December 15, 2008

• Brrrr????

  We got a lot done yesterday.  Summer clothes were boxed up and labeled, and winter clothes were washed or thrown into the charity stack.  At least the garage is a little more organized.  We didn’t get the bins back up into the attic, but everything is more orderly.  I doubt that we’ll pull either vehicle into the garage before Christmas, so the greenery bins and clothing bins staying in the garage aren’t really in the way of anything.  The temperatures were around 70° while we worked.

  I changed the kitchen table decor a bit.  It seems a little more festive and fits in with my apples and rooster theme.
  

  Almost forgot.  Saturday night, Jesse bought a cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory after winning $100 from some games that were played.  The worst part of the dinner is that he didn’t REALLY want to go, but said yes, because he felt bad turning down this guy’s invitation another year in a row.  He was told to be at the restaurant at 7pm, but there was an HOUR & A HALF WAIT!!!!!  He was tired, starved, and what he ordered for dinner (when they were finally seated) was tasteless.  It was a pasta (spinach and white fettuccine) with chicken and shrimp.  I thought he might not have liked it because he’s used to putting hot sauce on everything, but he brought leftovers to me and I had to agree – “tasteless” was the word to best described it.  He said he thought his meal was around $20.00 and was one of the more expensive items on the menu.  I’ve seen The Cheesecake Factory cheesecakes at Sam’s and they are around $20 – $25 dollars.  He ordered one whole cheesecake for the girls and I, and he told the waitress to choose anything chocolate.  THEN, they charged $50 including tax!  It sure wasn’t worth $50, nor did it have much of a chocolate taste.  It’s best described as an Oreo cookie crust, a sparse chocolate cheesecake layer, and then something that resembles frozen Cool Whip with a hard chocolate glaze to top it off.  I wasn’t impressed.  He gave the remainder of his game money to an employee who helps support his parents while he STILL attends high school.
   

  BEST OF ALL, YESTERDAY, . . . . we read and signed our home study! 

  She had a few questions to ask us that her supervisor had questioned.  One question: “With 3 special needs children, how do you think you will be able to help more children, especially if they, too, have special needs?”  I explained our children would be assigned a new child and be a “buddy” to them.  In other words, tell them 1) What snacks we eat and what aren’t snacks; 2)  What to do with their laundry and where extra towels can be found, 3)  Tell us if the the foster child has a sore throat but is afraid to tell an adult . . .   That may sound odd; but, many foster children haven’t been parented and when they’re sick the parent has sent them to school anyway because there was no babysitter; AND, probably not money for medicine at home.  A child might feel more comfortable asking or telling another child something.  I guess that was a magic answer because she beamed and thought it was a wonderful idea.  There were more questions, but nothing as thought provoking as that one question.  She wanted me to read and correct any typos or wrong dates, etc.  She was here from 1pm to almost 3:45pm.

  It was warm while we were working in the garage, but by the time the home study gal left, Jesse was closing windows and the house felt really cool.  We checked the temperature after she left and it was only 34°!!!!!!  NO WONDER!!!!!

  This morning, our less than sunny sky greeted us!
   
  And the temperature, at almost 11am, is still 16 freezing degrees!

  Last night, Sampson put on a sweater to stay warm.  He’s SO cooperative when we dress him, but if I try to scoot him to move him in his bed, he yipes like I’ve pinched him!
  
  He’s so proud of his “clothes”!!!!!
  

  I followed everyone around this morning with my camera.  This is Luci’s “comfort” position.  She’s done this every since she was a baby  She stands on her head with her rear end up in the air.  Weird, I know!  She used to sleep that way in her crib.
  
  Looking at this picture, I’m rather alarmed.  It isn’t like Luci to make her bed, unasked, and I don’t see the big green blanket anywhere.  I just asked her and, sure enough, she slept with only that thin quilt over her!  She’s complaining of a sore throat this morning.  Gee!  I wonder why????

  The pawn shop Jesse is working at has 7 heaters and none of them work.  The building used to be a grocery store, just to give you an idea of the size.  He not only wore warm clothes, but a bib overall to work AND took one of our electric space heaters to put behind the cashier’s desk.  Guess he’ll be spending all day behind the counter to stay warm!
   
  I can’t even imagine how cold that shop will be for the next few days.

  Shortly after Jesse left, Luci decided she wanted “something for breakfast” but couldn’t decide what.  Everything I suggested was met with a resounding, “No!” from her.  So I left her alone to forage on her own.
   
  

  Annamarie is feeling and looking quite a bit better.  She’s been in bed all weekend and even taken some of her meals in her bedroom.  I woke up this morning with a suspicious throat and funny sinus drainage.  Don’t know if its the temperature change or the germs in my house.  I intend to wrap gifts so, if I start feeling worse, I have that out of the way without having to worry.
  

  Rissy frosted the brownies I made yesterday.  She called me to the kitchen by saying, “Mom!  Come here.  And, you might want to bring the camera.”  I was worried about what I would find.  But it was fairly benign.
  
  That is  R-I-S’  carved into the frosting!  I say “rather benign” because I ‘d like to believe she didn’t lick her index finger in between the letters she carved into the cake!  Blaaaah!

  Some comfort foods for today – Gingerbread, frosted brownies, and a good supply of Swiss Miss!!!
   

  Speaking of Rissy, she was snuggled in her bed until late this morning and her dolls, she had cuddled while falling asleep, had been tossed to the floor in the middle of the night when she must have needed more room!!
    

  We have two recycle bins filled with wood for the fireplace.  And a huge trash can filled with wood right outside the back door.  I think we’ll be okay!
  

  So, today’s plan is to keep warm and wrap gifts!  I may bake a bit if I don’t feel bad later in the day.
   

  Stormy and the bird are in the den soaking up the heat,  Chirper is in bed with Annamarie.  Sampson, in his blue sweater, is curled up in his own bed.  This will be a sweatpants under our skirt day, for sure!

  Today’s To Do List:
  *  Run dishwasher
  *  Jesse’s laundry
  *  Wrap gifts on my bed, with door locked!
  *  Maybe bake a few easy cookies (MAYBE!)
  *  Make hot pork sandwiches for lunch (new to the girls)
  *  Put a pot roast in the Crock Pot for dinner

  Be blessed  ~
  
  

  • 12:19 pm
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