Outside Temp: 46 F (still feels like fall around here... snow is almost totally gone and with the exception of the wind, it's just beautiful outside... now that I've said that, it's going to snow.)
What I cooked today:
Chicken and Potatoes: I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner. I pulled out some chicken and decided I would make chicken. But I didn't want to make the same old Chinese chicken that I usually make. So, I flipped through a couple recipe books and came up with something. I rubbed the chicken with some Greek seasoning, then seared it in my cast iron skillet. Then I took some potatoes and carrots and put them in a pot. I pulled the chicken out of the skillet, and added some stock and flour to the skillet and whisked them together. Then I poured the stock over the potatoes and cooked them for a few minutes. I threw the vegetables into a casserole dish, with the chicken on top. Then I baked it for about 30 minutes. I had a little too many potatoes, so the ones that were not in fluid were a little stiff, but otherwise, it turned out great. I think next time, I'll toss the veggies in some seasoning before cooking them, and I'll add a little more stock.
Update:
We still have Ryan in a toddler bed. I know. I know. It's time to move him up to a twin. But his room is really small, and a twin bed will fill it up. So, we've been putting it off.
Well, we've almost run out of time. About 2 days ago, I sat on the edge of his bed to hook up his TPN, and I heard the unmistakable crack of splitting wood. It wasn't totally broken, but it was sure thinking about it. I mentioned it to Patrick, but he didn't really understand. So, last night, he sat on the edge (as we do almost every night) to hook up his TPN. And then there was a really significant 'crack'. I got some zip ties and tried to stabilize the cracking wood. He slept just fine last night, although he was almost falling off the bed when I got him this morning.
So, this afternoon, Connor was playing with Ryan in his room on the XBox, and we hear the really loud 'crack', followed by a 'thump'. A few curse words later and we realized that the wood was almost totally useless. No, wait. There is always duct tape!
I grabbed my trusty roll of silver perfection and went to work on the bed. The side rails are now covered in duct tape and it seems pretty stable. I've warned everyone in the house that Ryan is the only one who can use his bed. I figure it's limit is somewhere in the 75 lb range, which means that anyone else sitting on the bed will make it break. I'm betting that we can hold out for a few more weeks, maybe even until Christmas. But, maybe not. Perhaps it's time for a trip into town with Grandpa's truck.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
November 29, 2012
Outside Temp: 47 F (snow is gone, but I've heard tell that it's coming back...)
What I cooked today:
Nothing... migraine...
Update:
I got to sub for the math teacher today. I was amazed that I was able to remember how to do most of the assignments, even the Pre-Calculus class, which goes to show that my high school math teacher, Mr. Gregory was amazing! We were doing sin, cosine, tangent, secant, cosecant and cotangent, and I had to remember the whole 'pi' = 180 degrees, 2'pi' = 360 degrees, and then the unit circle and the ways to find the values of the sin, etc. After a quick glance at the book, I remembered it and actually attempted to help the students get it. There was at least once that a student looked at me and said, 'huh?', but it wasn't bad.
I was really happy with the websites that our teacher users. She has the students log on, and do a series of questions, related directly to the assignment. She has 3 different web sites, so they get a wide range of styles and questions. The students were great and with one class, the boys wanted to keep doing more problems, just to 'one up' the other. "I got 5 right", "well, I got 6 right!", "No way, let me do another one. Ha, I got 6 right.", "well, now I have 7 right." They were only required to do 5 problems, and I had to force them to move on after doing 10. I hated stopping them!
Once I got home, I realized that I was fighting a migraine, so I crawled into bed and slept.. for about 3 hours. Of course, I was too silly to take anything for it, so when I woke up around 7pm, I STILL had a migraine. Ugh. I talked Allen into making dinner for everyone. He made pasta, which isn't exactly a complete balanced meal, but it's enough and I didn't hear any complaints. And somehow, everyone got their homework done without me nagging. Woo hoo!
What I cooked today:
Nothing... migraine...
Update:
I got to sub for the math teacher today. I was amazed that I was able to remember how to do most of the assignments, even the Pre-Calculus class, which goes to show that my high school math teacher, Mr. Gregory was amazing! We were doing sin, cosine, tangent, secant, cosecant and cotangent, and I had to remember the whole 'pi' = 180 degrees, 2'pi' = 360 degrees, and then the unit circle and the ways to find the values of the sin, etc. After a quick glance at the book, I remembered it and actually attempted to help the students get it. There was at least once that a student looked at me and said, 'huh?', but it wasn't bad.
I was really happy with the websites that our teacher users. She has the students log on, and do a series of questions, related directly to the assignment. She has 3 different web sites, so they get a wide range of styles and questions. The students were great and with one class, the boys wanted to keep doing more problems, just to 'one up' the other. "I got 5 right", "well, I got 6 right!", "No way, let me do another one. Ha, I got 6 right.", "well, now I have 7 right." They were only required to do 5 problems, and I had to force them to move on after doing 10. I hated stopping them!
Once I got home, I realized that I was fighting a migraine, so I crawled into bed and slept.. for about 3 hours. Of course, I was too silly to take anything for it, so when I woke up around 7pm, I STILL had a migraine. Ugh. I talked Allen into making dinner for everyone. He made pasta, which isn't exactly a complete balanced meal, but it's enough and I didn't hear any complaints. And somehow, everyone got their homework done without me nagging. Woo hoo!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
November 28, 2012
Outside Temp: 34 F (beautiful day today.. the snow is almost gone, just in time for another storm this weekend... )
What I cooked today:
Italian Pasta Casserole: I told the family that I was going to make something, but I didn't know what. And they were going to like it, darnnit. I started with some ground beef and onions, tossed in some Italian seasoning and tomatoes and Worchestershire sauce. Then I cooked up some macaroni and tossed that it. I threw it all into a casserole dish, and topped it with some cheese. It turned out pretty good, although Allen and Katie weren't thrilled (Connor, on the other hand, had 3 servings).
Update:
We got some beautiful pictures of the kids from the school today. A few weeks ago, the school had their 'make up' picture day, so I asked the photographer if she would be willing to take a picture of all 4 kids, together. She agreed, and today I got the results. I am so totally thrilled! They turned out beautiful! I need to ask the photographer if it is okay to post them online (I'm sure she'll be fine with it, but I want to check first), but you can take my word for it, they are great. I am including them in my Christmas cards, so if you want a card from us, please let me know your address.
After school today, Katie was frustrated with school and people, which is not unusual at her age. I mentioned my old adage, "I wish I could put you in stasis until you were about 16. That way, your hormones would be adjusted and you wouldn't have to deal with the whole 10-14 year old stage (which totally sucked for me)."
She asked if she could just stop going to school and play computer games all day long, for the next 3-4 years. She said it was just like stasis, but more fun. Nope, sorry babe, it doesn't work that way.
What I cooked today:
Italian Pasta Casserole: I told the family that I was going to make something, but I didn't know what. And they were going to like it, darnnit. I started with some ground beef and onions, tossed in some Italian seasoning and tomatoes and Worchestershire sauce. Then I cooked up some macaroni and tossed that it. I threw it all into a casserole dish, and topped it with some cheese. It turned out pretty good, although Allen and Katie weren't thrilled (Connor, on the other hand, had 3 servings).
Update:
We got some beautiful pictures of the kids from the school today. A few weeks ago, the school had their 'make up' picture day, so I asked the photographer if she would be willing to take a picture of all 4 kids, together. She agreed, and today I got the results. I am so totally thrilled! They turned out beautiful! I need to ask the photographer if it is okay to post them online (I'm sure she'll be fine with it, but I want to check first), but you can take my word for it, they are great. I am including them in my Christmas cards, so if you want a card from us, please let me know your address.
After school today, Katie was frustrated with school and people, which is not unusual at her age. I mentioned my old adage, "I wish I could put you in stasis until you were about 16. That way, your hormones would be adjusted and you wouldn't have to deal with the whole 10-14 year old stage (which totally sucked for me)."
She asked if she could just stop going to school and play computer games all day long, for the next 3-4 years. She said it was just like stasis, but more fun. Nope, sorry babe, it doesn't work that way.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
November 27, 2012
Outside Temp: 26 F (the snow is melting... but it's still here)
What I cooked today:
Papa Murphy's Take & Bake Pizza: After our useless drive into town, I was irritated enough to decide not to cook dinner tonight. I asked the kids if they wanted pizza, and (duh) they agreed. I have finally learned that if you bake the pizza on the tray they give you for about 10 minutes, then slide it off onto a pizza stone for the last 5-7 minutes, the crust gets cooked correctly and isn't mushy. Woo hoo! I learned something today!
Update:
The boys have been getting allergy shots every Tuesday and Thursday morning for the last few weeks. We usually leave the house around 6:45, to get to Great Falls by 7:30. Their shots are done in about 10-15 minutes, which gets us back on the road by 7:45-8:00am. A short 45 minute drive gets they to school just as their first period study hall is ending, which works because then they don't have to miss any (real) classes.
But, I didn't want to wake up this morning, so I figured that since Allen didn't have practice anymore, I could bring them in after school. So, school ended and we all hopped in the car. I dropped off Katie at the house (lucky!) and Allen and Connor came with me to town.
We got to the clinic around 4:30, and headed up to the reception desk. The person in front of me was taking forever, but I was being my normal patient self, just standing there with a smile, waiting my turn. Another receptionist asked what I was there for, and when I told her allergy shots, she indicated that I needed to wait. No problem. Just waiting.
Finally, about 10 minutes later, the receptionist finished up with the person in front of me. But, instead of asking me to come forward so she could help me, she started getting her things together to go home. I waited a few more minutes, then stepped forward to get her attention. "Did you need something?" she asked. I thought something catty like, "nope, I just thought I'd stand her for the last 15 minutes because I had nothing better to do.". Silly woman.
I told her that we were here for allergy shots. She got that pained look on her face, and informed me that that stopped the shots at 4pm. She did apologize, and even with back to see if the nurse was still around. She wasn't. So, our trip into town was a total waste. Oh well. To be completely fair, I should have called this morning, to confirm that we would be in this afternoon. My bad. But, we ended up with pizza out of the deal, so I guess it wasn't all bad.
I also got to end the evening with a meeting with our Community Center. There is a great group of people here, and I love how involved they all are! We have set up a time for our blood drive in December, which is such a great event. They intentionally scheduled it for 8-9 weeks after the Geyser blood drive, so that people (like me) can do both of them! I shouldn't have to go into town for blood donations, since they are cool enough to come to me!
The only bad part is that I missed our book club this evening. I didn't get a chance to read the book anyway, but I skipped last month's book club (I was afraid of the storm), and I miss getting together and chatting. Next month, come sleet or snow or hail, I will make it (darnnit).
What I cooked today:
Papa Murphy's Take & Bake Pizza: After our useless drive into town, I was irritated enough to decide not to cook dinner tonight. I asked the kids if they wanted pizza, and (duh) they agreed. I have finally learned that if you bake the pizza on the tray they give you for about 10 minutes, then slide it off onto a pizza stone for the last 5-7 minutes, the crust gets cooked correctly and isn't mushy. Woo hoo! I learned something today!
Update:
The boys have been getting allergy shots every Tuesday and Thursday morning for the last few weeks. We usually leave the house around 6:45, to get to Great Falls by 7:30. Their shots are done in about 10-15 minutes, which gets us back on the road by 7:45-8:00am. A short 45 minute drive gets they to school just as their first period study hall is ending, which works because then they don't have to miss any (real) classes.
But, I didn't want to wake up this morning, so I figured that since Allen didn't have practice anymore, I could bring them in after school. So, school ended and we all hopped in the car. I dropped off Katie at the house (lucky!) and Allen and Connor came with me to town.
We got to the clinic around 4:30, and headed up to the reception desk. The person in front of me was taking forever, but I was being my normal patient self, just standing there with a smile, waiting my turn. Another receptionist asked what I was there for, and when I told her allergy shots, she indicated that I needed to wait. No problem. Just waiting.
Finally, about 10 minutes later, the receptionist finished up with the person in front of me. But, instead of asking me to come forward so she could help me, she started getting her things together to go home. I waited a few more minutes, then stepped forward to get her attention. "Did you need something?" she asked. I thought something catty like, "nope, I just thought I'd stand her for the last 15 minutes because I had nothing better to do.". Silly woman.
I told her that we were here for allergy shots. She got that pained look on her face, and informed me that that stopped the shots at 4pm. She did apologize, and even with back to see if the nurse was still around. She wasn't. So, our trip into town was a total waste. Oh well. To be completely fair, I should have called this morning, to confirm that we would be in this afternoon. My bad. But, we ended up with pizza out of the deal, so I guess it wasn't all bad.
I also got to end the evening with a meeting with our Community Center. There is a great group of people here, and I love how involved they all are! We have set up a time for our blood drive in December, which is such a great event. They intentionally scheduled it for 8-9 weeks after the Geyser blood drive, so that people (like me) can do both of them! I shouldn't have to go into town for blood donations, since they are cool enough to come to me!
The only bad part is that I missed our book club this evening. I didn't get a chance to read the book anyway, but I skipped last month's book club (I was afraid of the storm), and I miss getting together and chatting. Next month, come sleet or snow or hail, I will make it (darnnit).
Monday, November 26, 2012
November 26, 2012
Outside Temp: 23 F (nice today, after the ice melted off the roads)
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Onion Rings: I was too lazy to actually plan anything, so somehow 6:00pm showed up and I had nothing ready. Oh well, old standby works fine. However, I didn't like the onion rings (they were frozen), so I think I'll just go with veggies next time!
Update:
I got a call from the school this morning, around 9am. It was from Allen, who let me know that there was a problem with the tablet that he takes to school (supposedly to work on his homework, but we all know that he uses it as a MP3 players to listen to his music during the day). The way the story goes, he was listening to his music (shocker!) and he had set the tablet on the bleachers. Then he turned to the side, and somehow (have no idea how it happened) the tablet fell off the bleachers on to the ground... like 4 feet on to the ground.
I can only imagine the sickening crack that occurred and the moment of fear as he hopped off the bleachers to examine his new found broken tablet. The screen was shattered. Not broken, shattered. It was not pretty.
But, being the (somewhat) responsible child that we attempted to raise correctly, he immediately called me and let me know what he had done. Fortunately, his mother is brilliant and purchased the extended care warranty, and questioned the guy at Office Max specifically for the time in which one of my children dropped the tablet and it broke.
So, I was able to call the Care center, and I now have a UPS shipping label, and a claim for them to attempt to fix it. It is not fixed yet, so I will keep my hopes up that they can repair the screen, and it will be back with us soon. Until then, my favorite part of the day was at the end, as the Junior High students passed by my door (to my web design class), and whispered, "she's here... oh, you are so dead.". I guess the students expected me to freak out or scream or yell or something undignified. Oh yea, like I would do that, in public!
To be honest, I actually expected it to break earlier.
What I cooked today:
Burgers and Onion Rings: I was too lazy to actually plan anything, so somehow 6:00pm showed up and I had nothing ready. Oh well, old standby works fine. However, I didn't like the onion rings (they were frozen), so I think I'll just go with veggies next time!
Update:
I got a call from the school this morning, around 9am. It was from Allen, who let me know that there was a problem with the tablet that he takes to school (supposedly to work on his homework, but we all know that he uses it as a MP3 players to listen to his music during the day). The way the story goes, he was listening to his music (shocker!) and he had set the tablet on the bleachers. Then he turned to the side, and somehow (have no idea how it happened) the tablet fell off the bleachers on to the ground... like 4 feet on to the ground.
I can only imagine the sickening crack that occurred and the moment of fear as he hopped off the bleachers to examine his new found broken tablet. The screen was shattered. Not broken, shattered. It was not pretty.
But, being the (somewhat) responsible child that we attempted to raise correctly, he immediately called me and let me know what he had done. Fortunately, his mother is brilliant and purchased the extended care warranty, and questioned the guy at Office Max specifically for the time in which one of my children dropped the tablet and it broke.
So, I was able to call the Care center, and I now have a UPS shipping label, and a claim for them to attempt to fix it. It is not fixed yet, so I will keep my hopes up that they can repair the screen, and it will be back with us soon. Until then, my favorite part of the day was at the end, as the Junior High students passed by my door (to my web design class), and whispered, "she's here... oh, you are so dead.". I guess the students expected me to freak out or scream or yell or something undignified. Oh yea, like I would do that, in public!
To be honest, I actually expected it to break earlier.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
November 25, 2012
Outside Temp: 14 F (it didn't get above 35 today... dropped 10 degrees in the last 2 hours)
What I cooked today:
Chicken Soup with Orzo: Chilly day requires soup. I finished canning my turkey stock, and realized I still had 2 quarts of chicken stock in the pantry. Since I'm sure I needed to get rid of it, we made chicken soup. So yummy!
M&M cookies: The kids finally found the mini M&Ms that have been in my pantry for about 2 months. I was required to make cookies... oh what a chore...
Update:
Snow today. Not a ton, but consistent snow for the last 10-12 hours. It was in the mid 30's, which means that the roads are wet... as the temp drops, that means ice. I'm not sure exactly what to expect tomorrow, but today was a day of staying inside, warm and cozy. I read for a few hours, the kids played games, and we did a whole lot of nothing. Perfect end to a long weekend!
What I cooked today:
Chicken Soup with Orzo: Chilly day requires soup. I finished canning my turkey stock, and realized I still had 2 quarts of chicken stock in the pantry. Since I'm sure I needed to get rid of it, we made chicken soup. So yummy!
M&M cookies: The kids finally found the mini M&Ms that have been in my pantry for about 2 months. I was required to make cookies... oh what a chore...
Update:
Snow today. Not a ton, but consistent snow for the last 10-12 hours. It was in the mid 30's, which means that the roads are wet... as the temp drops, that means ice. I'm not sure exactly what to expect tomorrow, but today was a day of staying inside, warm and cozy. I read for a few hours, the kids played games, and we did a whole lot of nothing. Perfect end to a long weekend!
Saturday, November 24, 2012
November 24, 2012
Outside Temp: 25 F (a little rain, a little snow today. The weather wasn't sure what it wanted to do)
What I cooked today:
Turkey Stock: I made up some stock from yesterday's turkey bones. The house smelled just like turkey all afternoon. No, I'm not sick of turkey, yet.
Update:
Patrick and I went into town this afternoon, for some shopping. He needed some things from Home Depot, and I managed to run out of both flour and brown sugar (gasp!). At the grocery store, the kid helping me was amazed that I might actually use a 25 lb bag of flour. I explained that I go through a 25 lb bag about 3 times a year. He was stunned. I laughed.
What I cooked today:
Turkey Stock: I made up some stock from yesterday's turkey bones. The house smelled just like turkey all afternoon. No, I'm not sick of turkey, yet.
Update:
Patrick and I went into town this afternoon, for some shopping. He needed some things from Home Depot, and I managed to run out of both flour and brown sugar (gasp!). At the grocery store, the kid helping me was amazed that I might actually use a 25 lb bag of flour. I explained that I go through a 25 lb bag about 3 times a year. He was stunned. I laughed.
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