Whew

Well, we survived Florida. And the trip home. And the week after when I tried to attack everything at once.

But once I got my head above water and got some "down" time, I started editing  photos. A lot of photos. My dear friend not only put us up for the night as our "halfway" point, she also gave up her uber-nice Canon for me to use while we were gone.

Me + fancy camera = A schmidt-ton of photos. 797 to be exact. In 7 days.

In my defense, with trying to get two kids AND my dear Hubby to smile, it's not always one or two clicks and we're done. And a lot of times, I get home, load the photos onto my computer and have to pick the lesser of many evils. Someone is almost always scowling, not looking at the camera or has a finger somewhere it shouldn't be.

But then you put in my hands a NICE camera, and my trigger finger gets happy. Then on top of it, I had a couple lenses to play with too.

Oh yeah... we had fun with that camera. Definitely on my wish list.

But keep in mind, my photo software is as old as my camera. Still does what I need it to do (which really ain't much), but apparently asking it to deal with 200+ photos over a few days was too much.

It.... was.... so.... slow.... I.... couldn't....stand.... it....

I have the actual editing and filing process down to a science. I have the prompts memorized along with a few quick keystrokes. But actually waiting for my poor laptop and 6 (?) year-old software to catch up was enough to make me bang my head against the keyboard. Good thing I didn't. I can't imagine that would have sped the process up any.

I will keep drooling over and coveting my friend's camera, and start saving my pennies. We swung Florida this year - a camera is NOT on the horizon. But at the top of my Christmas list is new software.

I hope my computer will start speaking to me again.

Chopped: SAHM edition

A friend started a group on Facebook where a bunch of us could post weekly menus, share recipes and give cooking/baking tips. I try to post every week because it helps me think through my menus (usually), so I'm not running to the store a couple times a week for "just one" thing and ended up spending $100. And when I get into a major cooking rut, it's nice to steal other people's ideas for a change.

Admittedly, this week I did not share a menu. That's because everything in my fridge needs eaten by lunch on Friday, otherwise I'll have a scary, smelly, science experiment waiting for me after our vacation.

I've done it before. It's not pretty.

Monday we had leftover sausage gravy, biscuits and scrambled eggs, which took care of all but one serving of gravy and 2 biscuits and 2 eggs. Last night it was leftover chicken noodles. Mission accomplished there. Tonight is cheeseburger soup (again, leftover) and salad.

After that it gets interesting. In no particular order, here are the perishables that need to disappear before the end of the week:

Taco meat (not quite enough for 4)
Rice
one serving of biscuits and gravy (and eggs)
yogurt
3 squeeze yogurt
half a gallon of milk
3 apples
1 mango
half a bag of clementines (those may make the trip with us...)
half a loaf of bread
2 hot dog buns
3 hamburger buns
4 English muffins
bag of pita (I really don't know the shelf life on those. They may survive)
appx 8 oz container of sour cream
1.5 green peppers
2 carrots
half an onion
cream cheese

I can be pretty creative to combine all of those things, but I kinda need more days and "stuff" with which to do it. I mean, there is more in the fridge and freezer that will last an eternity that can help, but I don't want to generate any more leftovers.

Maybe I should host my own episode of "Chopped" and see what someone else can come up with for dinner. And the ingredients in your secret basket are... All the crap from Bridget's refrigerator! You have 30 minutes. Begin!

Any takers?

Eye on the prize

After a busy and exhausting July 4th weekend, it's official. Summer is half over.

NOOOOO!

Okay, I'm better now.

I am what you'd call restless. If it were 2 degrees outside, I would blame cabin fever and trudge on. But it was 80-something today and gorgeous. Kiddos splashed in the baby pool for 2 hours this afternoon while I read and had half an ear in my iPod. Ahh, summer... right?

Well, kinda.

I'm hearing about people who are going here on vacation, or going there. There are people I know and friends of friends who have pools, boats, lake cabins or some of all of the above. We have The Other Woman. Not quite the same thing. And Mother Nature hasn't been supplying much wind on Hubby's free days, so she's been pretty dry. Not that you would catch me on her EVER.

I admit it. I'm green with jealousy.

But we don't have any kind of grand summer vacay planned this year for a good reason. We went to Colorado and skied for Hubby's 30th birthday (and visited amazing friends for THEIR birthdays) and we need to save some days until this winter.

You see, when we went to the home show in the Big City, I randomly filled out whatever drawing cards I could find. Hubby asked why.

"One of these days we're actually going to win something," I told him.

And gosh darn it, we did. A trip to Orlando and Daytona Beach. Seven whole days in Florida sunshine that we are squirrelling away for when the mercury drops and the snow flies.

That's what I keep telling myself. It'll all be worth it...

It's no cruise, but I'll take it.

Lost treasures

While some may have thought I lost my sanity BEFORE our road trip to Colorado, I'm pretty sure it's gone now, along with a few other things:

One blue flashlight.  The red one made it home. Thank goodness my treasure hunters have not noticed we are down one. The next time they want to go for a rescue in the basement I'm gonna be in trouble.

Travel "Operation" game courtesy of a Burger King kid's meal. Again, ONE made it home. I'd say it's good we have two, except with two kids, two is almost a necessity. Unless I want to lose my hearing listening to them "share."

My cell phone charger. What makes it odd is that I remember throwing it in the suitcase to go out there, but never actually CHARGED my phone. I don't think. So unless our friends' cats have a texting habit they don't know about...

Travel aqua doodle pen, somewhere around Illinois on the return trip. At least that's when it got dark and was the last time I remember seeing it. Hubby was in charge of putting toys away, so I'm thinking the van ate it, ala the Sippy Cup Incident and Sippy Cup Part Dueax.

Daughter's desire to potty train/ability to pee IN the potty. We were all ready to break out the big girls and really start hard core training, but why go through all that knowing we were leaving for a week? Exactly. And I never knew little girls could a) pee standing up like a boy or b) shoot it halfway across the bathroom. I do now.

My tolerance of winter, if I had any to begin with. When in Colorado, we did as Coloradoans do and skied. It was awesome. It was really freaking windy at the top of the runs, but when you're a million (or 12,000) feet above sea level, it's understandable. And it was for one afternoon. The next day it was almost 60 degrees and we were shedding coats like it was going out of style. Coming home to a dreary muddy yard was not great, but now that it has been covered with about 6 inches of that fluffy white stuff, I'm about done. Mother Nature did NOT need to make up for all the snow that melted with one storm.

My marbles. Oh wait, those have been gone for awhile...

By the numbers

It's been 10 days since I posted. But I have good reason. There have been a few more numbers in my life lately.

36

That's how many hours Hubby, kiddos and I spent in the van driving to and from Colorado. Yes, we all survived.

2,240

That would be the mileage for said 36 hours, not counting driving up and down the front range and around Denver.

8

How many mini snack bags we went through, plus half a bag of teddy bear crackers and several cupfuls of fishy crackers.

3

Bags of trail mix for the adults. I may or may not have polished 2 of them off on my own. Allegedly.

4

juice boxes for the kiddos, both ways.

4

fast food lunches and dinners, again, both ways.

1

alleged rodent spotting at a certain royal fast food eatery in Iowa. Never. Again.

5,280

Feet Denver is above sea level.

11,920

Feet at the highest point we skied down at Loveland Ski Area. I Heart Colorado skiing. All limbs remained intact. Little man went through ski school and within about 5 minutes, asked if we could go skiing again. Oh yeah. When Leah weighs more than the ski boots, she'll be next in line.

2

Amazing friends that we visited. The kind that you pick up exactly where you left off, no matter how long it's been, and you are immensely sad when the goodbyes have to be said.

1

Night out because said friend's parents VOLUNTEERED to come over and watch the kiddos so we four could go out and have a meal like adults. Yes, they are a thousand different kinds of awesome. They brought toys and treats and let them play video games. Win-win for everyone.

0

Number of times I wheezed, sniffed, coughed, itched or otherwise cursed my allergies or sinuses. In a condo with 3 cats. Whuck?!

1 million bazillion.

Number of times I have wished we lived in Colorado since we got there a week ago. At least.

So if anyone wants to find Hubby a job there, I'm all over that like snow on a mountain.

Like this one. 

Or maybe this one.

Sniff.

Are we there yet?

I have rotten luck when it comes to vehicles. And driving them. To anywhere.

Case in point:

I spent the weekend in America's Dairyland hanging out with one of my best friends and celebrating her baby's first birthday. I have been put to work each of her kid's birthdays because I can be helpful and she doesn't mind letting me. The first year it was keeping her company while she decorated the cake at midnight. This year, I was promoted to making the macaroni and cheese. Oh yeah, I'm big time now.

And did I mention it happened to fall when Hubby was gone on a business trip? He's missed the last 3 birthdays. I'm pretty sure there are some of my friend's family members who think he's imaginary. The running gag ain't so funny anymore.

ANYHOO...

The first time I tried to drive to their house solo I drove through construction in Chicago (I know, shocking, right?), I got a nail in my tire at 4 p.m. when all the shops are closing and had to drive 50 mph on the donut the rest of the way with 2 kids screaming in the back. 

It's a miracle I even talk to her anymore after that one.

The second birthday I did OK. Kids, vehicle and I all made it there and back in one piece. 

Friday I had no trouble getting through Chicago, there were no frantic emergency potty stops and we were happy to spend a long weekend at our destination.

Sunday afternoon when it was time to get going, I used the remote starter on the van to let it warm up while my friend's hubby helped me load my car with stuff and kids (only mine. I checked). We were about 5 minutes on the road when I got a text from Hubby, telling me his flight home was taking off. Then I noticed the only part of me getting warmer was in direct contact with the seat warmer. 

Uhh... 

I was almost to the highway and Nathaniel was complaining he was cold. I knew the next exit was about 20 miles down the road, so I pulled into a parking lot and broke out the cell phone. I called my friend. No answer. Called her hubby. He's not a car guy, really, so wasn't any help. I called my father-in-law, who was about 6 hours away but can diagnose any car issue in his sleep. After talking me in circles for a few minutes, I figured out me and my cold kids had to head back to my friend's. 

Luckily my friend parked my kids in front of 'toons, gave me a mug of steaming hot coffee and warm socks and called her dad to come help her hubby figure out what was going on.

Long story short, the heat came back and now I need to take the van in to figure out where I have a leak in something. That let an air bubble in. That stopped some fluid from going where it needed to be. 

Yeah, I know a thing or two about cars.... NOT

So needless to say we got home a lot later than I figured. Kids sacked out in the car and let me be vegetable mommy today. Five cups of coffee did nothing for me. Thank goodness for Handy Manny. I will attack laundry, grocery, and figuring out where to take the car tomorrow. 

And put a AAA membership on my Valentine's Day list.