Aug 15

Small Town, Small World

Yesterday we decided to get out of the house, and run some errands.We were also going to take Thade over to the Middle School to find his locker, and practice getting the combination down.

We found his locker, and he had plenty of time to practice. We located a few of his classrooms on his schedule too. We plan on going back a few more times to practice a bit more.

While we were out, we stopped by the Treasure Hunt. Oh, how I love that shop. My phone rang, but I didn’t recognize the number, so onto find some Pyrex.

We wandered around a bit, and I found two pieces of Pyrex. At check-out I got to talking with the cashier, who was one of the friendliest people. She mentioned that she was a teacher, so I asked what grade. She said sixth. Small world, I said, my oldest kiddo is going to be a sixth grader. She introduced herself, and I remembered that we found her classroom first, and he has her as his teacher for science and social studies.

She gave me a lot of good information about the Middle School, and I am thrilled that Thade has a fantastic teacher to start off the new year.

We headed out for a snack, and I decided to check my voicemail. Turns out it was one of Agnes’ teachers. She was calling to set up an appointment with Agnes, so she could tour the classroom. She explained that open house can be a little intimidating for kinders, so she likes for them to visit early. I loved that idea, and she was super nice too.

Agnes’ class is a dual-teaching class. There are a bunch of kiddos, and two teachers. It sounds perfect for Agnes, she is very social, and makes friends with everyone. She can’t wait to visit her classroom, and meet her teachers next week.

That is one of the things that I love about our small town, friendly people, and friendly teachers too. Throughout their school careers the kids have had the perfect teacher that matches their personality. I’m looking forward to the start of the new school year. It sounds like the kiddos are going to be off to a great start.

 

 

 

Aug 14

Two Weeks To Go

The Summer break is wrapping up, and we have just two weeks before school begins. In some ways we are ready to go, and in some ways not so much…

We have just a few more supplies that need to be purchased. The biggest kiddos are still looking for backpacks, and I need to get a few supplies for Thade’s gym class.

I’ve cleaned out every kiddo’s closet and dressers. The kids have grown so much over the Summer, so we are also going to have to do some back to school clothes shopping.

I hope we can get it all done in time. Once they are back in school, I’m going to be de-cluttering the house like crazy!

 

 

Aug 12

Monthly Crochet Review: July

I’m still working on Christmas blankets, and I’m happy to report that I have just three more to crochet.

One project I started and scrapped after about a week of pattern reading, and just not getting the hang of it.

I gathered up my yarn, and a book to get to work on learning how to crochet a chevron pattern.

I worked on it off and on for two weeks, and I just couldn’t get it down.

I swapped the project for some stripes instead. I’ll try to revisit the chevron pattern again, maybe once the kids are busy in school.

I did finish one more blanket for Christmas…

The warm and cozy Grey Blanket is finished!

The Grey blanket turned out nicely, and it is extra warm for Winter.

I also finished up one more project. I also have  five more requests for this same project.

Last month I made a scrappy blanket for Agnes. This month Dylan requested one too.

I gathered up my yarn, and got to work.

This blanket came together in about a week.

It is extra warm and cozy, and perfect for this little guy…

 

Aug 7

School Enrollment

Yesterday was school enrollment day, and my goodness it was a very long day… It took us about two hours to enroll all of the kiddos this year, and we were all pretty tired after the day.

Thade got his first Middle School schedule and locker, the tiny ones are excited about their new teachers. Agnes was a little bummed that I wasn’t dropping her off for her first day.

We are going to practice the new school run. This year I’ve got three kids in three different schools, so we need to get a schedule down quick. The school times this year are also starting earlier, so we’ll see how that goes.

We still have a few weeks before school officially begins, so we are going to enjoy the free time while we’ve got it.

Aug 5

July’s Veggie Meals

July was a delicious month, we had a few fresh veggies from the garden, and a few fresh veggies from a friend’s garden too. I’m still sticking with vegetarianism, and making one or two of my meals vegan daily. I’ve been really happy with the change, and I have lots of yummy photos to share.

For the Fourth of July, James was in charge of the grill. He grilled veggies and corn for me. I also made a pouch of cheese stuffed sweet peppers, they were amazingly delicious.

I made a big batch of Veggie Calzones. I topped mine with Flax seed.

They were stuffed with Mozzrella, Kale, Sweet Peppers, and Black Olives.

My family isn’t a fan of this dish, so I make a little version for me, Cheesy Rice with Broccoli. It is great for lunch or dinner.

We picked a few tiny Roma Tomatoes, and a few Okra too. My gardening buddy brought me over some Cucumbers, so I made him a cherry pie in exchange. I made a Veggie Gumbo with the okra and tomatoes. I also made a cool Corn and Cucumber salad to go along with it.

Growing up as a teen in SW Mo, my very favorite place to go was Gringo’s. It was an awesome (regional) Mexican restaurant. Now that I’m a grown-up living in SE Ks, I try my best to recreate their delicious recipes. This is my version of their Refried Bean Toastadas, with fresh tortilla chips on the side, and don’t forget the Cherry Pepsi, that is a must. It is pretty close, their tostadas are still the best.

I must have had take-out on my mind. I made a big batch of Veggie Hot & Sour Soup,

and a big batch of Veggie Lo Mien

The soup freezes well, and I added a bit of rice to it when I had it for another day’s lunch.

Hello Grilled Cheese.

Grilled Mozzarella Cheese with Roma Tomatoes and fresh Basil. This was one insanely delicious sandwich. If my tomato plants decide to give me a few more tomatoes, I’m going to make this one again.