go go go!

 This fine morning, I had visitors by the time I finished my coffee!  Mr. Jamison and Mr. Ellis came while Kathryn took Rhys and Achilles to the dentist. 

Ellis in the fox suit...

(That's Evelyn for a visit too!)

James and Ellis...

I made them some scrambled eggs, sausages, and toast.  They had some treats, and played with playdough, dollhouse, and did some coloring.   Kathryn came back with Rhys and Achilles, and Evelyn came over with baby Bridget.

When Kathryn left, we packed up to bring Miss Camille to her college class.  Ev, Bridget, and I went to the thrift store, but I hadn't packed up anything to donate today.  We didn't find a single thing, and left there empty handed.  We went to Marshall's, where I found the marshmallow coffee syrup Cam likes, one bag of bbq kettle chips on clearance, and one birthday gift for Cam, who is turning 19 next month.  Truly.  I can't believe it. 

We stopped for a BJ's pick up because the 90% ground beef is still $3.30 a pound, and I got another bag of Starbucks whole bean coffee for less than $14 for a two pound bag, some pepperoni, coffee cream, and some chocolates for Halloween.  

Home...ahh, home.  Ev and Bridget headed home, and Camille and I started in on dinner.  Chicken curry and rice.  I chopped chicken, she chopped the onion.  I peeled and sliced carrots and chopped red and yellow peppers.  She measured the ginger, garlic, curry paste, coconut milk,ect., and put it all together, and made the rice.   Paul was out hunting, so just Char, Cam, and I had dinner.

Tomorrow I'm going out to brekky with a friend, then bringing Camille for some bloodwork, then picking up a script for Miss Sunny.  Maybe then I'll get to work sorting and organizing again.

Emily and I are going down to Delaware on Saturday morning to see Abigail and Derek.  We probably won't be able to see baby Nicole, but that's okay.  Derek keeps us all updated on a chat, and I get to tune into the baby NICU cam.  I was watching her a little while ago, she had her eyes open and was opening and closing her mouth, and I wanted to magically appear next to her little bed and talk to her and put my hand on her and comfort her.  Of course her mama and daddy are there with her every day, and there are nurses (angels!) and doctors there all the time.  

We just want to go down and see them and maybe make them dinner or take them to dinner, and visit with them.  

Here's your baby Nicole fix for the day.  She is so cute.  

You all have a really nice night!

could not be much cozier!

 This fine rainy morning, I am sitting in my chair listening to the rain fall onto the metal roof.  It's dark but the trees are starting to blaze with color.  I had my coffee, then got moving...switched the laundry, vacuumed some rugs, then used my new floor cleaner to mop/vac.  It's very satisfying.  I decided my comfy chair was a good place to return to, and here I am.  I have to get moving soon though, because I have to go watch Kaia while her daddy is in class.  She was supposed to come here, but a flat tire happened.  :)

Update on baby Nicole:  she wasn't doing well yesterday, carbon dioxide build up in the lungs, blood transfusion, ect., but doing better today.  

She likes her daddy's hand...it makes her little heart rate go down a bit:).   I love her so much.  

Camille and I just got home from watching Kaia while her daddy was in class.  She woke up from her nap and snuggled with Aunt Cam for a long time.  

She had some lunch, but shh, she knows how to jettison pieces of food onto the floor then shrug and say, "uh oh!", ever so cutely!

We said good bye to her and it was sad because she didn't really understand we were leaving, she likes waving bye-bye.  

Home...ahh, home.  It's very chilly this afternoon, so sweatpants, a sweater, and slippers.  Afternoon coffee, my comfy chair, thinking about what's for dinner...

You all have a nice afternoon!

oot-and-aboot....

 Not really, I am not Canadian.  :).  But I did go out and about.  First to brekky, at the little place in town.  Our swim class group met up there.  Diner coffee, ahhh, and a hot breakfast, with nice people...we caught up, I mostly talked to Connie, she's the nice lady who gave me her childhood dollhouse a few months back.  We're looking forward to the pool opening back up in a few weeks!

Then Cam and I headed to Target, for a jar of peanut butter, two shower curtain liners, one baby outfit for one granddaughter, two bags of sage popcorn (yes, it tastes like stuffing!).  

Home....Grace was coming with the kids, Sam would come after work.  Sonja and Oscar came over with Kaia too.  I got to work making four pie doughs because I had apple pie-on-the-brain.  It took over an hour to peel and slice about eight pounds of apples.  I mixed up the flour/cinnamon/brown sugar/sugar mixture, poured it on the apple slices, and started on the meatballs.  Five pounds or so of 90% ground beef, a pound of mild Italian sausage, cracker crumbs, bread crumbs, whole oats, fresh garlic, chopped onion, onion powder, garlic powder, 4 eggs...lots of meatballs into the oven.  I made some sauce, put the water on for pasta, then started on the pies.  I rolled out the dough which had been in the refrigerator, filled with apples,  put on the top crusts, added heavy cream and granulated sugar, and into the oven on parchment covered cookie sheets....

Sonja finished making the pasta, and it was dinner time.  (The meatballs were really good!)  (I skipped the pasta).   

Anyway...while we ate, and talked, and played with the kids, we smelled those pies baking...the cinnamon and nutmeg...mmmm.  As I pulled them out of the oven, I put heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla in the Kitchen Aid, and soon there was fresh whipped cream.  

The pie...not beautiful, yet beautiful...

Kaia and Maeve

Baby Samantha, Kaia, Samuel and Grant on the couch...

I have one thing to say:  Apple pie is as good as you think it's going to be, those last weeks of summer when you start thinking of autumn and the inevitable baking of pies.  

Tomorrow morning we get up and out the door to the church soccer weekend!  Lots of grandkids will be playing.  It's supposed to be 65 and sunny, just perfect.  Cam made her lunch, one PBJ, Char will probably make the same.  I'll bring some pepperoni and celery and crackers, and some pears and apples for all of us.  Paul is going for a bit, then hunting in the afternoon.  

I don't have a new pictures of baby Nicole for you today, as she was facing a bit away from the angel cam, maybe tomorrow.  She is a miracle!  Thank you for prayers for her and for Abigail and Derek.  

Have a really good night, and a wonderful Saturday!

it's autumn-y here!

 

Even the fields, even on a cloudy day, are lovely.

This fine morning, I had my coffee and sat in my comfy chair, and I knew it was time to get up and do some sorting and organizing.  So I washed a load of clothes, then a load of nice couch blanket throws (I like to keep them clean anyway, but Miss Sunny of course had herself a comfy spot on them when I put them on the floor while doing the couch with the cleaning machine.  (I had just done the floors first with the new mop, so it seemed like a good idea..ha).   Cleaning begets more cleaning, that's why it's smart to just stay in the comfy chair.

Anyway.  I headed to the big storage room to sort some things.  There is one large bag for donation, and one bag for garbage.  It's less daunting when you begin to actually sort things.  Emily is taking the huge-0 Little Tikes Waffleblocks, and Oscar wants the Duplos.  I have an Emmaljunga Viking pram down there, which I still adore, and a double Emmaljunga stroller...used by my kids, the latter bought brand new for I think Kathryn and Evelyn...it's going to hurt to downsize, isn't it?  I mean, there are things that have lasted through all the clean outs through the years, and well, there comes a time...

I have an UppaBaby bassinet and wood stand, a walker, a high chair, two pack and plays, a plug in swing/bassinet, booster seats, ect.  We get them out when the babies are at different stages and come over... I will not be able to have all those things at our new place if it's as small as we are thinking.  Maybe Emily and Mariel would be able to have a few of them at their house.  

Anyway.  I feel like I did accomplish something today.  I have to leave in a few hours to bring Miss Cam to class, and to pick up a BJ's order...they had the ground beef in stock today, it was $3.30 a pound for the 90% beef, which is a steal.  It's an approximately 10 pound package, so I will have to wrap and freeze.  I also got another bag of Starbucks coffee, $14 for a two pound bag is a good deal.  We go through a lot of coffee!  

Here is your baby Nicole fix for the day....

Her little piggy toes with her daddy's finger!!!  I just love her.  

You all have a good day!

off I go...again!

 This fine afternoon, I have to go to the dermatologist.  I need to hop up and jump in the shower, then run out the door, minus all the hopping, jumping, and running of course.

I cleaned my floors with the new mop vac, which I still adore.  Then I decided to clean the big couch with the Little Green Machine.  It's still damp but looks so much better.  I've learned a few things through the years, and one is not to eat on the couch...well, adults can if they're careful, but not kids.  Even so, it gets dirty.  Drinks slosh, baby bottles drip, and life happens.  :)

Now I'm home from the dr, and all is well.  He's a great dermatologist, I've been going to him for actual decades.  He knows I have a lot of kids, and I told him I have 21 grandchildren now, and about Nicole (to be fair, I jabber on about ANYTHING when I have to go and have someone check my skin just about everywhere.  For a distraction.  I mean, if you've ever had a total skin check, dr. looks even between the toes.  (skin cancer has been known to present there!).  I did make sure I had some brand new Target briefs on, one time I wore these brown underwear I thought were okay, but when I took them off that evening after I had the term appointment, I realized that they were really really old....the kind of old where they are almost transparent in places....oops.).  Thankfully I have a semi new bra too, some of mine are just kind of shredded...Target doesn't carry the ones I would just replace them with anymore, so I need to do the dreaded bra shopping.  ). 

Anyway.  I told him about Nicole and he said he prays every morning before he gets out of bed, and he will be praying for her.  Can it get any better than that?  I also don't have any skin cancer, especially because he burnt off the little questionable spot from my shin...I had this little spot I would find myself itching at, it was there for a long while, so I remembered to point it out today, and sure enough, it warranted the can of freeze-off, or whatever it's called.  At least there weren't any on my face today!

I went to BJ's, and got some coffee.  The big bag of Starbucks had two coupons, $4 each, so it was a decent price.  I also got some M&M's and some Smartpop cheddar popcorn.  I wanted the ground beef that was on sale, but they were all out.  

I stopped and got an iced Americano because it was going to be a long ride home.  The bridge that goes over the river that gets us from the small city to home has been under repair for a year now, should be done next month.  The little rickety bridge we detour to was closed today unexpectedly, I drove there and there were cones across.  The other big bridge over the river closed last week, as all the extra traffic has strained it!  So I had to go all the way back over and down, for an extra 20 minutes or so onto my trip.  

It was a gorgeous day for a drive though...all the leaves floating down from the trees, and just starting to really blaze.  

Here's your baby Nicole fix for the day...I get to watch her on live-stream, and I love it so much, love her so much.  She gets her nutrition through her feeding tube, her mama is able to pump milk for her, and also to give her tastes from a swab, which she really likes.  I would like to swoop her up and hold here, rock her and sing her a song.  

Yesterday I did get to swoop baby Bridget up and hug her!  

(I stole this picture from Evelyn, baby B with her daddy.). 

Bridget was fussy and I was able to rock her to sleep, which is my favorite thing.

Ah well...dinner is done...

This is my salad (arugula, cucumbers, red and yellow peppers, craisins, raspberries, lime juice, a splash of avocado oil, and some almonds and wonton strips.  There is also bbq air fryer chicken....

You all have a really good night...I have to leave here in a few minutes for Activity Club...:)

and there she is! #21! a picture, finally!

Well, there she is, little Miss Nicole Elizabeth!   I don't know why pictures are going on the blog now, but you can all see this newborn who has stolen my very heart.  She has had some ups and downs, but she's waking up more and responds to her mama and daddy!  She is just beautiful, and I love her so much.  (She has Thanatophoric skeletal dysplasia.   She is a miracle baby, and please, keep praying for her! )  

This is a pic from the shower, and I thought I'd leave it even though I previously posted a similar one.

A picture from August, Sonja and Oscar and little Kaia, Nate and Evelyn with Bridget, Miss Suzanne, Miss Char, and Miss Cam...

Blythe...she spent the night and was such an angel!

Tenny got a new fishing pole from Grandpa!  (don't know why I didn't get a pic of Wulf!)

 Miss Kaia Jean is trying to tell you something!

Kathryn is having her baby next month, or in the first part of November, a baby girl, #22.

Then Margaret and Adrian will have a January baby, girl or boy, we don't know!

March, Sonja and Oscar will be having #24!

What a day I had...hum drum...I vac/mopped the floors, puttered around, did some dishes, went to the small city for a doctor's appointment for my new knee.  I found a spot on the street (so much easier than the parking garage!), and walked in, so conscious how easy it was compared to several months ago.  X-rays showed a nice sturdy implant, but in the left knee:  severe arthritis with bone spurs.  eew.  Dr. said it's up to me, a new left knee in two weeks, two months, two years, whenever I want it.  Or never, which sounds kind of good.  :)

After my appointment, I went to Aldi for a caulflower crust pizza, a pizza crust and some cheese for the girls, a chuck roast because it is chuck roast-in-the-crock-pot season, some cream, apples, arugula, cucumbers, ect.  I went in to Sherwin Williams for a can of paint for the bathroom...we cannot find the paint we used for in there just last year, I wonder if we used it all?  A shelf fell off the wall, Paul repaired the wall but we need the paint.  I had to look up old blog posts to find the color, and sure enough, I had posted it!  Symmetry!  Sherwin Williams keeps track of your purchases, and told me it was a matte finish.  

Home...ahh, home.  I got it all in and put away, then put my feet up for a few minutes when Sonja called.  She needed to go to the grocery store!  Yes, of course I'd go with her!  I drove to her house, and got in the car with her and little Kaia.  We went to the thrift store first, found a few nice books for Kaia, a toy she didn't really need but really liked, and a new cape with a hood, which is adorable.  

Then, to Aldi again!  I pushed the cart with Kaia in it, and we had fun saying hi to everyone.  

We stopped for a coffee, which was super duper delicious, but...I dropped it when I got up the deck steps with my groceries the second time....(Who knew I'd need more stuff the second time?  I only got pears, one jar of sauce, one can of diced tomatoes, and seltzer:  apple ala mode.)

I put chicken thighs in some lime juice and lots of cajun seasoning when I got home.  Into the air fryer until nice and crispy, splashed with bbq sauce and put back in....not too shabby.  

Tomorrow I have to bring Cam to class, and I think Evelyn is coming over...Wednesday I have a dermatologist appointment (I do love the sun, so I make it a point not to miss my yearly exam!).  Thursday, bringing Cam again, then Friday a brekky with swim friends.  In a few weeks, Mariel and Suzanne and I will be going to Delaware again, to visit Abigail and Derek...not sure if we'll be allowed to visit sweet little baby or not, but we can still see mama and daddy and make them a nice dinner.  

I do plan to get back to hoeing out things...I was derailed last week, but that's okay.  Life does happen.  Paul was working on things too, we had a lot of camping equipment, he ditched a few old tents.  We only need one tent these days.  

Anyway, not much else going on...I keep tuning into the new baby on her angel care cam...:). She's so sweet.

You all have a really nice night!

 

it's another Saturday night!

 This has been a fine day.  A puttering day.  Paul and the girls got up and left before I got out of bed.  I wasn't really sleeping, but was in no hurry.  It was a breezy dark morning, with a chill in the air, just perfect for not getting up:)

Coffee, yes.  I cleaned up the guest room, put the trundle back and folded things up and vacuumed in there.  I vacuumed over near the door, and along edges and the main floors.  I picked up stray toys, and did a few loads of laundry.  I sat at the table with the bowl of apples, peeled and sliced some and put together two pans of applesauce (made with two huge jars of unsweetened applesauce, sprinkled with brown sugar and cinnamon).  They are covered in foil and in the 'fridge for tomorrow.  I got out the 9+ pound piece of pork loin, cut it in half, sprinkled it with lime juice, then covered it with a mixture of salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, butter garlic seasoning, and steak seasoning.  It's in a foil covered pan in the fridge too.  (I'll also make mashed potatoes tomorrow)  I cleaned out the refrigerator a bit too.  Then I used my new toy, the fun vac/mop and did the floors.  I moved some furniture, and did a nice job. 

I talked to Abigail on the phone.  She's been discharged from the hospital, she was in three nights for her c-section.  Now she is a visitor, and is visiting Nicole and delivering milk to her.  Nicole is doing okay, her oxygen has been increased again because of blood pressure issues.  I don't pretend to understand it all.  Paul and I both have camera access and can peek in on her whenever we want to, and we do!  She's the cutest little thing!  

The girls are gone again, to a friend's house to watch a movie.  Paul is here, football is on, I am tuning it out.  Kitty is on the arm of my chair, and I am very comfy.  I got on the exercise bike a little while ago.  Dinner:  I made waffles for the girls (Paul had a big lunch and wasn't hungry, I hadn't eaten anything but a packet of nuts so I was!), and chaffles for me.  I've explained the recipe before, but here it is again:  2 eggs, whisked with some vanilla.  Add a few spoons of almond flour, a tiny bit of baking powder if you want, then add a cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.  It goes into a hot waffle iron, sprayed with non-stick spray, and mmmm.  I added a teaspoon of brown sugar to it too, then just a splash of real maple syrup and a little bit of real whipped cream.  It was a nice filling dinner.

But shh, I did have some kettle corn a little while ago.  Only one serving though.  I didn't bring the bag out, so much easier that way, just fill one bowl and put the bag away...it doesn't always work, but we try.

So wasn't that a wonderful and exciting Saturday?  Tomorrow will be totally different, church then having the family over....so far I think around 24 will be here.  Kathryn is making bread, Margaret is bringing sheet veggies, Mariel is bringing something, not sure what.  It'll be loud and crazy and chaotic, and I will love every bit of it.  

You all have a really good night!