Home By the Creekside

 (this is how her pictures always look..We have to tell her to look at us) Funny girl! Today while Brayden was getting a molar pulled. The nice dental hygenist took Lyndee to the other room to help wiggle her bottom teeth. She was successful. Her adult teeth were growing in back of these baby ones. I am glad to see them go and she was happy to have them out. Now Brayden...well. that is another story.

Yes, I feel that I should accept it this week. Over last week, I got the flu and then I lost my voice. Good think I had my student teacher take over my class this week and last. Monday the kids and I went to the dentist. Brayden has three different visits for cavities. Thank you birth family for giving my child who brushes, flosses,and flourides his teeth every day the worst teeth. He had three cavities, one really bad. I am not sure why they schedule him so far out to fix it. Fast forward two nights. Brayden says to me, "my gums hurt." I respond, "you will be okay, just go to bed. You brushed your teeth and gums too hard again." I wished that I could have given him some Tylenol but I didn't and had him go to bed. He woke up the next morning with a face that resembled one-sided chipmunk. I felt so terrible and still do. I called the dentist and the prescribed some Zithromax to help fight any infection. The swelling has gone but he has alot of pain. I have given...

Someone here got a hold of my camera. Not Lyndee but Brayden. Now I understand why he asked if I looked at the pictures on my camera. Sneaky little guy. This recipe caught my eye yesterday "float"ing around the internet. So I made a point to buy rootbeer concentrate at the store. These cookies aren't too bad. They are not too rootbeery in taste. They taste pretty good with the glaze. Without the glaze, they are kind of blah. I would make them again cause Lyndee and Brayden liked them. Root Beer Float Cookies Got this from a book called 101 Gourmet Cookies 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 cup butter, room temperature 1/4 cup milk 2 eggs 2 Tablespoons root beer concentrate or extract 4 cups flour pinch of salt 1 teaspoon baking soda Cream together sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add milk, eggs, and root beer extract. Stir to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Refrigerate dough for one hour until firm, then roll into one inch ...

Got this recipe out of Taste of Home diet cookbook. I made a small adjustment. The original recipe called for cranberries. I did make but it was bland maybe because it was diet and there was no sugar, but I fixed that by using some stevia drops that I use for my cucumber snack. See bottom of recipe for the raspberries that I used. 2 cups plus 2 T flour, divided 1 cup quick cooking oats 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup butter melted 1 pkg (8oz) reduced-fat cream cheese 1 can (14 oz) fat free sweetened condensed milk 4 egg whites 1 teas vanilla extract 1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce 2 T cornstarch Liquid stevia drops (optional) In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, oats, brown sugar, and butter. Mix until crumbly. Press 2 and 1/2 cups of the crumb mixgure into a greased 13 by 9 baking dish. Bake at 250 for 10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the milk, egg whites, vanilla, (add 16 drops of stevia) and remaining flour. Spoon over prepared crus...

Here is all that aftermath of two Valentine's parties.... Can you tell she had a cupcake at one of her parties? I think the afterschool person should have told her that she had all that on her face. She isn't one, ya know.

We were being a little wacky while trying to get Brayden's homework done over the weekend. See that crazy boy!  And that one! And they were not enhanced by the computer.

Clay brought me some flowers on Friday. Yes, I was very surprised. I didn't think he was going to do anything for V-day. After being married for 14 years, at times I don't care about all that kind of stuff. I just want to be appreciated every day not just on the special days. It was a nice way to end the week though. We all went out for dinner on Friday night. Then we had to stop and buy Lyndee a new coat because her 14.99 Cal ranch special was a piece of crap and the zipper broke. Oh well! Good thing the coats at Fred Meyer were 60% off of half price. We bought her a nice coat for 8 bucks. Wished they had a bigger size but we will need to buy again next year. Then afterwards, we walked by the baked goods and were very tempted by all the sweets and we let kids pick out some yumminess.

Just a random thought. Usually I do a countdown to summer because I am stuck with some knuckleheads in class. But this year I really like almost all of my students. So now I am just doing a countdown until my student teacher is gone because I miss teaching them all day.

It was -10 (-28 windchill) at my house when we woke up Wednesday morning. They shut down school when it reaches a certain temperature. The kids are 100% bused. Although some of them could walk because they live close enough. And..Sometimes, I hate snow days because then I have to catch up on everything. I actually like my students this year. I have a real good class. Now if the snow day was on a Friday, then I would be tickled pink for a three day weekend.

Brayden and Lyndee both did a science fair project. Okay. I helped them as you know they can't type. I will put a picture up later of Lyndee's once we find what she did with her project. Brayden's was good. One of the benefits of being a teacher's child. I have books of science fair projects so we didn't need to duplicate stuff from the internet. I am kind of sad that he did not win or even place. Even though he didn't win any medals or ribbons, he received a science award dog tag for his school necklace. His project was about tasting three different kinds of juices and being able to tell them apart by blindfolding and plugging his nose when he drank each juice. The verdict...he could taste the apple juice but had a hard time telling the difference between grape and orange juice. He was able to understand how important his nose and taste buds are and the scientific method. We'll probably do another one next year. I think it is good for them.

Nothing like comfort foods in the dead of winter, right? Last week, I made Salibury Steak for the family with mashed potatoes. My man likes his mashed potatoes. This is a real inexpensive dish. 1 pound of ground meat ( I used turkey)..made about 6-7 patties. 20 or so crumbled saltine crackers chopped onions seasonings such as garlic or onion powder Form into patties. Then put in a nonstick skillet. It works the best. 2 pkgs of brown gravy...mix packets with water. Pour prepared gravy over it. Cover and Cook over med low heat for about 20 minutes. Flipping the burgers over a couple times in the meantime.

I know it is crazy but I need to write out my feelings.It's been bottled up for a month or so.  I am going to admit this. But back in January and months before that...I was angry. Angry at my ward. Angry at the people who sit in the seats up front. It is my own fault. I wanted to serve but I felt that someone was thinking I was not good enough and that there was something wrong with me and that I should embrace not having to do anything. So one weekend..My friend, I would almost call her one of my best friends in church asked me to substitute in primary. Yuck, right? Teaching all week then on Sunday. Double yuck, right? I subbed...and I liked the spirit and reverance that the leaders brought into sharing time. The new classes with new teachers made a huge difference as well. And...I actually enjoyed teaching them that I asked to teach the next week if they had not asked anyone to teach the class. Crazy...I know. Usually I run from primary or dodge ph...

When being in a family-focused religion, it is can be hard to see other women with their massive sized family. Or the fact that I work instead of staying home...I don't care. Last week I went to an annual women's meeting to hear speakers. One speaker was centered around childbirth. One of my friends asked if that bothered me because I have not had birthed any...I told her that it did not. And here is why... See, I have two children that Heavenly Father entrusted in ME and I have over hundreds of children that have walked through the doors of my classroom  and these children have grown more inside that anyone can even count. My calling in life may not be centered around having children burst out of my womb or being a stay home but of others..... sometimes I feel that.it is my mission to serve the needs of other children that need ME. If you know me, you can see why..I mean really know me. In my pa...