I had lots of New Years plans. Kid friendly ones because I have anything but a wild fun party life. It would however be nice to go out to a fun over the top adult New Years Party before my husband is in the nursing home.
But none of my plans worked out, none. It was frustrating.
We did go to Burger King and got some ice cream.
I had to talk the kids into it. The weather was so cold in the 20's and expecting winter storm Hercules tomorrow. Ice cream was not the easiest sell but we had coupons and they expired that day so we had to go.
However once there in the very busy restaurant, the kids were happy for their ice cream. And the lady who was so sweet and patient with my family and the 3 orders we had to split it up between to be able to use the coupons let me know they would except them past their expiration date. Good to know.
We came home and still plans kept unfolding, nothing that I had planned was done, nothing. I gave up. The older 2 stayed up and watched the ball drop the tiny team went to bed and I fell asleep on the couch.
You can try to be the perfect pintrest mom planning fun things to do great food to eat and memories to make but when you live in the real world you kinda have to take the ups and downs and changes as they come and life rarely ever mimics the perfect ideal you want. And I would not always believe the ideal you see of others online. They put forward what they want you to know, not what is always constant.
Over the next few days we did end up doing most of the things I had wanted and I made some of the wonderful meals I had planned. If I can say one thing about this year so far is all the meals I have made (2) (well two new ones, adult ones, I did feed everyone every meals plus some. But one even my girls were the main eater of ) are over the top. That is good news. I go in swings with meals some weeks everything is awesome and others like the turkey lasagna are left 90% uneaten in the fridge until they start smelling bad. So here is to the good ones why they are working out. And not just good ones but GreaT ones that I copied from
Pioneer Woman
Chicken Parmigiana
this is the one the girls devoured wine, garlic, onions and all. YES!! I love when they eat the same things as us. And you cook the alcohol in the wine out so no worries.
Half Baked Harvest
Crockpot Carnitas
Oh my heavenly goodness this was AMAZING! We loved it, not for kids it is spicy, but we loved it! It will be on the regular go to menu. Yum.
I did doctor this one slightly. Only by adding black beans and lime to the rice. Monterrey Jack cheese instead of cheddar, chicken broth instead of beer because we just don't drink beer and it sucks when you walk into a bar and order just 1 beer to go, for cooking. They laugh at you and to prove then you are not a sissy you have to stay for a real drink. It is just so much easier to use chicken broth and it tasted great. But I wonder what it would be like with the correct beer, maybe next time I will up stain the laughter and get the beer, I will let you know. At least we are not sissy enough to buy the overpriced non alcoholic junk at the grocery stores, now that is for real wimps. I mean really does anyone every buy that? Oh and sour cream instead of guacamole. I would have preferred the guac but I am allergic to it and I know without a doubt if you are not allergic to it go with the guac it would be better. I wish I could...
And neither food picture are mine. No plating was pretty enough nor lasted long enough for a picture.
Another great highlight for 2014 was I thought I started back to school on Thursday. I could not sleep the night before and was up way to late laying there in bed staring at the clock. Still I woke up to my sons stupid alarm playing what does the fox say so loud. His room is down stairs mine is up and he slept through it. I got up got ready and went to school. I sat there by myself and waited, and waited. No one came. My school does not start till Monday, it was the boys were the ones who started back. I did actually know that though and got them to school on time but only with the school sending us continually texts that they might not have school or close early because Hercules was getting closer. And he sure did. They did end up staying the day and luckily made it home before the worst came.
But school was canceled the next day.
Oh it was so cold the high was supposed to be 3. Yup that is right. And with windchill it stayed in the negatives. I kept all the kids upstairs where it is the warmest and bunked them up together and with me to stay warm. We do not have forced air, central heat. We have a pellet stove and a propane fireplace. Which is inefficient except for the 1 room it is in. And wouldn't you know we are having trouble with both. Most nights except for in these extreme cold temps we have no heat. I turn everything off and we stay in bed under our blankets if we get cold we add another blanket or cuddled up in bed with someone else. The house upstairs does not drop down past 60 because it was heated up all day so typically this works. But just not when it it in the single digits or negatives then I leave the stove running all night as I did Thursday night. But it was not working. It kept cutting of and on repeatedly for nearly an hour. I was very worried. I prayed and prayed please don't let us have no heat on the coldest day of either year. I went down stairs and monkeyed with it removing built up ash and seeing how high the flames were getting, not good. It filled up with smoke and did not work. I thought I would be gathering the kids and spending the next few days at my parents, where it is even colder but they have good heat, but have not been able to get up the driveway for the past week or so because of the snow. I unplugged it let it power down and then started it back up, this seemed to work and thank God it has been working since. Even though it runs and heats off pellets the augers are powered electronically so no power no heat.
Now on to the fireplace. Oh the room it is in get so very cold that room easily drops in to the 40's maybe lower. (Our thermometer stops at 40 in there) Each morning we have to warm up the room, them warm up the LCD tv we have in there before we can even use it. And the fireplace that is in there too has been acting horrible all winter. I have nothing good to say about it. It rarely starts and most of the time you have to do so by hand, it constantly smells like gas, and often makes a hissing sound that even my oldest now knows how to run and shut off. That Friday after dealing with the stove through the night I had to deal with the fireplace in the morning. I could not once again get it to start. I went to the fireplace and bent down leaning towards it with my long hair you see in the first picture when suddenly it poofed put and started in big bellowing flames. Imagine when you ignite your grill or have a flame up on it. It is quick, hot, won't hurt you but is not good. Well it singed my hair pretty good. the ends were all burned, black, crispy, curly and it smelled horrible. It got a little around my face but since I still have my eyebrows it was not that bad. But I could not even brush my hair it was burned. So an emergency trip to the beauty salon.
They cut...
They chopped...
They layered, and it is different lengths on each side..
And they curled it. Not that I can ever duplicate this.
But even today with out there help it still looks real pretty.
But not according to my kids. I came home and my oldest says "great you got the quintessential mom hair cut". Ugh...brat.
I still like it well enough and it is long enough for me to pull back in my labs. It will grow. But please 2014 lets stop with the mishaps.
Today was no winner either, but at least without tragedy. Tomorrow we are expecting an ice storm. Monday everyone back at school. January is tough in PA so is February and March. The weather is bad the kids stay home and the bills keep coming. Oh I don't want to mention my sweet hefty energy increase for having 4 trees. OUCH!! They had LCD lights I don't understand but it was just another lesson learned from 2014. If I don't have a job don't spend and extra $100 on electricity.
So here is to tomorrow a new day and the hope it can only be better, please.
Awesome haircut! and eating out with family is always fun!
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