What If

/ khays41 / 7 Comments

What if I was nicer than I had to be?

What if I ignored that sound?

What if I smiled when I felt like screaming?

What if I forgave?

What if I didn’t have to have my way every time?

What if I overlooked bad table manners?

What if I played harder with kids at recess?

What if I stopped complaining?

What if I just stopped?

What if I called my mom more often?

What if I called my mother-in-law more often?

What if I went for a walk every night at 8pm?

What if I had a ‘yes’ day?

What if I reached out to someone I know is hurting?

What if I prayed every day for every kid in my class?

What if I took one day at a time?

What if…..

 

Chemistry Lesson

/ khays41 / 6 Comments

I caught my about-to-graduate-from-college son digging in the pantry.  He had unearthed a bag of Hershey kisses leftover from Valentine’s Day.

‘If you are that desperate, why don’t you just make cookies? I have everything.’

He gave me the stink eye. I am the master cookie maker, but he is getting closer to being in my league.  He should practice. Hershey Kisses return to pantry.

Cookie mixing commences. He asks a few questions. I give him a few pointers.

‘Turn that mixer up. You need to mix the hell of that dough.’

‘Mix in one bag of chips at a time.’

‘Start with 8 minutes. Usually takes 9 but the oven is running hot these days.’

First batch goes into oven.  I test the dough. Dough has different consistency than usual. I begin quizzing him on ingredients.

‘How much heavy cream did you use? How much vanilla? How much flour?’

First batch comes out of the oven at 10 minutes.  Something isn’t right. The cookies were puffy and didn’t spread out.  Test another cookie.  They taste fine.  Actually, I really like the texture.  And the puffiness.  Test another. And another.

‘Ohhhhhhhh. I used baking powder instead of baking soda.’

 

 

Today

/ khays41 / 3 Comments

Another part of the kitchen cleaned.

Long phone conversation with a good friend.

Lots of basketball games watched.

Half done with The Martian.

Errands with my girls.

Nap.

Menus for the weekend.

Early evening walk in the gorgeous sunlight.

Comfort food for supper.

More basketball games.

More reading.

Huge ‘to do’ list left undone.

Fastest week ever.

Pure bliss.

 

 

The Post in Which I Admit to Having Done Dumb Things

/ khays41 / 4 Comments

On the 13th day of Slicing, I realized that when I commented on blogger blogs, it was posting my blogger username and not my word press username.  Blogger and I broke up about 2 years ago–not a chance in you know where that we will be getting back together.  And now I probably can’t win a prize for following the Slicing rules of 2016.   Ugh.

On Monday, I accepted a dare from my youngest daughter.  Basically this was an athletic feat in which jumping and touching my toes and heels in a fairly quick way was to occur. Yeah.  So I kicked myself in leg and have a raised up bruise the size of an egg.  I kicked myself so hard it hurt to shave my leg.  Aaaaannnnddddd I did not complete the task. Ugh.

On Tuesday I bought butter cookies off of the dollar isle. 5 cookies are a serving.  I have had my servings for the next 10 days. Ugh.

I don’t eat corn. Or corn products. Or products made from corn.  Yesterday I ate 2 CORN dogs for lunch. Duh. But oh so delicious!!  Ugh.

Today I opened a fresh bag of Lay’s Original chips.  There is nothing like a freshly opened bag of Original Lay’s. I proceeded to eat all the folded over chips I could find.  Here’s hoping that no one else in my family wanted to have any chips with lunch today. Or tomorrow. Or ever. Ugh.

It takes me exactly 3 days to adopt my no school schedule of napping, staying up too late and sleeping in.  Monday morning at 5 am, life is going to be rough. Double Ugh.

None of these things are life threatening.  I really hate it when I do dumb stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Important Stuff

/ khays41 / 6 Comments

Most evenings at 6:30 we watch Wheel of Fortune.  By ‘we’, I mean my whole family. My 3 kids live together in College Town and we live in Hometown about 40ish minutes from them. Sometimes we even text back and forth about the puzzles and the contestants.  Sometimes what Vanna is wearing or something goofy Pat said.

Recently, as they were watching WOF during Family Week, my oldest daughter asked her brother who he would pick to go WOF with him.

‘My twin.’ was his immediate response.

‘WHAT!? I am good at this game!’ she declared.

‘Eh. No.’

‘What if she said no?  Who would you pick?’

‘Dad.’ he quipped.

‘Who then?  Me, right? I am better than mom.’

‘You are my last choice.’

She was horribly offended and has spent the last several weeks attempting to prove to him that she is indeed good enough to go on WOF with him.

He’s not budging on his choice.

Do other people have conversations like this?  Or is it just us nerdy people? My guess it is just us.  Just sayin’.

 

 

 

Finished/Unfinished

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So I finished reading The Girl on the Train. Crazy book. I could have abandoned it at about the 1/3 mark but couldn’t bring myself to quit reading. It’s like the neighbors who fight outside, I know I should not listen but because they are so freaking loud, I must listen.  The main character was so intriguing to me that I couldn’t stop reading. At the halfway point, I was all in and knew I wouldn’t stop reading.  Holy total surprise ending, Batman!

I started cleaning my kitchen this morning.  My curtains are washed and dried but not put back up.  Upper cabinets are clean on the outside.  Then my friend came over and I was done for the day.

I started the laundry.  It’s washed and dried but not folded.

I started getting the outside furniture ready for spring.  It’s set out but not cleaned up.

And I started a new book.  Kitchens can wait.  Laundry can wait. Furniture can wait. Just sayin’.

 

Love Hate Relationship

/ khays41 / 1 Comment

I have a love hate relationship with Sunday nights and tonight is no exception.

On on one hand I love Sunday nights.  The bedding is fresh, the laundry is done for the week, and newness abounds.  My clothes for the week are organized and ready to be worn. Meals are planned. Events for the week have been discussed. My favorite TV show is on.

It is quieter on Sunday nights in our little town as we are all readying for the week.

I love getting into bed on Sunday nights. Sliding between the freshly laundered sheets and pulling the covers up close to my nose.  This is where the love ends.

Sunday nights are often difficult for me to fall asleep.  I lie awake in anticipation of all the week holds and all of the things I should have done over the weekend to prepare–mainly for school.  Then I become frustrated because I should be asleep.  Monday will be horribleterriblenogoodverybadday if I don’t go to sleep at a reasonable hour.  And then what if I oversleep? My mind races as though I am a horse running for his life at the Kentucky Derby.

And then suddenly it is Monday and the week has begun again. Just sayin’.

Saturdays

/ khays41 / 4 Comments

Saturday mornings are one of my favorite times of the week.  The world is quiet on Saturday mornings.  That second pot of coffee forces me to linger longer.  I can read the paper from cover to cover.  I can sort the mail from the week. I can sit.

This Saturday I had a guest helping me run errands.  She and I browsed the racks a little longer.  Her brother opted to stay home and do homework.

This afternoon looked like this:


Ordinary days are the best days.  Just sayin’.

Time of Year

/ khays41 / 4 Comments

This is a favorite time of year for me–basketball season.  I parked myself in front of the TV so I could see my favorite teams play.  And Selection Sunday?  Greatest. Day. Ever.

This Friday was much better than last Friday–so I am still awake at 7:15 unlike last Friday.

Currently reading The Girl on the Train. So far? Eh.  Main character is a drunk who is crazy.  She’s pretty believable but I don’t really want to be friends with her.

Since it is a Friday during Lent we had fish for dinner.  And by fish, I mean fish sticks.  They were delicious.

We are under 4 months for my oldest daughter’s wedding.  Uhhhhh.  It feels like I should be doing more.  Or not.  Ask no questions has been my daughters motto. She means me–I should not ask questions.

We are 2 months away from my youngest children graduating from college.  I am giddy with excitement over this.  I can’t believe they will be 22 one day and graduate from college the next day.  Amazing 22 years with those two!

Left my classroom in amazing shape today as I headed out to spring break–which is probably a first for me. Hopefully it makes the 47 school days we have left amazing as well.

Happy Friday!