Thursday, June 30, 2016

Pie back

I'm keeping it short and sweet tonight. My uncle got to come home again today. We are praying that he can remain home and safely travel to receive his chemo treatments each day. We're all more comfortable in our own beds for sure!

I have been trying to deal with all these berries that we picked yesterday, so I have been in the pie business. Instead of big pies, I decided to make hand pies...razzleberry hand pies. They have a tart bite to them, but they are pretty good I think:



I made a second batch this evening to freeze and bake later...I'm tired and ready for be, but feel productive. Night all.



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Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Cousin time

The Virginia cousins have been in this week and we have tried to do some fun things without melting into sweaty puddles of goo. After a fierce berry picking session this morning, we left with quite the load of pie making materials:



That's my tomorrow project. This evening, the middle school/high school cousins went to paint night with the church youth group. The boys fit right in and threw paint balls at people with the best of them. Making messy summer memories:



It's been a long, hot and fun day. I'm ready for bed.

Night all.
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Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Ugh

The world lost a giant. Pat Summitt. Though I am not a Vol nor a big Vol fan, one would have to be really something to not recognize the character and brute force that came with everything she did. She was a fierce competitor and a great humanitarian. She was taken from the world too young and we grieve that for sure. As someone who has been affected by having loved ones with Alzheimer's, I am profoundly grateful for her tenacity and willingness to put herself out for the public to put a name with this horrible disease. Research will progress and flourish thanks to her efforts.

Thank you, Pat.

Night all.


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Monday, June 27, 2016

I have a problem...

So, I have a picking problem. A real picking problem. On Saturday, I didn't have time or energy to go to the top of the berry patch and pick raspberries. It has bugged me since then, so I snuck back over there today. They had quite the busy weekend, so Dennis Fox's son was not confident that many would be ripe enough. But he encouraged me to go up there anyway. After about an hour, I had almost a full bucket. The raspberries attract some pretty funky bugs, so it wasn't for the easily startled. I jumped a few times...not gonna lie. I think we may try to make a razzleberry pie sometime. Poor G is getting braces on tomorrow, so it may be a while before she wants anything to do with pie, so I'll freeze one.

Pray for us all and her mouth. It's a gonna hurt.

Night all.


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Sunday, June 26, 2016

Homecoming

The girls have arrived home after their choir trip and they are tired. S had a nasty cough and looked rough for sure. After their performance, the hub whisked her away to the walk in clinic to get some meds. Upper respiratory infection, but luckily nothing contagious. They sure are happy to be home though.

On a bummer note, my uncle is back in the hospital. I am not sorry he is in the hospital...he needs to be there. I'm just sad for the circumstances that brought him there. He starts a new chemo regimen tomorrow. Let's hope that it starts killing this evil off. But I am so glad that he is back in the hospital to get help and to give my aunt some reassurance and comfort during this overwhelming time. Just keep him in your prayers.

Night all.


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Saturday, June 25, 2016

Interesting

For whatever reason, I chose to go blackberry picking again today. Honestly, I think it is a zen, well not zen, but just a happy place I reach when I feel them pop off the branch and hear them plop into the bucket. I have realized that if you go on a Saturday after lunch, you will hit a whole lot of people who would not be there during the week. For a good portion of my time there, a picked alongside a young couple and their baby in a stroller. The poor child was burning up and hiccuping up a storm...I felt so bad for her. The wife was pushing the umbrella stroller through four wheel drive stroller territory and trying to pick blueberries and keep her daughter from eating the bugs that landed on her. Her husband, being not helpful at all, was spouting off his blueberry knowledge at a volume loud enough for everyone in the metro area to hear. "Well, I can't believe this guy doesn't have cheesecloth draped over his berries. We had a few plants in our yard and that's what we always did To keep the birds from eating the berries." Well, um, a few plants in your yard versus acres is a big difference. He also spouted off what his Intro to Horticulture prof said and how, again, "the guy who owns this place" isn't doing it right. The man, Dennis Fox, has degrees in food science, biochemistry and horticulture. I moved on and picked elsewhere. The poor woman who picked near me when I moved was so excited. "Mom? I am here at a berry picking place and am in the middle of TONS of red raspberries. I have so many recipes I'm going to try. EPIC." I was torn as to what to do and then a little lady came to her and said, "Honey? You have a big bucket full of unripe blackberries. You're gonna have to wait on those." Cue sad trombone...wah wah wah waaaah. I ended up with two buckets again. Very happy with my haul, but it was hot for sure.

Now time for a bath and bed. My girls come back tomorrow.

Night all.


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Friday, June 24, 2016

Another quick one

One child is back in the fold while two more are still gone on a choir trip. Today they went to King's Island and battled about riding roller coasters. G has ridden them in the past, but decided that she is going to be scared of them for some reason. Her big sister did not like or appreciate that. After handling several angsty phone calls from each, G finally rode one and rediscovered how fun they are. Heck, she rode the Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens. That thing looks like it is wrapped in a big knot. I think it all worked out in the end and our oldest thinks she wants to live in Cincinnati now. No offense, but I hope not. Either way, I'll visit wherever she goes.

Please continue to pray for my uncle. He is so very, very sick. It is so scary.


Night all.


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Thursday, June 23, 2016

A quick one

We had a very successful week at VBS and I am dog tired. Everyone involved is I am sure. We closed things out at a celebration tonight and then finished the process of cleaning everything up. I have removed double sided tape from a whole lot of stalactites and have rolled up yards and yards of brown butcher paper. We have decorated a gajillion snacks and donated the leftovers. It has been a great week, but I am so excited about sleeping in a bit tomorrow. The girls are gone on the youth choir trip and the boy is spending the night at his buddy's house. I'm conking soon.

Night all.


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Wednesday, June 22, 2016

So very worried

We received devastating news today about my uncle. He got to go home Monday and we were all so very hopeful and excited and thrilled. Today, he went back to the hospital with extreme weakness. They did blood work and gave him the results of his latest bone marrow test. His blast cells(the leukemia ones)had been at 30% when this all started. Today they found out that the second round of chemo did not do its job and the blast cells are up to 55%. The cancer has become more aggressive and drastic action must be taken. He will be going to MD Anderson or Duke in the next few weeks for clinical trials/treatment and consultation. PLEASE pray that they can find the right combination. Pray for my aunt and for his sisters and his children. It is just the blow we weren't expecting. I still believe God is in al of this and he has a plan. I just have to remember that.

Thanks to all my dear readers.

Night all.


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Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Failed to mention

I want to apologize for an oversight of yesterday. In my search for dye free components for VBS snacks, one of my favorite people bailed me out at the last minute. She has been a faithful VBS supporter and teacher at her church and a kind and faithful supporter of our church and programs for many years. Mrs. M at the Kroger deli has generously donated icing to us to use for various programs, helped us out with last minute cakes and cookies when plans have fallen through...just been a great friend to us all. Yesterday she donated to us dye free icing to make sure that those with allergies and sensitivities could have a special snack like everybody else. Because we have a very small budget($400 for 400 people for 4 days), we cannot accommodate every allergy and often have to address the most widespread of the allergies(peanuts/nuts at our church). I am so very grateful to her for her help and support.

The halls were filled with happy voices and singing voices and some voices that needed to turn down their volumes just a bit. I have to say that it is really nice to see so many unfamiliar faces. I'm glad they find our church a safe place to be and one where they can learn about got and meet new people. This is always an exhausting week, but it is always a great one. It is how the church should be: doors open wide, hallways busting at the seams with singing children and curious parents. Crafts and God sightings displayed throughout the building and tired shepherds and leaders everywhere. It's a good tired. And we should feel that way and work that hard and be that tired showing God's love every day.

Night all.


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Monday, June 20, 2016

VBS Day 1

Um, can I just say my feet hurt? Kind of bad. The church kitchen floor is not a forgiving one and I stood on them quite a bit. I think the kids enjoyed our s'mores mix this morning. They usually like something in there. I have found that I feel more and more pressure every year to make sure that the snacks are as allergen free as we can afford. We have always been peanut free as long as I have done it, but there are so many other allergies to consider and try to accommodate. It is difficult for sure. Tomorrow will be campfire cookies. I'll be sure to post a picture.

Right now, I'm going to Motrin up and hit the hay.

Night all.


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Sunday, June 19, 2016

Hooray for dads!

Today is Father's Day and it has been a busy and hot one for sure. VBS starts at our church tomorrow and so, as it with every Father's Day, after church services are over, we are scrambling to get the worship spaces decorated and ready for the children arriving tomorrow. This, and the fact that the youth choir sang at one of our other community church services, made for a very crazy morning. The afternoon was a little less harried. The hub grilled(his choice)his own dinner of hamburgers. As always, they were fabulous. He is currently enjoying a foot rub from his son while we watch Dr. K's Exotic Animal Vet. We're real party animals.

Night all.


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Saturday, June 18, 2016

Berry tired

The boy has been begging to go to the Fruit and Berry Patch for all of break, so we finally got out there today. The blackberries were coming in like gangbusters and we loaded up...my son is a berry picking master. It was hot, but we persisted and also picked half a bushel of peaches as well. The boy's efforts were rewarded with a fresh fruit slush and a fried pie.



We got home and I commenced to cleaning the berries and getting ready to make some pies. After living a life filled with my Granny's pies and my mom's pies, there is no way I can come close to making anything close, but I tried. Today's efforts seemed to be better than I had anticipated. I was so sick of being in the kitchen that, honestly, I couldn't eat any...the smell of blackberries was haunting me. But I am pleased, at least, with how it looked:






Between pie success and the boy and his friend finding a frog, it was a good day:



Night all.
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Friday, June 17, 2016

Afternoon of science

As a part of my job, I have had to plan some play dates with the preschool, or freshly preschool graduated, children of our church. Every Thursday, the playground has been open for children and their grown ups to come play and visit with other friends. We've also scheduled two off site play dates, one that was today. We went to the local library to watch a chemistry magic show by Dr. Al Hazari from the University of Tennessee. He's a jovial and a little bit gruff man in a rainbow lab coat who teaches the kids about basic chemistry ideas and demonstrates those with exciting experiments. The boy desperately wanted to get called on to be a helper, but his sister got called instead...and she wasn't even supposed to be there. She helped him teach about Boyle's Law with a bottle of water and a ketchup packet:



Currently, we are watching the PERvCOL Copa game. Everyone is in varying states of couch draping with I think three conked. The rest will be following soon. Until then...

Night all.
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Thursday, June 16, 2016

Watch out for the hub

My husband is not one to anger easily.  He is not one to really get stirred up much at all.  In our 24+ years together, I can count on one hand the times I have really seen him get mad.  Maybe I should say angry, because my mom always said dogs go mad...people get angry.  The few times it has happened, the man has gotten MAD.  Tonight was one of those nights.  I was at church helping decorate for VBS, but I received his call to try and calm down.  As he was getting the kids wrangled towards the car, a person who was with an adult social league kickball club missed backing over children by a mere whisper.  He was ready to tear that car and its driver apart.  If I recall correctly, the other times he has become terribly angry involved the children or me and our safety.  He is currently having a beverage and watching the USMNTvECU soccer game.  He seems to be a little calmer than when I heard him last.  He was even calm enough to fold a card stock gem for us to use as a table decoration for VBS next week.  Thank goodness.

Night all.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Hello, Jello!

Tonight was one of the most anticipated evenings of the summer for the kids in our youth group: Jello Night. Our Youth Director, who has done this a time or two, ordered a special type of gelatin that you can make vats of and I think it is environmentally safe and made, from what I heard, 600 gallons of it. I don't know if that is true, but there was a-LOT. My girls were covered from head to toe with tiny little green cubes of goo. They'll be picking it out of their ears for days. I'm glad they have these fun times to get together with their friends in a safe place. Good summer fun.

Night all.


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Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Really?!?

Two things and then I am going to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. One, I did not get a dinner made for tonight and the kids had soccer practice until eight, so the hub took the boy home and G and I ran through a drive thru. Whilst in said drive through, I had the window down and was singing "One Call Away" with my daughter when I had a weird feeling. Have you ever felt someone staring at you before actually catching them staring at you? Well, I looked over and there was a girl filming me singing and laughing. As soon as I looked in her direction, she stopped and immediately I saw her pressing send to post it. You know, I get it that it is funny, a large red headed woman belting out a Charlie Puth song, but come on. And it creeped my child out..."I was in there too! Who will see that, Mom? Do they know us?". If someone wants to do that to me, so be it, but don't film my child without my permission. Not cool.

Thing two: my children get in the strangest arguments right before bed. Tonight was no different. The two youngers were having a go about something when I heard the boy yell, "GIVE ME BACK MY KAZOO!!!". When it was obviously returned with force, I heard, "DON"T THROW MY KAZOO! THAT IS MADE OUT OF GOOD PLASTIC!". There you go.

Night all.


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Monday, June 13, 2016

Snack attackin'

The boy drew the long straw(or the short one if you play it that way)and had to go with me shopping today. Once again, I am doing VBS snacks and the time is nigh that panicked purchasing Of supplies must begin. So the poor kids was dragged through every nook and cranny of Sam's looking for stuff. Thank goodness for the free sample kiosk that spit out an extra treat when we swiped my card. Girl Scout cookie flavored Nestle Crunch Crisps. Shopping trip for the boy? Totally worth it. That and he got the most magnificent dot to dot book that has artistic masters' faces as the dot to dot goal. The one he's working on now may have 1,000+ dots to connect. That should keep him busy for a while. The boy helped shop and helped unload the fifty million items into my office. He's a keeper.

Night all.


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Sunday, June 12, 2016

What to say

What a tragedy in our world today. Such an unbelieveable tragedy. We can scream about gun control and terrorism. We can argue with each other about LGBTQ being acceptable or not. We can argue about a lot of things. I have my opinions and those who know me know what they are. But the fact of the matter is that innocent people lost their lives needlessly. They were having a good time, minding their own business and were gunned down. I have no words to explain this to my children. No excuse or justification. People died and it is just devastating.

I'm not saying this jovially at all, but can't we all just get along? For Heaven's sake.

Night all.


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Saturday, June 11, 2016

Change

Today was my birthday and it was a different one. I am glad to have been born, but will admit not always being a fan of when my birthday is. Summer vacation is still new and everyone is vacationing or at the pool and it has always been one that has been regularly and frequently forgotten. And that hurts, but oh wah wah wah. My kids just came back from an experience teaching them that sometimes people forget what it is like to eat and feel good and feel hope. Shame on me. My husband did a great job making a birthday feast this evening and the children were sweet with their gifts: a YETI coffee cup, a beautiful oven mitt made by Ugandan women and a bracelet made in Ecuador. My brother and sister in law brought wonderful food for the feast and gave me lovely cards and a gift. An embarrassment of riches for sure. Lord forgive me when I whine....

But I think the kids did not really count the candle they put on the cake. I think they put a few extra on there...



Night all.
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Friday, June 10, 2016

They're all home

As the hub always says, all of our heartbeats are back home. The boy talked the whole way home. He had a great time with his buddy. Nothing like coming off a camp high. He loved every second of it...except for one girl who screamed every time the nurse tried to get an alcohol wipe near her cut. He had no patience for that.

The girls have not stopped talking since we picked them up from church. I truly think they had a life changing experience. Spending the night in a simulated slum of a developing country. They learned about how blessed they truly were. Their youth director summed it up quite eloquently for those of us wondering how it went:



The girls agreed and feel they have taken quite a lot away from their experience. I think we could hear stories for hours, but we have to also hear some stories from the boy and a few card tricks he learned as well. So many exciting things to hear about.

I'm just so glad they are still speaking to their friends and have lots of life lessons tucked in their back pockets.

Night all.
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Thursday, June 9, 2016

A few words...

Tomorrow the children return finally. I have seen several pictures of the girls on people's Facebook pages(I snuck on) or that were texted to me. We get to see several of the boy each night through our parent access with his camp. They all look like they are learning and having fun. The hub and I went out yo have dinner and a beverage downtown with my brother and sister in law. Yes, I said a beverage...sorry. It paired rather nicely with the sliders we had from the food truck. It was a lively place full of runners and hipsters and dogs and hipster dogs. But my mind was on my children and my excitement with their impending arrival. I am so proud of them all and love them so much. I'm a blessed mom.

Night all.


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Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Thank God for news

The boy's friend, who went with him to camp, has a little sister. Today she went for her first half week experience to the same camp. They all will be picked up on Friday. I checked in with her mom late this afternoon to see how her drop off went. She was so excited on Sunday; she wanted to stay then, but sometimes when it is time for Mom and Dad to go, attitudes change. Well, not for her, which is great! Her mom texted back that everything went fine and that she had seen the boys walking down the camp road. They were covered in mud and looked happy. She got to speak with them briefly and they reported that they were having a great time and were going to go outdoor camping tonight, which they were very excited about. I have dined out on that news ALL afternoon and evening. I knew they would be having a blast, but it just makes it even better to know that they are. My sister in law is the Coordinator of Camp and Retreat Ministries for one of the conferences of the United Methodist Church and I know she reads this sometimes. Yay camp, Aunt S!! I think the boys are hooked for sure! We also got a snippet of information about the girls. They were working with rocket stoves/burners to get them working so they could cook their dinner tonight. My friend said they were all doing alright, but it had been a tough week. I'm sure it has been, but all I can hope is that they come away with even more of a clear understanding about how blessed they are and how much need there is in the world that hopefully they can be a part of reducing. And I pray they all are still friends and speaking when they return.

I'm going to watch the last of the BRAvHAI Copa game and then go to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a weird day.

Night all.


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Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Knock, knock...could I borrow...

Day three, maybe, of weird tummy for me, so I chose to stay closer to home and get some things done. I got the youngers' room back in order and straightened their sheets to my liking. There's nothing better than getting into a freshly made bed with unwrinkled sheets. Then I finally decided to tackle the bathroom cabinet that has been in desperate need of attention for a long time. The hub built quite a structure there, because it holds a heck of a lot more than I thought it could. Thank goodness tomorrow is trash day. Discoveries during the clean out:

1. Apparently I must have an eye condition that prevents me from being able to see that we indeed have soap in the house. I purchased some last week and apparently the hub must have purchased some at some point. I think our soap stash should last us until at least next June. At least you know we'll be clean.

2. In our house, Santa and the parents leave maybe some gum and a candy cane in your stocking...maybe a pair of socks. The rest of the stocking is comprised of hygiene items. The Easter Bunny does that also along with a chocolate bunny and some jelly beans. Apparently a tally has not been kept about how many dental items we have. We have enough little dental floss picks for everyone to floss three times a day for a year and enough dental floss string(from dental visits and other things)to reach from here to Nashville I think. I have been using floss like it is going out of style, so I was surprised to find that much. Oh well. Dental health is important.

3. I found, I'm ashamed to say, a little bit that contained nothing but implements used when nursing babies. I am not ashamed that I nursed for it was a rewarding and special time for me and my babies. BUT, the last time I needed that stuff was, uh, well 8 years ago. So maybe this clean out was a little overdue.

After the clean out, I mowed the lawn. Well, all of the lawn but about 4 swipes. I ran out of gas and the gas jug thing was empty. I was a bit put out with that and almost took a cup up to the neighbors to see if I could borrow a cup of gas. I didn't. Wasn't sure how that would be received. No one will notice but me, but it will drive me crazy.

The hub and I are watching Copa America right now. USMNT is up by one, but we can't get cocky. Still have heard nothing from the children. Ignorance is bliss.

Night all.


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Monday, June 6, 2016

Productive-ish

I woke up this morning with a gurgly tummy and not feeling great, but I knew I needed to try and be productive. My parents came for a little bit this morning before they went to the hospital to see my uncle and aunt. My dad consulted with me on what shrubs to treat with loving care and what "trash" needed to be hacked away and removed. So as soon as they left, I set the iPad on Netflix, got my Bose speaker out on the patio table and blasted the Alfred Hitchcock Hour episodes while I chopped down weeds. I know, I don't know why I chose that, but I love Alfred Hitchcock and needed something to help pass the time while I worked. The unusual little girls who live down behind us had their faces plastered to the fence to try and understand why the story of two Cowboys ready for a gunfight in a restaurant was being played in our yard. This made the dog crazy and kind of creeped my out with their little faces staring up at me...obscured by the chain link fence. It was just kind of weird. After I felt I had done all I could do without consulting with the hub, I showered and went to start cutting out bear parts for a friend. After that, I worked in the "apartment"(what we call the kind of homework, play, music area for the kids)to clean it up and throw some things out while I had no objectors to my actions. I feel like I've been fairly productive today, but I sure do miss my people. We will not hear from the boy unless something is wrong. We have yet to hear from the girls. I know cell service is sketchy, but we may not. Ignorance is bliss I guess.

Going to watch a little Copa before bedtime.

Night all.


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Sunday, June 5, 2016

Weird

Soooo...all of my children have been delivered to their various locations for the week. The girls are at SIFAT, a program supported by our church that is really interesting. Feel free to look it up and see what they are doing. The boy has been taken into the mountains with his friend and deposited at church camp. Want to talk about a child so excited that he couldn't hardly stand to be in his own skin. He was the first in his cabin, got his choice of top bunks and even had a counselor who was a student at Oxford in England. Not too shabby. His camp, for me as I say every year, is a holy place. I will never forget being dropped off there for my first time and feeling sick and nervous as my mom walked away. At the end of the week, I cried because I had to go home. Such a wonderful experience. This will be his first time to stay a whole week. makes me a little bit queasy, but he was ready to go. I'm awfully proud of all of them to be so willing to go and serve and experience and be adventurous. The silence in this house is truly deafening and I cannot wait until they all are back home. But I pray they have wonderful experiences wile they are gone.

Night all.



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Saturday, June 4, 2016

Mystery bird family

I have always loved to watch birds. I guess I get it from my grandmother. She used to lean on the counter near her kitchen sink and look out the window at the birds. "Jenny Wren? Look at the cardinals out there...aren't they just glorious?". Her nickname for me was "Jenny Wren". My dad and mom have always loved watching the different birds, so it has just passed on down. For almost ten years, we had a little decorative bird house that had a little chickadee family living in it. We would sit on our patio and watch the mom and dad feed them and chat with each other and grump at us if we got too close. It was wonderful. But the house they were in was never meant to be an actual birdhouse, but more like a decoration on our shed door. So it fell apart...luckily after the babies had learned to fly and were gone. We put the house back together, but they never came back. We still see them around, just not in that house. The boy wanted a project and wanted to see birds back, so we got him a little kit at Wild Birds Unlimited and he built it and hung it in a tree. What a wonderful surprise I had last week when I found that a new family had taken up residence for us to observe. The problem is, I cannot figure out what kind of bird it is. It is too fast for me to get a good picture of it. It is little like a chickadee, but dark brown with a black tail. Anyone have any ideas? We want to read about it and know what the best things are to feed them. Whatever kind of bird it is, we are so excited. The little babies sound so cute when their parents bring them food. They are really mouthy. Love it!

Night all.


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Friday, June 3, 2016

Serpent adventure

I have been the laundry troll today, washing all the remaining clothes that might be used on one of the three kids' trips this next week. I was all set: the iPad was hooked up and the Bose speaker was on and Conan clips were playing. The hub had even sent a picture of our first baby cuke growing so sweetly in the garden. All was calm and happy and bright. I knocked on the little basement window to tell the hub to look at the cuke and see if it was a picking cucumber. If it was, I want to make sure to not let it get too big.

Me: Hey!! Look and see if it is a pickling cuke.
Hub: I don't know what it is.
Me: Just look at the little plastic marker in the ground.
Hub: I don't want to.
Me: What?
Hub: I don't want to...there's a snake in there.
Me: Really?(with a tone of disbelief)
Hub: A look that we can all picture in our heads I'm sure

I went out to see what the commotion was. He was not kidding.



Yep. There it was. Bravely, he got on his heavy duty work gloves and took it for a trip to the wooded area of the vacant lot. We believe it hitched a ride in the hay bale we brought home recently. He was not welcome in our yard, but the hub had mercy and took him to a snake resort. Hopefully he will not return...or I'll wet my pants.

Night all.
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Thursday, June 2, 2016

Explaining technology

Today was a playground play date at church, which means that our playground was open for preschoolers and their families to come and fellowship, get to know other families with similarly aged children and wear themselves out before lunch. How could you go wrong? The boy and I got there about 20 minutes early to wipe off all the playground equipment since we had storms last night. No one wants to slide down into a puddle unless they have their swimsuit on, right? Well, long story short, no one showed up. The first one of the summer and I think there were lots of people on vacation this week, soooo there we sat. For whatever reason, he and I got into a discussion about Snoopy Sno-Cone machines and record players. I showed him the video of the sno-cone commercial and then explained "big records" vs "small records". We even discussed the little yellow piece of plastic that went in the center of a '45. It got deep, friends. That's my boy. I'm going to miss him next week while he's at camp. He's a good little companion, as are the girls...but they will all be having memorable experiences. I'm excited for them.

I mowed the lawn today and am feeling that catch up with me. Time for a bath and bed.

Night all.


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Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Packing mule

I think. That one of the biggest ways to torture people, or at least me, is to make me pack for/unpack from a trip. My mother was a dynamo at it. She folded outfits with tissue paper to prevent wrinkling, then put those outfits into ziploc bags. Everything had a bag or a place that fit into a perfectly constructed puzzle. I worry about whether I have enough items for them to wear, but not too many. Lucky for me, the girls pack their items now. I do like to take a little look to make sure I agree with clothing choices, etc. The boy helps, but he never ends up wearing half of what I pack him. Every time I pick him up from camp, it is the hottest day of the summer and he has on sweat pants and a hoodie on. Every time. We'll see how his week trip goes this time. Let's all pray he doesn't come home with some sort of a fungus. It will be interesting.

Now to go to the basement and find duffel bags to fit everyone's items. WIth the downpour we are having, I am hoping against hope that the basement is not flooded.

Night all.


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