today started off rainy (truthfully I didn't see it, I slept way in, until about 10 or so I think-yay me!) but then the clouds parted and the sun came out. We took the family to the Hockinson fun days parade and country fair as per Bloch family tradition, and had a great time. The girls played some games and got Popsicles and we came home. Then we worked outside until the sun went down and are now relaxing and getting ready for bed. Alan got the fire pit area almost finished up and I got lots of seeds planted and reclaimed my mint patch. It was a very productive day, not to mention that we get our "good parent" badge for the day-woohoo. I have been doing yard work every day that it hasn't rained and I have done enough squatting for 3 life times-my legs are sore! I hope it comes out tomorrow too, so we can keep up the momentum--there is so many things to do for this place to be in tip top shape. We are slow and unskilled at landscaping, but keep lumbering along hoping eventually it will all get done and we can sit back and admire our work and finally get to enjoy it instead of working so hard all of the time. (I have heard that this magical time of enjoyment never actually comes, but I hate to think that is true).
ding-pizzas done-gotta scoot.
don't forget the sunscreen!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
back in the day
when I was little we did cool stuff like go treasure hunting. You might have heard of these scores referred to as "road finds" and were a favorite and exciting treat. The treasures were varied and rare, so a find was a pretty big deal. Now don't get me wrong, some things you would find quite a bit of, bingy cords, for instance were not as exciting as most anything else, as you could find about 3 or so on the way home every day. Some things though, were really neat. I once got an Elk Grove Park Pool hoodie sweatshirt that was almost new and super big, like high-schooler size at least (when you are 9 this is a pretty big deal) that I wore almost every day for a really long time. (this was sunny California, so a hoodie was hardly a necessity by the way) There were random coolers, lawn chairs (barely bent or anything), well, you know, stuff that flies out of peoples cars that they don't know about or can't be bothered to stop for. We, on the other hand were known for slamming on the brakes on the freeway at rush hour to check out a mysterious lump in the opposite lane of traffic--usually nothing of interest, but hey, you never could tell. We never went on specific trips to look for these goodies, we just were always on the look out, just in case. I do believe that the sweatshirt was probably the nicest and item of highest value that we ever had the luck of finding. The reason the road finds are on my mind tonight, is that this evening I went to the store and on the way there, there was a stuffed garbage bag sitting in my lane. There were 2 lanes and no other cars, so I casually pulled around it (not even slowing down--I'm trying my best to evolve) but did venture a peek in the rear view--it was filled with what I think were lawn clippings, but it brought back the blue sweatshirt faster than I would have liked to believe it could.
Tonight I would like to raise a toast to all of the weird things our parents put us through that we hated, or embarrassed us, but that now we look back on and giggle (usually with family members that had to endure it right along side of us); and to that 300 mile road trip with my dad after I was an adult, where just for fun, we stopped for every (single, stinking) bingy cord turning the 6 hour trip into a much longer one. Laughs and memories are free, but, as with most things that matter, their value is much higher.
I would not like to raise a toast to the times we went to the dump and stayed to shop....just saying.
Tonight I would like to raise a toast to all of the weird things our parents put us through that we hated, or embarrassed us, but that now we look back on and giggle (usually with family members that had to endure it right along side of us); and to that 300 mile road trip with my dad after I was an adult, where just for fun, we stopped for every (single, stinking) bingy cord turning the 6 hour trip into a much longer one. Laughs and memories are free, but, as with most things that matter, their value is much higher.
I would not like to raise a toast to the times we went to the dump and stayed to shop....just saying.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Home Sweet Home
you know how when something is gone, you want it really bad? Maybe it's just me, or maybe it's human nature--who knows. I am fine without a snickers bar until my friend has one and then I think it's possible I will actually die if I don't have my own snickers bar. (not just a bite of hers either, I want my own super sized bar and one to stash in my purse for later and one for the freezer too, in case of an emergency) long story short (or vise-versa, I get confused) I really, really missed home when I was gone. And Alan and my sheets and my hand soap and well, just about every darn thing, things I take for granted daily, and I didn't even notice until they were gone.
I had fun in Klamath, it was good to see my family, and the weather was sunny for the first 3 days we were there--and the temperature hovered somewhere close to 90*, it was hot and dry and hot. The girls ran in the sprinklers and we barbecued, it was fun. Then the sun went away, the clouds moved in, and the rains came full force. It made me miss home even more-haha-I'm such a geek! Layla got to eat tuna sandwiches almost every day for lunch, which is her very favorite food at the moment, so she was in heaven. We went hiking in the woods a couple of times and the girls got some botany lessons from Papa, but unfortunately we didn't find any of the morel mushrooms we were hunting for, they were most likely burned into dust from the fore-mentioned 90* weather a few days before. (shrooms are very fragile and temperamental--probably they are girls)
I went out on a date with my very best friend from high school and we had sushi and then went to a martini bar (ok, it was a brewery that served martinis--but still--pretty impressive for K-Falls!!) Then Anna got me and we went out to the new Ashton Kutcher movie-that boy is yummy-mmm. I give the movie a 5, it was watchable and I will probably get it again for free from the redbox, but at almost $10 to get in, I am not sure they can make a movie good enough to justify the price of admission. If the leading man was not as good looking, I very well may have stormed the ticket box and demanded my mom's money back. (also, the fact that I didn't have to pay made it a little easier to swallow-heehee)
During the days, I stayed at my folks' house and hung out with my girls, it's kind of like hanging out here, except the toys are worse. All of the toys I hate, now live with my parents, they are plastic and take batteries (lots of batteries) and talk and sing and all kinds of annoying things, and there is a HUGE bin of them. So I took to reading and napping and digging through stuff that belongs to my parents. This is actually a favorite past time, the only bad part is when I get discovered, I usually get totally busted, and the conversation that follows is a bummer. Here's how it has gone in the past:
dad: "what is all of this stuff in the garbage?"
me: "I helped you sort out some things in your medicine cabinet"
dad: "that's my stuff, stay out of it"
me: "dad, that cologne is from 1973 (this is hardly even an exaggeration) and it was brown and thick, why don't you wear the new cologne I got you for Christmas?"
dad: "I like my stuff, stay out of it--that old spice is perfectly good still" (I assure you it wasn't)
kind of yelling now "Where is my bug spray?!?!"
me: "dad, deet is bad for you, and the can was actually rusted to the shelf"
dad: "GET OUT OF HERE!!!" this last bit is said while rummaging through the things I have discarded in the small corner waste bin
as you can see, after a week in Klamath Falls, what else would you expect me to do? They have cable there, but we are only allowed to watch the extreme fighting challenge (or something like that--I am still trying to block it out) This time, I accidentally stumbled upon the mother load. There is a weird corner in the kitchen, the microwave is wedged into it, but beside the microwave, things are hidden. Now to be honest, I have seen the corner before, but obviously I have never been this bored, because I never ever gave it a second glance. It is a drug hole. There are other things too, like some various supplements, but basically it's a lazy susan stacked with a random assortment of bottles of pills. Hmmmm. Fun times. Although, being an evolved human, this time, I just looked for the sheer fun (or boredom--hard to say) let's just say that I wasn't up for the conversation again, just for trying to help--geez. I got a good laugh. There were things there that I had never even heard of before, things for the dog (what dog) things for aches and pains that I didn't know could hurt, but the queen mother score was a bottle of PMS formula (what is that I wonder) that had expired in 1993. That's 15 years ago that it expired-wow. I think it is possible we brought that bottle of pills into that house when we moved there and it may have already been expired--cool. I just laughed until I had to sit down, and then I put it back on the turntable and walked away. What's a girl to do?
anywhoo-glad to be back--I missed you. (now about that snickers bar......)
I had fun in Klamath, it was good to see my family, and the weather was sunny for the first 3 days we were there--and the temperature hovered somewhere close to 90*, it was hot and dry and hot. The girls ran in the sprinklers and we barbecued, it was fun. Then the sun went away, the clouds moved in, and the rains came full force. It made me miss home even more-haha-I'm such a geek! Layla got to eat tuna sandwiches almost every day for lunch, which is her very favorite food at the moment, so she was in heaven. We went hiking in the woods a couple of times and the girls got some botany lessons from Papa, but unfortunately we didn't find any of the morel mushrooms we were hunting for, they were most likely burned into dust from the fore-mentioned 90* weather a few days before. (shrooms are very fragile and temperamental--probably they are girls)
I went out on a date with my very best friend from high school and we had sushi and then went to a martini bar (ok, it was a brewery that served martinis--but still--pretty impressive for K-Falls!!) Then Anna got me and we went out to the new Ashton Kutcher movie-that boy is yummy-mmm. I give the movie a 5, it was watchable and I will probably get it again for free from the redbox, but at almost $10 to get in, I am not sure they can make a movie good enough to justify the price of admission. If the leading man was not as good looking, I very well may have stormed the ticket box and demanded my mom's money back. (also, the fact that I didn't have to pay made it a little easier to swallow-heehee)
During the days, I stayed at my folks' house and hung out with my girls, it's kind of like hanging out here, except the toys are worse. All of the toys I hate, now live with my parents, they are plastic and take batteries (lots of batteries) and talk and sing and all kinds of annoying things, and there is a HUGE bin of them. So I took to reading and napping and digging through stuff that belongs to my parents. This is actually a favorite past time, the only bad part is when I get discovered, I usually get totally busted, and the conversation that follows is a bummer. Here's how it has gone in the past:
dad: "what is all of this stuff in the garbage?"
me: "I helped you sort out some things in your medicine cabinet"
dad: "that's my stuff, stay out of it"
me: "dad, that cologne is from 1973 (this is hardly even an exaggeration) and it was brown and thick, why don't you wear the new cologne I got you for Christmas?"
dad: "I like my stuff, stay out of it--that old spice is perfectly good still" (I assure you it wasn't)
kind of yelling now "Where is my bug spray?!?!"
me: "dad, deet is bad for you, and the can was actually rusted to the shelf"
dad: "GET OUT OF HERE!!!" this last bit is said while rummaging through the things I have discarded in the small corner waste bin
as you can see, after a week in Klamath Falls, what else would you expect me to do? They have cable there, but we are only allowed to watch the extreme fighting challenge (or something like that--I am still trying to block it out) This time, I accidentally stumbled upon the mother load. There is a weird corner in the kitchen, the microwave is wedged into it, but beside the microwave, things are hidden. Now to be honest, I have seen the corner before, but obviously I have never been this bored, because I never ever gave it a second glance. It is a drug hole. There are other things too, like some various supplements, but basically it's a lazy susan stacked with a random assortment of bottles of pills. Hmmmm. Fun times. Although, being an evolved human, this time, I just looked for the sheer fun (or boredom--hard to say) let's just say that I wasn't up for the conversation again, just for trying to help--geez. I got a good laugh. There were things there that I had never even heard of before, things for the dog (what dog) things for aches and pains that I didn't know could hurt, but the queen mother score was a bottle of PMS formula (what is that I wonder) that had expired in 1993. That's 15 years ago that it expired-wow. I think it is possible we brought that bottle of pills into that house when we moved there and it may have already been expired--cool. I just laughed until I had to sit down, and then I put it back on the turntable and walked away. What's a girl to do?
anywhoo-glad to be back--I missed you. (now about that snickers bar......)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
All Aboard!
I wanted to brag just a bit about Mother's day-I got breakfast in bed, and jewelry--both were a big surprise and I don't know which was sweeter. It really made my day, and made me feel special. It was the first time ever that I got breakfast in bed and I think it is my new favorite thing, I will be staying in bed as long as possible every single weekend day and hoping for breakfast to appear on a little tray, while I sleep in. I will keep you posted on how this works out, in case you need to try it as well. I also got the hot dogs I wanted-although this was not much of a surprise as I bought them myself when I went grocery shopping last week. All in all a great weekend, and now the rain is back.
Yesterday my sister called and invited me (and the girls) to come watch as she receives a prestigious award in Klamath Falls this Friday; so we are packing our bags, and tomorrow, boarding the Coast Starlight, to Southern Oregon. I love the train, but I'm a little nervous about the trip. Not to sound like a princess or anything, but it's hard not to have reservations about a trip that I am taking by myself with 2 little girls, and includes a dinner of premade pb&js. Now on a good day this journey only takes 9 hours (give or take about 9 hours), and we are due to arrive at 10pm (about an hour past bed time). I'm guessing the novelty will wear off about 20 minutes into it and I will start hearing things like "I'm bored", "are we there yet" "I miss Daddy" and Layla's recent favorite "this is a disaster". I am taking a big bag of food and entertainment (just like always when I ride the train) and checking the rest, and keeping my fingers crossed. It should be a fun trip, we are going to stay in Klamath for 9 days (kind of a long time to be away form home by myself!!) and then hitching a ride back home with my mom and will be back for the long weekend, just in time to plant my new lawn and flowers. I wanted to tell you about my trip, so you would know (in case you're familiar with Klamath Falls) that I won't be blogging until I get back, there is no internet there and they just recently got electricity and indoor plumbing (well most people anyway)
I will try to tell you about my trip when we get back, but will probably forget as I also have a reduced little span of attention. If anything of note happens I will write it down and then tie it to the neck of a pigeon and send it your way. (this is the preferred method of long distance communication in KFalls) and then someone will probably shoot the pigeon and grill it up on a stump for a potluck--that's kind of how they roll down there. Which is why I love it--you can take the girl out of the sticks............anyway here we go-wish me luck, I'll see you when I do!
Yesterday my sister called and invited me (and the girls) to come watch as she receives a prestigious award in Klamath Falls this Friday; so we are packing our bags, and tomorrow, boarding the Coast Starlight, to Southern Oregon. I love the train, but I'm a little nervous about the trip. Not to sound like a princess or anything, but it's hard not to have reservations about a trip that I am taking by myself with 2 little girls, and includes a dinner of premade pb&js. Now on a good day this journey only takes 9 hours (give or take about 9 hours), and we are due to arrive at 10pm (about an hour past bed time). I'm guessing the novelty will wear off about 20 minutes into it and I will start hearing things like "I'm bored", "are we there yet" "I miss Daddy" and Layla's recent favorite "this is a disaster". I am taking a big bag of food and entertainment (just like always when I ride the train) and checking the rest, and keeping my fingers crossed. It should be a fun trip, we are going to stay in Klamath for 9 days (kind of a long time to be away form home by myself!!) and then hitching a ride back home with my mom and will be back for the long weekend, just in time to plant my new lawn and flowers. I wanted to tell you about my trip, so you would know (in case you're familiar with Klamath Falls) that I won't be blogging until I get back, there is no internet there and they just recently got electricity and indoor plumbing (well most people anyway)
I will try to tell you about my trip when we get back, but will probably forget as I also have a reduced little span of attention. If anything of note happens I will write it down and then tie it to the neck of a pigeon and send it your way. (this is the preferred method of long distance communication in KFalls) and then someone will probably shoot the pigeon and grill it up on a stump for a potluck--that's kind of how they roll down there. Which is why I love it--you can take the girl out of the sticks............anyway here we go-wish me luck, I'll see you when I do!
Monday, May 12, 2008
mmmm...roast
I have a friend that is planning a tropical vacation soon, and would like to sport a golden bronze hue along with her suit. We were giggling because, this being the pacific North West, we are more likely to mold than tan, so she bought an unlimited tanning package at a local salon. I casually asked her if she had heard about the girl that baked her guts before the prom the very same way. (who hasn't heard this--and where, may I ask, does this crap come from??) I couldn't remember if it was true or not, but it seems doubtful, even though I am pretty afraid of the sun and it's damaging UV rays, so we decided that I needed to "research" it on snopes. Now if you haven't heard about snopes, it probably means you haven't sent me any ridiculous emails that you got directly from Bill Gates or the Gap promising you money or who knows what other forms of untold wealth....if you did, (and some of you have) then I most likely sent you a link to the snopes site, along with direct instructions to never forward this type of garbage again--I have kind of strong feelings about it. This website is so cool, I have spent hours there looking through urban legends, email hoaxes, and just, well, gossip. It gets addicting: do those Disney movies really have naughty things written in the clouds and dust poofs and things? Are microwaves going to bake your brain? Do people really find hypodermic needles in the pumps at the gas stations? Is that cell phone tower going to make my babies rabid? You know--the stuff you wonder about anyway. I have saved myself from many a heart attack by heading straight to snopes to check stuff out, and let me also concede this--lots of things are true that I thought were just a load...Scary stuff some of it, but always the information is good to know, kids really die from drinking hand sanitizer, huffing canned air and drugs that look and taste the the candy "Nerds". Without further ado--the website is www.snopes.com you can bookmark it for yourself and do some "investigation" of your own.
Just in case you're paying attention, the tanning bed/roaster oven story is completely false, there have been a couple of tanning bed related deaths, but no one was baked, one got freakish burns (due to some medication she had been taking) and another got skin cancer from her frequent visits (imagine that!?!)--nothing as exciting as cooked organs or smoke shooting out of someones ear-holes, I have to admit I am a little disappointed, life is rarely as exciting as movies/books/urban legends would lead us to believe. My friend will be glad to hear I won't bug her about baking her guts, although I'm sure she will be expecting me to sniff the air and ask her if she's barbecuing when I see her next--she wouldn't really know me at all if she didn't.
Just in case you're paying attention, the tanning bed/roaster oven story is completely false, there have been a couple of tanning bed related deaths, but no one was baked, one got freakish burns (due to some medication she had been taking) and another got skin cancer from her frequent visits (imagine that!?!)--nothing as exciting as cooked organs or smoke shooting out of someones ear-holes, I have to admit I am a little disappointed, life is rarely as exciting as movies/books/urban legends would lead us to believe. My friend will be glad to hear I won't bug her about baking her guts, although I'm sure she will be expecting me to sniff the air and ask her if she's barbecuing when I see her next--she wouldn't really know me at all if she didn't.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
getting cultured
I did great last week with my budget and even came in under my 1/2 previous budget budget-wow! This week I'm worried, I had to get gas. It has usually cost about $70 to fill up my car (it is huge and has a taste for premium gas--gulp) I decided that I wasn't going on any road trips and since my budget is by the week, I wasn't going to fill up, so I put in $40 and it got me about 10 gallons (argh). Next on the list was groceries for the week.
I had to forage in the freezer, but I found some seitan (wheat meat sub), shrimps, "meat"balls and fish sticks. I decided to plan around these items to save money, so here are the menus I came up with for the week: Fish stick tacos, seitan lo mein (this is so tasty!), lemony lentil spinach stew, sneaky broccoli soup, veggie pancakes, stir fried shrimp with cabbage, red peppers and black beans, and the standbys of spaghetti (how have I been neglecting this family fave for so long??) and chili fries (or tots). I also wanted veggie dogs for mom's day, so that was on the list too. I decided that Wal-mart was too far away to drive to actually save me any money, so I opted for Fred Meyer (which is my new favorite place because they have FREE playland for the kiddos-woohoo!). I was a little nervous because Freddy's prices are quite a bit higher than Wal-Mart, but lower than Wild-Oats, which, along with Trader Joes are the usual places I get my groceries. I get a little frustrated sometimes because we have a special diet and I can't find all of the foods we eat at one place, so I have to go to 3 different places (and order from the co-op, this also got cut this month-boo) to get everything we need. Today at Fred Meyers, they actually had most of the specialty items that we frequently use, so I felt renewed hope. I had a few items on the list that were budget breakers--these are the things that make me uneasy, I could totally do this budget thing if it weren't for the incidentals: medicine, laundry stuff, car maintenance, hygene items etc...you know, stuff you need, but it costs a bundle, and I was fearing it would do me in--I want to win every week, I'm a little freakish about losing (don't tell). Long story short--I ROCK!! My total today for food and stuff was $66.65, and this included organic produce, eco friendly fabric softener, soy ice cream and cough medicine for the baby-I even impressed myself. One new thing we're trying is making our own soy yougurt--the kids love it and it's a healthy snack--although kind of a deal breaker at $1 a pop. I found a recipe on a website I just found (last week) http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/ I got vanilla ingredients and we're going to try home made vanilla soy yogurt--I'll let you know if it turns out. I have tried yogurt making in the past with less than stellar results, although it was dairy yogurt and the gal says this usually turns out better. (just a note, I poured my un-successful yogurt down the drain last time and when we had the septic pumped they were really impressed with our healthy amount of bacteria, I'm pretty sure it survived the trip and took over our septic system). All in all it was a successful trip, I was less than impressed with the produce section though, the prices were high and the quality was not. This is my favorite part of the store, so I was disappointed, but I got over it since I got to browse by myself--the kid care thing has me hooked. They also have a pretty good health food section that includes bulk bins-you can hardly find bulk bins anymore-and I love them. If a store stocks vital wheat gluten and nutritional yeast-I am all over it, so Fred, you passed, and you even set the curve--Wal-Mart, not sure I'll be back........until next time
I had to forage in the freezer, but I found some seitan (wheat meat sub), shrimps, "meat"balls and fish sticks. I decided to plan around these items to save money, so here are the menus I came up with for the week: Fish stick tacos, seitan lo mein (this is so tasty!), lemony lentil spinach stew, sneaky broccoli soup, veggie pancakes, stir fried shrimp with cabbage, red peppers and black beans, and the standbys of spaghetti (how have I been neglecting this family fave for so long??) and chili fries (or tots). I also wanted veggie dogs for mom's day, so that was on the list too. I decided that Wal-mart was too far away to drive to actually save me any money, so I opted for Fred Meyer (which is my new favorite place because they have FREE playland for the kiddos-woohoo!). I was a little nervous because Freddy's prices are quite a bit higher than Wal-Mart, but lower than Wild-Oats, which, along with Trader Joes are the usual places I get my groceries. I get a little frustrated sometimes because we have a special diet and I can't find all of the foods we eat at one place, so I have to go to 3 different places (and order from the co-op, this also got cut this month-boo) to get everything we need. Today at Fred Meyers, they actually had most of the specialty items that we frequently use, so I felt renewed hope. I had a few items on the list that were budget breakers--these are the things that make me uneasy, I could totally do this budget thing if it weren't for the incidentals: medicine, laundry stuff, car maintenance, hygene items etc...you know, stuff you need, but it costs a bundle, and I was fearing it would do me in--I want to win every week, I'm a little freakish about losing (don't tell). Long story short--I ROCK!! My total today for food and stuff was $66.65, and this included organic produce, eco friendly fabric softener, soy ice cream and cough medicine for the baby-I even impressed myself. One new thing we're trying is making our own soy yougurt--the kids love it and it's a healthy snack--although kind of a deal breaker at $1 a pop. I found a recipe on a website I just found (last week) http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/ I got vanilla ingredients and we're going to try home made vanilla soy yogurt--I'll let you know if it turns out. I have tried yogurt making in the past with less than stellar results, although it was dairy yogurt and the gal says this usually turns out better. (just a note, I poured my un-successful yogurt down the drain last time and when we had the septic pumped they were really impressed with our healthy amount of bacteria, I'm pretty sure it survived the trip and took over our septic system). All in all it was a successful trip, I was less than impressed with the produce section though, the prices were high and the quality was not. This is my favorite part of the store, so I was disappointed, but I got over it since I got to browse by myself--the kid care thing has me hooked. They also have a pretty good health food section that includes bulk bins-you can hardly find bulk bins anymore-and I love them. If a store stocks vital wheat gluten and nutritional yeast-I am all over it, so Fred, you passed, and you even set the curve--Wal-Mart, not sure I'll be back........until next time
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
viva Mexico!
we LOVE Mexico, the food, the people, the atmosphere, the food, the drinks, well that about covers it, we love it all, especially every bit of it. Yesterday was the 5th of May, no big deal around here (unless you need a reason to celebrate-which of course we always do!) so we got all international and turned it into cinco de Mayo. (this is not an original idea, they actually have the 5th of May in Mexico every year and it is also called cinco de Mayo, however, not a huge holiday there as we like to think it is, mostly Americans just like to drink coronas and tequila and think they are all diversified--which by the way I think is great, so we participate) The budget for the week has been going really well (a little surprising actually) and I had a few pesos left so I bought a box of tecate (cheap Mexican beer--this is the authentic way to celebrate-real Mexicans don't really drink corona, they just triple the price and sell it to Americans--actually in Mexico we like to drink XX or modelo--but hey, this is a tight budget remember) and made taco soup and tortillas and we had a feast.
(sorry for all of the run on sentences-it's just that I get all excited when I talk about Mexico, and I can't help it)
My parents are actually in Mexico, and have been there for some time now, I'm trying not to get nervous that they won't come back. I think they are due back tomorrow, so I'll let you know if they show up, or if I have been left an orphan (not that I could blame them, but still). next issue:
We had a big day yesterday, on the 4th of May, Maggie wasn't potty trained, but yesterday, on cinco de Mayo, she was. Dry diaper all day, even pooped in the potty (I KNOW!!!!) I'm thinking it might be a magical day--there was enough money for beer, and I didn't have to change any diapers........she was even dry last night and woke up dry and is still dry this second. This is a big deal because we've been working on this for quite some time. Her game has been to ignore me, play with me, do what she wants anyway, pretend she doesn't get it, make a mess, sit on the potty for 40 minutes and play and then pull up her dipe and pee in it-you know, pretty typical stuff I think, but very tiresome for mama. And then--yesterday, that was that. Could this be for real do you think--is it crazy to hope? Her new game is to hop up there, toot and demand a chocolate egg (payment for deposit), she gets all irritated when I tell her it doesn't count--I'm tired.
Big birthday week for my family this week. I have a few friends with birthdays too, but it is both of my grandparents birthday--my sweet grandma is turning 80-WOW, she is one hot granny (I will absolutely get busted for referring to her as granny) I can't believe she is holding up so well, now that I think back on all of the shenanigans we put her through in our younger days, add that to raising my dad and his brother and I think she is possible a miracle herself. My grandpa is not far behind, and my little sister is turning 23 (I think). My family is headed down to California this weekend to celebrate together, and I am jealous. To celebrate without them, I am going to drink from the box of tecate and sprinkle grass seeds into dirt in a celebration of life ceremony--haha. Ok-really I just have to plant my lawn and am hoping there is a beer or 2 left, in case the sun is out and it is warm.
But is is mothers day and I have requested veggie dogs and tater tots, so I am excited to think I may get just what I ask for. A good rule of thumb is to keep it simple and cheap (dollar store choices are the best) and you can count on getting what you want. Today is the last day of my first week of the budget and I have stayed well within my goal, so this weekend I get (are you ready for this?) to pick the movie from the redbox, a foot massage, take out dinner, and a bubble bath-woohoo-I AM a princess! I can't wait for Friday.
and now, since you've been so patient--I give you:
Janina's taco soup (carnivore recipe)
1 onion chopped
3-4 carrots, chopped
4-5 celery ribs chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 can of mild diced green chiles (not jalapenos)
4 cloves garlic pressed
1lb raw chicken breast cut into small pieces (OR NOT)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
3 cans of chicken broth (or veggie or water)
1 lg can diced tomatoes
1 can beans (I like black)
2 cans refried beans (or just one for a thinner soup)
top with your choice:
grated cheese
avocado
sliced olives
green onions
chopped cilantro
sour cream
get out your big pot, and put some olive oil in the bottom. Put the first 7 ingreds in there and cook it up for about 5 minutes or so. Dump in the seasonings (I sometimes sub taco seasoning-it is easier and comes out yummy) add the tomatoes, broth and beans. Simmer 1 hour (or whatever) you may have to squish it up with your potato masher if the beans are clumpy. Break up tortilla chips into your bowl and pour the soup over the top, and top it with your choice of above. (the important part is in bold-let's be honest, you could serve up a bowl of those and it would be great, so don't skip this part)
We LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe, it was stolen from Sarah, and is a fave in all of the local kitchens-it is yummy and easy and cheap, and you can't screw it up-yay! Enjoy!
(sorry for all of the run on sentences-it's just that I get all excited when I talk about Mexico, and I can't help it)
My parents are actually in Mexico, and have been there for some time now, I'm trying not to get nervous that they won't come back. I think they are due back tomorrow, so I'll let you know if they show up, or if I have been left an orphan (not that I could blame them, but still). next issue:
We had a big day yesterday, on the 4th of May, Maggie wasn't potty trained, but yesterday, on cinco de Mayo, she was. Dry diaper all day, even pooped in the potty (I KNOW!!!!) I'm thinking it might be a magical day--there was enough money for beer, and I didn't have to change any diapers........she was even dry last night and woke up dry and is still dry this second. This is a big deal because we've been working on this for quite some time. Her game has been to ignore me, play with me, do what she wants anyway, pretend she doesn't get it, make a mess, sit on the potty for 40 minutes and play and then pull up her dipe and pee in it-you know, pretty typical stuff I think, but very tiresome for mama. And then--yesterday, that was that. Could this be for real do you think--is it crazy to hope? Her new game is to hop up there, toot and demand a chocolate egg (payment for deposit), she gets all irritated when I tell her it doesn't count--I'm tired.
Big birthday week for my family this week. I have a few friends with birthdays too, but it is both of my grandparents birthday--my sweet grandma is turning 80-WOW, she is one hot granny (I will absolutely get busted for referring to her as granny) I can't believe she is holding up so well, now that I think back on all of the shenanigans we put her through in our younger days, add that to raising my dad and his brother and I think she is possible a miracle herself. My grandpa is not far behind, and my little sister is turning 23 (I think). My family is headed down to California this weekend to celebrate together, and I am jealous. To celebrate without them, I am going to drink from the box of tecate and sprinkle grass seeds into dirt in a celebration of life ceremony--haha. Ok-really I just have to plant my lawn and am hoping there is a beer or 2 left, in case the sun is out and it is warm.
But is is mothers day and I have requested veggie dogs and tater tots, so I am excited to think I may get just what I ask for. A good rule of thumb is to keep it simple and cheap (dollar store choices are the best) and you can count on getting what you want. Today is the last day of my first week of the budget and I have stayed well within my goal, so this weekend I get (are you ready for this?) to pick the movie from the redbox, a foot massage, take out dinner, and a bubble bath-woohoo-I AM a princess! I can't wait for Friday.
and now, since you've been so patient--I give you:
Janina's taco soup (carnivore recipe)
1 onion chopped
3-4 carrots, chopped
4-5 celery ribs chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 can of mild diced green chiles (not jalapenos)
4 cloves garlic pressed
1lb raw chicken breast cut into small pieces (OR NOT)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
3 cans of chicken broth (or veggie or water)
1 lg can diced tomatoes
1 can beans (I like black)
2 cans refried beans (or just one for a thinner soup)
top with your choice:
grated cheese
avocado
sliced olives
green onions
chopped cilantro
sour cream
get out your big pot, and put some olive oil in the bottom. Put the first 7 ingreds in there and cook it up for about 5 minutes or so. Dump in the seasonings (I sometimes sub taco seasoning-it is easier and comes out yummy) add the tomatoes, broth and beans. Simmer 1 hour (or whatever) you may have to squish it up with your potato masher if the beans are clumpy. Break up tortilla chips into your bowl and pour the soup over the top, and top it with your choice of above. (the important part is in bold-let's be honest, you could serve up a bowl of those and it would be great, so don't skip this part)
We LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe, it was stolen from Sarah, and is a fave in all of the local kitchens-it is yummy and easy and cheap, and you can't screw it up-yay! Enjoy!
Friday, May 2, 2008
carbs are good
well, kind of. I am noticing that they are about the cheapest form of food, so this month, at least, they are my friend. Next month when I have my regular budget back and have to work off these extra soft bits, I might not think so. (next random issue--and quit laughing about the working out--it could totally happen--it could!)
I was talking to my sister today on the phone, this is new because I usually only talk to other moms, the conversations go like this..."how have you guys been; don't put mud in your sisters hair; yeah, us too, it is good to get outside; I said that stick is not a weapon, it is a magic wand; we are staying home this weekend, I'm so glad to have a few minutes to relax: STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!" this is completely normal to other moms, you figure that only about 1/4 to 1/3 of the things that are said are actually said to you, the rest is (well, let's just call it) parenting-haha. My sister is cute and young and kid-free and was completely lost during the whole conversation. At one point she laughed and said, "I bet you never get bored do you?" Ah-to be bored again, man, what a treat that would be. (give me a brief minute to imagine it-mmmm...almost as good as chocolate--but not quite because I can actually attain chocolate) We had a laugh and I had to admit that the one super things about kids is the constant (we're talking every single second) entertainment. Well, sometimes it is called other things--like last night for instance. Let me paint a picture for you, imagine if you will, it is past 9 o'clock and I'm exhausted. I did like a weeks worth of dishes (leave me alone--sometimes if I leave them long enough they actually do themselves!) and dinner and dessert and we made mothers day cards and various random other little activities, and I need a break. We get the girls to bed--well, Maggie has been going to bed in our bed lately, so she's in there, we get survivor rolling on the tivo, and put my feet up. Then we heard it. What was that? Was it coughing, choking, hmmm--Alan is up and across the room in record time (possibly not land speed record, but close I'm sure) Did you guess? We opened the door and poor baby is sitting in the middle of (MY) bed in a gigantic lake of vomit. It is red on account of all of the strawberries she had just eaten. Here's the weird thing, you eat, say, 1/2 cup of berries, and then puke about 3 cups of yuk--how does this happen?? (IN MY BED!!) She had eaten a big dinner, and then had, oh, I don't know, about 3 or 4 cupcakes with berries, didn't think anything of it at the time. (they were angel food and so it didn't really count anyway) So, I'm on again-bath, laundry, bed time the whole bit-but now it's over an hour later and I'm a little grumpier (haha-a little). For the record--Alan picked up most of it, and I was actually the helper--just a small disclaimer incase he reads this or for those of you that know how it is around here :)
well, you probably didn't miss me, but I was just gone for about 40 minutes. Maggie walks up to me and all shy asks if she can have a bubble bath. (she is already wearing jammies and ready for bed) I sniff the air--not so sweet. Where is her diaper? I check her out-she has definitely just made a deposit--and there is poop on her foot. YIKES!! Now I'm no Nancy Drew, but if someone shows up with poop on their foot, this means that somewhere (probably hidden-fun times) there is a poop trail from where they started the journey. Long story short, I am now doing a huge load of laundry that includes all of the towels and rugs from the bathroom------and she got her bubble bath after all. Now, truthfully, I'm a little bit edgy, but I bet you are entertained-see-I told you.
I was talking to my sister today on the phone, this is new because I usually only talk to other moms, the conversations go like this..."how have you guys been; don't put mud in your sisters hair; yeah, us too, it is good to get outside; I said that stick is not a weapon, it is a magic wand; we are staying home this weekend, I'm so glad to have a few minutes to relax: STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!" this is completely normal to other moms, you figure that only about 1/4 to 1/3 of the things that are said are actually said to you, the rest is (well, let's just call it) parenting-haha. My sister is cute and young and kid-free and was completely lost during the whole conversation. At one point she laughed and said, "I bet you never get bored do you?" Ah-to be bored again, man, what a treat that would be. (give me a brief minute to imagine it-mmmm...almost as good as chocolate--but not quite because I can actually attain chocolate) We had a laugh and I had to admit that the one super things about kids is the constant (we're talking every single second) entertainment. Well, sometimes it is called other things--like last night for instance. Let me paint a picture for you, imagine if you will, it is past 9 o'clock and I'm exhausted. I did like a weeks worth of dishes (leave me alone--sometimes if I leave them long enough they actually do themselves!) and dinner and dessert and we made mothers day cards and various random other little activities, and I need a break. We get the girls to bed--well, Maggie has been going to bed in our bed lately, so she's in there, we get survivor rolling on the tivo, and put my feet up. Then we heard it. What was that? Was it coughing, choking, hmmm--Alan is up and across the room in record time (possibly not land speed record, but close I'm sure) Did you guess? We opened the door and poor baby is sitting in the middle of (MY) bed in a gigantic lake of vomit. It is red on account of all of the strawberries she had just eaten. Here's the weird thing, you eat, say, 1/2 cup of berries, and then puke about 3 cups of yuk--how does this happen?? (IN MY BED!!) She had eaten a big dinner, and then had, oh, I don't know, about 3 or 4 cupcakes with berries, didn't think anything of it at the time. (they were angel food and so it didn't really count anyway) So, I'm on again-bath, laundry, bed time the whole bit-but now it's over an hour later and I'm a little grumpier (haha-a little). For the record--Alan picked up most of it, and I was actually the helper--just a small disclaimer incase he reads this or for those of you that know how it is around here :)
well, you probably didn't miss me, but I was just gone for about 40 minutes. Maggie walks up to me and all shy asks if she can have a bubble bath. (she is already wearing jammies and ready for bed) I sniff the air--not so sweet. Where is her diaper? I check her out-she has definitely just made a deposit--and there is poop on her foot. YIKES!! Now I'm no Nancy Drew, but if someone shows up with poop on their foot, this means that somewhere (probably hidden-fun times) there is a poop trail from where they started the journey. Long story short, I am now doing a huge load of laundry that includes all of the towels and rugs from the bathroom------and she got her bubble bath after all. Now, truthfully, I'm a little bit edgy, but I bet you are entertained-see-I told you.
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