This is a list of the grocery items I purchased after my last post. I will total them and then provide a total for the month also.
2 Dublin sodas
1 pack gum
1 box risotta
1 suet cake
1 box granola bars
6 pack pepsi
2 bags snack size chips
2 jars marinara
4 cans petite diced tomatoes
2 peach pies
1 case wipes
1 tube diaper cream
1 jacket/Halloween costume
2 bags Halloween candy
1 jar face powder
3 boxes snack cakes
1 dog bone
2 packages pepperoni
3 bottles apple juice
~1/4lb chocolate rocks
1 loaf bread
2 packages baby wipes
2 packages biscuits
1 box animal cookies
2 packages cinnamon rolls
1 can refried beans
2 packages crescent rolls
1 package fish sticks
~2&1/3lbs bananas
2 pints blackberries
1 quart strawberries
there is an item I can not discern on a receipt......
Subtotal: 77.67 Cash
Totals for October : $91.00SNAP
$223.91Cash
Seeing the totals makes me sad and mad at myself. I know there was a Halloween costume/jacket for Logan in there and candy but still I should have tried harder to keep the total under my budgeted amount. Failing month after month is really depressing.
Friday, October 30, 2015
Books Oct 16th through Oct 30th
I finally managed to finish listening to Under the Banner of Heaven . There was a lot in this book that were hard to listen to because of the brutality and profound disregard for human life. After that I was on the waitlist for most things I wanted to listen to so I started The Highlander Takes a Bride. Same as the others from this series....ok for what they are. By the time I finished listening to this one In Cold Blood was available so I started listening to it. I am probably one of the few people in the world who knows the story but has not actually read the book. Trying to remedy that I checked it out and have had to step away for a little bit. After how heavy Under the Banner was I just could not listen to more murders. Interestingly the narrator is the same for both books and that may be why it felt like too much for now. I stopped for a little bit and instead listened to Accidental Saints which I can not recommend enough! While I did not agree with all of her theology the book really spoke to me. I just finished it a couple of days ago and I am still digesting some of the information while listening to M Train by Patti Smith. Patti is always so deep and yet accessible.
Print books have not gone as quickly. I am determined to get them off my list so I keep reading! I finished Culture Crash last night. This is another that I recommend for a view into the current state of the arts community. It has definitely made me more aware of my own "cultural" patronage. I picked Gardening with Nature in Texas back up. It is never too early to start thinking about next springs yard projects.
Print books have not gone as quickly. I am determined to get them off my list so I keep reading! I finished Culture Crash last night. This is another that I recommend for a view into the current state of the arts community. It has definitely made me more aware of my own "cultural" patronage. I picked Gardening with Nature in Texas back up. It is never too early to start thinking about next springs yard projects.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Weekend of no Electronics and Rain
Sometimes having to enforce punishments for your kids is worse than the actual punishment. We are at the point that going out to eat anywhere besides McDonald's, Chick-Fil-A or Rosa's with the kids is a test of my patience so the last time we informed them which really means Logan that we were not going out to eat on Sunday afternoons anymore. This has worked easily the last 2 weeks since we went to the pumpkin patch the first week and this last Sunday was Loralee's birthday party so we ate there. The next stressor was Logan losing electronics. He has no electronics for 9 days which means in addition to enforcing this I have to work on keeping him busy. Friday was not as difficult since he was at school for part of the day and once I was home I put on storm coverage of hurricane Patricia.
Saturday morning the boys were up early which always amazes me since they could sleep but choose not to. We lazed around for a good portion of the morning since it was still storming. After getting breakfast fixed, a load of laundry in the washer and the kids dressed we headed out for some errands. We really did not need to get out but Phillip wanted to take his final and the quite would make that easier. The boys and I headed by the library where Logan could only check out books and then he told me he was very hungry so we headed to Chick-Fil-A so they could eat and play. After spending a chunk of time there we headed to Albertson's for some sale items they advertised. While shopping there we ran into Logan's teacher so he was excited and hugged her many times. From Albertson's we headed to Winco and picked up a couple of items for us and some for Phillip's mom. By this time I really had no where else to take the boys in the rain so we headed home. Phillip was finished with the final and was working on some other stuff by this time. Clark was really tired by this point so I laid down with him for just a couple of minutes and then he fell asleep. This gave Logan and I time to unload the car, make a volcano, clean up some stuff and start on a craft project.
In the post here you will see we planted an awesome terrarium for Logan and Clark's room. It lasted a couple of months and then we managed to kill it. I have had it sitting on the kitchen counter waiting to be rehabbed for a couple of months so this time while Clark was asleep seemed perfect. We are trying ivy this time since it is traditionally hard to kill.
Of course it is now less about the plant and more about a scene for him to play with. It was nice to have a little quiet time with Logan while getting some things accomplished. After Clark woke up the day went back to me trying to get stuff done and the two of them playing/trying to get away from each other.
Dinner was Crock Pot Garlic Paprika Chicken with sides which have slipped my mind. I have made the chicken before and really liked it but this time a little less so. I think the issue was trying to cook it on high in a short time versus leaving it on all day while I was at work. Cooking it on high for the short time does not allow a lot of "sweating" which soaks into the paprika. It was a bit gritty this time versus soaked in last time.
Sunday was church and then Loralee's birthday party directly after service. The boys fell asleep on the way home but Logan woke up as soon as we pulled into the garage. Clark was unloaded into the bed and then Logan and I headed to Target for Halloween candy. Once we made it home with more candy than was actually necessary we made up bags for neighborhood trick or treaters. By the time we made the bags up it was time to fix dinner which ended up being chicken and dumplings using the leftover chicken. Everything about it tasted good except the dumplings which is for me an issue since that is the part I like best. In the past I have made them with Bisquick and loved how fluffy and gummy they turn out. This time I made them from scratch and they were flavorless and gritty. I am going back to the processed Bisquick dumplings.
The boys played great that evening and then we headed to bed.
I am about to sort through the receipts and get totals together for this month. I will post them soon as I get that and next month's budget penciled in.
Saturday morning the boys were up early which always amazes me since they could sleep but choose not to. We lazed around for a good portion of the morning since it was still storming. After getting breakfast fixed, a load of laundry in the washer and the kids dressed we headed out for some errands. We really did not need to get out but Phillip wanted to take his final and the quite would make that easier. The boys and I headed by the library where Logan could only check out books and then he told me he was very hungry so we headed to Chick-Fil-A so they could eat and play. After spending a chunk of time there we headed to Albertson's for some sale items they advertised. While shopping there we ran into Logan's teacher so he was excited and hugged her many times. From Albertson's we headed to Winco and picked up a couple of items for us and some for Phillip's mom. By this time I really had no where else to take the boys in the rain so we headed home. Phillip was finished with the final and was working on some other stuff by this time. Clark was really tired by this point so I laid down with him for just a couple of minutes and then he fell asleep. This gave Logan and I time to unload the car, make a volcano, clean up some stuff and start on a craft project.
In the post here you will see we planted an awesome terrarium for Logan and Clark's room. It lasted a couple of months and then we managed to kill it. I have had it sitting on the kitchen counter waiting to be rehabbed for a couple of months so this time while Clark was asleep seemed perfect. We are trying ivy this time since it is traditionally hard to kill.
Dinner was Crock Pot Garlic Paprika Chicken with sides which have slipped my mind. I have made the chicken before and really liked it but this time a little less so. I think the issue was trying to cook it on high in a short time versus leaving it on all day while I was at work. Cooking it on high for the short time does not allow a lot of "sweating" which soaks into the paprika. It was a bit gritty this time versus soaked in last time.
Sunday was church and then Loralee's birthday party directly after service. The boys fell asleep on the way home but Logan woke up as soon as we pulled into the garage. Clark was unloaded into the bed and then Logan and I headed to Target for Halloween candy. Once we made it home with more candy than was actually necessary we made up bags for neighborhood trick or treaters. By the time we made the bags up it was time to fix dinner which ended up being chicken and dumplings using the leftover chicken. Everything about it tasted good except the dumplings which is for me an issue since that is the part I like best. In the past I have made them with Bisquick and loved how fluffy and gummy they turn out. This time I made them from scratch and they were flavorless and gritty. I am going back to the processed Bisquick dumplings.
The boys played great that evening and then we headed to bed.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Birthday Parties and Pumpkin Patch
I am not sure why I have not posted for a bit. I use the excuse that I do not have time which is only a half truth. The weekends are really busy normally and while we have still done a lot of stuff I have had some down time recently but still did not get on here. I also use the excuse at home that Phillip is on the computer doing his homework which is true since he uses the time that I can corral the kids to work in relative peace but that is not a whole truth. There is time late in the evening or the option of the laptop but I have not taken advantage of either. When I think of the true reason I will post it but I suspect it is disappointment in myself more than anything. I am not getting as much done as I want or accomplishing my goals as I hoped so it is easier not to put that out to the universe. It is easier to hide it and pretend it is not so.
That is all the self reflection for now, I have a couple of weekends to briefly cover. The weekend that this post was originally started to cover was fullish. Phillip tested with another police department that Saturday morning while I was home with the kiddos getting breakfast and cleaning the house. He made it home in time to take Logan for a hair cut which I picked him up from and then we headed to a birthday party. The kids had a great time playing at the park and breaking the pinata.
After the birthday party we headed by Winco to pick up something for Phillip's mom and then home for the evening.
Sunday we headed to church and then to the pumpkin patch where we got some good pictures and 4 pumpkins. Logan wanted to turn his pumpkin into a creeper pumpkin so we started on that and then Phillip helped him finish.
That is all the self reflection for now, I have a couple of weekends to briefly cover. The weekend that this post was originally started to cover was fullish. Phillip tested with another police department that Saturday morning while I was home with the kiddos getting breakfast and cleaning the house. He made it home in time to take Logan for a hair cut which I picked him up from and then we headed to a birthday party. The kids had a great time playing at the park and breaking the pinata.
After the birthday party we headed by Winco to pick up something for Phillip's mom and then home for the evening.
Sunday we headed to church and then to the pumpkin patch where we got some good pictures and 4 pumpkins. Logan wanted to turn his pumpkin into a creeper pumpkin so we started on that and then Phillip helped him finish.
Friday, October 16, 2015
Menu from this week
This week I made an effort to go home from work and take the kids out for a walk each evening. It has been good exercise for me, Clark gets outside which he loves and Logan gets to pick up pine cones from the house down the street which he loves. After coming home from the walks we would get started on dinner which meant it was a little late a couple of nights.
Monday: We had baked potatoes along with a green salad. I put spinach and romaine lettuce together along with mushrooms, carrots, squash, zucchini, dried cranberries, shredded cheese, bacon bits, croutons and ranch dressing for the salad.
Tuesday:I used up almost all the tortillas, all the precooked chicken I had in the freezer, and some spinach making Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas. I served these with refried beans and as always it was really good.
Wednesday: I made Eggplant Parmesan with garlic breadsticks and it was quite yummy. I will actually say this recipe was 100% better than the last one I tried and this one was baked instead of fried.
Thursday: I of course had to make adjustments to this Zuppa Toscana recipe. The "sausage" I had was actually ground chicken with a spicy Italian seasoning so that is what I used. I also used a potato from my co-op purchase instead of bagged frozen ones like the recipe suggested. As for the kale, I had a bunch to use up so I put way more in than the recipe called for. It was a hearty almost stew but was spicy. Phillip thought it was actually hotter than the Olive Garden's but I am not so sure. It was served with the leftover breadsticks from Wednesday night and topped with parmesan cheese.
As for tonight I have not totally decided yet. We have some leftovers but not anything I can really remake so I will see what I can figure out.
Monday: We had baked potatoes along with a green salad. I put spinach and romaine lettuce together along with mushrooms, carrots, squash, zucchini, dried cranberries, shredded cheese, bacon bits, croutons and ranch dressing for the salad.
Tuesday:I used up almost all the tortillas, all the precooked chicken I had in the freezer, and some spinach making Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas. I served these with refried beans and as always it was really good.
Wednesday: I made Eggplant Parmesan with garlic breadsticks and it was quite yummy. I will actually say this recipe was 100% better than the last one I tried and this one was baked instead of fried.
Thursday: I of course had to make adjustments to this Zuppa Toscana recipe. The "sausage" I had was actually ground chicken with a spicy Italian seasoning so that is what I used. I also used a potato from my co-op purchase instead of bagged frozen ones like the recipe suggested. As for the kale, I had a bunch to use up so I put way more in than the recipe called for. It was a hearty almost stew but was spicy. Phillip thought it was actually hotter than the Olive Garden's but I am not so sure. It was served with the leftover breadsticks from Wednesday night and topped with parmesan cheese.
October Grocery Totals Thus Far and a Produce List
I decided to by as little meat/freezer items this month as I could get away with. The idea is to try to use up what is in the freezer and that list was posted here. I picked up the following items from my co-op on Saturday (trying to remember them all):
2 heads Romaine lettuce
1 bunch Kale
3 cucumbers (traded these on BBT)
5 tomatoes ( traded these on BBT)
3 onions ( traded 2 on BBT)
20 pounds baking potatoes
~3 lbs red grapes
~2 lbs bananas
3 Asian pears
3 plums
5 granny smith apples
1 honeydew
1 personal watermelon
From the farmer's market I picked up:
1 yellow watermelon
1 cantaloupe
mix of squash/zucchini and a pattypan thrown in
~1/2 lb fresh green beans
This really filled up my fruit/veggie drawers on the fridge and a long with the items I picked up at the grocery store I am trying to get through this month.
Since I am behind on this I am going to combine all stores and just put the overall total at the bottom.
2lbs baby spinach salad
1 eggplant
1 pkg sliced mushrooms
3 pkgs crisp snap peas
1 pkg gnocchi
1 box tea bags
2 muffins
~2.5lbs bananas
2 cans refried beans
5 bags chips
5 gallons milk
4 boxes snack cakes
~1lb bulk penne pasta
~1&1/4lbs bulk elbow macaroni pasta
~1&1/4lbs bulk shell pasta
2pkgs pecan rolls
2 bottles apple juice
1 pkg breadcrumbs
2 loaves bread
1 loose facial powder
1 bottle water
7 containers yogurt
~1lb spicy ground chicken
2 pkgs cinnamon rolls
4 pkgs biscuits
1 quart whipping cream
1 container spreadable butter
1 head lettuce
2 lbs ground turkey
2 pkgs pepperoni
1 pkg wonton wrappers
1 pkg velveeta
1 pint sour cream
1 bottle cranberry juice
1 dublin root beer
1 peach pie
~1&3/4lbs bulk pancake mix
1 can ranch style beans
~2lbs bulk rice
~ 1/8lb gummy butterflies
1 box dishwasher detergent
1 can enchilada sauce
1 container trash bags
1 gallon vinegar
3 cases dr.pepper
4 -6 packs of pepsi bottled
2 pkgs goldfish crackers
2 boxes pasta roni
2 pkgs snack size chips
1 lb dried navy beans
1 bottle ranch dressing
1 pkg bacon bits
1 lb colby jack cheese
1 jar pasta sauce
1 box toaster struedel
3 Think Thin bars
1 pkg wipes
1 box moon pies
3 pkgs hot dogs
2 cases diapers
Total: $91.00 SNAP ( we received a $2.00 increase each month)
$ 146.24 Cash
The items marked as traded were traded for some paper towels and toilet paper.
2 heads Romaine lettuce
1 bunch Kale
3 cucumbers (traded these on BBT)
5 tomatoes ( traded these on BBT)
3 onions ( traded 2 on BBT)
20 pounds baking potatoes
~3 lbs red grapes
~2 lbs bananas
3 Asian pears
3 plums
5 granny smith apples
1 honeydew
1 personal watermelon
From the farmer's market I picked up:
1 yellow watermelon
1 cantaloupe
mix of squash/zucchini and a pattypan thrown in
~1/2 lb fresh green beans
This really filled up my fruit/veggie drawers on the fridge and a long with the items I picked up at the grocery store I am trying to get through this month.
Since I am behind on this I am going to combine all stores and just put the overall total at the bottom.
2lbs baby spinach salad
1 eggplant
1 pkg sliced mushrooms
3 pkgs crisp snap peas
1 pkg gnocchi
1 box tea bags
2 muffins
~2.5lbs bananas
2 cans refried beans
5 bags chips
5 gallons milk
4 boxes snack cakes
~1lb bulk penne pasta
~1&1/4lbs bulk elbow macaroni pasta
~1&1/4lbs bulk shell pasta
2pkgs pecan rolls
2 bottles apple juice
1 pkg breadcrumbs
2 loaves bread
1 loose facial powder
1 bottle water
7 containers yogurt
~1lb spicy ground chicken
2 pkgs cinnamon rolls
4 pkgs biscuits
1 quart whipping cream
1 container spreadable butter
1 head lettuce
2 lbs ground turkey
2 pkgs pepperoni
1 pkg wonton wrappers
1 pkg velveeta
1 pint sour cream
1 bottle cranberry juice
1 dublin root beer
1 peach pie
~1&3/4lbs bulk pancake mix
1 can ranch style beans
~2lbs bulk rice
~ 1/8lb gummy butterflies
1 box dishwasher detergent
1 can enchilada sauce
1 container trash bags
1 gallon vinegar
3 cases dr.pepper
4 -6 packs of pepsi bottled
2 pkgs goldfish crackers
2 boxes pasta roni
2 pkgs snack size chips
1 lb dried navy beans
1 bottle ranch dressing
1 pkg bacon bits
1 lb colby jack cheese
1 jar pasta sauce
1 box toaster struedel
3 Think Thin bars
1 pkg wipes
1 box moon pies
3 pkgs hot dogs
2 cases diapers
Total: $91.00 SNAP ( we received a $2.00 increase each month)
$ 146.24 Cash
The items marked as traded were traded for some paper towels and toilet paper.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Books Sept 16th through Oct 15th
There was a chunk of time I was not listening to or reading books since my sister was in town and we were running around.
These are the books I managed to listen to since the last time I posted.
I finished The Theft of Memory , while it is not the best book I have listened to recently it was decent. You really get the feeling for how much he loved his parents but I did not feel close to them, the book kept them distant. The next book I listened to was True Story by Michael Finkel. I am on the fence with this one also. Once listening I realized I had heard this story before on one of the news programs. I wanted to feel for the author but he spent way too much time in the book justifying what he did. After that one I listened to Brokenomics, do not waste your time. This book had no actual tips and was not funny enough to make up for it. I just found it pretentious and out of touch. Once this horrid book was finished I started on Under the Banner of Heaven, this is a hard read. It is the crime that is horrible and makes this hard to read. The book itself is well researched and while not objective is informative and well written. I had to turn this one in before I was finished and just recently picked it back up. In the meantime while I waited on it I listened to Browsings by Michael Dirda. This was a fairly academic book but I did like his insights and the material he covers. After that one I listened to The Best Advice I Ever Got by Katie Couric. This one was ok, nothing earth shattering. Honestly there were several of the speakers who gave conflicting advice. I am back to Under the Banner of Heaven which I hope to have finished in a couple of days.
As for physical books I have read Plastic Free which was really less like a book and more like a series of ads for products she uses. I felt no connection to the author and no passion for her cause which is saying a lot since environmental issues are usually huge for me. After I finished that one I started Culture Crash but then had to turn it in and wait to check it back out. While waiting I started Life Without Oil but ran into the same issue and had to turn it in and wait to check it out again. I picked up If Nuns Ruled the World which is a book I recommend for everyone to read. I really, really loved this book. I really related to the sisters and their causes. I found them to be an example of compassion that we should all strive for. After reading that great book I went to the other end of the spectrum and read To Marry a Scottish Laird. It was ok for what it is, a period romance. There was one flaw with it that always bothers me, the "hero" calls his wife by the wrong name randomly on one page. I finished it last night and I am back to Culture Crash.
These are the books I managed to listen to since the last time I posted.
I finished The Theft of Memory , while it is not the best book I have listened to recently it was decent. You really get the feeling for how much he loved his parents but I did not feel close to them, the book kept them distant. The next book I listened to was True Story by Michael Finkel. I am on the fence with this one also. Once listening I realized I had heard this story before on one of the news programs. I wanted to feel for the author but he spent way too much time in the book justifying what he did. After that one I listened to Brokenomics, do not waste your time. This book had no actual tips and was not funny enough to make up for it. I just found it pretentious and out of touch. Once this horrid book was finished I started on Under the Banner of Heaven, this is a hard read. It is the crime that is horrible and makes this hard to read. The book itself is well researched and while not objective is informative and well written. I had to turn this one in before I was finished and just recently picked it back up. In the meantime while I waited on it I listened to Browsings by Michael Dirda. This was a fairly academic book but I did like his insights and the material he covers. After that one I listened to The Best Advice I Ever Got by Katie Couric. This one was ok, nothing earth shattering. Honestly there were several of the speakers who gave conflicting advice. I am back to Under the Banner of Heaven which I hope to have finished in a couple of days.
As for physical books I have read Plastic Free which was really less like a book and more like a series of ads for products she uses. I felt no connection to the author and no passion for her cause which is saying a lot since environmental issues are usually huge for me. After I finished that one I started Culture Crash but then had to turn it in and wait to check it back out. While waiting I started Life Without Oil but ran into the same issue and had to turn it in and wait to check it out again. I picked up If Nuns Ruled the World which is a book I recommend for everyone to read. I really, really loved this book. I really related to the sisters and their causes. I found them to be an example of compassion that we should all strive for. After reading that great book I went to the other end of the spectrum and read To Marry a Scottish Laird. It was ok for what it is, a period romance. There was one flaw with it that always bothers me, the "hero" calls his wife by the wrong name randomly on one page. I finished it last night and I am back to Culture Crash.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Our weekend and adding to the Freezer Inventory
Saturday morning came around and I woke up when I normally would for work and then realized I did not need to. Sadly I could not stay in bed as long as I wanted because we had to get up and going. The kids were still asleep since they were up past their bedtime the night before so I went ahead and got myself ready and put some biscuits in the oven for breakfast. Luckily Phillip needed to go to the post office so I pawned my packages off on him. Not having to go to the post office did save some time which considering the amount of stuff we needed to do that morning was great. I was trying to juggle a 10:00 build and grow at Lowe's with a 10:15 pick up of produce at bountiful basket. We left the house later than I wanted so I headed straight to the produce pick up site and noticed the truck was still there unloading so I did not even stop. We headed by Lowe's to pick up the build and grow with plans to build it later. After loading the kids back up we headed back to the produce site just in time to be the last pick up. Once that was all loaded into the car we went by the farmer's market where I picked up some squash, zucchini, cantaloupe, watermelon, and green beans. One of the farmer's gave me a pattypan squash for Clark since he was trying to eat the other squash raw. We managed to finish all of this just a little past 11am which was when the scarecrow build at the garden center started. They were offering all supplies free if you brought a shirt and pants so we did. During the process I became the exception to an unspoken rule. I actually let my child do the scarecrow mostly by himself. He needed help with the stuffing so I helped him with that and when he used all of his paint I fetched some more but I let him paint. As I looked around I noticed all the other moms and dads were painting "perfect" faces on their scarecrows. One family even brought a crayon to draw on the face before they painted it. I will totally admit to getting frustrated with Logan when he insisted on painting the pants and the shirt and then redoing the hair but I can say it is completely his scarecrow.
I will take another picture once we get our front yard decorated and the scarecrow has a home. After we left the garden center with the scarecrow and some plants we headed to McDonald's for lunch. After lunch it was the library and then home to unload. The unloading turned into several hours as I needed to hang some laundry out and the tiny one needed a nap. I worked on the house and worked out pick up of this month's donation for the needy family. By the time Clark woke up Phillip was heading out for his 20 year high school reunion. We could not afford for both of us to go and pay a sitter so off he went. The boys and I loaded up again and went to Winco for some grocery shopping and then on to a trade. After the trade we went by and picked up some pizza and breadsticks for dinner. I should have just bought the breadsticks for Logan since that is all he really wanted to eat and I was not all that hungry. Once we were home we unloaded again and then had some dinner. Baths and bed came late again since dada was not home.
Sunday the boys were horrible! Logan pouted his way through church and lunch out. Clark was not intentionally being bad but he does not want to sit anywhere so a restaurant is really hard for him. We decided to not eat out after church on Sunday anymore until the boys are older. This of course will save us some money and honestly a ton of stress. After we unloaded from church on Sunday the boys and I headed back out to finish our grocery shopping for the month. Once that was unloaded and put up we worked on the yard and hauled out the Halloween decorations. I underestimated how deep some of the tree roots in the front yard were. I ended up just cutting one of them off when I had dug down the length of my leg. I also discovered I am going to have to do a lot more prep work than I estimated to get my path laid in the front yard. Oh well, I guess the reward will come when it is finally finished. I am going to close out this post with a sweet picture I took at the Garden Center on Saturday.
Sunday the boys were horrible! Logan pouted his way through church and lunch out. Clark was not intentionally being bad but he does not want to sit anywhere so a restaurant is really hard for him. We decided to not eat out after church on Sunday anymore until the boys are older. This of course will save us some money and honestly a ton of stress. After we unloaded from church on Sunday the boys and I headed back out to finish our grocery shopping for the month. Once that was unloaded and put up we worked on the yard and hauled out the Halloween decorations. I underestimated how deep some of the tree roots in the front yard were. I ended up just cutting one of them off when I had dug down the length of my leg. I also discovered I am going to have to do a lot more prep work than I estimated to get my path laid in the front yard. Oh well, I guess the reward will come when it is finally finished. I am going to close out this post with a sweet picture I took at the Garden Center on Saturday.
Monday, October 12, 2015
Dealing with Drama at Work
I do not want to go into a whole lot of detail on a blog but there has been some drama at my workplace which really came to a head last Tuesday. It has reinforced the point to me that I need to make a plan to move on. I have been in this job for 12 years and really have become comfortable which is itself not a bad thing. I generally really like the people I work with and our patients. The newest drama has made me step back, enlist some help with my resume and delete most of my co workers off my facebook account. I have to trust that this will be the best decision in the long run.
Tuesday evening I used some roast leftover from church potluck, the rest of the sour cream I had on hand, the ends of 2 types of pasta and rehydrated some mushrooms to make stroganoff.
Wednesday night I grilled hot dogs and made homemade mac and cheese.
While my sister was here I cleaned out my freezer, reorganized it and made an inventory list with the hopes of making a meal plan.
Thursday night I fixed the frozen pizza off the inventory because I once again did not take anything out of the freezer before leaving for work.
Friday night was crazy in that Phillip had to take the kids with him to run the sound for a concert at the last minute. It was a benefit concert for our pastor's wife to walk in the Komen 3-day walk. Since that changed plans I ended up leaving work, completing a last minute trade on the way and then getting to the church and picking up the kids. They had McDonald's for dinner on the way to the concert so I did not fix anything for dinner until a few hours later when Logan told me he was hungry again. They both got baths and stayed up way later than they should have. We got a little house cleaning done and stuff together for Saturday which was a crazy busy day. Clark fell asleep about 11pm and then I snuggled with Logan for a bit and then carried him to his bed. By this time it was almost midnight and Phillip was still not home after texting that he was leaving at 11pm. I sent him a text which he responded to that he was just leaving. I fell asleep shortly after that and when I woke up at 3:30am he was still not in the bed so I texted him a question mark. As soon as I sent the text he walked in, evidently he had come home a little after 1 and just went in the office to do some homework.
Tuesday evening I used some roast leftover from church potluck, the rest of the sour cream I had on hand, the ends of 2 types of pasta and rehydrated some mushrooms to make stroganoff.
Wednesday night I grilled hot dogs and made homemade mac and cheese.
While my sister was here I cleaned out my freezer, reorganized it and made an inventory list with the hopes of making a meal plan.
Thursday night I fixed the frozen pizza off the inventory because I once again did not take anything out of the freezer before leaving for work.
Friday night was crazy in that Phillip had to take the kids with him to run the sound for a concert at the last minute. It was a benefit concert for our pastor's wife to walk in the Komen 3-day walk. Since that changed plans I ended up leaving work, completing a last minute trade on the way and then getting to the church and picking up the kids. They had McDonald's for dinner on the way to the concert so I did not fix anything for dinner until a few hours later when Logan told me he was hungry again. They both got baths and stayed up way later than they should have. We got a little house cleaning done and stuff together for Saturday which was a crazy busy day. Clark fell asleep about 11pm and then I snuggled with Logan for a bit and then carried him to his bed. By this time it was almost midnight and Phillip was still not home after texting that he was leaving at 11pm. I sent him a text which he responded to that he was just leaving. I fell asleep shortly after that and when I woke up at 3:30am he was still not in the bed so I texted him a question mark. As soon as I sent the text he walked in, evidently he had come home a little after 1 and just went in the office to do some homework.
Rest of the Staycation!
The other post was going on and on enough that it was not letting me add anymore text.
Friday morning I dropped Clark at the sitter and took Logan to school, then swung by the house to jump in the truck with Phillip and Gail. We then headed to Canton for First Monday. If you are not familiar First Monday is the largest flea market in the state and only operates as the name implies the weekend before the first Monday of each month.
Amidst all the random junk and homemade items I found some amazing deals.
In addition to these finds I scored some legos for Logan as well as jelly from my regular supplier. It was a lot of walking which ended up looking like this on my pedometer app
We grabbed a hamburger at Whataburger which is our tradition on the way home and then picked up the kids.
Saturday Phillip had to go weed eat the church's lawn as well as film a speech so Gail, the boys and I ran a couple of errands including the farmer's market and then had lunch at Chick-Fil-A. It was the first time I took Clark into the play area and he loved it.
The boys were not finished playing when we left here so we headed to the park. Clark gave out pretty quickly but Logan had fun playing with other kids.
Of course in the picture of Logan none of the other kids show up. After all this play we ran by the grocery store and then went home where I ended up detailing my car while I thought Gail was taking a nap but was really watching her shows on her phone. That night we had steak and cream peas from the farmer's market for dinner. Gail and I ducked out for a few minutes to the liquor store for some stuff she could take home for coworkers.
Sunday we went to church and since it was the first Sunday of the month we had potluck lunch. After church we went home with the hopes of naps but that was not to be. We ended up working in the yard for a little while and then meeting one of our cousins at Rosa's for dinner.
Monday morning it was back to school for Logan and then Gail and I headed out for a couple of errands. We picked up some more stuff for her coworkers and then headed to another Kaloche bakery I knew of for her kaloche fix. After that we walked around the mall to waste time where she found some more do dads to take home. Our normal tradition is to eat at Cracker Barrel before she heads home but this year she decided on the Cheesecake Factory so that is where we shared an appetizer and a piece of cheesecake.
It was bittersweet since the lunch was amazing but we knew the next stop was the airport. We were both sad to see her go and I could not believe it had been 8 days. After dropping her off though I drove swiftly in to work so I would not use any more vacation time. Because I was only there for half the day it went really quickly!
I had some leftover rice and mongolian beef from pf chang's as well as some leftover corn from dinner on Saturday and some leftover squash, zucchini and carrots from a veggie platter I took to church for potluck Sunday. I combined all of these for a fried rice dish, as well as some frozen broccoli I had in the freezer and it was ok. We did not eat the corn the other night because it was pretty gummy and I thought frying it would help but it really did not. Leaving it out would have made the dish fantastic.
Friday morning I dropped Clark at the sitter and took Logan to school, then swung by the house to jump in the truck with Phillip and Gail. We then headed to Canton for First Monday. If you are not familiar First Monday is the largest flea market in the state and only operates as the name implies the weekend before the first Monday of each month.
In addition to these finds I scored some legos for Logan as well as jelly from my regular supplier. It was a lot of walking which ended up looking like this on my pedometer app
Saturday Phillip had to go weed eat the church's lawn as well as film a speech so Gail, the boys and I ran a couple of errands including the farmer's market and then had lunch at Chick-Fil-A. It was the first time I took Clark into the play area and he loved it.
Sunday we went to church and since it was the first Sunday of the month we had potluck lunch. After church we went home with the hopes of naps but that was not to be. We ended up working in the yard for a little while and then meeting one of our cousins at Rosa's for dinner.
Monday morning it was back to school for Logan and then Gail and I headed out for a couple of errands. We picked up some more stuff for her coworkers and then headed to another Kaloche bakery I knew of for her kaloche fix. After that we walked around the mall to waste time where she found some more do dads to take home. Our normal tradition is to eat at Cracker Barrel before she heads home but this year she decided on the Cheesecake Factory so that is where we shared an appetizer and a piece of cheesecake.
I had some leftover rice and mongolian beef from pf chang's as well as some leftover corn from dinner on Saturday and some leftover squash, zucchini and carrots from a veggie platter I took to church for potluck Sunday. I combined all of these for a fried rice dish, as well as some frozen broccoli I had in the freezer and it was ok. We did not eat the corn the other night because it was pretty gummy and I thought frying it would help but it really did not. Leaving it out would have made the dish fantastic.
Staycation with my Sister!
After a rough week my sister came in town! She usually comes out here once a year on vacation and we try to squeeze in as much as we can. This year things were just off but we still had a good time.
She came in on Sunday morning so the boys and I skipped church and picked her up at the airport. We picked her up and brought her luggage by the house. Once we dropped her luggage at home we put the stroller in the trunk and headed to the mall to get Logan's teddy fixed. Build a Bear was amazing, they restuffed and sewed up Teddy. We then let Logan ride the train they have that goes around the mall and throw some money in the fountain. After leaving the mall we went by Target to get a couple of items Phillip needed and let Logan spend his birthday money on Minecraft stuff. Once we left there we got a bite to eat at Rosa's! When my family comes in town we always have to get some BBQ and Mexican food.
My mom chose this moment to call and make sure that my sister had arrived. After this we headed home and I can not promise other than take a walk what we did the rest of the afternoon. For dinner I made meatloaf with velveeta and some boxed mac and cheese which I added some more cheese to. That night was the "blood" moon so we were outside with everyone else watching the eclipse. I took some bad photos with my phone but Phillip got a couple of good ones.
Monday I took Logan to school and then came back home for Clark and my sister (Gail). We then headed to Granbury to visit with Nene and Mimi as well as walk the square. We visited several shops on the square and then had lunch at Springcreek as it was the only BBQ place I knew of in Granbury. Clark enjoyed his corn on the cob and was not happy at all when I took it from him so we could leave.
After this we headed for some afternoon shopping at the thrift store and found a few good things. From there we headed home and took another walk through the neighborhood. Dinner was homemade fajitas.
Tuesday we let Logan skip school and we slept in a little bit. After getting up and going Gail, Logan and I headed to West for some kaloches. West is on Gail's list and so I combined it with a trip to a dairy farm.
So after the Czech stop at which we had more kaloches than we needed to eat we headed back toward town and the dairy farm. Along the way we came to this great rest stop. I am a sucker for great rest stops and this was an awesome one.
After the rest stop we headed to the dairy farm which supplies a milk/dairy/beef co-op that some friends use. We were seriously disappointed.....here is what I wrote a friend after we came home.
"1.) Thought I was in the wrong place, farm consists of a double wide trailer which I guess they live in and a lean to which housed the "store".
2.) Store had only homemade jam, everything else was store bought in bulk and repackaged or store brands. I could see the large bags behind the counter.
3.) Girl who helped us was wearing a lime green dress which is not generally a color you see Mennonite or Amish wearing.
4.) Boy who was watering the chickens was wearing a polo shirt, no head covering and driving a mule(cart).
5.) There were cars, trucks, tractors, mules and various other power equipment everywhere.
6.) Free range chickens consists of chicken coops with small fenced areas next to them. Not large fenced areas for the number of chickens.
7.) We counted maybe 15 cows and about 5 calves.
I could be overly suspicious and I know some sects of the Mennonite faith are a little more accepting of modern conveniences but this almost seemed like a put on gimmick."
After we left the farm which I was hoping to actually purchase some of the items they offer on the co-op we ended up going to McDonald's. Gail and I were not hungry but Logan was so we went there for him to play and eat. This McDonald's had some cool seating and play equipment.
After eating here we headed home for the evening where we used the leftovers from the fajitas to make tortilla soup for dinner.
Wednesday I dropped Logan at school and then Gail and I headed to the State Fair! This is actually why Gail comes in town this time each year. We had a good time although several of the regular things we usually see were not there this year. We also managed to go on the only day the Marine Corps band was not playing. Here are a few pictures from the day.
We picked up a pizza on the way home for family dinner and then tried to relax at home with the boys. Thursday Gail and I hung around the house in the morning while Phillip ran a couple of errands and then we headed downtown to PF Chang's for our annual lunch.
After a really yummy lunch we walked around some of the shops downtown and then headed to pick up Logan from school. After picking him up we went by the post office and then to drop off some household cleaners at the city's drop off station. Then we swung by the say old bread store for our monthly supply and some for Gail to take home. I was still soo stuffed from lunch that dinner was not something I wanted. I fixed the boys some chicken nuggets from the freezer and spent the evening prepping for Friday.
She came in on Sunday morning so the boys and I skipped church and picked her up at the airport. We picked her up and brought her luggage by the house. Once we dropped her luggage at home we put the stroller in the trunk and headed to the mall to get Logan's teddy fixed. Build a Bear was amazing, they restuffed and sewed up Teddy. We then let Logan ride the train they have that goes around the mall and throw some money in the fountain. After leaving the mall we went by Target to get a couple of items Phillip needed and let Logan spend his birthday money on Minecraft stuff. Once we left there we got a bite to eat at Rosa's! When my family comes in town we always have to get some BBQ and Mexican food.
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| He is never still |
After this we headed for some afternoon shopping at the thrift store and found a few good things. From there we headed home and took another walk through the neighborhood. Dinner was homemade fajitas.
Tuesday we let Logan skip school and we slept in a little bit. After getting up and going Gail, Logan and I headed to West for some kaloches. West is on Gail's list and so I combined it with a trip to a dairy farm.
After the rest stop we headed to the dairy farm which supplies a milk/dairy/beef co-op that some friends use. We were seriously disappointed.....here is what I wrote a friend after we came home.
"1.) Thought I was in the wrong place, farm consists of a double wide trailer which I guess they live in and a lean to which housed the "store".
2.) Store had only homemade jam, everything else was store bought in bulk and repackaged or store brands. I could see the large bags behind the counter.
3.) Girl who helped us was wearing a lime green dress which is not generally a color you see Mennonite or Amish wearing.
4.) Boy who was watering the chickens was wearing a polo shirt, no head covering and driving a mule(cart).
5.) There were cars, trucks, tractors, mules and various other power equipment everywhere.
6.) Free range chickens consists of chicken coops with small fenced areas next to them. Not large fenced areas for the number of chickens.
7.) We counted maybe 15 cows and about 5 calves.
I could be overly suspicious and I know some sects of the Mennonite faith are a little more accepting of modern conveniences but this almost seemed like a put on gimmick."
After we left the farm which I was hoping to actually purchase some of the items they offer on the co-op we ended up going to McDonald's. Gail and I were not hungry but Logan was so we went there for him to play and eat. This McDonald's had some cool seating and play equipment.
After eating here we headed home for the evening where we used the leftovers from the fajitas to make tortilla soup for dinner.
Wednesday I dropped Logan at school and then Gail and I headed to the State Fair! This is actually why Gail comes in town this time each year. We had a good time although several of the regular things we usually see were not there this year. We also managed to go on the only day the Marine Corps band was not playing. Here are a few pictures from the day.
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| The Killdaires |
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| I actually had a pair of these when I was little |
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