Right Now Thursday

Wow, just realized I've missed over two weeks of posting...yikes. Granted, I have an excuse kind of.

worrying about the weather- its supposed to get nasty overnight and let 1-3 inches of snow fall by the end of tomorrow

feeling tired from working...yeah I am working full-time at my old job, in the other infant room until I find something else

laughing at the funny things kids say and do--

            Story 1: While I was feeding a baby her bottle, my co-teacher was changing another baby. The baby apparently wasn't done peeing yet and my co-teacher said "Oh!" and the baby said "Uh-oh!" at the perfect time.

           Story 2: I was in the toddler room while they were eating lunch. One child was playing with his mandarin oranges. At one point, he was putting the orange pieces on his head so I remarked that the oranges belonged in his belly. He pulled up his shirt and put the orange piece on his bare belly. I replied by saying "In your belly through your mouth!"

waiting for my Christmas vacation to start tomorrow at 6pm

getting excited for all the festivities and visiting with family :) Our first Christmas is Saturday with my dad, stepmom, brother, sister-in-law, grandpa and grandma and maybe my uncle. Monday mid-day is Christmas with my mom, stepdad, brother, sister-in-law, stepbrothers and their S.O.'s. Late Monday is Christmas with Chris's mom's family and Christmas Day will be spent at home, all day. No going anywhere :) Sounds wonderful

 Our holiday card this year- template frame can be found at www.beckyhiggins.com

Chris, Cooper (right), and Eva (middle) Zoe is behind Cooper

Zoe and Cooper, riding shotgun

Chris and Eva in the backseat- the other two can behave by themselves in the front but the littlest dog needs her own bodyguard!

MainStay Solutions Holiday Party at Baker Street Steakhouse in Fort Wayne

 After party at Corner Pocket billiards bar in Fort Wayne

Chris with Michael (who is like Raj on Big Bang Theory- the man never talks unless he is liquored up! Then he won't stop...)

My friend's daughter Allison with her American Girl doll, Lanie. I was babysitting her and her little brother for a good portion of the weekend. On Sunday, Chris and I took them to Steak N' Shake for a nice, leisurely meal and then onto the library to get a whole container of books. (Picture being shared with permission)

Allison with her little brother, Addison. They were being silly while cleaning up before we left on our outing. (Picture being shared with permission)

Right Now Thursday

Not a whole lot to talk about tonight. I almost forgot about it actually...but thankfully, I didn't :)

listening to my hubby play Guns N' Roses in the other room.

thanking the powers at be that my father-in-law is basically okay after he got in an accident yesterday.

loving that I can hold my account to the Allen County Public Library. Here is the atrium at the Main Branch.

seeing a little snow in the morning but now the warmer temps will keep it away for awhile.

waiting for Christmas to get here- love this time of year for the most part.

wishing we had our own place again so we could decorate- the season seems a little less since we can't.

looking forward to getting the dogs' nails cut and Chris's work Christmas Party on Saturday.

needing the breaks on the truck changed- will be happening this Sunday.

That's about all folks...

Ciao!

Make Your Own "Free Things To Do" List...

When I was on Pinterest yesterday, I came across this as a pin:

"Things to do instead of spending money" list

I didn't have time to look at it closely but had time this morning at the library so I read it and started reading the blog the author has later today. I really liked the concept-- some of the items really didn't appeal to me but I think that is normal. I am determined to talk with the hubby and try to compile our own personal list.

 Some of the more "me" items that will go on the list will be:

work on Project Life albums

keep writing my novel

use my green apple kitchen timer (from Target's dollar spot) to help me get more stuff done

do homework (as of January 14th)

take the dogs for a walk

I'd love to type the list up (once its ready) and laminate it- keeping it handy for us to look at when we are bored- I do have the laminator and the sheets already so its not costing me any more money to do this.

I need to get off this darn computer and get ready for bed- take contacts out- get breakfast and lunch ready for tomorrow- talk to hubby about the above and do one of the items on my list- read a library book

Ciao!

Menu Monday

I've seen other bloggers do this and since I am trying to share a wide variety of topics on my blog, I need to start sharing our meal plans each week, even if it is just to have a record of what food we ate on any given week. And I am loving how planning our meals has helped keep our food budget well below average. We are spending about $60 per week for food this month. (JUST food--household items like TP, tissue, etc are more) When we get our own place again, I hope to do a better job of tracking everything and keeping costs down to a reasonable level.

On with the food:

Sunday: Cheesy Chicken Tator Tot Casserole

Monday: Homemade Beef Strogonoff with egg noodles/mashed potatoes

Tuesday: Italian Casserole

Wednesday: Cheese Toasties and Tomato Soup

Thursday: Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Friday: Tuna Noodle Casserole

Saturday: No Meal planned- Company Christmas Dinner

If anyone wants any of these recipes, let me know! I want to get them on the blog eventually but I have to be satisfied with this :)

Right Now Thursday- Thanksgiving Edition

I know I probably will forget later today. I thought I'd better compose this while I have the chance. Just want to wish anyone in the US celebrating this holiday, Happy Thanksgiving- Hope you enjoy the day of fellowship and food with people you care about and care about you :)

thinking that what a difference November would be without this holiday. Even though most of us do not reflect on what events triggered the celebration of it,

thanksgiving to me means gathering with family who I don't get to see in person very often and maintaining those relationships that are important to me while preparing a special meal.

making a peanut butter pie (from this site) and I also am bringing Hawaiian rolls

staying at my mother's house until Saturday

seeing my Mom, stepdad Mark, Grams (Mom's mom), Linda (Mom's sister) and her husband Joe

debating whether to bring my Project Life albums to work on OR just focus on writing.

wanting to do both but also...

needing to get together gift ideas list for both of us to give to my mom and my dad

wondering what was wrong with Zoe in the middle of the night- she was whining and trying to get my attention. When I got up earlier, she had planted herself as close to me as she could on the floor.

I need to get a shower, pack some overnight stuff, grab the food stuff and hopefully make it to my mom's around 9 or so to start helping cook.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Right Now Thursday

Better do this soon or it won't be Thursday anymore...

waiting for next week to get here

getting inspired via Pinterest, no surprise there but I have been pinning a lot more this week

figuring out that I should bring my Project Life stuff with me to Mom's for the holiday weekend to try to get some real progress.

listening to the train going by

loving the song "Home" by Phillip Phillips

sitting on my hands for the movie "Silver Linings Playbook" to open next Wednesday!

hoping I'm not getting another cold again- been stuffy and having a runny nose all day

eating salad, hamburger and rice and lime cheesecake for supper

needing to get some lotion on my hands...

watching more movies- today had a double feature- "Julie & Julia" before BigBangTheory and then "Ernest Saves Christmas" after

wanting to do more with my blog so I am going to try to post our menu on Monday for the upcoming week and something on another day about Early Childhood (tips, ideas, etc.) at least for right now.

I'm about falling asleep so I will post this week's pictures tomorrow. Night all!

Right Now Thursday

Another week has flown by. At this rate, I will be 60 in what felt like 5 years.

feeling exhausted from getting up at 6, dropped off Chris, went to the library, worked for a few hours which included toddlers (enough said)

chopping the ingredients to Baked Potato Soup to go in the crockpot.

writing more scenes in my novel

listening to silence (no dogs barking for once)

planning another week of homemade meals

stepping out of my comfort zone to cook 3 new recipes

looking forward to Thanksgiving weekend because I am spending it at my Mom's- its a tradition now

reading "The Devil Served Tortellini" by Shirley Jump

working on my Project Life albums (slowly)

waiting for Saturday to get the dogs' nails clipped

This week's pictures

 This is a coveted recipe for Chris's Aunt Judy's Lime Cheesecake. She makes it at holidays, usually at Christmas and its a family favorite. When we got married, at my bridal shower, my aunt and mom gave everyone recipe cards to share a favorite recipe. While I was entering all of the recipes in the Excel Meal Planner (see this post ), I found the recipe Chris's mom said I had. I had forgotten about it until she told me a few months ago.

While I was relaxing earlier this week, Eva wanted to lay half on my right shoulder and half on the arm of the chair. It was a really awkward position- for me and her. I don't know how she was comfortable

I got them to go outside while I was cooking chicken earlier on Tuesday and tried to keep them outside as long as possible since it was so nice out. Here's Eva waiting for me at the door.

I had forgotten to get something out in the garage.and since Eva will sneak outside with me (she will run away) I had to give her to my father-in-law so she wouldn't escape.

This is how I cook my boneless, skinless chicken breasts now. Recipe/directions on request.

This is one of the new recipes I made- Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas. Recipe to come!

My "usual" at Dunkin' Donuts at the downtown Allen County Library branch....oatmeal with fruit, plain bagel with plain cream cheese and a small hot chocolate-- yum!

Hope everyone has a happy weekend! Ciao!