New Retainer Finally

Dancer got her braces off six years ago and got retainers to wear.  About a year into wearing them I thought they looked pretty bad (aka gross), but every time we went in they said they were still okay and doing their job.  This spring at her yearly check up she got the same story.  About two weeks later they wore through and broke in half.  At last she got a new bottom retainer.  The top one isn't this clear plastic and will probably last until she is in the nursing home. 

When she went in to pick the new one up (which they just handed her, no bag or anything) she snapped a shot at the appointment log in screen.  She was so young, fifth grade here.

Finally a new retainer! The last one, which she had to wear so much the first year, lasted six years, so this one, that she only wears at night, might get her through 12 years. 

It is kinda odd that we are at the point where she send me pictures.  When we started I felt like the orthodonitist office was our second home we were there so much and now she goes to her appointments on her own. Time sure changes things..

How Old Are You?

My mom's birthay is coming up this month.  I asked her if she knew how old she was going to be. She looked at me for a few seconds and said, "no" and then she added, "Does it matter?" No, no it doesn't Mom. It doesn't matter if you think you are 37, which she though she was last year, or 87, which she will be this year. I turned 50 this year, which is a weird age, your not young and your not old.  So as I float around in age limbo, I am just going to do whatever I want and not worry about if it is "age appropriate."  I am thankful that my mom, who doesn't even know who I am sometimes, is still teaching me life lessons and giving good advice.

Handy Dandy Stick Holder

We have a lot of soft wood trees in our yard which means that we could be picking up sticks each and every day.  Since we can't burn them fast enough we pile them up by the bon fire area and break off some when we have a fire.  We have a lot of bon fires but the stick pile never really goes away or it doesn't go away for long.  As the summer goes on the grass grows up through it, it looks like heck and it is a good place for little vermin to call home.  To combat a wee bit of the pile, and have it ready for tinder when we make a fire, I made this stick holder in about three seconds.  The credit for this goes to pinterest but from what site I don't know.  To make it, you haul a cinder block to where you want your stick holder, put four boards in the block, two in each hole going differnet directions and pile on the sticks.  Done. Now I just need to make about eight more of these.

The Four Pound Hamburger and Three Pounds of Fries

Yep, that right, a 1-2-3-4 pound burger.  The boys in our co-op like to eat...a lot...and often. We thought, "Why not combine one of our favorite shows on the Travel Channel, Man vs. Food, and their seemingly hollow legs?" Our hypothesis was - is it possible to make a burger big enough along with fries to completely fill them up?  I'll tell you at the end.

First, the burger had to be made.  This took about 1 1/2 hours.  Thinking that they wouldn't be able to get down straight burger because it would be too dry, Dad mixed in a couple of eggs and crackers making it sort of like meatloaf.  He patted in a cast iron skillet because it would be too big to flip and it had to be cooked in a pan that could also go in the oven.  Before it hit the oven, he fried it on the stove to get the bottom done and then baked it in the oven.  After baking it was "flippable" so out of the oven came the burger.  Back on the stovetop it was flipped so that both sides were fried.

While that was cooking he sliced the bun.  In this case the only bun we could find big enough without having to make our own was a Kings Hawaiian round bread.

Toasted his bun in another frying pan.

Took it out of the oven when the liquids ran clear and it was cooked completely through.

Next came the layers of cheese. By now this behemoth smelled so good it could have been used as a torture device for getting people to talk.

Slapped on some mayo and a lettuce leaf.

Gingerly laid that bad boy on the bun and deposited a few rings of onion on the top.

Pickles on the side, three pounds of fries and lunch was ready to be served.

Ready to dig in.

We sliced it into wedges and 

they started eating.  

So can our boys eat a gigantic burger and a pound of fries apiece? 

The answer is......

no.  

They put a really good dent in it, but they just couldn't finish it.

As an aside, looking at the picture now it looks like they were throwing back a  beer with it, but that was innocent apple juice. It was a fun lunch and they were quiet the rest of the afternoon. Perhaps they were napping.