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.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
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!
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!
Thursday, June 28, 2012
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!
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!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
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!
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!
Monday, June 25, 2012
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!
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!
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!
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