Monday night went as smoothly as evenings can go at our house. On the way home from work I ran by sprouts to take advantage of some sale items.
Sprouts Trip:
1 pineapple
2 heads garlic
~1/3 lb of Granny Smith Apples
~1&1/2 lbs peaches
~1&1/4 lbs sweet potatoes
4 Think Thin bars
4 bags chips
1 pkg pork chops
2 pkgs thin cut steaks
1 pkg round steak
1 roast
1 muffin
Total: $24.36 SNAP
$10.69 Cash
Dinner was grilled steak, salad and corn on the cob. After dinner Phillip worked on homework and then got a shower. The kids got baths and then helped me while I steam mopped the kitchen and then vacuumed our room and the hallway.
Tuesday was a low day for me. I was just emotionally down and can not place what put me there. I just felt disconnected from friends. I have several FB groups going trying to feed one hungry family each month, share recipes for using up leftovers and recycling tips. I deleted 2 of the pages I ran and was debating about more because of lack of traffic. Every time I do this I take it personally as though I have somehow failed. I did get some push back when I posted I was going to close the leftover group so I will leave it alone for a while. Once home I fixed smoked sausage, steamed carrots with some brown sugar and rice for dinner and then did virtually nothing else. I sat on the couch and read a book until the boys needed to go to bed and then I moved into my room and read until I finished the book.
Wednesday I felt better as I got ready for work. Clark was awake and wanted me to hold him. I set him on the bathroom counter as I got ready and before long he fell into the sink. It did not hurt him but scared him so when I picked him up he peed out the top of his diaper all over me. This of course meant a change of clothes after comforting a scared baby and then a rush to get Logan to school on time. After work I stopped at Target for some milk as Phillip told me they had opened the last gallon. Once home I fixed spaghetti for dinner and then we started on more crayons. Crayon production went through bath time and the figures were left to cool overnight while everyone slept. Logan was a toot before bed and almost lost his electronics today.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Books Aug 22nd through Sept 15th
I have been quite busy with books since the last post in addition to everything else going on in my life. I am still determined to get the books hanging on my currently reading list read!
I finished listening to Survival of the Sickest and while it got mixed reviews I found it interesting. After finishing this one I went back to finish listening to The Quiet Man. I knew going into the book that it would be slanted toward the Republican party but I still found some of the insider information interesting and it was a good listen. The next book I listened to was also a finish up and as far away from the Bush presidency as you could get. American Rose, the story of Gypsy Rose Lee was really not that great of a listen. I wanted to like it but really just could not get into it. The timeline was all over the place and nothing seemed to ever resolve. I was glad when I finished it and could start listening to Yes Please. I know a lot of people were not crazy about this book because it was not straight comedy but I enjoyed hearing about her life without the pretense of having to laugh at everything. It really was a quick read and so the next book up was Kitchen Confidential. This one had been on my list for a long time and finally I took the plunge and listened to it. I found it informative and easy to listen to although I am not marking it as one of the best books I have read. After finishing up with Anthony I started listening to Secret Survivors. This one was just a needless book and reminded me of what is wrong with Christian literature. Every chapter is supposed to focus on something horrible that happened to a person but the author begins each time with this is the story of what happened to so and so. If you met so and so you would love them because they are a great mom and wife. It seems to escape the author that I should love so and so because she is so and so and that being a great wife and mother is not all that makes a person. The next book also leads me to say "If someone suggests Essentialism to you as a great book do not believe them." It is down on my wish I had the time back book list. Now that those are finished I am currently listening to The Theft of Memory. This book is very reminiscent of Still Alice and since I am just starting it I have not developed a firm opinion yet.
As for books I have physically read versus listened to those include: ASAP Science which was a quick, fun read. Logan likes their Youtube channel and I thought I would see what the book included. The Soup Club Cookbook was next up and while I really love the concept I was not crazy about a lot of the recipes so I gave purchasing it a pass. The Wild Diet was up next and I just could not get very far in this one. It is basically the Paleo diet with Dairy. More Not So Big Solutions for Your Home was a book I hoping had some ideas for space saving in our current home and I was disappointed. And Finally the big finish for me was Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her. It had been on my currently reading list for almost 2 years so finishing it was great. It was an ok book, not stellar and not horrible. I am just happy to be finished reading it. As I finished it yesterday last night I started reading Plastic Free. We shall see if I learn any new tips for living a environmentally friendly life.
I finished listening to Survival of the Sickest and while it got mixed reviews I found it interesting. After finishing this one I went back to finish listening to The Quiet Man. I knew going into the book that it would be slanted toward the Republican party but I still found some of the insider information interesting and it was a good listen. The next book I listened to was also a finish up and as far away from the Bush presidency as you could get. American Rose, the story of Gypsy Rose Lee was really not that great of a listen. I wanted to like it but really just could not get into it. The timeline was all over the place and nothing seemed to ever resolve. I was glad when I finished it and could start listening to Yes Please. I know a lot of people were not crazy about this book because it was not straight comedy but I enjoyed hearing about her life without the pretense of having to laugh at everything. It really was a quick read and so the next book up was Kitchen Confidential. This one had been on my list for a long time and finally I took the plunge and listened to it. I found it informative and easy to listen to although I am not marking it as one of the best books I have read. After finishing up with Anthony I started listening to Secret Survivors. This one was just a needless book and reminded me of what is wrong with Christian literature. Every chapter is supposed to focus on something horrible that happened to a person but the author begins each time with this is the story of what happened to so and so. If you met so and so you would love them because they are a great mom and wife. It seems to escape the author that I should love so and so because she is so and so and that being a great wife and mother is not all that makes a person. The next book also leads me to say "If someone suggests Essentialism to you as a great book do not believe them." It is down on my wish I had the time back book list. Now that those are finished I am currently listening to The Theft of Memory. This book is very reminiscent of Still Alice and since I am just starting it I have not developed a firm opinion yet.
As for books I have physically read versus listened to those include: ASAP Science which was a quick, fun read. Logan likes their Youtube channel and I thought I would see what the book included. The Soup Club Cookbook was next up and while I really love the concept I was not crazy about a lot of the recipes so I gave purchasing it a pass. The Wild Diet was up next and I just could not get very far in this one. It is basically the Paleo diet with Dairy. More Not So Big Solutions for Your Home was a book I hoping had some ideas for space saving in our current home and I was disappointed. And Finally the big finish for me was Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her. It had been on my currently reading list for almost 2 years so finishing it was great. It was an ok book, not stellar and not horrible. I am just happy to be finished reading it. As I finished it yesterday last night I started reading Plastic Free. We shall see if I learn any new tips for living a environmentally friendly life.
Weekend Birthday Parties and JBF
I knew going into it this weekend was going to be insane but I signed up hook, line and sinker for it.
Saturday morning originally Grandma was going to ride with us to Phillip's cousin's house for their son's birthday party. His birthday is the day before Logan's and this is the first year they have had a birthday party so we all wanted to go. They live about an hour from us which makes it 2 hours from Grandma's house and she did not want to drive that on her own. Plans changed though when he son who is the birthday boy's granddad said he would swing through and pick her up. This gave me a false sense of time then because I was not bound to a pick up time. I slept in later than I should and was barely out of the shower when Phillip left to go work on the church's lawn. The kid's were up and so I fixed us breakfast and wrestled all the gear we would need for a long day including a long car ride. We managed to get going an hour later than I had wanted to but I thought we could make up some of the time. Our first stop was the ATM since we were going to the JBF sale and needed money for parking. We had a hard time getting to the sale as it was set up at a local venue that also rented out space for other functions. Turns out Saturday the American Heart Association was having a benefit walk and so all but one way into the center were blocked off. Once in shopping was ok but Clark was a terror. He did not want to be in the stroller while shopping because it was not moving. So I was using the stroller to hold items while I held him and shopped. He then wanted to get down and that turned into a fight. I seriously shopped the items I needed and did a quick run through of the toys where Logan spotted something he wanted and the price was not horrible so I agreed to it. I also found a wooden shape sorter for Clark so with those items we jumped in line which took a while to get through. Logan was scared of the parking garage when we arrived because it was a little dark as they normally are and there strangers in it. Going back into the parking garage to leave just made it worse, he had to get in the car fast then act as the lookout for me while I put Clark in and then the stroller and purchases in the trunk. I made it out of there for $58.00 total which even with the parking fee still put me ahead as I have sold $140 worth.
Of course since we left the house an hour later than I wanted we were now running an hour behind getting to the party. It was starting at 12:30 and by this time it was 11:58, to make it worse my phone did not save the address and so I was having to text from stop lights to get the address. Once I put it in the map app on my phone we were off and running again....until Logan could not find the phone he brought with him. He has been using my old phone to play games and I agreed to him bringing it since we would be in the car for a long time. All I could think of was the announcement back at JBF for someone who lost their phone on the concourse. I took the next exit and pulled into a shopping center, the phone was on the seat next to him under some other toys....Back on the highway we went until I realized I was supposed to stop for gas. Back off the highway we went to a gas station, Clark is asleep by this time and now Logan needs to pee. I got the gas going and went through every option I could think of and the best I had was to lock the car, quickly walk Logan to the door of the gas station and point to the bathrooms. I then went back to the car which was finished and pulled it up to the front door of the gas station. I locked the car again and stood half in and half out of the front doors watching for Logan. Once he was out of the restrooms we got back on the highway. I evidently missed a car wondering if we were lost and then had my mom calling me to tell me my cousin's daughter was rushed to a pediatric burn unit with 2nd degree burns although she is unclear on the whole story. I also have the birthday family calling to make sure we are ok and at this point I was nearly there with both kids asleep in the back seat. As we were getting there Logan's friend was calling to wish him a happy belated birthday. The boys had a good time swimming and visiting with family. The picture I took of Logan really does not show him as he is too busy paddling around behind a stingray floaty.
Once cake and gifts were opened and consumed we loaded up to head back home. I went through a McDonald's drive through for Logan. I wanted something to drink and he also needed a powerade and some fries. It gave me a chance to refill Clark's milk and he promptly fell asleep. Once home Clark stayed asleep so Logan wanted to put his new Lego's together and I needed to make the rest of the crayons. I hurried and did the crayons and then helped Logan with his Lego's. We were half way through building them when Clark woke up. Phillip was almost finished with his homework and test by this point so I took Clark for a walk around the neighborhood while Phillip helped Logan finish the Lego's. I still needed to go grocery shopping so I loaded up Clark since Logan wanted to stay home and play and headed to Target.
Target Trip:
1 pkg socks for Logan
1pkg goldfish crackers
1 bag frozen chicken tenders
1 bag frozen grilled chicken strips
1 pkg smoked sausage
1 pkg dried snap beans
2 pkgs chicken legs
2 pkgs beef stew meat
1 container sour cream
2 boxes yogurt
2 pkgs sliced cheese
3 bars soap
1 bag dog food
2 pkgs feminine napkins
2 spiral notebooks
1 pkg markers
1 loaf bread
2 bottles apple juice
2 gallons milk
1 lb cheese
1/2 lb lunch meat
~1&1/2 lbs bananas
Total: $43.72 SNAP
$22.08 Cash
I have really been debating taking out some non food items when I total this month out.
After getting home and getting the stuff in the house it was time for Clark to get in the bath. While he was taking a bath Phillip started putting up the groceries. I got Clark out of the bath and we had a dinner of sandwiches while I finished putting up the groceries. I wanted to work on cleaning the kitchen after that but this is what the kitchen looked like so I just gave up and let them play.
Of course not long after this picture it was bed time. Again I was literally exhausted and had not had a lot of time to catch up with Phillip so I think I fell asleep talking.
Sunday morning we got off to a slow start but still made it to church mostly on time. It was potluck Sunday so the boys got to play with Nene and Mimi longer while we had lunch. Once home Phillip went to the store to check on a suit. They were advertising some great deals and he needs an interview suit so I went ahead and worked on the kitchen and some laundry while he was out. Once he came home I headed to JBF to pick up my unsold items and of course it was packed so that took longer than expected. I did head by Winco on the way home originally for some trade items but ended up picking up some stuff they had on sale.
Winco Trip:
1 box chicken spring rolls
1 box chicken dumplings
2 frozen pizzas
2 containers chips
1 box raisin bran
1 container orange juice
6 yoplait yogurts
1 2-liter coke (trade item)
1 can refried beans
4 ears corn
Total: $20.92 SNAP
After leaving Winco I traded the 2-liter for a full bottle of Murphy's oil soap. Onward home after this to get the car unloaded and dinner ready. I ended up cooking the eggrolls and dumplings I had bought at Winco....what happens when you shop hungry. After dinner the boys got baths and headed to bed.
Saturday morning originally Grandma was going to ride with us to Phillip's cousin's house for their son's birthday party. His birthday is the day before Logan's and this is the first year they have had a birthday party so we all wanted to go. They live about an hour from us which makes it 2 hours from Grandma's house and she did not want to drive that on her own. Plans changed though when he son who is the birthday boy's granddad said he would swing through and pick her up. This gave me a false sense of time then because I was not bound to a pick up time. I slept in later than I should and was barely out of the shower when Phillip left to go work on the church's lawn. The kid's were up and so I fixed us breakfast and wrestled all the gear we would need for a long day including a long car ride. We managed to get going an hour later than I had wanted to but I thought we could make up some of the time. Our first stop was the ATM since we were going to the JBF sale and needed money for parking. We had a hard time getting to the sale as it was set up at a local venue that also rented out space for other functions. Turns out Saturday the American Heart Association was having a benefit walk and so all but one way into the center were blocked off. Once in shopping was ok but Clark was a terror. He did not want to be in the stroller while shopping because it was not moving. So I was using the stroller to hold items while I held him and shopped. He then wanted to get down and that turned into a fight. I seriously shopped the items I needed and did a quick run through of the toys where Logan spotted something he wanted and the price was not horrible so I agreed to it. I also found a wooden shape sorter for Clark so with those items we jumped in line which took a while to get through. Logan was scared of the parking garage when we arrived because it was a little dark as they normally are and there strangers in it. Going back into the parking garage to leave just made it worse, he had to get in the car fast then act as the lookout for me while I put Clark in and then the stroller and purchases in the trunk. I made it out of there for $58.00 total which even with the parking fee still put me ahead as I have sold $140 worth.
Target Trip:
1 pkg socks for Logan
1pkg goldfish crackers
1 bag frozen chicken tenders
1 bag frozen grilled chicken strips
1 pkg smoked sausage
1 pkg dried snap beans
2 pkgs chicken legs
2 pkgs beef stew meat
1 container sour cream
2 boxes yogurt
2 pkgs sliced cheese
3 bars soap
1 bag dog food
2 pkgs feminine napkins
2 spiral notebooks
1 pkg markers
1 loaf bread
2 bottles apple juice
2 gallons milk
1 lb cheese
1/2 lb lunch meat
~1&1/2 lbs bananas
Total: $43.72 SNAP
$22.08 Cash
I have really been debating taking out some non food items when I total this month out.
After getting home and getting the stuff in the house it was time for Clark to get in the bath. While he was taking a bath Phillip started putting up the groceries. I got Clark out of the bath and we had a dinner of sandwiches while I finished putting up the groceries. I wanted to work on cleaning the kitchen after that but this is what the kitchen looked like so I just gave up and let them play.
Of course not long after this picture it was bed time. Again I was literally exhausted and had not had a lot of time to catch up with Phillip so I think I fell asleep talking.
Sunday morning we got off to a slow start but still made it to church mostly on time. It was potluck Sunday so the boys got to play with Nene and Mimi longer while we had lunch. Once home Phillip went to the store to check on a suit. They were advertising some great deals and he needs an interview suit so I went ahead and worked on the kitchen and some laundry while he was out. Once he came home I headed to JBF to pick up my unsold items and of course it was packed so that took longer than expected. I did head by Winco on the way home originally for some trade items but ended up picking up some stuff they had on sale.
Winco Trip:
1 box chicken spring rolls
1 box chicken dumplings
2 frozen pizzas
2 containers chips
1 box raisin bran
1 container orange juice
6 yoplait yogurts
1 2-liter coke (trade item)
1 can refried beans
4 ears corn
Total: $20.92 SNAP
After leaving Winco I traded the 2-liter for a full bottle of Murphy's oil soap. Onward home after this to get the car unloaded and dinner ready. I ended up cooking the eggrolls and dumplings I had bought at Winco....what happens when you shop hungry. After dinner the boys got baths and headed to bed.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Body Telling Me I am Getting Old and Hatch Chilies
I just had one more story from last week that I wanted to get out there. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I went by another BBT member's house to pick up pea gravel for the boys' play area. She was super sweet and let me give her the trade items on Tuesday and then just drop by and pick up the rock the other nights since I was not sure how much I would need and how much my car would hold.
Tuesday would have been my dad's birthday so I wore his bowling shirt in memory as I do every year. After work I headed over to pick up the rock, after a visit with my trade partner and loading up the rock I headed by another BBT house for a trade of mulch. Once home I unloaded the rock trying to beat the storm that was coming in. After unloading the rock I went to work on dinner which used up some leftovers. I used some more of the leftover pork loin to make stroganoff. I like the recipe out of my better homes and garden cookbook for Beef Stroganoff although I have subbed different proteins just as I did this time. This dish also enabled me to use up some mushrooms and the last bit of sour cream I had on hand. After dinner came baths and play time for the boys. I used the time to try clean up the kitchen and realized I needed to get the ears of corn and the hatch chilies put up before I lost them to rot. So I turned on the grill and got the chilies roasting while I blanched the ears of corn and got them in the freezer. Once the chilies were roasted I put them in a bag to steam while I got the kids ready for bed. I knew the 1 hour wait time would end about the time I got the kids to sleep. Clark went down without to much of a struggle and then I realized Logan's bed needed to be made. He had also got real quite and when I went to check he was sitting on the floor of his room asleep with hotwheels in his hands. I took the hot wheels and tried to get him to go to bed. He mumbled something and then laid back down on the floor so I had to pick him up and put him in his bed. About this time the chilies were ready to be put up so I went in the kitchen to peel and deseed them. I put them in freezer safe containers and placed in the freezer. I was going to get a shower so I just rinsed my hands and then went to turn on the shower so the water could warm up. As the shower was warming I realized I needed to send a pm to my trade partner to let her know I had picked up the items from her porch. While I was typing a message I made the mistake of touching my eye! On all things that are holy it burned! I did not care if the water was warm or not I threw off my clothes and got in the shower. I did think to wash my hands and then hold my eyes open to the water. The thought did cross my mind though that water makes pepper oil hotter and that I could be making it worse but just could not imagine bathing my eyes in milk. Luckily the fire went away within a couple of minutes from my eyes but I had a cut on my hand and the capsaicin made it feel like I had rubbed muscle cream on my hands. Bedtime did not come early enough and despite being exhausted I did not sleep well.
Wednesday was much of the same, I used more pork loin to make nachos and then called it done even though I had a bit left.
Thursday night Logan was excited because it was the night before his birthday. Phillip took care of picking up cookies for his class which saved me a ton.
Friday night I picked up what I hope is the last load of rock , then picked up some molds that a person in BBT is loaning me so we can make crayons for Logan's birthday party. I was going to stop for pizza but forgot so once home I unloaded the rock and then picked up Logan so he could help me. We went and picked up a pizza and pizza bread for him. Once home he told me all about his day and then Phillip went to help a friend. While Phillip was gone I worked out details for Saturday with Grandma, got the kids baths, Logan and I worked on making some crayons and got as much as I could together for Saturday. Clark went to sleep pretty easily and then Logan snuggled and watched TV while we waited for Phillip to get home. I am pretty sure I fell asleep before he made it home. He got Logan into his own bed and then was trying to talk to me and I am pretty sure I fell asleep while he was telling me a story.
Tuesday would have been my dad's birthday so I wore his bowling shirt in memory as I do every year. After work I headed over to pick up the rock, after a visit with my trade partner and loading up the rock I headed by another BBT house for a trade of mulch. Once home I unloaded the rock trying to beat the storm that was coming in. After unloading the rock I went to work on dinner which used up some leftovers. I used some more of the leftover pork loin to make stroganoff. I like the recipe out of my better homes and garden cookbook for Beef Stroganoff although I have subbed different proteins just as I did this time. This dish also enabled me to use up some mushrooms and the last bit of sour cream I had on hand. After dinner came baths and play time for the boys. I used the time to try clean up the kitchen and realized I needed to get the ears of corn and the hatch chilies put up before I lost them to rot. So I turned on the grill and got the chilies roasting while I blanched the ears of corn and got them in the freezer. Once the chilies were roasted I put them in a bag to steam while I got the kids ready for bed. I knew the 1 hour wait time would end about the time I got the kids to sleep. Clark went down without to much of a struggle and then I realized Logan's bed needed to be made. He had also got real quite and when I went to check he was sitting on the floor of his room asleep with hotwheels in his hands. I took the hot wheels and tried to get him to go to bed. He mumbled something and then laid back down on the floor so I had to pick him up and put him in his bed. About this time the chilies were ready to be put up so I went in the kitchen to peel and deseed them. I put them in freezer safe containers and placed in the freezer. I was going to get a shower so I just rinsed my hands and then went to turn on the shower so the water could warm up. As the shower was warming I realized I needed to send a pm to my trade partner to let her know I had picked up the items from her porch. While I was typing a message I made the mistake of touching my eye! On all things that are holy it burned! I did not care if the water was warm or not I threw off my clothes and got in the shower. I did think to wash my hands and then hold my eyes open to the water. The thought did cross my mind though that water makes pepper oil hotter and that I could be making it worse but just could not imagine bathing my eyes in milk. Luckily the fire went away within a couple of minutes from my eyes but I had a cut on my hand and the capsaicin made it feel like I had rubbed muscle cream on my hands. Bedtime did not come early enough and despite being exhausted I did not sleep well.
Wednesday was much of the same, I used more pork loin to make nachos and then called it done even though I had a bit left.
Thursday night Logan was excited because it was the night before his birthday. Phillip took care of picking up cookies for his class which saved me a ton.
Friday night I picked up what I hope is the last load of rock , then picked up some molds that a person in BBT is loaning me so we can make crayons for Logan's birthday party. I was going to stop for pizza but forgot so once home I unloaded the rock and then picked up Logan so he could help me. We went and picked up a pizza and pizza bread for him. Once home he told me all about his day and then Phillip went to help a friend. While Phillip was gone I worked out details for Saturday with Grandma, got the kids baths, Logan and I worked on making some crayons and got as much as I could together for Saturday. Clark went to sleep pretty easily and then Logan snuggled and watched TV while we waited for Phillip to get home. I am pretty sure I fell asleep before he made it home. He got Logan into his own bed and then was trying to talk to me and I am pretty sure I fell asleep while he was telling me a story.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
I Do Not Have Time For My Life!
This past weekend was a 3 day one for me and the older munchkin so needless to say there was a bunch on the list to get done. Friday night I headed home to cook dinner and hopefully start on my list. I went with grilled pork loin using these great instructions. This has really made grilling pork loin easy for me. It turned out to be 2 smallish loins in the package so I set one aside after I grilled them and we ate part of one for dinner. I served this with a salad and the leftover garlic bread from earlier in the week. After dinner we lazed around a little bit, took baths and got stuff together for all the errands I needed to run on Saturday. Phillip headed out on his errands early and so the kids went with me. First thing was getting our produce from the co-op pickup which is next to a playground so Logan took the time to play while Clark and I executed the pick up. I started chatting with a couple of people who helped me load the car and it turns out 1 of them works for the same "company" I do and knows a couple of my friends who work/used to work in the same department. I have decided the 6 degrees of separation is actually only about 2 degrees. Anyway this was the produce I picked up
It worked out to $61.00 of our grocery budget this month and although there were more options I wanted I narrowed it down to these items. I did sell off $6 worth of produce we were not going to eat so took the total down a little. I also realized after I took the pictures that I had already put the mushrooms and lettuce in the fridge. Anyway, all this produce had to sit in the front passenger seat because my trunk was full of donations for this month's family. After picking up the produce we set up at the appointed site for an hour allowing people to come by and add to the donation. The next stop after that hour had to be home to get the produce unloaded while I sent the family a message to see when we could meet. I got that arranged and left Logan at home so he could watch TV and took Clark with me to meet the family. The donation was handed off and then Clark and I headed by Home Depot to price gravel and pick up some soil for the tires. We found some open bags of gravel which they had discounted so I picked those up as well as the soil. We left there and headed to the garden store which I like. It is locally owned and they grow some of their own plants. Because of the season change coming they were a little low but I found enough to fill in where I wanted at good prices. After leaving there I went through a drive thru for a snack and then on to the library where I just dropped the items in the outside drop box. I have so much at home to catch up on that I did not want to go in and Logan was not with me so no need to head in. Clark was asleep in the car by this point so I thought I would push my luck and head to Winco but of course he woke up as soon as I pulled into a parking place. I went ahead and did my shopping with him since he likes to ride around in the cart. On to the house we went to get started on other items on the list. I originally wanted to start on the carrots but figured they would hold on longer than the strawberries so I went ahead and cut them up. I froze many of them for later use in smoothies and desserts. I did put some up in the fridge for Phillip to snack on and Clark to eat. I ended up bringing some to work with me for lunches. While I was working at this Clark really wanted a carrot so I peeled one for him and this is the scene that ensued.
Between he and Turbo the carrot was shared. I can not answer who ate more of it as Clark really does like raw carrots and they are not Turbo's favorite. Turbo only feigns interest I think because the tiny one has some and if he is eating something it must be good right? After I got the strawberries cut up and some laundry on the line I started working on cleaning up my crafting/dining room table. I did not get very far before it was time to work on the backyard. I wanted to let it get a little cooler but it was never really going to be totally cool. Logan and I headed out to get as much as we could stand to done. I was able to use the composted dirt I had in barrels near the site to fill up the 3 tires I had already picked up and get them planted. I had a bag of mulch in the garage from a previous project so I hauled that out to top off the plantings. There were also a ton of boxes in the garage so I hauled them out and collapsed them to make a thick ground cover to go under the gravel. I totally lucked out and someone in my BBT group has a ton of pea gravel she wanted to trade...more on that later. I did what I had supplies for on the boy's area and then planted my beds with stuff from the nursery. Then I started working on the next section for the boys since it is going to require a ton of clean out. Once I reached a point of wanting to quit I started watering because Logan was still working on moving the gravel we had from his old play area to the new. It is going to take a while since he is using the play front end loader to load his dump truck and then moving that small amount over. He wanted me to soak him with the water hose so I did and then worked on getting my new plants a good drink. I think the area is shaping up nicely.
Once we headed inside we of course had to get baths! After cleaning up I made BBQ pork served on hamburger buns with corn on the cob. It helped to use up a little more of the pork although there was still a ton left over. The boys spent the rest of the evening playing before collapsing in sleep. I cleaned up and organized my craft table getting the next project ready to start. I have sorted all the pictures and put some in albums so now I have moved on to completing the boys' baby books.
Sunday morning we had to get to church early which was not an issue as both boys woke up before they needed to. I baked us cinnamon rolls and threw on some clothes. Loralee's parents are out of town so we went to lunch with Mimi and Nene after church. They took us to Logan's favorite place Rosa's. On the way home we picked up another tire free from someone in my trade group. Once home Phillip got the tire out and we unloaded everything else. Clark was falling back asleep so I left him home with Phillip while Logan and I headed back to do another trade and go to Home Depot. My trade partner had not put the items out so we just headed on to Home Depot. At home depot they had bags of mulch and pea gravel on the discount table because they were open so I picked those up as well as some leaf bags, a couple of plants and some more gravel. By the time we left there Logan said he was kind of hungry and I was hot so we went through the drive through at McDonald's. He got a small fry and a drink and I got an ice cream cone and a water. I ate the part of my cone that was over the cone and then Logan wanted the rest so I let him have it. Once we were home Logan and I got busy on the yard. We hauled the gravel around and planted the last tire, it did not make as big a dent as we had hoped but it was progress.
Of course we needed baths after working out here in the heat for any amount of time. After baths dinner was baked potatoes and salad. I needed something that did not require a bunch of effort or heat up the house too much. After this I cleaned up the game/coat closet so I could vacuum it out and put away our cart we use for flea markets. Again, there was no trouble getting the boys to sleep as they were beat.
Bonus work at home day Monday!!! The boys slept a little late on Monday morning but I was having trouble sleeping so I was awake waiting on them. I went ahead and fixed us some biscuits for breakfast and we milled around the house for a little while. I had the realization that it was Monday which is half price day at the thrift store and which I am never off work to go to. Logan did not want to go so Clark and I loaded up and went. It ended up taking way longer than it should because an older gentleman started talking to me and after he had caught me up on his life story Clark and I checked out with our purchases. I think the best purchase there was a star projector night light shaped like a turtle. It was 54 cents and I figured that was a small amount to spend in case it did not work. Turned out it works beautifully and Logan is in love with it. He has named it Apollo, Paul for short. Once Clark and I made it home Phillip went out to the gym and Target for something he needed. I used this time to try to work on the house but mainly to peel, slice, and blanch carrots for the freezer. I also started the time consuming project of uploading all our photos to shutterfly so that I could print some for the baby books. They had sent out a postcard with a holiday weekend special of 40% off plus 101 free prints. I went through about 15 pounds of the carrots plus the loose ones that were in the regular basket before I called it quits. I have rough cut blanched ones in the freezer for stews and soups. I have thin rounds blanched and frozen for dinners and sticks cut for snacks in the fridge. My hands were stained and still my nails are discolored.
I found a buyer for the remaining 10 pounds so I will get another $6 back off this produce purchase. After finishing with this Phillip was home and we were just cleaning the house until it was a little bit cooler. Then I decided to work on the front flower bed for a little while and Logan came out to ride his bike around the front while I worked. It ended up being a family affair as Phillip brought Clark out in the stroller and started pushing him around and Logan started riding in circles around them. Logan heard the ice cream truck on another street so he told me "Mama, It is quite hot and a ice cream would cool me down". So I told him the truck came down our street we would get something. Once we realized they were coming down the street I sent him inside for my purse. When the truck got to us Logan and I picked ice cream sandwiches and Phillip got a fudge bomb pop. It was Clark's first time with the ice cream truck and he enjoyed sharing with the rest of us.
After ice cream and a little bit more yard work we quit for the day. Baths were in short order and then dinner of grilled cheese and school/work stuff gathered before bed.
Sunday morning we had to get to church early which was not an issue as both boys woke up before they needed to. I baked us cinnamon rolls and threw on some clothes. Loralee's parents are out of town so we went to lunch with Mimi and Nene after church. They took us to Logan's favorite place Rosa's. On the way home we picked up another tire free from someone in my trade group. Once home Phillip got the tire out and we unloaded everything else. Clark was falling back asleep so I left him home with Phillip while Logan and I headed back to do another trade and go to Home Depot. My trade partner had not put the items out so we just headed on to Home Depot. At home depot they had bags of mulch and pea gravel on the discount table because they were open so I picked those up as well as some leaf bags, a couple of plants and some more gravel. By the time we left there Logan said he was kind of hungry and I was hot so we went through the drive through at McDonald's. He got a small fry and a drink and I got an ice cream cone and a water. I ate the part of my cone that was over the cone and then Logan wanted the rest so I let him have it. Once we were home Logan and I got busy on the yard. We hauled the gravel around and planted the last tire, it did not make as big a dent as we had hoped but it was progress.
Bonus work at home day Monday!!! The boys slept a little late on Monday morning but I was having trouble sleeping so I was awake waiting on them. I went ahead and fixed us some biscuits for breakfast and we milled around the house for a little while. I had the realization that it was Monday which is half price day at the thrift store and which I am never off work to go to. Logan did not want to go so Clark and I loaded up and went. It ended up taking way longer than it should because an older gentleman started talking to me and after he had caught me up on his life story Clark and I checked out with our purchases. I think the best purchase there was a star projector night light shaped like a turtle. It was 54 cents and I figured that was a small amount to spend in case it did not work. Turned out it works beautifully and Logan is in love with it. He has named it Apollo, Paul for short. Once Clark and I made it home Phillip went out to the gym and Target for something he needed. I used this time to try to work on the house but mainly to peel, slice, and blanch carrots for the freezer. I also started the time consuming project of uploading all our photos to shutterfly so that I could print some for the baby books. They had sent out a postcard with a holiday weekend special of 40% off plus 101 free prints. I went through about 15 pounds of the carrots plus the loose ones that were in the regular basket before I called it quits. I have rough cut blanched ones in the freezer for stews and soups. I have thin rounds blanched and frozen for dinners and sticks cut for snacks in the fridge. My hands were stained and still my nails are discolored.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Roller Coaster Weekend, no Mommy Awards for Me
This weekend was such a roller coaster, mainly for me.
Friday after work I headed home hoping to get a bunch done as always and as usual I did not get it all done. Dinner ended up being grilled sausages served like hot dogs as I neglected to pull anything out on Friday morning. I really think this was the extent of my accomplishments for the evening. I wanted to water the yard but it looked like it was going to rain so I put it off and then once it was dark I did not want to get out and water.
Saturday morning I had to make up for the lack of accomplishment on Friday. The kids of course woke up at 7am on a day when we really did not have to be anywhere. Since they were up we went ahead and got started on our day. I showered with the bathroom and shower door open so the tiny one would not scream at the door thinking it was a portal that was transporting me away. Once out of the shower I got laundry started so I could get it out on the line before we headed out. This was traumatic for the tiny one who once again was out of my presence. After hearing him scream while I was out there hanging out the clothes and Logan yelling out the door that Clark was screaming I was ready for some aspirin. The day went a little better once I got them out of the house. We went to Target for some safety pins so I could tag the JBF items as well as some note cards for Phillip. After Target we went by the library for both returns and pick ups. I, of course could not make it out of there without checking out additional items that I clearly do not have the time to read especially before they are due.
I did not finish this post before I forgot everything that went on over that weekend....Trust me when I say it was a ton of nonsense and involved a horrible incident where I rolled Logan's fingers up in the car window. I spent the rest of the day feeling guilty about this.
Friday after work I headed home hoping to get a bunch done as always and as usual I did not get it all done. Dinner ended up being grilled sausages served like hot dogs as I neglected to pull anything out on Friday morning. I really think this was the extent of my accomplishments for the evening. I wanted to water the yard but it looked like it was going to rain so I put it off and then once it was dark I did not want to get out and water.
Saturday morning I had to make up for the lack of accomplishment on Friday. The kids of course woke up at 7am on a day when we really did not have to be anywhere. Since they were up we went ahead and got started on our day. I showered with the bathroom and shower door open so the tiny one would not scream at the door thinking it was a portal that was transporting me away. Once out of the shower I got laundry started so I could get it out on the line before we headed out. This was traumatic for the tiny one who once again was out of my presence. After hearing him scream while I was out there hanging out the clothes and Logan yelling out the door that Clark was screaming I was ready for some aspirin. The day went a little better once I got them out of the house. We went to Target for some safety pins so I could tag the JBF items as well as some note cards for Phillip. After Target we went by the library for both returns and pick ups. I, of course could not make it out of there without checking out additional items that I clearly do not have the time to read especially before they are due.
I did not finish this post before I forgot everything that went on over that weekend....Trust me when I say it was a ton of nonsense and involved a horrible incident where I rolled Logan's fingers up in the car window. I spent the rest of the day feeling guilty about this.
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