November 14, 2008
new orleans
yeah. dad and i are in new orleans. for business purposes. it's a different world down here. but check it out....i caught a leprechaun!
October 23, 2008
helping where i can
since i am not really working outside the house, i feel i need to be extremely vigilant about my spending. I am pretty good at not really spending money these days, since i am mostly home anyhow. it isn't like i need to eat out or need clothes. Since it is holiday season soon, i do get to start buying Christmas presents, which definitely helps...since i really do enjoy shopping!
The one place where i will always get to shop.....the grocery store! This isn't my favorite thing to do and i had started to go to the grocery store....alot. To pick up what we needed for just the next couple days, getting some groceries when i went with gramma, or just grabbing some things after soccer practice. This was not a great practice for our checkbook, not terrible, but not fantastic.
so i decided to overhaul my grocery shopping process.
my first experiment was to try and shop only two times per month. my theory was two paydays a month=two grocery trips. This went okay. I had a hard time thinking that far ahead as far as Katelyn's lunches, and we ran out of milk; I bought way too much american cheese, but i did remember to buy some bread and put it in the freezer. We lasted just short of two weeks but i definitely was not loving this process.
my second experiment was to actually do the coupon thing. I had long shied away from serious couponing, with the idea that some generic brands were cheaper or that i would be buying things not needed just because i had a coupon. Well. I have really gotten on the coupon bandwagon. it takes alot of "planning"...scouring the Sunday ads and adding coupons on top of those sales. It does take a bit more effort. I felt like i was walking back and forth through the grocery store a bit more than usual, and spent alot of time calculating whether or not the coupon made it cheaper than other brands, or other brands on sale. i ended up saving a whopping $54.00 (more than 33% of my total). I was pretty proud of myself and if nothing else, it encouraged me to continue on with my newest plan, since at this point in my life i do have the time to save money in this fashion.
The one place where i will always get to shop.....the grocery store! This isn't my favorite thing to do and i had started to go to the grocery store....alot. To pick up what we needed for just the next couple days, getting some groceries when i went with gramma, or just grabbing some things after soccer practice. This was not a great practice for our checkbook, not terrible, but not fantastic.
so i decided to overhaul my grocery shopping process.
my first experiment was to try and shop only two times per month. my theory was two paydays a month=two grocery trips. This went okay. I had a hard time thinking that far ahead as far as Katelyn's lunches, and we ran out of milk; I bought way too much american cheese, but i did remember to buy some bread and put it in the freezer. We lasted just short of two weeks but i definitely was not loving this process.
my second experiment was to actually do the coupon thing. I had long shied away from serious couponing, with the idea that some generic brands were cheaper or that i would be buying things not needed just because i had a coupon. Well. I have really gotten on the coupon bandwagon. it takes alot of "planning"...scouring the Sunday ads and adding coupons on top of those sales. It does take a bit more effort. I felt like i was walking back and forth through the grocery store a bit more than usual, and spent alot of time calculating whether or not the coupon made it cheaper than other brands, or other brands on sale. i ended up saving a whopping $54.00 (more than 33% of my total). I was pretty proud of myself and if nothing else, it encouraged me to continue on with my newest plan, since at this point in my life i do have the time to save money in this fashion.
October 22, 2008
parent visitation day
Last Thursday was parent visitation day at Katelyn's school….and it was so fun!
When I went, obviously I didn’t really know what to expect…kind of like the first day of school! There were two sessions. A 9am-11am and 1pm-3pm session. I went to both. In the morning, they do their calender, complete with day, date, month, season, year, number of days they’ve been in school, and weather. They had station time. Katelyn's station was whisper reading. It consisted of Katelyn reading into a pvc phone. It was a 4 inch pvc pipe, with two small 90% angle pvc pipes, so when she read into the bottom part, it was “read” to her through the ear piece. There were five different stations going. The teacher was “supposed” to be with Katelyn's reading group the most…I think. Well, the lady who was supposed to be running the one station didn’t make it there on time and the computers for the computer station were majorly acting up. So on a normal day, without parents who are visiting, how in the world does one teacher do it all?! That’s nuts!
I came back after lunch, they had gym class, where they were hitting balls of different sizes and shapes with a plastic paddle. After that they read a book called Hold the Anchovies! Then cut out and decorated their own pizzas. After that we had music class, which was tons of fun, the kids got to play a two tone beat on the xylophone. Then the parents got to perform for the kids. Our two tone beat was much more coordinated, but not nearly as adorable as them!
I came away from parent day with a newer appreciation for Katelyn's wonderful teacher. I cant imagine having to take charge of 16 five year olds for an entire day. Also I figured that the teacher probably had about a million projects that she did with the kids each day, just to keep them busy. This is not the case. It is more of a slow and steady atmosphere.
I thoroughly enjoyed being in Katelyn's class room with her, it was really great to see her in HER element, interacting with her friends and teacher.
October 15, 2008
tonight we were kitties
every night before katelyn goes to bed, we crawl to her room with her on my back. we pick what animal we are. some nights we are camels, dogs, some night maybe we'll be snakes...that would be interesting, right?
well tonight, katelyn plopped down in our usual starting place with the cutest/orneriest face ever....in MY position. so i played along and "sat" on her back. (my thighs burn) we kept it up all the way to her bed where she was more than pleased with herself that she was being the mommy cat. you probably "had to be there" in order to truely appreciate the hilarity, but it sure was fun!
October 11, 2008
Book-It!
book-it makes me teary.
apparently the book it program has been around for about 20 years, which is obviously accurate, because i remember doing it when i was in first grade. when i was a kid, i read everything i could get my hands on, and i am pretty sure that i was reading above my grade level too. anyhow, the point of that is that i never had any problem meeting my quota, in order to get the free pizza from Pizza Hut. and this pizza was a big deal. we never had money to eat out, so this was quite a prize. my biological mom and i would walk to pizza hut (i have no idea how far that was) and proudly carry back our tiny pizza=D i think they might have given out certificates too. i have no idea if i shared it with my mom or not, but my guess is that she probably let me eat it all. i was always so proud of myself for being able to "provide food"....such as it was, especially by doing something that came natural to me, reading.
yesterday in Katelyn's take home folder, there was a book-it form, honestly i didn't even realize they still had that program. Katelyn also, loves to be read to and is making huge progress with her own reading skills. needless to say, like her mommy, she wont have any problem meeting the monthly quota of ten books, she'll be just as proud of herself for earning that pizza, and no, her mom wont let her share her pizza either =D
apparently the book it program has been around for about 20 years, which is obviously accurate, because i remember doing it when i was in first grade. when i was a kid, i read everything i could get my hands on, and i am pretty sure that i was reading above my grade level too. anyhow, the point of that is that i never had any problem meeting my quota, in order to get the free pizza from Pizza Hut. and this pizza was a big deal. we never had money to eat out, so this was quite a prize. my biological mom and i would walk to pizza hut (i have no idea how far that was) and proudly carry back our tiny pizza=D i think they might have given out certificates too. i have no idea if i shared it with my mom or not, but my guess is that she probably let me eat it all. i was always so proud of myself for being able to "provide food"....such as it was, especially by doing something that came natural to me, reading.
yesterday in Katelyn's take home folder, there was a book-it form, honestly i didn't even realize they still had that program. Katelyn also, loves to be read to and is making huge progress with her own reading skills. needless to say, like her mommy, she wont have any problem meeting the monthly quota of ten books, she'll be just as proud of herself for earning that pizza, and no, her mom wont let her share her pizza either =D
October 7, 2008
the last of the mass blogging
i leave today with two questions....
1. we are reading pippi longstocking at bedtime...any idea how to explain to a 5 year old what a cannibal is, without giving her nightmares?!
2.what mother lets a kindergartner where a bra, a kid bra? a few of Katelyn's friends do, and of course she wants one(wont get one) and apparently it isn't an undershirt. that also was a fun explanation of when she could wear a bra. bizzare.
1. we are reading pippi longstocking at bedtime...any idea how to explain to a 5 year old what a cannibal is, without giving her nightmares?!
2.what mother lets a kindergartner where a bra, a kid bra? a few of Katelyn's friends do, and of course she wants one(wont get one) and apparently it isn't an undershirt. that also was a fun explanation of when she could wear a bra. bizzare.
obviously i am not a fan of alarm clocks
since school has started, i have had to set my alarm clock every day since aug 26th. this is new for us, since previously, we have just woke up, when we woke up. with school, soccer, and church, we've had to be somewhere in the morning every day. last saturday our soccer game was cancelled, so obviously i didnt set the alarm.
that night i woke up in the middle of the night and as i was.....in the bathroom i started praying " dear God, thank you for waking me up since i forgot to set the alarm for school tomorrow, that would have been a disaster, etc" well a few seconds later, i realized that i was crazy and didnt set the alarm on purpose since in fact the next day was not a school day. if God ever thinks people are crazy...i definatly got his vote that night!
that night i woke up in the middle of the night and as i was.....in the bathroom i started praying " dear God, thank you for waking me up since i forgot to set the alarm for school tomorrow, that would have been a disaster, etc" well a few seconds later, i realized that i was crazy and didnt set the alarm on purpose since in fact the next day was not a school day. if God ever thinks people are crazy...i definatly got his vote that night!
katelyn loves......
Katelyn loves kindergarten! she never complains about going and often doesnt seem ready to leave. She's made friends with the girls in her class and is learning so much. she loves to tell me everything that is going on with her friends, and what she is learning (any chance she will keep that up through 12th grade)
her biggest love is writing. the whole way home from school she is writing words, names, anything she can sound out or get me to spell. she takes her notebook and pencil just about everywhere. last week at soccer practice, before i noticed, she even had it on the field trying to write everyones names! she is also making leaps and bounds with reading. mostly words like to, on, my, me, like, book, will, etc. she reads a book to me everynight and then when we are reading together she often interupts by pointing out words in the book, last night she picked out "teacher".
i am so proud of her, she is learning so much so fast. did i mention tat i was proud of her.... =D
when i show up at her school on volunteer days, like picture day...it is always so nice to see her, because i do miss her so much throughout the day. But i can also rest easy knowing that she is completely happy being in schol.
her biggest love is writing. the whole way home from school she is writing words, names, anything she can sound out or get me to spell. she takes her notebook and pencil just about everywhere. last week at soccer practice, before i noticed, she even had it on the field trying to write everyones names! she is also making leaps and bounds with reading. mostly words like to, on, my, me, like, book, will, etc. she reads a book to me everynight and then when we are reading together she often interupts by pointing out words in the book, last night she picked out "teacher".
i am so proud of her, she is learning so much so fast. did i mention tat i was proud of her.... =D
when i show up at her school on volunteer days, like picture day...it is always so nice to see her, because i do miss her so much throughout the day. But i can also rest easy knowing that she is completely happy being in schol.
going green
people who know me know that i like to save energy, recycle like its me job, take care of the world, be thrifty, etc....
well. this last week i FAILED miserably. and katelyn passed with straight A's! usually i unplug unused appliances, like our microwave, unless we are using it, only use lights if it is darkish and we are in the room. I've gotten pretty good at this.
so for the first time since school started we were driving home in the dark, from bible study and as we got to our house i realized that our basement lights were on. this is bad enough but these lights had been on for days! gross.
the day before though, when we were grocery shopping i let katelyn pick out a cereal. usually she picks something like lucky charms and then i grab the generic brand. well, she walked over to me with the generic brand of fruit loops and i was so proud.
i know it might seem silly, but these little things do end up mattering in the long run.
well. this last week i FAILED miserably. and katelyn passed with straight A's! usually i unplug unused appliances, like our microwave, unless we are using it, only use lights if it is darkish and we are in the room. I've gotten pretty good at this.
so for the first time since school started we were driving home in the dark, from bible study and as we got to our house i realized that our basement lights were on. this is bad enough but these lights had been on for days! gross.
the day before though, when we were grocery shopping i let katelyn pick out a cereal. usually she picks something like lucky charms and then i grab the generic brand. well, she walked over to me with the generic brand of fruit loops and i was so proud.
i know it might seem silly, but these little things do end up mattering in the long run.
the golden egg
so the only part of our morning routine that doesnt go too smoothly on a regular basis is breakfast. the first day of school she ate part of a banana and string cheese. (another mother thought this was terrible, but isnt it better than handing her a poptart?) anyhow, she tends to eat like a bird in the mornings and it drives me nuts cause her behavior is greatly affected when she is hungry. somedays all i can cram down her is a tiny piece of toast. but last thurday and friday she ate cereal so well. i figured maybe we were on the way towards her eating normally. well the news is that its only gotten better. she woke up sat morning and wanted an egg sandwich. and she has eaten that for the last couple of days. i am so glad that she is eating better, that way i dont have to worry about her being hungry in the morning....when she gets out of school she is starving though =D
September 23, 2008
picture day!
so...today is picture day at katelyns school. thinking back on it now, i should have realized that what that really means is that our morning routine is more likely to go awry today as opposed to any other safe, non school picture days=D
thankfully it wasnt too traumatic.
this was the first day that breakfast wasnt eaten....i think she has a fourth of one piece of toast in her stomach!
she managed to drip toothpaste all down the front of her.......apron. yeah i have her wear an apron that my grandma rhoda made for her while she eats breakfast AND brushes her teeth. to avoid precisely this type of disaster! thankfully she has no problem wearing it.
and yes, my kindergartener has the worlds tiniest whitehead....but it is there on her face. i have no idea how a five year old has a pimple, but this one showed up just at the most "opportune" time~ ha
so this has been our bizzare day so far. my guess is that since we thwarted all disaster attempts at home....she will either get splashed by a puddle....even though it isnt raining, get paint on herself, even though she doesnt have art, or fall on the playground, even though she doesnt have recess before pictures. but she's my child, so one of these things are likely to happen to my poor child. but even so, she'll still be pretty, and that one second smile is all that really counts for picture day.
At first i thought that picture day was such a big deal, i had to pick out her clothes, etc. but realistically, i have ten-ish scrapbooks behind me, filled with her pictures, i can take a picture of her in whatever outfit i want, at any time, for way cheaper. also that way, i may avoid that cheasy smile we are bound to get on the school pictures=D
i get to go help with picture day at the school today. i am glad to be going down there. i figured that i would basically be walking classes to and from, but apparently our job also includes censoring....like boys who desperatly try to create mohawks in the bathroom minutes before picture time....ha.
this should be fun............
thankfully it wasnt too traumatic.
this was the first day that breakfast wasnt eaten....i think she has a fourth of one piece of toast in her stomach!
she managed to drip toothpaste all down the front of her.......apron. yeah i have her wear an apron that my grandma rhoda made for her while she eats breakfast AND brushes her teeth. to avoid precisely this type of disaster! thankfully she has no problem wearing it.
and yes, my kindergartener has the worlds tiniest whitehead....but it is there on her face. i have no idea how a five year old has a pimple, but this one showed up just at the most "opportune" time~ ha
so this has been our bizzare day so far. my guess is that since we thwarted all disaster attempts at home....she will either get splashed by a puddle....even though it isnt raining, get paint on herself, even though she doesnt have art, or fall on the playground, even though she doesnt have recess before pictures. but she's my child, so one of these things are likely to happen to my poor child. but even so, she'll still be pretty, and that one second smile is all that really counts for picture day.
At first i thought that picture day was such a big deal, i had to pick out her clothes, etc. but realistically, i have ten-ish scrapbooks behind me, filled with her pictures, i can take a picture of her in whatever outfit i want, at any time, for way cheaper. also that way, i may avoid that cheasy smile we are bound to get on the school pictures=D
i get to go help with picture day at the school today. i am glad to be going down there. i figured that i would basically be walking classes to and from, but apparently our job also includes censoring....like boys who desperatly try to create mohawks in the bathroom minutes before picture time....ha.
this should be fun............
September 10, 2008
our newest stage of life..kindergarten
So…kindergarten! Wow. It has been crazy, but probably in the way that it should be. We’ve been inducted into that new elite group of back to school shoppers. Which wasn’t really too exciting….kindergarteners don’t need that much! Just a lunch box and back pack. Thankfully Katelyn let me get her a cute pink star jansport bag (on sale!!!) as opposed to a plastic princess backpack that might not make it past this grade! I did give her free reign over lunch boxes though….thus Tinkerbelle.
We had kindergarten orientation for about 30 minutes the day before school started. Katelyn got to meet her teacher, color a picture and I got all the information that I could ever want. It was good.
The morning of kindergarten, we were prepared. We had our new routine practiced and in place. Thankfully everything went smoothly….first day of school pictures, no spilled milk to cry over. I drove Katelyn to school. I was under the impression that a lot of parent would be driving their kids. But I was one of few. When we got to the school zone…you know, where the yellow lights flash for you to go slow…I started to say something like “here we go” to Katelyn and that is when I started to get choked up. But I totally got control of myself. She got in line with the other kids and I started to tear up again when a parent asked how I was holding up…once Katelyn was in line, I was pretty much ok, in that I knew that crying in front of her was not a possibility.
……so I waited. I waited until after she got in her class line and DIDN’T look back at me.
…..and I waited until she was out of sight walking into the school.
….and I waited until…..just kidding, once she was out of sight I was sobbing like a baby. It was rather pathetic, but it really did feel better. I managed to sob the whole twenty minutes home, plus at least fifteen more inside the house and while hanging laundry. I was basically stopped crying while I was hanging laundry until I turned to look at the porch to make sure Katelyn was in sight while I was working outside….well DUH, she wasn’t……..because my baby grew up and went to school!
The good and the bad news is that I was crying for myself….i felt really alone now, I would be more lonely, more time on my hands, way less quality time with my little girl, etc…. the good part is that I wasn’t crying for her. Thankfully she didn’t cry, and I knew that she would be fine and that this is a normal part of life.
Since school has started, she’s done well. She rides the bus to school, and seems excited when I pick her up after wards. She has tons of little friends and seems to enjoy school. All the papers that come home seem to be right on track. Honestly she’s even done better than I expected.
So that is our kindergarten journey so far. And I will try to keep posting more regularly, a new computer might be in our future……..
We had kindergarten orientation for about 30 minutes the day before school started. Katelyn got to meet her teacher, color a picture and I got all the information that I could ever want. It was good.
The morning of kindergarten, we were prepared. We had our new routine practiced and in place. Thankfully everything went smoothly….first day of school pictures, no spilled milk to cry over. I drove Katelyn to school. I was under the impression that a lot of parent would be driving their kids. But I was one of few. When we got to the school zone…you know, where the yellow lights flash for you to go slow…I started to say something like “here we go” to Katelyn and that is when I started to get choked up. But I totally got control of myself. She got in line with the other kids and I started to tear up again when a parent asked how I was holding up…once Katelyn was in line, I was pretty much ok, in that I knew that crying in front of her was not a possibility.
……so I waited. I waited until after she got in her class line and DIDN’T look back at me.
…..and I waited until she was out of sight walking into the school.
….and I waited until…..just kidding, once she was out of sight I was sobbing like a baby. It was rather pathetic, but it really did feel better. I managed to sob the whole twenty minutes home, plus at least fifteen more inside the house and while hanging laundry. I was basically stopped crying while I was hanging laundry until I turned to look at the porch to make sure Katelyn was in sight while I was working outside….well DUH, she wasn’t……..because my baby grew up and went to school!
The good and the bad news is that I was crying for myself….i felt really alone now, I would be more lonely, more time on my hands, way less quality time with my little girl, etc…. the good part is that I wasn’t crying for her. Thankfully she didn’t cry, and I knew that she would be fine and that this is a normal part of life.
Since school has started, she’s done well. She rides the bus to school, and seems excited when I pick her up after wards. She has tons of little friends and seems to enjoy school. All the papers that come home seem to be right on track. Honestly she’s even done better than I expected.
So that is our kindergarten journey so far. And I will try to keep posting more regularly, a new computer might be in our future……..
August 12, 2008
i'm not ignoring you.....
...my computer has chosen to actively demonstrate its hatred towards me. it's decided that it no longer wants to charge itself. which is why you havent heard much from me recently.
our next huge step in life is kindergarten. katelyn starts in two weeks exactly. this is incredibly huge and i have so many thoughts to write about, but i am pretty sure that i have used up my time on my parents computer....so i will write more later...but i dont know when. in the meantime, feel free to pray for US during our upcoming transition.
our next huge step in life is kindergarten. katelyn starts in two weeks exactly. this is incredibly huge and i have so many thoughts to write about, but i am pretty sure that i have used up my time on my parents computer....so i will write more later...but i dont know when. in the meantime, feel free to pray for US during our upcoming transition.
July 29, 2008
july
Its been a long while since I’ve blogged. Life’s been busy, which can be good.
We’ve had bible school...which left me exhausted and napping most afternoons. Which is pretty ironic since my 86 year old gramma was all but running the show and she didnt seem as crazed as I felt!
we attended a wedding on my dads side of the family and this weekend we are attending one on moms side of the family.
I had a root canal that was interupted halfway..it’s a long and disgusting story...but hopefully it will be finished tomorrow morning.
We also enjoyed a vacation in maryland at my cousin’s home. While we were there we got to enjoy a private beach, an inflatable house playland, a small zoo and large playground. Katelyn and I got to go to a place where we could paint our own pottery. They will glaze it and we will pick it up when we go down to janell and jeff’s wedding. We got to spend some quality time and some relaxing time with my cousins who it seems like we never see. I officially got to meet meghan, which was very nice. I didnt realize how big of a difference in ages there would be between katelyn at 5 ½ and aliza at 2 ½, but wow there was. Thankfully there havent been any terrible repercussions from the age difference. Hopefully carla doesnt mind aliza saying AWESOME. If that is the worst that we left them with...thats not bad, right?=D
So, this is what we’ve been up to, nothing too crazy=D
I think that I am finally going to be able to upload a photo....we’ll see. It is of katelyn at the zoo in salisbury.
June 30, 2008
story time with miss bea
i have two very funny one liners from katelyn to relay to you. hopefully i can do them justice although...you kind of had to be there.......
the other day, i was reading a circus ad outloud. it read something like this..."Lewis and Clark circus, come early for elephant rides. kids are free"
later mom and i were talking about having more children or something like that. well my genius child piped up with something along the lines of "Go get one at the circus...they are free there"
saturday...amanda and i went to the parade in lewisburg...it had already started so we were rushing to get up to where her her grandma was. so i "bit the bullet" and put katelyn on my shoulders so that i could move through the masses quicker. usually i would just hold her hand and drag or i would put her in front of me and watch her every move. she must be used to both of my never-have-her-out-of-my-sight methosds, because half way down the street, from ON TOP OF MY SHOULDERS, katelyn says "dont worry mom, I am right behind you"
............really?!?!?!
haha. it was very funny. maybe you "had to be there" but luckily i was=D
the other day, i was reading a circus ad outloud. it read something like this..."Lewis and Clark circus, come early for elephant rides. kids are free"
later mom and i were talking about having more children or something like that. well my genius child piped up with something along the lines of "Go get one at the circus...they are free there"
saturday...amanda and i went to the parade in lewisburg...it had already started so we were rushing to get up to where her her grandma was. so i "bit the bullet" and put katelyn on my shoulders so that i could move through the masses quicker. usually i would just hold her hand and drag or i would put her in front of me and watch her every move. she must be used to both of my never-have-her-out-of-my-sight methosds, because half way down the street, from ON TOP OF MY SHOULDERS, katelyn says "dont worry mom, I am right behind you"
............really?!?!?!
haha. it was very funny. maybe you "had to be there" but luckily i was=D
June 23, 2008
my new cooking blog!
ok, ok.....you arent that guilible..right? my friend sarah has this awesome blog where she puts recipies, directions, and sometimes takes pictures. she has to be the cooking queen!
anyhow.....katelyn told me the other day...."dont worry, grammy will teach me how to cook"
so i realized that i officially had failed her!
so i decided to make some brownies...not the kind from the box-which is the only kind i've made since we came back from kenya-so the other night i got to work.
i started making these brownies based on a butter free recipe i found in the mennonite cookbook...since i had no butter. i decided to replace the sugar with splenda. i figured that as long as the recipe had no shortening of any kind, i may as well make it as healthy as possible!
about this time, katelyn came into the kitchen and said "oh, you are gonna help me learn to cook" ha...right after i teach myself babe!=D well, needless to say, these brownies were especially gross.
so...not to be frusterated to easily, i plowed on. i dumped that batch, and got out more ingredients. this time i used sugar. but by the time the brownies were done...i realized that i was using bread flour.....eew...so i dumped those too. sensing a pattern?
so i waited for a day to try over. i invested in some margerine when gramma and i went grocery shopping the next day. so that night, oh, yeah..i tried again. this time i used a new recipe from a cookie cookbook...with butter. and i used actual flour. so everything was perfect as far as ingredients. we made fudgey brownies, or something like that. we had plans on who we were gonna give brownies too....the neighbors and the maillady, etc...
well...you know the ending to the story...the brownies were gross. and i dumped them. they barely tasted like chocolate...maybe i need new cocoa powder or something. I dont know, but clearly i cant bake brownies to save my life!
i think the title of this post could have been...how not to make brownies.
next time i want brownies...they are coming out of a box!!
anyhow.....katelyn told me the other day...."dont worry, grammy will teach me how to cook"
so i realized that i officially had failed her!
so i decided to make some brownies...not the kind from the box-which is the only kind i've made since we came back from kenya-so the other night i got to work.
i started making these brownies based on a butter free recipe i found in the mennonite cookbook...since i had no butter. i decided to replace the sugar with splenda. i figured that as long as the recipe had no shortening of any kind, i may as well make it as healthy as possible!
about this time, katelyn came into the kitchen and said "oh, you are gonna help me learn to cook" ha...right after i teach myself babe!=D well, needless to say, these brownies were especially gross.
so...not to be frusterated to easily, i plowed on. i dumped that batch, and got out more ingredients. this time i used sugar. but by the time the brownies were done...i realized that i was using bread flour.....eew...so i dumped those too. sensing a pattern?
so i waited for a day to try over. i invested in some margerine when gramma and i went grocery shopping the next day. so that night, oh, yeah..i tried again. this time i used a new recipe from a cookie cookbook...with butter. and i used actual flour. so everything was perfect as far as ingredients. we made fudgey brownies, or something like that. we had plans on who we were gonna give brownies too....the neighbors and the maillady, etc...
well...you know the ending to the story...the brownies were gross. and i dumped them. they barely tasted like chocolate...maybe i need new cocoa powder or something. I dont know, but clearly i cant bake brownies to save my life!
i think the title of this post could have been...how not to make brownies.
next time i want brownies...they are coming out of a box!!
June 20, 2008
i am currently looking for my palm charger....
so, its kind of common knowledge around our house that if something breaks...it was probably bryans fault. and that if its possible to lose something...i will. Last week I lost my bible..that is extra bad, right?! Well, since Bryan is gone, apparently it is now my job to break stuff too! i have jumped into this role head first! i bought a weed wacker...i didnt even get around the corner before i broke that! Luckily my friend april who is only 17 was able to fix it. then i broke it again. then dad fixed it. Yeah I am a wreck. the point of this story...beats me. I am thankful for people who help me. My landlords, my neighbors who mouse hunt in the middle of the night, my parents, my friends, my 16year old friend who once lit my water heater for me=D, and my husband who loves me even though i am kind of hopeless.=D
gardening..little girl style
so this is just a quick story about basically nothing....read at your own risk...but i am just trying to get caught up on the whole blog thing.
the other day, i was weeding around the house and the whole time i am weeding i am thinking "if i were a snake...this is where i would hide" yes these are the stupid things that go through my head.
well the good news is that i didnt come across said snake...but when i pulled this clump of weeds from under the porch...there was a monstrous toad staring at me...and yes, i did scream like a little girl!
the other day, i was weeding around the house and the whole time i am weeding i am thinking "if i were a snake...this is where i would hide" yes these are the stupid things that go through my head.
well the good news is that i didnt come across said snake...but when i pulled this clump of weeds from under the porch...there was a monstrous toad staring at me...and yes, i did scream like a little girl!
May 23, 2008
still alive
we are still alive. and doing...well not as great as before, but we are still relatively fine. i will post on here sometime...i just dont seem to have anything overly exciting to post about =D i hope everyone has a nice weekend...especially if you get that extra day off!!!!
May 1, 2008
lawn mowing
so. yesterday i mowed the lawn for the first time this season. it was almost to the point where i needed to mow or get ready to make hay =D
which leads me to two short trains of thought.
1. apparently some people find mowing relaxing...is this common?
2. you may not think that it is possible to be bad at mowing, due to the shear mindlessness of this task, but...i am actually bad at mowing. my lawn never looks picture perfect when i am done. It always looks better when someone else mows it....which might be the point in and of itself=D
needless to say, i am not relaxed by mowing. I really do not like to mow.
which leads me to two short trains of thought.
1. apparently some people find mowing relaxing...is this common?
2. you may not think that it is possible to be bad at mowing, due to the shear mindlessness of this task, but...i am actually bad at mowing. my lawn never looks picture perfect when i am done. It always looks better when someone else mows it....which might be the point in and of itself=D
needless to say, i am not relaxed by mowing. I really do not like to mow.
April 29, 2008
much sarcasm
So, I am feeling exceptionally whiney. In the last 24 hours I have managed to lightly electrocute myself, and smash my thumb with a hammer. Obviously I have been productive and I deserve a break.....so I am going downtown to reward my self with........grocery shopping. Woohoo =D
I think the reason that I am feeling so sarcastic is because in the last two hours I have officially become stupider.
Now, I can watch a lot of kids shows....Hannah Montana is adorable and I love Handy Manny. Dora and Diego shows...I hate. But what I just watched with katelyn totally tops the charts! .......and the winner of the worst show on Disney channel is......The Cheetah Girls!
Okay.......my sarcasm is now officially over. My week doesn’t necessarily need improvement, it would just be nice if I didn’t keep hurting myself on household appliances.....
I think the reason that I am feeling so sarcastic is because in the last two hours I have officially become stupider.
Now, I can watch a lot of kids shows....Hannah Montana is adorable and I love Handy Manny. Dora and Diego shows...I hate. But what I just watched with katelyn totally tops the charts! .......and the winner of the worst show on Disney channel is......The Cheetah Girls!
Okay.......my sarcasm is now officially over. My week doesn’t necessarily need improvement, it would just be nice if I didn’t keep hurting myself on household appliances.....
April 23, 2008
short random stories
sometimes katelyn says things wrong and its amusing....
the other day, we were talking about the crop walk... which she then refered to as the crap walk and the crab walk....in front of a high school teacher at canton.....maybe you had to be there, but it was quite amusing.....
earlier that day.....katelyn was getting married...to me....she brought me flowers and asked if i would be her waffle wedded wife.....hahaha.
twoish years ago, bryan's mom gave katelyn a talking play princess kitchen...last night in the middle of the night, i randomly hear a fake tea kettle going off and a voice saying "i love tea parties" over and over and over. I wonder what katelyn thought when she woke up in the middle of the night to her light beinig on and me unscrewing her kitchen....weird.
and weirder yet...on the way to supper tonight, i passed a guy on a bus stop bench...he was shaving his face with an electric razor.....in the middle of town....weird....
the other day, we were talking about the crop walk... which she then refered to as the crap walk and the crab walk....in front of a high school teacher at canton.....maybe you had to be there, but it was quite amusing.....
earlier that day.....katelyn was getting married...to me....she brought me flowers and asked if i would be her waffle wedded wife.....hahaha.
twoish years ago, bryan's mom gave katelyn a talking play princess kitchen...last night in the middle of the night, i randomly hear a fake tea kettle going off and a voice saying "i love tea parties" over and over and over. I wonder what katelyn thought when she woke up in the middle of the night to her light beinig on and me unscrewing her kitchen....weird.
and weirder yet...on the way to supper tonight, i passed a guy on a bus stop bench...he was shaving his face with an electric razor.....in the middle of town....weird....
April 18, 2008
you know you're a scrapbooker when...
i want to add to the list that carla had on her blog. this is what katelyn said to my grammas optician yesterday.
"if your shirt were a piece of paper, it would be a great scrapbook design"
ha. i've created a tiny scrapbooking monster!
"if your shirt were a piece of paper, it would be a great scrapbook design"
ha. i've created a tiny scrapbooking monster!
April 17, 2008
contentment
i am pretty much feeling content these days. Nothing exceptionally interesting is going on. Katelyn had another soccer game...she did very well, we've spent time outside...thanks to the weather! yesterday we did some spring cleaning. I purged our closets of clothing that we dont wear anymore and the amount of garbage bags that i filled with clothing to give away is....sad. This didnt include Katelyn's closet. Just mine and Bryans.
I find that i look forward to planning things and having special trips or events to look forward to, in order to break up the mundane, normal days that make up my life. But at the same time, I love my life. I like having a family and a house to take care of and i usually enjoy my mundane normal days. I am feeling verycontent and at the same time, very blessed.
I find that i look forward to planning things and having special trips or events to look forward to, in order to break up the mundane, normal days that make up my life. But at the same time, I love my life. I like having a family and a house to take care of and i usually enjoy my mundane normal days. I am feeling verycontent and at the same time, very blessed.
April 11, 2008
the good and the bad
well, i fell off the wagon, i drank....soda. my self control was low this morning, and there was no breakfast in my tummy, so when that mountain dew said hi to me at walmart, I just knew we had to be together! But dont worry, this wont ruin everything, I will keep trying to not drink soda.
and the good is that i parallel parked for the first time in years today and I totally nailed it! i was totally high fiving myself! =D
and the good is that i parallel parked for the first time in years today and I totally nailed it! i was totally high fiving myself! =D
April 7, 2008
its soccer season again!!! yay!
today was katelyns first game of her second season. the coach split the team into two. it is my professional =D opinion that katelyn was put on the lesser abled team. Well, today was morale boosting for her, because she totally rocked the soccer field! She (not the team) won 5-1. She was the only scorer. I was hoping for a double hattrick...just kidding. She played well. she was definatly more understanding of what she should be doing on the field. She made it through the whole game without throwing a tantrum/crying. just like the last minute, she was too exhausted to do anything else!
i had mixed emotions. the first part of me wanted to tell her that she was the best on the entire field and that she won the game for her team and that she was the only one out there that had any clue what she was doing. the second part of me wanted to tell her that she did well, i was proud of her and that she really seemed to know what she was doing out there. unfortunatly i went with the good mommy approach, and went for the second part, but since i couldnt control myself, i told her that she was the best on the field.
i was a proud mom who couldnt keep my mouth closed!
my other though about the soccer game, isnt origional. i forgot where i read it, but i will paraphrase it because i think there is truth to it. basically what i read was something about childhood obesity and the fact that the kids who are off the couch and on say, a socceer team...they run around for 15 minutes and then get a 500 calorie drink and snack break. why? cant they run around without a food reward.
and my thought is, why do all the parents bring chips/cheetos/etc and gatorade for snack break. what ever happened to water? and oranges or somethingg. i dont know what exactly i will be bringing, but it will more closely resemble water and granola bars/apples. makes more sense to me......
anyhow, the most important is that katelyn is the best and i love her so much!
i had mixed emotions. the first part of me wanted to tell her that she was the best on the entire field and that she won the game for her team and that she was the only one out there that had any clue what she was doing. the second part of me wanted to tell her that she did well, i was proud of her and that she really seemed to know what she was doing out there. unfortunatly i went with the good mommy approach, and went for the second part, but since i couldnt control myself, i told her that she was the best on the field.
i was a proud mom who couldnt keep my mouth closed!
my other though about the soccer game, isnt origional. i forgot where i read it, but i will paraphrase it because i think there is truth to it. basically what i read was something about childhood obesity and the fact that the kids who are off the couch and on say, a socceer team...they run around for 15 minutes and then get a 500 calorie drink and snack break. why? cant they run around without a food reward.
and my thought is, why do all the parents bring chips/cheetos/etc and gatorade for snack break. what ever happened to water? and oranges or somethingg. i dont know what exactly i will be bringing, but it will more closely resemble water and granola bars/apples. makes more sense to me......
anyhow, the most important is that katelyn is the best and i love her so much!
April 4, 2008
a ton of snuggling
on the way home tonight, katelyn was awake way past her bed time and she wanted to talk. she asked me if i would still snuggle with her. i assured her that i would. Then she wanted to know if i snuggle with her when i bring her home from my parents house and she is sleeping. I said that i snuggle with her every night, no matter what. she asked me to remind her of that when she was an "indult". i asked her if that was because she wanted to make sure that i was still snuggling with her when she was an adult. she said that it was because she wants to do that with her kids, but that i could still snuggle with her when she is older, but she would be bigger, so i would have to get her a bigger bed and that i can keep snuggling with her even when she is 15!
katelyn has a cousin
so, its been awhile. during the day, i think of something to blog about, something that would be interesting to the general population, but by the time i log on...the thought is long gone!
katelyn and i made a trip to maryland to support my sister in law, renee who was having a baby. She had a boy named Callan. He is a very good looking newborn! Previously i wished that we lived near renee and gene, so that we could have a closer relationship; now the pull is even greater since there are three hustons in that family now! It is very exciting to be an aunt, especially considering the fact that i had no control over that at all. =D It is more than a little sad though that Bryan is not able to meet his new nephew. That is very unfortunate! but the trip to maryland was very interesting. we are home now, katelyn has been running around like crazy, since she was either stuck in the car, or having to try to be really calm in the hospital.
in other news, katelyn is registered for kindergarten. There were a ton of papers to fill out and some of them were very random, such as whether or not we were migrant workers and what farms we had worked on in the past 6 years.....? this kindergarten thing is definatly going to take some getting used to. she and i have essentially been joined at the hip for the last 5 1/2 years. we do about everything together. we are best buds. and now we are going to be apart. that really is a big deal! it stirs up alot of emotions! we are both happy and a little nervous for the start of the next school year!!!!!
katelyn and i made a trip to maryland to support my sister in law, renee who was having a baby. She had a boy named Callan. He is a very good looking newborn! Previously i wished that we lived near renee and gene, so that we could have a closer relationship; now the pull is even greater since there are three hustons in that family now! It is very exciting to be an aunt, especially considering the fact that i had no control over that at all. =D It is more than a little sad though that Bryan is not able to meet his new nephew. That is very unfortunate! but the trip to maryland was very interesting. we are home now, katelyn has been running around like crazy, since she was either stuck in the car, or having to try to be really calm in the hospital.
in other news, katelyn is registered for kindergarten. There were a ton of papers to fill out and some of them were very random, such as whether or not we were migrant workers and what farms we had worked on in the past 6 years.....? this kindergarten thing is definatly going to take some getting used to. she and i have essentially been joined at the hip for the last 5 1/2 years. we do about everything together. we are best buds. and now we are going to be apart. that really is a big deal! it stirs up alot of emotions! we are both happy and a little nervous for the start of the next school year!!!!!
March 25, 2008
everybody really does love a slinky
we had a nice easter, despite being exhausted. katelyn got probably two of the most interesting easter baskets ever. Her basket from me had a pair of goggles and seeds for planting, her basket from my mom and dad had things like silly string and a slinky. I also scored a totally cool easter basket fromm my mom and dad....nice.
silly string and slinkys were new to katelyn and she loves them now that she know what they are and what they do. She is already asking for more silly string. (I think silly string feels really gross!)
anyhow. after we got home, she kept asking for a yellow bird. I had no idea what she was talking about, but as some of you may already have guessed...she was asking for yellow peeps. I dont claim to be the sharpest crayon in the box!
we are on to a new stage of like in our house...kindergarten registration. This is exciting, but it also will be a huge change for us. Katelyn is very excited and is already thinking ahead to whether her teacher will be a boy or girl.
these are my random thoughts for the day=D
silly string and slinkys were new to katelyn and she loves them now that she know what they are and what they do. She is already asking for more silly string. (I think silly string feels really gross!)
anyhow. after we got home, she kept asking for a yellow bird. I had no idea what she was talking about, but as some of you may already have guessed...she was asking for yellow peeps. I dont claim to be the sharpest crayon in the box!
we are on to a new stage of like in our house...kindergarten registration. This is exciting, but it also will be a huge change for us. Katelyn is very excited and is already thinking ahead to whether her teacher will be a boy or girl.
these are my random thoughts for the day=D
March 21, 2008
easter trauma
this was the conversation that took place in my bed this morning.
Katelyn-Mommy, what day is it
me-(incoherantly) tuesasjdhflasiuhsdflasdy
Katelyn (in a really sad voice) we missed easter?
me-what in the world did i just say?
Katelyn-That it was tuesday.
me-oh honey, i'm sorry, its friday
my poor child!
to top it all off, I ran over a rabbit on the way home tonight....hopefully it wasnt the easter bunny=D
Katelyn-Mommy, what day is it
me-(incoherantly) tuesasjdhflasiuhsdflasdy
Katelyn (in a really sad voice) we missed easter?
me-what in the world did i just say?
Katelyn-That it was tuesday.
me-oh honey, i'm sorry, its friday
my poor child!
to top it all off, I ran over a rabbit on the way home tonight....hopefully it wasnt the easter bunny=D
March 19, 2008
"you're not raising a dumb kid, ya know"
i am not one to overly brag about my child. but she is very bright. yesterday our tax guy stood us up, so we were waiting in a nearby furniture store to see if he would come back, anyhow, the salesman, kept telling me how bright she is and what a fantasic vocabulary she has. What a gem she is, etc. when we met rosie for lunch, the host at the restaurant said something about her being smart too. i know that katelyn is smart, she has insightful thoughts and is very kind. she is a blessing to me and i hope she continues to be a blessing to me and to others.
March 3, 2008
odd but true
this morning, katelyn and i were playing a game of old maid, she was being funny, because that is what she does. Anyhow...she made a face that looked exactly like one of my moms expressions. very funny. especially if you really know us.....
this morning, also... when i was snaping the snaps on the back of katelyns shirt, i apparently caught her hair in one, so she says."you caught my back hair in the button" back hair? ewww ...only a huston!! =D
this morning, also... when i was snaping the snaps on the back of katelyns shirt, i apparently caught her hair in one, so she says."you caught my back hair in the button" back hair? ewww ...only a huston!! =D
February 29, 2008
katelyn is a genius
yesterday, we got the lace up shoes at payless. there was one style of lace up shoes there, the rest were velcro, straps, etc... So when we finally got home, katelyn was tying her own shoe within the hour. Now the tie might not last through the day, but she is so smart!
i also gained quite a feeling of accomplishment that i was able to teach her something concrete like this.
and bryan is in kyrgistan, but will leave"shortly" for bagram, afganistan.....?
i also gained quite a feeling of accomplishment that i was able to teach her something concrete like this.
and bryan is in kyrgistan, but will leave"shortly" for bagram, afganistan.....?
February 28, 2008
payless, here we come...
sorry about that last post...it was freakishly depressing. I feel better today. not great by any means. I am so thankful for my friends. the people i know are praying for me, the people who have called, and my mom and dad.
Katelyn is a fantastic and sensitive kid. I cant imagine what she is thinking about all this. I know that i feel like if i was a better wife, or did whatever bryan wanted...maybe he wouldnt have left. But i know better. I hope she doesnt have those same misconceptions deep inside her. wow, this is getting depressing again.
on lighter news...i need to find a pair of lace up shoes so that she can learn to tie her shoes..what a big step!!!
Katelyn is a fantastic and sensitive kid. I cant imagine what she is thinking about all this. I know that i feel like if i was a better wife, or did whatever bryan wanted...maybe he wouldnt have left. But i know better. I hope she doesnt have those same misconceptions deep inside her. wow, this is getting depressing again.
on lighter news...i need to find a pair of lace up shoes so that she can learn to tie her shoes..what a big step!!!
February 15, 2008
snow day
we were able to enjoy the snow the other day. katelyn loves playing in the snow. she loves being outside no matter what. i endure being outside in the winter. katelyn s company makes it enjoyable though. she sprayed red water to decorate our "snow couch" it was cute. In other parts of our yard that were sprayed, it kind of just looks like someone bled out. i am trying to upload pictures on here so you can see, but apparently my computer is too incompetent to do that, or i am.....
February 6, 2008
the mouse in my house
so...i've decided to be the bigger person (well, the only person) and stop letting that GIANT EVIL mouse rule my house. sunday night my cats were acting so weird (weirder than the white one thinking that she is half human-half dog) and when i finally dealt with them by taking my boot away from the cat.....out jumps a GIANT EVIL mouse!!!
okay, so it wasnt rat sized, but it sure wasnt a tiny field mouse! So, needless to say, i slammed the door shut to our room and jumped on the armchair in our room in about 2 seconds flat. There i called bryan and irrationally demanded that he do something about this! Ha. I called the neighbors for a mouse trap. while on the phone, the GIANT EVIL mouse ran past again. clearly taunting me. my neigbor came up, set up the trap, searched for the mouse and left. I continued to call poor Bryan, while jumping from the chair, to the bed, to the trunk on the other side of the room! finally i took my pillow and blankets to the love seat. obviously i slept badly.
monday i compulsiveley checked the mousetraps all day. the mouse ate half the cheese...but left the trap. surprise. i bought two more traps, managed to set them with peanut butter. i only set of the trap once.=D monday night i again slept on the loveseat. I slept more poorly than the night before, and i didnt realize that was possible.
tuesday the traps stayed empty all day, and last night i decided that enough was enough. I moved back into my room. The GIANT EVIL mouse either left, or is just waiting for the right timing to royally freak me out again. my guess is the latter, not the former!
if someone had asked me last week if i was afraid of mice, i would definately have said no, but this one dared to invade my room. ......and it was GIANT and EVIL.
okay, so it wasnt rat sized, but it sure wasnt a tiny field mouse! So, needless to say, i slammed the door shut to our room and jumped on the armchair in our room in about 2 seconds flat. There i called bryan and irrationally demanded that he do something about this! Ha. I called the neighbors for a mouse trap. while on the phone, the GIANT EVIL mouse ran past again. clearly taunting me. my neigbor came up, set up the trap, searched for the mouse and left. I continued to call poor Bryan, while jumping from the chair, to the bed, to the trunk on the other side of the room! finally i took my pillow and blankets to the love seat. obviously i slept badly.
monday i compulsiveley checked the mousetraps all day. the mouse ate half the cheese...but left the trap. surprise. i bought two more traps, managed to set them with peanut butter. i only set of the trap once.=D monday night i again slept on the loveseat. I slept more poorly than the night before, and i didnt realize that was possible.
tuesday the traps stayed empty all day, and last night i decided that enough was enough. I moved back into my room. The GIANT EVIL mouse either left, or is just waiting for the right timing to royally freak me out again. my guess is the latter, not the former!
if someone had asked me last week if i was afraid of mice, i would definately have said no, but this one dared to invade my room. ......and it was GIANT and EVIL.
February 5, 2008
laugh out loud.... in church
so.. in church, katelyn and i were playing with two rubber strechy bunnies. This was the conversation between the bunnies, all ad-libbed by katelyn of course.....
girl bunny: wanna get married
boy bunny: okay
girl bunny: wait. first let me show you my moves.
WHAT MOVES?!?!?!?
HAHAHA
girl bunny: wanna get married
boy bunny: okay
girl bunny: wait. first let me show you my moves.
WHAT MOVES?!?!?!?
HAHAHA
January 31, 2008
the little mermaid
for christmas, we got katelyn a little mermaid outfit for her build-a-bear workshop stuffed animal. right now, katelyn is sleeping in bed, not only wearing the freakishly red ariel wig, but holding onto it with dear life, so that it doesnt slip off during the night.
January 23, 2008
jump starting a car...
this is my thought after tonight.
when a man jump starts a car, he finds another man who has a large truck and they attach jumper cables and starts his car.
now when a woman (myself at least) needs to jump a car. she finds another womans car, theyeach have a self starter in their cars, of course. neither works. after each young women call their dads, they use actual jumper cables and when the car finally starts, they cheer for each other and give each other high fives.
...or at least that is how my experience is......thanks amanda...and our dads. =D
when a man jump starts a car, he finds another man who has a large truck and they attach jumper cables and starts his car.
now when a woman (myself at least) needs to jump a car. she finds another womans car, theyeach have a self starter in their cars, of course. neither works. after each young women call their dads, they use actual jumper cables and when the car finally starts, they cheer for each other and give each other high fives.
...or at least that is how my experience is......thanks amanda...and our dads. =D
January 9, 2008
katelyn's bedtime prayer
katelyns prayer last night was heart breaking. It went something like this...
"Dear God, I wish daddy didnt join the army. I wish he was here. help us have fun tomorrow, amen."
my poor-sweet-little-(hopefully ani-baptist) girl.
"Dear God, I wish daddy didnt join the army. I wish he was here. help us have fun tomorrow, amen."
my poor-sweet-little-(hopefully ani-baptist) girl.
January 3, 2008
i'm a little pee pot
this is my first post on here. i hope that i actually keep up with this as opposed to other sites i've had. i figure since i have relatives on here that seem to like this site maybe it'll work for me too.
The katelyn incident that most recently left me laughing occured yesterday....
As i was walking past the bathroom, where my tiny princess was happily peeing i heard her singing...(to the tune of i'm a little teapot, of course)..."I'm a little pee pot."
Haha. I have no idea where that came from!
The katelyn incident that most recently left me laughing occured yesterday....
As i was walking past the bathroom, where my tiny princess was happily peeing i heard her singing...(to the tune of i'm a little teapot, of course)..."I'm a little pee pot."
Haha. I have no idea where that came from!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
