So, as you know, Friday, I found Nonni in the rafters above the celing in our basement, with no clue as to how he got up there. So yesterday, Christopher asked me as he was heading outside, if I was going to put Nonni out in the sun room, which I planned on doing to keep him out of the ceiling. Well, I was still in bed at that point (it was 6:00), and had no intention of getting up just to put the cat out. By the time I got up, I couldn't find him, figured he was just hiding well because the laundry room closet was closed, so I KNEW he couldn't be up there again.... WRONG! We had to leave town at 11:00 for the reception, and we still couldn't find him, but didn't worry. But guess where he was when we got hom at 8:30... in the rafters. UGH! You can probably guess what happened today, too, once they started nailing. But today, I found his secret entrance, a small opening where the pipe goes up into the wall behind the wainscoting that I had to get on my hands and knees to find. So when Nonni came out, we shoved a box into the hole, so he can no longer hide there!
As of today, our roof is STILL not finished. They say it will be done by noon tomorrow. And they're putting in the solar tube, too! Yeah! We're supposed to go fishing with my family around noon, but we'll have to see how Mr. P is feeling since he's getting a cold, and starting to feel warm.
And we finally got our A/C fixed today! They didn't call back until after we'd left yesterday, so we had to use the toothpick again last night before we went to bed to cool the house off. But they arrived by 9:00 this morning, and left at 9:30 with it running smoothly, and no needed parts, just a rewiring. So hopefully, even with being charged the overtime rate, being a Sunday, that it won't be too awfully bad. We still have to have the chimney tuck pointed this week, have the driveway repaved, pay property taxes, and buy birthday presents/party supplies for Mr. P's birthday, all this month. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Day 1 of a new roof
This might be better titled, "Murphey's Law strikes." Seriously, it seemed like everything was going wrong!
Bright and early, they're up tearing up shingles, which surprisingly, came up too easily. They get them off, and because the people who last did the roof, put on too thin of boards, feet went through the roof several times. Then they found the source of our leak in the hallway- whoever did this last, didn't brace the boards or put in rafters, so that all had to be rebuilt. Then the mortar on our chimney has disappeared, so we have a guy coming tomorrow to give us a bid on tuck pointing (????????) it.
Mr. P and I went in, and I realized that I hadn't seen our cats all day, especially going in and out, the one usually tries to escape. I find Zipper under the bed, scared. I look for Nonni, and he's nowhere. I go to throw something in the laundry in the laundry room closet, and hear scratching. I look up, and Nonni had gotten shut in the closet somehow, and crawled up into the rafters, was stuck, and couldn't come down. I go out, climb the ladder... "Christopher, Nonni's stuck in the ceiling and I can't get him out." I was told he'd have to wait. And he did wait, several more hours until they were done. Nonni was scared to death to come out. It took both of us to free him, and then, he was so dirty that he needed a bath.
Shortly after finding Nonnie stuck, I realize that it's quite warm in the house. Mr. P is sweating, so I check the thermostat... 82 degrees. I check, and it's set on 76. I go out, climb the ladder. "Reid, is Christopher in the hole (they were fixing the rafters)? Tell him the air conditioner's not working." He laughs. Long story short, the A/C is broken and we have to call the repairman in the morning. His uncle was able to rig it to get it to run, so at least we can cool the house off, but we have to take the toothpicks out of it in a while before we go to bed or it will run non-stop all night. Shall be toasty in here by morning!
So tomorrow will be an early day. They'll be up ripping off the rest of the singles at *gasp* 6 a.m. so that they can paper it and be ready for the shingles to be delivered. We have to all leave town at noon for a reception out-of-town, so it won't be a full day's work. We have to stop at Home Depot and buy a new attic fan, too since ours is shot. I hope we can find the solar powered one I've been eyeing.....
Bright and early, they're up tearing up shingles, which surprisingly, came up too easily. They get them off, and because the people who last did the roof, put on too thin of boards, feet went through the roof several times. Then they found the source of our leak in the hallway- whoever did this last, didn't brace the boards or put in rafters, so that all had to be rebuilt. Then the mortar on our chimney has disappeared, so we have a guy coming tomorrow to give us a bid on tuck pointing (????????) it.
Mr. P and I went in, and I realized that I hadn't seen our cats all day, especially going in and out, the one usually tries to escape. I find Zipper under the bed, scared. I look for Nonni, and he's nowhere. I go to throw something in the laundry in the laundry room closet, and hear scratching. I look up, and Nonni had gotten shut in the closet somehow, and crawled up into the rafters, was stuck, and couldn't come down. I go out, climb the ladder... "Christopher, Nonni's stuck in the ceiling and I can't get him out." I was told he'd have to wait. And he did wait, several more hours until they were done. Nonni was scared to death to come out. It took both of us to free him, and then, he was so dirty that he needed a bath.
Shortly after finding Nonnie stuck, I realize that it's quite warm in the house. Mr. P is sweating, so I check the thermostat... 82 degrees. I check, and it's set on 76. I go out, climb the ladder. "Reid, is Christopher in the hole (they were fixing the rafters)? Tell him the air conditioner's not working." He laughs. Long story short, the A/C is broken and we have to call the repairman in the morning. His uncle was able to rig it to get it to run, so at least we can cool the house off, but we have to take the toothpicks out of it in a while before we go to bed or it will run non-stop all night. Shall be toasty in here by morning!
So tomorrow will be an early day. They'll be up ripping off the rest of the singles at *gasp* 6 a.m. so that they can paper it and be ready for the shingles to be delivered. We have to all leave town at noon for a reception out-of-town, so it won't be a full day's work. We have to stop at Home Depot and buy a new attic fan, too since ours is shot. I hope we can find the solar powered one I've been eyeing.....
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
You will NEVER guess what I'm watching
... or rather, what's on tv behind me... remember, I can't just watch tv. The Democratic National Convention. OK, for those that know me well, pick your jaws up off the floor. No, I haven't gone to the other side! I'm still as faithful to my Republican party as ever! I just saw that it was on, needed some background noise, and thought that maybe I'd get an insight on Obama. But really, I've paid almost no attention to it. So never fear! Seriously, this year, I'm not overly thrilled with either candidate. Neither one is stellar, so I simply have to go for the one that most closely follows my ideals. That just happens (or maybe it's more party) to be Mc Cain. So next week, I'll be glued to the RNC, actually paying attention! Then I'm ready to go out and stake my yard full of signs, the bigger the better!
Countdown to our new roof
I am so excited to be getting our new roof this weekend! It's really going to change the look of our house. We're going from cheap, ugly, crappy, 3-tab shingles, to nice, architextural (I think that's what they said) brown shingles. I can't wait! Come spring, we'll be doing the BIG makeover, replacing all of the windows with nice, Energy Star windows, and replacing the siding. I absolutley LOVE home renovation, so you'll have to deal with my excitement! This is FUN!
So today, I went out and bought the blades to rip the shingles off with, and water bottles to keep our "workers" cool. Not thrilled about the water bottle thing, but I didn't argue on this. Thirsty guys on a hot roof in 90 degree weather, would go through our water pitcher in about 15 minutes, leaving me to refill it all weekend long. I'm too busy for that! Not to mention that Saturday, we all have to go to a wedding reception (workers included since it's all Christopher's family), and we're supposed to camp Sunday (if that even happens). Chris' dad came and used a torch to cut off the remnants of the old flagpole tonight so that they can pull the truck through the yard and not run into it. Hopefully none of our landscaping lights end up damaged by the time this is done!
Tomorrow, Chris' dad is delivering the farm truck to put all of the old shingles in after they're ripped off. I need to go out and take pictures of the hosue with the old roof. I've taken before and after pics of every renovation we've done in the past 10 months, so this is no exception!
Friday morning, the fun starts! Shingles will start flying! Hopefully they get them all off Friday. At least that's the plan, so that Saturday, they can have the shingles delivered and set up on our roof before we all have to leave town at noon to make it to the reception.
So today, I went out and bought the blades to rip the shingles off with, and water bottles to keep our "workers" cool. Not thrilled about the water bottle thing, but I didn't argue on this. Thirsty guys on a hot roof in 90 degree weather, would go through our water pitcher in about 15 minutes, leaving me to refill it all weekend long. I'm too busy for that! Not to mention that Saturday, we all have to go to a wedding reception (workers included since it's all Christopher's family), and we're supposed to camp Sunday (if that even happens). Chris' dad came and used a torch to cut off the remnants of the old flagpole tonight so that they can pull the truck through the yard and not run into it. Hopefully none of our landscaping lights end up damaged by the time this is done!
Tomorrow, Chris' dad is delivering the farm truck to put all of the old shingles in after they're ripped off. I need to go out and take pictures of the hosue with the old roof. I've taken before and after pics of every renovation we've done in the past 10 months, so this is no exception!
Friday morning, the fun starts! Shingles will start flying! Hopefully they get them all off Friday. At least that's the plan, so that Saturday, they can have the shingles delivered and set up on our roof before we all have to leave town at noon to make it to the reception.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Jelly making... not my thing
I got another crazy hair decided to try canning again- this time, grape jelly. My grandparents' grapes were ripe, and they gave me a bucket to pick them, so of course, I couldn't let them go to waste. So today, I started to make the jelly. I figured it couldn't be too hard considering I made 6 pints of strawberry jam earlier this summer, and it was a piece of cake (freezer method). Obviously, this was different. It didn't need pectin according to the recipe, and I thought pectin was a given in jelly-making. Guess not. Long story short, I now have 3 pints of thick grape juice, sealed away in jars. It STILL hasn't set, and I doubt it does. Plus, my pan boiled over and cooked onto the stove, so I've had it soaking in Fume Free Easy Off since about 3:00 and it STILL isn't clean! I had to cook dinner entirely in the oven because my cooktop was taken apart. What a waste of an afternoon, and good grapes!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Got...to...rest...
Holy macaroni, what a day! I didn't have much planned other than a trip to the Amish roadside stand to buy some produce, but I knew my mom wanted to spend the day with the kids. We stopped by after we got our corn, and half an hour later, we were on our way to see a movie an hour away. I figured it would be good, I'd get a chance to buy Mr. P's birthday invites, make a return to Gymboree, and spend my Too Bucks. BUT... the kdis had stayed the night at my in-law's last night, and Kate didn't have her medicine this morning. And you can tell a HUGE difference in her ADHD when she doesn't have it. My gosh... it was exhausting to say the least. I know she can't really help it, but still... We didn't get home until 8:30 tonight, and I was all too ready to get them both in bed!
That aside, we saw Wall-E today. I've heard not-so-good reviews on it, so I wasn't overly thrilled to see it, and that's why we hadn't seen it already. The only reason we saw it, was because out of all 15 cinemas, that was the only kid movie. I'm not into adults preaching to other adults via childrens' movies. That's just wrong. They should me entertaining and educational, not pushy. So yes, I did clearly see the environmental impact, and both the kids saw it, too. We are ruining our planet- we always have been. It's way past time for us to be seriously doing things to remedy the situation. And I really didn't like the part where all of the humans became so lazy that they did NOTHING for themselves, and all became lazy, morbidly obese people. What is THAT teaching our children? That also is true, and quite evident, but still, don't put it in a kid's movie!
Ugh....... off my soapbox!
That aside, we saw Wall-E today. I've heard not-so-good reviews on it, so I wasn't overly thrilled to see it, and that's why we hadn't seen it already. The only reason we saw it, was because out of all 15 cinemas, that was the only kid movie. I'm not into adults preaching to other adults via childrens' movies. That's just wrong. They should me entertaining and educational, not pushy. So yes, I did clearly see the environmental impact, and both the kids saw it, too. We are ruining our planet- we always have been. It's way past time for us to be seriously doing things to remedy the situation. And I really didn't like the part where all of the humans became so lazy that they did NOTHING for themselves, and all became lazy, morbidly obese people. What is THAT teaching our children? That also is true, and quite evident, but still, don't put it in a kid's movie!
Ugh....... off my soapbox!
Friday, August 22, 2008
Forgotten homework already
Four days into school, and already, homework has been forgotten. I admit, that it was more MY fault than hers, but still... we're on a roll! When I picked her up from school yesterday, I asked if she had homework- "No, we did a crossword puzzle that was supposed to be homework, but I got it done in class." I get home, check her folders, see the 100% on 2 papers, and see another paper, which was a crossword puzzle, but being that she said she got it done in class and had no homework, I took it out. Fastforward to this morning. I get home from buying groceries and see I have a message. "Hey mom, it's Kaitlyn! Give me a call when you get it!" I hear her upbeat expression, and think, When was this message left? It took me a minute to sort through the facts that this had to have been left this morning while I was out. So I call the school:
Me: Hi, this is Alyssa, and this might sound a bit weird. I think my daughter called me from school and left a message for me. (It's a small district, they know us well)
School: Oh, yes! She says she forgot her homework.
Me: She didn't bring any home last night, she said she did it in class.
School: Let me call the teacher.... OK, she said it was a crossword puzzle with spelling words.
Me: Oops! That's in my recycling bin. I'll bring it right in.
So yes, we're on a roll already! I hope this isn't a clue as to what we're in for this year! It seems like we're always forgetting something... or being late... But one week is down, too many more left!
Now to get back to photo editing. I'm on day 2 just because I try to multitask and blog at the same time!
Me: Hi, this is Alyssa, and this might sound a bit weird. I think my daughter called me from school and left a message for me. (It's a small district, they know us well)
School: Oh, yes! She says she forgot her homework.
Me: She didn't bring any home last night, she said she did it in class.
School: Let me call the teacher.... OK, she said it was a crossword puzzle with spelling words.
Me: Oops! That's in my recycling bin. I'll bring it right in.
So yes, we're on a roll already! I hope this isn't a clue as to what we're in for this year! It seems like we're always forgetting something... or being late... But one week is down, too many more left!
Now to get back to photo editing. I'm on day 2 just because I try to multitask and blog at the same time!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Fast Food
We stopped getting fast food about a month ago. It wasnt really a decision that we made for any reason, or really, even decided to do. I just decided, as chief money spender of the family, that we were wasting money on fast food. Not to mention how unhealthy it is. YUCK! And really, it wasn't like we were eating it all the time, just once a week, but still...
Since yesterday was officially the last day of summer break, and was Mr. P's first day, I told them we'd do something special for lunch, and they both picked Burger King so they could play on the slide. It wasn't until we got home that I realized how horrible that lunch made me feel! I was so tired and sluggish, and just felt blah. It was not a pleasant feeling, and I know for a fact that it was that Whopper Jr. meal that I ate. It definitely wasn't worth the $10 for all our meals, or the delicious, cheesy taste. I think we'll go back to no fast food, and challenge myself to make it even longer this time. And if we do grab something quick, I think I'll get something from the Chinese joint. Probably not much healthier, but it does contain loads of veggies, and I don't feel like crap afterward!
About forgot! Miss Kate had a wonderful first day of school! Three of her friends are in her class, so she's loving that. She also has been gushing about how much she likes her teacher, and she can already tell that she's going to have a "great year." That's how I like to see the year start off! Let's see how well Mrs. C. holds up to having all 4 of those chatterbox girls in her class all year! Should be interesting!
Since yesterday was officially the last day of summer break, and was Mr. P's first day, I told them we'd do something special for lunch, and they both picked Burger King so they could play on the slide. It wasn't until we got home that I realized how horrible that lunch made me feel! I was so tired and sluggish, and just felt blah. It was not a pleasant feeling, and I know for a fact that it was that Whopper Jr. meal that I ate. It definitely wasn't worth the $10 for all our meals, or the delicious, cheesy taste. I think we'll go back to no fast food, and challenge myself to make it even longer this time. And if we do grab something quick, I think I'll get something from the Chinese joint. Probably not much healthier, but it does contain loads of veggies, and I don't feel like crap afterward!
About forgot! Miss Kate had a wonderful first day of school! Three of her friends are in her class, so she's loving that. She also has been gushing about how much she likes her teacher, and she can already tell that she's going to have a "great year." That's how I like to see the year start off! Let's see how well Mrs. C. holds up to having all 4 of those chatterbox girls in her class all year! Should be interesting!
Sorry!
If the sky above Southern Illinois is resembling that over Beijing, I'm sorry. That would be coming from the eternal flame that is the stump in our backyard that's been burning since Saturday. I hope that I can promise that by next week, it will be done! Not a very eco-friendly way to get rid of the stump, and I just thought today that it would've been a smart idea to saw it off at ground level before setting it on fire, instead of it being 2 feet tall. But alas, it is starting to burn below ground level on one side, so there is hope that it will one day be gone! In the mean time, please deal with this green Mama's pollution. Can you buy a TerraPass for stump burning????
Monday, August 18, 2008
Why am I blogging today?
I feel like I could puke. Yuck!! TMI!!! Sorry! I stopped into check my must-reads, so I figured while I was here, that I might as well post! Seriously, though, there is no worse feeling, that feeling like you need to puke. When someone in our house gets a stomach bug, I go Lysol, hand washing, hand gel insane, and take every remote precaution to prevent myself or anyone else from getting it! When Mr. P had rotavirus and ended up in the hospital after puking for 5 days, I was able to keep the rest of us from catching that nasty bug. That alone, was not a small feat! I often joke that God must have really been watching out for me during my pregancies, because I never had morning sickness either time. With Mr. P, I was nauseated for 12 weeks, gagging everytime I tried to talk, only able to eat room temperature cinnamon applesauce, but I never threw up. I keep thinking that next time around (if there is one), I might not be so lucky.
Anyway..... Today was Mr. P's first day of school! He had a great time, and right away started chatting it up with his friend Eric about backpacks, and then they were off to build a train track together! I'm really glad he had a good time! Miss Kate goes tomorrow- 4th grade!!!!!!! Seriously, if anyone can locate the past nine years and return them to me, please do so! I'd be ever-so-grateful for your kindness!
Anyway..... Today was Mr. P's first day of school! He had a great time, and right away started chatting it up with his friend Eric about backpacks, and then they were off to build a train track together! I'm really glad he had a good time! Miss Kate goes tomorrow- 4th grade!!!!!!! Seriously, if anyone can locate the past nine years and return them to me, please do so! I'd be ever-so-grateful for your kindness!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
TV
How much tv do you watch?
I used to be into tv, watching a few shows here and there. I've never been so into a series that I had to watch each installment. I seriously could not tell you the names of primetime sitcoms, except maybe The Office, only because I've heard people talk about it, but I've never seen an episode. Then I went to just watching shows on channels like Discover, TLC, and the likes. Now I'm down to "watching" the 10:00 news. Rather, it's on, but I only pay attention when the forecast comes on.
Why, may you ask? I don't have the attention. I can't just sit and watch a show. IF I do watch a show on the rarest of occasions, I'm ALWAYS doing something else at the same time (magazine, scrapbooking, etc.). If I don't do something else, I can't even make it half an hour. I definitely can tell you with 100% certainty, that Miss Kate's ADHD came from me. Even she can't sit still for a whole show! Darn that attention deficit!
So about a month ago, I told the kids that effective the next day, the tv was not to come on until everyone was completely ready for the day (which with my kids this summer, could be noon). Then they could watch one show in the morning, and one in the afternoon, both agreeing on the same show. I figured this plan would be a disaster, but no! The first morning was a bit rough, as Mr. P and I would always watch a "kid show" early in the morning when he woke up and we'd cuddle. We cuddled, but with the tv off, and he did beg to watch a show. If I remember correctly, it was quite early that morning, too, and I was too tired to wake up, but the tv did not come on. After that, the tv issue was nil.
So what has this month of limited tv done? The kids play so much better together, now! They can play for a long time, and really get into playing. They don't ask to watch tv other than their morning and afternoon shows. They also don't even know what shows are coming on, so they don't expect to watch them! Their cousin's mom was saying the other day that her daughter was really upset because she missed a new episode of her favorite show that she knew was coming on. I told them about our new tv deal, and how they don't ask to watch tv, and they all balked at my plan. As if tv SHOULD be an active part of their lives!
I hope we can keep this up for a long time. Granted, on weekends, when Christopher is home, the tv is on a lot more, and they do watch more than I'd like, but really, they still play a lot more.
I used to be into tv, watching a few shows here and there. I've never been so into a series that I had to watch each installment. I seriously could not tell you the names of primetime sitcoms, except maybe The Office, only because I've heard people talk about it, but I've never seen an episode. Then I went to just watching shows on channels like Discover, TLC, and the likes. Now I'm down to "watching" the 10:00 news. Rather, it's on, but I only pay attention when the forecast comes on.
Why, may you ask? I don't have the attention. I can't just sit and watch a show. IF I do watch a show on the rarest of occasions, I'm ALWAYS doing something else at the same time (magazine, scrapbooking, etc.). If I don't do something else, I can't even make it half an hour. I definitely can tell you with 100% certainty, that Miss Kate's ADHD came from me. Even she can't sit still for a whole show! Darn that attention deficit!
So about a month ago, I told the kids that effective the next day, the tv was not to come on until everyone was completely ready for the day (which with my kids this summer, could be noon). Then they could watch one show in the morning, and one in the afternoon, both agreeing on the same show. I figured this plan would be a disaster, but no! The first morning was a bit rough, as Mr. P and I would always watch a "kid show" early in the morning when he woke up and we'd cuddle. We cuddled, but with the tv off, and he did beg to watch a show. If I remember correctly, it was quite early that morning, too, and I was too tired to wake up, but the tv did not come on. After that, the tv issue was nil.
So what has this month of limited tv done? The kids play so much better together, now! They can play for a long time, and really get into playing. They don't ask to watch tv other than their morning and afternoon shows. They also don't even know what shows are coming on, so they don't expect to watch them! Their cousin's mom was saying the other day that her daughter was really upset because she missed a new episode of her favorite show that she knew was coming on. I told them about our new tv deal, and how they don't ask to watch tv, and they all balked at my plan. As if tv SHOULD be an active part of their lives!
I hope we can keep this up for a long time. Granted, on weekends, when Christopher is home, the tv is on a lot more, and they do watch more than I'd like, but really, they still play a lot more.
Winding Down
Flying by the seats of our pants has officially ended. It's been a busy week, and a fun one, but I am so sad to see summer vacation over. REALLY sad. Tomorrow, my baby, Mr. P, starts his 2nd year of preschool. Bright and early at 6:45, we must be up to get ready so we can make it there by 8:30, and must have time for the first day of shool photo shoot ( I am soooo ready for Christopher's work to start paying for our satellite. I can't upload pics with dial-up [OK, I can, but it takes all day]).
So what has flying by the seats of our pants taken us to since Thursday? Nothing exciting Friday. Just bought groceries and went to the library, where Mr. P took a spill on the sidewalk while walking to the bank and skinned his knee. OUCH! Saturday we went to the balloon fest, to see 40+ hot air balloons and a balloon glow. It was so much fun, and the kids really enjoyed it. It was exciting to see their little faces light up the way they did!
Today we went back out to my brother's lake lot for his wife's birthday. It was a family affair! While we were eating cake, my dad, stepmom and 2 sisters drove by on their boat, so we flagged them down and they stopped. So we pretty much had all of our family there since my mom, stepdad, and grandparents were already there! Miss Kate decided that she wanted to go tubing, which she had never done before. She loved it! She rode with my sister on one tube, and the other one rode on another. At some point, I was talked into riding along, fully-clothed! It was a cool day, I didn't plan on doing any water activities, and didn't know we'd be tubing, so why bring a suit? Assured I would NOT get wet, I got on. I didn't get that wet, just a wet bottom from the damp tube covering. It was fun! Then my youngest sister decided that we needed to get all 4 of us siblings to tube together. So Ashley and I rode on one tube, and my other sister and brother rode the other. Still determined NOT to get wet, I made sure Ali and Seth knew that I didn't want splashed. WRONG thing to say! I heard Seth telling Ali his plans to knock me off. Right away he started trying, getting me as wet as he could, and getting Ali in on the stunt. I finally gave him an evil glare and told him he better not knock me off! I lucked out!
So my day was really great, and I'm glad for everything we did! I hope to go along with them again soon- although it will probably be too cold to even tube by then. Once school starts, things get so busy!!!
So what has flying by the seats of our pants taken us to since Thursday? Nothing exciting Friday. Just bought groceries and went to the library, where Mr. P took a spill on the sidewalk while walking to the bank and skinned his knee. OUCH! Saturday we went to the balloon fest, to see 40+ hot air balloons and a balloon glow. It was so much fun, and the kids really enjoyed it. It was exciting to see their little faces light up the way they did!
Today we went back out to my brother's lake lot for his wife's birthday. It was a family affair! While we were eating cake, my dad, stepmom and 2 sisters drove by on their boat, so we flagged them down and they stopped. So we pretty much had all of our family there since my mom, stepdad, and grandparents were already there! Miss Kate decided that she wanted to go tubing, which she had never done before. She loved it! She rode with my sister on one tube, and the other one rode on another. At some point, I was talked into riding along, fully-clothed! It was a cool day, I didn't plan on doing any water activities, and didn't know we'd be tubing, so why bring a suit? Assured I would NOT get wet, I got on. I didn't get that wet, just a wet bottom from the damp tube covering. It was fun! Then my youngest sister decided that we needed to get all 4 of us siblings to tube together. So Ashley and I rode on one tube, and my other sister and brother rode the other. Still determined NOT to get wet, I made sure Ali and Seth knew that I didn't want splashed. WRONG thing to say! I heard Seth telling Ali his plans to knock me off. Right away he started trying, getting me as wet as he could, and getting Ali in on the stunt. I finally gave him an evil glare and told him he better not knock me off! I lucked out!
So my day was really great, and I'm glad for everything we did! I hope to go along with them again soon- although it will probably be too cold to even tube by then. Once school starts, things get so busy!!!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Good deed for the day
Again, we really didn't do anything exciting in our flying by the seats of our pants adventure. Other than Mr. P's preschool open house, we didn't leave home. And it was great, relaxing, and mostly fun. We set fire to the infamous stump out back (I agree, not very eco-friendly, but I consider it better than dumping toxic stump rot on it), and it is now about 1/3 burnt. Had to dump water on it before we went to town, but I figure tomorrow we can get the rest of it pretty much gone. I got to scrape the front fence while the kids made a huge city-scape out of chalk on our driveway, complete with grocery store and a city jail. And "Mexaco" was just 3 miles away! I love kids' imaginations!
But probably the most rewarding thing today, came by chance. My grandma is the director of a sexual assault advocacy group- a wonderful program that she's been involved in since I was a young child. I've seen many children that she's brought home over the years, and it really wrenches the heart. Today she got a mother with 5 children, and through whatever circumstances, have nothing. School starts on Tuesday, and these children don't have clothes to wear to school, supplies, nothing. One of the children is a girl that wears the same size as Kate, and my mom called to ask if we had anything that we might be able to donate. So after dinner, we went through K's closet, taking out clothes that were suitable to donate. The kids made a game of it, pretending to have a donation drive. Kate wore her Bella Dancerella headset and announced the need for donations, and Mr. P and I piled stuff up. Kate even got in on the action, and parted ways with a "new" bag (it was a hand-me-down from me), and some of her books. In the end, we had a nice pile of cute clothes and books to give this little girl. Afterward, Kate, the donation director, asked all of the donors to stand together while she gave a thank-you speech, and said that "You did the right thing by helping out people who don't have enough." It's mommy moments like those, that make me feel good about how I'm raising my children! I hope they can always be that selfless and charitable.
Tomorrow's flying by the seats of our pants adventure takes us grocery shopping! Fun, eh? Really Friday is grocery day anyway, but I'm also throwing in a trip to the library and a special lunch. Mr. P has requested Burger King (the only place he can eat out at because of his food allergies), but maybe if it's not raining, we can take it to the park or back out to the lake for a little picnic. He returns to preschool on Monday, so this is our last weekday of fun. Sniff!
But probably the most rewarding thing today, came by chance. My grandma is the director of a sexual assault advocacy group- a wonderful program that she's been involved in since I was a young child. I've seen many children that she's brought home over the years, and it really wrenches the heart. Today she got a mother with 5 children, and through whatever circumstances, have nothing. School starts on Tuesday, and these children don't have clothes to wear to school, supplies, nothing. One of the children is a girl that wears the same size as Kate, and my mom called to ask if we had anything that we might be able to donate. So after dinner, we went through K's closet, taking out clothes that were suitable to donate. The kids made a game of it, pretending to have a donation drive. Kate wore her Bella Dancerella headset and announced the need for donations, and Mr. P and I piled stuff up. Kate even got in on the action, and parted ways with a "new" bag (it was a hand-me-down from me), and some of her books. In the end, we had a nice pile of cute clothes and books to give this little girl. Afterward, Kate, the donation director, asked all of the donors to stand together while she gave a thank-you speech, and said that "You did the right thing by helping out people who don't have enough." It's mommy moments like those, that make me feel good about how I'm raising my children! I hope they can always be that selfless and charitable.
Tomorrow's flying by the seats of our pants adventure takes us grocery shopping! Fun, eh? Really Friday is grocery day anyway, but I'm also throwing in a trip to the library and a special lunch. Mr. P has requested Burger King (the only place he can eat out at because of his food allergies), but maybe if it's not raining, we can take it to the park or back out to the lake for a little picnic. He returns to preschool on Monday, so this is our last weekday of fun. Sniff!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
UGH!
Today was one of those days I really wish I could just rewind and start over fresh. Nothing went right. No flying by the seats of our pants today.
We had plans to go buy school supplies. Sounds easy enough. Wal-Mart didn't have half of the supplies Kate needed. Go figure. I HATE WM to begin with, and this just gave me even more reason to hate them. So it looks like she'll be going to school Tuesday without her watercolors, her dry erase markers, and with a school box that's too big (it said no large boxes) because that's all they had! SAD... So we left WM with me fuming and ready to write a letter to the editor about really pushing for a Target... anything, really, when WM is all you have to shop at.
So then Christopher slashed our fishing plans because we don't have a permit. Still, we could've went out to my grandpa's land outside of town and fished on his private pond, but Chris wouldn't go along, and I won't touch fish, so that was out. Then when I started burning the stump out back that I've been on him for months to burn, he gets mad and makes me put the fire out. If I don't do it, it will never get done. Up until 2 weeks ago, he didn't even believe me that you could burn a stump out of the ground until his dad said it needed done. Now he claims it needs charcoal. Excuses, excuses... So tomorrow when he's at work, the stump will be burned. Needless to say, we were at each others' thoats all day, and I'm so glad he's already in bed!
No big flying by the seats of our pants plans for tomorrow. We'll most likely just stay home. I didn't get my dusting done Tuesday since we were at the fair, so I have to do that and clean bathrooms tomorrow. We do have open house for Mr. P's preschool, so that will be fun at least. And our day woudn't be complete without a trip to see the kittens that were born Saturday. If we didn't already have 2 cats inside, I'd take on home as soon as it was ready!
We had plans to go buy school supplies. Sounds easy enough. Wal-Mart didn't have half of the supplies Kate needed. Go figure. I HATE WM to begin with, and this just gave me even more reason to hate them. So it looks like she'll be going to school Tuesday without her watercolors, her dry erase markers, and with a school box that's too big (it said no large boxes) because that's all they had! SAD... So we left WM with me fuming and ready to write a letter to the editor about really pushing for a Target... anything, really, when WM is all you have to shop at.
So then Christopher slashed our fishing plans because we don't have a permit. Still, we could've went out to my grandpa's land outside of town and fished on his private pond, but Chris wouldn't go along, and I won't touch fish, so that was out. Then when I started burning the stump out back that I've been on him for months to burn, he gets mad and makes me put the fire out. If I don't do it, it will never get done. Up until 2 weeks ago, he didn't even believe me that you could burn a stump out of the ground until his dad said it needed done. Now he claims it needs charcoal. Excuses, excuses... So tomorrow when he's at work, the stump will be burned. Needless to say, we were at each others' thoats all day, and I'm so glad he's already in bed!
No big flying by the seats of our pants plans for tomorrow. We'll most likely just stay home. I didn't get my dusting done Tuesday since we were at the fair, so I have to do that and clean bathrooms tomorrow. We do have open house for Mr. P's preschool, so that will be fun at least. And our day woudn't be complete without a trip to see the kittens that were born Saturday. If we didn't already have 2 cats inside, I'd take on home as soon as it was ready!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Illinois State Fair
Flying by the seats of our pants brought us to the State Fair today with my Mom. I hadn't been since I was a young child- at least I'm pretty sure I went at some point during my childhood. She asked if we wanted to go, Sunday, so I said sure! So we drove up to Springfield, and in the morning, the weather was so nice and cool. It did heat up later on, and by 3:00, we were faired-out! So we spent an enjoyable day eating fair food (taco in a bag- YUMMY!), climbing rock walls, seeing sights, riding the ferris wheel and the skylift, grabbing freebies, and my ever so faithful political self, had to visit the Illinois Republican Party's tent! Nothing overly exciting there, but I did so badly want to sign up to volunteer for McCain's camp., but considering everything I'd have to do would be 1.5 hours away, it's not really feasible for me, esp. with the kids and school starting. But, I do plan on putting the biggest political signs in our lovely, 1 acre yard. We have plenty of room! I'm so glad Christopher and I share the same political views or we'd have a knock-down drag-out fight over those signs!
But today did have an unexpected green aspect, that has me thrilled! On the way there, I noticed a small recycling facility (we're talking, a covered carport on a city lot) in a town just 10 miles away, so we stopped on our way back to see what all it took. I now have a place to recyle PLASTIC #1-7, and STEEL CANS! Not sure about glass, but there were empty bins that were unlabeled, so hopefully they do accept glass. This is beyond exciting for me as we had to drive an hour to be able to recycle anything other than aluminum cans and paper. So now we can really start recycling!
Tomorrow's flying by the seats of our pants adventures will take us school supply shopping, something I have really been procrastinating on! Hopefully we make a quick fishing trip as well, but Chris has plans to mow and trim bushes, and I want no part of either of those tasks! My grandpa's always up for a fishing trip, so maybe we'll give him a call!
But today did have an unexpected green aspect, that has me thrilled! On the way there, I noticed a small recycling facility (we're talking, a covered carport on a city lot) in a town just 10 miles away, so we stopped on our way back to see what all it took. I now have a place to recyle PLASTIC #1-7, and STEEL CANS! Not sure about glass, but there were empty bins that were unlabeled, so hopefully they do accept glass. This is beyond exciting for me as we had to drive an hour to be able to recycle anything other than aluminum cans and paper. So now we can really start recycling!
Tomorrow's flying by the seats of our pants adventures will take us school supply shopping, something I have really been procrastinating on! Hopefully we make a quick fishing trip as well, but Chris has plans to mow and trim bushes, and I want no part of either of those tasks! My grandpa's always up for a fishing trip, so maybe we'll give him a call!
Monday, August 11, 2008
A walk in the woods
Flying by the seats of our pants led us out to my brother's lake lot today. It's only 10 minutes from here, but was our first time out there this summer. Sad. I really wish we'd stopped out there sooner. True, it's not what it used to be, but it's still fun.
After a picnic lunch on the dock- or where ever the kids decided to explore while eating, they discovered that fish were surfacing everywhere. Quick-thinking Kate decided that they needed fed, and tossed bits of her bread into the water to watch them eat. I truly believe that the fish ate more of her lunch than she did! Then she discovered a 10 gallon bucket, and decided that she was going to catch these bluegill in the bucket by luring them in with bread, and then scooping the bucket up quickly. No matter how many times I explained that you can't catch a fish that way, and showed her how impossible it was for me to pick up a 10-gallon bucket full of water, she still pressed on. This lasted at least an hour, probably more. I didn't check the time.
Mr. P wanted to see where they shot off fireworks, so we took a little stroll down the path in the woods. What should've been a lovely walk, quickly turned disturbing as I found tons of trash, aluminum cans, and old drywall just thrown about. A quiet woods, littered, disgraced by man forever. Had I had something to put everything in, I would've picked it up. I did collect the cans that I could, since they could be recycled. It was just a sad sight to see people being so careless. But that's just it. People don't care. And that's incredibly sad.
Tomorrow's fly by the seats of our pants adventure will take us to the State Fair! Let's see what's green there!
After a picnic lunch on the dock- or where ever the kids decided to explore while eating, they discovered that fish were surfacing everywhere. Quick-thinking Kate decided that they needed fed, and tossed bits of her bread into the water to watch them eat. I truly believe that the fish ate more of her lunch than she did! Then she discovered a 10 gallon bucket, and decided that she was going to catch these bluegill in the bucket by luring them in with bread, and then scooping the bucket up quickly. No matter how many times I explained that you can't catch a fish that way, and showed her how impossible it was for me to pick up a 10-gallon bucket full of water, she still pressed on. This lasted at least an hour, probably more. I didn't check the time.
Mr. P wanted to see where they shot off fireworks, so we took a little stroll down the path in the woods. What should've been a lovely walk, quickly turned disturbing as I found tons of trash, aluminum cans, and old drywall just thrown about. A quiet woods, littered, disgraced by man forever. Had I had something to put everything in, I would've picked it up. I did collect the cans that I could, since they could be recycled. It was just a sad sight to see people being so careless. But that's just it. People don't care. And that's incredibly sad.
Tomorrow's fly by the seats of our pants adventure will take us to the State Fair! Let's see what's green there!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Totally wierd and scary, too
I haven't had a migraine in years. The last one I remember having was when I was pregnant with Kate, so that's been almost 10 years. Today I had one. It came on quickly, but I trudged on through, me, the one who hates taking any kind of medication. As I was scrubbing the shower, I had what I think must have been an aura, something I've never had before with a migraine. I saw with my right eye, what looked like a very brilliant diamond right in my line of sight, catching ever ray of light and separating it into its many colors. Very hard to miss. No matter how I moved my eye, it moved right along. As time went on, it seemed to open up, and instead of being just a small circle, it was more like a ring, and still very diamond-like. After 10 minutes or so, I figured I must have a brain tumor (I'm a worst-case scenario kind of thinker), went and took some Motrin, and laid down- luckily the kids were playing nicely! A few minutes later, it was gone, but the periferal vision in my right eye was thrown off for some time. It only lasted about 15 minutes, but it was strange, and scary. I was certain it would never go away, but it did, and I'm incredibly thankful for that!
So was this an aura?
So was this an aura?
Busy, busy, busy!
That seems to sum things up around here! Just one more full week before school starts, and I am sooooooooo dreading this! I love summer, as chaotic as it can be staying home with 2 kiddos, and hate to see it coming to a close. I love being able to do what we want, when we want. "Can we go swimming at Grammy's?" SURE! "Can we camp in the backyard?" SURE! I'm going to hate seeing school start again!
I'm trying very hard to hold onto these moments and just do things. Tomorrow will be busy with grocery shopping and an out-of-town trip to pick up a prescription, and our solar tube. Saturday should be a fun-filled day of shopping with mother-in-law and her mom. Shopping, riding the mall train, eating out, just having a great time- and some one on one time just me and Kate while Mr. P goes to the toy store with the grandma's. Sunday, a cook-out and an afternoon of swimming. So yes, things will be busy, but enjoyable! Maybe we could squeeze in setting up the tent in the backyard after we get home Saturday. Who knows! As for next week, I'm making NO plans! Whatever we do will be fly by the seat of your pants-esque. We could end up anywhere!
I'm trying very hard to hold onto these moments and just do things. Tomorrow will be busy with grocery shopping and an out-of-town trip to pick up a prescription, and our solar tube. Saturday should be a fun-filled day of shopping with mother-in-law and her mom. Shopping, riding the mall train, eating out, just having a great time- and some one on one time just me and Kate while Mr. P goes to the toy store with the grandma's. Sunday, a cook-out and an afternoon of swimming. So yes, things will be busy, but enjoyable! Maybe we could squeeze in setting up the tent in the backyard after we get home Saturday. Who knows! As for next week, I'm making NO plans! Whatever we do will be fly by the seat of your pants-esque. We could end up anywhere!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Yet another tornado strikes!
Geez, Louise! We seem to be living in tornado alley since we moved! This is the 2nd tornado in a month that has hit within a few miles of here, and the 3rd or 4th this season. Talk about crazy! When we lived in town, nothing like this ever happened. Within 4 months of moving here, we ended up with 2 claims on our homeowners insurance for hail damage!
Seriously, last night was crazy! I had just drawn Mr. P his bath and went down to make sure he was picking up his toys. I knew a storm was cooking, but when Chris came down to shut the shutters on the windows for the night, he commented that it didn't look very good. And very quickly, it had gotten really bad! Trees were bending over, and rain was pouring, so we gathered in the basement and turned on the radio. We were smack dab in the middle of a tornado warning, and one had been spotted maybe 3 miles from our home! The wind was so strong that when you walked by the fireplace in the basement, you felt a strong breeze, and this was with everything closed up! We put in A Bee Movie for the kids, furminated the cat, and waited. When the warning was over and the wind stopped, we went up into the sunroom to survey the damage. Three HUGE limbs from our sycamore had fallen, and by some miracle of God, missed taking out the sunroom! I'm sure our insurance company would've loved us had that happened!
So today was cleanup day. Not only did we have those 3 huge limbs, but we also found that half of our peach tree was down, thousands of branches were everywhere, shingles had blown off, and someone's kiddie pool was in our yard! We spent the entire afternoon picking up and taking pictures. We have a pile of branches behind our shed that is as long as a city bus, stacked over 4 feet high! Luckily Chris has Wednesdays off, so he was here to help! I rode around the yard on the lawn tractor pulling the wagon, loading it up. I know, not very green to run the mower all afternoon, but I doubt you would've wanted to carry all of those limbs!
Seriously, last night was crazy! I had just drawn Mr. P his bath and went down to make sure he was picking up his toys. I knew a storm was cooking, but when Chris came down to shut the shutters on the windows for the night, he commented that it didn't look very good. And very quickly, it had gotten really bad! Trees were bending over, and rain was pouring, so we gathered in the basement and turned on the radio. We were smack dab in the middle of a tornado warning, and one had been spotted maybe 3 miles from our home! The wind was so strong that when you walked by the fireplace in the basement, you felt a strong breeze, and this was with everything closed up! We put in A Bee Movie for the kids, furminated the cat, and waited. When the warning was over and the wind stopped, we went up into the sunroom to survey the damage. Three HUGE limbs from our sycamore had fallen, and by some miracle of God, missed taking out the sunroom! I'm sure our insurance company would've loved us had that happened!
So today was cleanup day. Not only did we have those 3 huge limbs, but we also found that half of our peach tree was down, thousands of branches were everywhere, shingles had blown off, and someone's kiddie pool was in our yard! We spent the entire afternoon picking up and taking pictures. We have a pile of branches behind our shed that is as long as a city bus, stacked over 4 feet high! Luckily Chris has Wednesdays off, so he was here to help! I rode around the yard on the lawn tractor pulling the wagon, loading it up. I know, not very green to run the mower all afternoon, but I doubt you would've wanted to carry all of those limbs!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Paybacks are hell!
I well remember my mom telling me this many times while growing up. Those words are very true! Now, our shoddy driveway guy will be getting his payback, and I hope it's a good one, or at least, a good lesson.
Flashback to May 1, this spring. Along with the crappy fence, we also bought a carppy driveway that needed work. While washing down the house one day, a guy came in our bakyard, offering to seal our drive and fix the cracks for just $250. He claimed this was "hard work," and Chris decided that this was a good deal, and would save him from doing it himself. Something told me this was a bad idea, and I told him this, but on May 1, he showed up to do the work. He showed with another adult, a teenage boy, and a younger boy probably my daughter's age, and should've been in school. They said they needed our garage doors open, which I saw as a red flag since the asphalt doesn't even go all the way to the garage. I went outside with Mr. P and we potted plants on the front porch while they worked. This "hard work" took about an hour, most of which was spent blowing off debris. He patched a big hole and slapped down a layer of sealer, and came to collect his payment. I gave him the check and he asked, "Does it look better?" Stumbling for an answer, I said, "yes," even though I really wanted to say, "WTF? Are you frickin CRAZY?" He said he'd be back on Sat. to do another coat. Sat. comes and he calls and says it's too wet, he'll be back Sun. Sun. comes and he shows up, says it's still too wet, and he'll be back tomorrow. That was the last time I saw him.
I was TICKED, dh thought it was OK, even though the driveway still had large holes, every crack, and we found asphalt torn up and thrown into the culvert. My grandpa caught wind of what had happened, and stopped by. He was none too happy. So he called the guy, asked him to stop by and give him an estimate on his drive, and when he showed up, dropped the bomb! "So, before you do my driveway, I want to know what you're going to do to fix my granddaughter's darive." He stumbled, stuttered, and finally admitted that he did NOT do what he'd promised us. He said he'd do good, and fix ours. Pa said that he'd better, or he'd never do business in this county again. You can probably guess that he has never shown up. He stopped answering my grandpa's phone calls, and come to find out, wasn't doing other people's drives, either. So I reported him to the Better Business Bureau.
The BBB tried to contact him 2 times, with no reply. Come to find out, he was giving out different phone numbers, so I contacted the BBB with the new number and called them today to get more information. I had gotten a hold of him last week, he not knowing my cell number, so he answered, and promised he'd be here this past weekend. Nope! No show! So when I talked to the BBB today, they told me to file fraud with the State's Attorney General, so that's exactly what I did! He has NO clue what he's in for! That, and my mom is cooking up a plan to get him to stop and give her an "estitmate" and when he shows up, my grandpa and I will both be there, too. Problem is, she lives next door to my grandparents, so she's afraid he'll see his house, think it's the same one, and just turn around and run.
So yes, paybacks are hell! I could spend another half hour on this, and him ripping other people off, but you get the picture! he NEEDS to be taken care of. He just messed with the wrong person when he stopped by our house!
Flashback to May 1, this spring. Along with the crappy fence, we also bought a carppy driveway that needed work. While washing down the house one day, a guy came in our bakyard, offering to seal our drive and fix the cracks for just $250. He claimed this was "hard work," and Chris decided that this was a good deal, and would save him from doing it himself. Something told me this was a bad idea, and I told him this, but on May 1, he showed up to do the work. He showed with another adult, a teenage boy, and a younger boy probably my daughter's age, and should've been in school. They said they needed our garage doors open, which I saw as a red flag since the asphalt doesn't even go all the way to the garage. I went outside with Mr. P and we potted plants on the front porch while they worked. This "hard work" took about an hour, most of which was spent blowing off debris. He patched a big hole and slapped down a layer of sealer, and came to collect his payment. I gave him the check and he asked, "Does it look better?" Stumbling for an answer, I said, "yes," even though I really wanted to say, "WTF? Are you frickin CRAZY?" He said he'd be back on Sat. to do another coat. Sat. comes and he calls and says it's too wet, he'll be back Sun. Sun. comes and he shows up, says it's still too wet, and he'll be back tomorrow. That was the last time I saw him.
I was TICKED, dh thought it was OK, even though the driveway still had large holes, every crack, and we found asphalt torn up and thrown into the culvert. My grandpa caught wind of what had happened, and stopped by. He was none too happy. So he called the guy, asked him to stop by and give him an estimate on his drive, and when he showed up, dropped the bomb! "So, before you do my driveway, I want to know what you're going to do to fix my granddaughter's darive." He stumbled, stuttered, and finally admitted that he did NOT do what he'd promised us. He said he'd do good, and fix ours. Pa said that he'd better, or he'd never do business in this county again. You can probably guess that he has never shown up. He stopped answering my grandpa's phone calls, and come to find out, wasn't doing other people's drives, either. So I reported him to the Better Business Bureau.
The BBB tried to contact him 2 times, with no reply. Come to find out, he was giving out different phone numbers, so I contacted the BBB with the new number and called them today to get more information. I had gotten a hold of him last week, he not knowing my cell number, so he answered, and promised he'd be here this past weekend. Nope! No show! So when I talked to the BBB today, they told me to file fraud with the State's Attorney General, so that's exactly what I did! He has NO clue what he's in for! That, and my mom is cooking up a plan to get him to stop and give her an "estitmate" and when he shows up, my grandpa and I will both be there, too. Problem is, she lives next door to my grandparents, so she's afraid he'll see his house, think it's the same one, and just turn around and run.
So yes, paybacks are hell! I could spend another half hour on this, and him ripping other people off, but you get the picture! he NEEDS to be taken care of. He just messed with the wrong person when he stopped by our house!
Monday, August 4, 2008
I'm on a mission
We have this white picket fence in front of our house, kind of making a courtyard area around our front porch. I've hated this fence since we first looked at the house, Christopher, however, loved it. Our house had sat empty for 2 years prior to our purchase, and who knows when the last time was that the fence was painted. It was in pretty bad shape, and very embarassing. So this spring, one of our first tasks was to repaint this fence, which needed desperately to be scraped down first. Taking a scraper to it, I quickly realized why ol' Tom Sawyer didn't want to whitewash that fence! It was a PITA! So in May, C decided that he would scrape it, if I primed and painted it. Fair enough, since I don't like scraping, but love painting- you don't want him to paint! That day, the kids went to his parents' house, while we set to work, bright and early at 10:00. By 5:00 that evening, I had only gotten the south side of the fence primed- not even painted. Talk about tedious! A month later, the kids go to Grammy & Pa-pa's again, while we attempt to work on the fence. I start priming, and almost get the front side of the west side of the fence primed, only to have it start pouring rain, just a foot away from the end! The back side didn't even get primed!
Fast forward to this past Saturday. Grammy & Pa-pa pick the kids up for a day at the movie and a sleepover. A whole afternoon to work on the fence, despite the 96 degree forecast. I finish up the last foot on the front side, and make my way to the back. I get it primed, and am wiped out. Too hot. Plus, since we have no plants or rocks inside the fence yet, a month's worth of nasty storms had plastered mud all over the pickets, so they all had to be swept off prior to priming, which is another big PITA! I tell C that I'm almost ready to put an ad in the paper for some local high school kid to come finish it for $100. He told me to do it. But me, being Little Miss DIY, can't really relinquish control of said painting into the hands of some young'n. Plus, after being ripped off by Mr. Driveway Guy earlier this spring, I'm not too trusting (a story for a later day!). So bright and early Sunday morning, with the kids at the Grands' house, I decide, that before it rains again and plasters more mud on my newly primed pickets, I'm going to go out and put a final coat of paint on that one side. And I did! Now, being 72 degrees out, I could've done a lot more, but I decided to stop before the kids got back. So now I'm on a mission to finish this fence- at least the inside- so that we can finally go buy rock and do some landscaping inside of it. The painting must be done first so that we don't get paint on the rocks. I may be a good painter, but ask anyone... I'm also a very messy painter!
So my deadline is to have this done by Mr. P's birthday party mid-September. Might I also mention that before this party, we will also be replacing our hail damaged roof, and be resurfacing our driveway. All within the next month. I went and ordered shingles today. I am so glad my FIL went along and did the actual ordering. I just picked them out! So tomorrow morning, barring any rain, the kids and I will go out, each armed with a paintbrush, and will attempt to give a final coat of paint to the inside of the south fence. A 9 year old and 4 year old with a paint brush... scary... but it will keep them occupied and out of the tree long enough for me to at least get some paint on the fence!
Fast forward to this past Saturday. Grammy & Pa-pa pick the kids up for a day at the movie and a sleepover. A whole afternoon to work on the fence, despite the 96 degree forecast. I finish up the last foot on the front side, and make my way to the back. I get it primed, and am wiped out. Too hot. Plus, since we have no plants or rocks inside the fence yet, a month's worth of nasty storms had plastered mud all over the pickets, so they all had to be swept off prior to priming, which is another big PITA! I tell C that I'm almost ready to put an ad in the paper for some local high school kid to come finish it for $100. He told me to do it. But me, being Little Miss DIY, can't really relinquish control of said painting into the hands of some young'n. Plus, after being ripped off by Mr. Driveway Guy earlier this spring, I'm not too trusting (a story for a later day!). So bright and early Sunday morning, with the kids at the Grands' house, I decide, that before it rains again and plasters more mud on my newly primed pickets, I'm going to go out and put a final coat of paint on that one side. And I did! Now, being 72 degrees out, I could've done a lot more, but I decided to stop before the kids got back. So now I'm on a mission to finish this fence- at least the inside- so that we can finally go buy rock and do some landscaping inside of it. The painting must be done first so that we don't get paint on the rocks. I may be a good painter, but ask anyone... I'm also a very messy painter!
So my deadline is to have this done by Mr. P's birthday party mid-September. Might I also mention that before this party, we will also be replacing our hail damaged roof, and be resurfacing our driveway. All within the next month. I went and ordered shingles today. I am so glad my FIL went along and did the actual ordering. I just picked them out! So tomorrow morning, barring any rain, the kids and I will go out, each armed with a paintbrush, and will attempt to give a final coat of paint to the inside of the south fence. A 9 year old and 4 year old with a paint brush... scary... but it will keep them occupied and out of the tree long enough for me to at least get some paint on the fence!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
My garden is productive!
A quick note to add that my little organic garden is being productive! It's nothing to brag about, and looks terribly pitiful compared to my neighbor's, but I am thrilled! I have now picked 4 small, perfectly round maters that have been quite tasty! I have more little cucumbers than I can make pickles (or can eat, rather), and have to give them away. I have 12 ears of corn growing and hope that they are all filled out. I have about 3 small, marble-sized pumpkins, and the kiddos are thrilled! No watermelons yet, but lots of flowers! And I hope my potatoes do well- my grandpa is already digging his up! I've given up all hope on my cabbage and broccoli, and am afraid my carrots will follow the same fate as my radishes!
The other day we were out scrubbing a trash can for our recycling, and I hear the kids talking, and see that they are talking to the nice old neighbor lady as she's working in her garden. They call me over to say "hi." As we're talking, she offers me the handful of cherry tomatoes she's holding. Preston was eyeing her bell pappers and said, "We've planted pepper plants, but they don't have any peppers, yet!" LOL! Very true! So she offered us one of her peppers. I thanked her, and went back to my trash can scrubbing, and notice her husband handing Pres something over the fence. He comes running over to me, "Look what he just gave us! A ginormous cucumber!" And it WAS ginormous- almost 2 feet long! And it was NOT a zucchini! He keeps asking when we're going to eat our "big ol veggie," but I think that it is TOO big to eat! I did make some mean kabobs with the neigbor's cherry tomatoes and peppers, though!
The other day we were out scrubbing a trash can for our recycling, and I hear the kids talking, and see that they are talking to the nice old neighbor lady as she's working in her garden. They call me over to say "hi." As we're talking, she offers me the handful of cherry tomatoes she's holding. Preston was eyeing her bell pappers and said, "We've planted pepper plants, but they don't have any peppers, yet!" LOL! Very true! So she offered us one of her peppers. I thanked her, and went back to my trash can scrubbing, and notice her husband handing Pres something over the fence. He comes running over to me, "Look what he just gave us! A ginormous cucumber!" And it WAS ginormous- almost 2 feet long! And it was NOT a zucchini! He keeps asking when we're going to eat our "big ol veggie," but I think that it is TOO big to eat! I did make some mean kabobs with the neigbor's cherry tomatoes and peppers, though!
Canning 101
I have completed my first (OK, second really) attempt at canning! I now have 10 quarts of tomato juice under my belt and in my cabinet. I will admit that I am quite proud of myself, and will definitely do it again. My grandpa is bringing me more tomatoes so that I can can whole tomatoes- my favorite! The kids both wanted to help, but I was afraid they might get burned, so I waited until they were in bed (see lessons learned). Mr. P was quite impressed after waking up and seeing my creation! The two large buckets of maters were now magically in jars! Ah, the innocence of childhood!
If you've ever canned before, you know that it is a learning process. I did make some mistakes, and I do hope that they don't result in those 10 jars spoiling at some point, even though they are all nicely sealed. That would be my luck! But what did I learn that I feel is worth passing on?
1. Do not wait to start canning until after the kids are in bed. That is, unless you rather like being up in a hot kitchen, slaving over a stove until 2:30 in the morning. And then your 4 year old wakes up at 6:00 and won't go back to bed. And my mom wondered why I wasn't answering the phone at 9:00 when she called!
2. More than 2 burners are essential for canning. We have a Jenn-Air range that has a built-in grill cartridge, so we only have 2 burners on one side, and the grill on the other. My canning pot was SO huge that it completely covered the big burner, and half of the smaller one. So while my pot was busy processing my first round of jars, I only had half of a little burner to boil my tomatoes and juice. In the middle of all of it, Chris asks, "Why didn't you borrow my mom's extra burner cartridge?" Now, why hadn't *I* thought of that when I was at their house just hours earlier?
3. Big bowls and pans are a must. I had so many tomatoes, and I had 4 large bowls filled with sliced tomatoes before I started boiling them. I'd filled them all! And I only had 1 large pan to boil them in. So when one pan of tomatoes were done cooking, I had to pour them into an empty bowl to await the food mill, so that I could quickly boil another batch, and then I didn't have any big bowls to catch the juice in. The cookbook said to work quickly! I tried...
But, overall, I am pleased, and feel accomplished! Tonight, at my grandma's, my sister-in-law was admiring my work, and asked Granny if it was worth it to can, and she said that it wasn't. Then my mom piped in, "Not when you can buy it at Aldi for 59 cents!" I had to add my plug about being healthier, no preservatives, etc. And that alone is why I like canning. I can have locally grown food all year round, and know that there aren't any preservatives in it. I bet this makes so mighty fine chili this winter!!!!!
Now off to bed. Have to go order shingles at 9:00.
If you've ever canned before, you know that it is a learning process. I did make some mistakes, and I do hope that they don't result in those 10 jars spoiling at some point, even though they are all nicely sealed. That would be my luck! But what did I learn that I feel is worth passing on?
1. Do not wait to start canning until after the kids are in bed. That is, unless you rather like being up in a hot kitchen, slaving over a stove until 2:30 in the morning. And then your 4 year old wakes up at 6:00 and won't go back to bed. And my mom wondered why I wasn't answering the phone at 9:00 when she called!
2. More than 2 burners are essential for canning. We have a Jenn-Air range that has a built-in grill cartridge, so we only have 2 burners on one side, and the grill on the other. My canning pot was SO huge that it completely covered the big burner, and half of the smaller one. So while my pot was busy processing my first round of jars, I only had half of a little burner to boil my tomatoes and juice. In the middle of all of it, Chris asks, "Why didn't you borrow my mom's extra burner cartridge?" Now, why hadn't *I* thought of that when I was at their house just hours earlier?
3. Big bowls and pans are a must. I had so many tomatoes, and I had 4 large bowls filled with sliced tomatoes before I started boiling them. I'd filled them all! And I only had 1 large pan to boil them in. So when one pan of tomatoes were done cooking, I had to pour them into an empty bowl to await the food mill, so that I could quickly boil another batch, and then I didn't have any big bowls to catch the juice in. The cookbook said to work quickly! I tried...
But, overall, I am pleased, and feel accomplished! Tonight, at my grandma's, my sister-in-law was admiring my work, and asked Granny if it was worth it to can, and she said that it wasn't. Then my mom piped in, "Not when you can buy it at Aldi for 59 cents!" I had to add my plug about being healthier, no preservatives, etc. And that alone is why I like canning. I can have locally grown food all year round, and know that there aren't any preservatives in it. I bet this makes so mighty fine chili this winter!!!!!
Now off to bed. Have to go order shingles at 9:00.
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