by Sarah | Oct 27, 2008 | All About Denver
I spent (approximately) $200 in gas and travelled over 1,000 miles to teach my 10 year old a science lesson.
What science lesson is that, you ask?
Why, the meaning of “Lake Effect.”Â
On our way TO Buffalo, a band of very low-lying clouds hovered in a perfect arc around the edge of the lake…disappearing into brilliant blue skies just a few miles off. I pointed them out and explained to Brandon the meaning of ‘Lake-effect’ and how he’d hear PLENTY of that phrase when we were in Buffalo…and how it ties into tales of snow and storms.
On our way HOME from Buffalo he got to see the proof of my lesson first hand. From the minute we hit Pennsylvania until about 10 minutes outside of Cleveland we drove through variable levels of a snowstorm. From a mix of rain and snow, to flurries, to a windy-snowy mess.Â
I suppose it was worth the science lesson since he missed three days of school to go on the trip 😉
by Sarah | Oct 25, 2008 | Holidays
Five years of Christmas together under our belt. The first year was good – big, lots of presents for all. After that our money troubles really started to form. Two jobs still didn’t allot too much for Christmas. It went down to buying for Brandon, and being happy with that. When Riley and then Angel were born, we satisfied ourselves with a few small presents for them since they wouldn’t remember and attempting to make Brandon’s Christmas’s big.Â
Last year we managed to pull together the money for a big Christmas. Piles of presents under the tree, wrapping paper everywhere. Then getting together with teh family and MORE presents there.
This year we could do that again if we wanted to. We could spend hundreds of dollars and put piles of presents under the tree – toys that would be destroyed by el-distructo (Angel), toys that would be ignored and forgotten like every other toy in the house. Boxes of clothes that would get an “oh” from Brandon and thrown aside.
But we’ve talked about it…and we don’t want to do it. We’re going to let Brandon know that our plan for the holiday this year is this:
1. The kids will each get one ‘big’ gift this year. For the girls it will be something smaller, for Brandon it will be one big gift. He can give us some options and we’ll figure it out.
2. Brandon will pick a charity and we’ll donate $50-100 (we haven’t set the amt yet)Â to that charity in his name.
3. Handmade gifts will be encouraged…even if it’s something silly.
4. Archie and I will get gifts for each other this year – but we’ll have a spending limit of $20 and it should be meaningful.
5. We will find something charitable to do for the family.
It just suddenly hit me the other day that just because we HAVE the money doesn’t mean we need to SPEND it…not on a bunch of stuff that will go by the wayside or get torn up. If we put some of our money and time to things and people that need it we’d appreciate it more in the end.Â
Now I just have to get some motivation inside of me to have the patience to sit down with the kids and do crafts with Christmas in mind…and use THOSE to decorate my house instead of spending tons of money on decorations from the store.
by Sarah | Oct 23, 2008 | Uncategorized
My first Thursday Thirteen in some time. I decided since I’m out of town I’ll list thirteen of the things I’ll be doing EATING…while I’m in Buffalo. (and asking my BFF to add my site to the TT list)
1. Beef on ‘Wick from Anderson’s (at that EXACT Anderson’s in that picture…it still stands, though slightly remodeled)
2. Vanilla soft serve w/ rainbow sprinkles from Anderson’s.
3. A hot dog from Ted’s Hot Dogs (where they serve Sahlen’s…YUM)
4. French Fries w/ Vinegar (probably at Ted’s)
5. Sponge Candy from Watson’s
6. Placek from Pumpernick ‘N Pastry
7. Capicola sub from Mike’s
8. Bison French Onion Dip
9. Aunt Rosie’s Loganberry
10. REAL Buffalo Wings from Duff’s
11. Margherita Pepperoni
12. Bison Cottage Cheese
13. Good bagels
by Sarah | Oct 22, 2008 | Random
To BUFFALO!
Today at approximate 9AM all my kids and I will be packed into the Explorer and heading out East.Â
Yes. That’s me. Three kids. No husband.
Insane? Possibly. Excited? A little bit (okay, a LOT).Â
The drive will be tough, but I’m taking my time – and my camera. I’m going to let the kids get out and run. I’m not putting a time limit on this drive…”We made it in EIGHT hours!” will not ring through my grandmother’s house. I’m hoping this will help their, and my, sanity.
We will have competing sounds as the girls watch hour upon hour of Dora on our (new – the old one broke right before the trip, of course *pout*) portable DVD player…while I listen to show tunes and Brandon plays DS…ALL.DAY.LONG.Â
We will stop for puke-donald’s. We will stop for potty breaks.Â
And we will get to my Grandmother’s.
I haven’t been HOME in two+ years. The last time we went, Angel was 2 months old, and Molly took her first steps at the park across the street from my grandmother’s. My niece is turning 5 while we’re there, and we get to go to her party.Â
I will go shopping for real food (Sahlen’s hot dogs, Webers mustard, REAL salt&vinegar chips, Loganberry,  placek and sponge candy). I will have Anderson’s custard & Beef on ‘Wick. I will eat my grandmother’s goulash (should i say yum? not feeling that one), and listen to her rant on every topic imaginable.
Archie isn’t coming…the one sad note about the trip. I wish he could come and see my family again. Celebrate my niece’s birthday with us. I’m sure I will talk to him often, but only as often as work and life allow.
I will probably start experiencing computer withdrawals tomorrow. Today I’m driving, and distracted by kids. Tomorrow will be fun and exciting for a few hours, but as a work day for most of my family it will be quiet for us. By 11AM I’m likely to be texting Jess left and right…but I will survive without a computer somehow.
I’ve preset posts for the weekend, because I won’t be home until Monday night. I’ll take time to edit pictures, but I’ll post an update at the very least on Tuesday.Â
Keep me in your thoughts today, though…as I drive 526 miles with 3 kids and just one little scrap of sanity to begin with.
by Sarah | Oct 20, 2008 | All About Family
The past few days have been a whirlwind of activity. I leave in two days for Buffalo…so we’ve been a little swamped…
~ I’ve shopped ’til I dropped – TWICE – at the resale shop. Making sure the kids drawers were full…and we’d have enough cute clothes to take w/ us to NY.
~ Along with one of those shopping trips we went out to eat.
~ I’ve been doing laundry – also to be sure we had enough cute clothes to take w/ us
~ I’ve been doing cleaning so Archie has a halfway decent home when we leave.
~ I’ve been doing laundry – wait, did I say that already? Yeah, well, it’s taking over my life, it might as well take over my post.
~ I’ve been pre-writing posts for my absence. I may actually post more when I’m gone than when I’m actually here – scary.
~ Oh, and we’ve done a little of this:
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
~ And have I mentioned that I’ve also been doing laundry?! Yeah…THAT much. Family of 5, you know…some of whom really need to start wearing clothes more than once before they end up in the laundry.
~ Getting as much chat and play time in w/ my best bud Jess as I possibly can before I leave to the land of no computer (I can feel my withdrawals starting already)
