Thanksgiving

Home is the nicest word there is.
~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Border Collie Warning

Sometimes having/raising/being owned by a border collie is like having/raising/being owned by an 18month old little boy.

incredibly cute, difficult to train, and occasionally an insomniac.

Just sayin'.

Garbage Duty

If only my boys would put the same amount of effort in taking out the garbage as they do in planning for a zombie apocalypse.

Election Random-ness

Before I refuse to take your questions, I have an opening statement.
~Ronald Reagan

Happy Halloween!

This is a Very Scary Halloween Video, written, produced, and directed by FL, starring FL as Herself and UCII as, well, UCII. Guest starring as the Man In Black, UCI. Screams courtesy of 2 seven years on sugar. Black umbrella borrowed from unsuspecting Dad. Filmed on location in front of a very sweet elderly neighbor's house.

Trick or Treating

FL decided to be a mummy this year for trick or treating. After an hour of walking, she said her eyes hurt because she hadn't been blinking. When I asked why, she told me a little known fact: mummys don't blink. Who knew?

Pick Me Up?

In my struggle with being organized, I am trying to emphasize to the kids that if they have plans, activities, parties, church doings, whatever, that they should put it on the calendar. Here is what I found today.

Don't know who, what, where, but I do know at 4:30 on Thursday the 20th Something is happening. Hope I can be ready.

Age-Activated Attention Deficit Disorder

Yes! Just like I said, Adult Onset ADHD! Now I have proof. So if you come to my house and don't like what you see, just remember this video.

No Thank You

Nothing like a child offering you a bite of cookie at the same time he sneezes on it.

LO and the Wants

remember, LO is my little neighbor boy that comes over to play with FL when his dad goes to work.

LO watching tv: "me wants that!" I reply: "cool train!"

Another commercial: "Me wants that!" I reply: "cool truck!"

I see the next commercial and say: "What about that? Do you need some of that?"
LO replys:"No, me a kid! me no like toothpaste!"

LO sees another commercial and says "FL wants that! Then I can play with it! I'll tell her she wants that when she gets home."

Missing the Smell of Hay

Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousand of miles and all the years you have lived.
~Helen Keller

FL being a FL

I was on the phone last night talking to my sister when FL barged into the bathroom. (Yes, I have to hide in the bathroom to talk on the phone.) FL came in with a paper and proclaimed she was my lawyer and had a "document" for me to sign. "If you refuse, you'll have to go to court and get put in jail." So I read the document and it seemed strangely familar. It read "Have you ever been convicted of a crime? circle yes or no. Are you on any medication? circle yes or no." I asked where she got this. "I copied it off of my brother's job application," she said. 

Joke of the Day:   Signs that you have picked the wrong lawyer:

Your lawyer has a red briefcase that is full of crayons.

Your lawyer's office is in a bathroom.

Your lawyer brings you popcorn to eat in her office (bathroom.)

Your lawyer spells "convicted" wrong.

Your lawyer is 7 years old and doesn't comb her hair or take a shower without a temper tantrum.

What Did You Learn At School Today?

We once had a teacher that told parents,"I won't believe everything your child tells me (about home) if you won't believe everything your child tells you (about school)."

Here is what FL has told me about school so far this year:

The student teacher she had last year is student teaching again this year.

Mason was adopted over the summer, and got 16 new sisters.

Zac moved to Mexico.

Daisy moved to Delaware.

Gage came to school the first 2 days, moved to Delaware, but now is back because his grandma couldn't find a school in Delaware for him to go to. They were all full.

Melinda broke her arm. After that was all better, she broke her leg.

Angie was playing rock, paper, scissors, glue and got a concussion.

FL's kindergarden teacher came back to teach for 9 days, moved to Erie, and is now bored.

Derrick couldn't find something in his backpack, so he dumped it out and found homework from last year that he never did. From his old school.

The playground teachers let them throw little sticks, but not big ones.

FL saw the gym teacher at the grocery store, in the ice cream aisle. FL thinks that is why they have to run so much in gym. So the gym teacher gets to work off all that ice cream.

The lunchroom ladies won't serve Nacho Grande anymore. Something about the cheese isn't good for you. But they still have cheese pizza day.

(all names have been changed to protect the innocent.)

Life Rules, part 2

A continuation of NCIS-life rules from our family. Sometimes I picture myself as Gibbs, corralling everyone, dividing up missions, whopping them on the backside of their heads. I wish I was more like Abby, know-it-all, never-wrong, happily isolated in her lab with her door remote control, where no one dares to enter unless beckoned. Unfortunately, I don't even have a lock on the bathroom door.

1. I know, this should be rule #15, but anyways. . . rule#15: when you want to blog a continuation of numbers, you will spend 20 minutes trying to figure out how to start with #15 on the numerated list of numbers, but you will end up realizing it would have been easier to just type 15 than try to get the program to do it automatically.



2. parents should get their sleep caught up before summer starts. kids can automatically go from sleeping in and almost missing the bus on school days to getting up (and being LOUD) at the first sign of light on the first day of summer break.



3. the spring you decide to plant a boatload of peas in the garden, a boatload of slugs will devour them in one night.







4. day 2 of summer break is often worse than day 1.

1. Do not keep dog flea shampoo in the bathroom next to the people shampoo.



2. If Facebook says "you are in a relationship," then you must be. (This is the newest teen rule.)

Chicken Update

a very serious Barred Rock pullet
a curious White Leghorn

one of 2 Welsummer pullets, very stand-offish

Finally found some time to take some pics of the newest chickens, I can't believe how fast they have grown! I love all their different colors and feather patterns.

under their snazzy canopy

a hen acting like an annoying little sister and monopolizing her big brother's photo opp

what? another annoying little sister

finally, a handsome boy

Back to School

School is not going well.

Day 1: everyone got on the bus. With no great problems. (except the fog)

Day 2: Kid #3 missed the bus. Proceeded to run away. Had to call the police, 4wheelers were involved in locating him.

Day 3: Kid #3 missed the bus again. I am seeing a pattern here.

Day 6: Kid #3 throwing up. Missed school again.

Day 7: Kid #3 throwing up. But got on the bus.

Day 11: All kids have severe sore throats, headaches, but go to school.

I can't wait for this school year to be over.

Forever

The sound of an airplane overhead will always make my heart jump up into my throat.

A Boy's Idea of Fun

Teenage boys are just crazy. Who knew packaging pillows could become an instant 6 pack? That you could chest pound until they pop?

Or the favorite topping of choice is a whole bottle of Tabasco sauce?

Or decide that they are sooooooo hungry that they will walk all the way to the store, buy 1 hot pocket, and then after eating eat, decide that 1 wasn't enough? (big suprise)

Riddle: How many Hot Pockets does it take to fill up a teenaged boy?

Answer: Teenaged boys are never filled up.

Funny things kids say

Micks-donalds= McDonalds


Fast-forward it back= rewind

hyperventing=hyperventilating

blow it back down= deflating (as in a balloon or Christmas yard ornament)

evaporate= evacuate (Think of this as if you were a school teacher and there was a fire drill. "We have to evaporate the school building." )

"please don't chase your tail on the couch"

Monkeys Screeching

That's the sound that you hear when you decide the kids need to go back to school.

Summer Reunion

Our Annual Family Reunion. Here are some of my favorite people in the world, my family! As you can telll, we love to eat.

Hope to see you all there next year!

I Love Michigan Rocks

Too Many Dishes

I think I have too many dishes. If I had fewer dishes, would I let them pile up as much?

Little Outdoorsman

Our neighbor boy, Little Outdoorsman, is three years old and all boy. Except when he is playing kitchen, but that involves him "cooking" on his grill, so I guess that still is a guy thing. He came over this week and we got out all the boy toys we still have left over from CGS's little boy stage and wouldn't you know it, Little Outdoorsman didn't really play with them. He found D's hunting magazines and sat down to pick out guns. He found one for himself and another for FL. And then he had a little discussion with himself about which deer he thought was the best in the magazine. All boy I tell you, all boy.

That is until FL let him use her chalk on the sidewalk. After some intensive drawing, he declared it was time to play. . . .Hopscotch.

I laughed at the thought of his dad seeing him play a girl's game, so I asked LO who taught him to play hopscotch. LO said, "My Daddy!"

Laughing some more at that thought, FL and I started to play hopscotch with him. Guess what, I lost. Because I didn't play by the "rules."

Boy Hopscotch involves flexing your muscles and thumping your chest before hopping you know. I didn't know that, so I lost.

All boy, I tell you, all boy.

It's Time

I guess it's time to wash the dishes. I found the kids eating cereal out of mixing bowls.

Forest Floor

Escapees

For some reason, it seems like every single one of our critters here has attempted a breakout this past week. I think it is because of the heat (it's been in the high 80's and 90's) and we haven't had much rain for a month or so. Here's the run-down:

Jake the Dog: broke his collar, tore off the new collar, broke the old tie-out leash, broke the runner the new one was on.

The Ladies (2 year old hens): have been running amok due to the untimely demise of their quiet leader PollyAnna. At least 2 times to the neighbor's flowers and I don't know how many tomatoes of mine they have eaten.

Delilah the Cat: snuck into my bedroom and was lost for a while under the black hole under my bed

The Young Girls (the pullets): didn't get too far due to their inexperience and fear of the unknown that is outside of their run, but they did get out.

The Goldfish in the Rainbarrel: I guess they didn't get out, but due to the lack of rain, I might have to move them inside.

The San Juan bunnies: In my attempt to not befriend/tame this litter, they escaped twice while trying to move them into new pens/carrier pens. One was lost for over 24 hours, but we succeded in catching him with a heavy duty fishing net. Oddly enough, this is the first time I've ever lost a rabbit outside the shed. Hopefully, it is the last.

The heat is supposed to continue for the next week, so lets hope I can bribe the critters to stay put with ice cubes and frozen water bottles. I'll be darned if I have to haul out the extension cords and fans. Again.

(I even resorted to ice cream)

I Thought It Was A Mirage

I saw the funniest thing today! I was driving on a long stretch of road, where we usually can see deer, turkey or even an occasional black bear, I saw what looked like 3 dirt bikes coming toward me. As they got closer, I realized they were driving sortof slow, slow enough to have 3 cars lined up behind them. BUT. . . . . as I got closer. . . . . I realized they were not dirt bikes, but mopeds. Mopeds? At that point in my drive, we were about 15 miles from the city and it must have taken them a bit of time to drive that far at that speed, plus they were heading away from the city. The kicker is . . . . three little old ladies with white hair were driving them! And I swear, one of them had on a flowered nightgown.

A Little Moss

Are You Looking At Me?

Summer Break

Am being forced to take a break from blogging, but not from life! Sooooooo busy, I can't get 5 minutes to post anything. But don't fret, FL is still spewing out funny quotes and the new chicks are finally outside. I will continue to write in my head and hopfully I can remember it when I get the next chance to blog. Have a great summer and hope to be back soon!

Quotes from FL

More strange-ness from FL. Tonight, honestly, she hadn't had any sugar, caffine, or even anything with artificial food colorings, but yet she was bouncing off the couch, over the coffee table, and chattering the whole time. I KNOW she is related to the motor mouth mug gwump (you know who you are.) There is no doubt. She didn't get all that from me.

Latest quotes:

"I wonder what it would be like to be French?"

After pondering the worth of the money in her hand, "It would be pointless to make a Zero dollar bill."

"I'm going to be the first American to live in the desert."

FL's big sister pointed out that mom's secret stash of Mt. Dew left in the van had rolled out of the van door when Dad had stopped for a secret ice cream cone. FL decided that "maybe the Mt. Dew wanted to be a dairy product."

Peep-ing

new barn

Sometime around the age of 12, I realized I could have a barn of my own someday. Thanks to my dad, I have one now!

The retaining wall between the barn and the soon-to-be-expanded chicken run.

The walkway between the new barn and the chicken coop, made out of silo tiles from my great-grandfather's silo in Michigan.

Looking towards the west.

Looking towards the east

The plan is to add walls, windows, and doors on the ends and rabbits in the middle! Although, I think I will save a section for my Welsummer chickens and a few others that might not fit in the current coop.

Thank you Dad!

More Lilacs

Lilacs

My Newest Babies

Thought I would share some really nice pics that my oldest daughter took of my new babies. (Can you tell she wants to be a photographer? I'm so proud!)

Garden Break

Too Much Again

How much can I fit into a single day?

got the boys to school at 6:15 am for a field trip

washed 2 loads of clothes

worked on coupons

got FL off to school

cleaned chick cage

made 2 phone calls (I hate talking on the phone)

went to grocery store

went to school

showed chicks to K class

picked up FL early so

we could get to Clearfield

to drop TDQ off for work

got gas (for the van, not me)

went to D's work

went to library

went to park

went to BK

went to Walmart

got some groceries

picked TDQ up from work

just in time to find out the boys were arriving home 1.5 hours early from field trip

and picked them up on time.

Went home

to wash more laundry,

dry more laundry,

work on coupons.

Played detective trying to figure out whose photo memory card I found in the parking lot at Walmart

went to bed around midnight.

goodnite

Here Chick Chick Chick!

Cinco De Mayo

How ironic is it that taco-loving boy was born on Cinco de Mayo? Can't believe he is now 16! Sometimes he walks thru the door and I have to do a double take, he is not that preemie I held in my arms and couldn't put down in fear he would stop breathing. Now he is learning to drive, he is taller than I am, and he is dating a really sweet girl. (And her family is so nice.)

Sometimes I picture him as this. . . .


And then see him as this.

I am so proud of him.

Happy Birthday Son!

10 Long Years

It seems like a lifetime ago that we saw hundreds of people running in fear in New York City, but tonight people are running in happiness toward the White House. I am watching CNN and trying not to cry.

It has been such a long 10 years. I remember watching CNN and seeing the second plane hit. When Flight 93 crashed, I didn't realize until weeks later that we were something like 8 minutes airtime from the crash site. (Meaning if we were to fly from where we are to the crash site, it would only take 8 minutes.) 8 minutes. I can't drive to the kid's school in 8 minutes.

A few days after the attack, I was cleaning under the couch and found a picture CBS had drawn and hidden under there. I asked him about it, and at the age of 7 (when I thought I was severely monitoring what the kids saw on tv) he told me he had drawn a picture of a skyscraper with a plane flying into it and all the red on the sides of the building was from all the blood from all the people that had died.

That still brings tears to my eyes.

Once during a particular hard period in my life, a very kind and wise friend told me I had a tender-hearted soul. I thought I was being a cry-baby. My friend told me God wants a tender heart.

So I cry.

Not in joy of this day.

In rememberance of that day.

Surprise Party

Had to spend 4 hours in town yesterday while waiting for TDQ to get off of work. While I don't mind waiting too much, FL went with us and I had to try to keep her occupied for 4 hours. Tried going to the library, but it closed 1 hour after we got there. Went to the park, but left after 30 minutes due to thunderstorm warnings. Tried Burger King next, hoping they still had an indoor playground. While I waited in line, FL informed me that there was a closed sign on the playground. (You know she can read now. Nothing is safe anymore.) I asked the cashier about it and she said there was a birthday party, but we were ok to go in and play anyways. After 15 minutes or so, the birthday girl's Grandma came up to me and asked if FL could join their festivities, including a kids meal and cake. I said thank you but no, (how do you politely say no to that, being from a stranger and all???) Grandma insisted, and that is how FL got her surprise party at BK. As FL said, "The party was a surprise for the girl and a surprise to me too!"

Michigan Weather

Watched the weather today and thought I was in Michigan again. You know, snow one day, 76 degrees the next. Oh, and thunderstorms mixed in between.

One Year Blogiversary

On this day, one year ago, I commenced in writing this blog for the sole purpose of recording my family's going-on's. But it has evolved into much more, more for me that is. I have so enjoyed being able to write down something and not losing it somewhere, somehow. Playing around with the technical aspects of blogging has helped me be creative. I have renewed my interest in photography, much so that my camera has been worn out.

So on this day, I am taking a jump from a privacy to publicity. All I have to do is hit a button. . . . . .

Ok, there, I did it. (of course I did, or you wouldn't be reading this.) Now that this is public, I guess I should set a few rules.

1. I don't post every day, so don't think I've run off to Tanzania without telling you. I'm still here, same time zone, same station.



2. I don't have a comment section on my posts because I take criticism very hard. I try not too, but it happens anyways. If I know you and you have my email, then just use it.



3. If you are a stalker, please go away. I don't have time for you.

Spring Peepers

Just ordered my new chickies today. Mostly a mix of good brown egg layers. Still am looking for a couple of Easter Eggers, hens that lay blue/green colored eggs. Can't wait to get them! It's been almost 2 years since I had little chickies and I was having chickie withdrawals. I've been to TSC about 6 times just to watch the chicks there. My chicks should be here just in time for Mother's Day. I would post pictures of my first chicks from 3 years ago, but I'm afraid those pics have been lost in cyber space. I just hope the USPS doesn't lose my new chicks.

Opening Day

You know it's close to opening day when you find wax worms in the frig, hip waders in the bathtub, and a tent in the living room.

No, we're not talking Detroit Tiger's Baseball. Yup, it's trout season again.

CBS camped out the night before, all by himself after his buddies backed out because of the "cold and rain." (Can you call teenaged boys wimps or is that not socially acceptable anymore?) CBS called me opening morning at 9:45 and asked me to come pick him up. "You're done already?" I asked. (While thinking about all the camping equipment we had just hauled out there the day before.)

"Yeah, It's not raining that bad, but I already caught my limit. And I figure why get more wet? There's plenty of days left to fish." Wow. Maybe he is growing up, thinking ahead. When I picked him up I found out he had run out of Mt. Dew.

I did see his 15 inch brown trout he caught. It was very impressive.

New Baby

Introducing my newest nephew, Mr. Chubby Cheeks! A whole 8 pounds, 12 oz. which is pretty surprising since he's 3 weeks early!

And so no one is jealous, here's a pic of his big brother, Mr. Curly Head, at the same age, I was sure they would look alike, but Auntie Em was wrong!

Here's a pic of Mr. CH's curls from the back.

Mr. CH is now talking, mostly to the babysitter's husband I guess. I did get a "Bye, bye, LOVE you!!!" in a very angry voice once. I didn't mind, I got the "Love you" before Grandma did, hehe!