I just created accidental greatness.  *snicker*

I wanted something different for lunch as food gets boring.  I had pulled out 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, and knew I was making pasta with them.   But wasn't sure what.   And this is what I did.

1 cube of butter in bottom of frying pan.  Melt

Add 3 chicken breasts

1 package of mushrooms

1/2 onion. 

Sprinkle generously with cinnamon, salt, and Johnny's seasoning salt. 

Add apprxomiately 2 T soy sauce.

Turn chicken when its browned on one side.   Cover and turn to low to finish cooking.

This took me about umm 10 minutes?

Remove lid.  Add 1 cup of milk, 3 cups of water.  And 1 bag of egg white noodles.  Bring to boil, on high, and then turn back to low.

Stir once or twice, but mostly I left it alone. 

When the noodles are done its ready.  It was very very good.  The cinnamon made it special.

If you hate mushrooms those are of course optional.   

I tried this once, and it went poof into cyber space.

Anyhow.  We're all healthy, with the exception of Rainee--who'se never healthy in the winter time..

It was a busy week with nothing accomplished.  *snort*

Yesterday was a Olympia baton day.  It was gorgeous.  With the time change we were able to stop and play at Kalaloch on the way home for a nice long time.

Unfortunately by the time we got there, the clouds had won the battle of the sun.  But it wasn't raining, so we still stayed.

It was so beautiful, and the kids were enjoying themselves so much, that Rob went and got Zeria's big blanket from the car, and he and I found a sheltered from the wind spot behind/beside some driftwood, and settled in for the long haul.

It was a loverly spot, and we even managed some romance.  Our kids caught us, "kissing" but immediately turned and walked away and went to play waiting for us to be done.

Our kids are *never* that discreet.  Usually they crowd around and shriek ewwww their kissing!  I think we shall kiss them for walking away.  LOL

It was very nice to have that couple time.

The view from our sheltered spot. 

Today the Clallam Bay team is doing their ice cream social and performing there four routines.  We have dwindled a lot in size over the last month.  But whose left is still having fun.   

We will do that tonight, and today I guess we putter in the house, as its soggy outside.  Blech!

So if I was to attempt to keep score.

Jeremiah has a cough and a stuffy nose.  He's had it for about two weeks, and is on the mend.  But still not healthy.

Jamari has a stuffy nose....my guess is the cough will start tomorrow.

I'm on the tell-end of the cough--just a few minutes in the morning.

Rainee's had it for 3 weeks, and came down with a fever yesterday.  It went away, so we went to baton.  But tonight yup she threw up. 

Zeria threw up about 2 hours ago.

Kaylin informed me at bed time she had an earache.

I guess that leaves umm Samuel and Rob healthy.

They btw are ALWAYS healthy.  I can't remember the last time they got sick.

It must be March.  March is always the month of sick.

What I had full intentions of doing tonight was taking my heavy-duty pain-killers, and deep-breathing myself through the pain of my back into sleep.

silly, silly me.

I suspect I'll be emptying buckets all night long instead as Rob is at work until 6 am. 

And dress number 2.  I let them pick out the material, with a very slight direction as to kind.  Rainee picked out a really pretty pink camo first, but it was flannel, and I didn't want a flannel dress.  *snicker*  Maybe at Christmas

Anyhow this one worked up much faster and is very cute as well.

In other news I pushed myself into my recliner chair last night rather quickly, and it went floosh and tipped over backwards.  My already iffy back is now rather sore.

Its a I hurt myself sore, rather then my always achey sore.  Which is different as I was telling Rob.  There's lot of kinds of sore.

Anyhow I have to drive to Olympia tomorrow, and I *need* a good night sleep tonight.  It would help if I could find my anti-inflammatory med.  I bought more on Friday.  We made a special stop for it.  And darn it I can't find it.  And I'm totally out of my old stuff. 

I take phenocane.  Its a herbal thing.  I know little about it--less then I usually do, just haven't researched it, but I do know it makes a huge difference in me relaxing enough to sleep.  So a miracle would be nice in finding it.

Yes!  I had the miracle.  My purse spilled this morning in a very hard to reach corner, and I meant to pick it up and never did.  Just as I typed the above I thought to look there, and God be thanked I have it. 

Its been a busy couple days.

In between chasing kids, coaching baton.  And so on I made my first easter dress.

I bought myself a sewing machine when Kaylin was teensy.  And I just hated it.  It was exasperating, and eventually I gave my machine to my younger sister.  I've sewn by hand ever since then when I need anything done.  

Recently my mom challenged me to try again, and at the time I rather rolled my eyes at her.  But then started thinking about why I'd quit.  I know how to sew I just hadn't really enjoyed fighting the machine.

But I fight the computer when it breaks down, all the time, and that doesn't irritate me.  And when I crochet I have no problem pulling out huge rows...shoot I pulled ALL of my sisters rug out and redid it when it was basically finished.

So I thought hmm maybe I'll try again. 

I asked my mom if my sister was using my machine, and she said she hadn't touched it in several years.  I asked if I could have it back, and she said sure.

So I made several quick bags (just to get myself more used to sewing again)  And then I bought a pajama pants pattern, and a pattern for easter dresses.  I knew the pj's would be a quick easy challenge, one to remind me how to read/use a pattern, and very straight forward.  It was--I completed them in an hour.

So then I bit the bullet and broke out the easter dress.  It was scarey.

I have *never* Never sewn anything this complicated.  Lots of pieces (for me)  and two different materials.  And I did it.  In less then two days.

Its soooooo pretty!  And tomorrow I'll make Rainee's.  Different colors same pattern.  Zeria doesn't want a dress...so I'm not sure what I'll do for her.

Anyhow here's KK in her dress.  its meant to be a sundress, and will not normally have a shirt under it.  I have some very cute decorative buttons to put on it, but other then that its all done. 

Well we've managed to spend a good part of income tax return finally.

On Tuesday our hot-tub-in-a-box arrived.  We really wanted a hot tub similar to our old one, but there price has gone up a LOT.  And we are cheap skates.  We had our hearts set on one, but had pretty much decided it wasn't happening. And then I ran into a hot-tub-in-a-box product.  I researched it a bit, showed it to Rob and we purchased it.

It took a while to heat-up.  But its sooooooo nice.  Yeah not as fancy as what we had before, but this works, and its so good on our back.  Rob loves to  climb in it after he runs, and we've both missed the us time in it.

What is it?  Its actually rather similar to one of those liner swimming pools you can purchase.  Its a bit better quality then the cheap ones at Walmart, rather like the one my parents had.  Which my dad still has.   But it does have a nice wood panel support case on the outside, instead of nasty plastic.  And then a plastic liner on the inside, and the heater on the outside.  Its not 220, but 110, which meant we didn't have to move our 220 outlet as where our hot tub currently is we hated. (Its a long long story as to how it ended up where it was)

Anyhow it was very nice to climb in there last night.

Cause we had spent most of the day in town spending $$$$.   We have lots of fix-it projects we've been wanting to do.  And we spent $700 at Home Depot for the supplies for most of them.  Poor Rob.  He hates shopping, and this trip was on him.  We ended up with four different carts, and two Home Depot guys helping us load.  *snicker*

Projects are more shelves for my desk area.  The armoire that holds my school stuff is dying, and inadequate, so we are putting shelves there instead.

Drywall to replace the panels that Samuel has broke over the course of the last 4 years.  Yeah he had to pay for those out of his own pocket.  He labored for us, and will also have to help fix it.  He was quite helpful yesterday loading wood, etc.

A new bathroom faucet, and a new kitchen faucet.  Both of which have issues for varying reasons.  We were going to get a bigger kitchen sink, but they were quite expensive, and I didn't find what I wanted.

So a God thing happened.  And our head elder at church has several in his back yard we can choose from.    So that takes care of that. 

Oh and cement board to replace the skirting that the flood and the great dane puppy broke.  That stuff was heavy--which is why we ended up with two Home Depot guys.  We were rather a spectical standing in line.  *snicker*

None of the projects are super exciting--but they do get our house for-sale ready if need be, and exciting in that they get things looking much better.

We were bummed as one of the things on our list Home Depot didn't have anymore, so we're looking around for that.

The last time we were there they had this beautiful butcher block wood, but it was $45 a sheet, and we needed two to replace the plywood on my desk Rob built me.  They were so pretty, and we both *knew* we would get them with the tax return came.

But darn it they don't have it any more.  *growl*  So I'm looking around to see if I can find something compareable.

So the next few weekends will be dedicated to Rob's puttering.  And our house will start looking a bit better when we're done. 

I'm headed to Olympia again tomorrow.had to make up a practice due to our flat tire, that was last week, so this is our official second practice in February.  No matter what it comes down to it comes down to the fact that we've left the Peninsula to go somewhere at least 5 hours away every weekend for a month.

Ah well such is life.

When I was sharing pictures I forgot to put this up of our brief stop at Kalaloch on the way back from baton last week.

Kaylin took it of us.  We stopped just as the sun was setting.  We knew it would be a brief visit, but it was so nice and warm, we also knew we had to do it.  It was the best part of the day.  Running around on the sand, watching the kids climb all over the driftwood.

Good morning

Its a soggy morning, was a soggy day yesterday.   Okay a showerey day.  It just rained HARD.

The robins have returned much to Jeremiah's joy.  He loves watching the birds, and taking notice of there return.

Saturday however was beautiful.  Bit brisk, but a gorgeous day to walk the beach.  We walked the beach around to those rocks you can see, and then we all climbed them.  Even me.  LOL  It was just beautiful.

We of course had to find treasures.  Jeremiah was quite mad at the first beach cause his current treasure is beach glass.  "This is not a beach glass beach, I wanted a beach glass beach."    So...it was so nice that we went to a beach glass beach afterwards..  ROFL

There's my monkeys up on the rock.  You can see approximately how high it is by looking at Rob's arm on the left side.  He was standing on a big rock to help Jeremiah.  Who wasn't as eager about the rock climbing as some of them.

Samuel on the other hand climbs the rocks like a monkey and makes me nervous when I watch too closely!  He was taking this seaweed and throwing it like a lasso, and then pulling it back up. 

And sitting above us we had several of these fellows.  This one got startled when Jamari yelled for kids to look at something right underneath him.  I guess he thought Jamari could eat it LOL. 

It was such a gorgeous morning.  One I can hold close to me for a while of the bleh of winter.

Good morning

Its a frosty morning outside, but clear.  We have had a lot of clear days.  Clear COLD days.  Yesterday was gorgeous.  The perfect day to go to the beach.  Except we were all exhausted and needed a down day.  So we took it.

Zeria had a blast at her sleepover.  Rob went to pick her up at 9:30, after dropping us at Sunday School.  And she said.  "I'm having the best time I've had in forever, can I Pleeeeease stay."   He snorted at her, and let her stay.  We picked her up after church.

I was just impressed with all of it.  I liked the movie choices they watched.  Buddies, Space Chimps, and two others of a similar nature.  They ran all over the girls property exploring, and just generally had fun.  Just as we got there apparently their was a spat between two of the girls.  But they'd been together a long time, and man that is just the age of spats.

All in all we were thrilled for Zeria that she got the opportunity. 

Of course she's was among the walking dead the rest of the day.  Didn't want to take a nap.  Didn't want to admit to exhaustion.  But could barely move.  LOL

Today is a brief reprieve in busy.  Tomorrow we have to run to Port Angeles and have a meeting with my dad's Correctional Officer, and his Counselor.  This is to determine wether we can get chaperone status so my dad can visit.  Its a irritating day to have it, due to Rob had to take vacation time, and I have baton in the afternoon, but it was all "they" had available.     So we'll bow to there whims.   I'm absolutely NOT looking forward to the meeting, matter of fact I've rather buried the whole concept of having said meeting in the very back of my head.  But I guess I'm gonna have to take a big girl pill, and go regardless.