Heat of Summer

We had a pretty rough week last week, our AC broke on Sunday & we finally got it up and running on Thursday!  It was a long-hot week.  I am sure you can appreciate having an AC in the middle of May-in Florida!  It's like basically all you've ever wanted or needed.

After a hot week, we finally were cooled off and able to do some house chores (because who wants to clean inside a house that is 90 degrees?  Olivia cleaned her room herself, and we were so proud of her we had to take a photo.....I know it's not perfect but it's darn good for a kid who hates to clean her room!

When I wasn't working I did try out my hand at some smash (with a hammer) floral art.  The first is some marigolds and the second is some parsley!  They are not perfect, but not bad for my first try!  I cannot wait to try it again on some nicer paper!

And of course, in the heat of the summer a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.....lol

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Hot at Home

This has been a hard week.  Sunday our AC took a crap, and stopped cooling the house.  In Florida, a working AC is kind of a must especially during the very hot summer months.  We had someone come out to look at it, and got some quotes just waiting now to get it fixed.  I wish it was right now, though the house is cool at the moment-I know as the sun comes up and we creep into the warm part of the day it's just going to get hotter and I will be more miserable.  Oh and the kids, they will be miserable too.

I can tell you one thing, I am not cut out for this heat at my age-makes me wonder why people move here when they get older. Maybe I wouldn't be cut out for the cold even more-I am not sure, but I would like to be cold right now that is for sure.

One of the things we've been doing is setting up fans and when we get too hot, so hot that our heads are throbbing we spray ourselves with cold mist.  It helped a lot yesterday, so hoping it will help today too!

We could pack up and go move to my moms for a few days, but we are being put through the run around every single day waiting for them to "show up", waiting for someone to "make a decision".  I am about over it and about to lose my SHIT!  Uggggg....it's already in the 80's inside the house!  Booo!

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Cold Tub

Olivia picked out a blow-up pool for me (her) for Mother's Day this year.  I did spend some time in it with her if I am being honest.  It's like a giant cold still hot tub (cold tub).  If the weather warms up today, I may take another dip (sit) today!

These photos are not great, but ya know-they are what they are, how great of photos can you have in the bright sun and you cannot even see what you're doing?  It does reflect our day though-which was fun!

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Week 9?

Has anyone else done any social distancing socializing?  I'll admit that we have visited my mom twice and my dad once since the pandemic and the stay at home order.  Now, we are keeping our distance from each other-no hugging or getting close-sitting outside (in the sun) but we've been around each other for a few hours now that Florida is "open".

We are heading into week 9 being at/working from & learning from home.  It has its challenges, and we have really been on a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions.  When we first were home, we were really 100% on board and thought about all the fun we'd have been at home, finally-a place we hardly get to be at.....spending sometime together, getting the house in order.

The next week, I was still sort of in euphoria.  But after that, a freaked out for a few weeks as I noticed I wasn't getting anything done at the house I wanted to-even when I wasn't working.  I couldn't figure out how to balance my time at home and my time at work-I was doing work all the time, always looking at my phone/tablet (emails).

But now that we seem to be winding the month down, I am much more at peace.

I am sure more people have felt this way too.  It's hard to be the all and everything for everyone.  But here we are mamas, doing just that right?

Mother's Day is fast approaching. I look forward to a day of being pampered lol :)

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Friday Wrap-up

Week 7 of working from home and week 6 of distance learning (homeschooling).  What are my thoughts about this week?  I have none, I am numb and feel like doing nothing but watching Lifetime and drinking wine.  I swear I am going to come out of COVID19 fatter and depressed from watching so much crap on LMN.  Oh the drama.

Let's see, Olivia finished up her second packet of work this week.  It's due on Monday, and we'll pick up her last packet that is due May 28th - and after that, she is on Summer Break!  Whoo-hoo!  I wish I could take the summer off too.  And do what you ask, who knows?  Apparently starting Monday parts of Florida will open back up, so maybe the parks will be open and we can at least do something fun when I'm not at work that doesn't just involve our back yard.

You'd think I would have embraced this more, being home since retirement is just around the corner.  And perhaps I would if I could get out and do something when I am not working or teaching, I'd like to be able to walk through the stores like I had all the time in the world, and pace down the plant isles at Lowes for hours picking the perfect plants.

Soon I know, I know the world is slowly opening back up!  Slowly!

Cute kid; being daring in the FRONT yard for a walk!

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Google Eyes

So since we’ve been stuck at home, I have been trying to think of fun craft ideas for Olivia to do in a way to keep her mind active and not just on school work.  I’ll be honest, I don’t really have a ton of crafting supplies so I had to reach out to trusty Amazon to purchase a kit filled with tons and tons of things like google eyes, pipe cleaner, buttons, puffy balls, glitter and other wonderful girly things.  This was our first project, a google eye pencil pal.  

Does anyone else have any ideas on what we could make?  I’d love to hear them!

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Friday Thoughts

Fridays are a day I look forward to right now, because that is a day I can work in my office uninterrupted all day long.  Not all parties are thrilled about that idea, and I’ll admit I have a little guilt about needing this time to do my work - but I am working on not allowing others to make me 1. Feel bad about myself and my decisions and 2. I cannot be everything for everyone everyday, and I am learning to be okay with that.  I have control issues, I know.  I am working on that too, oh my gosh-so much working.

I come out of my office to find Olivia struggling to work under dads rules as a teacher.  His rules don’t really differ that much over my own, he just wants her to look over her work by herself first and see if she can figure out what steps need to be made to complete the paper.  Which is just reading the instructions.  I go over the instructions with her prior to her working on the paper.

Anyway, to sum up the week-it’s been ok.  I am ready for the weekend however. So on to it I go.  I hope you all enjoy your days off as much as I will.

 To wind down, she played a little pool.

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Weston's German Pancakes

So, I woke up this morning to a partially cleaned kitchen.  I went to bed a little early last night, so I left Weston cleaning the kitchen.  I went to sleep, knowing that when I woke up in the morning I would be upset that the kitchen wasn't cleaned to my standards.

This morning, just as I suspected-I got up to a 1/2 ass job kitchen cleaning.  My mom was lucky enough to text me good morning as I was snapping photos of noodles in the sink left from the night before.  She gave me some great advice, she said: "go wake him up and make him clean it properly, he shouldn't be in there sleeping in....don't go in yelling or angry-just tell him to get up and fix the problems!"  I waited until I was cooled down - and did just that.  He got up and he re-did the kitchen.

Then he made me German Pancakes.

Mom Score!

What he used:

6 Eggs
1 Cup AP Flour
1 Cup Milk
4 Tbs of Butter
1 Tsp Vanilla
Sprinkle of Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt
Powdered Sugar for sprinkling on top
Syrup for pouring on top if desired

What he did:
Preheated the oven to 425, and as the oven heated he had the butter in a 9x12 pan melting.  While that was heating and melting, he mixed all the other stuff together in the stand mixer.  Once it was melted, he took the pan out and poured in the mixture-baked it for about 10 mins.  Once it was done he sprinkled lots of powdered sugar & then.....we ate it, and it was good-tasted like French toast & quiche had a cool sweet baby!

Oh and bonus, he gets culinary points for making food at home during the distance learning time.

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Friday Feelings

I have worked away from home for the past 27 years.  During that time, I have said to myself, and out loud "I cannot wait for spring break (or vacation) and I can be off work", I have said "I cannot wait for the weekend!" and I have said on Sunday "I don't want to go back to work tomorrow!"

I am sure I am not alone in this.  It's the human condition, right?  But honestly, after being "safe" at home (stuck) for over a month, I am just now realizing I got what I always wanted-without being fired.  And now I just try not to complain. I don't say out loud that I cannot wait for things to get back to normal.

I am trying to stay positive, not just for me but my co-workers as well as the kids I am now teaching at home (two of which can do their own thing) but one is only six.  It hasn't been easy, finding a new normal.  We had to throw the rules out the window and learn to work at a much slower pace-which is something I wasn't the only one struggling with.  We are on week three of distance learning and our six years old cried because she was asked to slow down-it's just not how she has been living her scholastic life for the past two years.

We have gained a lot from this experience though, even though we are still learning how to slow our roll.  I have sat outside in the sun while working on my tablet, I have started taking two breaks during my workday for 15 mins each.  I am taking a lunch break.  I have also been known to jump up and dance to get the blood flowing again after sitting for a long period of time.

I don't have to get into my car at 4:45am-and try not to hit deer on my way home from work and I don't have to jump into my 100-degree car after a long day at the office and make that over an hour drive back home either.  I don't miss that-but so much more free time.

What have we done with it?  We've painted rocks, we've cleaned rooms (closets too), we have sat outside, we have been on walks, we have grown plants, we have talked and played games, we have read books and learn new things.  We have redecorated the living, the office and even purchased a new rug (as you already know if you follow my blog).  We have cooked and baked.  We have made homemade sangria (okay only I did that).

We have not brushed our hair a lot, and sometimes I have to brush my teeth in the afternoon because I cannot remember if I did it earlier that morning. We are not wearing shoes or bras.  No makeup, unless I have to throw on some powder for a zoom meeting.  We are not worrying about making a grocery list or going to the grocery store.  And we are not staying up late.  We are not seeing our family like we used to, or visiting friends.

Teresa won't be able to visit like planned on April 30th.  I was really looking forward to her visit with Oscar.  I don't get to take the kids to the springs, the beach or go to a park for a few hours so Olivia can get some of that energy out.  I am not seeing my co-workers in person or having lunch with them.  Somethings I really miss.

Well, that's it for now-those are my feelings for the day!

Happy Friday loves!

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Spin

She is always down for me to take her outside for some practice photos if I answer her question with "yes you can spin around".....

During this particular series, my setting is not set right on my camera-so we have a lot of grain - but I was running out of light and I just wasn't focused on it, I was mostly focused on trying to use colorful straws to make a rainbow effect at the top of the photo!

I think we nailed it (the effect that is).

P.S.  here are a few more:

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Co-Worker Problems

My co-worker, hardly working.  I may have to report her to HR.

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New Rug-YES!

One of the most interesting things about being "safe at home" is that you are "bored at home" at times, and you may shop to improve your surroundings.  One thing I am slightly obsessed with is curtains, pillows, and rugs.  Yeah, it's weird I know but it's my thing.

Going back a few weeks (a month) a co-worker and I were chatting about rugs and she told me about some nice ones she got on Amazon, that didn't break the bank!  So, I looked into the brand she was telling me about-found one I liked and ordered it.  I even ordered a big one, 8x10 WHAT?

I wasn't expecting much for $120 but with Maggie's review, I was hopeful!

I wasn't disappointed, what a great rug!  I love it.  Thank you Magster!  ❤

oh and I got these awesome curtains too :)

You can get the rug here and the curtains here

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Lela's Lasagna - The Recipe

Again, with the complaining about not having all the things I need to cook something.  To be fair we really never have lasagna.  I am not patient enough for the noodle boiling.  But I got some really lovely whole wheat NO BOIL noodles from DeLallo (online).  Anyway, before this gets too complicated we don't have any mozzarella.  An Internet search, three different recipes and I think I finally came up with one the family will eat.  So the mashup receipt is.....

What you’ll need:

9 No-boil whole wheat lasagna sheets
1 jar of marinara
1 pound of Italian sausage
1 cup of Ricotta cheese
1 egg
Fresh Basil Leaves cut into strips
1 cup of Parmesan cheese
2 cups of milk
3 1/2 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
Sprinkle of nutmeg (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste


What you’ll do:

Preheat that oven of yours to 350.  Get out your 9x9 casserole dish and spray it generously with some oil so nothing sticks, I find this easier for noodle retrieval and clean up.

First I  cooked the sausage, then I put in the store-bought marinara-heated to bubbly.  While all that is happening, I put in the ricotta, egg, salt & pepper to taste, oh and before I forget.....I also added some fresh basil from my window garden.  Delish-I used about 10 leaves-julienned them and set the mixture aside.

I heated the milk in the microwave for three minutes, meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, I melted the butter and added in the flour.  Let that cook for a few minutes then added in the hot milk and whisked like crazy until it was thick and bubbly.  Added in the cheese, salt & pepper-done.

Now comes the fun part.  Building the lasagna.  I first started with a ladle of the sauce mixture, then put down three sheets of pasta-side by side, then the ricotta mixture-then the hot cheese sauce & repeat-two more times.  I did have a few mozzarella balls-so I put them on top.  Cover in foil and bake for 40 minutes.  Remove foil, bake an additional 10 minutes.  I let this babysit for about 7 minutes before I couldn’t stand it anymore and had to eat it.

I must say, it was the best lasagna I have not only had but also made.  Billy agreed-and he would know because he loves lasagna and has had way more than me.

Okay well, I am not a professional cook, recipe maker, or blogger.  But I love food, so I am sharing this.

Lela xoxo

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Home Schooling 101

So my advice for Homeschooling/Distant Learning during COVID19.....no rules.  Sure we have a schedule, but we change it every day to suit our daily needs.  We wear what we want, which is always comfortable.  Sometimes we don't brush our hair & sometimes we just need to draw in the iPad to have a break, and we do take plenty of breaks.  We have rearranged the office/classroom four times before we finally got a set up we both like and are comfortable in.  Every day, we are not only learning how to read, write, poetry, art, mathematics and language. But we are learning how to work and learn in one space together, we are learning to be at home all day and all night. We are learning more about cooking, baking and growing veggies.  We are learning about music, and blaring it when whenever we can, and dancing wildly when we need to just move.

I am excited what else we can learn together.

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Making Our OWN Rain!

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Just Painting Rocks

We had some rocks left over from painting some about a year ago or so......so today we decided to break out the paints and give it another go.  I think we did pretty good for ourselves.  I mean, it's just for fun right?  I am starting to run out of ideas y'all.  Anyone got some art ideas they'd like to share with us?

 xoxo, Lela

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