I'm a mom. I have 2 sons: Drew, who is my favorite, and Nick, who is also my favorite. My husband, Andy, is a police officer. I take lots of pictures, and I like to think that they're good. I scrapbook. Oh, and I also work full time in a veterinary diagnostic laboratory. Currently my biggest desire is to find land available and build a house far out in the country, no neighbors nearby, with space for a herd of cattle and a big veggie garden.
( ) crashed a friend's car - or any car ( ) stolen a car (X) been in love ( ) been dumped ( ) been fired ( ) been in a fist fight ( ) snuck out of your parents' house - really, no. No one ever believes that, either... ( ) been arrested ( ) gone on a blind date (X) lied to a friend - only when I thought it was for their own good. ( ) skipped school - again, no. please believe me. ( ) seen someone die - not the actual passing. (X) gone sledding - most definitely. (X) been to Canada - yep. with my Mom. ( ) been to Mexico - my dad has. interesting story there... (X) been on a plane ( ) purposely set a part of yourself on fire - what kind of question is this?! ( ) eaten sushi - no, and I never ever intend to ( ) been skiing - no, but I'd sure like to try ( ) met someone from the Internet (X) been at a concert (X) taken painkillers (X) love someone or miss someone right now - most definitely (X) laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by (X) made a snow angel ( ) had a tea party (X) flown a kite (X) built a sand castle (X) gone puddle jumping - is this splashing in rain puddles? then yes. yesterday. (X) played dress up (X) jumped into a pile of leaves (X) cheated while playing a game - not very often. It doesn't make winning very fun at all. (X) been lonely - oh yeah. ( ) fallen asleep at work/school ( ) used a fake ID (X) watched the sun set ( ) felt an earthquake (X) slept beneath the stars (X) been tickled - and I don't like it. (X) been robbed - yes, my home. never me personally. (X) been misunderstood - more often than not. (X) petted a reindeer/goat/kangaroo (X) won a contest (X) run a red light/stop sign ( ) been suspended from school ( ) been in a car crash ( ) had braces (X) felt like an outcast/third person (X) eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night (X) had deja vu ( ) danced in the moonlight (X) liked the way you looked - but not very often (X) witnessed a crime - nothing major, though ( ) been obsessed with post-it notes ( ) gone doorbell ditching ( ) believe in ghosts (X) found a stray animal and kept it (X) squished barefoot through the mud (X) been lost ( ) been on the opposite side of the country (X) swam in the ocean (X) felt like dying (X) cried yourself to sleep (X) played cops and robbers (X) recently colored with crayons - this morning ( ) sung karaoke - no, aren't you lucky! ( ) paid for a meal with only coins (X) done something you told yourself you wouldn't - oh, yeah. all the time. ( ) made prank phone calls. (X) laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose (X) caught a snowflake on your tongue (X) danced in the rain - well, I've played out in the rain. does that count? (X) written a letter to Santa Claus - every year since I can remember (X) been kissed under the mistletoe (X) watched the sun rise with someone you care about (X) blown bubbles ( ) made a bonfire on the beach ( ) crashed a party (X) gone rollerskating - but not in a long long time (X) had a wish come true (X) jumped off a bridge - no, but I'd like to try (X) ate dog/cat food - tasted it. not for a meal or anything. ( ) told a complete stranger you loved them ( ) kissed a mirror (X) sang in the shower (X) had a dream that you married someone. ( ) glued your hand to something ( ) kissed a fish - ??? (X) sat on a roof top (X) screamed at the top of your lungs ( ) done a one-handed cartwheel (X) talked on the phone for more than 5 hours - probably. maybe. I don't know, so I'll say yes. ( ) stayed up all night - I don't think I could if I tried. Ever. (X) picked and ate an apple right off the tree (X) climbed a tree ( ) had a tree house - no, but I sure wanted one. ( ) been scared to watch a scary movie alone - I don't watch scary movies. period. (X) have more than 30 pairs of shoes - not currently, but yes, I have. (X) worn a really ugly outfit to school - I'm sure. I have odd taste. and I went to school in the 80s and 90's. (X) pushed into a pool/hot tub with all your clothes on - and a lake. ( ) gone streaking ( ) gone skinny dipping in a pool/hot tub ( ) told you're hot by a complete stranger - not likely to ever happen (X) broken a bone (X) been easily amused (X) caught a fish then ate it - I marked this one because I would have if I ate fish. I've caught plenty of fish, I just don't like to eat fish. At all. But if I ate them I'd definitely eat the ones I caught. (X) caught a butterfly (X) laughed so hard you cried (X) cried so hard you laughed ( ) cheated on a test - no. never. really. (X) forgotten someones name (X) french braided someones hair - I can do mine too, when it's long enough. (X) loved someone so much you would gladly die for them. - they're asleep in their beds right now
Monday, July 31, 2006
I have issues
We colored today. We don't really do much coloring around here--the boys do the bulk of their coloring at the sitter's house. I'm more of a blank-paper-be-creative type. Probably because I cringe when they color outside the lines. I'd much rather see what they can draw than what they can do with what someone else has already drawn. And there's that 'outside the lines' thing.
Like I said, I have issues.
I think they had fun, though. I didn't tell them they were doing it wrong. Because, of course, they weren't. They were being creative and imaginative and all the things kids are supposed to be. I was outwardly supportive the entire time. I didn't even take over, even when Nick colored Spiderman a rather shocking shade of orange. And I only got a tiny bit irritated when Nick took over the Power Rangers picture that I was halfway finished with and ruined it. But I tried hard not to show it because, you know, I'm an adult and all.
Tomorrow is the first day of August. It's a big month. First day of school and all that jazz. But that's not the really big thing. My birthday is in August! Yay! A birthday only comes once a year. I'll be 32 this year. I'm getting old. Oh well. It's just a number. Anyway, Andy has been after me to tell him what I might like for my birthday. I told him that I wanted the Canon Digital Rebel. His exact words? "Ha Ha. Now, tell me something you might actually have a chance of getting". I guess the Nikon D50 is out of the question, too? So, I told him flash drives for storing my photos--the bigger the better. The pics take up so much room on the computer! And a lens cleaning kit for the camera I do have. Those sound like reasonable requests, right?
It's Monday night. Pizza night. I have a good pizza tonight--a DiGiorno rising crust pizza. And the inevtiable cheetos. Gotta love Mondays.
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Like I said, I have issues.
I think they had fun, though. I didn't tell them they were doing it wrong. Because, of course, they weren't. They were being creative and imaginative and all the things kids are supposed to be. I was outwardly supportive the entire time. I didn't even take over, even when Nick colored Spiderman a rather shocking shade of orange. And I only got a tiny bit irritated when Nick took over the Power Rangers picture that I was halfway finished with and ruined it. But I tried hard not to show it because, you know, I'm an adult and all.Tomorrow is the first day of August. It's a big month. First day of school and all that jazz. But that's not the really big thing. My birthday is in August! Yay! A birthday only comes once a year. I'll be 32 this year. I'm getting old. Oh well. It's just a number. Anyway, Andy has been after me to tell him what I might like for my birthday. I told him that I wanted the Canon Digital Rebel. His exact words? "Ha Ha. Now, tell me something you might actually have a chance of getting". I guess the Nikon D50 is out of the question, too? So, I told him flash drives for storing my photos--the bigger the better. The pics take up so much room on the computer! And a lens cleaning kit for the camera I do have. Those sound like reasonable requests, right?
It's Monday night. Pizza night. I have a good pizza tonight--a DiGiorno rising crust pizza. And the inevtiable cheetos. Gotta love Mondays.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
'cause it's my blog, and I'll post twice in one day if I want to
A random assortment of photos, all taken in my backyard this evening. Just because I felt like sharing.
The children, I think, are especially cute.
Enjoy.
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The children, I think, are especially cute.
Enjoy.
Have you ever...
I copied this meme from Melissa awhile back. Thought it might be interesting to do. Not to mention a really easy post for a Sunday...
Have you ever...
( ) smoked a cigarette -I've never even tried one. Really. No one ever believes me when I say that.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
The Wonderful World of Whine
This is what I fixed for supper tonight:
It looks good, doesn't it? BBQ chicken on the grill, stuffing, corn on the cob. Not fancy, not weird, definitely stuff we've had before.
Drew's been a little crabby today. Witness the reception my meal received (you may want to turn up the volume on your computer a bit. I can hear myself fine, but the boys are a bit faint...):
Friday, July 28, 2006
Photography Ramblings
This is a dual-purpose post.
First, it's yet another opportunity to show off my adorable children. As if I need a reason. But hey, if the reason is there, might as well use it, right?
But mostly, I'd like to chat about my little photography habit. Maybe one of you that reads has some talent (or knows where to find some) and can help me out. Or maybe not. Either way, I feel like putting this out there.
I like to take pictures. More than just snapshots, I like to take photographs that really show who someone is, or, if it's landscape photography, photographs that make you want to be in that place at that time. I'm not very good at it, but I want to be. Or maybe I'm better than I think. I do tend to be my own worst critic. I'm not posting this here looking for praise, so please don't feel obligated to comment with "but you take good photos". I'm just rambling.
I have a nice camera, and that makes up for alot. It's not the digital SLR that I want, but it's a nice camera. Sometimes I get really lucky and get a shot that's almost professional looking. But most of the time I get alot of pictures of the same 2 kids, the same cat, and the same farm that are better than alot of people would get only because I spend alot of time getting them.
I own several books, all of which were highly recommended. They pretty much all say the same thing. Aside from a few hints here and there, they don't seem to have helped much. Then again, all the authors are professional photographers using professional level cameras and equipment. Hmmmm.
And then there are the pictures that I take and I think I might like, but one thing or another is off and I'm not proficient enough at photoshop to fix it. Like this photo of Nick:
I love the expression on his face. But the lighting is way off. The sun was shining right on him, and I was too close, and I think I may have even had the flash go off. It's terribly overexposed. I see pictures like this one and I just regret messing them up. I've tried to fix it, but I can't.
Or this one of Drew:
Cute, yes. The evening light is nice and warm. He looks happy. But half of his face is in shadow. Easily remedied if my camera had an external flash, which it doesn't. And photoshop 'fill flash' just made him look washed out. Should I have posed him differently? Who knows.
And this picture of the boys playing in the sandbox is nice. The colors are bright, the focus is sharp. They look cute. If someone else had taken it I probably would have really liked it. But for some reason to me it looks amateurish.
This flower photo I took last night. I was really pleased with it. I had it up on the computer and Andy was walking through and said "I guess you're gonna have to delete that one, huh?" I asked him why, and he said because it was ugly. Ugly? Yes. It doesn't match, he said. See? Maybe I'm wrong and maybe he is, but obviously there's something I'm not seeing. I just figured that since the flowers were growing together in the flowerbed they would go fine in a photograph. Actually, I thought the contrast made it interesting.
I'd like to take some classes, but there are none offered here. Nothing but 'understanding your digital camera', and I think I'm beyond that. Or maybe not. I looked into online classes. I can't possibly afford $400 for a 6 week online course. That seems a little extravagant. I may buy more books.
Or perhaps I should stop worrying about it?
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First, it's yet another opportunity to show off my adorable children. As if I need a reason. But hey, if the reason is there, might as well use it, right?
But mostly, I'd like to chat about my little photography habit. Maybe one of you that reads has some talent (or knows where to find some) and can help me out. Or maybe not. Either way, I feel like putting this out there.
I like to take pictures. More than just snapshots, I like to take photographs that really show who someone is, or, if it's landscape photography, photographs that make you want to be in that place at that time. I'm not very good at it, but I want to be. Or maybe I'm better than I think. I do tend to be my own worst critic. I'm not posting this here looking for praise, so please don't feel obligated to comment with "but you take good photos". I'm just rambling.
I have a nice camera, and that makes up for alot. It's not the digital SLR that I want, but it's a nice camera. Sometimes I get really lucky and get a shot that's almost professional looking. But most of the time I get alot of pictures of the same 2 kids, the same cat, and the same farm that are better than alot of people would get only because I spend alot of time getting them.
I own several books, all of which were highly recommended. They pretty much all say the same thing. Aside from a few hints here and there, they don't seem to have helped much. Then again, all the authors are professional photographers using professional level cameras and equipment. Hmmmm.
And then there are the pictures that I take and I think I might like, but one thing or another is off and I'm not proficient enough at photoshop to fix it. Like this photo of Nick:
I love the expression on his face. But the lighting is way off. The sun was shining right on him, and I was too close, and I think I may have even had the flash go off. It's terribly overexposed. I see pictures like this one and I just regret messing them up. I've tried to fix it, but I can't.Or this one of Drew:
Cute, yes. The evening light is nice and warm. He looks happy. But half of his face is in shadow. Easily remedied if my camera had an external flash, which it doesn't. And photoshop 'fill flash' just made him look washed out. Should I have posed him differently? Who knows.And this picture of the boys playing in the sandbox is nice. The colors are bright, the focus is sharp. They look cute. If someone else had taken it I probably would have really liked it. But for some reason to me it looks amateurish.
This flower photo I took last night. I was really pleased with it. I had it up on the computer and Andy was walking through and said "I guess you're gonna have to delete that one, huh?" I asked him why, and he said because it was ugly. Ugly? Yes. It doesn't match, he said. See? Maybe I'm wrong and maybe he is, but obviously there's something I'm not seeing. I just figured that since the flowers were growing together in the flowerbed they would go fine in a photograph. Actually, I thought the contrast made it interesting.
I'd like to take some classes, but there are none offered here. Nothing but 'understanding your digital camera', and I think I'm beyond that. Or maybe not. I looked into online classes. I can't possibly afford $400 for a 6 week online course. That seems a little extravagant. I may buy more books.
Or perhaps I should stop worrying about it?
Labels: Photography
Thursday, July 27, 2006
A picture is worth a thousand words
Well, things are just about back to normal after the traumatic shopping trip from the other evening. It took us all awhile to recover. But it looks like we all still love one another.
Sometimes we all need a little reminder that it could be worse. Our neighbor was just by for some legal/police advice. Someone stole his car. And his ex-wife overdosed on prescription drugs (illegally obtained) last night and had to check into rehab. And, another neighbor (we didn't know him well, but still) was killed in a car accident this morning. So, at least we're all alive and healthy. And we still have all of our possessions.
Andy's on his way to work on time despite a few delays, spaghetti and garlic bread are on the table for supper. The boys aren't even complaining about the meal. Life is good.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Dear Mom,
For all those times you took us (that would be me, and both of my younger brothers, for those of you who don't happen to know us in real life) to the store by yourself and we behaved like brats, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I apologize now for ever purposefully making you feel bad or guilty for not buying me something I wanted. Especially if the only reason you didn't buy it was because you couldn't afford it. I'm sorry if I ever embarrassed you by behaving like a raving lunatic, even though I was most definitely raised better than that. I'm sorry if I ever repeatedly disobeyed you, making you feel like your shopping trip might possibly never end and that your head might just explode from the pounding. You were right. Once I had children I got my payback.
And, I'm taking this opportunity to apologize for Chip and Doug, too. Because if they thought of it they would. If they ever have children and take them shopping for school supplies they will.
Love,
Your Favorite Daughter
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And, I'm taking this opportunity to apologize for Chip and Doug, too. Because if they thought of it they would. If they ever have children and take them shopping for school supplies they will.
Love,
Your Favorite Daughter
$60??
Look here. A Pigs in Space lunchbox. A metal lunchbox, no less. I had a lunchbox just like this one when I was a kid. Third grade maybe? I found this vintage one online for $60, and it doesn't come with the yellow Muppets thermos. Amazing. I wonder what Mom paid for mine when I was a kid? Apparently it's a real collectors item now, along with the metal Dukes of Hazzard one my brother had.Tonight we're going school shopping. The big item on the list is a lunchbox. Even though I'm not sure how often Drew will take his lunch, the lunchbox is the one thing besides the backpack that he's really excited about. I wonder what kind he'll end up with?
Also, check this out. I found a blogger in Italy who is giving away an ipod video to a random blogger who includes a link to his site before Aug. 4. Can't hurt, right?
Monday, July 24, 2006
Bucket of Sunshine
I cut all of these flowers out of my flowerbeds tonight. Well, with the exception of the Queen Anne's Lace, which is technically a weed. At any rate, aren't they pretty? There are black-eyed susans, zinnias, sunflowers, and some greenery. A few random mums, the queen anne's lace, and a carnation or two. It's a very happy arrangement, even in an old sheetrock bucket. There's a big retirement shindig at work on Wednesday for our assistant director, and one of our retired techs is doing all the flower arrangements with flowers donated by the staff. This is my contribution. Think it'll do?
Let's see, in other random news...
We had a houseguest last night. Callie stayed with us for a few hours. She's a great dog--chased away all the monsters under the bed right away. Her family is going on vacation to Hawaii in November for 8 days and she'll be staying with us then, so she's begun staying a few hours here and there for practice. She's a good girl. Very obedient. But very full of energy. Have I ever mentioned we have a pretty small house? Do you see the size of this dog?
But she was good. We spent a good deal of time outside, and they said she was completely worn out when she got home. She didn't even have the energy to climb in bed with them until the middle of the night--she slept on the kitchen floor by the door!
Lately Drew has been making comments about wanting a bigger house. And a bigger yard. I'm not sure why, unless he's overheard Andy and me talking about it. Or possibly some of his friends that live in larger homes have wondered why he shares a room with his brother when they have their own rooms. It's true that our house is small, but it's not tiny. Storage is more of an issue than living space is, especially now when the kids are small. But it makes me feel bad when the boys express a desire for something that I can't give them, especially when it's something that I want so badly myself. So last night I felt doubly bad when Drew came to me and said, quite sensibly, I might add,
"Hey, Mom, you know, if we had a bigger house and lived on a farm, we could have a dog like Callie. I really want a dog like Callie."
"I know you want a dog, baby. I want a dog, too. But we don't have the space for a dog right now, and our house is in a dangerous place. Remember what happened to Fritz?"
"I know. Fritz got hit by a big truck. It made me sad. That's why you and Daddy need to make more money and buy us a farm so we can all be happy and live in a bigger house and have a dog just like Callie. I really want a dog like Callie."
Oh, to be a kid again and think it was all that simple. I sure wish I could make him understand how hard we're trying. How much we're looking and looking and looking for land. Trying to make more money. Just to get the boy a dog.
And the mom a farm. But that's secondary.
Change topics.
Here's Spot, home from her surgery. I don't think she holds it against us. She looks mighty pitiful, but she gets around remarkably well. I want you all to know that you're looking at a picture of one of the world's best cats. Really. I love this cat. The boys love this cat. Everyone who meets her loves her. And she was just a stray who found us and stayed. We're so lucky.
I think I've mentioned that Drew's latest fascination is with 'what is inside of him'. He's since accumulated several books on the matter, and spends quite a bit of time looking over them and asking any available adult to explain whatever he might have questions about. Shortly after I took this picture I had to try and explain what mitochondria do. In 5 year old terms. Try that sometime.
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Let's see, in other random news...
We had a houseguest last night. Callie stayed with us for a few hours. She's a great dog--chased away all the monsters under the bed right away. Her family is going on vacation to Hawaii in November for 8 days and she'll be staying with us then, so she's begun staying a few hours here and there for practice. She's a good girl. Very obedient. But very full of energy. Have I ever mentioned we have a pretty small house? Do you see the size of this dog?
But she was good. We spent a good deal of time outside, and they said she was completely worn out when she got home. She didn't even have the energy to climb in bed with them until the middle of the night--she slept on the kitchen floor by the door!Lately Drew has been making comments about wanting a bigger house. And a bigger yard. I'm not sure why, unless he's overheard Andy and me talking about it. Or possibly some of his friends that live in larger homes have wondered why he shares a room with his brother when they have their own rooms. It's true that our house is small, but it's not tiny. Storage is more of an issue than living space is, especially now when the kids are small. But it makes me feel bad when the boys express a desire for something that I can't give them, especially when it's something that I want so badly myself. So last night I felt doubly bad when Drew came to me and said, quite sensibly, I might add,
"Hey, Mom, you know, if we had a bigger house and lived on a farm, we could have a dog like Callie. I really want a dog like Callie."
"I know you want a dog, baby. I want a dog, too. But we don't have the space for a dog right now, and our house is in a dangerous place. Remember what happened to Fritz?"
"I know. Fritz got hit by a big truck. It made me sad. That's why you and Daddy need to make more money and buy us a farm so we can all be happy and live in a bigger house and have a dog just like Callie. I really want a dog like Callie."
Oh, to be a kid again and think it was all that simple. I sure wish I could make him understand how hard we're trying. How much we're looking and looking and looking for land. Trying to make more money. Just to get the boy a dog.
And the mom a farm. But that's secondary.
Change topics.
Here's Spot, home from her surgery. I don't think she holds it against us. She looks mighty pitiful, but she gets around remarkably well. I want you all to know that you're looking at a picture of one of the world's best cats. Really. I love this cat. The boys love this cat. Everyone who meets her loves her. And she was just a stray who found us and stayed. We're so lucky.
I think I've mentioned that Drew's latest fascination is with 'what is inside of him'. He's since accumulated several books on the matter, and spends quite a bit of time looking over them and asking any available adult to explain whatever he might have questions about. Shortly after I took this picture I had to try and explain what mitochondria do. In 5 year old terms. Try that sometime.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
The Party's Over
I'm pleased to report that the Big Birthday Bash of 2006 was a huge success. The weather was absolutely perfect, the food was perfect (if I do say so myself), and, the most important indicator of all, the boys pronounced it "great".
The day began cloudy and cool, but by noon the sun was peeking out. By 4 it was sunny with a breeze and maybe 83 degrees. The crowd began to arrive:
After everyone ate and had a chance to socialize a bit, we did the whole cake thing. I took the easy way out this year and did cupcakes:
Then it was time for gifts. I was pleased with the number of gifts this year. In years past, the boys have been completely overwhelmed with presents. I'm not sure what happened this time, because this party was better attended than those in the past. But there were not so many gifts. Lots of action figures--a big hit. And school supplies. And tractors, of course. It was a John Deere party. There were several cards with $$ and gift cards--maybe that's why the gifts weren't so plentiful. At any rate, it was a nice, pleasant, gift opening:
After the gifts were opened, inspected, and picked up, we brought out the water balloons. A BIG hit, let me tell you. Those kept the kids (and the kids-at-heart) occupied forever. Along with the trampoline. The tramploine also got alot of use.
A good number of the guests stayed until after dark. Several of them left about the same time that Andy was leaving for work, which was 9:00. I was exhausted, but my day wasn't over yet. I still had to deal with two extremely wound up little boys.
About midnight they finally fell asleep.
About 3:00 I was awakened by the sound of 3 raccoons going through the party trash in the carport.
About 6:00 I was awakened by Nick, who wanted my help with his new Power Ranger.
Boy, I'm tired.
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The day began cloudy and cool, but by noon the sun was peeking out. By 4 it was sunny with a breeze and maybe 83 degrees. The crowd began to arrive:
After everyone ate and had a chance to socialize a bit, we did the whole cake thing. I took the easy way out this year and did cupcakes:
Then it was time for gifts. I was pleased with the number of gifts this year. In years past, the boys have been completely overwhelmed with presents. I'm not sure what happened this time, because this party was better attended than those in the past. But there were not so many gifts. Lots of action figures--a big hit. And school supplies. And tractors, of course. It was a John Deere party. There were several cards with $$ and gift cards--maybe that's why the gifts weren't so plentiful. At any rate, it was a nice, pleasant, gift opening:
After the gifts were opened, inspected, and picked up, we brought out the water balloons. A BIG hit, let me tell you. Those kept the kids (and the kids-at-heart) occupied forever. Along with the trampoline. The tramploine also got alot of use.
A good number of the guests stayed until after dark. Several of them left about the same time that Andy was leaving for work, which was 9:00. I was exhausted, but my day wasn't over yet. I still had to deal with two extremely wound up little boys.
About midnight they finally fell asleep.
About 3:00 I was awakened by the sound of 3 raccoons going through the party trash in the carport.
About 6:00 I was awakened by Nick, who wanted my help with his new Power Ranger.
Boy, I'm tired.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Three
Yesterday, Drew turned five. Tomorrow Nick will turn 3. Nicholas is a wonderful little boy. Totally his own person. So not what I expected when I was pregnant with him. Not that I didn't expect him to be wonderful, I just figured he'd be another little Drew. I didn't understand, just couldn't comprehend how two children would be so different. Silly, I guess. My brothers and I are not alike. At any rate...
The Big Birthday Bash is tomorrow, so I doubt I'll have a chance for Nick's birthday post then. So you're getting it today, just like he's getting his gift from us today. And then tomorrow night, if I'm not too exhausted (or Sunday, more likely) I'll tell you all about the party. Enjoy.
Happy Birthday, Nick!
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The Big Birthday Bash is tomorrow, so I doubt I'll have a chance for Nick's birthday post then. So you're getting it today, just like he's getting his gift from us today. And then tomorrow night, if I'm not too exhausted (or Sunday, more likely) I'll tell you all about the party. Enjoy.
Here's Nicky right after he insisted on being born. He was an impatient little guy. Yes, his head is purple. The cord was around his neck several times. The color didn't last the day, but it was worrisome.
Nick on his first day home. I left him in the bucket because I didn't want to bother him. And because I still wasn't sure how to handle two kids at once. Don't worry. I picked him up when he woke up. And see? His head isn't purple any more.
Here's Nick opening gifts at his first birthday party, 2004.
Here's Nick opening gifts at his first birthday party, 2004.
Here he is on his birthday last year, when he turned 2.
Just a few minutes ago, all smiles after receiving the much-coveted 4-wheeler. He'll be 3 in less than 24 hours.
And Drew, who was thrilled with his gifts yesterday, now thinks he should have gotten the 4-wheeler. Even though he's already got a Jeep...
Happy Birthday, Nick!
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Five
Happy Birthday to the boy who made me a mom and Andy a dad. The child that never fails to amaze me with his questions and his outlook on life. One of two children who, although frustrating to no end, I love more than anything.
Here, for your viewing enjoyment, is a little photo review of Drew's life.
Happy Birthday, Drew!
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Here, for your viewing enjoyment, is a little photo review of Drew's life.
Drew is 4 minutes old here.
At his first birthday party, loving the cake.
Shortly before he turned two, at the petting zoo at the fair.
At his 3rd birthday party, with his most treasured gift.
Birthday, last year.
Today, birthday number 5.
And here's poor Nick, who just doesn't understand why he's not getting presents today.
Happy Birthday, Drew!
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
And the mean mean mom of the year award goes to...
...me!
Have you ever heard yourself saying something and at the same time wondered why you were saying it? Almost even wished you weren't saying it, but still you couldn't stop yourself in time?
The boys gave me a pretty hard time this evening. I thought I was handling myself pretty well, all things considered. Finally they are in bed. I've been in there at least a thousand times. They won't be quiet. They won't stay in the bed. Etc...
I walked in there a minute ago and delivered an ultimatum.
"Drew, if you do not behave, do not be quiet from this moment on, do not go to sleep now, I am cancelling your birthday tomorrow."
Well, that shut them both right up.
Now I must apologize. Not for my actions, per se, but for the delivery. That was a little immature, even for me. I heard myself saying it and knew it was wrong, but it just came right on out. While they do deserve to be reprimanded, I should not lie. Right? After all, they are only excited about the upcoming celebrations. And they had a long day, too. And they are only little. I'm supposed to be the adult.
*sigh* This parenting gig is hard.
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Have you ever heard yourself saying something and at the same time wondered why you were saying it? Almost even wished you weren't saying it, but still you couldn't stop yourself in time?
The boys gave me a pretty hard time this evening. I thought I was handling myself pretty well, all things considered. Finally they are in bed. I've been in there at least a thousand times. They won't be quiet. They won't stay in the bed. Etc...
I walked in there a minute ago and delivered an ultimatum.
"Drew, if you do not behave, do not be quiet from this moment on, do not go to sleep now, I am cancelling your birthday tomorrow."
Well, that shut them both right up.
Now I must apologize. Not for my actions, per se, but for the delivery. That was a little immature, even for me. I heard myself saying it and knew it was wrong, but it just came right on out. While they do deserve to be reprimanded, I should not lie. Right? After all, they are only excited about the upcoming celebrations. And they had a long day, too. And they are only little. I'm supposed to be the adult.
*sigh* This parenting gig is hard.
Labels: Parenting
Watch them grow...or not
Well, blogger is being difficult and won't let me post pictures. So just know that there were 2 pictures that went with this post that you're not getting to see. Unlucky for you. They were cute.
I took the boys to the Dr. today for their annual well-care visits. They last had check-ups back in the winter, simply because we switched doctors. Otherwise it would have been a year ago. I have pretty healthy kids. At the last visit Drew weighed 38 pounds and Nick 34 pounds. I was hoping that Drew would have topped 40 by this visit. Nope. Each child lost one pound. LOST a pound. I have to tell you, when I realized that, I felt like a pretty crummy mom. I really did. I mean, I know they're small and all, but still. Losing weight? Growing is pretty much the only job they have!
Then the Dr. came in. Have I mentioned I love him? He's awesome. He made me feel much better. They are growing. They've each gained several inches in the past year. They're healthy and active and smart. And size-wise, they're right-on average. 50th percentile all around, except Nick was a tad above (75th percentile) in height. Of course, he did get measured with his cowboy boots on...
Drew's latest fascination is with his insides. He's naturally a curious kid, and lately he's been asking alot of questions about what's inside of him. I did what I always do when faced with questions I can't answer. I bought him books. (Now, I know quite well what's inside him--probably more so than alot of parents due to the nature of my job. I just was at a loss trying to explain it in 5 year old terms) It was Drew's idea today to take his book "What's Inside You?" to the Dr. with him, figuring that the Dr. might be interested. Let me say again, this Dr. is wonderful. He plopped Drew right on his lap and spent a good 10 minutes going through the book, answering questions and looking at the pictures with him. Now Drew is an expert on anatomy. Cute for a minute, annoying after awhile.
Birthday party countdown: T-minus 3 days and counting. Still left to do: Assemble the Power Wheels 4-wheeler, mow the grass and weedeat, clean the carpets, grocery shop, and all the cooking.
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I took the boys to the Dr. today for their annual well-care visits. They last had check-ups back in the winter, simply because we switched doctors. Otherwise it would have been a year ago. I have pretty healthy kids. At the last visit Drew weighed 38 pounds and Nick 34 pounds. I was hoping that Drew would have topped 40 by this visit. Nope. Each child lost one pound. LOST a pound. I have to tell you, when I realized that, I felt like a pretty crummy mom. I really did. I mean, I know they're small and all, but still. Losing weight? Growing is pretty much the only job they have!
Then the Dr. came in. Have I mentioned I love him? He's awesome. He made me feel much better. They are growing. They've each gained several inches in the past year. They're healthy and active and smart. And size-wise, they're right-on average. 50th percentile all around, except Nick was a tad above (75th percentile) in height. Of course, he did get measured with his cowboy boots on...
Drew's latest fascination is with his insides. He's naturally a curious kid, and lately he's been asking alot of questions about what's inside of him. I did what I always do when faced with questions I can't answer. I bought him books. (Now, I know quite well what's inside him--probably more so than alot of parents due to the nature of my job. I just was at a loss trying to explain it in 5 year old terms) It was Drew's idea today to take his book "What's Inside You?" to the Dr. with him, figuring that the Dr. might be interested. Let me say again, this Dr. is wonderful. He plopped Drew right on his lap and spent a good 10 minutes going through the book, answering questions and looking at the pictures with him. Now Drew is an expert on anatomy. Cute for a minute, annoying after awhile.
Birthday party countdown: T-minus 3 days and counting. Still left to do: Assemble the Power Wheels 4-wheeler, mow the grass and weedeat, clean the carpets, grocery shop, and all the cooking.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Poor Spot
Well, it turns out I was right. Spot has a dislocated hip. I took her to the vet this morning and dropped her off, as they were very busy and had to work her in as a favor to me. Well, a favor to Andy. They love him. At any rate...They put her under and put it back in joint, but it won't stay. Probably because it was out of joint for so long--at least 2 days, because we didn't know where she was. So, that leaves 2 options.
Option #1 is euthanasia. Absolutely not.
Option #2 is surgery. It's called FHO. Basically they remove the femoral head, or the ball part of the ball and socket joint. Then the whole hip joint just heals into a big flexible mass of muscle and fibrous tissue. She should regain about 80% mobility in that hip, as opposed to the 10-15% she has now. I choose option #2.
This surgery is usually pretty pricey. Normally we'd already be up to about $100 for the office visit, X-rays, meds, overnight stay, etc... plus the surgery on top of that. I'd be looking at a vet bill of over $200-$300.
Did I mention they love Andy? Quoted price, for everything: $60.
I guess all those years working there paid off, huh?
Due Date
July 18, 2001. That was my due date when I was pregnant with Drew. Silly kid. What was he waiting for? If he'd been born when he was supposed to, today would be his birthday! He'd be 5 already! No more waiting for gifts or pizza or cake. Huh.
I remember that day, too. I went to work. It was hot. Like today, actually. Some co-workers and I went out to lunch. I really enjoyed the looks on the faces of people who dared ask "Oh, when are you due?" and I would say "Today!". Some of them even looked like they wanted to back away, like I might just have the baby right then and there. Andy called me about a million times that day. "Are you OK?" "Anything yet?"
The next day I didn't go to work. I just felt kinda crummy. Early labor, I know now. Anyway...
So, they finished fixing the house today.
Here is the house before:
The siding at the top was the tornado damage. The stuff at the bottom was damaged but not that badly. I took that off for patching on other parts of the house. In removing all the siding, however, it was discovered that there was actually more damage than we though. It looks as though the winds from the tornado picked the carport up and set it back down. It didn't set back down square, though. In the back it was only sitting on the supports by about 1/4 inch. Scary. That close to collapsing on our vehicles and taking the roof of our house with it! They fixed it.
Work in progress:
And, the finished product. Nice, huh?
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I remember that day, too. I went to work. It was hot. Like today, actually. Some co-workers and I went out to lunch. I really enjoyed the looks on the faces of people who dared ask "Oh, when are you due?" and I would say "Today!". Some of them even looked like they wanted to back away, like I might just have the baby right then and there. Andy called me about a million times that day. "Are you OK?" "Anything yet?"
The next day I didn't go to work. I just felt kinda crummy. Early labor, I know now. Anyway...
So, they finished fixing the house today.
Here is the house before:
The siding at the top was the tornado damage. The stuff at the bottom was damaged but not that badly. I took that off for patching on other parts of the house. In removing all the siding, however, it was discovered that there was actually more damage than we though. It looks as though the winds from the tornado picked the carport up and set it back down. It didn't set back down square, though. In the back it was only sitting on the supports by about 1/4 inch. Scary. That close to collapsing on our vehicles and taking the roof of our house with it! They fixed it.Work in progress:
And, the finished product. Nice, huh?
Monday, July 17, 2006
Stuff stuff and more stuff
Today was my first day of vacation. It was actually fairly eventful, which is unusual for me.
At 6:45 the siding guys arrived! Yay! I've been waiting for them since April. They got about 3/4 finished today, and plan on finishing the rest tomorrow. When it's all said and done I'll post the before and after pictures.
While they were outside working, there was a knock on my door. Who would visit me? Especially at 9:00 on a Monday morning, when everyone knows I'm at work? Turns out it was my neighbor from 2 doors down, Mrs. Thomas. She was looking for Shirlene, who lives next door (between us) but who used to live here long ago. I did not know this, but Mrs. Thomas has Alzheimer's Disease. It didn't take me very long to figure it out. She came right on in the house, commented on the decor, and petted the cat. I got her some lemonade. Finally I got through to her that Shirlene had moved next door, and offered to walk over there with her. She's the nicest lady, and I'm glad I could give her a little company anyway. I walked next door with her, and they were much surprised to see us. Later on they came over and explained that her disease had progressed to where she no longer has any 'good days' where she remembers things, but that her children refuse to put her in a home. So she lives alone, with only a home health nurse that comes in once a day. That makes me worry for her. We live on a busy highway, and there aren't many houses. And most of the time no one is home. Hopefully someone will help her sooner rather than later.
The six-year-old son of one of Andy's co-workers shot himself last night. He died instantly. I'm unclear on all of the details of what exactly happened, but the end result is still the same. Tragic. Andy knew the little boy and is quite upset. While I am sad in a general sense, I did not know the family so it does not affect me in quite the same way. There's a video newscast here on the front page (right hand side, you can see the police car), or here's the link to the news story if you'd rather read it.
Spot (the outside cat) went missing for several days. She came home this morning, and I suspect she's been rolled by a car. Or kicked quite hard by a person. Her hip is definitely dislocated, possibly broken. I'm guessing no internal injuries, or she'd have bled out by now. At any rate, I'm planning a trip to the clinic in the morning to see what we can do for her. She's absolutely the most laid back cat ever. We'd be doing her a disservice if we didn't at least try to help her.
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At 6:45 the siding guys arrived! Yay! I've been waiting for them since April. They got about 3/4 finished today, and plan on finishing the rest tomorrow. When it's all said and done I'll post the before and after pictures.
While they were outside working, there was a knock on my door. Who would visit me? Especially at 9:00 on a Monday morning, when everyone knows I'm at work? Turns out it was my neighbor from 2 doors down, Mrs. Thomas. She was looking for Shirlene, who lives next door (between us) but who used to live here long ago. I did not know this, but Mrs. Thomas has Alzheimer's Disease. It didn't take me very long to figure it out. She came right on in the house, commented on the decor, and petted the cat. I got her some lemonade. Finally I got through to her that Shirlene had moved next door, and offered to walk over there with her. She's the nicest lady, and I'm glad I could give her a little company anyway. I walked next door with her, and they were much surprised to see us. Later on they came over and explained that her disease had progressed to where she no longer has any 'good days' where she remembers things, but that her children refuse to put her in a home. So she lives alone, with only a home health nurse that comes in once a day. That makes me worry for her. We live on a busy highway, and there aren't many houses. And most of the time no one is home. Hopefully someone will help her sooner rather than later.
The six-year-old son of one of Andy's co-workers shot himself last night. He died instantly. I'm unclear on all of the details of what exactly happened, but the end result is still the same. Tragic. Andy knew the little boy and is quite upset. While I am sad in a general sense, I did not know the family so it does not affect me in quite the same way. There's a video newscast here on the front page (right hand side, you can see the police car), or here's the link to the news story if you'd rather read it.
Spot (the outside cat) went missing for several days. She came home this morning, and I suspect she's been rolled by a car. Or kicked quite hard by a person. Her hip is definitely dislocated, possibly broken. I'm guessing no internal injuries, or she'd have bled out by now. At any rate, I'm planning a trip to the clinic in the morning to see what we can do for her. She's absolutely the most laid back cat ever. We'd be doing her a disservice if we didn't at least try to help her.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Sleep Study
Nick took a nap today. This in and of itself is not unusual. He takes a nap almost every day, whether here or at the sitters house. Today's nap was amazing--nearly 4 hours! He's been eating alot, too. Do 3 year old children have growth spurts? At any rate, I got to looking at him while he was sleeping. And noticing how big he's getting. He doesn't have those little fat rolls at his wrists anymore. He's getting little arches in his feet. There are ropy little muscles in his arms. He's like a kid. Not my baby any longer, but a real little kid.
So, I thought I might get the camera and take some pictures before he got any bigger. Or before he turned another year older.
Since he sleeps like a rock, it was easy.
Drew doesn't nap much anymore, so there aren't any sleeping pictures of him today. He is, however, required to take 'quiet time' while his brother naps. This is for my sanity more than for him. Usually he watches a movie, or works puzzles. Occasionally, if he's had a huge morning, he'll sleep. Today I let him get up after the movie was over--even I'm not mean enough to make him sit through 4 hours of quiet time!
Tonight we went to a cookout for a new church that's starting up in town. It was nice. I actually enjoyed myself, which is unusual. We don't currently have a church because I have yet to find one that I'm comfortable attending. We may go back to this one. I'll have to chat with Andy about it. Anyway, there was singing and good food and people that I knew and liked. And for the kids, water balloons and ice cream and face painting:
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So, I thought I might get the camera and take some pictures before he got any bigger. Or before he turned another year older.
Since he sleeps like a rock, it was easy.
Drew doesn't nap much anymore, so there aren't any sleeping pictures of him today. He is, however, required to take 'quiet time' while his brother naps. This is for my sanity more than for him. Usually he watches a movie, or works puzzles. Occasionally, if he's had a huge morning, he'll sleep. Today I let him get up after the movie was over--even I'm not mean enough to make him sit through 4 hours of quiet time!
Tonight we went to a cookout for a new church that's starting up in town. It was nice. I actually enjoyed myself, which is unusual. We don't currently have a church because I have yet to find one that I'm comfortable attending. We may go back to this one. I'll have to chat with Andy about it. Anyway, there was singing and good food and people that I knew and liked. And for the kids, water balloons and ice cream and face painting:
Saturday, July 15, 2006
I Wish...
I wish
What do you wish for?
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- that gas prices would go down. Or at least stop rising.
- that my kids would like the same foods from one day to the next.
- that my husband would, just once, have one weekend day off.
- that Snickers bars were good for me.
- that Mt. Dew was good for me.
- that my family lived closer.
- that my best friends lived closer.
- that we could stop mowing the lawn now.
- that I was independently wealthy.
- that I didn't have to work for a living. At least not at the job I have now.
- that I owned land. Lots of land. And cattle. And horses.
- that my house was just a tiny big bigger. One more closet and another bathroom would do the trick.
- that I owned a boat
- and that I was coordinated enough to waterski. I always wanted to try, but I know I'd be horrible at it.
- that there were more hours in a day
- or at least that I could stay awake later at night!
- that I had a dog.
- that I weighed 20 lbs. less. Or was 4 inches taller.
- that all my debts were paid.
- that my life was still this simple:
What do you wish for?
Friday, July 14, 2006
Two Posts in Two Hours?!
Yes, I know. I already posted today. But I just took this picture of the boys and I had to share. I just had to. I love it.So, there.
See you tomorrow.
What do YOU see?
There's alot of preparation in getting ready for school. We have tons of supplies to purchase. I told Drew that we needed to wait until after his birthday to do school shopping, because you never know what you might receive as a gift. However, there was one exception. He requested a John Deere backpack. Leave it to my kid to ask for the one kind of backpack you can't purchase at the local Wal-Mart. Or any local store for that matter. So I did some online shopping, and I bought the boy a backpack. A totally cool John Deere backpack. It came today, in this box:
Drew opened it, and was thrilled! "Wow! Cool!" He wore it around for about 15 minutes. Then we put it away. And he remembered the box that it came in.
I thought that they outgrew their love of boxes once they passed toddlerhood. I can see how a giant appliance box might be fun, but this little thing? The boys have been playing with this box off and on for 2 hours. It's been, in no particular order,
I love their imaginations. Mostly because I don't have one. I need a book to think of a story. And I love seeing them play together, which happens with greater and greater frequency now that they're older. It's so cool to see them interact, and to watch them feed off of one another's ideas. I hope they're always friends. I'm sure there will come a point in time when Drew will be tired of his little brother trailing after him, but it won't last, right? I mean, I like my brothers. They don't even annoy me too much anymore, except maybe when Doug drinks my water. And they like each other, too.
At any rate, I'm just rambling on now.
The boys have headed outside to play with their box. Who knows what it is now? Whatever it is, it had better not stay outside for too long, or it'll melt. Look:
It's gonna rain. Again. We need it. But I sure wish it would wait until bedtime.
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Drew opened it, and was thrilled! "Wow! Cool!" He wore it around for about 15 minutes. Then we put it away. And he remembered the box that it came in.
I thought that they outgrew their love of boxes once they passed toddlerhood. I can see how a giant appliance box might be fun, but this little thing? The boys have been playing with this box off and on for 2 hours. It's been, in no particular order,
- A spaceship
- A house (for the Power Rangers)
- A fort (for the Power Rangers and the Rescue Heroes)
- A tank
- A race car
- A big silly hat
- A laundry basket (Nick was helping me)
- A ramp for the Hot Wheels
- A coloring book
I love their imaginations. Mostly because I don't have one. I need a book to think of a story. And I love seeing them play together, which happens with greater and greater frequency now that they're older. It's so cool to see them interact, and to watch them feed off of one another's ideas. I hope they're always friends. I'm sure there will come a point in time when Drew will be tired of his little brother trailing after him, but it won't last, right? I mean, I like my brothers. They don't even annoy me too much anymore, except maybe when Doug drinks my water. And they like each other, too.
At any rate, I'm just rambling on now.
The boys have headed outside to play with their box. Who knows what it is now? Whatever it is, it had better not stay outside for too long, or it'll melt. Look:
It's gonna rain. Again. We need it. But I sure wish it would wait until bedtime.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Kids shouldn't talk on the phone. Really.
So I'm sitting at work today, in the middle of telling this story to my co-workers:
I'll tell you that one in a minute.
My cell phone rings, and I pick it up only to hear silence. Followed by an ear-splitting "Hi, Mom!" and some other completely unintelligible sentences. It seems that Andy picked the boys up early and was taking them swimming, and Nick wanted to talk to me. So his daddy dialed the phone and handed it to him.
Nick talks with the phone nearly in his mouth. He's perfectly understandable in person, but on the phone it's almost impossible to decode what he's saying. Add to that he feels the need to shout into the mouthpiece, and it makes for a rather unpleasant conversation. By the time Andy got the phone back I had spent 5 minutes saying "What? Ok. Yes. Ok. Love you, too. Ok. Uh-huh. Yes. Ok. Can I talk to your daddy, please?" I may have agreed to buy the child an airplane, but I'm not sure.
Anyway, the possum. It seems to be living under our house. *sigh* I'd been hearing noises at the cat food bowl in the evenings, but I just assumed it was our friendly neighborhood raccoons dropping by for a snack. So, last night when I heard the bowls rattling around, I decided to sneak out and try to take his picture. And that is what I found. That nasty old possum eating Spot's food and making all kinds of racket. And when I tried to chase it away? It ran straight under the house. Apparently it's very comfortable under there. This means we'll have to borrow a trap and catch the thing, and then get rid of it. I'll probably catch the cat 50 times first, and the raccoons, too.
Change topics.
While the boys are out for a bit tonight, I've been working on assembling the goody bags for the birthday party. Here's what I've got so far:
Each bag so far contains 1 party favor (noisemaker with a John Deere decoration), 2 suckers with a John Deere logo, and 2 temporary tattoos. I still have to add the little boxes of gum with J.D. logos, and Drew has requested that we add a car to each bag. I'll hit the dollar store next week while I'm off and see what I can find. What do you think?
I also wandered out into the backyard and admired my flowers. These are the flowers that the boys and I planted earlier this spring. They're doing well, aren't they?
Andy got home at 11:00 last night. Way too late for me to go scrapbooking, but oh well. I guess there's always next week.
Next week is my 'vacation', but it's pretty well booked. Monday the boys and I have haircut appointments, Tuesday I'm shopping with a friend, Wed. the boys have their annual checkups at the Dr. Thursday is Drew's birthday, so we'll be taking him to the restaurant of his choice for supper, and I'll have a cake to bake. Friday I'll be cooking and cleaning for the party on Saturday. Saturday is Nick's birthday and the big birthday bash. Whew. I might need another week off to recover!
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I'll tell you that one in a minute.
My cell phone rings, and I pick it up only to hear silence. Followed by an ear-splitting "Hi, Mom!" and some other completely unintelligible sentences. It seems that Andy picked the boys up early and was taking them swimming, and Nick wanted to talk to me. So his daddy dialed the phone and handed it to him.
Nick talks with the phone nearly in his mouth. He's perfectly understandable in person, but on the phone it's almost impossible to decode what he's saying. Add to that he feels the need to shout into the mouthpiece, and it makes for a rather unpleasant conversation. By the time Andy got the phone back I had spent 5 minutes saying "What? Ok. Yes. Ok. Love you, too. Ok. Uh-huh. Yes. Ok. Can I talk to your daddy, please?" I may have agreed to buy the child an airplane, but I'm not sure.
Anyway, the possum. It seems to be living under our house. *sigh* I'd been hearing noises at the cat food bowl in the evenings, but I just assumed it was our friendly neighborhood raccoons dropping by for a snack. So, last night when I heard the bowls rattling around, I decided to sneak out and try to take his picture. And that is what I found. That nasty old possum eating Spot's food and making all kinds of racket. And when I tried to chase it away? It ran straight under the house. Apparently it's very comfortable under there. This means we'll have to borrow a trap and catch the thing, and then get rid of it. I'll probably catch the cat 50 times first, and the raccoons, too.
Change topics.
While the boys are out for a bit tonight, I've been working on assembling the goody bags for the birthday party. Here's what I've got so far:
Each bag so far contains 1 party favor (noisemaker with a John Deere decoration), 2 suckers with a John Deere logo, and 2 temporary tattoos. I still have to add the little boxes of gum with J.D. logos, and Drew has requested that we add a car to each bag. I'll hit the dollar store next week while I'm off and see what I can find. What do you think?
I also wandered out into the backyard and admired my flowers. These are the flowers that the boys and I planted earlier this spring. They're doing well, aren't they?
Andy got home at 11:00 last night. Way too late for me to go scrapbooking, but oh well. I guess there's always next week.
Next week is my 'vacation', but it's pretty well booked. Monday the boys and I have haircut appointments, Tuesday I'm shopping with a friend, Wed. the boys have their annual checkups at the Dr. Thursday is Drew's birthday, so we'll be taking him to the restaurant of his choice for supper, and I'll have a cake to bake. Friday I'll be cooking and cleaning for the party on Saturday. Saturday is Nick's birthday and the big birthday bash. Whew. I might need another week off to recover!
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Some people...
These people
Westboro Baptist Church (offensive material--open at your own risk)
are ruining my day.
Not to mention they're total idiots.
Are you familiar with the Westboro Baptist Church? They're the hate group that travels the country, masquerading as a church, demonstrating at the funerals of soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq.
They were here earlier this year, but I guess they didn't get quite the response they were hoping for, so they're coming back tonight. Looking for attention, is what they're doing. And they're getting it, unfortunately. People can't seem to resist going out and egging them on, even though it's painfully obvious that that's exactly what they're looking for.
While I disagree with them in every possible way, this blog is not a political one. Just know that I don't support them. And let's make this all about me.
Today is Wednesday. Tonight is MY night. My scrapbooking night. The night I get to go out and leave the boys at home with their daddy. I get to scrapbook, and gossip, and just be out. I haven't been in 3 weeks, due to Andy's work schedule. And he's scheduled to be off tonight. And there's a birthday, so there will be cake.
Except he's not off tonight. He, along with every other police officer and emergency worker in the county, has to work tonight. They have to dress out in full riot gear in 90 degree heat and horrible humidity. And they have to protect the idiot protesters. It doesn't matter that it's his day off. The Westboro troublemakers decide to show up, and suddenly the entire county is up in arms.
I know. He's a cop. I have to live with his job and the responsibilities that go along with it. I know. But that doesn't make me any happier about it.
Hey, maybe the boys will get to see their daddy on TV. They did the last time...
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Westboro Baptist Church (offensive material--open at your own risk)
are ruining my day.
Not to mention they're total idiots.
Are you familiar with the Westboro Baptist Church? They're the hate group that travels the country, masquerading as a church, demonstrating at the funerals of soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq.
They were here earlier this year, but I guess they didn't get quite the response they were hoping for, so they're coming back tonight. Looking for attention, is what they're doing. And they're getting it, unfortunately. People can't seem to resist going out and egging them on, even though it's painfully obvious that that's exactly what they're looking for.
While I disagree with them in every possible way, this blog is not a political one. Just know that I don't support them. And let's make this all about me.
Today is Wednesday. Tonight is MY night. My scrapbooking night. The night I get to go out and leave the boys at home with their daddy. I get to scrapbook, and gossip, and just be out. I haven't been in 3 weeks, due to Andy's work schedule. And he's scheduled to be off tonight. And there's a birthday, so there will be cake.
Except he's not off tonight. He, along with every other police officer and emergency worker in the county, has to work tonight. They have to dress out in full riot gear in 90 degree heat and horrible humidity. And they have to protect the idiot protesters. It doesn't matter that it's his day off. The Westboro troublemakers decide to show up, and suddenly the entire county is up in arms.
I know. He's a cop. I have to live with his job and the responsibilities that go along with it. I know. But that doesn't make me any happier about it.
Hey, maybe the boys will get to see their daddy on TV. They did the last time...
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
The Bosses of the World
Well, I had some stuff I was going to write about today. Some political stuff that's going on locally, the weather (it's finally raining!), work, how the boys' room is still so clean and organized, the elderly lady I saw at Kroger today with the tattoo of Spongebob Squarepants on her shoulder.
Then, I learned something. Something that I was previously unaware of, although apparently I should have known all along.
My children? The boss. Yep. They are. But not just of me. They are the Bosses of the World.
They were at the supper table, refusing to eat their food as usual because it wasn't pizza or chicken nuggets. Nicholas actually got up from the table and left. This was a first. I was caught totally off guard.
I called him back, and was informed that he wasn't coming back. That he wouldn't come back until I got him some cheetos and chicken nuggets. I told him yes he most certainly would. I told him "YOU are not the boss".
"Yes I am. I am the boss of the world. I am the boss of you and Drew and cheetos. I am the boss."
So I got him. And put him in his seat. And told him to eat. And not to talk back to his mother. I was surprisingly calm, considering my short fuse and his snotty attitude. And, he began to eat.
Then this little voice came from the other side of the table. Not to be outdone by his baby brother, Drew said, under his breath but quite audibly, "No, I'm the boss of the world!"
*sigh*
I just let it go. Not worth the battle. Not tonight.
So, let's go back in time. It's easy to pretend that it was all sunshine and roses, even though I'm sure it wasn't. Here are my boys, 2 years ago next week. This was the day of their birthday bash that year--Drew turning 3 and Nick turning 1.
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Then, I learned something. Something that I was previously unaware of, although apparently I should have known all along.
My children? The boss. Yep. They are. But not just of me. They are the Bosses of the World.
They were at the supper table, refusing to eat their food as usual because it wasn't pizza or chicken nuggets. Nicholas actually got up from the table and left. This was a first. I was caught totally off guard.
I called him back, and was informed that he wasn't coming back. That he wouldn't come back until I got him some cheetos and chicken nuggets. I told him yes he most certainly would. I told him "YOU are not the boss".
"Yes I am. I am the boss of the world. I am the boss of you and Drew and cheetos. I am the boss."
So I got him. And put him in his seat. And told him to eat. And not to talk back to his mother. I was surprisingly calm, considering my short fuse and his snotty attitude. And, he began to eat.
Then this little voice came from the other side of the table. Not to be outdone by his baby brother, Drew said, under his breath but quite audibly, "No, I'm the boss of the world!"
*sigh*
I just let it go. Not worth the battle. Not tonight.
So, let's go back in time. It's easy to pretend that it was all sunshine and roses, even though I'm sure it wasn't. Here are my boys, 2 years ago next week. This was the day of their birthday bash that year--Drew turning 3 and Nick turning 1.
Monday, July 10, 2006
What do you tell them?
This post over at Issa's World serves as the inspiration for tonights ramblings. If you just aren't feeling like clicking over, well, you're missing out, because Melissa is quite amusing. But I'll give you the gist. Her family spent the day at Venice Beach people watching, and they were making up stories about all the different people she saw. She was talking about daydreaming, and wondering if her daughters would notice people like she does.
It brought to mind (and acutally, I commented on it) some incidents that have happened to us recently. Last week at the fair, we saw a teenager with his hair in a mohawk. In a not quiet at all voice, Drew said "Hey, look at that guy. He looks just like a big chicken!" Comments like that do not always go over well, as you might imagine. This is probably typical 5 or even 3 year old behavior. That does not mean it's acceptable.
That same day, earlier in the morning, we had seen a rather large gentleman at the store. Granted, he was bigger than most people we see on a day-to-day basis. Even I noticed his size. He was maybe 3 feet from us when Drew said, very loudly, "Wow! Look at that big ol' fat man!" Before I could even respond, Nick repeated what he said, word for word. Then, as I was slowly sinking into the floor in humiliation, and still before I could appropriately respond, Drew said "I wonder why he has to eat so much food and get so fat?"
Just kill me now.
I had a long talk with them about feelings, and how it's not nice to say things like that about people. About how it was fine to have questions or comments, and they should say them quietly to me where no one else could hear. About how people are all different shapes and sizes and colors. About how everyone has feelings that get hurt and how maybe they made that man sad by saying those things. I thought they got it. I really did.
8 hours later we went to the fair, and Drew told some teenager he looked like a chicken. Ha.
Is there a better way to do it? Am I missing something? Or is this just something that has to happen? They have to humiliate me and hurt/embarass/anger complete strangers just as a part of growing up?
And, just because I can't seem to post without including pictures, here are some from the races last night:
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It brought to mind (and acutally, I commented on it) some incidents that have happened to us recently. Last week at the fair, we saw a teenager with his hair in a mohawk. In a not quiet at all voice, Drew said "Hey, look at that guy. He looks just like a big chicken!" Comments like that do not always go over well, as you might imagine. This is probably typical 5 or even 3 year old behavior. That does not mean it's acceptable.
That same day, earlier in the morning, we had seen a rather large gentleman at the store. Granted, he was bigger than most people we see on a day-to-day basis. Even I noticed his size. He was maybe 3 feet from us when Drew said, very loudly, "Wow! Look at that big ol' fat man!" Before I could even respond, Nick repeated what he said, word for word. Then, as I was slowly sinking into the floor in humiliation, and still before I could appropriately respond, Drew said "I wonder why he has to eat so much food and get so fat?"
Just kill me now.
I had a long talk with them about feelings, and how it's not nice to say things like that about people. About how it was fine to have questions or comments, and they should say them quietly to me where no one else could hear. About how people are all different shapes and sizes and colors. About how everyone has feelings that get hurt and how maybe they made that man sad by saying those things. I thought they got it. I really did.
8 hours later we went to the fair, and Drew told some teenager he looked like a chicken. Ha.
Is there a better way to do it? Am I missing something? Or is this just something that has to happen? They have to humiliate me and hurt/embarass/anger complete strangers just as a part of growing up?
And, just because I can't seem to post without including pictures, here are some from the races last night:
Sunday, July 09, 2006
One month to go
Today is July 9. Does anyone have any idea at all what that means? No? Well, the first day of school here is August 9. That means that in one month, this kid right here:
will start school. Did you hear me? He starts school in one month. That's like, 4 weeks. That's not very many weeks. That's not very many weeks at all. Can you believe that?
Sometime between now and then, we've got a birthday party (oh, the party. The planning is coming along nicely, in case anyone was wondering), a Dr. appointment, a haircut appointment, school shopping to start AND finish, school orientation to attend, and various other little details of life to attend to. Whew. Good thing I have next week off!
And this little guy right here:
I'm feeling a little sorry for him. Nothing that anyone can say can convince Nick that he's not going to start school when Drew does. He is positive that on August 9 he'll be hopping on the school bus right along with his big brother and going to kindergarten. He's going to be crushed.
Drew will be catching the school bus at the babysitter's house. I will drop them off in the mornings just like I do now, and about 1/2 hour later the bus comes. Then he gets back off the bus there about 45 minutes before I arrive to pick them up in the afternoon. Very convenient for all of us. On the first day of school I plan on staying until he gets on the bus, and then leaving work early to be there when he gets back. I'm doing that as much for me (photos photos photos) and Drew (he's soooo excited) as for Nick, who will be very sad that morning.
But I bet Nick adjusts pretty quick. Because with Drew and Miranda and Nathaniel all starting school this fall, Nick is now one of the 'big kids'. He, along with Dayna, will rule the roost. And that is something he's never had a chance to do before.
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will start school. Did you hear me? He starts school in one month. That's like, 4 weeks. That's not very many weeks. That's not very many weeks at all. Can you believe that?
Sometime between now and then, we've got a birthday party (oh, the party. The planning is coming along nicely, in case anyone was wondering), a Dr. appointment, a haircut appointment, school shopping to start AND finish, school orientation to attend, and various other little details of life to attend to. Whew. Good thing I have next week off!
And this little guy right here:
I'm feeling a little sorry for him. Nothing that anyone can say can convince Nick that he's not going to start school when Drew does. He is positive that on August 9 he'll be hopping on the school bus right along with his big brother and going to kindergarten. He's going to be crushed.
Drew will be catching the school bus at the babysitter's house. I will drop them off in the mornings just like I do now, and about 1/2 hour later the bus comes. Then he gets back off the bus there about 45 minutes before I arrive to pick them up in the afternoon. Very convenient for all of us. On the first day of school I plan on staying until he gets on the bus, and then leaving work early to be there when he gets back. I'm doing that as much for me (photos photos photos) and Drew (he's soooo excited) as for Nick, who will be very sad that morning.
But I bet Nick adjusts pretty quick. Because with Drew and Miranda and Nathaniel all starting school this fall, Nick is now one of the 'big kids'. He, along with Dayna, will rule the roost. And that is something he's never had a chance to do before.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Taking stock, cleaning up, and clearing out
The boys' room was a mess. Even when it was clean it was a mess. There was no getting around it--they had too much stuff. I've done the 'toy clean-out' thing several times, but I've not been nearly as ruthless as I should have been. And the one thing I've never touched is the books.
Today was the last straw. I couldn't find the Candy Land game. Come on, now. That thing is huge. How do you lose a board game? All of a sudden I was cleaning left and right. Here is the bookshelf now:
Before it was overflowing. I've always said you can't have too many books, and I still believe this to be true. However, I'm certain that my 3 and 5 year old children don't need the 41 board books that I've set aside to give away. 41 board books, people! And while I think that they probably could still get some use out of the alphabet/letter books, I don't think that they need 16 of them! And there are still about 25 books that live in the living room--those are the favorites.
After I tackled the bookshelf it was time for the toys. Again. It hasn't been too long since I did the toys. This is the toys now:
Mostly all we did was pick up, and re-organize. Really, the boys are pretty good about keeping things organized. The Power Rangers all live together, the Rescue Heroes all live together, the tractors all live together, Hot Wheels together, B.C. Builders together, etc... But when you have two little boys sharing such a small space, it's hard to keep it clean. We did sort through the stuffed toys to donate what they could part with, and got rid of about half the mid-size cars (and I think there are still 30 left!), and lots of Happy Meal type toys left the premesis. I'm feeling much better about the state of their room, at least for today.
I also washed all of their bed linens and stuffed toys that they sleep with. What do you think the neighbors made of this load of laundry?
Some stuff, though, I didn't get rid of. Some of those board books I just couldn't let go of. There was one called "I Love You As Much". Super simple, super short. I used to read it to Drew over and over and over, until I didn't have to read it any more. It went into 'the box'. Now it lives there with the outfits that each boy came home from the hospital in, and curls from their first haircuts. Also in the box are newspapers from the day they were born. Special little tiny clothes and shoes, and socks so small I'm quite sure they never fit my children--except I know that they did. Today we added that book and 2 others. I snuck in a paci that Nick doesn't know that I saved. Hospital bracelets, rattles, and little stuffed toys. Babyhood.
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Today was the last straw. I couldn't find the Candy Land game. Come on, now. That thing is huge. How do you lose a board game? All of a sudden I was cleaning left and right. Here is the bookshelf now:
Before it was overflowing. I've always said you can't have too many books, and I still believe this to be true. However, I'm certain that my 3 and 5 year old children don't need the 41 board books that I've set aside to give away. 41 board books, people! And while I think that they probably could still get some use out of the alphabet/letter books, I don't think that they need 16 of them! And there are still about 25 books that live in the living room--those are the favorites.After I tackled the bookshelf it was time for the toys. Again. It hasn't been too long since I did the toys. This is the toys now:
Mostly all we did was pick up, and re-organize. Really, the boys are pretty good about keeping things organized. The Power Rangers all live together, the Rescue Heroes all live together, the tractors all live together, Hot Wheels together, B.C. Builders together, etc... But when you have two little boys sharing such a small space, it's hard to keep it clean. We did sort through the stuffed toys to donate what they could part with, and got rid of about half the mid-size cars (and I think there are still 30 left!), and lots of Happy Meal type toys left the premesis. I'm feeling much better about the state of their room, at least for today.I also washed all of their bed linens and stuffed toys that they sleep with. What do you think the neighbors made of this load of laundry?
Some stuff, though, I didn't get rid of. Some of those board books I just couldn't let go of. There was one called "I Love You As Much". Super simple, super short. I used to read it to Drew over and over and over, until I didn't have to read it any more. It went into 'the box'. Now it lives there with the outfits that each boy came home from the hospital in, and curls from their first haircuts. Also in the box are newspapers from the day they were born. Special little tiny clothes and shoes, and socks so small I'm quite sure they never fit my children--except I know that they did. Today we added that book and 2 others. I snuck in a paci that Nick doesn't know that I saved. Hospital bracelets, rattles, and little stuffed toys. Babyhood.
Friday, July 07, 2006
I can hardly wait!
I just bought 4 tickets to this:
Saturday, August 26th at 3:00
My parents took us to an ice show once. I have very very vauge memories of it. I believe it was He-Man. Am I right, Mom?
At any rate, the boys will love this. They will LOVE it. But they're not the only ones. So will I.
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Saturday, August 26th at 3:00
My parents took us to an ice show once. I have very very vauge memories of it. I believe it was He-Man. Am I right, Mom?
At any rate, the boys will love this. They will LOVE it. But they're not the only ones. So will I.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Sometimes you just gotta
I'm generally not a real sentimental type of person. Really. And while I do like my pictures and frames, and candles, I'm not real big on knick-knacks. But shortly before Nick was born, I saw this figurine in a catalog:
I've wanted it ever since. That's 3 years of wanting. At every gift-giving occasion since, I've secretly hoped that someone would get it for me. Would see it and say "oooh, that looks perfect for her". Of course, no one did, because it's so unlike me. It's so...feminine. Sentimental. So not me.
Today I stopped at the pharmacy to fill a prescription, and as I was browsing around I saw it there on the shelf. They had the entire collection there. But this one, this is the one. So, I bought it. I just bought it. I didn't even ask how much it cost. I just took it right up to the register. And now, it's mine. All mine. And it's just as perfect in real life as it has been for 3 years in the catalog. Sometimes you just have to do it.
This afternoon before Andy went to work we let the boys use up the last of the sparklers. They had a marvelous time.
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I've wanted it ever since. That's 3 years of wanting. At every gift-giving occasion since, I've secretly hoped that someone would get it for me. Would see it and say "oooh, that looks perfect for her". Of course, no one did, because it's so unlike me. It's so...feminine. Sentimental. So not me. Today I stopped at the pharmacy to fill a prescription, and as I was browsing around I saw it there on the shelf. They had the entire collection there. But this one, this is the one. So, I bought it. I just bought it. I didn't even ask how much it cost. I just took it right up to the register. And now, it's mine. All mine. And it's just as perfect in real life as it has been for 3 years in the catalog. Sometimes you just have to do it.
This afternoon before Andy went to work we let the boys use up the last of the sparklers. They had a marvelous time.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
I should save my blogging for closer to bedtime
Because if I would wait until bedtime to do this, I could have posted this photo on the appropriate day:
We were so lucky. As the boys were watching their movie and I had just settled into the recliner with a book, I heard this loud BANG. It seems the neighbors (across the highway) spent about $500 on fireworks this year. Illegal fireworks, but who really cares? The police don't really even care, unless you're doing something dangerous or your neighbors complain. Anyhow. So I got the boys out, and for a half an hour we were treated to our own private fireworks show, right in the driveway. Very, very cool. When they were finished, Drew hollered "thank you!" across the road. We were treated to a very cheerful "anytime! goodnight, boys!" by the neighbor.
Let's see. In other news, I'm happy to report that my friend and I have cleared up our little misunderstanding and are again friends. Well, I guess we were still friends, just angry ones. I called him at his workplace first thing this morning and in about 5 minutes we were A-OK. I feel so much better. I just wish he lived closer so that things like that didn't have to take days and days to work through. Is it sad that, of the 4 people that I would count as my good (best) friends in this world, 3 of them live far far away? I keep saying that I need to make some new friends, but that's not really true. I know lots of people, and I have lots of friends. Well, I have some friends. But my good friends, the ones I've known and loved for years and years, I don't want any more of those. I'm not even interested in starting new ones. I'm perfectly content with the ones that I have, even if they're hundreds of miles away.
This:
This is what I found waiting for me when I went into the living room a few minutes ago. The boys called for me, and when I went in there all I saw was this. Then I heard a little giggle from behind the couch. I suspected I was supposed to be frightened. I let out a girly little "eek", and the boys popped right up, laughing so hard they could barely stand. "gotcha, Mom! gotcha!"
They are too cute.
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We were so lucky. As the boys were watching their movie and I had just settled into the recliner with a book, I heard this loud BANG. It seems the neighbors (across the highway) spent about $500 on fireworks this year. Illegal fireworks, but who really cares? The police don't really even care, unless you're doing something dangerous or your neighbors complain. Anyhow. So I got the boys out, and for a half an hour we were treated to our own private fireworks show, right in the driveway. Very, very cool. When they were finished, Drew hollered "thank you!" across the road. We were treated to a very cheerful "anytime! goodnight, boys!" by the neighbor.
Let's see. In other news, I'm happy to report that my friend and I have cleared up our little misunderstanding and are again friends. Well, I guess we were still friends, just angry ones. I called him at his workplace first thing this morning and in about 5 minutes we were A-OK. I feel so much better. I just wish he lived closer so that things like that didn't have to take days and days to work through. Is it sad that, of the 4 people that I would count as my good (best) friends in this world, 3 of them live far far away? I keep saying that I need to make some new friends, but that's not really true. I know lots of people, and I have lots of friends. Well, I have some friends. But my good friends, the ones I've known and loved for years and years, I don't want any more of those. I'm not even interested in starting new ones. I'm perfectly content with the ones that I have, even if they're hundreds of miles away.
This:
This is what I found waiting for me when I went into the living room a few minutes ago. The boys called for me, and when I went in there all I saw was this. Then I heard a little giggle from behind the couch. I suspected I was supposed to be frightened. I let out a girly little "eek", and the boys popped right up, laughing so hard they could barely stand. "gotcha, Mom! gotcha!"They are too cute.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
The Fourth of July
Well, it's Independence Day. I really wanted to write a well thought out, eloquent post about freedom, or patriotism, or something equally moving. But I just don't seem to have it in me. I tried. I wrote it, then re-read it, and it was awful.
So, you're getting yet another rundown of my day. I bet you're thrilled. Might as well stop reading now, huh?
The day did not did not start off on a good note. The boys woke me up at 5:30 (normally on a Tuesday I can't drag them out of bed at 6:00) and I went into the bathroom, only to discover that we had no water. No, I didn't forget to pay the bill. The water main ruptured somewhere down the line. We didn't have any water until nearly noon. No shower. No dishes or laundry. No toilet. Did I mention no shower? And of course, Andy worked last night and is working tonight, so he was expecting his beauty rest today.
In an effort to keep the house quiet so that Andy could sleep, the boys and I headed out for a bit. We went out to the farm where they've been doing some pond renovation so that the boys could see the bulldozer and the front end loader.
They had a great time. We stayed nearly two hours. They explored all the equipment, and of course had to climb all the mega-piles of dirt. They got filthy--not so great planning on my part, considering we didn't have running water at the time. So before heading home we stopped to splash around in the creek and rinse off a bit.
Then, as it still wasn't lunch time and Andy was still sleeping, we decided to head down and pick up some fireworks for this evening. Nothing really exciting, because most of the good stuff is illegal in Kentucky. We got sparklers, snap-n-pops, and a couple of fountain/whistler type things. The boys will be impressed, I'm sure.
The real prize, however, was this:
On the way back home I passed a farm stand with these peaches. $5 a box. I picked up 2 boxes. After I got home I counted, and one box had 18 peaches. The other had 21. Of course, each boy has already eaten 2 apiece (1 in the truck on the way home), and I've had 3. Perhaps I should go back...
Have a happy 4th, ya'll...
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So, you're getting yet another rundown of my day. I bet you're thrilled. Might as well stop reading now, huh?
The day did not did not start off on a good note. The boys woke me up at 5:30 (normally on a Tuesday I can't drag them out of bed at 6:00) and I went into the bathroom, only to discover that we had no water. No, I didn't forget to pay the bill. The water main ruptured somewhere down the line. We didn't have any water until nearly noon. No shower. No dishes or laundry. No toilet. Did I mention no shower? And of course, Andy worked last night and is working tonight, so he was expecting his beauty rest today.
In an effort to keep the house quiet so that Andy could sleep, the boys and I headed out for a bit. We went out to the farm where they've been doing some pond renovation so that the boys could see the bulldozer and the front end loader.
They had a great time. We stayed nearly two hours. They explored all the equipment, and of course had to climb all the mega-piles of dirt. They got filthy--not so great planning on my part, considering we didn't have running water at the time. So before heading home we stopped to splash around in the creek and rinse off a bit.
Then, as it still wasn't lunch time and Andy was still sleeping, we decided to head down and pick up some fireworks for this evening. Nothing really exciting, because most of the good stuff is illegal in Kentucky. We got sparklers, snap-n-pops, and a couple of fountain/whistler type things. The boys will be impressed, I'm sure.
The real prize, however, was this:
On the way back home I passed a farm stand with these peaches. $5 a box. I picked up 2 boxes. After I got home I counted, and one box had 18 peaches. The other had 21. Of course, each boy has already eaten 2 apiece (1 in the truck on the way home), and I've had 3. Perhaps I should go back...
Have a happy 4th, ya'll...
Monday, July 03, 2006
We need rain
It wasn't too many weeks ago that we had rain, rain, and more rain. It seemed like there was barely a break in the weather for the farmers to get the corn planted and then it was raining again. It was great. The crops shot up like gangbusters. Everyone's yards and flowers looked awesome, with little to no maintenance. Well, except for the fact we were having to mow every 5 days. But still...
And then, it stopped. We haven't had a drop of rain in 17 days. And that last rainfall was less than 1 inch. It's not looking so good around here. It's early in the season to be stressing stuff out like this.
The soil is dusty dry. And HOT HOT HOT. It was burning my feet.
The weather folks were saying a chance of rain today, but not anymore. Now they're saying maybe tomorrow, but it's only a 30% chance. Hopefully.
Anyway, the boys are being little angels today. I'm sure that just cursed me to an awful evening, but they're being so pleasant right now. We had a nice visit yesterday with my parents, and they were so worn out last night that they were both asleep by 7:30. A good night's sleep after a fun weekend plus a full day with their friends makes for two happy kids. They're playing Power Rangers now, and then it'll be time for Monday night pizza night. Then it's outside in the heat to water all of the flowers and fill the ponds, and some trampoline time. The boys don't seem to be bothered much by the heat or the humidity but it just drains me. I'll be ready to come back in long before they will, I'm sure.
It was a strange day to be at work. Not alot going on because most folks figured we were closed. It made for a really long, boring day. I was chatting back and forth with a good friend of mine via e-mail, and somehow or another we got into an argument. It's a little unsettling. I'm not sure what really happened, but now he's a bit mad at me and I don't really know why. And I haven't actually spoken to him, voice to voice, which makes it difficult to resolve things. At any rate, since he's annoyed at me, I'm annoyed at him for annoying me, so now I'm mad. And we're probably both mad over nothing, but since we haven't actually spoken to one another we can't settle things. Arrgh! I've been friends with this guy for 14 years, and in that whole time we've had one argument. It lasted an hour, and it was over map directions. It's silly, we're adults. But I can't call him at home (Mom, I know you know why) so I just have to wait and hope I hear from him via e-mail or cell phone on Wednesday. :(
I guess I've rambled on enough for the evening. The pizza is finished cooking and the kids are hungry.
Everyone have a good night.
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And then, it stopped. We haven't had a drop of rain in 17 days. And that last rainfall was less than 1 inch. It's not looking so good around here. It's early in the season to be stressing stuff out like this.
This plant is a goner. There are lots in this plot like this one.
The soil is dusty dry. And HOT HOT HOT. It was burning my feet.
See the leaves standing up to protect themselves from the sun? The air is still. Not a trace of a breeze.
Corn is not supposed to be all spiky and pointing straight up like that. The leaves are supposed to bow over. The farmers say that this corn is 'praying for rain'.
The weather folks were saying a chance of rain today, but not anymore. Now they're saying maybe tomorrow, but it's only a 30% chance. Hopefully.
Anyway, the boys are being little angels today. I'm sure that just cursed me to an awful evening, but they're being so pleasant right now. We had a nice visit yesterday with my parents, and they were so worn out last night that they were both asleep by 7:30. A good night's sleep after a fun weekend plus a full day with their friends makes for two happy kids. They're playing Power Rangers now, and then it'll be time for Monday night pizza night. Then it's outside in the heat to water all of the flowers and fill the ponds, and some trampoline time. The boys don't seem to be bothered much by the heat or the humidity but it just drains me. I'll be ready to come back in long before they will, I'm sure.
It was a strange day to be at work. Not alot going on because most folks figured we were closed. It made for a really long, boring day. I was chatting back and forth with a good friend of mine via e-mail, and somehow or another we got into an argument. It's a little unsettling. I'm not sure what really happened, but now he's a bit mad at me and I don't really know why. And I haven't actually spoken to him, voice to voice, which makes it difficult to resolve things. At any rate, since he's annoyed at me, I'm annoyed at him for annoying me, so now I'm mad. And we're probably both mad over nothing, but since we haven't actually spoken to one another we can't settle things. Arrgh! I've been friends with this guy for 14 years, and in that whole time we've had one argument. It lasted an hour, and it was over map directions. It's silly, we're adults. But I can't call him at home (Mom, I know you know why) so I just have to wait and hope I hear from him via e-mail or cell phone on Wednesday. :(
I guess I've rambled on enough for the evening. The pizza is finished cooking and the kids are hungry.
Everyone have a good night.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
The Fair: A Photo Essay
OK, after 3 hours at the fair in 90 degree heat and what I swear had to be 400% humidity, I am pooped. Really. So what you're getting is a photo essay. Pictures, straight off the camera. Unedited, and not even in order. Because I love you, I'll do captions. But that's it. Then I'm going to bed.
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Drew with SnowCone tongue.
Ribeye Sandwich from the 4-H booth. Hands down the best sandwich I've had all year.
This would be me, helping the boys at the duck pond. They each won a stuffed dolphin.
Drew, coming down the Big Slide.
Andy and Nick, Big Slide. They did this twice.
Roeder Implement, the local John Deere dealer, had a display set up. The boys were in heaven. Drew posed by this combine for forever.
Nick had his share of climbing on the combine, too.
The caterpillar rollercoaster. Drew got the front seat!
Nick on the merry-go-round.
Andy and Drew on the ferris wheel. There's a pic of me and Nick, too, but it's not a great shot so you guys don't get to see it.
