31 days... of dinner chez les Wrightlings... Chimichangas {day 2}

Tuesday night is my night in the kitchen Of course... I end up doing something in there most nights... but Tuesday is one of a couple officially-scheduled-by-me-night-for-me-to-sequester-myself in said location. 

Mary Michelle is "Two-Tuesday" night partner in crime, and we had to run to the grocery store first. Tim had bailed to go deer hunting - and I was solo-parenting. Tori also had a bunch of pop bottles and cans to return for deposit (fundraising for her class trip at the end of the year), so she tagged along with us to the grocery store. I should have said she took over. That child is a mighty force of nature to be reckoned with - at least when she gets it in her mind to be so.

It took 2 hours! The first chunk of that time, we spent recycling pop bottles (Gross! Did you know that old pop can ferment? I didn't, until tonight. At least I think that's what that smell was.) Four large garbage bags and one rather big cardboard box full and nearly $35 later, we were finished. 

Then we had to wander around the store and find the groceries. Tim has actually been the one who does most of the shopping, so I still get lost trying to figure out these mega-stores... and I still came home without pepperoni, curry spices or dried beans because time was running out and I hadn't found them. Of course... it does help if I put my glasses on so I can read those signs hanging at the end of each of the aisles. 

Victoria amazed, irritated and helped - all at once. The kid is so confident in her own skin. She thinks nothing of walking up to someone and asking them to help her figure something out - like scanning the bottle return receipts so she could get her class money, or tracking down a store employee to help her find the 5 lb bags of onions instead of the three pound ones. She's 10! Her 16 year old sis won't even hardly run to the bathroom unless she has a sibling or friend holding her hand right up to the stall door.

Once home, I started the mad rush to get food on the table for my starving children. Tim was still out playing in the leaves and trees and trying to scare Bambi. Chimichangas (which M&M kept calling "Tim's bongo drums" until I made her say it several times slowly... THAT could have explained the strange look she gave me when I told her what was for dinner... you think? No, Tim doesn't own any of said drums, either.), chimichangas were not a monthly thing while we were in Niger - but those, or spring rolls, or egg rolls - they are all made following the same basic procedure, so it wasn't like I was trying out a new recipe.

I did learn that popping hot oil on an electric range is a lot more difficult to control than on a gas stove. I am, however, getting a little better at controlling the temperature so the food isn't, as Tim likes to remind me, a burnt sacrifice!

Conversation wasn't nearly so entertaining tonight. But it was interesting and informative.

Dinner was on the table late, the littles were tired and they wolfed their food down pretty quickly so they could brush teeth and head to bed. You know they are up too late when they are the ones asking to go to bed... and giving up nachos to do so.

Meanwhile, Rebekah's stories of her night aboard the USS Silversides spilled... things like how she couldn't concentrate on the devotional that night because all the scratches and fork marks in the table distracted her... She expects that sort of destructive behavior when bored from her siblings, "But from those military guys? Really?" Another fun-for-her moment? Enjoying being short because SHE fit comfortably on the tiny berths while all those guys who tease her about her minute height woke up cramped and sore!

She's said she'll write a post about her experience... but here are a few pictures from her adventure:

Why's Rebekah the ONLY one with a goofy smile?

(photos by Rebekah's friend, Choi Gahyun, and their history teacher, Mr. Forbes)

In the midst of Rebekah's story telling, we got a phone call from my family. Nana, my grandmother, has fallen, broken her hip and we've been told it is pretty serious. She's scheduled for surgery Wednesday morning. As soon as the kids finish their tests, I'll be pulling them out of school and we are heading for southern Illinois - Thursday and Friday are already no school days anyways. I'd been looking for a moment to sneak down south and spend some time with them. I wasn't wanting it to be like this, but I'm thankful I do have the opportunity to go and be with them.

And in making all the necessary arrangements to travel unexpectedly? ...and helping with homework( lots of Alg/Alg 2 questions tonight)? ...and making sure uniforms were clean for tomorrow? ...and writing this blog, of course? 

This mama was delinquent and didn't finish my kitchen duty. 

OOOOO... {yawn} ...OOOOPS!

Guess I know what I'll be doing early Wednesday morning: cleaning up the kitchen, laundry, packing and praying much for my Nana.