So You Want to Know Even More About August, Huh?

August 19 was International Bow Day. Jet and I did some coloring on a Minnie's Bow-Toons coloring page. We may have watched a little bit of the cartoon later (I can't remember).

Ah, bonding time.

It was also National Potato Day. Continuing with using A Season of Family Meal Plans by Jordan Page, I learned how to make "baked" potatoes in the Instant Pot. I like doing it that way. Along with the potatoes we had Sheet Pan Bell Pepper Chicken but I cooked it on the stove instead of in the oven. I can do that. I'm a shelf cooker.

It was also Mr. Snuffleupagus' Birthday. Our kids don't know who Mr. Snuffleupagus is. They didn't grow up with Sesame Street. Jeremy and I had to explain to them who he is.

August 20 was National Lemonade Day (it used to be in May). We made a pitcher of lemonade to go with our Tex-Mex Bowls (using leftover fajita filling) and spanish rice. I made Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing from A Season of Family Meal Plans, volume 3. The recipe in there is simpler than the recipe I've used in the past to make cilantro lime dressing. I liked it better after it had been refrigerated for at least a day. Mmmm.

Jet was my little kitchen helper again. He decided to help spin lettuce this time. He didn't bother waiting for me to cut it up first. That's fine. I'm so glad he likes to help me make food. I hope it continues.

August 22 was Be an Angel Day. Dinner was angel hair pasta (of course) with leftovers. Jet was an angel and ate better than any of the other kids when it came to dinner. He got first choice of cupcakes for dessert.

After dinner, Nichole and I went to a Relief Society activity, a sourdough class. It was cool to again see a demonstration but it reminded me that I am not in the season of my life to make sourdough. It is a long complicated process. I did enjoy the samples and socializing, though. I do like to eat sourdough. I just can't commit to it right now.

August 23 was National Cuban Sandwich Day. I tried out some new techniques with cooking (I am constantly learning) and made Cuban Sandwiches (even if they weren't authentic).

August 24 was National Waffle Day. We made a whole bunch of waffles with the intent to freeze some of them for easy breakfasts. Ha. They didn't last long enough to be frozen. 

That day, Nichole, Jeremy, and I went on a UCB field trip to Jordanelle Reservoir- Rock Cliff area. That felt good.

Jeremy also decided to try out a new look that day. Look closely.

August 26 was National Toilet Paper Day. I used some to wipe up tears while I was crying.

August 27 was Banana Lovers Day. After our Cajun Green Beans & Pork Bites and roasted potatoes (both from that same cookbook listed above), we had Frozen Banana Bites (also from that same cookbook). 

August 28 was National Bow Tie Day. We had bowtie pasta along with macaroni with our dinner. We also had Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps, apples, and carrots.

Bow Ties and Birthdays

We celebrated Jr.'s birthday in August. We celebrated it on August 28 which is Bow Tie Day. It worked out because Jr. wanted bow tie pasta with chicken and alfredo sauce for his birthday dinner anyway. He also wanted apple slices, carrots with dip, and pineapple pop. If it's not orange it's pineapple in this family.

The dip he wanted was like one he had recently. I don't know what was in that dip so I looked around for dip recipes and found one for vegetable dill dip that I thought I'd take a chance on from Six Sisters' Stuff.

He was pleased with that dip. He said it tasted like the other one and he liked it. Success!

I will definitely make that dip again, though next time I might use a little less seasoned salt. Several of us thought it tasted a little too salty (but who knows? Maybe when I halved the recipe, I accidentally put the normal amount of salt in. I'll have to make it again soon to see).

When planning out cake and ice cream, Jr. asked for his siblings' input. Lucky suggested chocolate ice cream so Jr. asked for Death by Chocolate. Jr. Jr. suggested lemon frosting then Nichole thought of something that would go well with lemon, strawberry cake. So Jr. asked for lemon frosting with strawberry cake. "But make it tall. I don't want a short cake." Get it?

So he got two round cake pans instead of a 9X13 pan. With frosting between the layers of course.

I think he enjoyed his birthday. He ate so much dinner he wasn't sure he felt up to cake and ice cream but later he did, which made some brothers very happy.

Since we weren't sure if we'd do cake and ice cream, we sang to him as we were giving him his present. After we got done singing, he blew out the "candles" on the present. Lit candles and wrapping paper would not be a good combination so I'm glad we got to do the real candles on the cake later and yes, we did sing to him again.

Happy Birthday, Jr.

International Bow Day 2020

August 19 was International Bow Day. I noticed that when I had my hair in a ponytail and tied the upper tie of my mask above my ponytail, it looked like I had a bow in my hair. Cute.

Thanks to my sister-in-law who made my llama mask. I love it.

Dinner was bowtie pasta salad bar. I cooked some bowtie pasta and got out other ingredients for making pasta salad (Jeremy cut up vegetables) then I was too tired and took a nap while everyone else just put their food together however they wanted it.

Be Late For Something

September 5 was Be Late For Something Day.  I figured I'd catch up on blogging about the things we've been celebrating lately- since National Waffle Day on August 24.  I meant to all day, but I didn't.  So here I am a day late for the holiday, finally doing it.
August 26- National Dog Day.  The day started out normally with Jeremy headed to Thanksgiving Point to build a balloon sculpture and Nichole headed on a field trip to Thanksgiving Point.  However, Jeremy forgot an item he needed so after dropping the older kids off at school, the little ones and I went up to Thanksgiving Point to give him the item.  We gave Jeremy the item and since the museum wasn't open yet, the boys and I stayed outside for a few minutes until it did open.  While outside, we saw a school bus that made me think, Hmm, I wonder if Nichole is on that bus, while Nichole, on that bus, looked out and saw the little boys and me outside the Museum of Ancient Life.  Once the museum opened, the boys and I visited Jeremy for a little bit to say, "Good job."

In the meantime, Nichole had a good time on her field trip to the Renaissance Fair.  She brought home souvenirs, such as her name in fancy writing and a mini sword made by an actual blacksmith.  She proceeded to knight her little brother.

On the note of celebrating National Dog Day, we put on the movie, Lady and the Tramp, and I promptly fell asleep since I had gotten up early to go birding that morning and I was tired.
After Lucky (who also fell asleep) and I woke up, I made spaghetti and meatballs to fit with the theme of the movie while the kids watched it a second time.

That is how we celebrated National Dog Day.
August 27- Banana Lover's Day.  I dragged all the kids back to the Museum of Ancient Life for Sharktastic Saturday, a time to learn all sorts of neat information about sharks and to do some shark-related activities.  Jeremy joined us for the first part before he had to head to work again.
We got pictures with the balloon great white shark,

the kids put together a food web/chain,

they made shark tooth necklaces,

learned about shark mouths and egg sacks,

and Jr. Jr. even got to touch I real live dead shark.  That makes it sound like a zombie.  It wasn't.  It was a real shark they had that people could touch the outside or the inside of it (with gloves on, of course- the people, not the shark).
The kids got to compare different shark sizes, living and extinct,

then we met up with some friends from our college years.  They were already planning on coming to Sharktastic Saturday, so we met them there and chatted and did some activities with them.
When we got home, we celebrated Banana Lover's Day by trying a new way of peeling a banana.  Apparently if you squeeze the opposite end from the stem until it split, it doesn't squish the end of your banana like it does if you pull on the stem.  It is also not supposed to have as many of the stringy parts stuck on the banana when you eat it.  Hmmm.  Something I learned from FamilyFun Magazine.  I forgot to pay a lot of attention to the stringy bits, but I did notice that it didn't squish the end as much as the stem end.  Someone else will have to try it and let me know about the stringy bits.

August 28- National Bow Tie Day.  After church I found out that the bow ties were taking over by wrapping around things including people's necks.

August 29- More Herbs, Less Salt Day.  Jr. Jr.'s first day of kindergarten. 

Jeremy suggested we have taco salad for dinner, but I reminded him more herbs, less salt.  So he got clever.

So the kids had chips and whatever for after school snack.  Jr. Jr. got to play a game with M&Ms for "homework" and for FHE activity, the kids drew with sidewalk chalk.

August 30- National Toasted Marshmallow Day.  I made s'mores in the oven again and they turned out well this time.  The marshmallows even turned golden brown.  Woohoo.

August 31- National Trail Mix Day.  We didn't have time to do trail mix for after school snack since the kids went to visit friends while Jeremy and I went on a date to a Volunteer Appreciation Night at a park up Provo Canyon.  We did some birding while we were there and got to see and visit with my brother-in-law's parents.

September 3- Skyscraper Day.  We didn't do anything with skyscrapers, but Jr. Jr. went to a friend's birthday party and wrapped the present all by himself, cutting the paper, taping it, everything.  He's such a big kid now that he's in kindergarten.

September 5- Be Late for Something Day.  I'm celebrating a day late.