Sunday, December 12, 2010

Benjamin's Buck Nose

When I was a little girl, someone once told me that I had buck teeth. And I thought to myself "well of course I do, my last name is Buck." Some of my children have inherited my "Buck" teeth. Benjamin's were bad enough to require braces with head gear. (He should be getting the braces off in a couple of months and is super excited.)

We were eating dinner as a family a couple of nights ago, and Brendon noticed that Benjamin's nose is changing. He told Benjamin that he was getting a Buck nose. Benjamin said, "Maybe we can get some head gear for my Buck nose."

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

No More Facebook

I've decided to close my facebook account. I've had a great time keeping up with friends and family there, but...for the last couple of weeks, I have getting messages through facebook from women that I do not know, and in their profile pictures, they aren't wearing anything.

I did let facebook know about the problem. Until I hear back from them with a guarantee that I won't be receiving the messages any longer, my account with them will stay closed.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Crocus Sativus

Today I planted some Crocus Sativus bulbs. I have been wanting some of these for years, and this past spring I found a company that sells them and had them in stock. These flowers are super cool because not only are they beautiful, they produce the world's most expensive spice, saffron. Next spring I plan to pick the stigmas, dry them, and cook with them.

They really aren't supposed to grow where I live, so I have planted them in very sheltered spots next to the house. It has gotten pretty cold here in the past week, and some of the ground is frozen. I figured if I could dig the dirt today, the spot might be sheltered enough for the bulbs. Here's hoping!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Homemade Rootbeer Ice Cream

There is a great drive-in burger joint in Blackfoot called Rupes that we love to go to. The burgers, fries, onion rings, tots, and shakes there are all excellent. Most often when we go, however we don't get a meal. We usually just stop in and get some of their rootbeer ice cream cones.

I love their rootbeer ice cream, and decided this week to try to make some myself. It turned out really good, so I thought I would post my recipe. (In case anyone is interested.)

2 cups cream
1 cup milk
1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute
1 cup sugar
1 tsp imitation vanilla extract
1-2 tsp rootbeer extract

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Freeze in ice cream maker. Be sure to use extracts that do not include alcohol. Alcohol prevents the ice cream from freezing properly.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Worse Than December

I have just had one of the busiest 2 weeks ever in my life.

It started with a Honors Band Recital for Benjamin (I spent this recital outside with Gavin), then a Volleyball Game for Naomi, then Mother's Day (Not really my headache, but I still sent a gift to Boise for my mother and we had Brendon's mother and my father over for dinner.)

Next was a Clogging Recital for Naomi (I stayed home with Gavin for this one as a result of my experience at the Honors Band Recital).

Gabrielle and Naomi participated in the play King Arthur's Court with the Missoula Children's Theater. They had practices starting right after school nearly every day that week.

Friday, we attended our Ward Party.

Naomi's final Volleyball game was that Saturday, as was Gabrielle and Naomi's final performance for the play.

Then this week, we had Benjamin's final Band Concert, Naomi's 6th Grade Choir Concert, and finally yesterday was Gabrielle's First Grade Program.

As I was waiting for the girls to turn in their costumes after the final performance of King Arthur's Court, I was visiting with one of the other moms. She said that she felt like May was just as busy as December. I'm thinking it is probably worse.


















Tuesday, May 4, 2010

If You Give a Mom a Vacuum

If after looking at a disgustingly dirty family room for a few days I decide to vacuum it, I'll notice there are some spots that don't come out. So, I'll pull out the shampooer and shampoo the carpet.

While I'm dumping dirty water from the shampooer into the toilet, I'll notice that the bathroom floor is dirty. So, I will get some disinfecting wipes and scrub the floor down. As long as I am cleaning the bathroom I decide to do the whole thing thoroughly. This means scrubbing the toilet.

When I scrub toilets, I scrub all 4. (This is because I like to use the Clorox toilet wand because it is disposable, but I don't think the cleaner on it does a thorough enough job. I squirt 3 of the toilets down with toilet bowl cleaner, and then clean the first with the toilet wand and then use the toilet wand to clean the rest of the toilets and then throw the disposable part away.)

Since the toilets are all clean, I now have to clean the other 3 bathrooms. I start with mine. In order to do a good job on the shower, I spray it down, and then get inside and scrub it out. Now I need a shower.

So I take one. After my shower, I realize that I am exhausted, so I sit down to rest for a while. Gavin bangs on my bedroom door the entire time, and I realize that I really don't have time to rest because I have to pick up Gabrielle from school. (Naomi has achievement days at the church directly after school.)

I am running late, so I drive to the school. After picking up Gabrielle I realize that there is an errand I would like to run as long as I am in the car, so I run to the store.

While we are in the checkout lane, Gabrielle lets me know that she needs to use the bathroom. (I asked her if she had to go before we left the school and she said "No.") The bathroom is at the back of the store, so I get out of line and take her to the bathroom.

While we are waiting for Gabby to go potty, Gavin notices a box of Scooby-Doo graham cracker snacks and asks if we can buy them. I know that he is hungry and will probably behave better if he gets them, so I put them in the cart.

I open the crackers and let the children eat them as we drive home from the store. When we return home I notice that the gate has blown open and Lizzy (the dog) is running around in the front yard.

So, I call her and try to get her back in the backyard, but she doesn't listen. Gavin & Gabby see her running around and decide to try to catch her. She can leave them in her dust and runs down the street.

I yell at the children and tell them not to follow her, I make them come in the house and suggest that if Lizzy sees us going inside, she will try to follow us in. She does. As we are coming in the house, the box of Scooby-Doo crackers spills on the floor. Lizzy eats them as quickly as she can. I grab the box of crackers and put it in the kitchen. I also have Gabrielle pick up and throw away as many of the crackers as she can.

To get Lizzy into her kennel, I yell "treat". Lizzy comes running and I get her in the kennel. Since I promised her a treat, I get the box of doggy treats out. Both Gabby and Gavin want to give her one, so Lizzy gets 2 treats. It is totally worth 2 treats to me that Lizzy did not pee on the floor in her excitement to be in the house.

After all of the excitement, I sit down on the computer and check in on facebook. As I am reading my facebook, I realize I have a pretty good idea for an entry on my blog. So I start to blog. While I am typing my older to children come home from school. They are both hungry and see the Scooby-Doo crackers on the counter. They eat a few and then decide they would rather have goldfish crackers.

Somehow the goldfish crackers get spilled on the floor, so Gabby gets a broom to sweep them up. While she is sweeping her friend comes to the door to see if she can play. She can't because her room isn't clean, so she goes upstairs to clean it.

Benjamin keeps bugging on me and I realize I can kill two birds with one stone, if I make him clean one of the remaining bathrooms. So I do. I think I'll go clean the other one.