Tag: kids

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Shepard’s pie

Shepard’s pie comes in so many variations that I couldn’t be able to count them. My daughters boy friend who is a guest here until Saturday, wanted to contribute to one of our evening meals. I told him to go for it, and my husband took him and our daughter on their first “grocery trip” together. When they got home, they had gotten the ingredients Keg (we will call him) needed to make his take on the Shepard’s pie.

I have to admit that I tried not to hover, but I absolutely hate to have someone messing around in my kitchen. I even have a problem with my kids and husband cooking something in my kitchen. I mean, it was nice the young man wanted to contribute and show off his cooking abilities, but it still felt odd for me. Instead of hovering, I gave him a bag of potatoes, which I had told him I already had, then left the room. One other truth be known, I was sort of hoping my daughter would learn a few tips on preparing and cooking a new dish. She can bake like hell wouldn’t have it, but to say she is handy in the kitchen, would be a lie.

Keg’s mean tuned out wonderful. Yes, I was surprised. My two son’s and grandson loved it, V loved it, and I liked it. V did learn how to mash potatoes, somewhat. And bless Keg’s heart…he doesn’t measure, and cooks similar to the way I do. I don’t measure and it’s all basically taste test. I’m going to send the recipe to my blogging buddy Lindsay. She is starting to collect recipes for her blog. Her blog  is comprised of a little of everything. She knows my family, as she has kids the same age as I do, which is why we hit it off so well, so it’s going to be a sort of  ” Family and extended Family Cookbook ,”  which will fit right into her blog, since she has many hobbies and life stuff happening… but that is all I’m going to tell you about her surprises. 😉

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Needing kid and dog gates

I thought my days of baby gates were well over, until I got a call from my younger sister, who lives out of  State. It appears she is coming up here to visit some of the kid museums, the zoo that is up north a ways from us, and in general find another way to spoil her grand children, ( I do believe there are five of them, all under the age of 10 years old. This is going to be a scary experience for me, and by the time the stay here is over,  it will no doubt had been a bit scary for some of them also. For the most part the kids all but maybe 1 really likes Great Auntie. Problem is my sister. She may mean well, but it only goes so far.

My sister asked  if I will  lock my dog up in one of our bedrooms, since one of her grands were afraid my dog Jasper. She says Jasper bit her. My kid saw her hit Jasper with a stick on his nose. Jasp thought the kid wanted him to play tug o war and grabbed “his end” to pull. So this is when I told her about Kidco Gate Shop and the fact that they are into safety. I however, made it clear that while shopping for gates, to keep in mind that they were for the safety of Jasper, our family member also. She got my point.

I’m not too terribly worried about this visit. I told my sister, if she didn’t know what kind of gates to get, to read the Safety Gate Guide and Tips. Hopefully she will  envision what gates she would need in her own home and realize that it’s possible that what happened to my Jasper, could be happening to her own two “Fur Babies” as she calls them. She has to put them in her bedroom when the grands come over. I wish I would have known about this shop a long time ago.

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Checking out new carpet

My daughter’s room needs new carpet. She pointed out a few places near the door that had slipped out from under the threshold strip. I knew it was a bit loose, but didn’t realize that it had slipped out, since I really don’t go into my kids rooms unless it’s a total necessity.

We have a Carpet Outlet, in town that is really great! I think I’ve mentioned it in some of my posts. They have great carpet at low prices, but they also carry a really vast variety of remnants in nearly every size a person would need. My daughter’s bedroom is small, so this won’t be a problem at all, and it will be nice carpet, at a very low price. I’m excited to see what she picks out.

The final decision for the carpet will of course be mine, as she won’t be living here after she finishes collage, unless she wants to. The carpet I bought and laid in her room that is in there now, is still in wonderful shape, considering it’s quite a few years old. But once it starts to ravel like it is, I found I can’t fix it. Nor do I really want to. New carpet is in order, but I will consider her choices also, since she indeed has good taste in decorating and home make overs.

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A quiet Friday night

My daughter and I are the only ones home tonight. At least for awhile. My two sons are at band practice, and I don’t mean school band. They play in a loud music, screaming vocals, headache inducing band. I am so glad practice isn’t here, and in this instance that our home is too small to host band practice.

My husband works this weekend, and since he works nights, he won’t be home until morning. This means not having to listen to snoring loud enough to cause acute insomnia in those who have to be subjected to hearing it. (Which is why I have my own bedroom).

I putzed around the house making lists for what I want to get in town tomorrow, hung a new shower liner, all the while making mental notes on what colors I want to redo the bathroom in, and other mental notes on home improvement ideas. My daughter put in some suggestions and then wandered back into her room and is exercising her vocal cords for her next singing gig. She is  singing softly. Unfortunately she has to, since she has a sore throat. I’m really enjoying the peace and quiet for now. It’s been sort of a poopy day until now.

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Kegan’s adventure

My daughter’s boyfriend is on a Greyhound bus coming to see us, and will stay until next week. He is coming from Massachusetts and so far, the bus ride has been rather miserable. Poor kid. I feel for him, as when I was his age, I traveled by bus to Richmond Va. and it was a long, tiring ride. He hasn’t slept much at all…just has dozed, so I’m sure he is going to sleep well tonight.

My daughter is so darn cute…she is excited and can’t sit still. LOL! Ahhh, young love. I remember when. Actually my daughter is 18 and Kegan is 20, so it’s not really young love, but both are younger minded in a pleasant way. I get a kick out of them.

We will be going to my Mom’s for the weekend, and I have a task for them. I want them to sort my seeds for my gardens there, that I am going to plant come spring as long as all goes well with my surgery. I have dried the seeds I collected last fall and now they need sorted and put into wax paper packages that I make for them. Then they need marked as to what they are. It will give them both something to do.

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Rain, Snow and Ice

Even though the temperature today was nearly like Spring, at about 8:00 pm it was raining and then it turned to wet snow. The old body sure can feel it too. ):

It is supposed to snow from today on. Everyone is so used to it not snowing, that to tell you the truth, even if I’m supposed to go to my Mom’s this weekend with my daughter and her boyfriend, who my Mom will just be meeting, I’m not sure I want to go. I mean, it would be a disappointment to her, as she is making all kinds of good things to eat, and I was going to go over my garden plans for her yard with her, but I don’t trust the other drivers. They just are spoiled by the odd weather and lack of snow and ice. It gets scary when drivers become complacent.

I went outdoors a little while ago, to let the dog out. He didn’t want to get his feet wet though. He’s really strange like that. I did notice that the temperature is dropping quite fast, and the winds are picking up. It is kind of doubtful that the kids will have school tomorrow. We have to be at the bus station by 2:00 and it’s out of State, where my Mom lives. I’m going to try and get an appointment for my daughter and I at the clinic, as soon as they open. I like the MD there and I just don’t want Mom and my daughter’s boyfriend to catch what we have. I’ll get some masks we can use, from the clinic. Hopefully we will be feeling up to par sooner than soon. I feel for my daughter. She had all kinds of plans to clean our “wing” and our rooms upstairs at Mom’s, but I seriously don’t think she feels much like doing anything. I personally have to tend to the plants and annuals I am growing inside, when I was told they would never grow in the house. Pfffttt… they are inpatients and are starting to be turning into very long vines with flowers all over. I’m going to need a bigger elevated pot for them come Spring, but they are still going to stay inside. I’ll take them out for fresh air, now and then, but now they are used to being inside in my bedroom. Apparently they love it in there as much as I do!

 

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Finally a great pool supply place

Since my kids that are home are older (…15,18,20 yrs) and much taller than when we got our pool two years ago, I want to get them a new pool come Spring,  but dread going to the pool supply place that is closest to home. Every Spring and through the Summer, for two seasons I’ve had to hunt stores and the pool supply shop for the items that I need for our pool It is a good size round pool, that is about three feet deep, and not big compared to the one I would like to get this Spring, but it was very pricey for the up keep.

The worse problem I had was finding pool filters after June. It was a terrible experience that I would rather not go through again. I had to actually make my old filter work somewhat, but with leaks and spurts and lots of duct tape,  since the stores in town ran out or didn’t stock them, and the pool supply shop had to “special order” the filter I needed for my brand of pool, with a “IF we can,” type answer I got when I asked.

To me, this is not my way of spending my summer. So…I got online. I don’t actually know why I hadn’t thought of it before, but I just didn’t. I think since I didn’t want to go though what I had the last two seasons, I wised up when I friend of mine recommended Dohenys Water Warehouse, where she bought her supplies from. The prices are great and they even have free shipping, not to mention the filter I may need if something happens to the one that will come with the pool.  Now for sure I am going to surprise the family with an big above ground pool. I even have a guy who will build the deck for me. I’m going to be a happy swimmer and so will my family!! I’ll never have to get my pool supplies from anywhere else!

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Family pulling together

Yesterday, I wasn’t feeling the greatest at all. I have a surgery coming up and I’m not supposed to really be doing too much lifting, bending and other stuff. My kids decided to tear apart my kitchen and clean it from top to bottom. Bless their hearts…they really put their all into it. I have to admit, that it is a big help with what they have done so far. They don’t clean like I do of course, but they are learning. I clean the old fashion way, and the kids take short cuts. But at least they are trying and I give them every credit in the world.

Monday when they go to school, and my oldest son is still asleep, I’m going to go over a few things that no one actually notices except me. But they really did do a great job and were helping me out a lot!

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Fresh walls and floors

In preparation for Spring cleaning, I’ve decided to get new flooring for the kitchen and also paint for the walls. I’m actually kicking around the idea of painting though. I just painted two years ago, and also put up the boarder it took me months to find. It all matches…except the floor.

My son has volunteered to help with all the cleaning, since I am due for surgery next month and I’m not allowed to do a lot of things, which of course I’m still doing, but am careful about it. My husband has forbidden me to get up on a ladder though. I can see his point, since my doctor told me (in front of my husband) that I am to be very careful not to fall. My husband knows me. Pure and simple I am a klutz. I can trip and fall, just walking across the floor. My son is a godsend as far as I am concerned. He loves to clean and do home improvement things.

We are going shopping for either tile for the kitchen floor tonight. I’ve got to admit, I’m pretty excited about it. I hate what is down now. Even just with new tile it will make it look like a new kitchen.

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A very hectic tomorrow

Tomorrow, indeed will be very hectic. My son got a new battery last month and it was defective. Now it won’t hold a charge. We have to try and charge it anyway, to have him drive to the shop and get a new one, and of course my husband and I will follow him. I have to once again go to the grocery store for some things I forgot yesterday. Then I have a doctor’s appointment and lab work to be done.

We have to get me to the doctor and lab and in the mean time, my husband has to take two of the kids to the dentist and also in the mean time, make sure our oldest son’s car is fixed.

My husband works third shift and I have no idea when he is going to get some sleep. I worry about him, since he works so hard all the time, and has to drive out of State to get to his job, which takes a good hour and a half. I might have to switch around some appointments.