Check Me Out. . .

Check me out, I have moved.  In case you did not see the last post please check out my new home of my new blog. 

laxmom.net

More Smoker Foods and a Hair Cut. . .

Maybe I should devote an entire blog to "the smoker?"  We tried salmon on the smoker recently and the hubbs and I liked it, the kids not so much.  I love salmon baked or broiled in the oven with lemon, butter, and dill.  I could eat that all day long.  There was something about the smoker salmon, it did not have the good lemon dill flavor that you get in the oven.  Shhh, please do not tell my hubby I said that.
He did steak on the smoker the other day for Sprat as a last hurah! before going back to school.  It was good and very juicy and tender.  I am not a big steak eater either.  He is going to fix a druken turkey this weekend.  That is when you cook the turkey sitting on a can of beer.  My sister makes an amazing smoked turkey on her smoker, I hope ours will be good.
Sprat is making his way back to school, he spent the night in Pennsylvania and he drove the rest of the way to Massachusetts the next day.  He did run in to a little snow but thankfully no accumulation and roads were fine.  It snowed a little this weekend in Massachusetts but, he was safe at the dorm by that time.
Big T went to the salon for a trim.  I have been trying to get him to get his hair shaped up and he always fusses at me and thinks I am trying to drastically cut it.  I am not trying to CUT his hair I just want it shaped up and for it to look nice.   A few people that do not know my sweet Big T ask why I let him have his hair so long.  I always respond with;  he is a straight A student dual enrolled in college and high school and is playing varsity lacrosse. . . if he wants long hair that is his choice.  This mama chooses her battles and his hair is not one of them.  He enjoyed his visit to the salon, my hair dresser and dear friend washed his hair and trimmed it up and told him what product to use and how to take care of his hair.   He also talked to her about donating his hair to Wigs 4 Kids, they talked about how long it would have to be to donate and they made a plan to cultivate his beautiful curls. 
A few pictures to round out the post. . .

Before the fish hits the grill

Taking the fish off the grill, yummmm. . . . 

The Before and a little shaggy

Don't you just love that sweet smile???  

Tidbits. . This, That, and the Other. . .

Some days. . . are just hard. . .  Whether you just do not get enough sleep or you hit unbelievable traffic trying to get to work, or the pesky migraine that makes the most mundane task next to impossible.  Yes, it was one of those days last night.  I worked night shift last night and it was a busy night shift.  When I woke up this afternoon Sprat was just coming in, he had been to work out at the gym and gone to get his hair cut.  He looked so handsome, he came in the kitchen where I was trying to find caffeine for the migraine that followed me home from work, he said, "you up now?"  I nodded groggily.  He sat on the couch shopping for his text books for next semester.  He is home for a few more days and then back to school.  He has a busy semester, with lacrosse season and his classes he will be taking in his major and a new "girlfriend."  See how I used quotes around the girlfriend, they just realized that they liked each other three days before leaving for Christmas break, she is now in England doing a week abroad for school.  He is not calling her a girlfriend at this point or at least that is the story I am told.
Every now and then you see glimpses through your kids that you did a good job raising them.  Remember I said every now and then sometimes it takes longer to see.  I got to go to breakfast with Sprat the other day, that is kind of our thing.  We go to breakfast and talk about whatever is going on with him.  I found out the story behind the last girl that he was interested in, it turns out there was an old boyfriend that she had feelings for.  When the old boyfriend finally gave her the brush off she came back to my sweet Sprat to say she could go out with him now.  This was a proud mama moment, when the hussy came crawling back because the old boyfriend did not want her, my very sweet boy told her he was nobody's second choice.   My heart was a little broken for him but at the same time I was so very proud that he stood up for his heart that he was confident enough in himself to tell her to keep walking.   The new girl has been in a few of his classes this past semester so they have been hanging out as friends. I am a firm believer in being friends first and everything else will fall in to place, that is how the hubbs and I got together.  We worked together and hung out as friends before we started dating. 
Made our plans to go visit Sprat later in the Lax season, I am so excited to see him play in his first real college lacrosse game.  He did not get a true season last year and in fact since his school closed last year they gave him his year of eligibility back so he could play in his year of his Masters if he wants to. 

Merry Christmas to All. . .

Everyone home for Christmas.  I have struggled this holiday season, with Mom breaking her hip and having surgery at the day before Thanksgiving and all of the rehab she had to do, plus my insane work schedule.  I must give kudos to my manager she really worked with me over Thanksgiving so that I could be there for my Mom.  We have been short staffed for a year now and we now have two in training so I will be back to my regular part time schedule soon.  

With all that has been going on I have not really been in the Christmas/Holiday spirit, it has been a struggle for me.  I did get a little bit of it back when someone put out a plea for Christmas lights for a local nursing facility.  The hubbs and I went to the store and bought a bunch of lights to donate for their outdoor Winter Wonderland they were going to have for their residents.  They also had an angel tree for their residents and I decided to adopt two for Christmas.  The hubs and I shopped for them and delivered the lights and gifts not too long after Thanksgiving.  That really perked me up but I was not 100 % in that Christmas spirit just yet.  My very sweet hubby has worked so hard to get me in the spirit and on Christmas morning Santa had delivered a few very cool Christmas CDs.  Yes, I still listen to CD's on my drive to work.  Bing Crosby and Elvis Christmas albums,  the Eagles greatest hits,  ABBA greatest hits, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1, and Ray Stevens greatest hits.   Bing can really put you in the Christmas spirit.  

My fellas saw to it that I had a comfort Christmas this year:  Socks (big fluffy comfy), blankets,  gloves and scarves.  Big T, my little hypochondriac, gave me a first aid kit filled with an assortment of bandaids, neosporin, and gauze pads.  He said he was just getting me ready for lacrosse season.  

Photo upload:

 

Sprat Sporting his new ECD Lax Christmas Sweater

The Hubbs being goofy 

The Cousins 

Bad Luck and Thanksgiving. .. .

My family has decided to do away with the actual holiday of Thanksgiving, we have decided to for go the November stipulation of the holiday and just have it as a surprise every year.  Do not misunderstand we are extremely thankful for all things, it just seems over the last few years that the actual holiday of Thanksgiving has been a disaster. Two or three years ago Thanksgiving, the year escapes me at this point, my dad flipped over the recliner and broke his collar bone and he was in a terrible fix for almost a year.  This year the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Mom and Dad's power went out in the wee hours of the morning.  Mom jumped up and realized it was out and was going to get up and get a flash light so Dad did not get up and possibly trip in the dark.  Mom jumped up and she tripped and fell and broke her hip, this was at 0330 in the AM.  The ambulance came and took her to the hospital and she had hip replacement surgery before lunch that day.  She is at a rehab facility now to get her hip back in shape.  I will not divulge her age but we will say eighty ish, my mother and father both are very healthy and nobody can seem to wrap their heads around that.  If she was asked one time she was asked one million, "You only take one medication????"   It was almost like they thought she was telling a fib.  My mother is the strongest person you could ever meet and beautiful both inside and out.  I know in my heart of hearts mom will recover she will not be in softball shape but she will be back on her feet.  Yes, my mom played softball up till she was sixty-five, Dad made her quit because she broke her nose in a double header.  Mom  played second base and was awesome.  She also played  basketball in high school and played semi- pro basketball for a year or two after high school, she is an amazing woman. 
I feel very fortunate to still have my parents to talk with and to ask advice about things.  I also feel very fortunate that my kids have their grandparents to talk with and learn from.  I only knew my maternal grandmother and she passed away when I was very young.  I do remember going to her house for Thanksgiving and Christmas and getting to see our cousins, aunts, and uncles. 
We are very thankful but, next year we may celebrate our thankfulness in July and it will be a surprise to us all. 
Sprat was ushered back to school via a snow storm, he made it safely and it is still snowing.  Classes were canceled yesterday and he and a couple friends were out playing in the snow. I had been begging him to send me pictures of the snow and he finally did.  I love the snow, I do not like driving in it but I love to watch it fall and to see the snow covered landscape.  It seems so peaceful and calm and it reminds me of a cleansing of all the pollen and pollution out of the air.
Stay tuned for more winter updates from Massachusetts, and updates on Mom's rehab progress. 

Shopping with the Hubby. . . and Other Things . . .

The hubbs took the day off and we went shopping today, this is the third day he has taken me shopping.  We have almost knocked out our Christmas shopping.  I love Christmas, it is probably my favorite holiday.  I love shopping for presents, looking for that extra special gift for that extra special person.  Our families have gotten older and we do not do gifts anymore, it kind of makes me depressed.  I do still get to buy my boys and my very sweet husband gifts.  My company is helping a family in need this year so I will get to buy gifts for two little boys and a special Mom.   I am looking forward to shopping for them.
My very sweet husband has taken me shopping three days now and bless him he is a trooper.  This is what true love looks like people, in case you have any doubt about your person.  This very sweet man has trucked me all over to find gifts for the boys and shoes (not Christmas gifts) for me.   Today we did the Mall yes, he took me to the Mall.  He did not complain once and I was trying on shoes and everything.   This is the best man on the planet, he is mine and there is no other like him. 
This has been an interesting look in to what our empty nester life would look like, I think I kinda like it. 
We went to Big T's exhibition at school last night, he did a great job and we enjoyed seeing him present and watching the other kids present.  It is exciting to meet these kids and see all of the cool things they are learning and hearing about what they want to do when they grow up.  These kids are taking  high school classes and college classes at the same time.  One of the kids Sprat's age that went to this school has gone in to the military and because he graduated high school with an associates degree he went in to the Army at a higher level than someone just out of high school and he is now studying to be a registered nurse.  This school opens up so many doors for these kids and gives them opportunities to try things out with job shadow and internships.  Big T was invited to go to the middle school to talk about his school along with the principal.  They are doing that next week, he is kind of excited about it.  They will be sharing what all they get to do and the fun things they are learning.
Stay tuned for tells from MA and tells from NC. 

Checking the Pmail. . . .

My sweet hubbs gets up with me most mornings at 0445, that is when I have to get up to get ready for work.  The hubbs does not have to get up that early to get ready for work, our sweet Basil gets up with me too.  That may be the real reason my sweet hubby gets up with "me" at 0445 in the morning. The B has a way about making sure he is up and getting her breakfast.  My hubby absolutely hates the cold weather, so these last few days since our temps have dipped down in the teens, he has been all dressed up like Nanook of the North to take the B out.   There is a route that she takes every morning, the hubbs says she is checking the P mail instead of gmail.  She walks up and down the street checking to see who else has been up and down the street.  She checks all the P spots of every other dog in the neighborhood.  I had to laugh when the hubbs told me of his travels with the B and checking the Pmail.  Not only does the hubbs tell me about checking the Pmail but he has also discussed this with our neighbor that has a delightful little corgi.  Evidently the corgi, little M, also checks her Pmail the same way the B does.  The hubbs says they are getting all the neighborhood gossip.
My hubby has the oddest sense of humor and that is one of the many reasons I love him so.  He knows how to make me laugh when I have had a bad day or even when I am a little down missing my sweet college boy.  On an up note my sweet college boy will be home in a week and I cannot wait.
They have already had a couple days of snow flurries in MA, he sent me a video of it flurrying the other day.  I love that he shares silly things like that with me.  I have always loved the snow, ever since I was a little girl.  I cannot wait till we get some snow this year. 

Sweet Basil 

Beautiful Snow 

Blessings Come from Weird Places. . .

My kids are closed mouthed of late about stuff going on in their lives but, every now and then they open up and let me know what is going on.  I love those little moments, Big T went through a very moody teenager phase a year or so ago but, lately he is sharing more about what is going on.  It took Sprat going off to college before he opened up and actually wanted to talk to his mom.  Sprat text me and his dad these days to update us on what is going on at school and gives a call on the weekends if things are not too busy. It does this mom good to hear all the things he is getting to do at school.
My work schedule has been a little crazy and I feel like I have not been the best mom.  Last night Big T had a panic attack while the hubbs and I were on our way home.  He called when we were on the way home and said he could not breath and that his heart was racing.  Now he is a little over dramatic sometimes but, I could hear the fear in his voice.  You do not know stress until you have been in a car with your husband driving soooo slow while you are trying to reach your child that thinks they are suffocating.  We finally got home to find Big T sitting on the porch almost hyperventilating.   We did some deep breathing to slow everything down and when he seemed more calm, Big T and I went to the store.  He has been congested so I thought we could pick up so OJ and a few other things I needed.  We had a wonderful talk, I always learn new things when we talk.  He has grown so much since his freshman year of high school and his interests have changed.  It is funny how things work out and how something as stressful as your child having a panic attack turning out to be a blessing in disguise. 

Celebration. . . Love. . . Family. . . .

Celebrated the hubbs birthday this weekend, he got the full pampered treatment.  We had homemade meatball subs, black bean quinoa salad, and beer cheese dip with corn chips, and key lime pie for dessert.  Everything homemade except the key lime pie, it was frozen.  He also got to watch football all day uninterrupted and Miami won, he is a big kid at heart.  It was a great day for all and the food was a BIG hit.
I got to talk with Sprat for a little bit, he was filling me in on that was going on at school.  They have a therapy dog named Cooper that comes to the school periodically that the kids can go by and visit and play with.  Sprat said he had visited with Cooper once before when he was on campus. Sprat is enjoying his time at school and has made some new friends.
Big T is spreading his wings and trying to decide what he wants to do in school, Big T had stellar grades this session and I am looking forward to what he will decide. There are a lot of what if's floating around our house right now and they are in complete opposite directions of each other. I hope his school will give him some opportunities to try out some of these new interests. 
I love watching my kids grow and change, both of their interests have changed over the years. Big T's have changed just in the last few months. Life just keeps getting interesting around our house.
Stay tuned, never a dull moment. .. .

Drivers, Cars, Kids, School. . . Updates. . . .

Big T finally got his driver's license.   Between my schedule and his classes we had a hard time getting everything together.  He had his license for several days before he even wanted to drive anywhere.  He did talk to the school about his parking pass so, he will be able to drive to school and then ride the bus to his school and that will save us on gas.
I was chomping at the bit to get my license when I was sixteen but, neither of my boys have been very excited about it.  Big T did get his license before Sprat though, Sprat was seventeen before he got his license.  My kids are not the only ones that have not gotten their license as soon as they turned sixteen.  I have heard many of my friends  talk about their kids not getting their license right at sixteen either.
You all know Sprat took my little raspberry to Boston so, Big T will be getting Sprat's little blackberry to drive.  I took it and washed it and tried to clean it up a little before we headed out to the DMV.  I was a little embarrassed at how dirty the car was, it really needs a deep clean.  I may take it somewhere and have it detailed later.
Now that we have another driver, it seems we are getting closer to an empty nest.  The boys do not depend on us to take them here and there and they are becoming more and more independent, like young adults.  I am excited to think about an empty nest, the hubbs and I spending quality time together and traveling.  Planning the college tour to Florida and all of our little side trips we took sort of got me excited at the fact that we would be able to do this just the two of us if a few years. 
I really enjoyed our trip to St Lucia, WI that was also a little glimpse at what empty nesting might look like for us. I have always wanted to go to Italy and I would love to go back to Germany and Switzerland.  The hubbs is not that keen on traveling but I think I could talk him in to those trips.
Stay tuned as our College  tours are just beginning and Lax season is getting started.

College Visit and a Little History Tour. . .

It is good to be home!  We made a whirlwind trip to Florida to visit University of Tampa for Big T.  He loved it and it was a very pretty campus with lots to offer.  The admission office is on Tampa's haunted destinations.  I overheard a student talking with the family of a prospective student and telling about the fact that the building is haunted.  That might be a draw back to some but certainly not to Big T, he loves ghost stories especially places that he can visit.   We ate in the school food court and that was really good. 

This is the admissions office that was a hotel back in the day and the train depot was right outside.

This is the haunted admissions office.

Big T and the hubbs outside the admissions office 

The backside of the admissions office and the quad.

The front porch of the admissions office 

The best Key Lime Pie Ever!!!  located in Ft Pierce Fla. 

Navy Seal Museum of Ft Pierce Fla 

Amazing place with lots of history 

The Yorktown 

Beautiful scenery we got to enjoy. 

We had such a great time and saw some beautiful scenery.  We did visit two other colleges that did not make the cut.  We drove around and spent some time in and around Tampa and it is a beautiful area.  We used to vacation in Ft Lauderdale  when I was little, I had never been to a NC or SC beach until I was a senior in high school.  This trip brought back some great memories, we did not get to go as far as Ft Lauderdale this trip but it was wonderful to be back in Florida.  I am excited that Big T is thinking about going to UT.  

We toured the Navy Seal museum in Ft Pierce and it was very interesting.  Lots of history and the hubbs and Big T loved it.  We had the best seafood there also and did a little visit to the beach there.

Upside Down Week and True Love. . .

It has been a horrendous week and a half, I had a migraine for four days straight and then got a stomach virus when I was finally getting over the migraine.  In all of that I was trying to work and maintain my family.  I could use a couple of days off here.  I am very thankful for my dear husband and son, bless them for taking care of themselves during my week of craziness.  I soaked in a milk bath last night and I feel somewhat human this morning. My very sweet husband came home from work the other night and I was still not feeling well and he fixed me pancakes so I could get ready for work.  I love this man to the moon and back.  The Lord truly blessed me when he lead me to my dear hubby.  I only hope that my boys turn out half as good as their daddy and they will be a blessing to their mates as well.
With my stomach and my head being so out of whack, I decided I would revisit my 100 days of real food adventure and clean my diet up.  I am looking at more recipes for real food and options for packed lunches for work and school.  I try not to use plastic when packing lunches for myself especially if it is something that I have to reheat at the office.  Big T has been eating the hubbs chicken and rice soup almost everyday for dinner and that is a change up from sandwiches for a lunch option.  I just need to find a way he can take his soup and I had rather not use glass.  I will be searching hot food transportation options in the next few weeks for Big T's lunch. 
I will be trying some new recipes in the next few weeks and I will share my triumphs and fails because, let's face it, there will be fails. 
Stay tuned for Massachusetts updates and college visit updates. . . . 

My Youngest is an Adult. . . . What?? No Way??

My oldest is turning twenty this week, it does not seem real, could I really have  a twenty year old child.  Wow!!  Who let that happen??  I am so excited for my son.  As a parent you want to tell them everything you know so that they do not make the same mistakes you made or could have made when you were their age.  Of course he is bull headed, he would not be mine if he was not, and does not want to take any advice from dear old mom or dad for that matter.  My hubby and I made our share of mistakes when we were teenagers but we survived, the only difference is that there was no internet or social media when we were growing up.  Thank the good Lord for that one. Whew !!!  Catastrophe escaped!! 
I am very excited for my son and all of the things he is going to get to do and for the things he has already done.  The world is open for him and I pray every day that he will take advantage of all of the opportunities that are offered.  He text me the other day to tell me how much he likes it at this new school.  He said his classes are very interesting and that his professors are good.  I have not heard how the food is, so it must be good also.  They have a Dunkin Doughnuts right on campus, thank goodness he does not like sweets that much.  The lacrosse team had their first community event on Saturday.  They helped set up for a fundraiser 5K Stary Night run to help raise money for pediatric brain tumor research.  I do not know what the set up consisted of but they worked most of the afternoon to get it ready.  I love that the lacrosse team does things for the community and is involved in community out reach but, it is not just the lacrosse team, all of the teams at his school do these things.  I think it makes the kids see they have an investment in the community they live.   They had their first player lead workout on Sunday afternoon and poor Sprat text me to tell me how sore he was.  I told him to take a hot shower and rest. 
Stay tuned more updates from Massachusetts to come and Big T' first true college visit. . . . 

College, Boys, Love, Family. . . .

As Sprat is heading back to College, I have been looking back on how the hubbs and I got where we are.  We started out as two dumb young people trying to make a living and learn about life.  The hubbs and I met during my first job out of college.  I moved several hours away from my folks to go to work in a lab right out of college.  Luckily, one of my friends from college also worked at the lab and we were able to get an apartment together.  The hubbs was my lab partner and for me it was love at first sight.  We worked third shift processing blood samples for area doctor's offices. 
Now twenty-eight years later we celebrated our twenty-sixth wedding anniversary and our oldest is getting ready to turn twenty and head back to college  for his sophomore year and our baby has already started his junior year of high school.  Wow!! time has really flown by.
There are so many emotions that follow dropping your child off at college; dread, excitement, sadness, love, fear, and hope.  I think dread and fear sort of go hand in hand.  You dread the thought of leaving them and you have a lot of fear about whether they will make it on their own or not.  Excitement comes for all of the new experiences that are waiting for them. Sadness from them growing up and not being the little boys that you brought home from the hospital and held and watched as they slept.  I think hope and love go hand and hand.  You have so much hope for their future and the overwhelming love that you feel believing that you have raised a good kid that is now a good person.
Here is to the new school year, prayers for all the kiddos heading off to school and the parents coping with the new adventures.  Stay tuned for updates from MA. . .

A Little Trip Home for the Boy. . . .

Sprat and I went for a visit to mom and dad's before he heads back to school next week.  It is always so good to go home for a visit, I like to show my kids where I grew up, where I used to work and the schools I attended.  Mom and dad have a favorite little place they like to eat in town  that is right across the street from where I worked when I was in high school.  

Things have changed so much in my little home town.  They have so many cute little shops and quaint little spots to eat now.  I am so glad that things are thriving in my little home town and I know I can always go home to visit.  

Sprat drove us in my old car, the one that he will be taking back to school, he needed some highway practice before we hit the road to Boston.  He drove well, he does have a little issue with speed, especially in my old car.  It has a little more get up and go than his first car he drove.  We had some great conversations and I feel like I got a little closer to my boy on this trip.  He has grown and changed so much since he was a little fella and we would take this trip to visit mom and dad.  I do believe that car rides are the best way to connect to your child no matter what their age.  We had such a good time, visiting with mom, dad, and my brother.  We missed seeing my sister but we did get to have a quick visit with my niece at the drug store.  

Mom gave Sprat several old t-shirts (Sprat calls them retro, I just call them old) and we celebrated his birthday while we were there.  Sprat also came home with an old straw cowboy hat that he loved and begged mom to have.  

I highly recommend a road trip with your teen before they go off to college, it is an eye opener.  

Stay tuned for pictures of the new school and new dorm and weepy mama. . . .   

School and Cars, Boys and Cars, Moms and Cars . . . .

First day of Junior year.   Yayyy, the hubbs and I had our traditional celebrate the kids going back to school date.   Big T drove to school, still trying to get his hours, with the hubbs.  I worked a half shift last night so they let me sleep in a little so no pictures of first day of school.   The hubbs and I had our traditional back to school breakfast out and  then we drove to pick up my new wheels.  Yep, Mama is getting her very own wheels. I have not had a car that was my very own since before we were married.  I have always had what would pull the boat and what would haul the kids and all their gear.  The hubbs always had a company car so what ever I drove had to cover everything else.  Now that Sprat is in college and I am not hauling everyone to baseball, football and everything in between I can try and find my very own car.  I am so excited.
I have been on a heated search for Sprat a car and have not found anything that fits my pocketbook or my specifications for my kiddo to have.  I did, however, find a neat little gem for myself.  It is more than I wanted to spend on Sprat but less than I had anticipated spending for me.   So, Sprat is getting my not so old car to take to school.   I am not very happy about that but I am pretty psyched about my little T Bird.
The hubbs and I are debt  free except the house and plan on staying that way so, my specs on cars had a whole lot to do with cost and mileage even for myself.  I have been pounding the internet looking for cars for Sprat and on one last ditch effort on tip from a friend I found my little T Bird.  I guess I am in my mid-life crisis.  Since I was a little girl, I have always secretly wanted a convertible and this little T Bird just fell in my lap. 
Sprat is over the moon about getting my car and Big T is happy to have Sprat's first car.  We just have to get Big T a license.  A few more hours to go on his supervised driving and he will be there. 
Stay tuned:  School, Cars, College, Boys, and girlfriends. . . . . . . . . .

Summer Jobs???

Did you have a Summer job when you were in high school?  Perhaps you had a regular job during school?  I did the Summer job thing when I turned sixteen and then found a job that would work with my school schedule and my cheer-leading schedule.  That job followed me all the way through college and thankfully it did. I had great bosses during my school job, they were hard on me but that taught me a lot about working for someone and dealing with people.  I want my kids to learn those same lessons, they cannot learn these things from the hubbs and I tough. 
Sprat, has tried to find a conventional Summer job with no luck. Thankfully he has offered himself up to be a handyman for anyone that needs him.  He has been doing yard work, mowing grass and spreading mulch,  for a couple of ladies in the area and has cleaned out a garage for one lady.  Yesterday he came home and said he had used a jackhammer to take down some bathroom tile.  The last few weeks he has been helping a gentleman gut a house and he has learned to take down dry wall and now to use a jackhammer.  I think that is really cool.   I am thankful for people that will take a chance on a young person and let them help out and do things and maybe even teach them a skill.  Sprat is learning  a lot this Summer. 
Stay tuned as we gear up to start another school year, one a sophomore in college 13+ hours away and one a junior in high school. 

Cape Cod, Lobster Rolls, and Iron Maiden. . . .

Sprat made it home from the Cape safe and sound.  He sent me pictures of his plate after he had finished a lobster roll.  In case you do not know what a lobster roll is, it is a yummy po boy type sandwich with lobster type salad on the bun.  I have never seen one in person only pictures and have read about them.  I want to try one so bad.  I love seafood and I was going to try one while we were at the Red Sox game last year but they were so expensive I did not try it.  We did our first trip to Boston for the college visit with Sprat in true Dave Ramsey style, we stuck to our budget and sadly the lobster roll was not on our food budget.  I wanted to get one this last visit but we did  not get to go into Boston.  Sprat spent the last part of the week with his girlfriend and they played on the beach at Cape Cod and ate fish and chips and the fabulous lobster roll.  Yes, I was terribly jealous that my dear son got to have that lobster roll and all I got was a picture of his empty plate with a side dish full of slaw because, the boy does not eat slaw.   We have another trip scheduled to take him back to school and I WILL have my lobster roll, one way or another. 
I love my family and I love my hubby with all of my heart but I absolutely detest having to rush everywhere we go when we get to go to neat little places like Massachusetts.  There are so many things that I would like to see there and yes I guess I am being selfish.  We would not have gone to the Red Sox game if I had not insisted we try and get tickets.  They were all thankful for that because they all had a really good time and it will be a wonderful memory for my boys to have with their dad. I am all about making memories and taking pictures of everything.  As I am writing this post my three favorite fellas are out making memories now.  The hubbs has taken the boys to an Iron Maiden concert.  Yes, all of my fellas are metal heads.  I begged for pictures so hopefully I will get a few. 
Stay tuned for a few pictures from all of this fun. . .

Orientation, Learning, Loving, and a Little Sightseeing . . .

We drove up to Massachusetts for orientation on Sunday.  Sprat had seen the campus but the hubbs and I had not, in fact, Sprat spent a great deal of time on this campus last year with their lacrosse coach.   Monday was an all day affair for all of us, the parents went to their sessions and the students went to their own.  We saw Sprat only a few times on Monday, he had fallen right in with some of the kids from his other school and a couple of lacrosse kids.  We did get to hear a wonderful motivational speaker and the one thing he said that I am sure those kids will not get until they are older was;  "If you do not choose your own greatness, someone else will choose your mediocrity."  I am not sure if these are his own words but that little sentence spoke volumes to me.  This guy was great and the kids seemed to be very receptive to him.  We found out later that this same gentleman had spoken at their orientation for the last three years and every year the current students that are helping with orientation stay to hear him because he is that good. 
We saw Sprat briefly just to give him his bag to get settled in his dorm and then we were off again. They had plans for the students all night and all the next day.  I thought I would be able to handle all of this but turns out that was not the case.  It is very hard to let go of your first born and apparently I am a control freak and do not hide it well.  LOL!!! 
While Sprat was having his day of orientation and the hubbs and I had a day to ourselves we decided we would check out the surrounding areas.  I found a quaint little antique store and yes I did pick up a little item.  The gentlemen that run the shop were very nice and I think I will go  back when we take Sprat in the Fall.   So many nice things and so little room in the car this trip. 
We met up with Sprat and his girlfriend and said our good byes, he is spending a few days with her and her family before heading home.  On our way home we stopped by the Lindt chocolate factory outlet to pick up some much needed chocolates. 
The hubbs got his new company car right before we left so we were able to take it on our trip.  This a top of the line car with all the bells and whistles, some of those bells I could have done without.  At one point we were going through a construction zone that required us to move back and forth over the white line in order to stay within the zone.  The car started making weird noises and flashed a cup of coffee on the dash board with words saying driver alert or something to that nature.  I busted out laughing because apparently us moving back and forth over that white line through the car into a frenzy.   We got use to that one, then we were almost home and it started raining, there was a car in front of us that was turning.  We were not even close to that car and our car started flashing red lets on the dash board that flashed across the windshield and a loud noise sounded and we abruptly slowed down.  That scared me to death! 
A note to car manufacturers all of that is enough to cause a wreck!  We do not need lights flashing across the windshield and loud noised going off when we are trying to focus on the road.  I told my husband he needed to figure out how to disable that crap quick! 
A few pictures to finish up this post:

The quaint little antique store 

One of the neat items we found, a note said it was not for sale.

The college had trolleys to take the parents around 

This is the library 

Stay tuned, I am waiting on pictures from the Cape from Sprat.  He was going to visit there. 

 

Salsa Verde and Back to School. . .

The tomatillos are really coming in, these did better than we expected.  The hubbs is very excited, one of his favorite places to eat has a very good salsa verde and he has been wanting to make some himself for a long time.   Last night we made salsa verde.  My job in the salsa business is operating the pesky blender and making sure everything blends smoothly.  I have never eaten a tomatillo before, they have a consistency of an apple and are tart like a granny smith apple.   I think that is what makes the salsa verde so different and delicious.  It did not take that long to make either.  I will share my hubbs recipe with you later.  We almost have enough tomatoes to make traditional salsa too, I believe I am going to have a busy week.  Sprat is getting ready for orientation at the new school later this month.  He has his class schedule and had to get a new book bag.  His old book bag, "Lil' Bean" that he carried all through middle school and high school.  He named it "Lil' Bean" because it was an LL Bean bag.  That was the best bag ever and lasted through middle school to complete his freshman year of college.   That is a testament to the quality of their products, and no I am not being paid for these words.  Honest mom opinion because, this kid could break and tear up everything.   The reason we had to get a new one was the zippers broke.  His Lil' Bean was not their top of line bag either, you know I am too frugal for that, especially with Sprat the Distructo kid.   He went with a Swiss Gear bag this time, it has room for his laptop and seems really sturdy, it is also good for traveling by air with said lap top.   I will let you know how it fares with Distructo the kid. 
Big T is getting his supplies ready for school, he starts back the first of August.  Big T's school gives their kids a back pack with their lap tops they are given at the first of every year.  He already has his schedule and will be on the Community College campus this year for a couple of classes.  Up to now he had been taking his college classes online.  He will be taking classes in his career pathway this year and that is going to be a little more challenging.
I am afraid both boys are going to have challenging years this year, Sprat adjusting to a new school and new lacrosse teammates and coach and Big T adjusting to be on a college type campus and doing more work and harder classes. 
Stay tuned as our house is tuned upside down. . .

Salsa Verde:

1 1/2 lbs tomatillos
1 med onion
4 cloves garlic
3 jalapeno peppers ( 2 cored and seeded)
1 bunch of cilantro
1 lime zest and juice

Broil your tomatillos in the oven with the peppers and garlic, Broil for about 6-8 minutes, tomatillos should be brown on top.
Set your tomatillos aside to cool, slice your one pepper with seeds in, core and seed the other two and slice, peel your garlic and chop your cilantro.

After everything is fairly cool, scoop some tomatillos in your blender alone with some of each of your peppers, cilantro, garlic, and onion, zest your lime and add some juice and then blend till smooth.  I do this in batches so that it is all blended smoothly.  Once everything is blended add a pinch of salt to taste and chill,

Enjoy!!