What a couple of weeks!

Happy Friday everyone! I didn't mean to disappear the past two weeks; however, life got in the way and Murphy decided to pay a visit and it has been a long two weeks! Let's do a recap (especially since Rebecca has been bugging me to write on this here blog! LOL) ...

Monday, the 7th, I got called into work at the Learning Center instead of a school that I am applying for a part-time job at. It is fine as it gives me 1 more hour on my day. Work went fine. In fact, I was having a somewhat good day until I went to pick Ben up. I went to turn in the school parking lot and my van didn't want to go. I had had no issues up to this point and I was driving all over town. I had to floor it to go and then it didn't want to get out of first gear. I limped it home (we live less than 1/2 mile from his school), opened up the hood and there was liquid everywhere and I looked under the van and there was a pink liquid dripping onto the snow. A call into AAA for a tow and my van was sent off to the shop. All of this while, I needed to get Jacob ready for his Knox Youth Choir concert that night. Thankfully the tow truck driver arrived promptly, and we were able to head to Jacob's concert. 

He had his fall/winter concert and they sounded amazing. The Mount Vernon Nazarene University is partnering to put on this Knox Youth Choirs which used to be run by the local elementary music teachers. Well, the kids now get taught by a university professor and she is the best. Their concert was amazing! 

Tuesday: I spent time taking Bill to work, taking kids to school, working and picking up kids from school and Bill from work. Lots of time in Bill's van. I got called to work at another school besides the one I am training at. Oh well. While I was there, Bill called and told me that a gasket had blown on the van and when it did it pulled fibers out of the radiator and so we needed a branded new radiator... to the tune of $1100 dollars. Once they fixed that, then they would see if the transmission has gotten messed up. 

Wednesday: Finally got to work at the school I am applying to and was able to formally apply for the position. I hope to find out this week if I get it. I really like the head cook at the school and she seems to reciprocate the feeling. The van was done this day just as I went to pick Bill up for work and thankfully the transmission seems fine. So we picked that van up. 

Thursday and Friday were just full days of running around, basketball practices and getting Ben ready for his Valentine's party at school. He had to make a box this year for his cards, and Rebecca helped him make a Tom Brady box that he was quite proud of! LOL 

Saturday was basketball game day. Both boys did really well again! They only have 2 more weeks of basketball left! 

Sunday, we found out that my niece tested positive for COVID. UGh. Thankfully, she only seems to have a runny nose and is tired. Sunday evening was Super Bowl Sunday and to Bill that is like Christmas. So I made a somewhat simple, but delicious spread of wings,chicken nuggets, homemade queso and chips, veggies and dip, and chips and dip. It was a yummy dinner spread and we all enjoyed watching the game/commercials/halftime show. 

Monday, Valentine's Day, I awoke to roses, chocolate and a card on the table. I ended up working. The kids had choir (Rebecca and Ben are going to join the choir that Jacob is in for their Spring session). When we got home, Bill and I decided to order Mexican food for Valentines and the kids had pasta bake that I had made earlier in the day. It was a very nice Valentine's Day and I am so loved! 

The rest of this week has just been busy, and it seems like I am running all around the place. I worked Tuesday at a different school and then went to the grocery store, then to pick Jacob up, home to put fridge and freezer stuff away, pick Ben up, pick Rebecca up, home to cook dinner, Rebecca to church choir practice, etc. Wednesday, kids to school, to Walmart to get some dairy free items for Ben (we are now doing Gluten Free and Lactose Free for him!), home, work, etc. It has just been tiring. We have been watching the Olympics as a family in the evenings and I admire all of these athletes and their physical capabilities. I cannot watch the figure skating this year because of all of all the politics surrounding it. 

Today, I was woken by the cats fighting and it sounded horrible. Apparently Gronk got caught in the blind cord and by the time I got him unstuck he was hissing and growling and just not happy at all. And he and his brother kept fighting after. Finally got Gronk cornered in our room and noticed that he has a claw stuck in his face and what looks like a hangnail on one of his claws. I am going to wait until Bill gets home to see if we can get it. He has been meowing to get out, but I don't want him and Gus Gus to fight again. The few times I have checked on him, he has finally stopped hissing at me and is rubbing against me and purring. I have his food, water and litter box in our room as well. He has been eating his treats too. 

We have a 4-day weekend this weekend, as the kids are off for teacher workday and Monday there is no school for President's Day. I am hoping to get our taxes done this weekend. Well, I am off to relax a little. It is COLD here today. The weather has been crazy. Wednesday it was 60 degrees, yesterday it rained hard all day long and we had flood warnings, today we woke up to everything covered in ice and it has been snowing off and on. 

How have you been? What is the weather like where you are? Have you done your taxes yet?  Have a great Friday and hopefully it won't be almost 2 weeks before I pop back on here! 

Sledding Fun and Homemade Junior Big Mac

Happy Sunday everyone! Taking this opportunity to sit down and rest after a busy morning. The kids and I went to PSR where I had to teach 5/6th grades and boy were they squirrely this morning. Then we went to mass. After mass, we headed to Walmart so that I could get Jacob some black pants and a white shirt for his choir concert tomorrow (that I may have forgotten about him needing until this morning! oops!) Thankfully, I was able to find some and spent less than $20. I also picked up a few groceries and then it was home to put groceries away, make the kids lunch (used up some leftovers), answer a few texts from my boss, and then clean up the kitchen and try to figure out our meal plan for next week. Finally, able to sit for a moment before I have to get up again and cut the boys' hair. 

Yesterday, was a fairly fun day for the kids. The boys' basketball games got cancelled as the side roads were still crappy and so we took advantage of that and went out to my parents' house to sled. They have a very nice hill in their backyard that is perfect for sledding. First though it took Bill and I about 40 minutes to de-ice and de-snow the van so that we could leave. LOL Thankfully, the main roads weren't too bad, and it was a smooth drive out to my parents. 

The kids had a blast sledding down the hill for several hours.

 

My sister and I even got in on the fun with a couple of runs down the hill. 

We also had fun playing with my sister's dog Mango. Mango loves the snow and loves catching snowballs in her mouth and dragging us around. 

After several hours, we decided to head home so that Bill could clean his van off as he had to head out to work early this morning. I also wanted to try my hand at making homemade Big Macs for dinner. I had been craving a good burger and I was able to find some gluten free buns for Ben, so that is what we had. I grilled burgers on the foreman grill and Bill made up a version of Big Mac Sauce, using thousand island dressing, mayo, and relish. It was pretty close to the real thing. I made French fries in the air fryer, and we had a great meal! 

I am struggling with making up a meal plan for this coming week as we have a pretty busy week, and I just am out of ideas. Tonight, I will be making waffles and sausage for the boys. Rebecca will eat at youth group. Bill and I, I think, are going to get takeout for date night since we missed our typical Thursday lunch or Saturday night date. 

What have you been up to this weekend? Have you ever gone sledding? What are you fixing this week for dinner? Have you ever tried to make a copycat recipe of a restaurant favorite? 

Snow and Ice and Organizing My Pantry

Happy Friday everyone! This morning we woke up to more snow. It snowed lightly until around noon. We ended up with about 1/2 inch of ice followed by 6+ inches of snow on top of it. Yuck! Thankfully we never lost power. 

Due to the snowstorm, the kids didn't have school again today. Bill also called off work today as he couldn't get out of our road. Our city still has not plowed any of the side roads. It is a mess. A neighbor used his John Deere tractor with a snowplow on the front and plowed a path to our door and the area in front of our vans and our neighbor's car. My brother also came over (even though I told him not to) and shoveled out all around the vans. (He does landscape during the Spring/Summer/Fall, and shovels during the winter as a second job.) 

Bill took the kids out to play and I got into the fun too and became Queen of the snow pile, even though Rebecca and Ben tried to take me down. 

I took the opportunity of the snow day to clean out our pantry area. Things had been shoved on the shelves and I noticed last week that I had some things that had went out of date. Took me a couple of hours but it is now reorganized, and I know what we have. I was also able to get all of Ben's gluten free stuff put together in one place.

Before

After (the box and bag on the floor are food stuff going to my mom's house that we won't eat or use. 

We are enjoying watching the Olympics. Last night we watched the team figure skating and tonight the boys want to watch the Opening Ceremony. Not sure what this weekend will bring. They have already cancelled the boys' basketball games for tomorrow due to the condition of the rural roads around here. We might try to get out of the house to go to my parents to sled, but it will really depend on the condition of the roads tomorrow. For tonight, we will hunker down again and watch some TV and play some computer games. 

What are you up to this weekend? Doing any organizing?  

Winter Storm Today

Happy Thursday everyone from our sleet covered and now snow covered home! We, like millions of others, are being affected by the winter storm hitting the US today. We woke up to everything covered in ice and it continued to sleet all day long. Thankfully, the kids' school district called a snow day for today and Bill was already scheduled to be a day off for work, so we have hunkered down and just spent the day at home.

First let's back up a bit to the weather on Tuesday. Tuesday was absolutely gorgeous around here. It was sunny and 50 degrees. In fact, after I worked, I decided to head over to the park and walk for about 25 minutes before it was time to pick up kids from school. It was so pretty, and it felt so good to be outside and getting some fresh air. 

Gorgeous sunrise to start the day

someone built a snowman 

The ducks were enjoying the sunshine.

Enjoyed seeing the different animal footprints.

The lakes looked like a field. This is a huge lake. 

They have added a couple little free libraries throughout. I picked up a book to read. 

Wednesday it rained all day long. It was dreary and just yucky out. I had a good day at work. The head cook and I acted like it was Friday and closed up the kitchen in anticipation of snow days to come. I made potato soup for dinner in the crockpot, with homemade gluten free cream of chicken soup. It was super yummy and hit the spot on a cold, rainy damp day. 

This was so good! 

This is what it looked like out our kitchen window last night. 

By last night the rain turned into freezing rain and we woke up to ice everywhere this morning.

That is not snow on the road, it is a thick layer of ice. 

This morning, I told Bill that he was in charge of the kids all day since he has worked their last 3 snow days. LOL I took advantage of the day and make myself a yummy breakfast, instead of eating something quickly while I am in between taking kids to school. 

I read the rest of my Danielle Steele book. I watched the birds that were coming to feed at our birdfeeders on our porch, including some fat birdies. 

I took a nap this afternoon. It was nice. When I woke up around 4:45 it had finally switched from freezing rain to snow. We have already gotten a few inches of snow, so we shall see what we end up with.

The sleet turned over to snow around 4:30. It's been snowing ever since. 

It's going to be fun trying to get into the van. 

School has already been cancelled for tomorrow. Roads look horrible. We are under a Level 2 Snow emergency, which means only go out if you absolutely have to and call ahead to work to see if you are needed. I am sure Bill will have to go to work in the morning, if he can get out of our road. We are supposed to get about 6 inches of snow overnight. The problem is that salt trucks and plows are out, but they can't do anything about that layer of ice under the snow and the cold doesn't help. Right now, it is 23 degrees, but real feel is 3 degrees! I am hoping and praying we don't end up losing power. We shall see.

What's the weather where you are tonight? Are you feeling the effects of this winter storm?  

   

Something to Think About