Skiing Adventure take 2

This was our second ski trip this year. We went the last weekend of January and Landry loved it. We wanted to go one more time before the season ended to help solidify it in her mind. Reese hated it last time, we were going to try a private lesson to see if it helped.

The small black figures in the front of the picture are Shane and Reese. Reese would hold on to Shane's poles and fly down the mountain. She yelled, "Faster!" the while time. Needless to say, she loved it on day 2. Day one, not so much, more tears and snot. Come to find out, all she wanted was her own poles. Poles on day 2 and she was happy!

This is Landry at the bottom. She absolutely loves skiing! I am so happy. Skiing is something I learned to do as an adult, like this weekend. I mean, all I learned I learned from Landry and listening in on lessons of other people. It was really an interesting experience to have your child saying, "Mom....PIZZA!" (That is how you teach kids to stop) The first day I hated it! I could not turn or stop very well. I flew down the mountain like a bat out of hell hoping to God no one got in my way! I even went racing in to the Kiddie Korral because I couldn't stop fast enough.

Day 2 was better. I mastered stopping and learned to turn. Only 1 fall the entire day 2! Yay!

On a scarier note, Landry got lost while on the mountain. All your kids lives you spend telling them what to do and not do. Quite honestly, I wonder how much sinks in and how much sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher speaking, "wha wha wha". Shane and Landry wentto the top of the mountain to ski a Blue (medium) run. He skied behind her in case of wipe outs. She go to going a little fast and did not see the "expert only" sign to the right. She went over the edge and Shane couldn't stop her. He called me with the most panicked voice I had heard from him ever. She was on a black (most difficult) run and he was at the bottom. Reese and I went directly to the ski patrol to report a missing child. It had been 15 minutes at this point. The nice man began to ask me questions about which run, "Wild Onion, Geronimo, etc..." He was trying to be helpful but I was getting a bit annoyed. Finally I said, "Sir, I've never been off Easy Street so I can't tell you!" I was able to get Shane on the phone again and ask more specifics. The ski patrol had just been dispatched and were heading out when here she came walking up the a worker! She burst into tears, as I wanted to do too! I kept telling her how proud I was of her for staying calm! She said she slid on her bottom to the end of the run and then came to find us. When she couldn't find Reese and me in our usual place, she went and told a worker. "Mom. you always said if I ever got lost to find someone who worked there and tell them." Searched called off, 2 very relieved parents and a little girl who is becoming a young adult before our eyes.

She never got how courageous she was on Saturday. I was certain she was finished skiing for the day, I would have been! Nope, after eating some lunch she was back out there.

A Snow Day Project

We woke up to bunches of snow this morning. That meant no school in Midland therefore no work for Mom. Mostly we laid around the house this morning. I went into my closet to get dressed about lunch and this is what I saw...A HUGE, UNORGANIZED MESS!!!!
So after meeting our neighborhood friends for some fun snow time, I headed home to tackle the closet. I've been really frustrated with my wardrobe lately and mostly I think it is due to my disorganization. Here is the final outcome. Landry says it does not look different, oh how I beg to differ! Notice the slacks all hanging together on the bottom?? Tops are in groups of work and non work along with sleeve length.

I also organized my shoes. Here is a snap shot of that. I got rid of a pair of Birekenstocks! I think I bought them in college!

This really did take half a day. I have a pile of things to get rid of including about 15 bras! I finally gave up the last of my belts, there too were some from college including a Fossil belt from The Buckle! I still need to get rid of things. I mean really, I have 4 winter robes and 1 spring/summer robe! Who needs 5 robes? For now, I will sleep well knowing in the morning I will know where each and every piece is, at least for now.....

Talents....Landry's bathroom redo

There are things I am good at and there are things I am not good at. I admit that I am not a decorator! I envy my friends who walk into a room and know what needs to be done and how to accomplish those things. I walk into a room and wish someone else could do it. When trying to decorate, people at "those stores" will ask me what my style is....I have no idea!

Well, this weekend Shane was gone so I decided to try to make Landry's bathroom look like a 9 year old girl belongs there. No more tan walls! I kept thinking, if I mess this up at least it is a small room that won't cost much to fix!

I enlisted the advice of my super creative and talented neighbor Shannon. She paints with reckless abandon, she does not fear color like I do. She showed me how to add paint to glaze and basically rub it on the wall. Here is before.....

Finished (almost) product

I still have to paint dots above the tub, my neck just couldn't do it any more! I also have big spaces to fill with either pictures or paint some other big dots on the wall. Landry was so funny, she said, "Mom, I think Shannon gave you the courage to paint this bathroom." Thanks Shannon for the courage to paint. Finished pictures to come....

White trash meal

Dinner is on the stove. It is a white trash meal if I might say so myself. Ready for this...we're having Sloppy Joe's.(Made with bison meat).....with beautiful wheat buns for a touch of class! The only mother white trash meal I can think of is tater tot casserole! Maybe next week!

I did go to the trouble of opening organic green beans and boiling carrots. For some reason my girls LOVE, Love, Love boiled baby carrots. I'm sure the nutrients are gone but it is sure colorful!

I will spare you the picture of Sloppy Joe but I do want to add the link to this WONDERFUL song....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_-KbstEG4E

Happy Dining!

Chicken and Rice-Easy!!!

I grew up in a small town. like 1800 people small. We had 3 restaurants, one being Dairy Queen. We rarely ate out, my mom cooked....every meal, 3 times a day. My husband grew up much the same way...his mom cooked 3 meals a day.

I cook, it's what I do. When I don't know what else to do I cook.

Many women my age don't cook very often and are constantly asking how I manage to work all day and then cook meals. Here is the secret.....I cook REALLY easy meals. I am no Paula Deen, Rachel Ray uses WAY too many ingredients. If I haven't heard of it, chances are my HEB won't have it. I mean really, I live in Midland!

Here is one of the Fabulous recipes I cook. I whipped this up in 30 minutes including time to cook rice and chicken.


It isn't pretty but it is delicious! It's one of those things that you walk by and eat out of the pan after dinner.

Chicken and Wild Rice

1 box Uncle Ben's Wild Rice

1 can FF Cream of Mushroom soup

1 small can mushrooms

2 chicken breasts-cooked

chopped almonds(optional)

salt

pepper

garlic powder

chicken broth

Boil your chicken. You could use canned chicken but I think it tastes and smells somewhat like cat food. If you boil 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts you'll have just enough chicken broth for later. Cook wild rice per directions on the box except use chicken broth instead of water...Thar's the secret ingredient. It makes this dish yumm-o! After cooking chicken and rice, chop chicken and mix it with rice and soup. Drain the mushrooms and add to mixture. Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. I chop almonds and mix in, totally optional. I also chop almonds finely and sprinkle on top. stick in 350 oven for a few minutes, it's all cooked, it just needs to warm. Open a couple of canned veggies and Voila, quick, easy, yummy dinner

Babysitting

I spent Wednesday through Friday in Dallas for work. We had meetings and I made arrangements to stay through Saturday so I could go see Robin and the babies. It snowed 12 inches in the metroplex on Thursday so staying was a good thing.

Elliott is on the left and Stella on the right.

Robin and Andrew went out to eat on Friday night. It was their first time to leave the babies since they were born, almost 7 weeks ago. I got to be the babysitter!

The girls were so much bigger than the last time I saw them. Stella and Ellie are almost 8 lbs each. They are eating every 3 hours. I got puked on once. I did the 11 and 2 feeding with Robin then I did the 5 am feeding alone so Robin could sleep a little longer. I forgot how tiring it is to get up and feed kids!

OUR Hallmark moment

So we survived skiing a few weeks ago. Shane and his dad both killed Elks on Friday so he was able to join the girls for skiing. I am so glad he did...Reese decided it was not for her. She cried hysterically and proclaimed, "I don't know how to ski!" Shane Landry ski most of the day as Reese and I sat at the bottom. She slept in my arms. I was burning up but at least Shane and Landry had a good time. This was Landry's first time to ski and she did really well. She took an hour and a half lesson and then she was off! At the end of the day I met them at the bottom of the mountain and she burst into tears. She was exhausted but wants to go back for Spring Break.

Ruidoso got about 18 inches of snow the day we got there and that night. It was beautiful and so much fun!