Sunday, May 30, 2010

new tricycle

We got Jackson a tricycle at a fundraising auction last weekend. He likes sitting on it and playing with it.



Here Jackson is signing "more" for me to take more pictures of him. I guess he thought the flash was neat (since I normally don't shoot with flash).


Between the handlebars are buttons that beep, play music and are blinkers.


There is storage under the seat, he likes putting toys in and then taking them out.


Oh and his other newest thing, if you noticed his necklace, he found a bunch of bead necklaces in a drawer I had been keeping just for fun. He now wears them ALL the time at home. He'll find them first thing in the morning and put one or more on. And he'll take them on and off through out the day.

Menu Plan Monday


Wow, I can't believe I didn't post anything this week. I really just haven't felt like it and the week flew by. Also this week, I'm doing my grocery shopping on Tuesday. Safeway has a $10 off coupon in the paper Tues morning.

Monday: Dinner with family

Tuesday: Taco salad

Wednesday: leftovers into soft tacos

Thursday: Chicken Parmesan, bread and salad. We like the recipe for this one a lot and it's easy to make.

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: something super easy, maybe grilled ham & cheese

Sunday: Stuffed bell peppers (sort of this recipe, but sometimes I add shredded carrots or zucchini, black beans, or corn too.)

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Menu Plan Monday


I'm behind.

I don't have the meals planned out. We still haven't had a pot roast. Today I pulled a roast out of the freezer, so we'll probably eat that Tuesday night. But as for the rest, don't really know. I got pesto for pizza last week and still have some of that, so maybe a pesto chicken pasta dish wed.

Last week the pizza was good. Had leftover dough, so I had it a couple times for lunch and another dinner. I had a cold that lasted all week, so we didn't do the loaded baked potatoes. The healthified mexican skillet was good, but because of my cold I couldn't taste it very much. Dan said it tasted good though. Both that and the Taco Pasta are very similar. I would say the Taco Pasta had more taste, but that's just cause I couldn't taste anything in the mexican skillet. But I liked it though since it only makes one pan dirty (but I bet I could change the Taco Pasta to be that way too).

Monday:

Tuesday: Pot Roast

Wednesday: Pesto Chicken Pasta

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: ???

Saturday:

Sunday:

Monday, May 17, 2010

we finished the PPP

It was hard on us, but we finished the Pole Peddle Paddle. No record time for us... well maybe the slowest time :-)

Dan's sister snowboarded, I did the 8k cross country ski, Dan biked 22 miles, his brothers canoed, I jogged 5 miles, and his mom pushed Jackson in the jogger the last 1/2 mile leg. So we were in the three generation family team category.

It was a gorgeous day, a little too hot though. But I can't complain, I would have rather had it that way than rain or snow. On my xc-ski leg, the snow was soo slushy, which makes it difficult for a novice xc-skier like me to go down the little hills in slush with those super skinny skis. I fell a couple times in the beginning, but then started to get the hang of it. I went pretty darn slow. I also kept thinking about how I still had to run. I got a short break after skiing while Dan did the biking leg. On my run I sure had felt that I had skied almost 5 miles prior... going uphills sure killed my legs. They were exhausted by the end. It was a big mental struggle, but I just kept focusing to move one leg after the other. It reminded me a lot of when I did the marathon, but that was mainly because I hardly trained for this event.

If I start in 6 months, maybe I could do the whole PPP myself next year. The biggest hurdle is practicing xc-skiing, takes so long to get up to the mountain. I don't see myself making it up there that many times, so I don't see myself getting much faster with the xc-skis. But I can bike and run easy and then maybe find a kayak to practice in a few times. I could do it. ...maybe.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Menu Plan Monday


We didn't get to all the dinners planned last week, so I'm rolling them over to this week.

Monday: Loaded baked potatoes


Wednesday: Pot roast (chuck roast with potatoes, carrots, whatever else that sounds good to add, probaby like this pot roast recipe)

Thursday: Homemade pizza - pepperoni with tomatoes (dough recipe from a bread machine cookbook)

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Eat out

Sunday: Leftovers

Friday, May 14, 2010

I'm a part time working mom now

So it's kind of weird to think about, but I am no longer a 100% stay at home mom. I was proud to have that title, but oh well, it's not a big change.

I got a part time job. It's really part time though, it will be like 10 hours a week.

I wasn't even looking and Dan was talking to a co-worker about how his girlfriend is a manager at a coffee stand and that he's had to help her out and work there a bunch because they are short on people. Dan thought it would be a good job for his sister who is moving back home soon. When he told me about it, I thought it would be fun to have a part time job and I could do it till she moved back (which isn't for another month). Then we heard that they hired someone, so they didn't need anyone anymore. So I thought it was done and just thought oh well. Then the manager called and wanted to meet me because they do still need someone. So I met her and did an interview and got the job. It's nice getting a job so easy in this economy right now! So I'm working part time at the coffee stand. I started last week. Dan and his mom watch Jackson while I'm at work. I just finished 'training' so this next week I'll be on my own. I didn't need much training, more of a refresher and learning their specific ways because I worked at another coffee stand like 6 years ago.

I like it though. It's fun making the drinks and talking with people. The customers are pretty nice and the tips are for sure nice too. It's good to get out of the house too. And it's nice that it's an easy job that I don't have to take work home or stress about stuff.

PPP

Tomorrow is the Pole Peddle Paddle (PPP)!

Today we are getting ready for it! We need to pick up the race packet and drop off the canoe.


We are doing it as a family. Dan's brothers, sister and mom are doing it with us. I am doing the 8k cross country skiing and 5 mile run. Dan is doing the biking leg. Should be fun!! We've never done it before, so I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Menu Plan Monday


Here is my plan for the week:

Monday: Baked little 3 lb turkey breast, rice and broccoli

Tuesday: leftovers or frozen ravioli

Wednesday: Breakfast burritos (easy - eggs, broccoli, cheese in a tortilla)

Thursday: Healthified Mexican Skillet, sounds a lot like Taco Pasta that we had awhile back. We'll see which we like best.

Friday: Our 5 year wedding anniversary!! Homemade pizza - pepperoni with tomatoes

Saturday: Pot roast (chuck roast with potatoes, carrots, whatever else that sounds good to add, probaby like this pot roast recipe)

Sunday: at the in-laws for dinner

Thursday, May 6, 2010

new computer monitor!

I finally heard from BestBuy (actually I had to call them) and they "junked" the old monitor and gave us a new one!! yipee!

They said the old monitor could be fixed with like a $300 part, so they instead said they would give me a new comparable. The old monitor was under a service plan that we thankfully renewed a year or so ago. So now we have a glossy new monitor. It's a little better than the old one and I love it. It took an hour to pick it up this morning, but I'm happy with their service and the outcome... for once.

This last weekend, I took wedding pictures of Dan's cousin Andrea's wedding. Both the wedding and my pictures went great. Here is one of Jackson after I was done taking pictures of the wedding party.


Now at the reception. Jackson with a red juice/punch mustache.


I thought this one was cute with his eyes peeking over the cup. He's been doing a really good job lately of drinking from a cup on his own. Still occasionally spilling, but getting better at tipping the cup and setting it down.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Menu Plan Monday


Here is my plan for the week:

Monday: Baked chicken, stovetop stuffing, broccoli

Tuesday: Hamburgers or sloppy joes on homemade buns (from a bread machine cookbook) with green beans

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: frozen tuna noodle casserole

Friday: eat out

Saturday: frozen chicken tetrazzini

Sunday: breakfast - eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, toast, etc whatever else