Homecoming!

October 11, 2024

 Guess I'm a once a month blogger at this point. 


The kids school recently had their homecoming week. That means lots of toilet papering yards, and Elliot begging for his yard to be toilet papered. 



Growing up in a town where toilet papering houses was done mostly in malice, it took a second to adjust to how the teens at our school do it. I honestly don't even think a single group would have come this year if it wasn't for us begging them. 


No one could have another morning of Elliot fussing because he house "wasn't scary enough."




Friday night at the game we got a photo with a few of our youth kiddos. I hate that this group is seniors and about to fly the nest. They have been such a great group of kids to see grow in their faith. On a selfish standpoint, they're just fun to be around! 

This photo complication isn't exhaustive, I was in the stands snacking away on pickles and Slim Jim's while Jeremy was visiting! 




The boys one morning with the paper they claimed was going to keep them from attending school that day. I can already feel the late nights that Elliot is going to keep me up when he gets to high school, he will want to participate in everything! The boy is already talking about wanting to be in Key Club, and he's only in kindergarten. 



Lastly up, Sugar Cane Festival let the kids off school, while Mama still had to attend trainings. They had a Daddy Day filled with Cane's and being dragged all over the place to prep for a youth event that night. 


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Meals This Week

September 19, 2024

I planned to get this out yesterday, but alas, that did not happen. 


This is a pretty easy meal prep week, no big events to force us to eat out around. It has been demanded that I purchased more frozen brussel sprouts, Elliot developed a taste for them by accident and has to have more. He's notorious for stealing a cut up veggie of the cutting board and making it his new favorite. The boy has always loved a cucumber. He's stolen raw zucchini. And now he has got to have microwaved brussel sprouts covered in salt. 



 

Thursday | Grilled Porkchops, Chopped Salad Kit, and Baked Potatoes

Friday | Eating Out!

Saturday | Gigi Hadid Pasta with Grilled Chicken 

Sunday | Lunch with Friends & Boiled Shrimp for dinner. 

Monday |  Air Fried Salmon Bowls (but with chicken) 

Tuesday | Leftovers 

Wednesday | Sam's Club Chickfila Knock Off Nuggets and Fries.

Lunch for the Week | Cincinnati Chili,  Jewish Olive Dip & Almond Flour Crackers for a snack, Pineapple Whip (for something sweet) 





That about wraps us up! Share in the comments what you are cooking this week.  
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Oh Francine & a tiny life update

September 13, 2024

 I took July off from blogging, which then turned into accidently taking off in August. 


August is busy. A mix of good and bad busy, but busy. Jeremy and I got a chance to get away for a night for his birthday and he aged himself into a new decade. The boys started 3rd and Kindergarten. I started my 16th year teaching. 



September was threatening to thunder by with constant storms after that drought we called August (my mums did not survive this time). Then Francine started threatening the coast. Initially targeted right over us and (yay for us not for eastern south LA) it diverted towards Terrebonne parish. 



School was out for 3 days, and we lived it up. I love a good locked in situation. The wind and rain wasn't as bad as predicted. We grabbed ice cream at a local shop while they were having a hurricane sale in anticipation of the power outages, and then I finished sewing Harry's quilt. 


The kids immediately began their labor demands and have had me burning the midnight oil to finish Elliot's quilt at a speed I don't like to work at. A hobby for me is a pick up here and there, water it here and there, not have two small people standing over you demanding a timeline. 



For the record I started writing this incredibly show blog post on Friday, didn't finish until later. I also have tried to will my children into a pretty little quilt, boyish, but colors their mother wouldn't mind looking at, quilt number 3 is in fact a Pokémon theme. 


I lost. 

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Drive-In Movies & Easy Peasy Hiking

June 13, 2024

On our last day to wander around to decided to take it easy. Everyone piled in the car, including Dill, and we went in search of a coffee mug. 


I really think this is Jeremy getting me to get a commemorative mug to make us find a new vacation spot next year. It's fine, we don't need to vacation there again, just buy me a tiny cabin. I don't have a photo of what I bought, but I went into the Mountain View Craft School (after a few stores and someone suggesting Walmart 😑) and grabbed something made by a local potter. 



Afterwards we headed back out to Blanchard Springs to hike, it has been raining all day, so we were limited to the paved hike to the waterfall. The neat thing about this pool of water is this is what trickles and filters through the massive cavern underneath (that we toured last year the Elliot got so scared he peed himself). 




One day I am seriously going to have a sit down meeting with this family of mine and teach them the 5 photog skills I know so at last I can have better pictures of myself. 




The photo below is from under tha rock ledge looking back at the walking path. Let's not even fool our selves and call this a hike. That hike path was too muddy for the dog and kids. 




I was probably telling Elliot here that he could not go out onto the rocks like his father. He has a lot of authority in his little body and very little sense. All day I hear either "but" or "why" on repeat. 








The tiny mushrooms might be my favorite photo. 








There is a similar hike to this one in Helen, GA at the Chattahoochee National Forest. This one is much more tame if you are taking little kids. The other was even wheel chair friendly, but had a bit of a rushing creek situation and steep sides, two ingredients that little wild boys do not need to test out. 




After our mini hike the kids came home and played in the rain until they were forced to bathe before the movie. 





These photos are at the start of their playing and in no way depict what I washed off the two of them. They had a good time. 




Way later that evening we went to the Stone Drive In to see the new Garfield movie, which was really good by the way. The kids had a blast, until everyone had to pile in the car due to the hard rain that suddenly hit. We've got a lot of trunk, but not two kids and two adults "lot of trunk." 



Right at the end of the movie Elliot realized he never got to go to the concession stand. I didn't take him, no one needs popcorn at 10pm. He sure wanted that pointed out though. The child lives for pointing out what he believes is an injustice. As if dinner at Pizza Inn before wasn't food. 



I think what I love most about leaving Louisiana and heading to the mountains in early June is the lightening bugs. Watching them dance around in the yard, and then on the wood line before the movie started is so nice. 

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Kayaking the Buffalo River

June 7, 2024

 Last year we planned to kayak the Buffalo. My great aunt has told me for years how much they loved camping and being in this area, she wasn't kidding. It's absolutely beautiful. 


However, our cabin last year was about 20 minutes south of town and when I looked at everything on the map I couldn't get it straight in my mind. I figured everyone would complain. So we went to the White River, which was much closer, and a big mistake. Fishing is great on the White River, but just being on the water isn't. The entire stretch we paddled was private property and we couldn't even stop on the side for a break. Plus they said it wasn't currently deep enough for a canoe, we ended up with a 6 person raft with only two adults paddling. It was a 10 mile trip that felt like it would end on Gilligan's Island. 


So this year I had to fix the issue. Our cabin was north of town and much closer to any outdoor rec areas. We were an hour from the Buffalo, which is doable and the more reasonable distance considering that the towns between us and kayaking were all populated with less and 300 and barely had grocery shopping. Gas stations were scarce folks. 


All that to say, do take a kayaking shortcut when you are this close to a national river. 



The starting point!


Buffalo River Outfitters was great. We drove our car to the drop point, got in the kayaks, and they took our car to the pickup point. 


The mesh bags attached to the kayaks were great for holding the kids shoes, we both have Chacos so there was no need to take them off. I told Jeremy I really want two of these Jackson sit on kayaks, it had a space in back to tie down our fishing cooler and felt super stable. The kids were able to move around and it never felt like we would tip over. The only down side was needing a tandem for a 9.9 mile float and having to single man paddle that sucker through the river. 


The Buffalo has some movement, but not tubing level movement. We was-a-paddling-away friends. 








The rocky areas were fun to paddle through, granted I tried taking a photo or two on the way and got Elliot and I stuck. There was a rushing water area that I got us sandwiched into where we weren't budging and the water was just flowing! I had to get out and shove us out of the area and then hop back in before the kayak got away from me. 




In one of the deeper areas Harry saw some kids hop out and kick behind their parent's kayaks. He was all on board and jumped right out. Elliot on the other hand talked himself into getting out, freaked out, and made me drag him back into the boat with him screaming the entire time. 







Snack stop!






How cool is this rock formation! 




Whenever you get the chance, kayak with your kids! 


We've loved it over the years, when the boys were little we would canoe so we had a bit more stability. Now that they're older (Elliot is 5) everyone does so well. Although I can't wait for them to be big enough to help paddle, or when they're teens and we all have our own kayak.  


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Antique Malls & Blanchard Springs

June 5, 2024

The only thing better than a swimming hole is a huge antique mall. 


On Wednesday we headed downtown to wander all the shops and then spent the afternoon at Blanchard Springs in the North Sylamore Creek. 




It took everything in me not to purchase this box of records. It was a set of square dance songs and calls for each one. 


Not only do I wish we knew how to square dance, when I was a child my grandparents did. I went to a few of their practices and very much recall them all decked out in their outfits to dance at a festival. Nanny in her red gingham twirly square dance outfit is a favorite memory of mine. Sorry Pop, I wish I knew what you were wearing, I remember you dancing, but Nanny's outfit won with all the ruffles and twirls! 




Once the kids had "had it" with me we went into the Amish store that was bought by someone else, but still carries Amish goods and candy. They loaded up a candy bag and forgot how much they hated antique shopping. 




This was the lesson to be learned last year. Mountain View closes down at 5pm. Get all your shopping done in the morning and swim in the afternoon. Last year we did the opposite and didn't get to shop one bit. 




Off to Blanchard Springs to their swimming hole. Keep a few loose dollar on you for this trip. All of the swimming/park areas cost 3 dollar for day use. There isn't an attendant, but you'll be filling out a form and dropping it into the drop box by the bathrooms. 




Much of this the kids could do without life jackets, but some parts are just deep enough and we haven't created the best swimmers. We also don't swim enough to get any real practice in. 




It's hard to tell from the photos but this entire area of the creek is a huge rock bottom that has been carved out by the water. The deepest bits are waist deep on the kids and the water flows through it so quickly that it is a fun little water slide to glide through. 








If you love ice cold water, this is the creek for you. 


My only complaint about this part of the creek is that this time of the year it is pretty shallow and you've got a ton of rock bank to walk over to get to the water. Gunner Pool is better in my opinion for this reason. 








Pictures never do this area justice. It's beautiful, the weather is mild, and the sun seems to always shine. Who wants to buy a cabin with me and never come back to a city again? 

 

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