Daylight Savings Time

Today, Feb 28th. The sunrise wasa at 7:11 am . this means that at 6:45 when my kids are waiting for the bus, the sky is starting to lighten up, and it's not pitch dark. Next week I will be able to send them out to wait for the bus and I will be able to see them clearly while they are waiting. More importantly, other drivers will be able to see them.

However, a week from Saturday,. Daylight savings will apply and we will "spring" our clocks forward one hour. It will be another 4 weeks until it is the same brightness at 6:45 as it was today.

I have not decided if it will be comforting that won't occur until after 7 PM.

Snow Days

My boys went to school a whole 2 days last week. They were off on Monday for President's day. Then the 12 Yo was sick the preceding Thursday and Friday. He did have all parts of his research project ready to turn in Monday. (It was due Friday). Sunday he finished his bibliography. The yesterday he had a missing assignment. He admitting it to Dad when Dad asked. Then Dad looked at his planner. He has stamps for 3 missing assignments over the past 3 weeks. Sigh! If he had only had the one yesterday we would have been ok because of his absentes, we would ahve told him to do better next time. However since there was a Math assignment before the sickiesa nd snows, a Social Studies assignment from last week and a Religion packet ("I did not hear the due date", "It is your responsibility to find out.")

Thus a loss of privledges has been levied...

Sigh An email from the 8yo's teacher just came across. He had 2 slight meltdown yesterday. As usual, he did not tell us about them.

My Son and Liquid Zithromax

So my 12 YO last week was a bit sick. He has a nasty cough and a low grade fever. So he stayed home form school Thursday and Friday. Friday Dad took him to the doctor where he was given a prescription for liquid Zithromax. This stuff is bright red and cherry-flavored.

So here is this boy who was dragging becasu fo cold that morphed into a sinus infection, but starting Saturday, he was off the carts with ADHD hyper energy. I swear he tap daced around the house for 4 days. His mouth was going a mile-a-minute. He was pushing all of his brother's buttons. You would ahve though we had forgotten to put his Daytrana patch on.

His Dad said he thought it was the lack of wrestling practice and the outlet for nervous energy it provides. I voted for something in the Zithromax. Yesterday was his last dose. This morning I noticed a big difference. The 12 YO noticed a difference. He does not usually notice those sorts of things.

Dinner date

Saturday Hubby and I went to dinner to celebrate a late Valentines. Now that our oldest son is old enough to be in charge at home, we have decided to make a monthly dinner date. I have this list of non-chain restaurants in the area that I want to try. We went to a neighborhood steak and seafood restaurant. It was wonderful.

We did not have reservations, but we got there early enough for them to give us a table in the lounge. It was really fun. There was jazzy music playing, we talked with the bartender and our waitress. We talked to both of the owners. The food was cooked wonderfully. While I was not extremely fond of my dish, it was the flavor of the dish itself. I am more than willing to go back again. Hubby absolutely loved the atmosphere. Now I need to convince him that there are more great restaurants to try.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Ground beef thawing - Hamburgers, baked beans, carrot sticks

Tuesday - Wrestling banquet. We need to take a 2 ltr of soda

Wednesday - Stuffed chicken breasts. A MArket day product. We have Broccoli and cheese or Cordon Blu.

Thursday - Not sure. May stop and pick up pork chops. Or I could do Chicken and rice.

Friday - Fish fry at Church.

Did I mention that we are finished with wrestling? The 12 YO was home sick Thursday and Friday and chose not the wrestling in the districts. Thus he is not eligible for the traveling team. With moving, It has not been the best year for him. He is ready to go on to baseball. I still think wrestling is his best chance for a varsity sport in HS. He will go to 2 wrestling camps this summer.

For more great menus, check out Laura's blog.

Happy Valentines Day!

Hi All,

We exchanged some Valentines yesterday as Thursdays are usually a busy day for us. Hubby brought me home a nice boquet of mixed flowers. They look beautiful in the center of the kitchen table. He picked up a Whitman's sampler box for each boy. I picked up a box of Chocolate covered Cherries for Hubby. (Glad I got them).

Yesterday my 12 yo was sounding quite froggy and was speed-eating rootbeer-flavored cough drops. Poor kid coughed all night. So this morning we decided to give his teachers and classmates a nive Valentines by NOT sending him and his cold germs to school. That means he won't be staying after school for band practice nor will he go to wrestling practice tonight. Thus our normally busy night is quite free.

However, I did not make plans for dinner tonight. It is usually just the 8 YO and I as Hubby swings by and picks up food for himself and the 12 yo between band and wrestling.

This also means I do not ahve to leave work early to be home when the 8 yo gets off the bus. I can make up the hour I missed yesterday when they boys had a 2 hour delayed start for school.

Snow day

My boys finally go their snow day yesterday. We left them at home. The 12 Yo is of age to "babysit" and the 8 yo is very responsible. They do well together in such situations. Of course they were the recipients of phone calls from Mom and Dad reminding them to eat breakfast, get dressed, eat lunch, etc.

But of course, the 12 yo did not work on his writing project. Sigh, I'm going to nag him to death on this project.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Turkey Meatloaf

Tuesday - Turkey - Noodle Casserole from the Freezer since Mom has to work late and the 12 yo has wrestling practice at 6:00.

Wednesday - Chicken Stir fry - Requested by Hubby. He bought some vegetarian egg rolls.

Thursday - Just the 8 yo and I. I'll dig something up

Friday - Fish Fry at Church or scallops/cheese stickes from the freezer.

For More great menu ideas, check out Laura's blog.

Ash Wednesday

As a practicing Catholic, Ash Wednesday is an important day. It is a day of Fast and abstenance. We abstain from meat and we are called to fast. My parents - practicing Catholics themselves, had us eat three meals, no snacking in between. Funny, I'm in my early 40's and just recently have I really looked at the blurb in the church Bulletin about what it means to fast per the Church. We are supposed to have 2 snacks and one full meal. The tow snacks are not supposed to equal the amount of the full meal.



I don't fast well. The last 5 to 7 years I find that when I go for more than 5 hours without eating that I get a headache and my emotions start to go out of wack. I start to worry about stupid things. I get agitated and I start snapping at people. I don't like this.



So this morning I decided I was going to try. My stomach was protesting, so I decided to eat 2 South Beach Cereal bars. Not bad. I also had a cup of coffee with some milk. This is about 7:30-8:00. About 11:45 I started to get a headache. My stomach is starting to whine also. So I drank the 6 oz can of V-8 I packed. Then I warmed the piece of Brie I brought and ate it with some crackers. Then I decided to get a small salad from the cafe here in my building.

Ok, So now it's Thursday morning. I still have a headache, must be sinus. But I went home, Had dinner - Some Onion rings, hush puppies and crab cakes. So I am pretty pleased that I managed well.

Menu Plan Monday - What happened?

I have not given up on planning my menus weekly. I get a vague idea before I do the grocery shopping. It's jus tthat there are so many poster on Laura's blog for Menu Plan Monday. I'm finding it better for my family if I write my menu on a piece of paper and slap it ont he fridge. My 8 yo is always very interested in his meals. Of course he makes an ugly face at half of my plans. Unless it included hot dogs, mac and cheese or spaghetti.

So Hubby is out of town this week. He' be back Thursday evening. I did - even though it's the end of the season, find someone to carpool to wrestling with. Last night the other Mom did the drop off and pcik-up. Tongiht it is my turn. I suggested this way becasue the 8 yo goes on Tuesdays. When Hubby is home, he goes and coaches. Of course The 8 yo could have his last meet thins Sunday.

But I am rather free with my menus when Hubby is not home. Last ngiht it was hot dogs for the boys and mac and cheese. Tonight will most likely be leftovers of mac and cheese.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. As a good Catholic, I try to fast, but I am scared to death of my blood sugar dropping. So I will try to be careful. I think I will make Mozzarella cheese sticks for dinner. I will cook up a little bit of shrimp or scallops for myself.