June 30, 2012

Outside Temp: 64 F (it was in the 80's again today.  But, it cooled off this evening and it's beautiful!)

What I cooked today:
Burritos: The funny thing about the late evenings, is that dinner time sneaks up on me.  So, sometime around 9pm, I realized that it was time for dinner.  I wanted to try a recipe, but it called for about an hour of cooking time, and I didn't want to wait that long.   So, I just made up some ground beef with taco seasoning, and heated up some tortillas and beans.  Instant dinner!

Update:
So, first off, I'm kind of 'home maintenance' challenged.  I never learned all those little tricks that apparently, everyone else knows.

I was complaining about my backed up shower today, at the post office, and my postmistress explained to me how to clear it.  Patrick and I were under the impression that it was a problem with the main line (which it still may be), but we noticed that we could run the water in the sinks and the toilet without problem.  It was only the shower.

So, I was told that I just needed to take some baking soda, vinegar and boiling water, and put them all down the drain.  Oh yea, like that's going to work.  So, I boiled some water in my tea kettle, and scooped out about 1/2 cup of baking soda, and 1 cup of white vinegar.

I tried to drop the baking soda down first, but it got stuck in the drain, so it spilled out into the shower.  Then, I poured vinegar over the soda.  Oh, how fun!  I love the reaction between these two (and I really wanted to turn it into a science experiment, but the kids were all sleeping, so I let it pass).  Last, I used the boiling water to 'push' the fizzing vinegar/soda mixture down the drain.  I totally expected it to just sit there, and slowly drain, like it has been doing.  But, it worked!  Suddenly, the entire fizzy mixture started running down the drain and it was clearing!  It took about a minute for the clog to clear, and then I could run water down the drain and it would actually go down!

Woo hoo!

The best part, is that it was essentially free!  I didn't have to call anyone (or wait for a male member of my family to fix it for me).  There is still probably a problem with the main line, but for now, we can use the shower and not wait 20 minutes for the water from a 4 minute shower to drain.

June 29, 2012

Outside Temp: 56 F (it was warm today, in the 80's.  But not too bad... At least it was a dry heat... hehehe)

What I cooked today:
Chinese Chicken: Since I did burgers last night, I decided to do chicken.  Of course, I forgot that I ran out of sherry, so I couldn't make my normal Chinese chicken.  It just ended up being chicken with soy sauce and sesame seed oil.  They still ate it all up, so I guess it wasn't too bad!

Update:
Busy day today!

We headed over to Stanford to get hair cuts.  Patrick got all cleaned up (since his beard was making him look like a mountain man) and the boys needed to get trimmed up.  In between hair cuts, I took the kids over to the library.  Connor picked out about 4 books, Katie picked 2, Allen picked up 2 and Ryan picked up a new movie.  I love our library in Stanford!  It's small and cozy and yet they have all the books that the kids would want to read!

At the barber shop, they had fireworks, to purchase for the 4th of July.  I love the idea of buying them in Stanford, instead of Great Falls, so that we support the local guys.  Of course, we went a little crazy (as you would expect, since in CA, we couldn't have fireworks anyway).  So, for the rest of the day, Ryan kept asking if we could play with the firecrackers.  Yea, that wasn't going to happen. 

After we got back from Stanford, Allen and Connor went over to the Belt Pool with the neighbor kids.  Connor said he needed to practice a little more, since he didn't feel comfortable in the deep end.  But Allen said he did great.  He also commented that apparently, some of the kids in Belt knew who he was.  He was pleasantly surprised by that.  They had a great time and are already asking to go again!

While they were gone, Patrick and I worked a little.  But, we are both getting burned out on the whole 'working' thing.  I'm looking forward to next week.  My mom will be in town, so we'll be going out each day, checking out all the 'Montana' things.  I can't wait!

June 28, 2012

Outside Temp: 58 F (it was in the high 80's again today.  But it didn't bother us much.  Cooled off nicely tonight)

What I cooked today:
Burgers and Tater Tots: We didn't even start dinner until after 9pm, since we had other stuff we were doing.  So, I went with the old standby, which worked out fine.  Boy, does everyone love tater tots in my family!

Update:
A nice relaxing day.  Nothing really to do (okay, so we had to work a little, but we found out our 'deadline' got pushed until Monday, so we felt a little less pressure).

With the Supreme Court stuff going on today, we had lots of discussion.  And for those who know us, you know that discussions around our house become entire family affairs.  So, we spent a few hours discussing the Health Care law with the kids, and asked their opinions on both the law, and the decision.  Of course, their opinions are close to our own (as I would expect, since we're the ones who are teaching them).  But, I love that they didn't have too much problem understanding the process and how it affects up.  They also had some great insights on consequences of the law.

This evening, Allen and Katie played with some of the neighborhood kids, which was awesome.  It also gave me a chance to chat, which I always love.  Of course, it meant that we weren't home for dinner until after 9pm, but it was still light out, so it doesn't really matter.

We are also still having problems with our septic tank.  The shower is backing up, so, we thought we would try snaking the tank past the break that we already know about.  Which involves lifting the lid on the septic tank.  Ewwwww.  Totally gross. 

We tried snaking the main line, and, while we found a few narrowings, we're not sure if we helped the situation.  I think it's time to attempt to dig up the line and try to fix it.  Ugh, I really don't want to do this.  But, I guess it's all part of the experience!

June 27, 2012

Outside Temp: 49 F (It actually got a little chilly tonight, into the 50's.  Clear and beautiful all day, and very reasonable winds!)

What I cooked today:
Burgers and pasta: I got busy tonight and totally forgot to make dinner, until about 9:15pm, when I realized I needed to actually make dinner for the family.  I whipped up burgers quickly, and over cooked the pasta.  No problems, though, everything got gobbled up.

Update:
Ryan came home today!  Woo hoo!

I ran into Great Falls to pick him up (Grandma has been with him, while Patrick and I worked for the last few days).  It gave me a chance to go shopping, and get caught up on groceries.  Of course, I forgot my list, so I totally forgot the Calamine lotion (for our mosquito bites) and Kosher salt (because it's awesome, not because of the religion thing).  Oh well, I'll be back into town on Sunday (if not earlier)  to pick up my mom from the airport!!

Our chickens ran out of food this week.  I meant to pick up chicken feed on Saturday, when we got back from Seattle.  Actually, I meant to pick it up before we went to Seattle, but that didn't happen.  Then, Saturday got away from us, and I planned on picking up chicken feed on Monday.  But work kept me busy, so I hoped to get around to it on Tuesday.  By Tuesday evening, we still didn't have a new bag of chicken food, and their feed container (in their cage) was empty.  We gave them some grass and dandelions from the yard, and some old rice (the pre-cooked stuff that my family hates anyway). 

So, when I went into town, I stopped at Big R and got more chicken food.  I usually buy it in Geyser, and I really wanted to, but it was 11 miles in the other direction and I didn't have an excuse to go there.  I'll plan on going over there next week, and this time, I'll buy 2 40lb bags, instead of just 1.  Then, I won't run out (as quickly). 

The chickens were very happy to get food  Unfortunately, when we filled up their food, we somehow forgot to check the latch on their cage.  I sent Katie out to close the door to the shed, and she heard some rustling in the grass around the corner from the shed.  Of course, her first thought was rattlesnakes.  Until she looked, and saw 2 chickens walking around, outside their cage! The chickens are getting older, and will be able to free range soon.  But, we weren't really ready for it.  Their cage has a 2 foot high chicken wire around it, which means that even when the gate is open, they shouldn't be getting out.  Unless they were birds and birds could fly.  Hmmm, didn't really think of that one.  Of course, they couldn't get back into their cage, because the chicken wire was in the way. 

So, I had to pick them up and carry them over the threshold.  And the rooster didn't want to get picked up.  Which then involved a quite funny moment of me chasing the rooster around, and him flying away from me.  I swear, it was like a scene out of a movie.  But, in the end, I prevailed and all 24 chickens are back in their cage.

June 26, 2012

Outside Temp: 53 F (totally wild weather today... see below)

What I cooked today:
Lemon Chicken with Fried Rice:  I asked the kids what they wanted for dinner: burgers, chili or chicken.  It was unanimous.  They wanted chicken.  So, I started the chicken and when I went to put the sherry into the sauce, we didn't have any sherry.  So, I had to make up something else to add into the chicken for a sauce.  I put in some fresh lemon juice, and some soy sauce with a little sesame oil.  It turned out really good and they asked for it again soon!

Update:
The weather today was wild.  Not normal wild, but really wild.

After yesterday's complaints about the weather, I was all set for another hot, humid, annoying day with lots of bugs.  We all went to bed with bugs all around our rooms (which leads to lots of complaints from my kids).  Connor woke me up at 7:45 to let me know that there were bugs in the shower (I think my response was something along the lines of "get over it... I don't care", but since it was 7:45, I think I was entitled to a lame response). 

We had opened up the windows last night, so it was warm but not hot.  As the morning progressed, it got warmer (into the 80's) and no wind.  By 11am, the windows were closed and the AC was on, with the fans, and we settled into work complaining about the annoying heat.

Then, suddenly, around noon, the wind picked up and it cooled off.  The wind was amazing!  It went from still as could be to dust devils and rattling of the windows.  The tarp that we had to shade the chickens blew off (even though it was attached to the fence with zip-ties).  Grandpa said that the chicken coop (the wooden one they are building, that weighs about 500 lbs) blew all the way over.  Boy are we glad that there were no chickens in there!

The best part was that the temperature dropped about 15 degrees in about 30 minutes.  One minute, it was in the high 80s.  The next, it was in the low 70's and dropping fast.

We immediately opened every window and door to the house, and turned off the AC.  The house was cool in no time!  In fact, at one point, around 6pm, one of the kids actually complained that it was too cold!  Granted, it was about 60 degrees outside, so I guess he might have had a point. 

So, all prior complaints about the weather are gone now, please forget I ever said them.

In other news, Ryan is doing great.  The plan is to make our 'great escape' back home tomorrow, which is totally stinking awesome.  They take such good care of us at Benefis Hosptial! 

June 25, 2012

Outside Temp: 68 F (it was in the 80's today, but no wind and really humid so it kind of sucked.)

What I cooked today:
Mexican Lasagna: I didn't want to cook.  I didn't want to turn on the oven.  I didn't want to stand over a hot stove.  However, love for my family made me suffer and make something.  On top of that, I really, really didn't want to make burgers again.  This was super easy, just ground beef with tomatoes and taco seasoning.  Then corn tortillas on the bottom, beef stuff, more tortillas, salsa and cheese.  Into the oven for 20(ish) minutes.  Patrick raved about it.  I used leftover salsa from Chili's (which Patrick loves), but the kids said it was a little spicy.  I can see now that I have to learn to make my own salsa, just so that I can make it in such a way that the kids will eat it. 

Update:
Ryan is back to his old self, asking for XBox games and watching movies (and pausing them when it gets to the kissing scene and saying 'Ooooohhhh, no kissing!').

Grandma is still in the hospital with him, so I've been able to work all day.  Patrick and I will be done with this project soon (I hope!!).  Until then, we spent the day inside, complaining about the heat.

It's normally quite windy here, which is great since even if it's hot, you get the wind, so it blows the hot air around and makes you believe it's cooler than it really is.  But, today, there was no wind. 

So, we gave up and closed up the house and turned on the portable air conditioner.  You know those air conditioners that sit in the window?  It's not that kind.  It stands on the floor and is about 2-3 feet high.  There is a tube that goes out the window. 

The unit is in Ryan's room, since when he gets home, he's the least able to handle the heat.  And we have this jerry-rigged Styrofoam thing in the window, to let the tube vent the hot air out.  But, since the window slides left to right (not up and down), the tube is not really designed for this kind of window. 

Anyway, we had the AC turned up to high, and then we closed every door in the house except that one.  We added a curtain between the kitchen and the family room, to try to keep the cool air in a smaller square area.  Then we turned off every light we could (but of course, there were 4 computers turned on, so I guess we still generated a large amount of heat).  We denied the kids the ability to use the toaster or the microwave, out of fear that they might cause a small amount of heat.  And it was still 82 degrees in the house! 

Around 7pm tonight, it started cooling off outside, so we gave up our 'cool the house' routine, and opened up all the windows.  Of course, 4 of the windows don't have screens, and with mosquitoes, I really didn't want to open those up.  Finally, around 10pm, it's starting to cool off in the house (it's in the mid 70's now).  I really hope that it cools off tonight, and then we'll start over again tomorrow!  It supposed to be warm for the rest of the week.  And it's only June!

June 24, 2012

Outside Temp: 67 F (it was in the 80's today... ugh... I'm not looking forward to summer!)

What I cooked today:
Frozen Pizza: I know, it's terrible, but it's kind of like food and it was really easy to make.  I didn't want to make anything, with it being so hot in the house.  (I know, mid 80's isn't really that hot, but I don't like it).  Maybe I'll do the crock pot tomorrow, so I don't have to heat the house.

Update:
Ryan is feeling better today (as always once he gets some antibiotics in his system).  His fevers were broken after his second dose of antibiotics.  He is still feeling a little ucky, and he still feels warm to the touch, but it looks like things are getting better.  The nurses said that his culture came back positive, so it's a line infection (duh, we already knew that).  They were able to stop one of the antibiotics, since they have some idea of what is growing.  Hopefully, tomorrow they will have more information.

Grandma switched with me, so that I could come home and work (oh joy).  Which means that the rest of the afternoon, I spent fighting my computer to try to get it to do something that it didn't want to do.

The kids went up and helped Grandpa with some work around the house (mostly just to get them out of our hair, so we could work uninterrupted).  I think that this whole 'work' thing is totally overrated and I can't understand why anyone does it.

Oh well, hopefully with a good night's sleep, I'll be back in my normal chipper mood tomorrow!

June 23, 2012

Outside Temp: hmm, not sure... but it was in the high 70's today and very windy!

What I cooked today:
Pancakes, Bacon AND Sausage: I really wanted to make breakfast for the family this morning.  So, I cooked up the sausage and bacon.  Of course, the bacon turned out really crispy, since I forgot about it and let it cook a little too long.  And the pancakes were a little underdone, and then a little overdone.  Apparently, I've forgotten how to make breakfast!  Oh well, I'll do better next time!

Burgers and Mashed Potatoes: I should have make something really cool, but I got busy and the kids actually asked for burgers. I had Katie peal the potatoes and wash them, which cut down on the prep time!  It all turned out great!

Update:
Patrick and I have a big project we have been working on, so today, being our first day home with our entire family, we spent hours and hours working. 

I did make a point of taking time to chat at the post office and walk around in the beautiful sunshine.  But, then it was back to the grindstone.

Ryan was feeling a little punky today, so we just let him sit around and watch his movies.  But, underneath, we kind of knew that things were not right.

So, tonight, when we hooked him up to his TPN, he started shivering and spiked a fever.  Uh, oh.  It must be an infection.  Typical.

While we were in Seattle, they drew his labs off of his line, instead of sticking him. At the time, we were grateful, I mean, hey, he didn't need to get poked.  Now, we are wondering if maybe they contaminated his line.   While we have been here, they don't usually draw off his line for labs, they poke him, which sucks in its own way.  But perhaps that is why we don't have as many infections?

So, we got him hooked up to his TPN around 12:30 (we were working on our project and lost track of time), which means that by 1:15 or so, he let us know in his own way (moaning and throwing up) that he was sick.  About 15 minutes to argue over who was going to bring him into the hospital, and then packing and getting him ready.  We were out the door by 1:30. 

The drive into Great Falls usually takes about 45 minutes, but I was in the ER parking lot by 2am.  Patrick had already called and told them I was coming, so they had all the paperwork ready for me to sign and he was checked in within seconds.  About 15 minutes later, an escort was there, to take us to our room.  And by 2:30, we were settled in our room, weight and vitals measured. 

And, they even had his favorite XBox games waiting for us! 

Have I mentioned how awesome this hospital is? 

We are currently waiting on our Antibiotics, but culture and labs have already been drawn.  He's settled down, and his fever isn't very high (about 101.8).  I'm going with a staph infection, rather than his standard Klebsiella (gut bug).  But the cultures will tell us in a day or two.  Until then, I have no worries that he will get excellent care!

June 22, 2012

Outside Temp: 63 F (it was overcast when we came in, but I heard it will get hot by Monday)

What I cooked today:
Still nothing... we got home around 10pm, and I really, really didn't want to cook at that point.  Breakfast in the morning...

Update:
We survived the drive home today.  Another 11 hours in the car with Ryan.  Ahh, the good times.

The kids got home from California today, so my entire family is home and happy and healthy.  Woo Hoo!  I think Allen missed his computer, since the first thing he did when he got home was run to the computer and start playing his game.  Oh well, a week without it, what can I expect.

The kids said they had a great time in California.  They loved Sea World and even went on the really tall roller coaster in Primm, Nevada on the way home.  I love the first few minutes, when they were all so excited to see us, that they couldn't shut up.  Now, an hour later, they are all in their respective corners, quiet and back to normal. 

I'm exhausted typing this, so I'm going to bed.  But I didn't miss a day, and that's all that matters!

June 21, 2012

Outside Temp: Not sure.. it was warm and humid in Seattle, probably in the 70's.

What I cooked today:
Nothing, again.  I can't wait to get home tomorrow and cook something.  I did enjoy dinner at Johnny Rockets though! 

Update:
Ryan had a great clinic visit!  The docs in Seattle think he looks great and we have a plan for our next visit in September.  We met with the GI docs, Nutrition, Transplant and Hematology.  Ryan has some issues with clotting and it's good to have a chance to talk with Hematology.

In our wisdom, we forgot the IPad, so Ryan had to entertain himself for the 5 hours of clinic, which was challenging.  Really challenging.  By 5:15, as we were finishing up with Hematology, he entertained himself by making a ball out of gloves, and using the stirrups to catapult it across the room. Lovely.

After clinic, we had a great dinner at Johnny Rockets and then stopped at the Microsoft store.  Patrick really wanted to see the new Surface (the Microsoft table), but they didn't have one (very disappointed). 

This morning, and then again when we got back to the hotel, I spent hours working on this project that we have for a client out of state.  Amazingly, I was able to accomplish what I needed to get done, even though we're in Seattle and not home.  I love being able to work anywhere! 

I finally got the pictures upload from yesterday.  Aren't these beautiful? 

June 20, 2012

Outside Temp: mid 50's?  In Seattle... (It was raining when we left Raynesford, but Grandpa said it cleared and then warmed up... which it would have to do unless it wanted to start snowing... )

What I cooked today:
Nothing... driving, all day... We really miss home cooked food..

Update:
We drove over to Seattle today.  It's about a 10 hour drive, but when you take into account stops, we settled into the room about 11 1/2 hours after we left Montana.

The drive was great.  I know, it sounds funny, but I really enjoy the long drives.  Okay, honestly, about 7 1/2 hour into it, we were both ready to get here.  But the first few hours were great.

We got a new philosophy/political science book from our priest (I know, funny, but if you knew the guy, you'd understand), so I read aloud so that we could discuss.  It was a pretty hard read, but we managed okay.  It would have been a lot easier if I knew Greek and Latin. 

Of course, with Patrick and I, we had to stop every 2-3 sentences to discuss what I just read.  The 'Forward' was about 5 pages, and it took us about 2 hours to get though that.  It was really interesting, and I really enjoyed it, but man, does it take a long time. 

We got about 4 pages into the 'Introduction' before we decided to give it a rest.  It's really intense, and you really need to think about what you are reading.

When we came out to Seattle last time, it was snowing and winter.  Now, it's Spring, and everything is green and beautiful.  We got some beautiful pictures of the Cascade Mountain Range and Mount Rainier.  Unfortunately, our Internet connection at the hotel will not allow me to upload them.  Not sure why, but I'll make sure I do it soon! 

Clinic will be tomorrow, so hopefully, all will go well.  The kids and Grandma are on their way home (they are somewhere in the middle of Utah right now, I think).

June 19, 2012

Outside Temp: 48 F (it was chilly today... like in the 40's chilly.  Some rain, then clear this evening.)

What I cooked today:
Nothing: We had dinner out, so I didn't need to make anything.  I'm actually looking forward to having the kids back so I can justify making food.

Update:
Work, work and more work.  Since we are leaving for Seattle tomorrow, we both worked like crazy today.  I did manage to clean up a little bit, so that the house isn't totally trashed when we get home.  Boy, I hate that. 

Grandpa saved us from our toil and took us out to dinner at the Lazy Doe.  I love the beef there (I think they get it from the same wholesale meat place that we do).  Ryan loves going there, since he gets to play Foosball.  We also got to walk around outside, throwing rocks into the river and such.  He really wanted to play pool with the older boys, but I told him 'no'.  Boy was he mad at me.

June 18, 2012

Outside Temp: 51 F (a little cooler today, and breezy.  A few scattered showers this evening.  Oh gosh, I sound like a weatherman.)

What I cooked today:
Scrambled Eggs with green chilies: I wanted to make breakfast, but scrambled eggs are getting a little boring, so I decided to liven it up a little.  Patrick loved it, saying it reminded him of my Mexican quiche, but didn't take 50 minutes to cook!  Always a good thing.

Chicken Soup: It was a little chilly tonight, so we decided on soup.  With no kids to complain, it was a really good choice.  I added some Greek seasoning, lemon juice and Orzo.  Yummy!

Update:
Ryan had speech therapy in Stanford today, so at 10am, he and I jumped in the car and headed over to the Library.  It's really convenient, since then I can chat with the librarian or just pick out new books.  I've already gone through two of the books she recommended, and I'm half way through a third.  It's awesome, since she seems to have some great suggestions!

Afterwards, both Patrick and I spent the day working on our respective projects.  And Ryan took a little nap, since he was up so early. 

We are starting to plan our trip out to Seattle on Wednesday.  We'll be gone Wednesday through Friday for a clinic visit at Seattle Children's.  It's only a 10 hour drive, so we should be fine.  Hopefully, we'll both be done enough with our projects to be able to go, without stressing out. 

The kids should be back by the time we get home on Friday.  It will be so good to see them.  It's amazing how boring it is around here without them!

June 17, 2012

Outside Temp: 54 F (It was a great temperature today.  While we were in Great Falls, it rained here, but we missed it!)

What I cooked today:
Scrambled Eggs: For Father's Day, I made breakfast for Patrick.  Of course, I couldn't justify an entire breakfast with bacon and sausage, since there were no kids to eat it up.  But I did spoil him with some scrambled eggs with cheese, overcooked, just like he likes it!

Update:
It was kind of a strange Father's Day, with only one kid here.  The kids did call up from California to say 'Happy Father's Day', but in all honesty, it just wasn't the same.  Oh well, it's a Hallmark holiday anyway, right?

Grandpa, Ryan, Patrick and I did manage to have an outing this afternoon, which was fun.

Our first stop was at the dump.  I know, classic, right?  We filled up the truck and headed over there to get rid of garbage.  Then we stopped in Belt to drop off some tomato plants.  Which brought us to the church, where we were dropping off plants for our priest.  Which then turned into a 2 hour conversation with the four of us (Ryan was playing around the yard) about politics and philosophy and history.  It was great, but I felt bad since our priest was just settling down for a nap, and we used up all his 'nap' time!

After that chat, we headed over to our Aunt and Uncle's house (also in Belt) for another hour long conversation.  It is always great to chat, and most of the time, we are there with a big group of people, so we don't get to have one-on-one chat time.  This was great and I love spending time with them.

By this time, it was almost 5pm, and it was time for dinner.  We were going to head up to Monarch for steaks, but, since it was Father's Day, we thought it might be packed, so we headed into Great Falls instead.  Which meant that we couldn't waste a perfectly good trip into town.  We stopped at the drug store, and the hardware store, and the grocery store, AND had a great dinner out! 

By the time we got home, Ryan was exhausted and ready for bed.  I think I might be right there with him!  I do have some work I need to be doing, but my bed is calling to me.  Perhaps I can work in the morning...

June 16, 2012

Outside Temp: 61 F (in the mid 70's today, sunny with fluffy clouds.)

What I cooked today:
Nothing, again: Having no kids at home (that eat) makes it really hard to justify cooking a meal.  I have no idea how couples with no kids deal with nightly meals for two.  I don't know how to cook that little, anyway!

Update:
So, having no kids around is really strange.  Ryan is pretty independent, and spent a lot of the day playing outside, either in the front with his sidewalk chalk, or in the back with the chickens.  Patrick worked on some projects with his dad most of the day and I worked on our 'work' project.

The big excitement for the day was my hour long visit at the post office (I gave myself an hour to chat and not feel guilty for not working) and church this evening.  I did manage to clean up the 'dog' room, which is where we had the chicks when they were little.  It still smelled like chicken poop and we still had the area set up for them.  So, I got to shovel out all the poop and pine shavings, and clear out all the random boxes in there.  It's nice, now that it's all clear and cleaned. 

The chicken coop up at the Grandparent's place is coming along nicely.  Patrick said it should be ready for the chickens soon.  I think that soon means in a week or two, but you never know. 

Ryan loves playing with them, and he's going to miss being able to just walk out the door to see them.  This evening, he went out to play with them, and pulled three of them out of the cage and put them on the ground just outside it.  They were going crazy trying to get back inside, but we have chicken wire set up so they can't get out.  Of course, that stopped them from getting back in as well.  When I asked Ryan why he pulled them out of the cage, he said, 'They are my friends.".  How do you argue with that?

We have started Ryan drinking PediaSure, to see if his gut is moving.  The story is that if he can get up to 3 cans a day, he can get off his TPN (IV).  So, today, we gave him about 1/4 of a can, 4 times.  Breakfast, Lunch, Snack and Dinner.  So, he ended up with an entire can today.  Which is awesome.  We won't know for a few weeks if he's actually digesting it and if it's working.  But, the fact that he can drink it is a great step in the right direction.  Now, we just have to remember to give it to him a few times a day.  That's going to be the hard part! 

June 15, 2012

Outside Temp: 46 F (it was in the high 60's-ish today, and absolutely exquisite.  Of course, I spent the entire day inside working, so I didn't get to enjoy it!)

What I cooked today:
Nothing: I think Patrick and I munched on hot dogs and pop tarts and cereal and bananas and popcorn and ice cream all day.  With no kids, I really don't feel the inclination to make a meal.  But that's okay, popcorn is a grain, and ice cream is a dairy and hot dogs (they're Hebrew National) count as a protein...

Update:
The kids made it to California safely with only a few threats from Grandma about leaving them on the side of the road.  Their vacation plans are packed with Sea World and the Del Mar Fair and hiking and maybe even the beach.  They are only there for 4 days, so it will be exhausting!

Patrick and I just stayed home and worked, all stinking day.  This project that we are working on has been promised to our client by Monday, which means that we will be sitting in the stupid computer chairs, eating popcorn and hot dogs for the next 3 days!

Grandpa was kind enough to come rescue Ryan from us, and bring him up to help plant beans today.  I think he had a really great time, since he fell asleep around 6:30 this evening. 

I did get Ryan's room all cleaned and organized (although it could use a good carpet cleaning) and Ryan was thrilled with his new clean room.  I even moved his bed around, so he has a new arrangement.  The worst part was picking up all 4,326 Lego's on the floor, under the bed, under the end stand, in the closet, on the window sill, etc.  I hate Lego's. 

June 14, 2012

Outside Temp: 48 F (clear and beautiful today... in the 70's)

What I cooked today:
Chicken Soup: Since it was only Patrick and I (and Ryan) for dinner, we went with Chicken Soup... with my new stock from our home grown chickens... Really, really good!

Update:
This morning, 3 of my 4 kids jumped in the car with Grandma and took off for California for the week.  It was so quiet around the house today, that Ryan slept in until after noon!

Once he woke up, and took his shower, Patrick asked him where the other kids were.

"They're sleeping." was his response, even though it was 1 in the afternoon.

"Nope.  They're not here."

Hmmm, really?  Which prompted him to explore through the house, calling "Allen? Connor? My Brothers?  Katie?  My Sister?  Hmmm, not here."

I expected him to be upset, but he just went out and played with the chicks.  Then, later, he went out in the front yard and played with the sidewalk chalk.  Then, he play acted that he was the Hulk and he went through smashing everything. 

I guess he survived without his siblings. 

Patrick and I worked all afternoon.  We have a big project we have been working on for a client out of state.  Which means that I spent most of the day in front of the computer.  I did give myself an hour to go clean Katie's room (which is on my list of things to accomplish while the kids are gone), so that I could be sure that I could have something accomplished by the end of the day.

I admit, I kind of missed the kids this afternoon (and not just because no one else was there to do the dishes or the laundry), but I think they will have a really good time.  They made really good time, and made it to Provo, UT safely tonight.  Grandma only had to threaten them for the first hour or two, but the next 8 were okay.

While checking on Ryan playing the front yard, I did manage to catch a picture of a few new friends in the field next to our house.  So cute!

June 13, 2012

Outside Temp: 54 F (Clear most of the day, then overcast with threats of showers... Really, really windy!!)

What I cooked today:
Chinese Chicken: So, sometime around 9pm, I realized that my family was not going to eat anything if I didn't make it.  Ugh, sometimes, I wish we had pizza delivery or take out.  Oh well, I did pick up chicken today in town, so I didn't have to defrost anything.  But, then I forgot to make the temp high enough on my stove, so the chicken was more 'boiled' than fried.  They still ate it all, so I guess it wasn't bad!

Update:
I went into town this morning, to get some shopping done.  It's kind of nice to be able to go by myself, and just take my time.  By the time I got back, the family was all up at the Grandparent's house, visiting and working.  So, I had to bring all my groceries in to the house, all by myself!  I know, I know, it's silly.  But I usually have 'helpers'!  I've become so lazy.

3 of the 4 kids are going to California with Grandma tomorrow (Ryan is staying home with us) to visit the Aunts and Uncles for the week.  I can't imagine how Grandma is going to survive the 20 hour car ride with my angels, but I'll let her try and wish her luck! 

Mostly, I can't imagine how bored Ryan will be with just Patrick and me to play with.  It's amazing how many times during the day that he's interacting with one of the other three kids.  I can already hear him complaining.  But, maybe it will make us all appreciate each other more!

June 12, 2012

Outside Temp: 59 F (Fluffy clouds and beautiful today... in the low 70's!)

What I cooked today:
Lasagna: To be perfectly honest, I didn't assemble the lasagna.  Either I forgot to buy lasagna noodles, or Patrick ate them, but after I started the meat, I realized I didn't have noodles.  But, Grandma had some at her place.  So, I made the meat sauce and the cheese mixture and sent them up there for Grandma to assemble and bake.  They said it was good, and only left me a bite or two.  Oh well, my family got fed, and it wasn't burgers!

Update:
I had to pull over on the road to Geyser today, so take this picture.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  The cloud structure was huge and at the bottom was a beautiful rainbow.  It was so bright!  I really wish I could take pictures that could accurately convey how amazing it is up here.

This morning I woke up with the ambition to mow the lawn.  We got the mower a few weeks ago, but I haven't used it yet.  I haven't actually mowed a lawn since our first house, and even then, I only mowed once or twice.  But, this is a riding mower, so it's a heck of a lot more useful than my old gas push mower.  Of course, since I haven't ever used the mower, I didn't have a really good idea of how wide the cutting blade was, or the turn radius.  Needless to say, there are more than a few places on the lawn that I missed or cut badly.  But, for my first time, it wasn't a bad try.  After all, now I can only get better!

After mowing the lawn, Patrick, Grandma and I went over to the Raynesford Community Center for the blood drive.  I haven't donated blood in years.  Fortunately, I have not problem donating blood.  Patrick and I were competing with each other as we went along.  My hemoglobin was better, but his blood pressure was better.  But, I really got him on the time.  I had my entire pint done in about 5 1/2 minutes, which is really fast.  He took over 7 minutes... lazy veins.  It was a great chance to chat with the neighbors, which is always great.  And do a good deed, which is also good!

After that, I raced over to book club.  We read a book this month on Guernsey (which is an island in the English Channel, between France and England) and the German occupation during WWII.  It was a really great book, that described an event that most of us had never thought of.  My memory of High School history's version of WWII was: Nazi's were bad.  Japan was bad.  We bombed them.  Yea, we are good.  We didn't really discuss the actual history and how people existed during this time.  I love being able to discuss books with other women and get their opinions.  And the food was awesome! 

June 11, 2012

Outside Temp: 47 F (Clear as a bell and beautiful today!  No rain, although I expect it tomorrow or later this week...)

What I cooked today:
Steaks: We still had 5 steaks left from our meat order a week and a half ago.  I just couldn't justify freezing really good steak (although I probably should have).  It was totally awesome.  And I've finally figured out how to tell if the steak is done by pressing on it, rather than using the meat thermometer.  The kids were licking their plates, literally!  I guess I did good.

Update:
Ryan had speech therapy in Stanford this morning, at the library, which was totally awesome since it meant that I didn't have to drive all the way into Lewistown tomorrow.  His therapist said that Mondays worked for her, so we'll do that for his remaining 2 sessions of summer school.

I really like it because it means that I get to go to the library and chat with the librarian and read books, which are always good things.  There is another student there, and Ryan got to play with him.  I love seeing Ryan interact with other kids!

This evening, our after dinner conversation included descriptions of Logical Fallacies during arguments.  We found a list that detailed, in simple terms, the top 12-15 logical fallacies that people usually use.  Things like the Ad Hominem (attacking someone personally instead of the argument), or the Slippery Slope (A always leads to Z, and Z is bad, so A must be bad). 

Then we proceeded to attempt to recognize the fallacy and refute it appropriately.  The kids had a blast and really had fun learning new things.  I love that they might be able to argue better, and to recognize when other people have bad arguments.  Boy, do I miss homeschooling sometimes.  But, perhaps that's what summer is for!

June 10, 2012

Outside Temp: 48 F (It rained and was really windy all day.  There were a few times we thought the house might blow away, but since it was worse during the winter, I wasn't too concerned.)

What I cooked today:
Vegetable Beef Soup: I had to agree with Patrick that it was totally a soup day.  It was cold and windy and rainy, which are all words that make you think of soup.  I even mixed up a batch of homemade buttermilk biscuits to go with it.  It all turned out great!

Update:
Okay, I admit it.  I spent a few more hours playing the game today.  But it ends at midnight, so tomorrow we can get back to a normal life.

We were fortunate that the game crashed around 7:30, so I could get all the boys to eat dinner without hearing the complaints that they would miss out on some 'game time'.  Of course, during dinner, we had some great conversations. 

My favorite was the discussion about the kid (he was in his 20's, I think), who actually died because he was so engrossed in his online game that he forgot to eat or drink anything and died from dehydration and malnutrition.  I figure there was something else going wrong in his mind, but that's secondary.

So, our dinner conversation revolved around how you could keep yourself alive and healthy, during the 60 hours of Beta Weekend time for this game. 

The first suggestion was an obvious IV, to keep you hydrated.  But you wouldn't want to have to go to the bathroom, so a catheter was next (shudder...).  But, how would you prevent the other bathroom need.  An adult diaper might be useful, but perhaps you could just fast for the day before, and with only IV fluids, your intestines wouldn't have much going on. 

Katie said she wanted just V8 juice and green olives.  But the boys explained that her choice of olives would be digested by the intestines, and then you end up with that mess issue.  Ewwww. 

The next issue was one of sleep.  After our drive up here, and the side effects of NoDoze, I explained that after the first 24 hours or so, you would start to have bad reactions to lack of sleep.  Which is where Patrick piped up with some new drugs that the government is working on to keep you awake, without the nasty side effects (that you get from normal stimulants, like shaking, insanity and addiction).  And, if they only needed them for two nights, it might be okay.

I think my family is insane, but at the same time, I loved their ingenuity.  Of course, they all took breaks from the game today and I don't think it will be a problem once the game is out and live.  After all, as the mom, I still have the ability to send them to bed... I just find it funny to find my oldest passed out at the computer desk when I wake up at 8am. 

June 9, 2012

Outside Temp: 47 F (Clear and pretty today... I heard there was a chance of thunderstorms, but no luck.  Perhaps tonight, while we're sleeping... )

What I cooked today:
Eggs (and breakfast burritos): I didn't know how much I liked breakfast burritos!  I got a ton of tortillas and shredded cheese at the store this week, since the kids are really enjoying quesadillas.  So, I made up some scrambled eggs and tossed in some cheese.  Allen just ate it like that, but I put the eggs in a tortilla with some salsa... Awesome!!

Burgers and mashed potatoes:  After church, everyone was saying they were hungry.  So, I needed something quick and easy.  Old standby, here we come.  The funny part was Patrick complaining saying, "I don't want burgers, I want soup." (I know, big shocker there!).  But, as I was setting the table he said "Mmmm, that smells really good!".  Typical.

Update:
I woke up kind of early (around 9am) and the sun was shining and the birds were singing (no, I'm not kidding, we sleep with the windows open and the birds were really loud this morning!).  So, I got up and went for a walk around Raynesford.  I know, it's only a block long.  I had time to chat at the post office and with the neighbors.  I love it!

So, I should preface today's post by saying that our family is totally spoiled.  And, we like computer games.  Oh, did I mention we were spoiled? 

There is this game.  It's an online game.  And everyone in the family (except Ryan, but I figure by this time next year, he'll be right there with us) likes to play this game.  Oh, and it's an evil time suck game.  Like, you can play it for hours and not even notice things like food or water or bathroom needs.  You just stay attached to the monitor like it's Soma.  It's evil.

The game is not actually available to play like a normal game, but they do have Beta weekends, where people who really want to play the game can play while it's being developed.  But you have to pre-purchase the game.  I knew two months ago, that we would be purchasing a few copies of this game.  So, last month, I budgeted for 2 copies (at $59.95 a pop!).  There was one Beta weekend last month, and Patrick, Connor, Allen and Katie were on for as long as possible (but there was a fair amount of fighting and complaints and whining going on, and you can bet that I never even thought about playing). 

This month, I budgeted for another 2 copies, knowing how things would go.  We have four computers with pretty awesome graphics cards (the other computers are great at boring things, like MS Word or Facebook or YouTube).  So, we went ahead and got two more copies of the game (for a total of 4!).  I even allowed myself to play for a little bit (okay, about 8 hours, but who's counting).

So, last night, I went to bed around midnight.  Patrick quit around 3am.  Katie was done by 4am and Connor fell asleep around 5:30am.  Allen pulled an all-nighter and was still awake when I got up at 9am.  I proceeded to send him to bed, where he tossed and turned for about 30 minutes, then declared that he wasn't tired, and got back on the computer. 

Around 11am, I explained that the reason he was so cold was because he was tired.  Idiot.  I threw him back to bed and he slept until 5:30, when we got ready for church.  This was actually convenient, since it meant that Allen didn't have to fight Katie or Connor for the game, and Patrick and I could play as well.  There were a few hours of non-fighting, with me still doing all my 'mom' things, like food and drinks and playing with Ryan and laundry.  But, hey.  I'm the mom.  What do I expect?  I mean, can you see Patrick getting up off his game to do the laundry?  There's only 2 1/2 days of playing time!  (The Beta event ends at midnight tomorrow night).

The worst part is that I actually enjoy the game.  I hate that I'm enjoying it so much.  There are so many other things I can be doing, but I'm stuck at the computer, playing a game.  I'm probably going to be working on the web site for the school tomorrow, so I hope that I won't be tempted to play for hours tomorrow as well.  The good news is that it ends on Sunday night, so even if I do decide to indulge, it can't continue on to Monday. 

June 8, 2012

Outside Temp: 49 F (it was in the high 70's in Great Falls today, but overcast and showers in Raynesford and Geyser.  I love the weather here!)

What I cooked today:
Tater Tots: I know, I know, but we left the kids to their own devices for dinner, while we headed out to the party.  They still wanted more food once we got back.  So, I baked up some tater tots.  After all, everyone LOVES tater tots!

Update:
Ryan had clinic in Great Falls today.

They are drawing his labs from his arm, rather than his line.  It's safer, since we're not accessing the line, but it's harder on him, since they actually have to poke him.  In this case, we had quarterly labs, which includes a ton of tests; copper, selenium, etc.  It turned out that they needed 11 tubes of blood.  Oh my, 11 tubes is a lot!

They poked him on the right side first, and once they got the needle in, he calmed down.  They were able to get 7 tubes off that site before the line blew.  They then stuck him on the left side, and got the other 4 tubes.  He's really funny about it, because the anticipation is terrifying.  He flinches like crazy and really doesn't want to sit still.  But, as soon as the needle is in, he stops and can watch.  Even if they have to move around the needle to get good access.

After labs, we went to clinic.  He was 57.6 lbs and 47 1/2 inches.  That's amazing for him!  He only gained .6 lbs in the last 2 months, but since we've decreased his TPN, that's actually good.  Amazingly, he gained about 1 1/2 inches!  That is amazing!  His doctor was really happy with his height gain.  It might mean that his intestines are working better.  We are going to decrease the time on his TPN from 12 hours to 10, which will be totally awesome once he starts school.  And we're going to work on Pediasure, to give him some extra nutrition.  All in all, an awesome clinic visit. 

After clinic (and some grocery shopping), we went into Geyser for a Customer Appreciation Party at the Geyser Mercantile.  So much fun to spend time with the community!  I really like the Merc, not only because the guys are so helpful and friendly, but they also have really great prices.  And I don't have to go all the way into Great Falls for things!  So, tonight, they fed us some awesome meats; sausages, hamburgers, jerky and bacon.  Add to that some beans and watermelon.  And, of course, some cookies.  How can you go wrong?  And an added bonus was chatting with people!  Since school is out, I don't get to see everyone as much.  This was a great way to keep in touch!

June 7, 2012

Outside Temp: 50 F (Pretty clouds today, clear and in the 70's... perfect)

What I cooked today:
Homemade Pizza: Ryan asked for Pepperoni Pizza.  And, as some of you know, when Ryan asks for food, I will go out of my way to get him food, just to get it down his throat and into his tummy.  In this case, he found a jar of 'pizza sauce' and thought that I could, of course, just make a pizza.  So, I found a recipe for Pizza Crust (I skipped the 'letting it rise in the fridge for a day' step) and pulled out the mozzarella and pepperoni.  I formed the crust, topped it, baked it in the oven, and made homemade pizzas.  Ryan ate 2 whole pieces!  Woo hoo!  Of course, Patrick really doesn't like homemade pizza, so he was not his usual happy self with my dinner.  But it worked out well for everyone else.  I ended up with 4 'medium' sized pizzas out the deal. 

Update:

I forgot to get a picture of him actually riding, so this was taken tonight in the garage.  No, I won't let him ride without shoes. 

A few weeks ago (at the end of school), Connor won a gift certificate for a new bike.  But we had to go to Lewistown to pick it up.  Today, after we dropped off Allen and Katie at Basketball camp, we drove the rest of the way into Lewistown (another 45 miles) to get his bike.  He really liked the red and blue colors of this one, and the tires are real 'dirt' tires, which should work well on the gravel roads. 

Connor has never really rode a bike.  At our first house, we got him on a bike around 5 or 6, but he fell down while going down the hill, and didn't really want to try again.  Our second house had so much traffic and so many people, that he never felt comfortable.  So, Patrick and I were a little concerned that he wouldn't really enjoy the bike.

Boy, were we wrong.  He got right on his bike and with a little instruction on balance and how to use the brakes, he was off.  He had his helmet and some elbow and knee pads, but he never fell.  He rode all the way over to the school with no problem.  I was amazed. 

Patrick and I walked over to the school with Ryan (just in case Connor needed us), where Allen and Katie were already playing basketball.  I borrowed the key for the recreation center from the neighbor and we got to play on the inside basketball court, which was cool.  A neighborhood boy joined us, and we spent an hour and half playing games in the beautiful evening.  Ryan, Katie and Connor played on the park equipment (slides, swings, etc), and Patrick and Allen played basketball in the gym.  I love this place!

Connor had no problem riding home and I think he really enjoyed his new bike! 

June 6, 2012

Outside Temp: 43 F (Thunderstorms are gone and it was beautiful and clear... albeit a little windy)

What I cooked today:
Nothing: I was tired this afternoon, and managed to nap until about 8:30.  So, when the kids woke me up and asked what I was making for dinner, I asked them to make it themselves.  I love that they are old enough to do that!

Update:
Today was a fun day for me.

The school is doing some advertising, to try to attract some new students.  Included in their 'plan' is radio spots.  And someone thought that it would be a great idea to have students from the school do the spots, which is a great idea.  And then someone had the bright idea of having a parent also do some of the talking.  And someone threw out my name.  Really?  Oh, okay.  Cool.

This morning, the superintendent and 2 students picked me up and we all went into Great Falls to the radio station.  We pulled up to this big building downtown, and on the outside, it said 'Senior Living Center'.  No way.  I just can't imagine that the radio station was located inside a Senior Living center.  But, there it was.  On the second floor.  I'm guessing that the sound proofing worked just fine. 

We went inside, got our visitor badges and went up to the station.  The students went first.  They were done quickly and then it was my turn.  Of course, that's when I realized that I had forgotten my 'testomonial' that I had spent hours (okay, not hours) writing up.  But, since I practiced last night, I still remembered it. 

After my little 30 second blurb, I had a few other 'one liner' comments, about how awesome the school has been for us.  I really should have talked up the food better (I think I only mentioned it about 5 times), since the food is totally awesome.

When I'd finished most of what I wanted to say, the guy running the microphone and I started chatting.  I asked him if he thought it sounded okay (since he'll be the one making the actual ad), and he said the school sounded pretty cool.  Then he started telling me about his schooling and how he hated the lunches at his school, and how he didn't do very well, but he was really smart.  And I just had to laugh, because he really would have benefited from going to Geyser!!  Of course, he was probably in his late 40's, so it's probably a little late.  Then I remembered that the rest of the group was waiting for me out in the conference room, so I had to stop talking and say goodbye. 

I really, really hope that it goes well.  I know I was a little nervous, so I'm sure that comes across in my voice.  But, they've said that they can adjust the voices pitch and tone, etc, so maybe they can 'photoshop' out the nervousness. 

After the radio station, we all went out to lunch.  It was kind of nice to be able to sit down with the kids and the superintendent like people and just chat.  And I got a meal out of the deal, which is always a bonus!

I just hope that I do my school proud.  It was really quite nice to be asked.  Hehehe, maybe they like me? 

June 5, 2012

Outside Temp: 57 F (Rainy and Thunder and Lightning... Awesome!!)

What I cooked today:
Connor's Birthday Cake (with homemade Butter cream Frosting): I have decided that those boxed cakes that I get on sale, aren't really worth it.  Patrick said the frosting was awesome, but the cake was lame.  Oh well, it was a cake and I made it.

Steak: I wanted to spoil Connor with steak for his birthday.  Usually, I'll make about 3 8oz steaks and slice them into strips.  But I was hungry and I knew that at least 2 of the males in the family would be able to eat a lot, so I made 5 8oz steaks.  I've finally figured out how to make the steaks on my stove and oven, which is pretty cool.  They all turned out nicely medium-rare, just like everyone likes it.  I even paired it with broccoli, which was a nice little extra.

Update:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CONNOR!! Wow, 11 years old!  Amazing.

We spoiled him rotten today with his birthday present.  For anyone who has talked with Connor in the last few months, what he really wanted was a laptop, so he could bring his stories with him whenever we have to go somewhere. 

We have been looking at the Asus Tablet with the keyboard for a while, and we made the decision that it would work for him.  It's really light, and portable.  The tablet part has some pretty cool games and he can view his YouTube or Netflix movies.  And with the keyboard, he can write.  I really hope that it will work out for him.  And that he'll share with his siblings!

We also had some awesome weather tonight... thunder and lightning and some amazing clouds.  I love it!

June 4, 2012

Outside Temp: 67 F (it was a little warm today... Into the 80's.  I don't like the heat.  It makes me cranky.)

What I cooked today:
Chicken: Hehehe, yes, chicken.  Like my chicken.  Like the chicken that was alive yesterday morning.  Hehehe.  It was suggested that I try just frying it with some salt and pepper and a little flour.  I realized that every chicken dish I make is loaded with spices or seasoning.  Even my normal fried chicken has smoked paprika and buttermilk.  So, I went with simple and just fried it up.  Totally nervous.  But the consensus is that it was great.  There was no after taste (so I guess the dandelions weren't a problem) and it got all eaten up.  We saved back 2 breasts and the legs and thighs to have with the Grandparents when they get back home.  And I must say, there were something kind of cool about knowing that the chicken was on our table because of the work we did to raise it and butcher it.  I'm not really ready to plan on raising 20 of these chickens a month, but I can see doing it again. 

Update:
First off, if any of you have seen the 'severe weather and tornado warning' going on in Montana, we are fine (as of now).  I can't guarantee that it stays that way, but it looks like the storm is north of us.  As of now, we've had some wind, but no thunderstorms or rain (yet).

Katie and Allen went to Stanford today for a basketball camp.  It's 3 hours a day, Monday - Thursday.  Which means that they both had to wake up at 8am this morning and get ready.  Which also means that I had to wake up at 8am and get ready.  Ugh. 

Katie didn't sleep well last night, so she was a little grumpy today.  Hopefully, she will sleep better tonight and be happier tomorrow.  Allen realized that he hasn't been practicing basketball, and he needs to practice.  He suggested that rather than play baseball in the yard, he needs to practice shooting hoops. 

I stopped over at the Stanford Public Library this morning (while I was waiting for the kids), and I had a wonderful chat with the librarian.  She was great!  And our library is really cozy!  They even had a section for books on Montana.  I had to pick up a few of those.  Their fiction section is great and I can't imagine why I would ever buy a fiction book again.  I could be happy in there for years!  I picked up a book for Allen and another book for Connor.  Katie is still working on Goblet of Fire, and we already have Order of Phoenix.  However, I might go borrow the last 2, rather than try to find them in the boxes in the garage. 

This evening, I went to an Altar Society meeting at the church.  I'm really looking forward to seeing the Cookbook when it comes out.  And we have an Ice Cream and Pie Social in September.  That will mark our 1 year anniversary here (we arrived on the day before the Ice Cream Social last year).   I'm excited, since this year, I'll actually know (almost) everyone!  (and yes, the ice cream will be a big attraction).

June 3, 2012

Outside Temp: 57 F (I heard there might be thunderstorms, but it was clear and beautiful all day!)

What I cooked today:
Papa Murphy's Take and Bake Pizza: I went into town today, so I brought home pizza.  If we had been thinking, we would have made something else for dinner (see below), but I guess that will have to wait until tomorrow!

Update:

We did it!  I still can't believe we did it.  And I only screamed a few times.

So, as with most things that Patrick and I do, we decided around 7pm tonight that tonight was the night.  We could have waited until tomorrow, but, hey, why put it off any longer.  Lets just do it.

This is what they looked like at 7:03 this evening. 

We went back and forth on how to accomplish this.  We've talked a few times about hanging them upside down and cutting the jugular.  Then, there was the time honored classic of cutting off their heads with an ax.  Or wringing the necks, like we did last time.  Hmmm, lets just pick one.

I was smart enough to get a plastic bag to hold all the 'stuff'... you know, like stuff I didn't want to keep.  I put it inside a stock pot, since I couldn't find a garbage can, and we tend to just go with what we have.  I found a cardboard box, that I could use as my 'cutting' table.  And I sharpened a filleting knife from my kitchen.

Patrick grabbed one of the chickens (the smaller of the two, I think).  He held her in his arms until she calmed down.  Then he grabbed the neck in his hand and .... swung it around a few times.  It was a lot heavier than last time and it flapped a lot more.  And you know the saying about how they continue to twitch after they are dead?  Yes, they really, really do.  We were debating if it was really dead, so we decided to go with plan B, and cut off it's head.

So, we got a piece of 2x4 and put it on the ground, laid the flailing chicken on the board and swung the ax.  Uh, nothing.  Did you hit it hard enough?  Whack.  Still not done.  Whack.  3rd time is not the charm.  Whack.  Ok, now the head is actually off the chicken.  Of course, the eyes are still blinking and the wings are still flapping.  Ewwwwww.  Totally not right.

After a few minutes, it was finally done with it's writhing around thing, and we put it upside down in the bucket, to let the blood drain out.  As you can see, the kids were there to help.  Connor was horrified, but at the same time, he thought it was kinda cool.  Katie was a little stunned that we actually did it, even though we had warned her.  She got over it, but it was a little gruesome.  Allen thought it was awesome.

And then I got to work.  Of course, it was my job to do everything from here on out.  I decided to go with the 'skinning' it idea, rather than trying to pluck all the feathers.  Everyone warned me that the plucking thing is awful, since you have to dunk the chicken in hot, but not boiling water and get it drenched, then pull the feathers off one by one.  That just does not sound fun. 

So, I just slid my knife under the skin and proceeded to skin it.  The skin and feathers came off easily.  Since I've been octo-secting fryer chickens for a while now, I pretty much knew where the breast bones were, and how to cut around them, without cutting through the meat.  I slid the knife over the breasts and then turned it over and worked on the back.  Of course, I'd kinda forgotten about the insides, but they came back to get me as I turned the chicken back to its front. 

The intestines had poured out of the cavity and it looked like something from a horror film.  Guts and blood and liver and spleen flopping out of the chicken.  I admit, I screamed like a little girl.  Arghhh.  Aaaaaah.  Ughhhh.  Not right.  I think the kids were laughing at me (I know Allen was!) but I managed to get myself calmed down and get back to work.  The worst part was that now I had to put my hand inside and pull out all the innards.  It was still warm and gooey.  Ewwww.   And you had to make sure that you didn't cut the intestines, because you didn't want poop all over the meat.  So, I had to be careful. 

After a few minutes (about 10), I had the entire chicken skinned and eviscerated.  I cut off the feet and a little more of the neck, and it was ready to be cleaned off.

Ryan and Katie were right there, helping!

Ryan and Patrick, pouring water over the chicken to clean off the remaining blood (and grass!)

We put the cleaned off chicken in a pan and put it in the house to be further processed.  Then we started in on the second chicken.  This one went a lot easier.  Patrick wrung it's neck, and it popped with the second turn.  You could feel the neck and knew that it was done.  We cut off his neck and proceeded with the 'processing'.  I was much more prepared for the insides.  In fact, this time, I went straight for them, and pulled them out, without having them jump out at me.  I think we had the 2nd one cleaned and in the pan in about 1/2 the time!

Once inside the house, I cut up each chicken into parts.  I really don't like wings, so I just tossed them instead of trying to de-feather them or skin them.  I ended up with breasts, thighs and legs.  Before cutting, the chickens were about 4 1/2 pounds each.  I ended up with about 3 1/2 pounds of breasts and about 2 1/2 pounds of legs and thighs.

And this is what they looked like at 9:02pm... hehehe

The rest went into the stock pot!  Patrick has said that he'll stay up tonight, to keep an eye on it (since it needs about 10 hours of boiling to be ready).  Tomorrow morning, I'll put them into jars and pressure can the stock.  I'm not sure if the stock will taste different, or not.

Since we already had dinner tonight, I couldn't cook the chicken for dinner.  But you can bet that we'll be having chicken tomorrow night.  I really, really hope that they taste good.  And I hope that feeding them dandelions won't have effected the taste! 

Oh my goodness, what a day!! Amazingly, I'm not totally traumatized.  The kids were awesome.  Katie had a few tears, but handled it like a champ.  Ryan was a little upset, but got over it quickly.  Now he really wants to go fishing.  Go figure!

June 2, 2012

Outside Temp: 53 F (Thunderstorms today... awesome!)

What I cooked today:
Hot Dogs: I know, lame.  I really, really didn't want to make dinner.  So, I told everyone they would be on their own.  Then, I suggested hot dogs, in the microwave, like usual.  Then Patrick asked if I could make them in the frying pan, since that's so much better.  So, I ended up cooking anyway.  Of course, he said they tasted wonderful, so I guess that makes up for it... sort of.

Update:
Still sick, although I'm getting better.  I've decided that I don't want to be sick anymore, so, gosh darn it, I'm not going to be sick tomorrow.  It's annoying!

I'm not quite sure what went on today, since I managed to sleep through most of it.  And when I wasn't sleeping, I was asking everyone to be quiet so I could sleep.  Of course, it's hard to sleep when you can't breathe through your nose, but I sure tried.

The boys went over to church tonight, without us, which is really cool.  I knew that neither Patrick nor I were going to go, since I was sleeping and I have no idea what Patrick was doing.  So, we asked the boys if they wanted to go without us.  They said yes, which was kind of surprising, but awesome just the same.  I think it helps that it's a whopping block from the house.  But they seem to really enjoy the homily.  I can't imagine a 10 and 13 year old going to church, without any parents making them.  But, then again, my kids aren't normal!

Around 8pm, as the sun was thinking about going down, so I sent everyone outside to get some fresh air.  They decided to play some baseball.  And, since I'd gotten a little rest, and Patrick seemed to be doing okay, we went out to play with them.  Even Ryan got in on the game!  The 4 kids ran the bases, Patrick pitched and I played catcher.  We played for about an hour, before Patrick and I realized we were exhausted, and the wind started to pick up.  But for the time, it was a blast.  I love how big our yard is, and how we can actually play baseball in the yard.  Good times!

June 1, 2012

Outside Temp: 58 F (it was beautiful today.  A little overcast, and looked like it might rain a few times)

What I cooked today:
Split Pea Soup: I was in the mood for soup for lunch today (which is not common for me), so around 10am, I threw some of my chicken stock with some celery and carrots and dry split peas.  About 3-4 hours later, it was awesome.  Really creamy and everyone seemed to like it!

Burgers and Tater Tots: After working so hard for lunch, I really, really didn't want to make dinner.  I have some steaks that we picked up yesterday, but I didn't want to make the effort.  So, I informed the kids that we would have burgers and tater tots.  They jumped up and down with joy!  Really?  For burgers?  Hmmm, I must be doing something right.

Update:
So, it's the first of June, which means it's time to change seasons, which means that I have my semi-annual 'change of season' cold.  I refuse to call it 'allergies', like my husband.  Usually, it lasts a day or two, and then I'm fine for the rest of the season.  But for today, I'm down for the count. 

I was up around 9am, after a terrible night of sniffling and sneezing, jumping up for tissue paper before the snot covered my sheets, coughing and whimpering.  I decided it might be easier if I sat up, instead of laying down.  Not really. 

So, then I started on the medicines.  I started with Sudafed, since that usually helps the stuffy nose.  About an hour later, I still felt like crap.  So, then I went with the nasal spray.  That cleared it up a little, but I was still dripping, and I still felt like crap.  About an hour later, I found some DayQuil, and I thought, what the heck, it can't hurt.  I think the acetaminophen helped the aches, but the nose was still annoying me and I was still sneezing. 

Finally, around 2pm, I took some Benadryl.  Which proceeded to knock me out until about 4, when I woke up with a still stuffy nose.  But, hey, I got almost 2 hours of rest.  That's a good thing, right?

Around 8ish, I realized that I had to make dinner, since I would feel guilty if the kids had pasta for a second night in a row.  But there was no way in heck I was going to go to much effort. 

Now, I'm going to snuggle up with my blanket and a cup of tea and relax before I try to get a better nights sleep tonight.

On the good side, Patrick and Allen managed to mow the lawn today.  It's working fine now that Patrick fixed it.  Allen did most of the back lawn, and Patrick took the front and the edge next to the road.  Of course, that edge is a little angled.  And those riding lawn mowers are not designed to go at any angle other than flat.  So, as you can imagine, he went down the edge, and the angle was a little too high.  He went up, and up, and over.  So, here he is, flat on his back, with the lawn mower on top of him, blade still running.  Fortunately, the mower has a 'dead man' setting on the seat, where it turns the thing off if someone is not sitting in the seat.  I guess that being upside down is considered 'no in the seat', since it stopped running.  He was able to push it off him and get back up, with no damage.  It's not very heavy (at least as far as riding lawn mowers go), thank goodness.

I was fortunate to have not seen this occur.  He said he got up and looked around, a little embarrassed, got back on and kept mowing.  I only knew about it because I saw the rips and grass stains on his shirt.  Oh lovely, do you know how hard it is to get grass stains out??