Sunday, October 31, 2010

What's for Dinner - November 1, 2010

Monday
~Friend Monday~
~Gogo - soccer tryouts~
(we'll find out if he made the team)
~celebrating my dad's birthday~
mom is cooking

Tuesday
~Gogo - soccer tryouts~
~family house cleaning~
dinner out when we're done

Wednesday
~Grom - soccer~
~Gogo - soccer~
~Kids Club / Bible Study / Youth Group~
bbq beef buns
chips
carrots
bananas

Thursday
~Gogo - soccer~
Jambalaya (Dream Dinners Meal)
coleslaw

Friday
~Grom - field trip ~
~Gogo - soccer~
~Gogo - football game~
Firehouse Meatballs and Pasta (Dream Dinners Meal)
garlic bread
salad

Saturday
~Grom's last soccer game of season~
~end of season pizza party~
~church workday~
~play at C.E. - Duke Kahanamoku and the Surfsnappers~
Cornflake Crusted Chicken (Dream Dinners Meal)
garlic mashed potatoes
zucchini

Sunday
~Exchange Student Thanksgiving Dinner~
Emmentaler Rosti
~Shoreline Family Dinner~
Lasagna

Monday, October 25, 2010

Daybook October 25, 2010


FOR TODAY - Monday October 25, 2010

Outside my window... it's a beautiful sunny day. NOT! Of course it's dark and of course it's late. I never get to blog before 9:30 pm. If you see a post time stamped earlier, it's because I set some to go during the day just to make ya'll wonder if I'm blogging when I should be working or mothering or sleeping.

I am thinking...that I hope Gogo remembers that we need to leave a bit earlier tomorrow than most days. I'm also thinking about what's for breakfast.

I am thankful for... internet shopping. Everything I want is a click away. I've started my Christmas shopping. Think it, google it, buy it. Awesome.

From the learning rooms... October is Fire Safety. I tagged along with Grom's class to the Fire Station. It was very interesting. Only the kids were allowed to ask questions. I have many that are unanswered. Like do they leave their fire suits in the gym locker room when they are there working out... or do they have to run back to the station quick to get them if they get called during gym time?

From the kitchen... Surferman made yummy cheeseburgers tonight. He put the condiments on it for me (he likes mustard way more than I do) and I had to eat it in the car on the way to a meeting. It's yumminess was wasted on me.

I am wearing... black pants, shoes and sock topped with my sparkly red sequined top. I love the reflections it sends off when the sun shines on it.

I am creating... I dug a quilt out that is almost done. It could stand to be a couple of rows longer. I'm not sure if I have enough fabric, but I'm going to give it a go. It will look great on our bed.

I am going... to invest in a banana plantation. It seems that everyone in my house is on a banana kick and that said banana kick is intensified by everyone being on a banana kick. We all seem to be eating bananas as fast as we can for fear there won't be a banana in the fruit bowl when we want one. Right now there are 19 bananas and I expect them to be gone by Friday.

I am reading... HA! I started and finished a book this week. It was fluff - "How Dolly Parton Saved My Life" by Charlotte Connors. It appeared to be the start of a series, but it turns out it's the only book. It was published in 2008 so I'm not holding my breath for a sequel. It was a fun read, but the story just got started. I'm in the middle of "Home to Harmony" by Phillip Gulley. It's really the first book in a series and so far... so good. I still have a couple of others on my bedside to finish.

I am hoping... Gogo makes the high school soccer team. We think tryouts are tomorrow. It's all kinda confusing. I think he gets half the story because he doesn't catch all the details the rest of us get by osmosis. We'll know more tomorrow.

I am hearing... techno music coming from Surferman's computer. (??? very confusing).

Around the house... decorating of our entry hall has ground to a dead stop. I still can't find my corner entry bench, which is holding up purchase of a rug, which is holding up purchase of some wall words. Boring, plain gray walls... If you see a corner bench with baskets to hold shoes looking lonely, send it my way I'd give it a place to live rent free.

One of my favorite things... spending time with Stacey. WOO HOO! Marvelous Mondays or Fabulous Friend Mondays (alliteration is lost on Grom) are back!

Vocabulary word of the week:
cadge - (verb): to beg, to sponge, mooch
Anytime you're nearby, come by my house to cadge a cup of coffee.

A few plans for the rest of the week: all the normal stuff of life and add a possible trip to a pumpkin patch, a school carnival and crazy hair day. I need to find some blue hairspray.

Here is picture I am sharing...
How you can be praying for me and mine... that we would all be quick to pray. And that Surferman and I would be more positive in our parenting of Grom.

Check out other daybooks at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

What's for Dinner - October 25, 2010


Monday
~school parent meeting~
???

Tuesday
~Gogo - soccer tryouts~
~family house cleaning~
dinner out when we're done

Wednesday
~Grom - soccer~
~Gogo - soccer~
~Kids Club / Bible Study / Youth Group~
bbq beef buns
chips
carrots
bananas

Thursday
~Gogo - soccer?~
Buffalo Ranch Chicken (Dream Dinners Meal)
baked potatoes
salad

Friday
Coconut Shrimp (Dream Dinners Meal)
rice
veggies

Saturday
~Gogo - Lecrae Concert?~
~C.E. school carnival~
????

Sunday
~Shoreline Family Dinner~
Ravioli with Tomato Sauce

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Second Feature

We went to the drive in last weekend. It was a good double feature. Secretariat (excellent) followed by You Again (very entertaining). There was no way Grom could make it through both movies and You Again wasn't something for him anyway.

We told him he could go if he'd go to sleep after the first movie.

He made himself a bed in the back of our Odyssey. It looked very comfortable. He asked for my iPod and the music he usually falls asleep to. Before long we heard a gentle snoring from the back during the quiet parts of the movie.

He didn't even wake up when we moved him to his booster seat for the drive home.

DONE #49 Get rid of our HELOC

1 phone 0 number 1

letter T O Dd O S

Our home equity line of credit is GONE!

not much more to say

11 down... 90 to go!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Avocado - seed to tree

We've been eating a lot of avocados lately. Gogo loves guacamole. Surferman loves guacamole. Even Grom gets into it.

All those pits. Grom and I had to see if we could grow a tree. Watch along. We'll update as changes are observed.

IMG_0026

October 5

Robin's Guacamole
2 avocados - peeled and smashed (keep 'em chunky)
1 clove of garlic pressed (I like to use the frozen cubes of garlic from TJs)
juice from 1/2 lemon
your favorite hot sauce to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Ratatouille

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Some beautiful Japanese eggplants from Grom and Grandma's garden.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

When a balloon hat...

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just isn't enough.

Grom's balloon hat morphed into quite a creation.
He became a float in his own parade.

Grom's Kindergarten Gallery

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apples three ways
- chalk pastels-

Frog drawing

frog
- washable felt marker-

Puffin drawing

puffin
-washable felt marker-

mixed media man

mixed media man
-mixed media collage-

pumpkins

pumpkins
- ink and watercolor-

field of flowers

field of flowers
- craft painted paper cut collage-

flowers

flowers
-tempera paint-

love

love
-tempera paint-

fish

fish
-ink and pastels-

vase of flowers

vase of flowers
-watercolor-

beach collage

beach collage
-torn paper collage-

a beautiful day

a beautiful day
- craft paint-

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Works for Me Wednesday - keeping track of the dishwasher

We have two dishwashers. How it came to be is not a very interesting story, but for the record I know how fortunate I am. I count them as two of my many blessings. Two dishwashers can contribute to confusion though... which one is clean? which one is dirty? etc.

Poor people with only one dishwasher struggle with this too I'm sure. It's just a double problem for our home.

I've seen those ugly CLEAN/DIRTY magnets. There had to be another way. I looked to our refrigerator and found our repro Duke Kahanamoku magnets. Duke's the Ambassador of Surfing don'tcha know. Combine that with my handy, dandy label maker and voila! Problem solved!



Since I used different wording on each of them, I decided to keep the meanings consistent. If the dishwasher is clean - Duke is upright happily catching a ride. If the dishwasher is dirty - He's wiped out.

It's silly, but it works for me.

Find out what works for hundreds of women all over the world. Kristen, part of THAT family hosts Works for Me Wednesday every week.

Here are some of my favorite Works for Me posts this week...
Easy Kitchen Banner from the Dollar Store @ Trent Tribe.
8 High Quality Free Math Websites @ Maths Insider
Pillow Case Bag @ Living My Life on Purpose (tutorial)
Gift for Spouse - A Year of Dates @ Adventures in Mommydom
Be a More Patient Mom in Just 24 Hours @ Inspired to Action
Recycling Orange Peels @ Frugal Homemaking
Hybrid School @ The Inspired Page

Works for Me Wednesday - quite possibly the best toothbrush... ever!


Meet my new toothbrush. It's a Radius.

I bought one for Grom because they were on sale. It has been the best toothbrush for brushing his teeth. The head on the kids brush is big with soft bristles. When I brush, I really feel like I'm getting every facet of every tooth. It's ergonomically designed so it's easy to hold and keeps the bristles at a good angle for cleaning his gumline.

I liked it so much for him, that I bought one for me. It wasn't the deal that Grom's was, but when I was opening the package I noticed that it claims a 9 month brush life with proper care. When I average the cost over nine months... what a deal!

My teeth feel super clean when I'm done brushing. It's comfortable and the big head and handle design is fun.

If you're looking for a new toothbrush... check this one out. Works for me!

See what works for 100s of other women at We are THAT Family.

Random Dozen - 10/19/10

1. Do you prefer to read the book or see the movie?
either

2. What is your favorite holiday and why?
I like to celebrate Grom's birthday. It's fun to make him happy.

3. Which do you like better - the mountains or the beach?
the beach - no doubt about it

4. If money were no consideration, what vehicle would you drive?
2011 Honda Odyssey Touring - custom painted orange

5. What is your favorite cold-weather beverage?
My favorite all-weather beverage is coffee (decaf). If it's hot outside, I drink it cold. If it's cold outside I drink it hot.

6. How do you communicate most often with your friends: phone, email, text, face-to-face, or Facebook?
probably email, phone, text, face-to-face... in that order

7. How do you receive your mail? Mailbox on the porch, at the end of the driveway, down the street, or post office box?
mailbox on the street in front of our house

8. Of the four basic personality types - sanguine, phlegmatic, melancholic, and choleric - which is your strongest? Which is your least evident? (See definitions below.)
Phlegmatic/Choleric with a touch of Sanguine. Not very melancholic.

9. What do you miss the most about being 20?
all the clubbing, drinking and drugs - KIDDING! I didn't do any of those things. I don't think I miss 20 except maybe the lack of 20 years on my body.

10. How long from the time you get up, does it take you to get ready to walk out the door in the morning?
one hour - I can do it faster, but a nice manageable morning takes an hour

11. Who handles the car maintenance and pays the bills in your family?
Surferman takes care of the cars. I take care of the bills.

12. For those in the US, how many states have you visited? For those outside the US, how many provinces/other countries have you visited?
27, I think. I'm counting the ones I for sure remember.

Personality type definitions courtesy Wikipedia:

Sanguine
The Sanguine temperament personality is fairly extroverted. People of a sanguine temperament tend to enjoy social gatherings, making new friends and tend to be quite loud. They are usually quite creative and often daydream. However, some alone time is crucial for those of this temperament. Sanguine can also mean very sensitive, compassionate and thoughtful. Sanguine personalities generally struggle with following tasks all the way through, are chronically late, and tend to be forgetful and sometimes a little sarcastic. Often, when pursuing a new hobby, interest is lost quickly when it ceases to be engaging or fun. They are very much people persons. They are talkative and not shy. For some people, these are the ones you want to be friends with and usually they become life long friends.

Choleric
A person who is choleric is a doer. They have a lot of ambition, energy, and passion, and try to instill it in others. They can dominate people of other temperaments, especially phlegmatic types. Many great charismatic military and political figures were cholerics. They like to be leaders and in charge of everything.

Melancholic
A person who is a thoughtful ponderer has a melancholic disposition. Often very considerate and get rather worried when they could not be on time for events, melancholics can be highly creative in activities such as poetry and art - and can become occupied with the tragedy and cruelty in the world. A melancholic is also often a perfectionist. They are often self-reliant and independent; one negative part of being a melancholic is sometimes they can get so involved in what they are doing they forget to think of others.

Phlegmatic
Phlegmatics tend to be self-content and kind. They can be very accepting and affectionate. They may be very receptive and shy and often prefer stability to uncertainty and change. They are very consistent, relaxed, rational, curious, and observant, making them good administrators and diplomats.

See what random things everyone come up with at Linda's Random Dozen

Monday, October 18, 2010

Daybook October 18, 2010


FOR TODAY - Monday October 18, 2010

Outside my window... it's dark. Surprise! Today was one of our first fall days. I got to wear a sweater.

I am thinking... about money. More than I should.

I am thankful for... hugs and kisses from my nieces. The Girlies are at a really fun age.

From the learning rooms... a lot of random stuff. Today was a hard school day. I made the mistake of letting him have some candy, he couldn't sit still or focus. Good thing I'm tough.

From the kitchen... I'm looking for easy meals for Wednesdays when we're on the go. I don't want the standard sandwich. We have those for lunch. I made a yummy soup last week, but it wasn't very easy to transport. This week I'm going to make a ratatouille sandwich. Got any ideas?

I am wearing... grey sweats, orange slippers and white tee.

I am creating... nada. I'm hoping my new zone plan (see below) will help me get back into my studio. My mom and I are hoping to produce some items to sell to help a missionary friend in London raise support.

I am going... to have lights out by 10:30 tonight.

I am reading... 1st grade Science books and 1st grade Social Studies books. I need a novel. I'm listening to The Cat who had 60 Whiskers and Crazy Love.

I am hoping... that my new zone plan is going to help me be more efficient at home. Today I was in the Grom zone. Friday is fun zone. I'm really looking forward to Friday.

I am hearing... Chuck. It's Monday night. I wore my chucks today in anticipation.

Around the house... lots of cards. We've been playing most every evening. I am the Great Dalmuti.

One of my favorite things... the time I have lately with Grom in the morning. We drop Gogo at High School and then have about a half an hour before Grom has to be at school. It's a nice half hour.

Vocabulary word of the week:
bloviate - to speak at length in a pompous or boastful manner
used in a sentence -
I was totally put off by the little boy's mother and her tendency to bloviate ad nauseam.

A few plans for the rest of the week: A little bit of soccer and we're having a Raclette dinner for Gogo and his friends from school.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...IMG_4042
Grom's apples - from Kindergarten. I'm just going through his portfolio. Watch for a mommy indulgent gallery post soon.

How you can be praying for me and mine... all the usual stuff.

Check out other daybooks at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

What's for Dinner - October 18, 2010

Monday
~family dinner~
my folks cook

Tuesday
~family house cleaning~
dinner out when we're done

Wednesday
~Grom - soccer~
~Gogo - soccer~
~Kids Club / Bible Study / Youth Group~
Stuffed Italian Sandwiches
fruit
cookies

Thursday
Buffalo Ranch Chicken (Dream Dinners meal)
baked potatoes
salad

Friday
~Gogo - Raclette with Friends~
Raclette
cheese - potatoes - bacon - peaches - pickles
(it's a Swiss thing)
salad

Saturday
???

Sunday
~Shoreline Family Dinner~
Ravioli with Tomato Sauce

Soccer!

We are in the middle of Grom's first season of soccer. He's done drill training before, but this is his first team. He's the youngest and smallest of the kids on his team. All the other kids are 7 year olds. His coach is very encouraging and fair.

My handsome boy

Gogo helps with coaching and made the team picture. He's on the right end.

Do you see the team name? Yep... Ninja Kittens... ridiculous. Six and seven year olds shouldn't name themselves. Grom had a few good ideas, but he couldn't get them considered. After a good cry, we are all doing better at accepting this silly name. Ninja Kittens ROCK!

Here are some shots from a Saturday morning.

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an alert and ready defender

IMG_2587

giving the ball a boot

IMG_2536

four Ninja Kittens and no other players... hmmm

IMG_2728

an atta boy from Coach

IMG_2727

water break

IMG_2744

looking for an open teammate

IMG_2762

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Random Dozen - 10/13/10

I'm just getting to the random dozen for the week. Saturday is better than never... I guess.


1. Is there a word which you initially mispronounced? Were the circumstances in which you made the faux pas embarrassing? By the way, that's not "foax pass." (I know you know that. Just jokin' with ya.) I'm sure there is something. I'm having trouble thinking of an example right now. I sometimes have trouble with mispronouncing names. There are a couple of very nice ladies at church whose names I butchered for quite some time before I figured it out.

2. How do you feel about the use of texting shortcuts and trends? (ex: "I've got ur notes. Get them 2 u 2morow.") Texting shortcuts are fine for texting and IMing. Not for homework or essays.

3. Tell me about your high school senior picture. Please feel free to post. I don't have a digital copy of my senior portrait. I wore a blue (dark purply blue) sweater and my hair was a little over styled. It was the mid 80s so of course I had bangs.

5. Share a high school or college homecoming memory. One day during Algebra II, Mr. Johnson was having the girl in front of me work through a problem. She wasn't doing very well. Mr. Johnson kinda shook his head and said that she had better plan on marrying rich. My classmate said, "Rich who?" We all lost it. She couldn't figure out why everyone was laughing.

6. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets? Living on the Pacific, I like sunsets. There is nothing like the pictures God paints for us at night. Sunrises are beautiful too, but you have to wake up to catch them. If I could see them from bed...

7. What is something you have not done that you desire to do? Have you seen my list? There are a lot of things on there that I've never done that I want to do.

8. If you could come back [in another life] as an animal, which would it be? You couldn't make me come back. I look forward to being with Jesus. If I were an animal... I'd be... a robin.... ha!

9. Where were you 10 years ago? Please feel free to elaborate more than just your physical location. Ten years ago my parents and I were closing our business - they retired and it was too hard to keep it going myself. I kept busy by volunteering at church and spending time and taking care of my elderly friend Nickey.

10. When you are proven to be correct in any contentious discussion, do you gloat? For a little while. I like being right.

11. What is your favorite food which includes the ingredient "caramel?" I often enjoy a Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks. decaf - extra hot - 1 pump of vanilla in case you want to bring me one.

12. If you could be part of any fictional family, which family would you choose and why? So many choices... maybe the Bennett family from Pride and Prejudice (I could be one of the sisters) or the Ingalls family from Little Hose or ?

Maybe I'll be random on Wednesday next week.

Daybook October 11, 2010

FOR TODAY - Monday October 11, 2010 and Tuesday October 12, 2010. I couldn't finish last night, it got too late... and I actually didn't have time to finish it on Tuesday so I've decided to post what I had finished.

Outside my window... It's dark. I wish we had fall leaves.

I am thinking... that I can't believe it's almost 11:00. I was trying to go to bed earlier tonight. Actually... it is earlier than last night and the night before.

I am thankful for... Surferman and his deliberate consideration in an upcoming decision.

From the learning rooms... I wanted to do some Christopher Columbus stuff today with Grom and Gogo. Gogo was off school and didn't even know why. It just didn't happen. Maybe tomorrow?

From the kitchen... cookies! I used to hate to bake cookies. I just didn't have the attention span. Now I have 2 ovens and can do 5 sheets at once. I love baking cookies!

I am wearing... blue tee with white tank under (blue tee is too short) and black capri pants. I lost my flip flops a couple of hours ago.

I am creating... does sewing Grom's patches earned at Kids Club on his backpack count as being creative?

I am reading... lessons for Kids Club. I'm teaching this week and next week. It involves puppets this year. Does a puppy puppet have a low voice or a high voice?

I am hearing... laundry tumbling in the dryer.

How you can be praying for me and mine... Surferman's decision. Grom's possible peanut intolerance (ugh! That kid loves his PB&Js) Gogo as we settle into family life and he's less of a guest. Me... diet...what else?

Check out other daybooks at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

What's for Dinner - October 11, 2010

Monday
~family dinner~
~parent advisory council meeting~
my mom cooks

Tuesday
~family house cleaning~
dinner out when we're done

Wednesday
~Grom - soccer~
~Gogo - soccer~
~Kids Club / Bible Study / Youth Group~
Cheesy Potato Chowder
oyster crackers
fruit

Thursday
~Gogo - soccer~
Tangy Down Home Pork Chops (Dream Dinners Meal)
spinach salad
garlic bread

Friday
Buffalo Ranch Chicken (Dream Dinners Meal)
baked potatoes
salad

Saturday
~The Guys - Chip's Birthday BBQ~
~The Guys - Cathyann's Birthday BBQ~
~Me - Sarah's baby shower (at my home)~
????

Sunday
~Shoreline Family Dinner~
Ravioli with Tomato Sauce

Hundreds of women post their weekly menu plans every week at Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday. Need an idea for dinner? Go check it out.

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Random Dozen - 10/5/10

This week Linda asked for help with the questions...

1. From "Men Are Dumb ....": If you had a theme song that played whenever you walked into a room full of people, what would it be? Rockin' Robin of course.



2. From Pam of "Alert And Oriented x 4": Which of your shoes are your absolute favorite, and which are of the object of your most painful shoe-buyer's remorse? Most of my shoes are comfortable. All of my uncomfortable shoes are "dress up" shoes. My latest favorite shoes are Simples.

3. From Susanne of "Living to Tell the Story": Tell about your favorite birthday celebration that you've personally experienced. My birthday falls near Thanksgiving. One year, Surferman arranged for us to have the weekend in San Francisco. It was a fantastic surprise. We had a great time and had so much fun.

4. From Lori of "Just me and My Life": If you were a flavor of ice cream, which would you be? orange sherbet I guess... with hot fudge on top for sure.

5. Cindy Swanson of "Notes in the Key of Life" asks: Have you ever had a crush on a movie star? Who was it, and are you still crushing? No major crushes. I liked Aidan Quinn's blue eyes.


6. Jill from "Jill Boyd's Place" inquires: Glasses or braces--if you had to wear one, which would it be? glasses for sure... there are tons of cute frames and you can take them off without pain or an Orthodontist.

7. Nel from "Fasteneau Facts" asks: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
right here... right now... or Maui.

8. Thena from "Patiently Waiting" wants to know: If money were no obstacle, what would be the perfect birthday gift to receive? I'd like a day where I only have to do things that I want to do. I'd spend the morning being pampered and the afternoon with my guys.

9. From "Life Through Bifocals," LynnMarie asks: What is your favorite birthday meal? My favorite birthday meal changes every year. One year it was grilled gigantic shrimp. Another year it was lasagna. And even Beef Dip sandwiches once. I'm going to have to start thinking about what I'm going to ask for this year. It's coming.

10. Debby at "Just Breathe" checks in with: Do you still send hand-written thank you notes?
I want to. I usually write at least a couple.

11. Linda from "Mocha with Linda" poses this question: What is something you've done that you never thought you'd do? Last summer I ate a raw tomato.

12. Jewel, my homegirl from Indiana who writes at "Musings from the World of Jewel," is very insistent that we answer this: Mount Rushmore honors four US Presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. If you could add any person to Mount Rushmore, who would you add and why? Benjamin Franklin maybe. History isn't one of my strengths. But it seems like he had a lot to do with the founding of our county and doesn't get as much credit because he wasn't a president.