It’s funny because it’s true.
Author Archives: Jen
Dissecting squid!
Katie’s class dissected a squid this week and it made it into the school newsletter! She’s barely in the second photo.
She said it was fun but it really smelled!!
Band Concert in Covid times
Instead of an in-person concert, the kids recorded the concert and we will get a video of it soon! They did post a few pics online and these are two that Owen was in!
I love my boys—a throwback.
I cannot understand how this happens.
When we moved in, I sorted and organized ALL the Tupperware and got rid of ALL mismatched pieces. Fast forward to now and after sorting, this is a FRACTION of the mismatched pieces.
How? How the hell does this happen? I am missing like six bottoms of one type of container. SIX! That’s not just misplaced or accidentally ruined. And some of the missing pieces are sets I literally just bought within the last two months. GRRRR.
One word: kids.
Don’t be ashamed of your mental health because real friends will support you.
Jack O’Lantern World
AN INCREDIBLE WALK THROUGH THOUSANDS OF HAND CARVED JACK O’LANTERNS (Link)
Of course they weren’t all real pumpkins since the exhibit lasts all month…but they were still hand-carved. It was definitely neat but something we probably don’t need to do again!
Most of the pics are Anna’s because mine didn’t turn out as good.
Happy Sweet 16 Maggie
This shreepy sun dog is 16 today! She’s definitely showing her age (aren’t we all?!) but she’s still hanging in there!
Alton Brown Live!
Earlier this week we grabbed free Alton Brown Live tickets thanks to Vet Tix! Anna and David were actually going to Milwaukee as well to see a comedian so we met up for dinner first at Capital Grille! We hadn’t eaten there in years and it was better than I remembered!
Ted Lasso biscuits!
They aren’t in a pretty pink box but we ate Ted Lasso biscuits tonight. Super easy and super tasty. We’ll be making these again!
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 ⅓. cup confectioner’s sugar
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 ¾ cup ap flour
- ½. (scant) teaspoon kosher salt
Step 1: Heat the oven to 315F and pan spray an 8×8” baking dish.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, mix the butter and sugars together vigorously until smooth.
Step 3: Stir in the egg yolks.
Step 4: Add the flour and salt, mix just until the dough comes together. The less you mix the dough, the more posi vibes your biscuits will have.
Step 5: Press dough into an even layer in the pan and bake at 315F for 45 minutes until a thin, golden brown layer forms on top.
Step 6: Cool completely before cutting into 2 even columns and 6 even rows.
Go Sparty!
And this pic I snapped as she was trying to get out of the picture? This looks like she could be 3yo again.
Loving on Pepper
Katie really misses our cats so she always loves on Pepper when we go to Anna and David’s.
Sorry, we don’t have room for this.
I have sucky veins.
I had a full panel of blood work done (nothing wrong, just checking things because I haven’t been to the doctor in awhile) and of course my veins didn’t cooperate.
7 Tips to become a successful student
Owen doesn’t bring home too many projects so when I saw this I was in love…and so proud. Great tips, awesome drawings, and nice handwriting. I told him I’m keeping this one for sure.
My two sweet sleeping girls!
We officially have a new blue park!
Today was the official Grand Reopening! There were more people and kids there then I’ve seen in total since we’ve lived here! But it was a picnic so they had hot dogs, chips, and cookies! We couldn’t stay too long since we had dinner plans. But the kids and I did make an appearance and they got to see some friends!
A whole lotta yum.
It could only be better with everything bagels (I used Hawaiian) and red onion!
A preview of the new park!
The park/playground across the street has been closed for renovations since the end of August. They took the construction fences down today so of course Katie ran over immediately!
She went down the little slide first.
The big curly slide can only be accessed via climbing up these ropes! It took some gentle cajoling to get her to do it. Then it took some more to get her to actually go down the slide.
But eventually she did!
Reading to dogs!
Katie had been asking to read to a dog for months now so I finally scheduled it. You call into a zoom call and get assigned to a dog! She loved it! Maggie was only there for a minute so everyone could see her!
They’re doing math. Really.
Always a sun dog!
A benefit we didn’t know about!
Imagine our surprise when we received a notice in Tom’s student loan account that they had been notified of his 100% disability and they assumed we wanted to apply for full discharge! Yes! Yes please!
Within two weeks of applying, we got this!
This zeroes out about $18,000 in student loan debt!
Sleeping Beauty
Imagine our surprise to find this in Katie’s room.
WHYYYYYYYYYYY!!?!
Just ugh. I mean writing on walls is not something a 9yo should be doing. Especially after we’ve talked to her about getting marker on her carpets.
So we took away all her markers and made her clean it (thankfully it came off).
48th Birthday Adventures
As you just saw, my birthday started with an amazing rainbow eye look to match my tie dye outfit. Plus the crown of course.
But the actual adventures actually started with heading with my bestie to pick up my other bestie and then head to Kenosha!
Trying to find catchers equipment for Owen and backup mitts for Evan at Play It Again Sports. What you do when it’s your birthday and wearing a crown and a mask.
Next birthday adventure stop: lunch at Frank’s Diner! It’s been two long years since we’ve been here and it was as delicious as we remembered!
Next? Crumbl—this will be birthday desserts for us with the kids instead of cake. They didn’t have my fave cornbread ones this week, though. And yes, we ate a few bites straight from the trunk!
I caught Anna sneaking some bites in the car!
Now birthday adventures are on a hiatus but I’m cuddling with my doggo so all is well.
Birthday adventures, mom style: taking Katie to physical therapy! Ha.
Birthday adventures, kid style: watching a movie!
The last birthday adventure! A margarita by the fire…with Tom and Anna and David. With an Ozzy Man Reviews topper. It was chilly so I had my sweatshirt on and they thought it looked like a queen’s cape!
All in all, a great 48th birthday!
Rainbow birthday look!
I decided to do something fancy with my makeup for my birthday! I’d been wanting to do this eye look ever since it came out over 2 years ago (!!) but I was always afraid I would screw it up.
I was also wearing a rainbow tie dye outfit so I figured it was meant to be!
I figured my skills have advanced enough that I might be able to pull it off…and I think I did!! It’s not exactly the same but it’s dang close—and close enough for my first attempt!! I even broke out the false lashes!!
And yes, I’m wearing a crown because BIRTHDAY and why not?!
Surprise birthday morning + school pic prep!
There’s nothing quite like working until 2am and sleeping SO HARD in the morning only to be awoken by the slight noise of your bedroom door opening so you open your eyes to see EVERYONE standing there so you freak out just a bit and then they start singing Happy birthday.
And then I had to hurry and get out of bed because it’s picture day and I hadn’t purchased Owen’s pics so I had to rush downstairs to do that plus take my own photos before they left for band.
Also? Owen remembered on his own that it was picture day and wore his shirt, jeans, AND A BELT! He didn’t shower so his hair was a little crazy but in the grand scheme of things not bad!!
“You won’t believe the bathroom!”
Tom just went to turn off lights to go to bed and he came out saying OH MY GOD. YOU WON’T BELIEVE THE BATHROOM.
I knew Katie had been in there last and could only imagine. Her M.O. is toilet paper scraps on the floor, unflushed toilet, and band-aid wrappers. I told him he’d have to make her clean it in the morning.
He just told me I had to go look. This is what I found.
She loves a car ride!
