Showing posts with label BBQ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BBQ. Show all posts

Thursday, September 18, 2025

School Begins

Before school started we picked up final prizes for Jet who was participating in "1000 Books Before Kindergarten." We'd finished 1000 books a while back (that kid likes books like the rest of the family). We just hadn't gotten around to recording them and picking up the last of the prizes. So we did.
He got a bag, certificate, sticker, and book from Orem Library and he picked a flashlight from the treasure box at Provo Library.
 
We went to Back to School Nights for Jr. Jr. and Lucky and Jet, and Kindergarten assessment for Jet.

I saw Jr. Jr.'s schedule and this is the conversation that came from it.
Mom: You're taking Earth and Space Science? How cool is that?
Jr. Jr.: It's out of this world.
-Later-
Jr. Jr.: Earth and Space Science. You can tell you're in the right classroom because it's always vacuumed.
He also had clever things to say after school started.
Jr. Jr.: When I get a homework assignment, I spend the first few days in de-Nile.
Mom: Is that a geography joke?
Jr. Jr.: Yes, because I'm doing geography right now.
Jr. Jr.: What river is labeled 8?
Mom: It's in South America.
Jr. Jr.: The river labeled 8 is where all your packages come from. 
 
What do you do when you have a child who loves school so much they are anxious for the first day of school to start?
Give them a task. Sharpen pencils. That will help when it's time for homework.
 
How does a child who does not like school combat the frustration of it? 
He takes juggling balls with him wherever he goes at school and at home. He impressed quite a few people who didn't know he could juggle, which he couldn't last school year. 
 
I got first day of school pictures for the kids (we had four different first days of school this year), except for Jr. I got first day at his apartment pictures. I had a little Nemo toy that I used to tell everyone, "First day of school. First day of school," that morning.
 
While the middle boys were at their first day of school (less kids in the house), I did something useful. I put together some freezer meals, using recipes that used ingredients we had at home so I didn't have to go shopping for anything. I put directions on the bags so I don't have to look up the recipes when it's time to make them. Go, me! Woohoo.
 
After one of the first days of school, we went to the annual Utah County Birders potluck. So nice to be around other birders. We've been so busy, we haven't been out birding much. Sigh. And the monthly meetings, I usually join online instead of in person. Also sigh.

I must say, though, my kids are awesome. They helped clean up after the potluck, even though they had school the next day. 
 
The first Saturday after school started, I did something for myself. I went to "my spot" by the lake to watch the "sunrise"- which actually means I watched the other direction from where the sun rose. I watched the light come across the lake from the mountains on the other side until it reached me then the sun was to my back when it came up over the mountains. That's how I usually like to watch the sunrise.


After Jr.'s first day of school, we picked him up and went to another BBQ/cookout. 
Jeremy: Do you want to go to this cookout? You don't have to figure out dinner.
I was in favor of that. Jeremy previously made a balloon arch for this cookout so we were able to get some pictures.

 
Another day, before Jet and Nichole started school, they went with me on a drive up Kyhv Peak Road. Nice drive and view.
 
I highly recommend this.
We keep a pocket sized copy of The Book of Mormon in our vehicle.
Now that school has started, that means more sitting around waiting to pick up kids. I get busy some mornings and don't get a chance to read my Book of Mormon. So even though I often have a physical novel in my bag, an audiobook on my phone, I realized I could get something even better out of my wait by reading what is always available to me.


Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Catching Up June 2025 part something or other

Who needs pictures of people when you can have pictures of food? 
We're still using A Season of Family Meal Plans by Jordan Page. Love those cookbooks. We had Sausage Potato Hobo Packs and made cornbread (a recipe I have in a recipe box) for a side dish. Yumm. 
We decided to have a barbecue and spent money on some things for it. We had Polish Sausages and Jeremy brought home some marinated veggies (mushrooms, zucchini, onions) from Marcus' barbecue which we put on skewers and grilled. For dessert we bought waffle cones to make waffle cone s'mores. One of the activities for library Summer Reading was "make something tasty together for a BBQ." A friend stopped by and joined us for a while. It's nice to share.  
We tried some new Spanish appetizers. We had a different version of Pan Con Tomate. We had Orange and Avocado Salad. We had Spanish Garlic Cauliflower. 
We had vanilla milkshakes but with chocolate powder and peanut butter in them, so our usual woo-woo drink. I also told people they could make fluffernutter sandwiches with whatever bread they could find since it was the Summer Solstice. We had baguettes left over from our tapas.
I didn't take any selfies that day. I was planning to celebrate, it just didn't happen. 
I wore my bow earrings. I did not wear my pirate ship necklace because I couldn't think of any pirate movies she was in.
June 22 was also National Kissing Day. Jeremy and I celebrated. 
Detroit Style Pizza is kind of like upside down pizza. The sauce goes on top after the cheese and toppings. 
We kept it simple with Easy Fairy Folk Tortilla Pizzas from The Fablehaven Cookbook

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Jugglers BBQ

We went to Marcus' annual jugglers BBQ. This time we brought a friend.
This is Library Sam. 
He visited us from Provo Library and got into the juggling experience. 
Lucky wanted to learn to juggle but Jr. Jr. got a hold of the balls and really went at it. He has been practicing and practicing and juggling ever since. He is at the point where he can do some tricks now. Pretty awesome.  
I need to find the time to make more juggling balls (it's been a while and we can only find a few right now) so Lucky can practice, too.

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

Off They Went Again

We got Jr. Jr. back from camp, Jr. back from visiting family, then we sent them both out again. This time, they both went to FSY.
The day they left was Black Cow Day, June 10, but because it was a busy day (FSY was in Ephraim, Utah, not nearly as close as BYU for Nichole and Jr. a couple years ago), we celebrated it observed with rootbeer floats with chocolate syrup. 
Things we did without those boys:
Played games

Went to the Marcus' annual Jugglers BBQ. Good food. Good friends. Good fun. I got to see some new juggling games I hadn't seen before. 
Jet decorated me.
He was also my kitchen helper.
For National Movie Night on June 14, we ate pizzas and watched The Amazing Maurice again.