Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Quick Dad Update
Things are looking up. Dad has been sitting up in a chair more often, and doing so willingly (They had him sitting up Saturday and Sunday, but he didn't like it). They are talking about bringing the physical therapist in to get him up and walking and are talking about moving him from ICU, possibly as soon as tomorrow. His blood pressure is a bit elevated but his heart rate is down. They stopped giving him the steroids that were helping to reduce the swelling, as they are not needed so much any more and were the cause of the elevated blood sugar levels. We know now that much of his anxiety is being caused by the fact that he is having trouble breathing through the trake. Hopefully this will come out soon!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sisters
Urban Dictionary defines sister as the girl that will always be there for you and may save you one day, whether you know it or not. Your sister may or may not be related to you and could just be an amazing friend, but either way your sister is always slow to judge and quick to forgive. She will always love you, she might just hide it from you.
Since Thursday I have had the opportunity to spend a great deal of time with two of my sisters. In this case I mean sister as Merriam-Webster defines sister... A female who has one or both parents in common with another.
Yes, we have joined together to be with my dad during this time. It's interesting what kind of added dynamics this brings to the whole situation. You see, there is quite a bit of 'history' in our family. All three of us have different moms, all three of us have a different relationship with our dad, all three of us were raised differently... Basically, all three of us are at different places in life and are three COMPLETELY different people.
Before last year I didn't have a really close relationship with either of these sisters. In the past year I've become extremely close with one of them but am still not that close with the other. There's no reason we're not close per say, it's just life and I accept it. However, I've had chances to talk extensively with both sisters this week and it's been GREAT!
I guess I really feel like I'm rambling in this post and you know what? It's true... I am... But the bottom line is this.... It's been really great to have this opportunity to catch up with my Merriam-Webster sister and to spend time with my Urban Dictionary sister. From this point forward, I'd really like to consider both of my sisters to be Urban Dictionary sisters because we all need each other!
Now run out there and give your sister a hug! I love you, ladies!!
Since Thursday I have had the opportunity to spend a great deal of time with two of my sisters. In this case I mean sister as Merriam-Webster defines sister... A female who has one or both parents in common with another.
Yes, we have joined together to be with my dad during this time. It's interesting what kind of added dynamics this brings to the whole situation. You see, there is quite a bit of 'history' in our family. All three of us have different moms, all three of us have a different relationship with our dad, all three of us were raised differently... Basically, all three of us are at different places in life and are three COMPLETELY different people.
Before last year I didn't have a really close relationship with either of these sisters. In the past year I've become extremely close with one of them but am still not that close with the other. There's no reason we're not close per say, it's just life and I accept it. However, I've had chances to talk extensively with both sisters this week and it's been GREAT!
I guess I really feel like I'm rambling in this post and you know what? It's true... I am... But the bottom line is this.... It's been really great to have this opportunity to catch up with my Merriam-Webster sister and to spend time with my Urban Dictionary sister. From this point forward, I'd really like to consider both of my sisters to be Urban Dictionary sisters because we all need each other!
Now run out there and give your sister a hug! I love you, ladies!!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Little A's Apple Farm Field Trip
Friday Little A's class went on their first field trip of the year. Fortunately I was able to join her class, as I'd taken the day off to spend at the hospital with my dad (Which, for the record, I did as soon as the trip was over).
This field trip was to a local apple farm where the kids were able to learn about apples from the tree to the store. They saw where apples are put when they're picked, how they get washed, polished and sorted, where they are stored until they are shipped to the store, etc. After a tour of the INSIDE of the facility, they were able to go out into the orchard and pick two apples to bring home.
While the kids feasted on homemade apple bread and apple juice, the moms shopped in the little store and stocked up on homemade apple pies, jellies, syrups, and cookies. I must admit that I did NOT leave empty handed. I left with a French apple pie and an oatmeal chocolate chip apple cookie. YUM!
The farm has a large grassy area with an old tractor that the kids love running around and climbing on. I think they could have stayed there for hours and never have gotten bored.
But alas, all good things must end so we packed up the apples and the kids and headed back to school. This may be our last trip to the apple farm (at least as part of a class field trip). We've had a good four year run!
This field trip was to a local apple farm where the kids were able to learn about apples from the tree to the store. They saw where apples are put when they're picked, how they get washed, polished and sorted, where they are stored until they are shipped to the store, etc. After a tour of the INSIDE of the facility, they were able to go out into the orchard and pick two apples to bring home.
While the kids feasted on homemade apple bread and apple juice, the moms shopped in the little store and stocked up on homemade apple pies, jellies, syrups, and cookies. I must admit that I did NOT leave empty handed. I left with a French apple pie and an oatmeal chocolate chip apple cookie. YUM!The farm has a large grassy area with an old tractor that the kids love running around and climbing on. I think they could have stayed there for hours and never have gotten bored.
But alas, all good things must end so we packed up the apples and the kids and headed back to school. This may be our last trip to the apple farm (at least as part of a class field trip). We've had a good four year run!DAD UPDATE:
My dad is still in the ICU. He's having ups and downs. Friday he looked surprisingly good for just having undergone MAJOR surgery. He was alert while we were visiting and was coughing up a LOT of gunk. The coughing was making him very uncomfortable. Saturday he had spiked a high fever (104.5) and his blood pressure was up so they working hard to get both of those things under control with medication, ice packs, and fans. Today he was very uncomfortable and agitated, probably the worst I've seen him. They're giving him medicine to control his anxiety. I think the anxiety is high because he doesn't like the trake. He continues to improve overall, but is having minor setbacks like low heart rate and high blood sugar. The doctors assure us that this will all stabilize.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Work Work Work, All Day Long
This morning started off with scones and soccer games before dropping the kids off with Grandma and Grandpa at the church work day while B and I went to the city to visit my dad. Church work days happen 2 - 4 times per year. Church members and others gather to clean, paint, garden, plant, etc., and share a meal together.
Today's activities included 'rebarking' (for lack of a better term) the playgrounds, pruning rose plants in front of the church (and other gardening) and painting a building that the church rents out to a local art center. The kids got right in there and worked. They worked with Grandma, they worked with Grandpa and they worked with other church members.
I think it's great that the other members were willing participants and accepting of the 'help' that my children (who were by far the youngest workers there) offered. THANK YOU! I understand COMPLETELY how quickly that 'help' can turn disastrous.
Both kids worked SO hard and they ENJOY doing the work. I wonder what the chances are that they'll still be so willing when they're 16....
Today's activities included 'rebarking' (for lack of a better term) the playgrounds, pruning rose plants in front of the church (and other gardening) and painting a building that the church rents out to a local art center. The kids got right in there and worked. They worked with Grandma, they worked with Grandpa and they worked with other church members.
I think it's great that the other members were willing participants and accepting of the 'help' that my children (who were by far the youngest workers there) offered. THANK YOU! I understand COMPLETELY how quickly that 'help' can turn disastrous.
Both kids worked SO hard and they ENJOY doing the work. I wonder what the chances are that they'll still be so willing when they're 16....Friday, September 23, 2011
A Little Bit Of History
Today has been an emotional day... Lots of driving, visiting dad in the hospital, heartfelt talks with siblings, lots of tears, etc. That being said, I don't feel much like talking so I'll share a little something with you that I've been saving for a day like today...
The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:
* People used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot and then once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery. If you had to do this to survive you were 'Piss Poor'.
Worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't afford to buy a pot. They 'didn't have a pot to piss in' and were the lowest of the low.
* Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.
* Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it hence the
saying, 'Don' t throw the baby out with the bath water!'
* Houses had thatched roofs (thick straw piled high, with no wood underneath). It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs, etc.) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof hence the saying, 'It' s raining cats and dogs.'
* There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. People had beds with big posts and a sheet hung over the top which afforded some protection. That' s how canopy beds came into existence.
* Floors were dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt hence the saying, 'Dirt poor.' The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when they were wet. They spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance way to keep the thresh in, hence a thresh hold.
(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)
* In those old days people cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold
overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while hence the rhyme, 'Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.' Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When
visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, 'Bring home the bacon.' They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and 'chew the fat'.
* Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
* Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the 'upper crust'.
* Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would Sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake
up hence the custom of 'holding a wake'.
* England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. They would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. They started tying a string on the wrist of the corpse, leading it through the coffin and up through the ground then tying it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night to listen for the bell hence 'the graveyard shift'. People buried alive were then 'saved by the bell' or was considered a 'dead ringer'.
And that' s the truth! Now, who ever said history was boring!?!?!?
The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:
* People used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot and then once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery. If you had to do this to survive you were 'Piss Poor'.
Worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't afford to buy a pot. They 'didn't have a pot to piss in' and were the lowest of the low.
* Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.
* Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it hence the
saying, 'Don' t throw the baby out with the bath water!'
* Houses had thatched roofs (thick straw piled high, with no wood underneath). It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs, etc.) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof hence the saying, 'It' s raining cats and dogs.'
* There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. People had beds with big posts and a sheet hung over the top which afforded some protection. That' s how canopy beds came into existence.
* Floors were dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt hence the saying, 'Dirt poor.' The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when they were wet. They spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance way to keep the thresh in, hence a thresh hold.
(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)
* In those old days people cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold
overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while hence the rhyme, 'Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.' Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When
visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, 'Bring home the bacon.' They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and 'chew the fat'.
* Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
* Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the 'upper crust'.
* Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would Sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake
up hence the custom of 'holding a wake'.
* England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. They would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. They started tying a string on the wrist of the corpse, leading it through the coffin and up through the ground then tying it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night to listen for the bell hence 'the graveyard shift'. People buried alive were then 'saved by the bell' or was considered a 'dead ringer'.
And that' s the truth! Now, who ever said history was boring!?!?!?
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Surgery Day
Today was a big day... Or maybe it was a long day... Perhaps it was both. Yes, definitely both!
Today was the day my biological father underwent surgery to remove the tumor from his mouth and the lymph nodes from his neck. The 10-12 hour surgery stretched into a 16 1/2 hour surgery with an amazing outcome.
Going into this surgery we fully expected (as did the doctor) that my dad would loose a portion of his jaw, teeth, tongue and possibly worse. Call it luck, call it a miracle, call it an excellent surgeon... Call it whatever you want, but the outcome was nothing short of amazing (Even the doctor thinks so!). My dad is still ONE HUNDRED PERCENT WHOLE! His face doesn't look any different tonight than it did this morning when he went into surgery (Well.... Unless you count the swelling, bruising, writing and tubes...)!
Those of you who know my dad, know that the outcome of the surgery will make the healing process tolerable for him and will give him the will to continue living and fighting. I can't even imagine how he would have dealt with any other outcome.
He is resting comfortably in the ICU where he will stay for the next 3-5 days. After that he will be moved to a 'regular' room where he will spend another few days. The next step is to wait for the lab results from all of the tissues and lymph nodes that were removed and tested. The surgeon feels certain that he was able to get a 3/4 inch margin of clear tissue but he's not sure if there are minuscule fingers of cancer hiding in there. Please pray for cancer free test results!
It's been a long day, and I'm exhausted to say the least.... Good night!
Today was the day my biological father underwent surgery to remove the tumor from his mouth and the lymph nodes from his neck. The 10-12 hour surgery stretched into a 16 1/2 hour surgery with an amazing outcome.
Going into this surgery we fully expected (as did the doctor) that my dad would loose a portion of his jaw, teeth, tongue and possibly worse. Call it luck, call it a miracle, call it an excellent surgeon... Call it whatever you want, but the outcome was nothing short of amazing (Even the doctor thinks so!). My dad is still ONE HUNDRED PERCENT WHOLE! His face doesn't look any different tonight than it did this morning when he went into surgery (Well.... Unless you count the swelling, bruising, writing and tubes...)!
Those of you who know my dad, know that the outcome of the surgery will make the healing process tolerable for him and will give him the will to continue living and fighting. I can't even imagine how he would have dealt with any other outcome.
He is resting comfortably in the ICU where he will stay for the next 3-5 days. After that he will be moved to a 'regular' room where he will spend another few days. The next step is to wait for the lab results from all of the tissues and lymph nodes that were removed and tested. The surgeon feels certain that he was able to get a 3/4 inch margin of clear tissue but he's not sure if there are minuscule fingers of cancer hiding in there. Please pray for cancer free test results!
It's been a long day, and I'm exhausted to say the least.... Good night!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Homework Hell
Homework... Kids can't wait to have it and once they have it they can't stand it. This week has not been a good homework week.
Big A does not have a huge amount of homework. He has 4 math sheets, 12 spelling words, some reading and a journal entry. That's it... It doesn't take him long to do it and this year he's much more willing to sit down and focus than he was last year but last night he snapped. He had an absolute meltdown.
He was willingly and eagerly writing about his new bunk beds in his journal. He wrote 4 perfect sentences, thinking clearly though each one before writing, making sure the whole thing made sense, using correct capitalization and punctuation, etc. And then it came time for the 'detailed picture'.
I didn't say a word to him about the drawing but for some reason he got a perfection bug up his... Well... I won't go there. Anyhow, you would have thought he was being asked to use drafting tools to create a blue print. He kept making lines on the paper (for the bunk bed sides) and erasing them then getting frustrated because they weren't straight. I tried telling him that I can't draw straight lines either and to just do the best he could. He wouldn't have anything to do with that and this went on and on until he was in tears. I held him... I talked to him... I tried to comfort him... I offered him a ruler... And he continued to draw, erase, yell, cry, repeat.
I finally told him, very calmly, that he needed to take a break and walk away from it for awhile. This made him even more upset.
After a few minutes he returned to the table and finished his drawing. The evening ended with a smiling Big A and a completed journal page, but YIKES! While I'm happy he was concerned and cared about his work, I hope this perfection trend (at least to this degree) doesn't keep up!
Big A does not have a huge amount of homework. He has 4 math sheets, 12 spelling words, some reading and a journal entry. That's it... It doesn't take him long to do it and this year he's much more willing to sit down and focus than he was last year but last night he snapped. He had an absolute meltdown.
He was willingly and eagerly writing about his new bunk beds in his journal. He wrote 4 perfect sentences, thinking clearly though each one before writing, making sure the whole thing made sense, using correct capitalization and punctuation, etc. And then it came time for the 'detailed picture'.
I didn't say a word to him about the drawing but for some reason he got a perfection bug up his... Well... I won't go there. Anyhow, you would have thought he was being asked to use drafting tools to create a blue print. He kept making lines on the paper (for the bunk bed sides) and erasing them then getting frustrated because they weren't straight. I tried telling him that I can't draw straight lines either and to just do the best he could. He wouldn't have anything to do with that and this went on and on until he was in tears. I held him... I talked to him... I tried to comfort him... I offered him a ruler... And he continued to draw, erase, yell, cry, repeat.
I finally told him, very calmly, that he needed to take a break and walk away from it for awhile. This made him even more upset.
After a few minutes he returned to the table and finished his drawing. The evening ended with a smiling Big A and a completed journal page, but YIKES! While I'm happy he was concerned and cared about his work, I hope this perfection trend (at least to this degree) doesn't keep up!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Two New Recipes
I'm getting back into my routine of cooking meals on Sundays and Mondays so that we have enough dinners to last the entire week. Here are a couple of new ones we tried this week that were both big hits. I was concerned about the chili as I was making it, thinking it was too 'Mexican' and that I wouldn't like it and the kids CERTAINLY wouldn't like it but I was wrong, they REALLY liked it!
Sorry I don't have pics... Next time!
Kickin' Chicken Chili
* 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast
* 2 teaspoons cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
* 1 jar (16-ounce size) green salsa
* 1 package (16-ounce size) frozen pepper stir-fry vegetables (yellow, green, and red sweet peppers)
* 1 can (15-ounce size) cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
* 1 can (14.5-ounce size) diced tomatoes with onion and garlic
* sour cream (optional)
* shredded cheese (optional)
Boil chicken until it's done (about 20 minutes). Cut it into 1 inch cubes. Place chicken in a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker. Stir in cumin, salt, salsa, stir-fry vegetables, beans, and undrained tomatoes.
Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
Top with sour cream and cheese and serve with corn bread muffins... YUM!
Chicken Tortilla Casserole (Modified from a Betty Crocker recipe)
* 1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
* 1 can chopped green chiles
* 1 container (8 oz) sour cream
* 1/2 cup milk
* 2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
* 8 yellow corn tortillas (6 or 7 inch), torn into bite-size pieces
* 1 large tomato, chopped
* 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix soup, chiles, sour cream and milk until blended. Stir in chicken and tortillas. Stir in tomato and 1 cup of the cheese. Spoon and spread mixture in baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes.
Sorry I don't have pics... Next time!
Kickin' Chicken Chili
* 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast
* 2 teaspoons cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
* 1 jar (16-ounce size) green salsa
* 1 package (16-ounce size) frozen pepper stir-fry vegetables (yellow, green, and red sweet peppers)
* 1 can (15-ounce size) cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
* 1 can (14.5-ounce size) diced tomatoes with onion and garlic
* sour cream (optional)
* shredded cheese (optional)
Boil chicken until it's done (about 20 minutes). Cut it into 1 inch cubes. Place chicken in a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker. Stir in cumin, salt, salsa, stir-fry vegetables, beans, and undrained tomatoes.
Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
Top with sour cream and cheese and serve with corn bread muffins... YUM!
Chicken Tortilla Casserole (Modified from a Betty Crocker recipe)
* 1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
* 1 can chopped green chiles
* 1 container (8 oz) sour cream
* 1/2 cup milk
* 2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
* 8 yellow corn tortillas (6 or 7 inch), torn into bite-size pieces
* 1 large tomato, chopped
* 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix soup, chiles, sour cream and milk until blended. Stir in chicken and tortillas. Stir in tomato and 1 cup of the cheese. Spoon and spread mixture in baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Monday Monday
Well, it finally happened. The kids are back in school, the camping season is pretty much over, B is back to working toward his teaching credential, and I have my Mondays back! That means coffee with the ladies, pedicures, shopping sprees and massages! Okay. Just kidding. It means working on projects, working in classrooms, and preparing meals for the week!
This morning I did carpool and then came home to a QUIET house and worked on that picture project that you saw spread out all over the desk a couple of days back. That took up all of my time until it was time to pick Little A up from school.
After lunch (and before picking Big A up from school) Little A and I got dinner in the crock pot and made a pudding pie. It was SO FUN! She's getting bigger and easier to have in the kitchen. She even does dishes... And LIKES it!
When I was a little girl my mom had a poem on the kitchen wall titled, "When Amy Helps Me Cook." If I knew where it was, I'd share it with you but cooking with Little A reminded me of that poem. Hopefully in the years to come there will be many more Mondays spent in the kitchen with my princess.
This morning I did carpool and then came home to a QUIET house and worked on that picture project that you saw spread out all over the desk a couple of days back. That took up all of my time until it was time to pick Little A up from school.
After lunch (and before picking Big A up from school) Little A and I got dinner in the crock pot and made a pudding pie. It was SO FUN! She's getting bigger and easier to have in the kitchen. She even does dishes... And LIKES it!
When I was a little girl my mom had a poem on the kitchen wall titled, "When Amy Helps Me Cook." If I knew where it was, I'd share it with you but cooking with Little A reminded me of that poem. Hopefully in the years to come there will be many more Mondays spent in the kitchen with my princess.
I'll share recipes with you soon!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Movie Night!
Tonight was Movie Night at Big A's school. Movie night is sponsored by a group at the school that functions like a PTA and it's FREE! Hot dogs, Caesar salad, potato salad, chips, soda, popcorn, candy, cocoa and a movie, ALL FREE! People bring their chairs, blankets, sleeping bags, pillows, etc., and set up out on the soccer field to enjoy the show.
Tonight's movie was Gnomeo and Juliet. For those of you who haven't seen the movie, it's fashioned after Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, but instead of the Capulets vs. the Montagues, it's the Reds vs. the Blues. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it! Cute movie!
Tonight's movie was Gnomeo and Juliet. For those of you who haven't seen the movie, it's fashioned after Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, but instead of the Capulets vs. the Montagues, it's the Reds vs. the Blues. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it! Cute movie!
Anyhow... While movie night is lots of fun and the kids have a blast playing with their friends and then laying out under the stars watching a movie, there always seems to be a few problems. Last year there were problems with the sound and it took them fifteen minutes to get the sound working. This year, they forgot to bring the remote control. I'm not sure why they weren't able to simply press play on the machine itself, but they weren't. After 20 minutes of waiting for them to start the movie (and finally learning that someone had run home to get a remote) we decided to pack up and call it a night. It was cold, damp, late, and Little A's ear was hurting.
We were halfway packed up when the movie actually started so we decided to tough it out for awhile and told the kids we'd stay until 9pm (half an hour). Now remember I said that I love this movie? And remember I said it's about the Reds vs. the Blues? Well it's EXTREMELY difficult to watch a movie that makes continuous reference to reds and blues when what you're watching is pinks and greens! Let's just say that the color was slightly VERY off!
Oh well! We still had a great time (Thanks, Koenigs and Sharps for making it such an eventful and fun night!) and will definitely go back next year. Thanks for a great night, GSF!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Unfinished Projects
Projects... Never ending projects...
You know how it is when you start one project and that project leads to another project which leads to another project and so on? Yeah, that's where I am. It started with getting ready for bunk beds and there's no end in sight. I'm now surrounded by projects. Everywhere I turn there are signs of unfinished projects.
The garage is 100 times better and the kids' room is back in order but now I'm working on conquering the rest of the house. In the meantime it looks like this...
* Photos in stacks waiting to be put in frames. This can't be done yet because I still need to print about 10 more pictures.
* Recipes stacked all over the place waiting to be put into the recipe binder. I need to get some dividers first and then I need to sort through all of the recipes and decide what to keep and what to toss, what we've tried and what we have yet to try, etc.
* Boxes of pictures that need to be sorted and put in some sort of order, frames that need to be filled (make that 14 pictures I need to print), rolled coin that needs to be taken to the bank then deposited in the kids' 529 accounts...
* Coins that I need to finish rolling so that I can complete the last part of the unfinished project above...
And of course after one dumps dirty coins all over one's bed, one must change one's sheets! BUT... There's one project that HAS been finished!
You know how it is when you start one project and that project leads to another project which leads to another project and so on? Yeah, that's where I am. It started with getting ready for bunk beds and there's no end in sight. I'm now surrounded by projects. Everywhere I turn there are signs of unfinished projects.
The garage is 100 times better and the kids' room is back in order but now I'm working on conquering the rest of the house. In the meantime it looks like this...
* Photos in stacks waiting to be put in frames. This can't be done yet because I still need to print about 10 more pictures.
* Recipes stacked all over the place waiting to be put into the recipe binder. I need to get some dividers first and then I need to sort through all of the recipes and decide what to keep and what to toss, what we've tried and what we have yet to try, etc.
* Boxes of pictures that need to be sorted and put in some sort of order, frames that need to be filled (make that 14 pictures I need to print), rolled coin that needs to be taken to the bank then deposited in the kids' 529 accounts...
* Coins that I need to finish rolling so that I can complete the last part of the unfinished project above...
And of course after one dumps dirty coins all over one's bed, one must change one's sheets! BUT... There's one project that HAS been finished!Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Life In The Hood
I ran across this video and had to share it. You may remember this post where I shared Anita Renfroe's "The Mom Song". Here is another 'mom hit' by Anita Renfroe...
Yep... I live in the hood and I'm proud of it! How about you?
Monday, September 12, 2011
Cheesecake And Blow Dryers
Today I enjoyed a day in the city with my mom. The day involved great conversation, much laughter, good food and... Well... Cheesecake and blow dryers, of course! The worst part?? I didn't take ONE. SINGLE. PICTURE. BOO!
My niece recently got her cosmetology license and landed a job working at diPietro Todd in San Francisco. She is an assistant at the salon four days a week and spends one day a week 'training'. As part of her training she spends Mondays practicing on people and has to get 4 or 5 models to come to her every Monday. If she doesn't find her own models by using family and friends, she has to 'beat the pavement' handing out fliers and getting people off the street. She's been asking my mom to come down, so today we went.
This rotation she's doing blow dry and style, so not much can go wrong with that. If she were practicing color or cut I may be slightly hesitant! (Just kidding, T!) Actually, it would probably be fine. The entire salon is taken over by students and teachers on Mondays and the students can't make a single move without first consulting the instructor. That makes my hair feel safer.
Our appointments were at 1:30 and 3:00 and as part of my ongoing birthday celebration, we were going to have lunch beforehand. When mom asked where I wanted to eat, I was at a loss. I'm not familiar with the restaurants in Union Square so I really had no idea where to go. Mom suggested Cheesecake Factory and I was in! Twice in three days! (I've heard from many of you that you are jealous... SORRY!)
If you're not familiar with the Cheesecake Factory in Union Square (which I wasn't), it's located on top of Macy's and they have patio seating where you can look out over Union Square. It was a BEAUTIFUL day in San Francisco and we spent almost two hours out on the patio eating and talking and just being together as mother and daughter. I CHERISH these moments. Thanks, Mom!
After lunch we window shopped our way to the salon. I'm not used to this type of salon. For that matter, I'm not too used to salons in general. I typically get my haircut at Great Clips. Anyhow... This place was hopping! There must have been at least 40 people in there at all different stages of cuts, colors, blow drys and styles. It was craziness! I was WAY out of my comfort zone and while I enjoyed chatting with my niece, I must say I was relieved to get out of there when it was over!
We made one last stop on our way home (Because when you're enjoy yourselves so much and have so much to talk about, you don't want the day to end!) to get coffee and eat our desserts from lunch. YUM!
Mom... I enjoy our time together SO much! I want to say thank you for today and for being my mom, my best friend and a beautiful person... I LOVE YOU!
My niece recently got her cosmetology license and landed a job working at diPietro Todd in San Francisco. She is an assistant at the salon four days a week and spends one day a week 'training'. As part of her training she spends Mondays practicing on people and has to get 4 or 5 models to come to her every Monday. If she doesn't find her own models by using family and friends, she has to 'beat the pavement' handing out fliers and getting people off the street. She's been asking my mom to come down, so today we went.
This rotation she's doing blow dry and style, so not much can go wrong with that. If she were practicing color or cut I may be slightly hesitant! (Just kidding, T!) Actually, it would probably be fine. The entire salon is taken over by students and teachers on Mondays and the students can't make a single move without first consulting the instructor. That makes my hair feel safer.
Our appointments were at 1:30 and 3:00 and as part of my ongoing birthday celebration, we were going to have lunch beforehand. When mom asked where I wanted to eat, I was at a loss. I'm not familiar with the restaurants in Union Square so I really had no idea where to go. Mom suggested Cheesecake Factory and I was in! Twice in three days! (I've heard from many of you that you are jealous... SORRY!)
If you're not familiar with the Cheesecake Factory in Union Square (which I wasn't), it's located on top of Macy's and they have patio seating where you can look out over Union Square. It was a BEAUTIFUL day in San Francisco and we spent almost two hours out on the patio eating and talking and just being together as mother and daughter. I CHERISH these moments. Thanks, Mom!
After lunch we window shopped our way to the salon. I'm not used to this type of salon. For that matter, I'm not too used to salons in general. I typically get my haircut at Great Clips. Anyhow... This place was hopping! There must have been at least 40 people in there at all different stages of cuts, colors, blow drys and styles. It was craziness! I was WAY out of my comfort zone and while I enjoyed chatting with my niece, I must say I was relieved to get out of there when it was over!
We made one last stop on our way home (Because when you're enjoy yourselves so much and have so much to talk about, you don't want the day to end!) to get coffee and eat our desserts from lunch. YUM!
Mom... I enjoy our time together SO much! I want to say thank you for today and for being my mom, my best friend and a beautiful person... I LOVE YOU!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Building Bunk Beds!
Once upon a time, deep in a majestic redwood forest stood a grove of towering redwood trees.
One day a team of men arrived with chainsaws and heavy equipment and they slaughtered that beautiful grove. Large trucks carried the trees away to the lumber mill where they were milled into redwood boards. Eventually the boards were taken to Home Depot where they were purchased by a family who wished to build themselves a new deck for their home. When the family moved out of the state, the new home buyers decided they preferred the concrete jungle look, and tore out that old deck.
Enter Grandpa...
Grandpa got his hands on that old wood. He smoothed and shaped, sanded and stained and turned it into something wonderful!
One day a team of men arrived with chainsaws and heavy equipment and they slaughtered that beautiful grove. Large trucks carried the trees away to the lumber mill where they were milled into redwood boards. Eventually the boards were taken to Home Depot where they were purchased by a family who wished to build themselves a new deck for their home. When the family moved out of the state, the new home buyers decided they preferred the concrete jungle look, and tore out that old deck.Enter Grandpa...
Grandpa got his hands on that old wood. He smoothed and shaped, sanded and stained and turned it into something wonderful!
Thanks, Grandpa! We LOVE LOVE LOVE our new beds and our reorganized room!!
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