The Week In Review

#1  So, let's see, my last week's meal plan worked out really well.  I ended up being able to have leftover chili & potato soup to rotate into this week... so... always a huge bonus.  It reminds me of how awesome it was when I was more on top of meal planning & freezer cooking and I wish I had a clone of myself so I could get back ahead of the game.  If you are ever wondering, Hell YES, it is worth the time and effort if you have any to spare.  If there was one thing I'd recommend to people who are trying to save money it would be to meal plan & freezer cook.  Look into it.  More to the point it is a huge time and sanity saver.

Speaking of food, I have settled on my universal school potluck dish
(it's vegan, gluten free, & doesn't have to be refrigerated!):

(brown rice & black bean salad with a cilantro vinaigrette)

(I don't know why it has taken me so long to figure this out)

#2  I have very minimally decorated for Halloween this year, and I like it.  Some years are for taking it easy.  This might be one of them.  Being sick to my stomach for 3 weeks might have had something to do with it.


#3  My kids introduced my uncle to "What Does the Fox Say?".  And he liked it.  

But apparently the Cougar did NOT like his 4th birthday party:

(Thank God for Jon!)

#4 Kid stayed home sick AGAIN.  She was home for a couple of days last week.  I love having her company (as maladjusted as she is... HA!):

 And it made me miss our homeschool days.

Fortunately, I don't have to miss homeschooling too much... since... technically I still have to do it.

 There is some major shit about to go down at the Lutheran school regarding how poor the teaching quality is this year. (which is saying something, I might add!) The 5th grade parents are in an uproar.  (Did I mention the teacher taught the math assignment incorrectly... on parent visiting day?!)  Kid's rocking a 4.0... but... again... I'm teaching her the curriculum at home.  Which seems to be the consensus of all of the top performing students.  The good news is, I can do it.  And, I think I'm doing a pretty good job of it.  Having said all that, this is absolutely her last year there.  We are only staying this year because of the social situation she has.  The only good news academically, is that the curriculum is great, so with a little elbow grease on my end, she'll be more than prepared to succeed in middle school.

#5 Speaking of Kid's social life, check out the guns on her boyfriend:

 (Or the guns on the cross country coach in the background... who FYI would have been Kid's teacher if she had switched to Baby's school.  I'm still a little shocked that didn't sway her.) 

#6  We've been enjoying Michigan's peak foliage:

But not for long.  It's been (literally) freezing in the morning these days.  Snow is eminent they say!
And so we are already back to all of this:

(don't worry I was stopped!) 

#7  Last, but not least:

(Why can't our other cat be as awesome as Big Boy is?!)