Catching Up March 2025 part 2

We still had sickness going through our home in March so our celebrating was sporadic even with things we would have definitely celebrated in the past.

 

March 6 was the birthday of the Oreo cookie. We ended up spreading our Oreo celebrating over several days so it didn't all happen on March 6. I did make sure to listen to Weird Al's "The White Stuff" that day. Other things we did to celebrate:

Had Oreo Puffs cereal for breakfast

Had birthday cake Oreos

Had Oreo frosting on chocolate graham crackers 

 

March 7 was National Tartar Sauce Day so we had fish sticks with tartar sauce.

March 9 was Popcorn Lover's Day. Some people had popcorn. It was also Get Over It Day and Meatball Day so of course the phrase, "Get over it, you meatball," was used frequently.

 

March 10 was Mario Day (Mar10) of course. we watched The Super Mario Bros. Movie. That's a fun movie. Jet loves it and requests to watch it from time to time. It is yet another movie that I don't mind putting on for him because it doesn't annoy me and I don't get sick of it. 

 

March 12 was the day Moana 2 came to Disney Plus so we ate Hawaiian Haystacks and started watching it (finished it another day). Personal opinion: it's not as good as the first movie and I prefer the Mario movie we watched a couple days before. It's fun to find reasons to celebrate, though.

 

March 14 was Pi Day. I made apple pie. I love apple pie.

Notice Nichole's PIESS shirt. Since March 14 is also Potato Chip Day, we taste tested a new to us flavor of potato chips. All Dressed. It wasn't that impressive as you can tell by the picture.

 

March 15 was the Ides of March. We did not celebrate like we normally do with Caesar salad and Orange Juliuses but we told each other to, "Beware the Ides of March." Jeremy and I went for a walk that day, though. I absolutely love spending time with my husband.

More Than Just Chariots of Fire?

I love how easy it is to write right in "A Season of Family Meal Plans." There's a "Notes" section with each recipe or I can write next to the ingredients or instructions.

In this case the toppings for Coconut Hawaiian Haystacks were listed with the ingredients but there was room for me to add to the list.

And of course I was able to skip a big step because I froze Hawaiian Pork weeks before when we made Hawaiian Pork Sandwiches and took it out to thaw last week to sub in place of the pork gravy in the recipe.

The result:

Coconut Hawaiian Haystacks (made with Hawaiian Pork instead of Pork Gravy and coconut as a topping) with Orange Cream Fruit Salad on the side.

Jet helped make the food again. He cut up bananas.

As we were preparing food, I decided to listen to "Chariots of Fire" by Vangelis because March 29 was Vangelis' Birthday. Instead of asking Alexa to play "Chariots of Fire" like I usually do, I asked her to play music by Vangelis. "Chariots of Fire" was the first piece to play but there were several other pieces I listened to. I always think of "Chariots of Fire" when I think of Vangelis but there are other pieces like "Conquest of Paradise" that are also cool.

The next day, March 30, was I Am In Control Day. I tried.

Shelf Cooking

Another shelf cooking win. We had Hawaiian Haystacks toppings and pizza crust so I made Hawaiian Haystacks pizza. And added mushrooms for Jeremy since he likes mushrooms.

Yumm.

Since it was Eat Your Vegetables Day on June 17, it was a good way of getting vegetables in (and some fruit).

And those that didn't like pineapple on their pizza picked it off and gave it to me. I didn't complain.

How We Celebrated Some of June

June 1 was Flip a Coin Day. I needed to inventory my fridge and freezer anyway so I used a coin flip to decide which to do. 

We flipped a coin to decide plenty of other things as well.

 

June 2 was the anniversary of when Babe Ruth retired. We had macaroni and cheese with polish sausage in it in honor of "Babe" (you know what the movie, "Babe," is about, right?) "Ruth" retiring.

Someone made the comment, "Talk about retiring."

 

June 5 was Veggie Burger Day. I would have liked to have made black bean burgers but didn't menu plan far enough in advance and didn't have any black beans to make them. Sigh. So I was looking through cookbooks and websites trying to decide what to make but Jet just wanted snuggles so... 

Priorities, right?

 

June 9 was National Movie Night and Johnny Depp's Birthday. We watched Alice in Wonderland and ate popcorn. Jr. made crepes that we ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

June 11 was King Kamehameha I Day. We had Hawaiian Haystacks leftovers from a family reunion we went to the night before. It was a family reunion for people we're not related to. I like to say, "We're family by association." This is a family Jeremy was home teacher to many years ago. He's done balloons for them many times and we've gone to wedding receptions and concerts to support them. We were able to get Nichole's first violin from them when she was learning to play. They watched over our older kids when Lucky was born in the middle of the night. We've had a good relationship with them for many years and they feel like family. 

They invited us to their family luau. Jeremy did balloon animals and we all ate, played, and enjoyed ourselves. 

We got to try Dole Whip for the first time. Yumm. 

I had plenty of people to talk to that I knew. I'm a chatty person anyway. I got to stand up high and take their family reunion photo.

It was a nice evening and it was sweet of them to send us home with some leftovers.

June 11 was also Corn on the Cob Day so besides the Hawaiian Haystacks, we had corn on the cob and plenty of other food for an at-home potluck.

Jr. Jr. made apple pie for the first time (with some help) and did a great job.

June 14 was Flag Day. I took another selfie with the flag.

 

June 15 was World Tapas Day. We made bean dip and enjoyed it.

5th of July

The morning after the 4th of July celebrations, we sent the older two boys off to Young Men Camp.

Bye, boys.

Yes, I cried as I drove home.

I made a trip to the library, came home, sat on the couch and...

 

Eventually I got up and got some stuff done. Not as much as I would have liked but some.

 

I managed to make Hawaiian haystacks for dinner that night since the 5th of July was National Hawaii Day.

While we were eating dinner, Jeremy in a whiny voice said, "Please can it be the fifth? I really want it to be the fifth." I looked at the kids' confused faces and said, "He's pleading the fifth." Ohhhh.

Turkeys and Veterans and Pizza, Oh My

Jeremy was out of town at a fair convention so the kids and I celebrated a few things without him.

 

Jr. Jr. and Lucky went to a little Thanksgiving Dinner where they got to do crafts and eat food.

The next day, November 11, was Veterans Day.

It was also National Sundae Day so we had Chinese Sundaes, also known as Hawaiian Haystacks.

The next day, November 12 was Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day. Sadly there have been a few years when we've missed this holiday. Can you believe it? I made sure to celebrate it this year. Individual pizzas with lots of choices for sauces and toppings including dessert pizzas.

That day, Jr. also entered a Fablehaven trivia contest at school because the newest Dragonwatch book came out in October and they had a couple copies to check out. The two people with the most points would get to check out the book first and the top 10 scorers would get a metal bookmark. 

When Nichole and Jet and I picked him up from school, I asked how it went because he'd been studying/reading books to prepare. He let me know he got 11th place. Oh, no. That's too bad. Barely missed it. We gave him sympathy.

Mom: Oh, man. Seriously, you got 11th place?

Jr.: Just kidding. I got 10th.

Mom: Really? So you did get a bookmark. Ha Ha Ha Ha.

Jr.: Yeah. 1+0=10, right?

Mom: No. It equals 1.

Jr.: Oh, so I guess I got 1st place.

That made me laugh because he totally had us going. Thinking how sad that he didn't even get a bookmark, to happy to find out he did, to ecstatic to find out he got to check out the new book first. Yay! Nice one, Jr. He also got to check out another book and besides the bookmark, he also got some stickers.

Way to go, Jr.

I keep telling you we're Brandon Mull fans.

Did We Celebrate That?

Sometimes I take pictures of our celebrations and sometimes I don't. Then if I don't write anything down about it and I'm too busy to blog until much later, I don't remember if we actually went through with our plans. Oh well. Here are some things in June we may or may not have celebrated.

Saturday, June 5, was Veggie Burger Day. We had plans to make black bean burgers and I think we did because I remember there being cut up lettuce and onion and tomatoes in the fridge. I think it happened on that day. Maybe.

Monday, June 7, was Chocolate Ice Cream Day. Jeremy brought home chocolate ice cream but I don't think we had any that day. I know we had some the next day.

Wednesday, June 9, was Johnny Depp's Birthday. I do know that while the older kids were gone, Jr. Jr. and Lucky got to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Jeremy also gave them treats. Things were too busy that night so the older kids had to wait until later to watch one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

Thursday, June 10, was Black Cow Day. The kids had root beer floats and I had ice cream with chocolate syrup in it. I don't know why I did that. I must have had a reason at the time. It was also Egg Roll Day. We had egg rolls a couple times in May/June. I don't remember if that was one of them.

Friday, June 11, was King Kamehameha I Day. We ate Hawaiian haystacks.

Sunday, June 13, was Kitchen Klutzes of America Day. The kids made dinner. They helped each other make sloppy joes and pull-apart bread. Anything else? Apparently Nichole had a root beer float according to the picture. Did other people? Who knows?

Monday, June 14, was Flag Day. It was also Pop Goes the Weasel Day. We drank soda pop and went to the park. I tried to get a picture of the kids with the flag like I did on Memorial Day. I tried.

Tuesday, June 15, was Nature Photography Day. We went to a park. Nichole didn't get as many pictures of birds as she wanted but there were lots of bugs and plants.

Wednesday, June 16, was Captain Picard Day. We decided to have cream soda and ginger ale because we wouldn't have anything to do with Romulan Ale. Lucky accidentally spilled mustard on "Daddy" so I put him through the wash a couple times. His head came out like Captain Picard's. 

Thursday, June 17, was Apple Strudel Day. I was going to make apple strudel. I didn't.

Friday, June 18, was National Splurge Day so we had Winco pizza and I made cherry cheesecake from a box again.

Saturday, June 19, was Garfield the Cat Day. I had good intentions to make lasagna. I didn't. Jeremy reassured me by saying, "It makes more sense that we didn't have lasagna. Garfield would have eaten it all."

We may or may not have celebrated other things.