March 20, 2012
Outside Temp: 40 F (A little chilly this morning, but mostly in the 30's most of the day)
What I cooked today:
Walnut Chicken: I've needed to go into town for ground beef for the last week. I have 1 package left, so I used up the last of my chicken tonight. Ugh, that means I don't have any chicken either. I knew I should have picked up chicken 2 weeks ago when chicken was on sale. Anyway, the family liked the dinner and it all got eaten up. It seems that whenever I make Chinese chicken, with fried rice, everyone eats it all. Perhaps I should learn something from that. But, it will get very, very old fast if I made it every night!
Update:
With all the snow yesterday, we were unable to get our car out of the driveway, to get the kids to the post office to get the bus. So, we got up a few minutes early, and walked. Two blocks. To catch the bus.
Now, I know, 2 blocks doesn't sound like much. But I'd like to point out that a few of the drifts were over 2 feet high. (not that we were trudging through that for 2 blocks, but it was about 200 feet.) And Katie is only 4ft 4 (or so). So, we walked in a line, with Allen being the lead and finding all the really big holes. Me in second, holding Katie's hand. There were a few places where she barely could get her leg out of the hole and into the next. Connor took the last position, so he could help Katie if she fell.
Amazingly, it only took us about 10 minutes to get there.
The best part was that as I was walking home, after making sure they got safely on the bus, I heard the snow plow start up. Typical.
Patrick and I spent about a 1/2 hour shoveling our drive this afternoon, so that I could get the car out to get Ryan into school. Then, a neighbor came by and plowed the rest of our driveway for us! So cool!
We dropped Ryan off, and headed into Stanford, so I could get my TB test (required to substitute teach). We spent about an hour chatting with the nurse there, as I should have expected. It seems that the people here are so nice, that we (especially Patrick) can't help but chat, for hours!
On the way back, there were about 3 cars in the ditch, from running off the road. And, of course, the jack-knifed big rig... all in a 15 mile stretch between the school and Stanford. Fortunately, I love our snow tires and we didn't have any problems.
Once we got home, Grandpa stopped by to pick up the kids for sledding. There were some complaints that the snow was too icy, but fun just the same. One of the drifts was quite high, and the kids dug out a section, then added an ice cave. Too fun!
Not bad for a Tuesday.
What I cooked today:
Walnut Chicken: I've needed to go into town for ground beef for the last week. I have 1 package left, so I used up the last of my chicken tonight. Ugh, that means I don't have any chicken either. I knew I should have picked up chicken 2 weeks ago when chicken was on sale. Anyway, the family liked the dinner and it all got eaten up. It seems that whenever I make Chinese chicken, with fried rice, everyone eats it all. Perhaps I should learn something from that. But, it will get very, very old fast if I made it every night!
Update:
With all the snow yesterday, we were unable to get our car out of the driveway, to get the kids to the post office to get the bus. So, we got up a few minutes early, and walked. Two blocks. To catch the bus.
Now, I know, 2 blocks doesn't sound like much. But I'd like to point out that a few of the drifts were over 2 feet high. (not that we were trudging through that for 2 blocks, but it was about 200 feet.) And Katie is only 4ft 4 (or so). So, we walked in a line, with Allen being the lead and finding all the really big holes. Me in second, holding Katie's hand. There were a few places where she barely could get her leg out of the hole and into the next. Connor took the last position, so he could help Katie if she fell.
Amazingly, it only took us about 10 minutes to get there.
The best part was that as I was walking home, after making sure they got safely on the bus, I heard the snow plow start up. Typical.
Patrick and I spent about a 1/2 hour shoveling our drive this afternoon, so that I could get the car out to get Ryan into school. Then, a neighbor came by and plowed the rest of our driveway for us! So cool!
We dropped Ryan off, and headed into Stanford, so I could get my TB test (required to substitute teach). We spent about an hour chatting with the nurse there, as I should have expected. It seems that the people here are so nice, that we (especially Patrick) can't help but chat, for hours!
On the way back, there were about 3 cars in the ditch, from running off the road. And, of course, the jack-knifed big rig... all in a 15 mile stretch between the school and Stanford. Fortunately, I love our snow tires and we didn't have any problems.
Once we got home, Grandpa stopped by to pick up the kids for sledding. There were some complaints that the snow was too icy, but fun just the same. One of the drifts was quite high, and the kids dug out a section, then added an ice cave. Too fun!
 |
| Katie, hanging out in the ice cave. |
|
|
Not bad for a Tuesday.
Monday, March 19, 2012
March 19, 2012
Outside Temp: 28 F (which means the snow will probably not melt by tomorrow morning)
What I cooked today:
Vegetable Beef and Barley Soup: I have ground beef. We wanted soup. Hmmm, not sure what to do, so I just started throwing things into a pot. Brown the ground beef. Add onion, celery and carrots. Hmm, how about some frozen vegetables? Potatoes? Sure. Make up some beef broth and toss that in as well. Worcestershire sauce... mmmm. More starch? Barley works. An hour later, a pretty hearty soup! Awesome!
Update:
Wow. All I can say is wow. So, this is what they mean when they talk about winter in Montana? (of course, the irony that it's the last day of winter is not lost on me).
As I mentioned yesterday, the snow started around 4-5pm last night. It didn't stop. It just kept going.
We got up this morning, and got a phone call from Ryan's speech therapist. She was stuck in Lewistown and couldn't make it to the school. Cool, that means I don't have to wake Ryan up, but I'll still drive the kids into school. The drive in was just fine, but the drive back, I hit a patch of ice and slid across the road. Fortunately, I was only going about 30 MPH, and got control before I hit the edge of the road. Hmm, that was interesting.
As I drove into the driveway, I noticed a large drift on the right side of the driveway, so I purposely stayed to the left as I drove in. Of course, I didn't notice the 1 1/2 foot drift on the left side of the driveway. About 10 feet in, I hit the drift. And went over it (sort of). Hmmm, the clearance on my little yellow car is not that high. Put the car into Reverse and push the gas... nothing. Back into Drive and push the gas. Nothing. Oh crap.
So, I woke up Patrick and together we went back out there, in the biting, icy cold sleet/snow. Using the snow shovels, we dug out some of the snow, and pulled the car mats out of the back and put them under the front tires. Back and forth, nothing. Shovel a little more, then Patrick got behind the car. Push... Push... Finally, after about 20 minutes, we got it moved and pulled it the rest of the way into the driveway. Fun Times!
The kids were out of school early, because of the weather, but at noon, the drifts around the car were already over 2 ft. So, we had the bus drop them off at the post office. Of course, we couldn't drive over there, so Patrick walked, in the blizzard, over to get them.
About 30 minutes later, my troops came in, covered in snow. Allen forgot his boots, so he was in tennis shoes (lovely), but everyone else was pretty warm and dry (once they removed all their outerwear).
By 4pm (24 hours after the storm started), the weather cleared and I was able to take the pictures below. It was beyond beautiful, and impossible to capture in a picture.
I think it's supposed to stay a little cold for the next few days, so we might be able to head up to the Grandparents for sledding before it hits 60 F again, and all the snow melts!
What I cooked today:
Vegetable Beef and Barley Soup: I have ground beef. We wanted soup. Hmmm, not sure what to do, so I just started throwing things into a pot. Brown the ground beef. Add onion, celery and carrots. Hmm, how about some frozen vegetables? Potatoes? Sure. Make up some beef broth and toss that in as well. Worcestershire sauce... mmmm. More starch? Barley works. An hour later, a pretty hearty soup! Awesome!
Update:
Wow. All I can say is wow. So, this is what they mean when they talk about winter in Montana? (of course, the irony that it's the last day of winter is not lost on me).
 |
| My backyard... drifts of up to 2 ft in 24 hours! |
As I mentioned yesterday, the snow started around 4-5pm last night. It didn't stop. It just kept going.
We got up this morning, and got a phone call from Ryan's speech therapist. She was stuck in Lewistown and couldn't make it to the school. Cool, that means I don't have to wake Ryan up, but I'll still drive the kids into school. The drive in was just fine, but the drive back, I hit a patch of ice and slid across the road. Fortunately, I was only going about 30 MPH, and got control before I hit the edge of the road. Hmm, that was interesting.
As I drove into the driveway, I noticed a large drift on the right side of the driveway, so I purposely stayed to the left as I drove in. Of course, I didn't notice the 1 1/2 foot drift on the left side of the driveway. About 10 feet in, I hit the drift. And went over it (sort of). Hmmm, the clearance on my little yellow car is not that high. Put the car into Reverse and push the gas... nothing. Back into Drive and push the gas. Nothing. Oh crap.
So, I woke up Patrick and together we went back out there, in the biting, icy cold sleet/snow. Using the snow shovels, we dug out some of the snow, and pulled the car mats out of the back and put them under the front tires. Back and forth, nothing. Shovel a little more, then Patrick got behind the car. Push... Push... Finally, after about 20 minutes, we got it moved and pulled it the rest of the way into the driveway. Fun Times!
The kids were out of school early, because of the weather, but at noon, the drifts around the car were already over 2 ft. So, we had the bus drop them off at the post office. Of course, we couldn't drive over there, so Patrick walked, in the blizzard, over to get them.
About 30 minutes later, my troops came in, covered in snow. Allen forgot his boots, so he was in tennis shoes (lovely), but everyone else was pretty warm and dry (once they removed all their outerwear).
By 4pm (24 hours after the storm started), the weather cleared and I was able to take the pictures below. It was beyond beautiful, and impossible to capture in a picture.
|
|
 |
| Drifts at the Grandparents place of up to 56 inches! Wow!! |
Sunday, March 18, 2012
March 18, 2012
Outside Temp: 29 F (The day started out nice, in the mid 40's, then the storm came in... it's been snowing since 5ish and now there's about 2-3 inches on the ground!)
What I cooked today:
Orange Chicken: It is always nice to have a meal in which all the pans are scraped clean, and the kids are still asking for more... ALL my kids love this dish, and with the fried rice on the side, they were all so excited. I've altered the recipe a little and I had dinner on the table in about 30 minutes. Amazing!
Update:
I decided today that my boys have been spending way too much time fighting over the computer. Allen woke up at about 5am yesterday, just so he could play his game without having to fight over computer time.
So, around noon, I decided we would head over to the local school gym and play basketball. Yes, me, playing basketball. Which, I'd like to point out, prior to moving up here, I had no idea how to play other than that the ball goes into the basket.
The school a block from our house is a small 2 room schoolhouse, with an indoor gym. One of the (extremely nice) ladies let us borrow the key, and we were able to play for a few hours. At one point, while huffing and puffing my way down the court, I asked the boys if this was better than playing video games. They actually said yes! Woo Hoo! Good mom!
Afterwards, Patrick borrowed the Grandparent's truck to take our garbage to the dump. So, Ryan and I joined him. We decided to head over to Grandma's family ranch afterwards, to see if our Uncle was there with his cows, and calves. He wasn't (probably watching the basketball game), but we did see a his cows. Some of them had already calved, and their little calves were following them around. So Cute!! The other cows weren't quite sure what to make of us, but after about 30 minutes, they were a little more comfortable and friendly.
Of course, by then, the storm had rolled in and it started raining, so we headed back home. By the time we got to the Grandparent's place, it was snowing. I LOVE the weather around here!
What I cooked today:
Orange Chicken: It is always nice to have a meal in which all the pans are scraped clean, and the kids are still asking for more... ALL my kids love this dish, and with the fried rice on the side, they were all so excited. I've altered the recipe a little and I had dinner on the table in about 30 minutes. Amazing!
Update:
I decided today that my boys have been spending way too much time fighting over the computer. Allen woke up at about 5am yesterday, just so he could play his game without having to fight over computer time.
So, around noon, I decided we would head over to the local school gym and play basketball. Yes, me, playing basketball. Which, I'd like to point out, prior to moving up here, I had no idea how to play other than that the ball goes into the basket.
The school a block from our house is a small 2 room schoolhouse, with an indoor gym. One of the (extremely nice) ladies let us borrow the key, and we were able to play for a few hours. At one point, while huffing and puffing my way down the court, I asked the boys if this was better than playing video games. They actually said yes! Woo Hoo! Good mom!
Afterwards, Patrick borrowed the Grandparent's truck to take our garbage to the dump. So, Ryan and I joined him. We decided to head over to Grandma's family ranch afterwards, to see if our Uncle was there with his cows, and calves. He wasn't (probably watching the basketball game), but we did see a his cows. Some of them had already calved, and their little calves were following them around. So Cute!! The other cows weren't quite sure what to make of us, but after about 30 minutes, they were a little more comfortable and friendly.
Of course, by then, the storm had rolled in and it started raining, so we headed back home. By the time we got to the Grandparent's place, it was snowing. I LOVE the weather around here!
Saturday, March 17, 2012
March 17, 2012
Outside Temp: 40 F (we had rain today... I LOVE the smell of rain!)
What I cooked today:
Bran Muffins: I still had some muffin batter in the fridge, so I made these up for breakfast. Of course, my oven burned the first batch, then undercooked the second. I want a new oven.
Frozen Pizza: By the time we got home from shopping, the kids were starving. Thankfully, they are not too picky about what they eat for dinner. Hello, frozen pizza... in other words, cardboard with canned tomato and dehydrated cheese. Yummy...
Update:
After church, we spent about an hour debating whether we wanted to head into town or not. Patrick really wants new glasses, but he needs an eye exam before we get new glasses, and (unlike that old place we used to live), there were no available appointments today. Apparently, they only do eye appointments on Tuesdays and Fridays (or something equally silly). So, we'll plan on heading into town on Tuesday to get his eyes checked, then get new frames and lenses.
That being said, we were almost out of milk, so we decided to head into town anyway. We stopped at Big Lots to get Allen some new headphones. Then we saw Bed, Bath and Beyond.
Evil store. Totally evil. The evil person who came up with the idea of this store should be shot. And then tortured, and then shot again. Okay, not really. I just really, really like all the cool kitchen and bathroom and house stuff, that I just get envious and greedy and I want this and that and that too! Oooo, I really needed this cutting board with a built in colander that sits over the sink. But I was strong and resisted. Of course, I couldn't resist the sale on candles, and Patrick really needed a new pillow. Oh, and those new trivets. And the cheese cloth (everyone needs some of that!). $75 later, we escaped. I breathed a sigh of relief that we pulled it off for less than a $100 in tribute. And I pray that I can avoid it in the future.
We then hit Wal-Mart, which I thought might have the USB headphones that I wanted. They didn't but I did manage to find some headbands for Katie, some clothes for Allen, a new skirt for me, more canning supplies, Aspirin (with the Excedrin recall, Wal-mart has the generic of the Excedrin Migraine, thank Goodness), and a few other things. Ugh, another $100 down and we finally headed to the grocery store.
We survived the grocery store for less than $100, but just barely.
I swear, when I go into town on my own, I make it out for less than $100. But, when my husband comes with me, we spend 3 times as much! I should never allow him to come with me! (of course, in a few weeks, I'll forget that he's not allowed with me, and I'll do it again!)
What I cooked today:
Bran Muffins: I still had some muffin batter in the fridge, so I made these up for breakfast. Of course, my oven burned the first batch, then undercooked the second. I want a new oven.
Frozen Pizza: By the time we got home from shopping, the kids were starving. Thankfully, they are not too picky about what they eat for dinner. Hello, frozen pizza... in other words, cardboard with canned tomato and dehydrated cheese. Yummy...
Update:
After church, we spent about an hour debating whether we wanted to head into town or not. Patrick really wants new glasses, but he needs an eye exam before we get new glasses, and (unlike that old place we used to live), there were no available appointments today. Apparently, they only do eye appointments on Tuesdays and Fridays (or something equally silly). So, we'll plan on heading into town on Tuesday to get his eyes checked, then get new frames and lenses.
That being said, we were almost out of milk, so we decided to head into town anyway. We stopped at Big Lots to get Allen some new headphones. Then we saw Bed, Bath and Beyond.
Evil store. Totally evil. The evil person who came up with the idea of this store should be shot. And then tortured, and then shot again. Okay, not really. I just really, really like all the cool kitchen and bathroom and house stuff, that I just get envious and greedy and I want this and that and that too! Oooo, I really needed this cutting board with a built in colander that sits over the sink. But I was strong and resisted. Of course, I couldn't resist the sale on candles, and Patrick really needed a new pillow. Oh, and those new trivets. And the cheese cloth (everyone needs some of that!). $75 later, we escaped. I breathed a sigh of relief that we pulled it off for less than a $100 in tribute. And I pray that I can avoid it in the future.
We then hit Wal-Mart, which I thought might have the USB headphones that I wanted. They didn't but I did manage to find some headbands for Katie, some clothes for Allen, a new skirt for me, more canning supplies, Aspirin (with the Excedrin recall, Wal-mart has the generic of the Excedrin Migraine, thank Goodness), and a few other things. Ugh, another $100 down and we finally headed to the grocery store.
We survived the grocery store for less than $100, but just barely.
I swear, when I go into town on my own, I make it out for less than $100. But, when my husband comes with me, we spend 3 times as much! I should never allow him to come with me! (of course, in a few weeks, I'll forget that he's not allowed with me, and I'll do it again!)
Friday, March 16, 2012
March 16, 2012
Outside Temp: 50 F (we got a little rain today, which is awesome because it makes the dirt roads not as dusty!)
What I cooked today:
Split Pea Soup: It's a Friday during Lent, so no meat. Which is just fine since we all really like this soup! There was a little debate as to whether it was a soup or a porridge, but I guess it doesn't matter what you call it. It was really filling and we didn't even notice there was no bacon or ham!
French Bread: I wanted to make a bread to go with the soup, but I was a little nervous using Grandma's Artisan bread recipe. It would have been better, since I forgot that the recipe I have for french bread makes 2 loaves of bread, not one. So, we had a very, very dense french bread. Oh well! They all liked it, and Connor thought it was like those Hawaiian rolls, that he smashes up into just a big ball of dough!
Update:
Katie got spend the day with a friend of hers, which meant that I got to spend time talking to another adult female who has kids in an age range similar to my own. Ahhh, how I've missed it!
The family has horses and cows and a dog and cats and even 2 little calves that needed feeding. We got to feed the calves, which was totally awesome. They are aggressive little guys, but so stinking cute. Katie couldn't keep the bottle in the calf's mouth, and he was getting a little annoyed with her. But, of course, she's still pretty little and I figured the calf could probably knock her over if he tried. Mine was a little less aggressive, or perhaps I just could handle him better. Of course, they are pretty sloppy, so we ended up with milk all over my jacket and pants. But it was totally worth it! I can imagine having a few calves of our own!
On the drive back home, there were a few new 'friends' on the road. And rather than just drive by and upset them, I stopped to take a picture.
There were a few Canadian Geese on the road earlier, but I think these are 'African Geese' (even though they are not from Africa), which are a domestic goose, descended from the Swan Goose. They seemed just fine with my presence, and the presence of my car. In fact, I had to drive around them, since the seemed to have no intention of moving out of my way. Beautiful birds!
What I cooked today:
Split Pea Soup: It's a Friday during Lent, so no meat. Which is just fine since we all really like this soup! There was a little debate as to whether it was a soup or a porridge, but I guess it doesn't matter what you call it. It was really filling and we didn't even notice there was no bacon or ham!
French Bread: I wanted to make a bread to go with the soup, but I was a little nervous using Grandma's Artisan bread recipe. It would have been better, since I forgot that the recipe I have for french bread makes 2 loaves of bread, not one. So, we had a very, very dense french bread. Oh well! They all liked it, and Connor thought it was like those Hawaiian rolls, that he smashes up into just a big ball of dough!
Update:
Katie got spend the day with a friend of hers, which meant that I got to spend time talking to another adult female who has kids in an age range similar to my own. Ahhh, how I've missed it!
The family has horses and cows and a dog and cats and even 2 little calves that needed feeding. We got to feed the calves, which was totally awesome. They are aggressive little guys, but so stinking cute. Katie couldn't keep the bottle in the calf's mouth, and he was getting a little annoyed with her. But, of course, she's still pretty little and I figured the calf could probably knock her over if he tried. Mine was a little less aggressive, or perhaps I just could handle him better. Of course, they are pretty sloppy, so we ended up with milk all over my jacket and pants. But it was totally worth it! I can imagine having a few calves of our own!
On the drive back home, there were a few new 'friends' on the road. And rather than just drive by and upset them, I stopped to take a picture.
There were a few Canadian Geese on the road earlier, but I think these are 'African Geese' (even though they are not from Africa), which are a domestic goose, descended from the Swan Goose. They seemed just fine with my presence, and the presence of my car. In fact, I had to drive around them, since the seemed to have no intention of moving out of my way. Beautiful birds!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
March 15, 2012
Outside Temp: 39 F (again, very pretty today. Not too windy, and clear and sunny!)
What I cooked today:
Chicken Soup (with stars!): We had a debate between stars and short noodles... the stars won. I have to say that since it is so easy to make chicken soup when you have all the ingredients on hand, I wonder why I ever used canned soup. Oh yea, because Katie likes Cambells better than homemade... She's a kid, so I guess I can forgive her ignorance.
Chicken Stock: I picked up a fryer chicken in town this week (which I should have waited, since they are on sale for $0.79/lb!), so I cut it up and made more stock. I'm out of chicken in my freezer, so I really just needed the breasts. But, since I've been using up my stock, I figured it was worth it to make up some more. I only canned 4 quarts, since I used up about 2-3 quarts in the soup tonight... it just didn't seem right to used stock that was already canned, when I had fresh stock sitting in the stock pot!
Update:
Pretty relaxing day... I made my stock. I walked down to the post office and chatted for a while. The kids were home from school early (school was out at 1pm, instead of 3:30pm), so we chatted about their day.
We had our Adult Faith class tonight. We are studying the Gospel of John, and Patrick found a copy of St. Thomas Aquinas' essays about John. So, from about 1pm until we left for the class (about 6pm), Patrick and I read through the gospel and the essays. Oh my goodness, St. Thomas is amazing. If you ever have the chance to read his works, it's totally worth it! Of course, we were only covering the 5th chapter of John, which is about 2 pages long. We read about 50 pages of essays, and it only covered the first page of the gospel. Amazing. I'm really looking forward to next week's class, where we cover Chapter 12.
What I cooked today:
Chicken Soup (with stars!): We had a debate between stars and short noodles... the stars won. I have to say that since it is so easy to make chicken soup when you have all the ingredients on hand, I wonder why I ever used canned soup. Oh yea, because Katie likes Cambells better than homemade... She's a kid, so I guess I can forgive her ignorance.
Chicken Stock: I picked up a fryer chicken in town this week (which I should have waited, since they are on sale for $0.79/lb!), so I cut it up and made more stock. I'm out of chicken in my freezer, so I really just needed the breasts. But, since I've been using up my stock, I figured it was worth it to make up some more. I only canned 4 quarts, since I used up about 2-3 quarts in the soup tonight... it just didn't seem right to used stock that was already canned, when I had fresh stock sitting in the stock pot!
Update:
Pretty relaxing day... I made my stock. I walked down to the post office and chatted for a while. The kids were home from school early (school was out at 1pm, instead of 3:30pm), so we chatted about their day.
We had our Adult Faith class tonight. We are studying the Gospel of John, and Patrick found a copy of St. Thomas Aquinas' essays about John. So, from about 1pm until we left for the class (about 6pm), Patrick and I read through the gospel and the essays. Oh my goodness, St. Thomas is amazing. If you ever have the chance to read his works, it's totally worth it! Of course, we were only covering the 5th chapter of John, which is about 2 pages long. We read about 50 pages of essays, and it only covered the first page of the gospel. Amazing. I'm really looking forward to next week's class, where we cover Chapter 12.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
March 14, 2012
Outside Temp: 30 F (Strange weather... I think it might have even rained at one point today, but I couldn't tell if it was rain or snow. And it blew sideways. hmmm)
What I cooked today:
Chili and Cornbread: I feel like I'm making the easy choice each night. If I only planned a little more ahead, I might do something a little more exciting. Oh well, my kids all have full bellies... I guess that's all that matters.
Update:
Totally busy day today. It didn't start out that way, but by the end of the day, I'm totally exhausted.
I got the kids on the bus just fine, and then crawled back into bed to get a few more minutes of sleep. But then I felt guilty because there was laundry to do, and dishes, and then Ryan got up and needed his shower and then more laundry and then what to do for lunch.
I got a call from the school around noon, saying that Allen was sick with a migraine. Oh lovely. So, I jumped in the car and got him. I'm sure it was just stress or something, with Standardized Testing, and probably not enough sleep. I don't think he's ever had a migraine, so it hit him really hard. All he kept saying was that it was too bright and too loud. And he wanted to throw up. Ahhh, been there, done that.
We got him home and into bed, with some Tylenol and a Coke (I'm big on the caffeine thing when you have a migraine), and then jumped back in the car to get Ryan to school. Then, I headed into Stanford to get fingerprinted (the school wants me to substitute). The Sheriff's office was so nice! They got me all fingerprinted (which is totally messy, by the way), and we chatted. When they heard my name, they asked if I was in that big beautiful new place up the hill in Raynesford. I had to say, no, it's my parents. Both the Sheriff and the deputy said it was a great place. I got to brag about how Grandpa built most of it himself (with help, of course). They were quite impressed.
So, it's Wednesday, which means I couldn't get my TB test, because the clinic wasn't open on Saturday to read it. So, I'll have to go back on Monday to get the shot and back on Thursday to get it read (unless I can find a RN between now and then that can read it). But I got all registered, so when I go on Monday, I don't have to fill out any paperwork... Score! Then, I raced back to school to get the kids.
Once we got home, I immediately started in on dinner. We ate early (about 5:30ish), since we had to leave for church by 6:00. Church was from 6:30-7, and then we had our Confirmation class until 8:30.
We got back to the Grandparent's place to pick up Ryan by 9:00, but they needed some help moving a couch. So, we finally got home by about 9:30. And I still had to fold laundry and do the dishes. (There was the part of me that wanted to keep the kids up and make them do it, but since it was so late, I decided they needed their sleep. Spoiled kids!)
Now, I just want a scoop of ice cream and my nice warm bed...
What I cooked today:
Chili and Cornbread: I feel like I'm making the easy choice each night. If I only planned a little more ahead, I might do something a little more exciting. Oh well, my kids all have full bellies... I guess that's all that matters.
Update:
Totally busy day today. It didn't start out that way, but by the end of the day, I'm totally exhausted.
I got the kids on the bus just fine, and then crawled back into bed to get a few more minutes of sleep. But then I felt guilty because there was laundry to do, and dishes, and then Ryan got up and needed his shower and then more laundry and then what to do for lunch.
I got a call from the school around noon, saying that Allen was sick with a migraine. Oh lovely. So, I jumped in the car and got him. I'm sure it was just stress or something, with Standardized Testing, and probably not enough sleep. I don't think he's ever had a migraine, so it hit him really hard. All he kept saying was that it was too bright and too loud. And he wanted to throw up. Ahhh, been there, done that.
We got him home and into bed, with some Tylenol and a Coke (I'm big on the caffeine thing when you have a migraine), and then jumped back in the car to get Ryan to school. Then, I headed into Stanford to get fingerprinted (the school wants me to substitute). The Sheriff's office was so nice! They got me all fingerprinted (which is totally messy, by the way), and we chatted. When they heard my name, they asked if I was in that big beautiful new place up the hill in Raynesford. I had to say, no, it's my parents. Both the Sheriff and the deputy said it was a great place. I got to brag about how Grandpa built most of it himself (with help, of course). They were quite impressed.
So, it's Wednesday, which means I couldn't get my TB test, because the clinic wasn't open on Saturday to read it. So, I'll have to go back on Monday to get the shot and back on Thursday to get it read (unless I can find a RN between now and then that can read it). But I got all registered, so when I go on Monday, I don't have to fill out any paperwork... Score! Then, I raced back to school to get the kids.
Once we got home, I immediately started in on dinner. We ate early (about 5:30ish), since we had to leave for church by 6:00. Church was from 6:30-7, and then we had our Confirmation class until 8:30.
We got back to the Grandparent's place to pick up Ryan by 9:00, but they needed some help moving a couch. So, we finally got home by about 9:30. And I still had to fold laundry and do the dishes. (There was the part of me that wanted to keep the kids up and make them do it, but since it was so late, I decided they needed their sleep. Spoiled kids!)
Now, I just want a scoop of ice cream and my nice warm bed...
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
March 13, 2012
Outside Temp: 31 F (it was beautiful most of the day, very windy, then we got snow...)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Pasta: I have got to get back into making real meals. Not that pasta and burgers isn't a real meal, but it doesn't take much planning...
Update:
I brought Ryan into town today for labs. He was very excited that they were able to get his labs off his line, rather than having to actually stick him with a needle. Since I was there, I got a little bit of shopping done. There is an amazing deal at Walgreens that I couldn't pass up.
Now, we don't drink soda in our house all the time. Not just because of the affect it has on my waistline, but also because we would drink it like water, and then be shocked because we ran out. And I would rather drink ice tea at $0.01 per glass than soda at $0.50 per glass.
That all being said, we do like Coke every once in a while. Normally, a 12 pack is somewhere between $4-$5, which is beyond ridiculous. So, at Walgreens, they have this deal. It's 3 12-packs for $10. Then, if you spend $20, you get a coupon for $10 back. So, if you buy 6 12-packs, you pay $20, but get $10 back. Which makes each 12-pack less than $2 each! Holy cow!
Now, I have to hide the soda somewhere in the garage, so no one can find it. Oh crap, I can't put it in the garage, it will freeze... I guess it's going in the house. Now, if we're lucky, I won't have to buy soda for the next 3-6 months. Oh yea. Right.
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Pasta: I have got to get back into making real meals. Not that pasta and burgers isn't a real meal, but it doesn't take much planning...
Update:
I brought Ryan into town today for labs. He was very excited that they were able to get his labs off his line, rather than having to actually stick him with a needle. Since I was there, I got a little bit of shopping done. There is an amazing deal at Walgreens that I couldn't pass up.
Now, we don't drink soda in our house all the time. Not just because of the affect it has on my waistline, but also because we would drink it like water, and then be shocked because we ran out. And I would rather drink ice tea at $0.01 per glass than soda at $0.50 per glass.
That all being said, we do like Coke every once in a while. Normally, a 12 pack is somewhere between $4-$5, which is beyond ridiculous. So, at Walgreens, they have this deal. It's 3 12-packs for $10. Then, if you spend $20, you get a coupon for $10 back. So, if you buy 6 12-packs, you pay $20, but get $10 back. Which makes each 12-pack less than $2 each! Holy cow!
Now, I have to hide the soda somewhere in the garage, so no one can find it. Oh crap, I can't put it in the garage, it will freeze... I guess it's going in the house. Now, if we're lucky, I won't have to buy soda for the next 3-6 months. Oh yea. Right.
Monday, March 12, 2012
March 12, 2012
Outside Temp: 33 F (a little more windy today, and not as warm. Although I can't complain, it's still above freezing!)
What I cooked today:
Lasagna: Actually, I made the lasagna about 2 months ago, and it's been sitting in my freezer, waiting for the right time to subject my family to a frozen, pre-made meal. I knew that today would be a busy evening, so I defrosted it and tossed it in the oven (still partially frozen). I assigned Connor to take the tin foil off the top so it could brown, and then pulled it out of the oven to cool, telling the family to eat. Of course, they waited until I got home, and the dish was cold. So, I put it back into the oven to re-heat. Patrick and Connor both liked it, and Allen and Katie had to hold their noses to clear their plates. Oh well, 2 out of 4 isn't bad!
Update:
Okay, I'm going to say it. Officially, I think that the whole 'Daylight Savings' thing is stupid and cruel and needs to be removed. Yesterday was fine, but it took every ounce of will power to get up this morning and get to school.
And, just to add insult to injury, the day started with State Standardized Testing (CRT's). Oh yea, get the kids up an hour early, then test them. Who was the silly person who scheduled that one?
Ryan also had speech, so not only did I have to get the older 3 up, but I also had to get Ryan and myself up and dressed. Needless to say, we were about 5 minutes late to school. Did I mention that they did testing today? Bad day to be late. Apparently, it worked out fine and the kids said they did great. We'll see when the tests comes back (in like 3 years? I hate standardized testing.)
After Ryan's speech class, we came home and I crawled back into bed. I'm sure there was plenty to do, but I was so tired, I couldn't stay awake. Before I knew it, it was 1:15 and I had to get Ryan back to school for class.
Then, this evening, we had the School Board meeting. I may have mentioned in previous posts that I was considering running for the school board. I decided that I didn't want to jump in without knowing what I was getting myself into, but that wouldn't stop me from being a part of the board. I can still attend the meetings and join in the conversations, without being on the board. So, I went to the meeting tonight.
I'm didn't really have any idea what to expect, so I wasn't disappointed or surprised. It was simply a school board, discussing normal school board items... where money was spent, how money comes in, misc. school business. Everyone was friendly and didn't treat me like an outsider, although I'm sure a few of them were wondering what on earth I was doing there. I'm not sure I could have explained it, but I feel compelled to be a part of the school, to help where I can, to be aware of what's going on and perhaps just to get to know everyone. And the school board seems to be a good place to start.
After the board meeting, I had a chance to go to the Stations of the Cross at the church. (During Lent, we can go through the 14 stages of Jesus' journey to be crucified). I think it's a good time to reflect and think about our lives, and to consider our reactions to events, both good and bad. And, since our church is so small, there was only 5 other people there! Did I mention how much I love this place?
The evening ended with 30 minutes of studying for Allen's Geography Bee (on March 30th). The funny thing is that his world geography is pretty good, but his US geography kind of stinks. I think the Bee is mostly World Geography, but we wanted to make sure that he didn't embarrassed himself by forgetting the capital of Montana, or something like that! I figure about 30 minutes of studying a day, and he might do okay!
What I cooked today:
Lasagna: Actually, I made the lasagna about 2 months ago, and it's been sitting in my freezer, waiting for the right time to subject my family to a frozen, pre-made meal. I knew that today would be a busy evening, so I defrosted it and tossed it in the oven (still partially frozen). I assigned Connor to take the tin foil off the top so it could brown, and then pulled it out of the oven to cool, telling the family to eat. Of course, they waited until I got home, and the dish was cold. So, I put it back into the oven to re-heat. Patrick and Connor both liked it, and Allen and Katie had to hold their noses to clear their plates. Oh well, 2 out of 4 isn't bad!
Update:
Okay, I'm going to say it. Officially, I think that the whole 'Daylight Savings' thing is stupid and cruel and needs to be removed. Yesterday was fine, but it took every ounce of will power to get up this morning and get to school.
And, just to add insult to injury, the day started with State Standardized Testing (CRT's). Oh yea, get the kids up an hour early, then test them. Who was the silly person who scheduled that one?
Ryan also had speech, so not only did I have to get the older 3 up, but I also had to get Ryan and myself up and dressed. Needless to say, we were about 5 minutes late to school. Did I mention that they did testing today? Bad day to be late. Apparently, it worked out fine and the kids said they did great. We'll see when the tests comes back (in like 3 years? I hate standardized testing.)
After Ryan's speech class, we came home and I crawled back into bed. I'm sure there was plenty to do, but I was so tired, I couldn't stay awake. Before I knew it, it was 1:15 and I had to get Ryan back to school for class.
Then, this evening, we had the School Board meeting. I may have mentioned in previous posts that I was considering running for the school board. I decided that I didn't want to jump in without knowing what I was getting myself into, but that wouldn't stop me from being a part of the board. I can still attend the meetings and join in the conversations, without being on the board. So, I went to the meeting tonight.
I'm didn't really have any idea what to expect, so I wasn't disappointed or surprised. It was simply a school board, discussing normal school board items... where money was spent, how money comes in, misc. school business. Everyone was friendly and didn't treat me like an outsider, although I'm sure a few of them were wondering what on earth I was doing there. I'm not sure I could have explained it, but I feel compelled to be a part of the school, to help where I can, to be aware of what's going on and perhaps just to get to know everyone. And the school board seems to be a good place to start.
After the board meeting, I had a chance to go to the Stations of the Cross at the church. (During Lent, we can go through the 14 stages of Jesus' journey to be crucified). I think it's a good time to reflect and think about our lives, and to consider our reactions to events, both good and bad. And, since our church is so small, there was only 5 other people there! Did I mention how much I love this place?
The evening ended with 30 minutes of studying for Allen's Geography Bee (on March 30th). The funny thing is that his world geography is pretty good, but his US geography kind of stinks. I think the Bee is mostly World Geography, but we wanted to make sure that he didn't embarrassed himself by forgetting the capital of Montana, or something like that! I figure about 30 minutes of studying a day, and he might do okay!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
March 11, 2012
Outside Temp: 42 F (another warm day, with lots of wind!)
What I cooked today:
Bran Muffins: We have this great recipe for 'Ice Box Bran Muffins' that makes about 2 tons of muffin mix (okay, not really) and you can leave it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, so you have fresh baked muffins in about 20 minutes. We used up about 1/2 of the recipe this morning, which means I should be able to make muffins at least once more before we run out of batter. And I'm sure there are those of you who are groaning, ugh, bran muffins, but these are really, really good... especially warm out of the oven with lots of butter... everything is good with butter.
Tacos: Since it was a do-nothing day, I had no plans for dinner. I guess I figured that we would eat when we needed to. Argh, that's NOT how things are done. As such, we ended up with tacos, which was fine since I can defrost the ground beef in the microwave. I've found that defrosting sometimes cooks the meat, so it's hard to make burgers out of microwave defrosted meat. But tacos, I can do that.
Update:
I reset all the clocks last night, so I had no problem waking up this morning. It didn't hurt that I had nothing to do, and was able to sleep in until about 9am. Totally spoiled.
The kids spent most of the day just hanging out. Allen had some homework to do, which meant that I had to spend about 2 hours nagging him to get it finished. It brought back vivid memories of homeschooling when we had to actually turn stuff in. I think I like not homeschooling. Does that make me bad? I mean, I miss it, but I don't miss the nagging. I love that the kids usually get all their homework done during class time and I don't have to do the nagging thing. Connor is upset that I said that I like not homeschooling. Now I have to deal with that one. (Connor is smirking at me right now).
This evening, the kids were listening to / watching videos on YouTube. They came across (whether they found it or specifically looked for) Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down. Connor, Katie AND Allen were all singing along, in their own distinct voices. It was hysterical. I'm not sure how many of the words they actually knew, so most lines were: "bum, um, a, um, Superman. Ah, uh, um, Kryptonite." and so on. (to be honest, after about 4 times, they had most of the words down pretty well). Then Patrick had to yell and tell them to stop. Too funny! (Connor is still smirking).
What I cooked today:
Bran Muffins: We have this great recipe for 'Ice Box Bran Muffins' that makes about 2 tons of muffin mix (okay, not really) and you can leave it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, so you have fresh baked muffins in about 20 minutes. We used up about 1/2 of the recipe this morning, which means I should be able to make muffins at least once more before we run out of batter. And I'm sure there are those of you who are groaning, ugh, bran muffins, but these are really, really good... especially warm out of the oven with lots of butter... everything is good with butter.
Tacos: Since it was a do-nothing day, I had no plans for dinner. I guess I figured that we would eat when we needed to. Argh, that's NOT how things are done. As such, we ended up with tacos, which was fine since I can defrost the ground beef in the microwave. I've found that defrosting sometimes cooks the meat, so it's hard to make burgers out of microwave defrosted meat. But tacos, I can do that.
Update:
I reset all the clocks last night, so I had no problem waking up this morning. It didn't hurt that I had nothing to do, and was able to sleep in until about 9am. Totally spoiled.
The kids spent most of the day just hanging out. Allen had some homework to do, which meant that I had to spend about 2 hours nagging him to get it finished. It brought back vivid memories of homeschooling when we had to actually turn stuff in. I think I like not homeschooling. Does that make me bad? I mean, I miss it, but I don't miss the nagging. I love that the kids usually get all their homework done during class time and I don't have to do the nagging thing. Connor is upset that I said that I like not homeschooling. Now I have to deal with that one. (Connor is smirking at me right now).
This evening, the kids were listening to / watching videos on YouTube. They came across (whether they found it or specifically looked for) Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down. Connor, Katie AND Allen were all singing along, in their own distinct voices. It was hysterical. I'm not sure how many of the words they actually knew, so most lines were: "bum, um, a, um, Superman. Ah, uh, um, Kryptonite." and so on. (to be honest, after about 4 times, they had most of the words down pretty well). Then Patrick had to yell and tell them to stop. Too funny! (Connor is still smirking).
Saturday, March 10, 2012
March 10, 2012
Outside Temp: 33 F (it was in the 60's again today... I guess this is spring... )
What I cooked today:
Beef Stew: I forgot about our date day, so I started the beef stew this morning when I woke up. Oh well, the Grandparents were able to take it to their house for dinner, so it didn't go to waste!
Update:
Date Day! Patrick has been feeling bad about not paying enough attention to me, so while discussing it with our priest yesterday, it was suggested that he should take me out for a date day. Of course, he would be getting something after it as well, but I guess that's just coincidence.
We started the day with a girl's basketball game at 10am at the school. Katie wanted to cheer on her friends, so I was up at 8:30am on a Saturday, which is unheard of in our house. Although the girls didn't win, I think they played well and we enjoyed the game. Katie also got to hang out with a few of her friends, and I got a chocolate bar (oh my gosh, flashback to high school!), so the morning started out pretty well.
After the game, we got ready for church. Church was great today! We talked about the 'cleansing of the temple' and the homily went over how the Church itself sometimes needs to be 'cleaned out' as well. Perhaps a little radical, but appropriate just the same.
Then, after church, the Grandparents took all 4 kids up to their place and Patrick and I headed into town for our date. We had a great lunch and then headed over to a movie. We saw 'This Means War', with Reese Witherspoon (who is one of my personal favorites). The movie was a great romantic comedy, which is always fun to watch with a husband. There were a bunch of great moments, that had us laughing out loud.
Then afterwards, we hit the grocery store (so I don't have to do it tomorrow! Woo Hoo), and the book store. Patrick and I almost always find ourselves at a book store when we are on a date. I found a book called 'How to Ace the National Geographic Bee', which might be useful for my son to prepare for the Geography Bee on the 30th of this month (perhaps he should start studying?).
We stopped at a shoe store, where we spent about an hour finding me a pair of cute low cut boots, that I can wear with my skirt. Yes, I've been wearing my hiking boots with my skirt at church, which is kind of embarrassing. Now, I have a pair of cute boots that work if I have to step into mud, and still look good with nice clothes. Woo Hoo!
Then we decided to have dinner, so we headed over to a restaurant, and spent about an hour and half people watching. People are funny. I love to just sit and watch them, and how they interact with each other It's actually my favorite part of Disneyland, which costs a lot more than a dinner out.
Then we headed back to get the kids. Totally fun date out, which concluded with Patrick discussing the history of the English language and how it differs from French and German. Boring, I know, but I figured that I got a chick flick, 2 meals and new boots out of the deal, so I could put up with a little bit of boring.
What I cooked today:
Beef Stew: I forgot about our date day, so I started the beef stew this morning when I woke up. Oh well, the Grandparents were able to take it to their house for dinner, so it didn't go to waste!
Update:
Date Day! Patrick has been feeling bad about not paying enough attention to me, so while discussing it with our priest yesterday, it was suggested that he should take me out for a date day. Of course, he would be getting something after it as well, but I guess that's just coincidence.
We started the day with a girl's basketball game at 10am at the school. Katie wanted to cheer on her friends, so I was up at 8:30am on a Saturday, which is unheard of in our house. Although the girls didn't win, I think they played well and we enjoyed the game. Katie also got to hang out with a few of her friends, and I got a chocolate bar (oh my gosh, flashback to high school!), so the morning started out pretty well.
After the game, we got ready for church. Church was great today! We talked about the 'cleansing of the temple' and the homily went over how the Church itself sometimes needs to be 'cleaned out' as well. Perhaps a little radical, but appropriate just the same.
Then, after church, the Grandparents took all 4 kids up to their place and Patrick and I headed into town for our date. We had a great lunch and then headed over to a movie. We saw 'This Means War', with Reese Witherspoon (who is one of my personal favorites). The movie was a great romantic comedy, which is always fun to watch with a husband. There were a bunch of great moments, that had us laughing out loud.
Then afterwards, we hit the grocery store (so I don't have to do it tomorrow! Woo Hoo), and the book store. Patrick and I almost always find ourselves at a book store when we are on a date. I found a book called 'How to Ace the National Geographic Bee', which might be useful for my son to prepare for the Geography Bee on the 30th of this month (perhaps he should start studying?).
We stopped at a shoe store, where we spent about an hour finding me a pair of cute low cut boots, that I can wear with my skirt. Yes, I've been wearing my hiking boots with my skirt at church, which is kind of embarrassing. Now, I have a pair of cute boots that work if I have to step into mud, and still look good with nice clothes. Woo Hoo!
Then we decided to have dinner, so we headed over to a restaurant, and spent about an hour and half people watching. People are funny. I love to just sit and watch them, and how they interact with each other It's actually my favorite part of Disneyland, which costs a lot more than a dinner out.
Then we headed back to get the kids. Totally fun date out, which concluded with Patrick discussing the history of the English language and how it differs from French and German. Boring, I know, but I figured that I got a chick flick, 2 meals and new boots out of the deal, so I could put up with a little bit of boring.
Friday, March 9, 2012
March 9, 2012
Outside Temp: 40 F (it was in the 60's today! Oh my!)
What I cooked today:
Not much: Since it is a Friday during Lent, I decided that we would have very simple meals. Lunch was tomato soup and dinner was pasta, with butter. I feel mildly guilty for the ice cream I had for desert, but not that guilty.
Update:
Patrick spent a hour and half in the morning chatting with our priest. We really, really like our local priest and he and Patrick get along very well.
Afterwards, Patrick went into town with the Grandparents and Allen to see John Carter. Patrick read the book years ago, and Allen recently read it. Allen complained that it moved plot items around and wasn't nearly as good as the book. I could have told him that, even without reading the book OR seeing the movie... the movie is never as good as the book!
Katie, Connor and I went into Stanford tonight to watch the Elementary Girls Basketball game. Four of the players on our team are in either Connor's or Allen's class, so we felt an attachment to the team. The girls won and did so well! I was pretty impressed at how well they played. Perhaps the referee let a few traveling calls pass, but since the kids are 5th-7th grade, I guess that's okay.
Dinner was interesting, as we discussed IQ tests. At some point, we started discussing what our best strengths are and here are what the kids came up with:
Allen is good at Geography
Connor is good at writing stories
Katie is good at Math
Patrick is good at Computers
and I am good at putting up with Patrick.
Ahhh, it's great that my kids see my strengths.
What I cooked today:
Not much: Since it is a Friday during Lent, I decided that we would have very simple meals. Lunch was tomato soup and dinner was pasta, with butter. I feel mildly guilty for the ice cream I had for desert, but not that guilty.
Update:
Patrick spent a hour and half in the morning chatting with our priest. We really, really like our local priest and he and Patrick get along very well.
Afterwards, Patrick went into town with the Grandparents and Allen to see John Carter. Patrick read the book years ago, and Allen recently read it. Allen complained that it moved plot items around and wasn't nearly as good as the book. I could have told him that, even without reading the book OR seeing the movie... the movie is never as good as the book!
Katie, Connor and I went into Stanford tonight to watch the Elementary Girls Basketball game. Four of the players on our team are in either Connor's or Allen's class, so we felt an attachment to the team. The girls won and did so well! I was pretty impressed at how well they played. Perhaps the referee let a few traveling calls pass, but since the kids are 5th-7th grade, I guess that's okay.
Dinner was interesting, as we discussed IQ tests. At some point, we started discussing what our best strengths are and here are what the kids came up with:
Allen is good at Geography
Connor is good at writing stories
Katie is good at Math
Patrick is good at Computers
and I am good at putting up with Patrick.
Ahhh, it's great that my kids see my strengths.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
March 8, 2012
Outside Temp: 43 F (it was a little cloudy today, which makes seeing the 'northern lights' a little difficult)
What I cooked today:
Chili and Cornbread: Even though it was warm today, I was in the mood for something warm for dinner... Chili hit the spot!
Update:
So, I forgot to mention that on our ski trip yesterday, Patrick managed to fall. No, I'm not sure you can call it just 'falling'. He really fell. Badly. He probably bruised his rib, if he managed not to crack it. And while I have never bruised or cracked a rib, I've heard it's quite painful. Needless to say, he's been a little uncomfortable all day. Big baby. It's better tonight than it was last night, so I figure it's just a lot of heat and rest and aspirin.
Allen was a little sick today. I'm not sure if it was over-exertion from skiing too hard yesterday, or if he was just coming down with a flu, but he spent most of the day in bed. When he did get up and try to play with Ryan, it only lasted a few minutes before he had to sit back down and rest. Hopefully, he'll feel better tomorrow.
When I went into school with Ryan, I was approached by our Superintendent, who asked me to get fingerprinted and TB tested, so I could help out with substitute teaching! I am so excited! And, while I don't have an education degree or anything that formal, I did home school my own kids for 5 years, so I guess that's a little bit of experience. And I love that I can do something to help out the school. (and there's that other little thing about getting paid for working, which I haven't done in years!)
I also talked with someone at the school about teaching an Adult Education class on Microsoft Office, especially Access and Excel. I think they are great tools and since everyone around here does 2-3 different jobs, I'm sure there are cases in which a database or spreadsheet might make their lives a little easier!
Patrick and I are discussing our housing situation and we've decided to look into actually purchasing the place we are renting. I can hear the groans from my mother from here. But I think we know what works and what doesn't in this place. And it is a roof over our heads. And the price is really good. Now, we just need to figure out how to make the financing part of it work. Most importantly, I think we really feel good being here, and I think we're ready to make that a little more permanent.
What I cooked today:
Chili and Cornbread: Even though it was warm today, I was in the mood for something warm for dinner... Chili hit the spot!
Update:
So, I forgot to mention that on our ski trip yesterday, Patrick managed to fall. No, I'm not sure you can call it just 'falling'. He really fell. Badly. He probably bruised his rib, if he managed not to crack it. And while I have never bruised or cracked a rib, I've heard it's quite painful. Needless to say, he's been a little uncomfortable all day. Big baby. It's better tonight than it was last night, so I figure it's just a lot of heat and rest and aspirin.
Allen was a little sick today. I'm not sure if it was over-exertion from skiing too hard yesterday, or if he was just coming down with a flu, but he spent most of the day in bed. When he did get up and try to play with Ryan, it only lasted a few minutes before he had to sit back down and rest. Hopefully, he'll feel better tomorrow.
When I went into school with Ryan, I was approached by our Superintendent, who asked me to get fingerprinted and TB tested, so I could help out with substitute teaching! I am so excited! And, while I don't have an education degree or anything that formal, I did home school my own kids for 5 years, so I guess that's a little bit of experience. And I love that I can do something to help out the school. (and there's that other little thing about getting paid for working, which I haven't done in years!)
I also talked with someone at the school about teaching an Adult Education class on Microsoft Office, especially Access and Excel. I think they are great tools and since everyone around here does 2-3 different jobs, I'm sure there are cases in which a database or spreadsheet might make their lives a little easier!
Patrick and I are discussing our housing situation and we've decided to look into actually purchasing the place we are renting. I can hear the groans from my mother from here. But I think we know what works and what doesn't in this place. And it is a roof over our heads. And the price is really good. Now, we just need to figure out how to make the financing part of it work. Most importantly, I think we really feel good being here, and I think we're ready to make that a little more permanent.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
March 7, 2012
Outside Temp: 30 F (it was beautiful today!)
What I cooked today:
Chicken Noodle Soup (without the chicken): Patrick was in the mood for soup, but I didn't have any chicken defrosted, so I just sauteed up some onions, celery and carrots and tossed in my chicken stock. Then I added some noodles and voila, chicken noodle soup without the chicken. It was warm and toasty.
Update:
SKI DAY!! The kids had their ski day with the school today. Since we had passes and equipment, we decided to go up on our own, rather than have them take the bus to school, and then take the bus up to the mountain with all their equipment.
It was also our first time with Ryan up on the mountain skiing, instead of just doing the magic carpet beginners area!
He did great and we up 3 times with Grandpa and Patrick. I was so proud of him! Although he still doesn't turn or do the snow plow, he still had fun and has absolutely NO FEAR! Of course, I forgot to charge my battery in my new camera, so these were taken with my old camera, which lends a 1970's feel to the movies... Oh wait, I did that on purpose, right?
We also had our Confirmation class at the church tonight. Patrick and I were asked to teach the class, since there are only 4 kids, and 3 of them are ours. We had a really good time and I think the kids enjoyed themselves. We were able to stay on topic (enough) and still have time for discussion. We have 7 more classes and I hope that the rest of the classes are as productive and easy as tonight's!
What I cooked today:
Chicken Noodle Soup (without the chicken): Patrick was in the mood for soup, but I didn't have any chicken defrosted, so I just sauteed up some onions, celery and carrots and tossed in my chicken stock. Then I added some noodles and voila, chicken noodle soup without the chicken. It was warm and toasty.
Update:
SKI DAY!! The kids had their ski day with the school today. Since we had passes and equipment, we decided to go up on our own, rather than have them take the bus to school, and then take the bus up to the mountain with all their equipment.
It was also our first time with Ryan up on the mountain skiing, instead of just doing the magic carpet beginners area!
He did great and we up 3 times with Grandpa and Patrick. I was so proud of him! Although he still doesn't turn or do the snow plow, he still had fun and has absolutely NO FEAR! Of course, I forgot to charge my battery in my new camera, so these were taken with my old camera, which lends a 1970's feel to the movies... Oh wait, I did that on purpose, right?
 |  |
We also had our Confirmation class at the church tonight. Patrick and I were asked to teach the class, since there are only 4 kids, and 3 of them are ours. We had a really good time and I think the kids enjoyed themselves. We were able to stay on topic (enough) and still have time for discussion. We have 7 more classes and I hope that the rest of the classes are as productive and easy as tonight's!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
March 6, 2012
Outside Temp: 14 F (it finally got cold.... Hmmmm)
What I cooked today:
Tacos: I would call them burritos, since they use flour tortillas wrapped up, but for some reason, Patrick calls them tacos. Oh well, they are good.
Update:
Ryan got to play BINGO at school today, with letters. He is getting really good at his letters! We each had a card (I got to play with him and his teacher), and each card had 2 rows of 4 letters. Then we drew a card with a letter on it. We would go around and he would check his card, and then mine and then his teacher's. With each turn of the card, he would have to say the name of the letter and the sound. I'm amazed! At the beginning of this year, he don't think he could have named even a single letter or sound. Now he has almost all of them. Not perfect, but he's getting there! I'm so proud of him (and his teacher!!)
I had to run into town today, since we realized that we were out of one of Ryan's meds. It gave me a chance to stop at the bakery and the library and the grocery store. And I still made it home in time to make dinner. I'm getting quite efficient at my trips to town!
Tomorrow is our school's ski day. We are heading up on our own, since we all have our own skis and passes. But a lot of the school will be there, so the kids will have some of their friends to ski with. I hope that we can get Ryan up on the mountain and off the 'magic carpet', but we'll have to see.
What I cooked today:
Tacos: I would call them burritos, since they use flour tortillas wrapped up, but for some reason, Patrick calls them tacos. Oh well, they are good.
Update:
Ryan got to play BINGO at school today, with letters. He is getting really good at his letters! We each had a card (I got to play with him and his teacher), and each card had 2 rows of 4 letters. Then we drew a card with a letter on it. We would go around and he would check his card, and then mine and then his teacher's. With each turn of the card, he would have to say the name of the letter and the sound. I'm amazed! At the beginning of this year, he don't think he could have named even a single letter or sound. Now he has almost all of them. Not perfect, but he's getting there! I'm so proud of him (and his teacher!!)
I had to run into town today, since we realized that we were out of one of Ryan's meds. It gave me a chance to stop at the bakery and the library and the grocery store. And I still made it home in time to make dinner. I'm getting quite efficient at my trips to town!
Tomorrow is our school's ski day. We are heading up on our own, since we all have our own skis and passes. But a lot of the school will be there, so the kids will have some of their friends to ski with. I hope that we can get Ryan up on the mountain and off the 'magic carpet', but we'll have to see.
Monday, March 5, 2012
March 5, 2012
Outside Temp: 32 F (it's been in the 50's all day today)
What I cooked today:
Macaroni and Cheese: I found a recipe in Alton Brown's (yea, him, again) for Mac's and Cheese. It has paprika and dry mustard in it, along with the milk and eggs and (of course) cheese... lots and lots of cheese. Patrick didn't really care for the bread crumbs on the top, but he said he liked it. I might even try it again!
Burgers: We had to have some protein to go with our pasta. I meant to make chili, so I only defrosted 1 lb, instead of my normal 1 1/2 lbs for burgers. It worked out okay though. Just smaller burgers.
Update:
Ugh, waking up at 7am on a Monday just sucks. I know, most people actually have to wake up before that, but this morning, I just didn't want to wake up. But I did. I'm that good.
After Ryan had his speech therapy, we came back home and he crawled up into my bed and promptly fell asleep. Apparently, he didn't want to wake up either.
I, on the other hand, walked down to the Post Office to chat and get my mail. The weather was absolutely beautiful! I didn't need my jacket, but I did have to watch the ground for the puddles of melted snow. A few spots, mostly in the shade, had mud, which can be annoying. So, I avoided those. After all, it kept me in the warm sun.
Katie came down with a migraine before dinner, so she crawled off to the bed while we ate. That also meant that I was not going to make her do the dishes tonight, even though it was her turn. Which lead to some grumbling from Connor, since he was chosen to take her place (Allen did them last night). However, when I described that if he was sick, I would have Katie do the dishes for him. He agreed and got over his mad (at least, he appeared to get over it... who knows how irritated he still is).
What I cooked today:
Macaroni and Cheese: I found a recipe in Alton Brown's (yea, him, again) for Mac's and Cheese. It has paprika and dry mustard in it, along with the milk and eggs and (of course) cheese... lots and lots of cheese. Patrick didn't really care for the bread crumbs on the top, but he said he liked it. I might even try it again!
Burgers: We had to have some protein to go with our pasta. I meant to make chili, so I only defrosted 1 lb, instead of my normal 1 1/2 lbs for burgers. It worked out okay though. Just smaller burgers.
Update:
Ugh, waking up at 7am on a Monday just sucks. I know, most people actually have to wake up before that, but this morning, I just didn't want to wake up. But I did. I'm that good.
After Ryan had his speech therapy, we came back home and he crawled up into my bed and promptly fell asleep. Apparently, he didn't want to wake up either.
I, on the other hand, walked down to the Post Office to chat and get my mail. The weather was absolutely beautiful! I didn't need my jacket, but I did have to watch the ground for the puddles of melted snow. A few spots, mostly in the shade, had mud, which can be annoying. So, I avoided those. After all, it kept me in the warm sun.
Katie came down with a migraine before dinner, so she crawled off to the bed while we ate. That also meant that I was not going to make her do the dishes tonight, even though it was her turn. Which lead to some grumbling from Connor, since he was chosen to take her place (Allen did them last night). However, when I described that if he was sick, I would have Katie do the dishes for him. He agreed and got over his mad (at least, he appeared to get over it... who knows how irritated he still is).
Sunday, March 4, 2012
March 4, 2012
Outside Temp: 47 F (it was actually in the 50's today, we opened the windows and aired out the house)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Lentil Soup: Patrick wanted soup, but he informed me that he wanted soup after I defrosted the hamburger. Oh well, he liked the soup and we still got burgers for dinner. Win-win.
Update:
Nice relaxing day today!
Allen went skiing with Grandpa and Katie and Connor spent most of the day playing LOTRO on the computers. Spoiled kids, who I was tempted to throw outside, since it was warm enough to go outside and play. But, they were enjoying themselves so much, I couldn't make them quit. The day consisted of dialog such as:
K: Hey, where are you? I'm killing this wild boar.
C: I'm collecting berries.
K: Wait! I am too! How many have you collected?
C: 4.
K: No fair! I only have 2!
C: Do you need help killing the pigs?
K: Yea, I've already killed 3, but I need to kill 2 more.
C: Okay, I'll help you kill the pigs, once I get the last berry.
Ahhh, my kids helping each other out. I love it.
We also got the garbage dumped, which was sadly overdue. Our dump is so awesome. Not only is it easy, but it doesn't stink. I was expecting miles and miles of rotting, smelly garbage. Instead, there was 3-4 very large dumpster bins. You just pulled up to the top of the hill, and tossed your garbage from the back of the truck into a bin. Easy!
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Lentil Soup: Patrick wanted soup, but he informed me that he wanted soup after I defrosted the hamburger. Oh well, he liked the soup and we still got burgers for dinner. Win-win.
Update:
Nice relaxing day today!
Allen went skiing with Grandpa and Katie and Connor spent most of the day playing LOTRO on the computers. Spoiled kids, who I was tempted to throw outside, since it was warm enough to go outside and play. But, they were enjoying themselves so much, I couldn't make them quit. The day consisted of dialog such as:
K: Hey, where are you? I'm killing this wild boar.
C: I'm collecting berries.
K: Wait! I am too! How many have you collected?
C: 4.
K: No fair! I only have 2!
C: Do you need help killing the pigs?
K: Yea, I've already killed 3, but I need to kill 2 more.
C: Okay, I'll help you kill the pigs, once I get the last berry.
Ahhh, my kids helping each other out. I love it.
We also got the garbage dumped, which was sadly overdue. Our dump is so awesome. Not only is it easy, but it doesn't stink. I was expecting miles and miles of rotting, smelly garbage. Instead, there was 3-4 very large dumpster bins. You just pulled up to the top of the hill, and tossed your garbage from the back of the truck into a bin. Easy!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
March 3, 2012
Outside Temp: 42 F (ugh, all our beautiful snow is melting! Now, it's just slush!)
What I cooked today:
Walnut Chicken: Woo Hoo! I cooked! For the first time in a few days! I know, silly, but it was good to eat food that only cost about $5 for the whole family, and tasted good!
Update:
So, last night as we went to hook up Ryan's antibiotics, the syringe pump wasn't working. (The antibiotics get pushed in over about 30 minutes, and the pump pushes it in for us). That meant that we (meaning Patrick) had to sit there for 30 minutes, and push in about 1 cc (a really small amount) every minute for a half hour. It kind of sucked.
We called our home care, and even through it's Saturday, they were able to get us a replacement pump. We offered to go into Great Falls to get it, since we probably needed to go shopping anyway.
So, after church, Patrick and I jumped back into the car and drove into town. We stopped at the hardware store and the drug store and the grocery store (and even made a quick stop at Baskin Robbins). We even made it home in time to make dinner... granted dinner was around 9:30pm, but since it's Saturday, no one really cared.
On the drive back up to pick up the kids from the grandparents, a pretty, white bunny jumped out in front of the car. And, even though we've talked for years about not stopping for animals, Patrick still put on the brakes. Fortunately, for both us and the rabbit, we missed him. Lucky bunny..
What I cooked today:
Walnut Chicken: Woo Hoo! I cooked! For the first time in a few days! I know, silly, but it was good to eat food that only cost about $5 for the whole family, and tasted good!
Update:
So, last night as we went to hook up Ryan's antibiotics, the syringe pump wasn't working. (The antibiotics get pushed in over about 30 minutes, and the pump pushes it in for us). That meant that we (meaning Patrick) had to sit there for 30 minutes, and push in about 1 cc (a really small amount) every minute for a half hour. It kind of sucked.
We called our home care, and even through it's Saturday, they were able to get us a replacement pump. We offered to go into Great Falls to get it, since we probably needed to go shopping anyway.
So, after church, Patrick and I jumped back into the car and drove into town. We stopped at the hardware store and the drug store and the grocery store (and even made a quick stop at Baskin Robbins). We even made it home in time to make dinner... granted dinner was around 9:30pm, but since it's Saturday, no one really cared.
On the drive back up to pick up the kids from the grandparents, a pretty, white bunny jumped out in front of the car. And, even though we've talked for years about not stopping for animals, Patrick still put on the brakes. Fortunately, for both us and the rabbit, we missed him. Lucky bunny..
Friday, March 2, 2012
March 2, 2012
Outside Temp: 30 F (really windy, so it feels colder)
What I cooked today:
I miss cooking...
Update:
Woo Hoo! We're home!
The clinic was able to get us in for a 7:30am appointment for an ultrasound, so we were able to get out of Seattle by 9 (PST). So awesome!
The drive was long, but we had a lot to talk about. In fact, it wasn't until we were about 30 minutes from home that I had to start coming up with new topics to discuss. We made it home by a little after 10 (MST), which included both a sitdown breakfast AND dinner! Just a quick hop, skip and jump across 3 states and over 3 passes (chains were required for trucks over 10,000lbs, traction tires recommended). All 3 passes had snow, and it was really beautiful.
We have been talking about starting a hydroponic greenhouse for a few weeks, and I think we might have come up with some great ideas on this trip. I think we'll start with strawberries and maybe tomatoes. I can can the tomatoes and make jelly out of the strawberries (assuming we don't just eat everything), and it will be a fun project!
Mostly, we are just so glad to be home, in our own beds. The trip to Seattle was productive, but short. I'm hoping that next time we can spend more time. I think the city has a lot to offer, and we could have some fun there! As long as we get to come home to our wide open spaces when we're all done!
What I cooked today:
I miss cooking...
Update:
Woo Hoo! We're home!
The clinic was able to get us in for a 7:30am appointment for an ultrasound, so we were able to get out of Seattle by 9 (PST). So awesome!
The drive was long, but we had a lot to talk about. In fact, it wasn't until we were about 30 minutes from home that I had to start coming up with new topics to discuss. We made it home by a little after 10 (MST), which included both a sitdown breakfast AND dinner! Just a quick hop, skip and jump across 3 states and over 3 passes (chains were required for trucks over 10,000lbs, traction tires recommended). All 3 passes had snow, and it was really beautiful.
We have been talking about starting a hydroponic greenhouse for a few weeks, and I think we might have come up with some great ideas on this trip. I think we'll start with strawberries and maybe tomatoes. I can can the tomatoes and make jelly out of the strawberries (assuming we don't just eat everything), and it will be a fun project!
Mostly, we are just so glad to be home, in our own beds. The trip to Seattle was productive, but short. I'm hoping that next time we can spend more time. I think the city has a lot to offer, and we could have some fun there! As long as we get to come home to our wide open spaces when we're all done!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
March 1, 2012
Outside Temp: 40's (I think...)
What I cooked today:
Nothing. again.
Update:
(We're in Seattle today)
We got up early and got our labs from the clinic. Then we headed over to the Seattle Aquarium. We probably picked the aquarium because Patrick wanted to go, but we really enjoyed ourselves. Ryan really loved watching the sea otters!
After the aquarium, we walked around downtown Seattle for lunch, and found a great deli. The soups were homemade and I had a great sandwich.
Then we headed over to the hospital for clinic. We met our new GI doctor and a Transplant Surgeon (although the Surgeon didn't really understand why we needed a transplant surgeon, since we probably won't be having a new transplant!). We also met with the dietitian and nurse practitioner.
The team is great and I think we'll work well together. We will probably be coming back here every 3 months, or so (and any time we need a more advanced hospital). They wanted an ultrasound of his chest, so that if we need another line, they have a study to see where available access will be. They were able to get us in tomorrow morning, at 7:30am (yea, like in the morning... ugh), but that will allow us to head back home afterwards tomorrow morning.
After clinic, we headed out to dinner and found a Johnny Rockets (it's like a 50's diner... we had them in Southern California), which was a little nostalgic. And after that, Patrick found a Microsoft store... You know we had to go in there. Apparently, that was the highlight of the trip!
By the way, I've realized that I really, really don't like cities. I decided that Seattle totally reminds me of San Francisco. The roads are on a grid, with some one way and some two way and some are one way for a few blocks, then two way. It's a lot of up and down roads, and we managed to figure out the roads, but it was a little challenging.
Then, of course, was the freeway. We haven't really been on a freeway in months. Ugh, 4-6 lanes of bumper to bumper cars. Who wants that? I guess there is some physical reasons for the people to be packed together like sardines, and some of the architecture is beautiful. But I can't want to get home to my wide open spaces!
What I cooked today:
Nothing. again.
Update:
(We're in Seattle today)
We got up early and got our labs from the clinic. Then we headed over to the Seattle Aquarium. We probably picked the aquarium because Patrick wanted to go, but we really enjoyed ourselves. Ryan really loved watching the sea otters!
 |  |
After the aquarium, we walked around downtown Seattle for lunch, and found a great deli. The soups were homemade and I had a great sandwich.
Then we headed over to the hospital for clinic. We met our new GI doctor and a Transplant Surgeon (although the Surgeon didn't really understand why we needed a transplant surgeon, since we probably won't be having a new transplant!). We also met with the dietitian and nurse practitioner.
The team is great and I think we'll work well together. We will probably be coming back here every 3 months, or so (and any time we need a more advanced hospital). They wanted an ultrasound of his chest, so that if we need another line, they have a study to see where available access will be. They were able to get us in tomorrow morning, at 7:30am (yea, like in the morning... ugh), but that will allow us to head back home afterwards tomorrow morning.
After clinic, we headed out to dinner and found a Johnny Rockets (it's like a 50's diner... we had them in Southern California), which was a little nostalgic. And after that, Patrick found a Microsoft store... You know we had to go in there. Apparently, that was the highlight of the trip!
By the way, I've realized that I really, really don't like cities. I decided that Seattle totally reminds me of San Francisco. The roads are on a grid, with some one way and some two way and some are one way for a few blocks, then two way. It's a lot of up and down roads, and we managed to figure out the roads, but it was a little challenging.
Then, of course, was the freeway. We haven't really been on a freeway in months. Ugh, 4-6 lanes of bumper to bumper cars. Who wants that? I guess there is some physical reasons for the people to be packed together like sardines, and some of the architecture is beautiful. But I can't want to get home to my wide open spaces!
|
|
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)