Thanksgiving

I just put the last of the dishes from Thanksgiving away. I believe we ran the dishwasher 4 times on Thursday. 

Mr. Mickey is finally big enough for his britches, I mean harness, and he wandered outside with Dizzy to explore. This is causing problems, as he now wants to go outside all the time...

After a major cleaning and rearranging (and de-cluttering) of the kitchen, we had a clean table to eat dinner at.

Due to the size of our total group, we had to add in an extra table to fit everyone.

A good time was had by all, we played cards, laughed and celebrated being thankful for good friends. My mom was worried about some really crappy weather, so she stayed home and hopes to come up soon.

It was warm enough on Thanksgiving for Dizzy to be in capris and a t-shirt (I think close to 60). Woke up this morning to something very different. It was -2 when I left to work the college football concession stand, -3 when I left. The Boss, Bean and Dizzy headed south to Bozeman where it was 41 when I left, but only about 6 when they got there and a lot of snow. 

Football (college) for me is over for the year, as both our local team and  my Bobcats lost in playoff games today. It was a good season and both teams played well today, an ending to be proud of.

A bit more cleaning and I'll be digging out the decorations and starting the Christmas crazy. I did not shop on Thanksgiving, but did a little bit Black Friday morning (starting at 7 and was at work by 9). 

Besides the kitchen, changes are still moving forward, I hope to have more news within a week or so. Until then,

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to stay warm (and manage mischief)!

Today needs to go away...

First, this is my weather...

Then I get these in the mail for Bean....

I think it's wine-thirty and time to hide in a book for the rest of the day! Hope the Boss is home to pick up Dizzy after practice (they're in the above weather putting together a tree lot).

Random kitty pictures, just cause!

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to manage some mischief!

Changes

I made homemade chicken noodle soup today. It began yesterday, where I made my own chicken stock, making the house smell yucky all day. Using that with some of the chicken I pulled off the bones I boiled to make the stock and some carrots, celery and garlic, I made a slow cooker full of soup. 

When I got home, I added gymnastic shaped pasta and let it simmer a bit before we dug in and enjoyed bowls full.

I'm in the process of making some changes in my life. I won't say anything more than that right now, but things could be changing. Something I will say is that there are some amazing people in my life right now and I would not trade them for the world!

In other news, Bean is sick, Tater's wrist hurts after falling on the playground and Mickey Mouse got to go outside on a leash today.

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to manage some mischief!

Mom! It's cold out

And, no, this isn't my 2-legged children complaining about the weather.

The window perch is empty most of the time. No kitties watching the goings on from their spot on high.

I'm way more likely to find them underfoot in the kitchen. Anyone want to guess where the heat vent is at?

Oh to be a kitten with the only worry is where to sleep each day!

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to manage some mischief!

Kitchen crazy!

Made it to work with the banana bread (contaminated and not contaminated) and the pumpkin doughnut holes.  Only 3 small pieces of bread and 1 doughnut left.

Today's mess:

dinner

more banana bread

pies for church tomorrow (still have 2 to make after this)

I have to say, I love my food processor! Made the pies in seconds!

Be happy! Be healthy! Be sure to manage some mischief!

What to do when you are gone from home from 7am to 8:30 pm?

I think it is a great idea to make banana bread and experiment with a new recipe.  This has to start, of course, with my flipping the wrong side of the recipe book up and starting off by mixing up a batch of cornbread...I didn't have 3 hours to spare. Toss that one in the garbage and start over...

So I ended up with this:

Which makes this:

And in the waiting for The Boss to bring home some more flour (see mess up in the first paragraph), I made these:

And to finish off a day where I had Bean at school at 7:30, work at 9, tutor at 2:30, make a side dish and get Dizzy to practice and then gather Bean and Tater to join the Boss at a Boy Scout Court of Honor at 6. I had to leave before the potluck to get Dizzy from practice and visit briefly with her coach.

I enjoyed this:

Be happy! Be healthy! Be sure to manage some mischief!

The top 2 pictures are of banana bread (one cooking and one finished) and the doughnut holes are homemade pumpkin. The wine is just a glass of wine.

Friday fun

Cat trap 2-fer. 

You know the phrase, "If it fits, I sits." This box is big enough for 2. I set it down and 2 minutes later it was full.

Tonight is football playoffs, The Boss and Bean will be freezing their tails off at the stadium. Go Bengals! Dizzy will be experiencing her first Middle School Lock-in and I'll join her later ('accidentally' missing the ice breakers) after sitting on the school gym floor watching Finding Nemo with Tater.

Tomorrow is the final home game for our local college team and yours truly will be working concessions again. Just might be a cold one...

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to manage some mischief this weekend!

Another day in paradise

And, for those of you a certain age who are now singing along, the day started out at eight degrees below zero.

As it was dropping to that temperature last night, I was out in the uninsulated, unheated garage, sorting frozen butterbraids so I could get them delivered today.

I put the ones for work in my trunk (it was certainly colder there than in my freezer). 

So, ran the girls to the bus this morning, in my winter jacket and my jammies. No, I didn't embarrass them and get out of the car or anything, but I wasn't getting dressed to run a quarter mile down the road.

I get ready, actually did my hair today, blow dry and used a curling iron and a straightening iron on it. It has a new shorter length and coppery-red highlights.

I get to work, gather my bag, my lunch, my soda, my purse, my gloves and the bags of Scout popcorn I was delivering. Then I get into the trunk to get the butterbraids. Thinking I had everything, I shut the trunk and headed in to work to start the day.

Two hours later, a co-worker wanders over to ask me about my gloves.  "If you are looking for them later, I think they are sticking out of your trunk, or you have a dead body trying to get out."

No, it's not the zombie apocalypse. It's just my gloves sticking out of the trunk. At least it wasn't something important!

Survived tutoring, middle school parent-teacher conferences for Dizzy, visiting a friend, collecting Dizzy from practice, heading as far across town as possible to get Bean from his Boy Scouts Order of the Arrow meeting and then home.

Since getting home, I've tucked in kids, snitched part of Dizzy's dinner (I missed out tonight), re-tucked Tater back into bed when she started sleepwalking and have written over 1500 words on my November Novel. It is going well so far, but I'm running out of storyline. I know where I want it to go, but I can't see how to get there.

Guess I'll have to get out my inspiration pack from the first write-in and see if it can help. I ate the snickers earlier, but I might have the kit kat left...

I have 3rd grade movie night, middle school library lock in and working the college football game to look forward to in the next 48 hours. Somehow in there I want to watch some more Castle episodes and continue to write at least 1700 words each day. 

And the happy news, it's supposed to be above freezing next week! Ready to have double digit temps again!

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to manage some mischief today!

Ice

Ice is not fun.  Driving on ice is definitely not fun. My car is on injured reserves for a little while, as The Boss was being a rock star and checking fluid levels and had a cover drop down, Plinko style, into the engine area and disappear. So, new cover is on order and I'm driving something else today.

The Boss thought I would be fine driving his Mustang today. So, it fits in the work parking lot better than our pick-up, so I went with that.

I was doing OK, not great, but thought I might have it handled, until the little college girl walked out in fa hill.

SHE WALKED OUT IN FRONT OF ME ON ICE!

I'm not sure she was thinking, but she was very friendly and gave me a huge wave and smile. MORON!

So, I didn't hit her, but now I am stuck, because rear-wheel drive Mustangs don't like snow and ice and I was on ice.

Knew I needed to back up, but had no way to with traffic coming up.  Was almost in tears before a very kind gentleman came up, parked behind me and came to help. This gave me the chance to back up safely, get off the ice that I had been spinning on and move forward on the crispy snow at the side of the road. He also gave me a push, which helped as well.

I only went sideways a couple of times after that and made it to the end of the hilly part of my drive (except that one part).

Then as I'm driving from the convenience store to work (needed my soda infusion for the day and to get out of the car for a moment), a young driver pulls out in front of me.  Yes, I went sideways again. 

That young man found me after we parked and apologised.  I was very impressed.

Homeward was easier (and mostly downhill).

I'm now driving our pick-up. 

Can't wait for Wednesday when I get my car back, with snow tires. I'm very stressed about ice.

I want this back. Dizzy told me today on the way to gymnastics that she wants to move to Florida!

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to use common sense when the roads are icy!

The weather is a-changin'

First signs at our house that things are changing:

None of us can get up from our seats without losing them.  Fortunately, they're willing to snuggle, so we share.

It was a nice, peaceful day. I was home-bound, as the brake fluid cap in my car is missing. So, I stayed home, watched football, did laundry and the Boss smoked a pork loin for dinner.

And yes, I have leftovers for another night. So very excited! We also had homemade coleslaw and it was amazing as well.

Unfortunately, the weather has changed and therefore all of the stuff for the smoker was on the deck.  

Now it resides in my house:

This week brings practice, parent/teacher conferences for Dizzy and popcorn delivery. Am guessing the Girl Scout nuts will be in soon as well, as will the butterbraids and the pasta Dizzy sold.

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to manage some mischief!

Crazy days!

So, last night I was supposed to be 4 places at once. I'm good at juggling, but not that good. 

Band concert

Gymnastics meeting

Girl Scout meeting

Delivering and picking up children at book group.

Needless to say, I went to watch Bean at the Jazz Band Concert. It was amazing, I can't believe how great they sounded after just a couple of months of practicing together. With so many younger members, the sky is the limit for this group.

Not a good picture, but he's the white mass sitting next to the piano.

I ran Dizzy to her book group from gymnastics early and was late picking her up, but she was at the library and very happy to sit and read or text with her friends.

Tonight isn't much better, but there is a limit on where everyone is going (and fewer miles on my car). The older 2 are going to the football game (playoff time!) and I think the Boss is going to join them. Tater has a sleep over with her friend, so is going home with them.

Me you ask? I'm going out with friends.

So, to stave off the guilt, I made breakfast for the crew...

 

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to manage some mischief!

101

I wasn't paying attention on Tuesday when I posted my last one, I'm at 101 posts! Wow, didn't realize I had done so many.

Not much new and exciting around the old homestead.  The Boss and I are trying to get back into a schedule, but we had Tuesday off for Election Day.  In no world do I believe I should have the entire day off to take the twenty minutes to vote. That being said, I was thankful to have a day to sleep, as I had a pounding headache and needed the extra time to recover.

Yesterday I was honored to do storytime at the library.  Things went well, the parents were thrilled to have me make a guest appearance.  I would say the kiddos were as well, but once I got into my story, I did make one little lamb cry.  Evidently saying stop (It was part of the story) with a louder than I had been using voice startled him and he was of the age to go from startle to cry.

Cruising towards the weekend, I have 3 places to be tonight and discovered next Monday I have 2 places I have to be at once.  Not sure how to make that one work either. Tonight kids win out and I'll be at the Jazz Band Concert at the high school. Will get Dizzy to her book group early, probably have to pick her up a little late, but she is somewhere safe.

Bean had to be at his health teacher's house at 5:15 this morning and was home by 6:20 to get ready for school.  Extra credit assignment, but I think he said they ran 7 1/2 miles before it was done. Should be a long day for him.

It was someone's birthday yesterday.  The Boss is another year wiser.  It may have included balloons on his desk while he was gone getting his drivers license renewed, chocolate covered cherries and Minion Peeps at home, along with an ice cream cake (and everyone at church singing him happy birthday). It was a good day.

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to manage some mischief today!

Home and November

Things are getting back to normal around here.  I have to say, I miss the warm sunshine, but I am happy to be back in my normal routine again.  Guess I'm not as ready to be a stay at home mom as I thought I was.

Bonus day off today.  I am still not certain why Election day should be a government holiday, since I didn't go to vote until long after I would have been home from work anyhow.  I did spend most of the day in bed, as I was not feeling well with a terrible headache.  

It's November and that means I should be working on my November Novel (www.nanowrimo.org) but for the first time ever, it isn't going well.  I'm way behind on my word count and can't see where the story is going.  Never-the-less, I'll be working on it some more tonight as soon as I get home from picking up Dizzy from gymnastics and we'll see where it goes.

I chose not to do the being thankful in November that many do on Facebook.  I'm thankful for a lot, but it seems like some get upset if they are not where they think they should be on my list.  There.  

 

Mickey decided that he had to be on his perch today, even though the Boss shampooed the carpet in the living room and hallway today.  So, he managed to climb on top of it while it was sitting on the recliner (read--rocking chair) and give it his best shot.  Only came off once...darn.

Here's to a great rest of the week, I get to play at work and do storytime this week, love spending time with the littles!

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to spend time on you today!

Orlando-Final Day!

I'm sad our trip is coming to an end, but I'm also very ready to be home.  I miss my kids, I miss my routine and I miss my purring lap rugs.

But-OMG!- I went to Hogwarts today!!!!!

and I had Butterbeer!

It was awesome! I also visited a "bookstore"

It was false advertising, but did have a great selection of Dr Seuss books.

So, a week ago

but I'm ready to go home and get back to reality.  I'm not ready to go home and deal with the "winter weather advisory" which translates to "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA"-89 to 30 degrees is just a little change. Ah well, there's no place like home!

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to stay warm!