We All Need to Eat

Here we are mid July, and I've got Teens that have reached the "What do we have to eat" phase of their time off.  My lackadaisical weekend options are out, they are tired of mini pizzas but Hello McCain I really do love your mini pizzas for teens it's the go to all year round. Love the sale prices this time of year too. They really aren't complaining about the pizza every other day thing but I am ,it can't be a good plan. They would live on it if they could, well there is one odd child here that doesn't like pizza sauce so sees Garlic sticks and thinks they are all his? 3 teen boys I'm calling it survival...
mine mine mine? (anyone else seeing Nemo's seaguls?)

We can't have pizza daily so what are you all eating this summer? What are you doing on those really hot days when you just want to have the food find it's way to your stomach and be healthy? I was using fruit trays, due to cost I have been cutting up the fruit myself and reusing the trays. The kids will stop by the tray look at it pick out what they want and eat it, both nutritious and hydrating.

It's the Main meals of the evening I'm stuggling with, I can only do : Hamburger, Hotdogs, chicken burgers, oh look rain, chicken strips and fries, then pizza, and Weekend "if you find it in the fridge eat it?" so many times before I get the "moooooooooooooooom again?"I can almost feel the eye roll from here and they are all still in bed!

I converted cheese hotdog buns to sub buns, they eat 2 now they aren't loading the up enough, it's meat and cheese for them unless we are calling a pickle a vegetable?  PB and J while great for the summer since they aren't doing sports or camps is a novelty for the first week, but what's next. No they wont eat salad, well one will but he's not going to do that daily and when we say salad it's got cheese, bacon, croutons and half a bottle of creamy ranch in there.

So I ask you blog world what are you feeding your Campers At Camp MOM! :)

  

With the Snowdays Come Postdays!

I was reading another person's complaint about snowdays* 

These complaints come from either parents who have no back up plan, work outside the homewith unreasonable work place managers, or like to contract out their daytime parenting. Yes there are people who realize the limitations of their patience levels and ability to cope and are skilled enough to see it for what it is and hire Nanny's or day cares with their Skilled Paychecks. High 5's to them.
For me? <-- ME! not the whole world but me...  

The Secret is to have no where to go at all, I have nothing that can't be scrapped for another day. If the Roads aren't clear?I'm not going to be risking our lives to get them anywhere. Today our Dentist office is closed. I'll be calling them tomorrow to rearrange the cleaning appointment for my son. The Staff at the office? are I'm sure both giggling at being home, and cringing over the tight days of squeezing us and all the others in but that's what happens when it's too dangerous to go to work. Those with major appointments will I'm sure be squeezed in first. 

The hospital is also on emergency services only. No need killing off the already bare bones staff trying to get them to work. This is a definite change,  I recall my Mom didn't have that option in the 70's, 80's and 90's you got your butt to work even if it meant spending extra Dollars on a Taxi vs driving yourself over.  Safety first. We have really come a long way with our regard to the life of workers. Dead Staff can't help patients. Well trained EMTs can though get you to the hospital in an emergency. (well that got serious fast didn't it) Things that can be put off, for a snow day, should and do. Plan to work from home, and watch the weather, you know you'll need to work harder either before or after the storm. This isn't rocket Science. BTW I'm pretty sure a rocket launch falls under a certain time sensitive get to work event but does have to have a back up plan for a hurricane or other Storm event.  Airplanes? also not getting off the ground. (btw Ice Pilot NWT Theme song is playing on the radio behind me) Those Pilots up north? they're also grounded when it's too dangerous to fly. You just can't do what you just can't do. 

After the 3hours they slept in, because they are scared it's a dream that I haven't woken them up and if they wake up it will be again 630am not 9 or 10 or even noon for the older ones, I remind them they have homework.This homework is for the next day and books to read and that the due date of that assignment was today? is now tomorrow. That's at least 2hours. If it doesn't work, or they actually did their homework, outside! 

Go out side, have lots of gloves and mitts and hats ready and dry and at the door for the "my mitts are wet", and "I have to go pee" so they can go back out to the fun.  Yes they can wear their boots through the house, just follow them with a mop or towel, the less time spent taking off the faster they get back out. 
Older Children will need to clear the walk way for the post storm freeze. Omgee this is turning into a blog post. HA! off to go.(this all started as a reply on FB ) 
And there you get the rest. **

The walk ways, the neighbour's walk ways, the end of the driveway that the plow just dumped into your driveway will all need shoveling. Shoveling is exercise***. Look at those Calories burn, which  means more room for Storm chips! Yep it's a thing now! Local too.  And hot chocolate and well all that leftover Christmas baking you may have left in the freezer. Whaat? you don't have any left? well then better make some Storm Fudge...

Yummy! The driveway will be all kinds of streamlined! I should though really learn to use the snow blower.

If the children have totally exhausted themselves outside they will come in and zone out in front of the tv, or the video games. Winter wear in the Dryer for tomorrow or after Supper, it's their day and next thing you know? it's  bed time. Done! the Day is done and they will enter the rest of the week refreshed. Because tomorrow I think is movie day at school?  One is watching A Christmas Carol for English Class and the other is watched Labyrinth for? uh? I really don't know what subject that falls under when you're doing a French Term.  

*Snow from the Movie White Christmas train to Vermont Scene always in my head when I hear the word snow!
**This started as a 5line FB comment..
***I hear shovelling

10 things Learned on Vacation in &to Arizona

I was away last week. By looking at this blog you would think I was away a few months? HA!

Things I learned though while on the way to and in Arizona :

1.  Snow Yep Arizona gets snow.The higher you go up as with most places the colder it gets. The Grand Canyon vanished at one point the wind and snow were that  thick. Other visitors were not a prepared for said snow. Gift Shops I think do wonderful sales in sweats this time of year?
2. Cacti aren't for hugging. Heard some horror stories before we got to the hugging part.

3. People in AZ are so very friendly and happy when you smile. The man at he Circle K on Bell's Road directed us in the right direction.

5.  Airlines are super crowded. On an airplane if the person sitting beside you is thin? they think they are cats! I'm not skinny but my butt doesn't invade your space so your curved back while you lay in the seat sideways shouldn't ever have to touch my seat, my arms or my hips!  You Miss Finnish 15/16yrold are not a cat? You 35yrold lady with your fancy boots not designed for running in airports? are also not a cat, under the seat ahead of you doesn't mean infront of your seat as an obstacle to a bathroom. Also if that's your choice? I will be forced to fart out all the "Beans" offered me on my many visits to Mexican themed restaurants. No  I wont be warning you like I did my dear husband who I also left to his own relief. Again Skinny ladies you are not a CAT!

6. There are many more types of cacti than this one.  They are all sharp! but you can buy one in a gift shop. I did wonder how one would get a cactus across the border? I'm pretty sure that would end up at the custom guys desk?

7.You can meet and make friends anywhere! I met and sat with a family from Wisconsin. I was nervous I'd be all alone watching the Ceremony but these people kept me company. Congrats to their Graduate too.

8. TSA are super friendly when you keep it simple? I didn't ear any jewelry, I didn't buy anything crazy, I didn't have shoes dangling off my carry on like some husband I might mention. He did contemplate ditching the shoes but 15.00! for shoes he can wear anywhere? It was a good deal.

9. Kmart, is still great. Oh how I miss Kmart. And I'm sure this isn't a Kmart thing but an AZ thing,  an artifical Cedar Tree doesn't ever look like a Pine. You may want to change that label.
 I do not miss Target.  Khols is nice. I wanted to take all the furniture from JCPenny home store, home but it didn't fit in my bag. Darn space limitations.

10. If  my hubbie is in a huge crowd of people? I can still find him! the Blond curly locks help.  I'm very very proud of all he has accomplished he is nows a Master of Information Systems. Lots  of late nights lots of me raising kids and being the homework patrol so he could focus on his own work but here we are! You did it Honey,  I'm so very Proud of you!

under the second y

Bonus the Canyon is deep and Scary! not enough side rails/fencing!

 Beautiful, Windy, Deep, Scary