The pressure…..

Got a text from my friend today putting on the pressure to update the blog.  Actually, she texted to make sure everything was okay. Sweet, huh? Yup.

 

So, prepare for some random.

 

Our latest favorite recipe is HERE. I just finished making them and it’s taking all my will power to not make myself a third helping. You will not be disappointed if you try it. SO DO IT, and then write on the blog and tell me if you love it as much as we do. Noah cheered when he came up the stairs and saw what were having for supper. Do not be afraid of the fry bread either. If I can do it it, anyone can do it. It’s easy peasy.

 

The only thing to alter in the recipe is to use HALF of the packet of onion soup mix. Even if you double the recipe (you can see it only uses a half pound of hamburger. The lady has no children, can you tell?) It’s way too savory if you add the whole packet.

 

Otherwise, it’s pure bliss. I add lettuce, sour cream, and olives because I like all that stuff, but the kids eat it just like the recipe calls. While you are at that woman’s site…..check out her other recipes. There are many great ones on there. We like the cheeseburger chicken too.

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We are putting a bar downstairs! It’s made for some pretty exciting times around here. We are working with Richard’s Wood Products out of Geneva. Mike’s cousin married into the family that owns the joint and she works there. They do amazing work and I am excited to see how it improves the downstairs. I will take before and after pictures. Maybe we will even use the downstairs now. Happy hour anyone?

 

I have been hunting for stools. I think it would be fun to do some cool patterned ones to liven it up down there. We will see what I can find.

 

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Noah and Connor both started basketball practices and Noah had his first tournament in Fridley MN this past weekend. They played three games and lost two out of three…..but not by too much. It was a lot of fun. Noah does very well at every facet of basketball except one……making a basket. Seriously, the kid is so aggressive, he steals the ball all the time, he outruns most of the players, he hustles every second on the court. He just can’t make a shot.  He did have four points on the weekend though. So, maybe there is hope! To watch him break away from all the other players, run down the court to his basket, and MISS THE SHOT is agonizing for me! I usually bury my head in Mike’s arm when it happens. He’s got a great group of kids on his team and it makes for such a good time for the boys. Noah joined the very last millisecond, literally. I think we are all glad he did.

 

Connor has only practiced once and they have not played a game yet. Teams don’t play actual games until third grade in Owatonna (just skill building up until then) so Connor is super excited to do that for the first time. We are too, actually!

 

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Looking forward to getting together with my family on Thursday for Thanksgiving. My niece, her husband, and my sister are coming from Wisconsin Wednesday night and staying until Saturday. That will be nice to have them here. Saturday we will go to Mike’s mom’s and Dave’s and enjoy another fabulous meal (which reminds me, Cindy……what can I bring?).  Having four days off makes me very happy.

 

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My BFF Tammy and her hubby Paul are also coming home. Oh how I miss them! The plan is to do something fun with them on Saturday night. Not sure what we will do yet, but anything is fine by me. Purple Hazes….here we come!

Purple Haze Martini:

One shot Chambord (raspberry liquor)

One shot Vanilla Vodka (I like Stoli)

One shot cranberry juice

 

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As part of the student council, Noah is speaking in front of the entire school to present a check to a local charity in town. I was completely shocked when he said he was okay with it. The students at Willow Creek raised $1800 for Bed for Kids ( I dare you to watch without crying) in 5 days. Isn’t that incredible? FIVE DAYS! Noah will help present them the check on Wednesday. If I can keep from having a nervous breakdown, (remember this is the boy that stutters?!) I will take pictures.

 

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Having some issues with Christmas gifts. The video games the boys want are rated M for mature and I just won’t do it. I know ALL THE OTHER kids have them, but I am not giving in. As far as I am concerned, I don’t care if another video game or gaming system enters this house. They have plenty. They say there are no “good” games rated T or under (which I think I am being nice about the rated T ones!).  They don’t play video games excessively and I am fine with them playing as much as they do, but I won’t cave on this one. I know the NFL and NBA games only come out once a year (those are probably their favorites) and they have the latest ones….but too bad. Guess that means Santa will have lots of money to spend on other things since he doesn’t have to sink $50 into a video game!

As a side note….as I type this, the boys just got sent to their rooms for fighting over a video game. Going to be a long winter.

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Mike and I ventured to a Bed and Breakfast in Stillwater last weekend for Mike’s birthday. We had such a great time, but decided we are done with them. Something about sleeping in someone else’s house just weirds me out. Ick. I felt like we had to whisper while we talked. The breakfast was nothing great (in fact I never even finished mine) and the bed was a double. I like my husband a lot, but we do not sleep in a double bed. Does anyone, really?

 

It was 57 degrees and we strolled through the cute little shops on the main drag in Stillwater and then had a great dinner at Marx. It was perfect because it was super packed, super slow service, which made for all kinds of wine drinking and talking. A much needed get away indeed.

 

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That’s all I got. No pictures….but lots of links, so enjoy~

Lee Anne

 

 

Halloween

So, I basically had to beg my kids to trick-or-treat this year. Noah was convinced he was too old, and although Connor wouldn’t admit it, I think Noah NOT going made him not want to go too.

 

I had no costumes and didn’t really plan on purchasing any. I went online and found some homemade ones that I started throwing out as options to Connor in case he would change his mind. He vetoed most every one but finally agreed that maybe he could go as……a dirty laundry basket! I was SOOOO exited!

 

I had it all planned, I would cut (“we” meaning Mike) a hole in the bottom of one of my laundry baskets, and then we would have Connor stand inside it and pull it up to his waist. I would then pile in some laundry around him. Finally, I would glue old socks to his clothes to make it look like static cling.

 

I thought it would be hysterical and very creative. THESE are the kinds of costumes I appreciate. My fondest memories of my own costume creations was when my friend and I went as a pair of dice in college. We covered two HUGE boxes with fuzzy, white cloth that we paid a fortune for. Then we cut black felt dots out and glued them to the sides. Finally, we hooked them together with string and stuck our heads and arms through holes on the top and sides. Brilliant! I saved those suckers and Mike and I even used them for Halloween one year.

 

 

Because they didn’t decide to go until the last second, I was stressed.  I rushed home from work that Monday to get Connor’s costume finalized.  Noah decided he would throw on his football gear and walk through the neighborhood with Connor, so his costume wouldn’t require anything of me. I went to work on Connor’s gluing a few odd socks on a hat and on the shirt Connor would wear.

 

He tried it on and I was laughing so hard.  As I was trying to breathe, I could see a look come across Connor’s face…….there was no way he was wearing that costume! He was totally embarrassed.

 

UGH!!!

 

I threw up my hands and sent him downstairs to grab whatever he could still fit in from the old costumes.

 

Hey, at least it made for an easy picture…..no smiling necessary.

 

 

Have I mentioned Connor completely skipped size 8 pants and now wears 10’s? They are 3.5 years apart and I had to look at this picture twice figuring Noah was on the bottom step or something. No dice.

 

The weather was decent and the kids came back having had a good time. Mom and dad and I stayed back and handed out candy and I think we had four people at the door. I had SO much candy to share with my students the next day. There are many advantages to living at the end of a dead-end…… being able to enjoy trick-or-treaters is not one of them.

 

Even though costumes were a bust, pumpkin carving was not! For the first time ever, our kids carved their own pumpkins.

 

They both still have a few candy bars left in their bags. There was only one almond joy which made this mother very sad. I was really counting on three or four.

 

Time to move on to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hard to believe how quickly the end of the year is approaching. But, I am okay with that….the quicker we can get back to summer the better.

 

Peace,

LB