Blogger Hates Me

Apparently Blogger hates me again.  I can't post pictures from my phone anymore.  Last time it took forever to sort out and it just mysteriously fixed itself.  I'm hoping for another miracle because I have a cool picture of homemade bread and a cool picture of a homemade sock-in-progress.  I know you are at the edge of your seats!

Party Hat

Trying to learn knitting with 4-5 double pointed needles. It's agonizing, but I'm getting there. This is a hat I made for Tristan. I used the wrong weight yarn so it stands up instead of flopping over, but it's still cute.

True Love

I told the boys to look like they love each other. This is what I got. Cuties.

Butter

Apparently Tristan likes butter. I found this in the living room after I finished baking a cake. Obviously I am slacking in the diligence department.

Superheroes

The boys are dressed up like superheroes. And trying to kill each other. I told them to look tough and this was the result.

Closing

Woo, a payday! I'm sitting here waiting for clients to arrive. I wish my office could be this tidy. I don't get how people can work like this.

Scarf

A scarf I'm knitting. I am a new and obsessed knitter. Somebody stop me!

Happy Halloween

This is why Halloween is so scary. I am now madly in love with false eyelashes.

Banking

New banks for the boys' allowance. Tristan doesn't get an allowance yet but he sometimes accumulate change he scavenges from it dropping out of other people's pockets and also gifts from family.

Julius gets a set amount each week and has to save 25 percent to put in his savings account at the bank. We take him down to deposit it once per month.

Road Trip!

We're on the way to the state fair. Tristan is too far over to the side so you can't see him. It's raining. This should be interesting.

Catching a Brother

Tristan catches Julius with a butterfly net.

River Market

We're at the river market. Awesome place.

At the Museum

We're at the museum and they have THE COOLEST playroom ever with lots of themes.

Learning to Knit

Thanks to my pal Shannon, I'm making another attempt to teach myself to knit. I think I might be actually getting it this time!

The Bite

Julius got a a walloping by another kid on the bus. This was the bite mark.

No Face

Tristan covers Julius in bubbles starting from the top.

Nearly Buried

Going, going...

Bubblefest

Julius buries Tristan in bubbles.

Overly Optimistic

Two weeks? Seriously doubt it.

Lunch

The boys and I stop halfway through our working road trip to have lunch. Fast food seems like such a rip off after we've been living so frugally.

Chunky Crayons

The boys and I are making Chunky crayons out of our old crayon pieces.

Crawdad Fishers

Julius caught some crawdads feom the ditch at our office. We are going to set them free at the ditch at our house and see if they will thrive.

Lunch 'N Hunny

At lunch with my hunny. The vent-a-hood isn't working and I might die from smoke inhalation, but at least the food is good.

From Here to Eternity

Traffic is backed up for miles. I've made about two miles in 20 minutes.

Quorum Court

Sitting in a quorum court meeting. Listening to them discuss the merits of an ordinance assigning penalties for providing alcohol to minors at parties. Go ya'll!

Still Tasty

Okay, this is not really "an observation" from my ozark life, but it's something cool to pass on anyway...

http://www.stilltasty.com/

It's an awesome resource that will tell you the shelf life of any food you're wondering about. Pretty darn cool.

I'm pretty sure I have some meat in my freezer I need to use up really soon. It's also forcing me to admit to my husband that YES, HONEY, I OVERBOUGHT WHEN THE MEAT WAS ON SALE.

I hate when he's right.

The Mr. Belly Brothers

After Julius decorated his belly he started on his brother's. It's belly madness!

Mr. Belly

Julius takes artistic liberties with his belly.

Adorable

I found this little thing in Hallmark magazine. It is a column by Amy Krause Rosenthal and is mostly drawn. Cute and charming. I need to go find her book Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life. Has anyone read it?

What Cooperation?

The 2nd doctor's office is infringing on my civil liberties. Or at least my freedom of expression.

They don't understand my standing assumption that such silly rules do not apply to me.

Waiting for Mom

Sitting in the docs office for mom. She's having some cancer removed at outpatient and then I drive her over to surgery building for reconstruction. It's a crazy system they've got going on here but the doctor seems good.

On top of it I've got some horrible virus and should be home in bed. But who else will take care of my little mommy??

Sunday Shopping Results 8/9

I know I do well every week on the grocery shopping, but I've not really been keeping a running total or anything. I thought it might be nice to see how we do over the long term on these trips.

Today's results are:

STAPLES was my big score! I got a Casio labelmaker, an electric pencil sharpener, two reams of paper, 12 spiral notebooks and a package of dry erase markers for... $3.24! (After a rebate of $37 which I submitted online as an "easy rebate" with the Staples web site. Awesome process.)

KROGER: $169.55 worth of groceries, out-of-pocket cost is $71.04! (That's a savings of $98.51)

WALGREENS: $145.54 worth of product, out-of-pocket cost is $40.64! (Total savings of $104.90!)

I got some stuff from Office Depot too but I can't find my receipt! I got a free backpack and some free crayons and some other really cheap stuff. I'll update this post when I track that down.

If you want to know more about how I get these fabulous savings, just email me!

Roast 'Em Toast 'Em

Preparing a roast to put in the oven. Sear the roast in the cast iron skillet. Add carrots and potatoes, fill to the top with beef broth. Put in the oven (in skillet) at 350 for about an hour and a half.

I've done this recipe in the crock pot and it doesn't taste nearly as good as it does in the cast iron skillet in the oven.

Making Star Charts

Julius makes star charts in my office. He documented the "Froghead Nebula", "Brutus Minor" and "The Fish of Fear".

Cleaning Up

Tristan uses Mommy's nice spa scrubbie and expensive body wash to clean the shower.

Sitting on the Porch

Tristan sits on the porch waiting for something. Not sure what.

Mom's Shoes

Tristan wears my shoes. Backward.

Supposed to be Working

Julius and I went out to get pictures of a house for Rob. We took a side break for a few minutes to play. I hope he's not reading this blog from work!!

Biggest Ever!

This is the biggest walking stick I've ever seen in my LIFE! This was on the outer door of my office when I came in this morning.

Leprechauns

OMG... There are leprechauns in my bathtub!!

Cool Dudes

We're out in the woods looking at a client's cabin.

Work Out

Julius says he needs to start lifting weights because he can't do the monkey bars.

Big Boy

Last time we were here, Tristan was too scared to go down this slide. He's a big boy now!

Playing

We're in the stifling heat at the park. This officially entitles me to claim I am a selfless mother. At least for the afternoon. No guarantees beyond this.

Kudos to Taco Bell

Taco Bell rocks for making certificates of bravery for kids at the doctor.

We're Always at the Doctor

I swear we're always at the doctor. Today we're at the doctor having Tristan swabbed to see if he has strep.

I Didn't

I didn't follow the directions. I'm a rebel, what can I say?

On the Field with Flint

Julius is on the field with the Travs catcher #18 Flint Wipke. They are standing on home plate. Since Julius was a catcher he got his photo with the catcher.

Waiting to Go

The boys are waiting to go out onto the field and make their big debut in front of the crowds.

Jumbotron

I don't know if you can see it, but the boys are being broadcast on the jumbotron. Woooo, go boys!

Excited!

Julius and his dad went to the Travs game today. They were doing "Field of Dreams" at the game tonight where the boys get to go out on the field with the players.

Abandoned Building

A cool old abandoned building.

Heading to the River

We're heading to the river to look at a house we have for sale.