Friday Things, 2/6

This week, I shared very easy tomato soup, my January books, and a Currently post. 

Scott was away most of the week so we were in survival mode. 

They were super into puzzles yesterday? 

I collected all of these classics earlier in the fall and put them out on Sutton's shelves this week. With a haphazard valentine garland I had made for my classroom in ...2012?

I meal-planned and went to Aldi. 

Wells put a very small sign on his door, in the off chance Sutton has suddenly learned how to read with a magnifying glass. 

We bought this spice grinder probably 10 years ago for $15. We had a fancier coffee grinder at one point and it kept malfunctioning so I threw it away. I've used this cheaper grinder for a few years now and I want to say it works really well...like better than the burr grinder we had. Just my two cents if, you're in the market. I know we got it at Walmart but they are cheaper on Amazon for $25, right now. 

We do a lot (a lot) more screen time if dad isn't around because holy cow. 

Wells finished his cursive book this week so now we're learning how to type. I'm just using Typing Club's free version online. We got this laptop for a project of Scott's and now Wells can have it and we're adding "tEcHnOlOgY" to our homeschool curriculum. I was initially going to move him straight to the 3rd grade cursive book, but I think learning how to type will be more valuable right now. 

I found Wells' old preschool books when I was cleaning out some boxes so Sutton has been doing those. His teacher in Missouri had given them to me at the end of his prek-3 year. 

Oddly, there are not a lot of memes on my phone this week.

I cannot stop laughing at this one:

The local government is back at the overreach and this time they're randomly posting dog tag regulations on Facebook. The only place we ever registered a dog was in Pittsburgh because we truly were in city limits. The fact that they try to regulate this in rural Kansas blows my mind:

The local citizens aren't having it. 

Most comments were like "huh?" or "hey what about the stray cats?"

My Facebook feed is exclusively KC news (haaaate) and the citizens here are also not having it when it comes to the new Chiefs stadium. 

I could explain all of this in detail at this point but the readers of this blog probably don't care. I just think it's funny, overall. I hate that I know so much about it. 

Linking up with Friday Favorites!

Currently {in February}

Linking up with Amy!

Loving: We have had a terrible time with our internet in the last two months. But... the company has sent someone out same-day within the hour to replace/fix/adjust both times I've requested a technician. So that's how I started my day today. At 7:30am, I was trying to get the internet to work, and just through the chat feature, they scheduled someone to be at the house by 9:00am. While inconveniences so small are plagues of modern life, I cannot complain about the customer service. The guy today even talked to the the technician who came last time, to get an understanding of what had already been done. Today, he had the issue repaired (gave us a new modem) in 30 minutes. Last time, they re-did all of the outside wiring and climbed up the poles to check the boxes, so that job took about an hour. 

Baking/cooking: I've been really into making cookies lately so I made up this browned butter chocolate chip cookie dough last night and stuck it in the fridge. I made homemade tomato soup over the weekend. I've made 4-5 loaves of sourdough in the last two weeks and I would like to document the recipe/process I use so I'm working on it. Right now, it's all in my head. 

Watching/Reading: I posted my January books yesterday and then I finished Everyone is Lying to You last night. 

I have been trying to finish Severance season 2. I had to go back and watch season 1 again in order to be invested in it. Other than that, we did watch the first episode of Bridgerton season 4 and Scott was like "what is going on?" because it's such a mix of the 1700s and modern life (with Usher playing in the background) and no one who hasn't seen all the seasons could even possibly understand it. I'm not super invested, but I like the Cinderella storyline. 

We are also ALL IN on Fallout. Ugh. Such a good show. Go watch it if you haven't on Amazon Prime. 

And I watched Interstellar for the first time last week. Scott loves it. It was...so-so. I wasn't wowed. Anyone who has read a lot of time-travel fiction (I recommend When You Reach Me) might not have their mind blown by it. It was fine, but I also really dislike Anne Hathaway so that might have muddled my judgement. 

Planning: To walk back at our regular spot today. I posted that they closed the local park due to snow and ice and then they did randomly have it open over the weekend which was a huge blessing because these dogs needed to run. We did notice some people walking on the ice at the pond and then, surprise, the park was closed again on Monday. I am assuming that the city saw that temperatures were warming up and people would be on the ice and natural selection would take hold and they didn't feel like a lawsuit. So it was closed the last two days. Now it's open:

And I just have to say: when the local government is talking to its citizens like they are preschoolers going out for recess, we are cooked as a society. Again, Ron Swanson was right. 

Savoring: Having a 3 year old. Sutton is almost 4 and she knows it but she also knows that she's "still 3!" so we absolutely give her the youngest child treatment.

And I really enjoy the age Wells is right now. I could never teach a class full of 7 year olds but he's so smart and has made so much progress this year. 

January Books. 2026

I'm not starting off the strongest, but I'm doing better than I anticipated given how lackluster I was about reading a few months ago.

I already lost track of my DNFs for 2026, but maybe I'll look into my kindle because I feel like that's important info to pass along to others. 

Reminder that my goal for this year is 50 books....I'm also keeping track on an Instagram highlight if you want to keep up in real time and not just once a month --when I hopefully remember to post here about books because sometimes I forget. 

Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor

I tried this because many recommended it as a different look at The Wizard of Oz. I'm not an Oz fan at all, but this was to be historical fiction about Emily, who would become Dorothy's aunt. I was, to be honest, hoping for something with a similarity to Z, the book about Zelda Fitzgerald I read many years ago. 

It started off with a lot of promise but then was lacking and then got really repetitive and just retold the story of The Wizard of Oz from a slightly different viewpoint. I would give it 3 stars for the first 1/3 of the book but it got really into lore by the middle and I didn't care. 

College Girl Missing

This is one I already mentioned in January, but the story of Lauren Spierer fascinates me and I think she has a lot more in common with, say, Maura Murray than a Natalee Holloway type of victim. 

Anyway, true crime is how I disassociate for sure, so going back and listening to some coverage on the case and then listening to this book was really informative. 

The Wedding Vow

This was an interesting one but there was a LOT going on. It's a thriller of sorts, taking place in the UK, which I like, but I needed a chart to keep track of who everyone was. I knew there'd be a couple of big twists and my predictions were mostly right and I do think the author was just throwing at a plot point dartboard and if it stuck, she put it in the book. 

It came recommended and was like a 4 month wait at the library. 

Dear Debbie

I don't know why I get so excited when I see she has a new book out. 

The first 1/4 was awful. Just so overwritten. The middle was kind of good? Good enough to keep me reading. I kept seeing glimpses of real suspense. 

The end was awkward. That's all. It was just awkward.

If you have kindle unlimited and get it for free, give it a try I guess. I wouldn't buy it. 

(Easy) Homemade Tomato Soup (from your pantry)

Here's a story for you:

I'm trying to gather the proof that I completed graduate credits 15 years ago from random universities in Alaska. I mean, they're not random because they're reputable schools but my method of taking courses was random and, back then, most documentation was paper and there's no way I have paperwork from 15 years ago at the ready. I can't even remember what schools I used for the courses. University of Alaska- Fairbanks, yes. Alaska Pacific University, yes. University of Alaska Southeast, yes (completely different school than UAA-Fairbanks). I legitimately think there was one more. And I don't know what school I took a course about teaching writing through... 

That has nothing to do with tomato soup, but would I be posting a recipe unless I told you a random story that made no sense and had no connection before showing you an ingredient list? No, I wouldn't. 

Homemade Tomato Soup

2 T. olive oil

1/2 shallot (or 1/4 cup diced onion)

2 cloves of garlic (thinly sliced, not minced)

3 T. chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil

3 oz (half a small can) tomato paste

2 cans of crushed tomatoes (28 oz. each)

1 t. dried oregano (or 1 T. fresh)

1 t. dried basil (or chopped fresh basil to add at the end)

1 cup chicken stock/broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Add the oil, shallot, and garlic to a large pot. Cook on low until lightly browned.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, and dried herbs (or fresh oregano). 

Add the cans of crushed tomatoes and chicken stock or broth. 

Let simmer for 30 minutes or so. 

*If you want to blend it here to make it extra smooth, you can. I don't mind a textured soup. And since the garlic is thinly sliced, not chopped, it doesn't have a strong flavor.*

Stir in the heavy cream. You can add salt to taste but I found it didn't really need any. I did top with parmesan cheese.

I made this over the weekend because I, surprise surprise, couldn't find the recipe I've used in the past. So, this is a hybrid of all the different types of tomato soup I've made and it comes together quickly with what you probably already have in the pantry. It also freezes well to save leftovers for a busy night. 

The secret is the sun-dried tomatoes. Don't skip them!

Friday Things, 1/30

Linking up with Friday Favorites!

This week I wrote about dogs and kids and why it's good and then a recipe for buffalo chicken dip and why we have 6 crockpots. 

1. With giving up Twitter, I've needed something to mindlessly scroll lately so I've turned to Reddit. Not much better, right? Usually I can learn something interesting, though. What's funny is that there's always posts about "who to follow for _______" and who to not follow based on whatever the arbitrary measure happens to be. And since it's anonymous posters are always like "_________ is a good one!" and you know it's probably them posting themselves. I can't stop chuckling over the idea of this. I also get a kick out of reading AITA posts, mostly because I am an avid reader of Dear Abby and Dear Prudence and their advice is so bad a lot of the time. I like to see what the masses have to offer in the form of advice instead. 

2. I saw a reel awhile back about how if you want to wake up energized you set your alarm extra early, have coffee brewed by your bedside, chug it, go back to sleep. 

I concur on this. I have always been able to sleep after drinking coffee and I did this on Monday. Drank two cups of coffee at 6am, went back to sleep at 7, woke up at 8 feeling on top of it all. 

I've been trying to stop shopping at Walmart again. It's been 2 weeks! I've been buying coffee at Aldi, Target, and online for a few months though. I don't like the coffee selection at Walmart anyway. These organic beans at Aldi are so much cheaper than anything at the other stores. My grocery spending for January was $785, which is the lowest since I started tracking in September. I didn't even get super specific so that includes cleaning products, dog treats, and personal hygiene like soap and toothpaste.

3. Let's talk about government overreach and why I hate everything: 

There's a local park with a playground, some soccer fields, some baseball fields, some trails, some fishing...every time it snows, the whole place is closed. They literally close a gate for a week. This is what happens when you live in an overly-governed area. One would call where we live "rural", even. It doesn't matter. The local government here is absolutely awful. 

Ron Swanson was right concerning the government. 

4. We've been trucking along with the homeschooling through these snow days. Most schools here were closed Monday and Tuesday, due to the cold temps, not necessarily ice or the few inches of snow. 

Next week, Wells will finish the cursive book and the math workbook. <<< those two books are what I would recommend to ANY parent who wants to do ANYTHING at home with their child. The cursive can be introduced at any time and the IXL brand has a workbook for every grade level. I am a huge fan of the Learning Without Tears series so I got the My First Schoolbook for Sutton to start next week, since we've introduced (at the most basic surface letter formation level) each letter. 

5. 

But remember: if you're over 30, you have to say hunker down instead of lock in. 

^^^ If you understand this, we can be best friends. 

I am still really trying to make it to this exhibit in Kansas City. 

Wells asked what snakes were supposed to look like, before God curse them to crawl in the dirt. I didn't really know what to say to that one. 

So this isn't quite accurate, but it's funny. 

Again, we can be friends ^^^

Another conversation I'm tired of having:

The dog vs. the baby. This is usually on Twitter but there's a lot of dog-hating on Facebook too. Holier than thou moms don't discriminate on which social media they take to with their complaints. 

There are a lot of women out there who insist that having a dog while you have young children is the worst, most overstimulating mistake you can make. 

This discussion pops up every 3-4 weeks like rage bait on the socials. 

My advice:

If you are getting married and are wanting to have a baby right away, maybe don't get a dog. 

If you are pregnant, maybe don't get a dog. 

If you have 4 kids you struggle to handle, maybe don't get a dog. 

But IF you already have a dog before you have a baby, knock it off, suck it up, and welcome to being an adult. I'm so tired of women shaming other women for liking dogs (talk about gross: cats poop in the house, but we're not ready for that conversation I guess because cats are seen as more low-key...)

Our dogs were 4 and 5 when we had Wells. Scout the dog has always been indifferent to children (but he's also indifferent to me) but Jett loved Wells like his own. Same with Sutton. Jett could not get enough. 

My dogs were not more or less work after Wells was born. WELLS was a lot of work. But no one is telling moms not to have kids. We're missing the point here. The kid is the work, the dog is mostly self-sufficient. 

And let me tell you: the fact that I HAD to run my dogs through the fields every day and walk them and get out of bed to feed them, kept me going when I didn't want to leave the house. Do you know how good it was for me and Wells to get out and walk Jett and Scout on trails in Wyoming every day? The fresh air? The exercise? Same in Pittsburgh. People in the northeast generally don't go outside in the winter. The reason everyone is sick and miserable in the winter is because they don't go outside. Dogs get you outside.

It is exactly the same thing here. My kids walk a trail every day so the dogs can run. Find me another 3 year old (with a mom like me who generally hates outside) who is out walking a mile through the fields and woods every day. 

So yeah, if you adopt a pitbull while you're pregnant, maybe you just make perpetually bad decisions anyway, but it never ceases to amaze me that it's always the Christian moms online who shame people for, God forbid, loving having a dog. 

Sutton in a princess dress and wand in hand, if you zoom in there. 

This was 15 degrees on Monday.

My original Conversations I'm Tired of Having was about Halloween, last fall. 

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip

A few years ago, I posted a baked buffalo chicken dip.  I do prefer it in the Crockpot though so I'm going to post an easy recipe and then I'll tell you a Crockpot story after that... so you don't have to scroll and scroll and scroll to get to the point. 

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 block of cream cheese*

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup buffalo sauce

1/2 cup ranch dressing (this is what we had... it's not spicy at all, actually)

1 cup of shredded cooked chicken

Turn the crock on high if you want it quickly, low if you have more time. Mine took about 2 hours on high to get where I wanted it. 

Add in all the ingredients. Stir after an hour. 

Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, or veggies. 

For the shredded chicken, you can use rotisserie or leftover or even canned chicken. I baked a chicken breast in the oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. I seasoned it with Montreal Chicken Seasoning because that is a one-stop shop for seasoning chicken. It has all the ingredients in the spice cupboard. 

*A lady in Aldi saw me pick up the neufchatel cheese and asked if it was really better than the Philadelphia cream cheese she was holding in her hand. I don't know if I sold her on it and hope she doesn't regret her decision to get it instead. I told her that I switched to neufchatel about 10 years ago and never looked back. I, personally, cannot tell a difference. I think it's just the European version of cream cheese?  My army wife friend from Sweden always used it and that's where I picked up the habit back in Colorado. 

Last week, I realized we have 6+ crockpots (all are not pictured). See, we accidentally bought a house and settled in too much in our last military location 5 years ago and then my father-in-law passed away and we had a ton of storage space available so we took everything that had been his and hauled it back to Missouri and stowed it away in our barn.

Over the last year, we've sorted through a lot of it. I was super excited to see a smaller crockpot last week when we were going through boxes. I've never had one this size and it's perfect for dip. <---quite the transition there

But really: 

Scott had a crockpot when we first met and it's been with us ever since. 

I wanted a larger one for soup, so we got that in 2010 for Christmas and then the heating element broke in 2023 and we replaced it with this one, which I really like. 

I have one of those tiny crocks that only hold two cups (great for simmer pots or fondue!) and I think it's in a box packed away right now. It's about 15 years old. 

We're up to 3.

Then, when Scott cleaned out his dad's house, he found a big 6 quart crockpot and a smaller 2-quart for dips.

5 crockpots.

Finally, Scott needed a crockpot for some potluck function months ago and our crockpots were packed away or in another house or something and it was literally easier to buy a new one. So now we have an extra floating around.

So that's 6 crockpots, currently. 7 if you count the one that broke. I feel like that's a lot.

Friday Things, 1/23

Er, maybe Saturday things. I don't know. The cold weather has thrown me off. Struggling to remember what day it is without Monday night and Thursday night football to keep me on track. 

1. I tried to make this my phone wallpaper last week and it won't fit. Either way, I woke up with this verse in my head every morning last week, completely unprompted. 

2. ICYMI: I wrote this the other day, inspired by the fact that a friend of mine is transitioning from SAHM with kids in school to homeschool mom. It wasn't until I was talking to her about it that I realized how different the two are! 

Also, I saw this on Facebook and it's so true: there are different versions of motherhood and my version is entirely different than my own mom's. I'm not just "bad at it" some days.  

The first two years with Wells were absolute survival mode. He left my sight maybe 20 times in 2 years. The first year with baby Sutton wasn't bad at all because I had preschool drop-off for Wells to give me a break. The next two years I worked were survival mode. 

I will say I have had time lately to reset and be by myself simply because they're 7 and 3 and don't need minute-by-minute supervision. Also, Scott will tote them along now when he goes places because they're independent and that can be done easily (no packing up supplies or diaper bags or bottles). But in the case of a military wife who has a baby every couple of years for a decade or more, there is no respite there. 

But my kids absolutely came to the dentist with me on Tuesday. We have a lot of talks about how children should be seen and not heard and they can answer questions but they can't start yelling and interrupting adults. 

It went well until the floodgates opened when they were asked "how was your Christmas?" (which wass an example I had given them about when they could talk as much as they wanted) and Sutton started talking about "our dog that died" and then educating the hygienist on demogorgons.

There's something about taking your kids everywhere to not-fun places with you though: they absolutely learn how to behave in public. It just takes a few tries. 

3. This is my Roman Empire true crime case. I've listened before but the youtube videos are enlightening. I have my theories. I re-listened over this last week. I can't believe more people don't talk about it.

4. Landman is over for another season. I spent the last two months hating it and then, all of a sudden, the season finale was GOOD and that annoys me. Was it their plan to redeem 9 crappy episodes with the last half of a 10th episode?.... probably. 

5. 

I told Scott we're done going to football games together. Many years ago, we went to a Penn State game and Joe Paterno lost his job two weeks later. 

Why are they like this? I don't understand. It's a sensory nightmare for a parent, in a bathroom that echoes, too. 

The 2016 thing is super annoying just because we were literally all here in 2016. (It was 3 years ago, right?)

Either way, if you're on the internet now, you were on the internet in 2016. 

Linking up with Friday Favorites