Back To School

Kids went back to school last week. No tardy slips yet!!! :) Rae has Mrs. Christian and is in 4th grade. I totally remember 4th grade...my teacher was Mrs. Oetken...she had blonde hair like Dolly Parton, wore thick blue eyeshadow, and a gold ankle bracelet underneath her panty hose. Mrs. Oetken's outfits were always very "matchy matchy" and we always played this flash card math game.

Check out her new chucks...that's what she wanted for shoes this year...a pair of chucks and some wallabies...can you say 70's???

John-Rob doesn't care what kind of shoes he gets...as long as he can test them out @ the store by making sure he can run REALLY fast in them, he's fine with whatever I pick. Coincidentally his foot is the same size as Rae's...and there's a 3 year age difference!

John-Rob started Kindergarten this year...his teachers are Mrs. Harty & Mrs. West, I think he's going to have a wonderful year! I remember my Kindergarten teacher too...Mrs. Connie LaFoy, funny that I actually got to see her again a few years ago when I was visiting Grandpa in Arizona...she is an Iowa snowbird. :)

Yesterday was the first day I had to drop John-Robert off and watch him walk in with Emma-Rae instead of walking him in myself, now THAT was hard! That and the fact that John-Robert wanted $1.00 today for cookies instead of .50 so he could buy a cookie for his "girlfriend" too...I'm NOT ready for "girlfriends."

I've Been Cookin'

I've been cookin' and I have evidence! Thought I'd get these pics up while the plumber is here this morning...unclogging the sink so we can stop washing dishes in the bathtub...note to self...no more potato peels in the garbage disposal...

Saturday Night: Cheese Quesadillas...these were a hit with the kids
John cooking the meat for our burritos...I really DON'T like to cook the ground meat, so he usually finishes it for me once I get it going...thanks honey! :)

My boring burrito...I'm picky so I don't put any nasty stuff like onion, beans, or sour cream on mine...

Sunday morning breakfast...that the kids didn't want to eat...why??? you might ask as you look at the deliciousness I put on the table...because they were watching Ghostbusters...the 1984 movie...the movie they can push pause on and finish watching AFTER they eat...

Sunday Dinner: pork tenderloin, green beans, & hasselback potatoes...the potatoes were a complete waste of time, all that cuttin' & bastin' and bread crumbin'. They ended up tasting like baked potatoes with salt, butter, & parmesan cheese...

Monday night dinner: Homemade chicken salad & chips...chicken salad was good, not great...same scenario as the potatos...an awful lot of choppin' and mixin' for something that was just okay. My Mom did give me a good idea for cooking the chicken I bought to make this slop, she said just put it in the crock pot all day and then when I get ready for it the meat will just fall off the bone & you won't heat up your house. She was right! I turned the crockpot off and took the lid off right before True Blood came on and after the show it was cooled down enough to be picked at.

And last but not least...the jello cake...turned out delish and looks much better after the jello firms up and the cool whip goes on the top!

Whatz On The Menu

So...I'm going to try again...cooking that is. Made a menu this a.m., John & I went to the grocery this afternoon. $60 bucks @ Aldi & $140 @ Kroger...this should last all of us for 3 squares a day until next Saturday afternoon...provided everything I cook this week is decent enough for John to take for lunch the next day. Just for kicks...here's the menu this week. Maybe I'll take pics of dinner each night & post them, we'll see.

Saturday Dinner: cheese quesadillas & burritos (quesadillas for Rae, Rob, Kaitlyn, & Zachary)

Sunday Breakfast: Bacon, Eggs, & Biscuits

Sunday Lunch: Coldcut sandwiches & chips

Sunday Dinner: Pork Tenderloin, Hasselback Potatoes, & Fresh Green Beans

Monday Dinner: Homemade Chicken Salad on Deli buns & Chips

Tuesday Dinner: BBQ Chicken Legs, Corn on the Cob, & Broccoli

Wednesday Dinner: Piggy Pudding

Thursday Dinner: BBQ Chops, Mac & Cheese, Fresh Green Beans

Friday Dinner: Frozen Pizzas

Dessert for the week: In the process of making this jello cake, my Aunt June makes it & it's really good...it's in the fridge now firming up & so far...my jello cake looks like...well, it looks like ass.

Rae & Nikki

Just a few crazy funny pics of Rae & Nikki...