Menu Plan Monday - July 30

I'm actually a day early. I'm still working on getting the new house put together. A lot has been accomplished since Hubby has been home over the weekend.

But as to the meals, It's a little loose becasue with moving, cash has become short until my Tuesday payday. And before moving we really ate down the pantry and the freezer. I did spend $12 at a local farmer's market. I told my boys we are eating corn on the cob until we are sick of it since it is corn on the cob season.

Sunday - Leftover BBQ Pulled pork sandwiches, MAc and cheese, Corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes and baby carrots.

Monday - Chicken pot pie (Bisquick recipe).

Tuesday - We have Minor League Baseball tickets. Dinner will be out.

Wednesday - Spaghetti

Thursday - Another baseball game

Friday - Pizza

For more great Menus, check out Laura's blog

My Childhood home

My Childhood home

We moved 3 times when I was in grade school. It is the middle house the floods me with memories. We lived in it for less than 2 years. But it was May when I was in First Grade when we moved there and it was December when I was in Third Grade when we moved to the next house.

This house is coming up even more in my memories because I am moving my family to within 5 miles of that house this weekend. My youngest son is the age I was when I lived in this house. It was a ranch with a basement – a walk out basement, through the garage. The Upstairs had 3 bedrooms, a bath a living room, kitchen, breakfast nook and a family room. Oh and a half bath. The basement had another kitchen in it. But the rest was unfinished. My brother and I would roller skate (the old metal over the shoes type that you needed a roller skate key for. The basement was a bit dark. There was a full bath down there. It really had one working light. Probably because My parents were not down there much. The Toilet was black and the tile was all different colors. Dad said the guy who built it was a tile layer and used leftovers for this bathroom.

The bedrooms had hardwood floors and there was a 2 sided fireplace between the living room and the family room. There was a large patio out back. It was at this house that my parents started throwing big parties. Well, with Mom’s 10 brother’s and sisters coming of age, and the fact that Mom was a nurse in the Emergency room working with people who needed to blow off steam, our house was a great spot for parties. This patio has a built in brick grill.

The back yard has a flat area, a hill and another flat area, almost like it had been terraced. I have heard stores of a mud- volleyball game at the top.

But then, the plant Dad worked at closed down and he got a new job back in the city 50 miles to the North. So we moved.

For more stores, Check out Mary’s blog

The big day has arrived

This afternoon this house will belong to us (and the bank).

Menu Plan Monday - July 16

Closing on the new house is Thursday. Yipee. Goodbye long commute! I have cleaned out and unplugged the freezer. I have been pretty successful and eating down the contents. I went to the Grocery and spent lass than $20.00. That was on fresh milk (only 1/2 gallon though), celery, cucumber and the snack foods for the 7 YO's packed lunch, He claims he gives away the fruit I pack him. Sigh! It's all highly sugared, processed crap! I guess I jsut need to watch his breakfasts and dinners. Anyways, the rest of our meals are from food in the fridge and the pantry.

Mon - Salisbury steak (last 2 lbs of ground beef)
Tues- Stuffed Chicken breast (purchased from MArketDay) We have a mix of Broccoli and cheese and Italian.
Wed - Tuna and Noodle casserole

Thurs is closing day. I am planning to eat out. Same with Friday. Saturday we are going to a Graduation party picnic after my new refridgerator arrives.

Sun- Moving day - I picked up a whole pork tenderloin and will make BBQ pulled pork for sandwiches.

For more great Menus, Check out Laura's blog

Guilt, It does a Mom good

Yesterday I let my 12 Yo go to a movie that I usually would not let him go to. Although it would not bother his Dad at all. You see, His two buddies int he neighborhood were going to see "Live Free or Die Hard." It is rated PG-13. The three boys were being dropped off too. I like to carefully consider what I allow my kids to see. But Dad, he'll let them play Halo on the XBox. "Shudder".

But we are moving in a week. The boy will have to make new friends. I want to ease the burden as much as possible. Or rather I did not want it to start for a few more days becasue Mom would not give him money and permission to go see a movie. Rated PG-13 and aafter all, he is 12.

But I do remember, at a 4th of July party, my Aunt, a second Grade school teacher, saying that she saw the movie and she enjoyed it. I never pegged her for the action movie-sort. So I gave him $10 and sent him on his way.

He wants to go see HArry Potter tonight, but I know Dad wants to go see it also. (I still have not watched "The Goblet of Fire yet." And since the other boy is only 7, nowhere close to 13, he will not be seeing it until it coomes out on DVD and we bring home the DVD. Sigh!

Closing time, one more call...

So many people have songs playing when they go to their Blogs. So close your eyes and imagine "Closing Time."

I have not gotten a lot packed since my last post. But we have closing times and dates set. We are exercising our writing hands for the closing on our new house Next Thursday at 1:00 PM. I already put in for a half day of vacation. Even though we allowed the sellers to wit until Saturday to give occupancy, they will hand over keys at closing. Hubby will be calling the utility companies to have the service transferred to us. I will be loading up my car with stuff to move in Thursday afternoon.

Maybe I will take a Sharpie and a bunch of post-it notes and plan out where to put things in my kitchen. My MIL said she would be there, but she was not sure how much moving (ie: lifting and carrying) she could do. I'd be happy if she unpacked my kitchen, but she will want me to tell her where to put everything. Then I will plan for other things. Like my craft area.

Menu Plan Monday

Mon - (Baseball at 6:00) - I neglected to plan for this. It will be up to Hubby

Tues - Burgers on the grill (Frozen bubba burgers), Mac and Cheese or backed beans

Wed - Turkey cutlets, topped with stuffing and gravy - I'll have the 12 Yo put in the oven. No wait, I'll set up the crok pot and have him take the crok from the fridge an have him place the liner in and turn it on for 6 hours.

Thurs - MEat Loaf

Friday - Spaghetti with Italian sausage.

For more great recipes, visit Laura

Moving update

As far as we know, we are on schedule to close ont he new house on the 16th of this month. We are expecting to get occupancy on the 21st. The 22nd is moving day.

I was lent a bunch of moving boxes form a co-worker who moved from several states away. While a wonderful gift, many of the boxes are too big for the things I am trying to pack. I have obtained copy paper boxes from my office (I have three that need to go home today). I also went and purchased some file boxes. Stacks of boxes are starting to dot the various rooms.

It is amazing how fast the entire family reverted to our slobish ways. I no longer swiffert he bathrooom floor on a daily basis. We are forever leaving things sitting on the kitchen table, shoes are left everywhere and dishes are not being promptly put away. I enjoyed having a clean house, but I was driving myself nuts. (And taking the family along with me).

On a positive note, since the local Cable company has a Monopoly on the South West portion of Ohio, the same group of people manage the old community as well as the new community. So we will be able to pack up our equipment and set it back up at the new house. And even though the current owners have a sattilite dish for TV, they have cable internet. We have the Cable, Phone and High speed internet option. We will not have to change our email address (Yipee!), but we will get a new phone number (it is a different area code after all). I guess we call them a week ahead so that they can get everything set up and we should be able to plug and play, at least for the Internet and phone.

Hubby has managed to remove the swing set. (That was in the contract.) He did do some cleaning up in the garage. He still has a lot of packing to do of his workbench area. Sigh. The Craft stuff is definitely mine, but why am I the only one worried about cleaning and packing the bathroom, kitchen and file cabinet?

Menu Plan Monday -July 2

My 12 YO came home from Camp G&G (Grandma and Grandpa's) yesterday. Unfortunately for him, he came almost a week early. My Dad has a ruptured disk in his back and we expect him to go for surgery soon. Thus they will not be able to come home for my cousin's wedding this weekend. The 12YO agreeded to be a server at the Wedding Mass. This weekend was the best way to get him. We met half way. It is good to have him home. Now he is available to put a prepared dinner casserole in the oven or even to put the crockpot on for me.

But for this week's menu:

Monday - Leftovers - Pizza, Cheeseburger sloppy joes before the 7yo's baseball gamE

Tuesday - Turket cutlets topped with dressing and turkey gravy

Wednesday - Independence day - Picnic at my cousins - I will take a layered salad and a dessert

Thursday - Chicken Breasts - Maybe kebobs.

Friday - Italian sausage

Have a great week. For more menus visit Laura at I'm an Organization Junkie.