The New Normal
We are all three happy in our lives here. Things have settled down from the move and we are in a routine. Michael works upstairs (he loves being home, but not necessarily the code he is writing - bummer), Kara and I do school in the mornings. Church on Sunday and Wednesday. Play at the house whenever we want. All good stuff. I am trying to cook more - I'm not used to it. Michael ate breakfast and lunch at work, so he usually had a bowl of cereal at home for dinner. I got real used to cooking just for myself or eating the same pb sandwiches Kara did. After all these years, I still can't figure out exactly what foods Michael likes. Probably because he can't either. I have been trying to make more of an effort - tonight we had marinated skirt steak, rice, and ramen cole slaw. He liked all of it! Not only am I trying to keep more sweets and snacks around the house for him, but I'm trying to make them myself too. That way they have less preservatives and I am altering the recipes to be a little healthier (half all purpose flour/half wheat flour & half butter/half unsweetened applesauce). So far all the baked goods have turned out even lighter and fluffier than the original recipes. Anyway, with less social obligations (hallelujah!), I have a lot more free time. So, since idle hands are the devil's workshop, I am keeping busy by feeding my family. Oh! And I grocery shop now. My mom has been doing that for me for YEARS. How great is she?! Since she was just down the street, she said she had to go every week for herself and if I just gave her my list she would pick up what I needed. Amazing. She and I both like grocery shopping, but I felt like I didn't used to have time for it. Anyway, now I have time and I'm doing it myself.
Was that the most boring paragraph or what? This is my life! And I love it!
Let's see, what else can I tell you?
I started watching The Office on Netflix. I never got into it because the boss annoyed me to no end. Merideth and Seth told me to stick with it and it will get good. Seriously, the whole first season was bad, but now I'm really into it and on season FIVE! It's amazing how much you can watch when you have no cable in your bedroom, when you watch when you cook, and when you watch when you do laundry. Not to mention none of the shows I like have started on the living room tv! lol!
Kara has been reading a lot. She still has her hobbies - drawing (on paper and the computer), writing her books, playing rummy (and canasta), and playing in the sand pile at the house. I got her Roald Dohl's Matilda and she read it in a day and a half. So, I got her The Witches by the same author. My 4th grade teacher read several of his books out loud to us in class. They are all about kids in sad/difficult/no-control situations who make it out due to their strength of character (and a little magic). Anyway, she read The Witches in her room, alone, in the dark, and it creeped her out. Poor girl! She was in tears! I'm a bad mom. We immediately read the first chapter of Because of Winn-Dixie out loud to make her giggle over the cute doggie. The next morning she woke up crazy late because she said she started with chapter 2 and just read the whole book. lol! I'm not even upset. Tonight I gave her The Borrowers. Hopefully she doesn't read it all in one sitting, but I'm thinking I need to go to the library to have a pile of books ready for her. On my list for her to read soon: The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit (maybe), Harry Potter, The Red Wall series, all of E.B. White's books, A Wrinkle in Time, Percy Jackson series, and about a zillion other classics.
Michael has a friend coming to stay with us tomorrow night. He is driving in from Maryland, so he'll be here at bedtime. Then they are fishing on Saturday before he heads out that night. Or something. I don't know much about him, or when he's coming, or what food he eats, or what he likes to drink. I'm just cooking and cleaning and will have the house ready for a general guest. Too bad it got hot again and he'll be sleeping upstairs in the heat!! :-(
Speaking of heat, we got our electric bill. Two A/C units that never cool off the upstairs - they can't keep up with the August heat. Take a guess what the bill was. Mind you, this is a small townhouse. But, it's an inside unit (which is hotter). I'll let you know next post. Ugh. (We are paying for the super primo spray insulation for the new house - keep that heat OUT. Having no second floor will make a world of difference!)
Was that the most boring paragraph or what? This is my life! And I love it!
Let's see, what else can I tell you?
I started watching The Office on Netflix. I never got into it because the boss annoyed me to no end. Merideth and Seth told me to stick with it and it will get good. Seriously, the whole first season was bad, but now I'm really into it and on season FIVE! It's amazing how much you can watch when you have no cable in your bedroom, when you watch when you cook, and when you watch when you do laundry. Not to mention none of the shows I like have started on the living room tv! lol!
Kara has been reading a lot. She still has her hobbies - drawing (on paper and the computer), writing her books, playing rummy (and canasta), and playing in the sand pile at the house. I got her Roald Dohl's Matilda and she read it in a day and a half. So, I got her The Witches by the same author. My 4th grade teacher read several of his books out loud to us in class. They are all about kids in sad/difficult/no-control situations who make it out due to their strength of character (and a little magic). Anyway, she read The Witches in her room, alone, in the dark, and it creeped her out. Poor girl! She was in tears! I'm a bad mom. We immediately read the first chapter of Because of Winn-Dixie out loud to make her giggle over the cute doggie. The next morning she woke up crazy late because she said she started with chapter 2 and just read the whole book. lol! I'm not even upset. Tonight I gave her The Borrowers. Hopefully she doesn't read it all in one sitting, but I'm thinking I need to go to the library to have a pile of books ready for her. On my list for her to read soon: The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit (maybe), Harry Potter, The Red Wall series, all of E.B. White's books, A Wrinkle in Time, Percy Jackson series, and about a zillion other classics.
Michael has a friend coming to stay with us tomorrow night. He is driving in from Maryland, so he'll be here at bedtime. Then they are fishing on Saturday before he heads out that night. Or something. I don't know much about him, or when he's coming, or what food he eats, or what he likes to drink. I'm just cooking and cleaning and will have the house ready for a general guest. Too bad it got hot again and he'll be sleeping upstairs in the heat!! :-(
Speaking of heat, we got our electric bill. Two A/C units that never cool off the upstairs - they can't keep up with the August heat. Take a guess what the bill was. Mind you, this is a small townhouse. But, it's an inside unit (which is hotter). I'll let you know next post. Ugh. (We are paying for the super primo spray insulation for the new house - keep that heat OUT. Having no second floor will make a world of difference!)
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