2 + 2 = 4

We've Moved!!!

Here in Grandma Diane's rental apartment we are enjoying the summer life:

swimming and playing with the neighbor kids, riding bikes,

and enjoy being part of the wild life.

There are wild turkeys EVERYWHERE here!!! And I'm not talking about my kids.

Carter has learned to ride his bike. He actually did so one day when he and I took a long walk. He picked it up pretty fast, and 3 weeks later he is still perfecting his skills going around, and around, and around. He thinks he CAN'T ride his bike without the knee pads and elbow pads. I mean what I say: one day he forgot to put them on and he was shocked that he didn't fall down without them. But as long as he has them on they will protect him from crashing. I will let him believe this for as long as he chooses.

Our summer is busy busy busy! We have gotten to know the neighbors and their kids quite well. In fact, the kids are so inseparable that we have implemented a flag system. A bracket on the fence dividing our yards holds a flag. Red is theirs, yellow is ours. If we are home and ready to play, we put our yellow flag out. If they are home and ready to play, they put their red flag out. This way we always know that its ok for the kids to be running back and forth. The 4 of them are such good playmates that sometimes the kids disappear outside for an hour or two because they are off playing like crazy bandits!!! Gotta say, I can get used to this...

Jeremy continues to work night shift in dispatch and is very challenged by his position. I am very challenged by it too, and not in an awesome way. It wouldn't be so bad if I could just cook a decent meal! I don't know why, but my brain doesn't understand food and how to prepare it. Nor does my brain understand why in the world anyone would enjoy spending an hour making a mess and another hour cleaning it up EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT.

I compare my troubles with cooking to simple math:

2 + 2 + 4 + 1 + 3 = 12

therefore;

item in the pantry + another item in pantry + this + that + heat + sauce + side dish + time + temperature +/- bake or fry - ingredient we don't have + substitution = all items being done at the same time that taste great and kids will consider eating

(i don't get this)

And I've even spent 5 days thinking about a possible meal plan to last a week. I got nothin.

I think I need a personal chef. I've offered to have my friends over for dinner if they cook. No takers yet...