Pictures from this past year. . . Halloween

The pic of Jacklin is her with a friend, he's Sherlock Holmes and she's a soccer player. Rona changed her costume about 4 times before she decided on this cute Witch. It was her 4th birthday on the day we had Trick-or-Treat, so she was super happy!

The kids did all their own pumpkin carving this year, and those are the results! They did awesome ! Cleaned out their own "guts" and I roasted a few seeds.

sick kids and a 3 day weekend

Well, the school sends a note home saying that if your child gets sick with the flu, it's most certainly H1N1. And to keep them quarantined (ya right), and don't send them back for a week. I've got Colin quite sick with all the symptoms, and Rona just got over the fever part. It is a little scary when you read about kids dying from it, and you see your child having rapid breathing and hallucinations. I don't want to over-react, but I also want them to be OK, of course. Rona is doing quite a bit better after only having the fever for 2 days, and this is Colin's 1st day with the fever. I'm hoping he'll be well enough to go to school on Monday, so he won't miss any. He didn't miss any days last week, cuz he just had a cough then.

Usually I love 3 day weekends, being home and relaxed with all the kids, but it's no fun when there are sickies around. And, Kenny's off in NY w/ Sy this weekend, working on the trailer, so I don't get to see him much. Just when they get home tomorrow night, hopefully not too late. Kenny's been sick for about a week and a half, too, but of course didn't take any time off and didn't get to bed any earlier. I think he was starting to feel better on Friday, tho.

Right now, we're trying to help Sylas get his grades up. He thinks most of his subjects are stupid as well as the assignments and has quite a bit of missing papers. They don't let the kids turn in late papers in 7th grade, so his grades are pretty bad right now. His Science teacher is giving him the opportunity to make up some missing journals, so he'll be able to get the "F" up before the end of this next week. That's the end of the 1st nine weeks. I can't believe they've already been in school this long. Time just flies. . .usually I'm just trying to get thru 1 day at a time, and somehow it still flies.

Today the sun was out and it was cold and crisp. A perfect fall day, but I spent it indoors playing nurse maid. Aiden was so sweet this morning, and Jacklin too. I had been up in the night with Colin a few times and was really tired this morning. So, Aiden brought me breakfast in bed and Jacklin made the coffee. She's really good at it!! It tasted just like mine. And, Aiden's breakfast was wonderful. . .perfectly toasted bagel w/ butter, and yogurt w/ granola, "just the way you like it, Mom". Such sweeties. I let them ride their bikes to Carmazzi's (the candy store on the town square) and get $2 worth of candy, each. They were so thoughtful and brought some back for colin & Rona. Colin is sleeping w/ his bag of candy under his pillow, waiting to get better to eat it.

We have adopted some grandparents from our church, to be our "grandparents" away from grandparents, and one of the grandma's, Ruth, came over today to get a haircut. She was so sweet and brought popscicles for Colin and Chicken & stars soup and then flowers for me and Chocolate! It made my day. Then, my sister, Amy, called me and that was the cherry on top. She's so thoughtful and wants to make sure I'm taking care of myself. She always has good ideas about things to do and try. She suggested getting together with other moms from church and making meals together, so we have meals for the week and spend time together. I thought that was awesome, cuz sometimes I'm so un-inspired for supper. So, I'll be emailing and seeing if any of them are interested. I think Bethany will be, as she works and goes to school.

Well, I gotta head to bed and check on Colin again. Anyone who reads this, please pray for him.

finally back to it. . .blogging

What a summer! i was just reading thru my last blog post (june 17th, my bday) and just want everyone to know my life didn't stop. It just got too busy for blogging. I vowed to start up again as soon as the kids were back in school, so 8 weeks later, here i am!

It was a beautiful summer, not too humid. We spent the entire month of August driving, nearly coast to coast. We went east to Syracuse, NY the first weekend and stayed a week up there, then home for a few days to do laundry and re-pack. We then drove West, and after 3 days, met my mom and some siblings in West Yellowstone. Stayed there for 2 days and continued west to Oregon. What a whirl-wind visit there. My family is so big, we didn't manage to see everyone in the 5 days we were there, before heading back to Ohio. But, all in all, a great experience for the kids and great sanity-saver for me. I like to be going and doing, and am always happiest when headed west!

I love fall! It's become my favorite season since we moved here. The colors are brilliant, the weather is crisp and fresh, but not too cold. The smells of wood smoke, burning leaves, spiced candles and pumpkin something baking are irresistible.

We went to Peifer Orchards this last wknd and got pumpkins, apples, apple cider, and honey. They also have these giant cookies that are made with pure maple syrup and they are divine. We love doing that with the family every year and creating a memory and a tradition for the kids. We've learned to wait to carve the pumpkins until a few days before Halloween, otherwise they rot, badly. My parents also visited over the weekend and that was wonderful! It was also Jacklin's 9th birthday, so we celebrated on Saturday evening and tried to spoil her rotten; I think she felt loved, i hope so.

So, I've been a bit down since summer and took St. John's wort in pill form all summer. I quit taking it when the kids went back to school, but noticed I was not feeling better, just more and more sad. So, thanks to the love and kindness of my friend, Leah, I am back taking the herb, but in liquid form. It tastes terrible, but it really seems to help me and steady me. I know i probably shouldn't self-diagnose and self-medicate, but I really can't afford to go to a doctor. I read that this area of the country typically has high rates of depression and suicide. Maybe it's all the manufacturing???? The air we breathe isn't very clean, and i really wonder about the water. Also, there's all the fertilizer for the fields, so even in the country, you can't win. I just notice that I have no interest in life, no care one way or the other, and feel often sad and homesick. I think I felt better today, cuz I actually thought about doing something fun with Rona.

Well, I need to go to bed and get some beauty sleep. I stayed up late reading last night, trying to catch up on the Phillipa Gregory books from this year and last. They are good reading and I recommend them. The Other Queen and The White Queen, if anyone is interested. I won't make promises about how often I'll post, but will try my best to keep it up.

bruises, beetles and birthdays . . .

Well, I treated myself tonight to a run, since it's my birthday tomorrow. It felt so good to get out there on that track . . . it's a mile to the track, so we (we meaning myself and 5 other girls) warmed up there and cooled down on the way back. It was a great little work out. Ohio has some of the nastiest, biggest bugs i've ever seen. Of course, I've never been to the Amazon, so I don't have much to compare it to, but a huge beetle flew at me while stretching on the track and landed on my tank top and I screamed for someone to "get it off". OOOO I HATE BUGS!!!!

I decided to have key lime pie for my birthday dessert and I'm going to make it myself , as I never have and want to learn. I just spent 1/2 hr on allrecipes.com trying to find the most authentic sounding recipe and I think I found it. So, tomorrow I will go to the store, armed with a list of proper ingredients and hopefully it turns out as good as it looked on the website and tastes as good as all the reviews claim! I so wish I could invite my whole family over tomorrow to help me celebrate. It just isn't a proper party without lots of people. But, the kiddos want to have a party, so we'll see what we come up with. Colin is insisting on cupcakes for the kids (we only need 5 mom).

So, tonight I was craving Chipotle for supper, and decided to make it myself . . .chicken burrito bowls. It takes a long time to make all the little sides . . . pico de gallo, guacamole, corn salsa, fajita mix, rice, shredded chicken, beans, grated cheese, etc. but oh my was it ever good. I used fresh cilantro from my herb garden for the first time, and I think that is what really topped the cake . . .it was delicious and worth all the work. I haven't cooked for a while, so it felt good to spend the time on it tonight. We eat so simple in the summer; the kids are really content with plain food; I just try to keep it balanced.

I think Rona is relapsing with her potty training. She's had 3 accidents in the last 5 days (all PooP. . .YUCKY). But, maybe she's protesting me being gone and her schedule being off. It's all happened when I've been gone, and she hasn't gone to day care for 2 weeks, since the kids are off school. I will have to give her some extra love tomorrow on my day off. She's also started biting the other kids (mostly Colin) when she wants something they have. We're working with that . . .never really had a biter, so I don't know what to do, other than put her in time out, then talk to her about how biting hurts and she needs to apologize and use her words.

Amy has been babysitting for me and will continue to thru the summer. I'm really lucky to have her . . .she knows my routine, keeps the house clean, does laundry if i'm behind and manages the kids really well. I just love her! It's only 2 days a week, but I don't worry about a thing when she's there. I've been taking 1 of the kids with me each day I clean . . .that's a great thing about a flexible cleaning job. They take turns. Colin came today, Aiden and Sylas each had a turn last week and Rona will get to come this next time. Jacklin is in summer school from 8:30-12:30, every day for 2 weeks, so it will be her turn when she's done with that. She is just not very scholastic, but she really tries hard. And, she's the only one going to summer school, and she's been a real trooper about it.

The kids have their last ball games this Friday, before the tournaments start. I still need to get that Pic of colin up here. Kenny is assistant coaching Jacklin's softball team, so they have their first tourny game on Saturday. I'm volunteering in the concession booth and Aiden is gonna help me. There's a youth conference this weekend also, so Sylas will be gone at that, along with all the other youth who could've been a potential babysitter for Rona. There's no way I could take her into a concession booth with me. She refuses to remember what the word NO means when it comes to candy, pop and snacks. Maybe her daycare lady, Gail, will take her on a Saturday morning???

Summer is really starting in with the kids out of school. We've been swimming alot and working and playing. Sylas has been pretty consistent with his mowing job. . .it only took him 4 hrs on Monday, so we're getting better. He takes a lot of breaks, but I think he's getting better at it. We still have help him a bit, remind him of his goals, mow a few strips, bring popsicles, etc. . .you get the picture. I'm hoping next week he'll do it ALL on his own. He really wants to go to Oregon, and he's paying for 1/2 his ticket, so that has been the huge motivator. The elementary school up the road from us serves a free lunch every week day (government funded), so we go there every day. It is a real blessing and saves on our food bill tremendously. Then we can play at the playground afterwards and we usually ride our bikes there and back, so we get exercise in too. I think tomorrow I'll take the kids hiking. There's a really nice park with long trails about 1/2 hour away and supposedly there's a waterfall to hike into. It would be a fun birthday outing.

It's crazy to be turning 35. I used to think that was old, hehehe. I feel so young still, except for the forgetfulness, hearing loss, poor eyesight, and grey hair. Oh well, I plan on aging slowly by having rest in God and in doing His will in my life. There is a great peace that comes from being reconciled to Him. I also want to have godliness with contentment, because it says in the Good Book that that is GREAT GAIN. It's something that I will have for all eternity. I can't take anything from this earth with me into eternity, but what I've gained on the inside by being faithful to His still, small voice will remain. I have so much to be thankful for. "Ask and it will be given to you, Seek and you will find, Knock and it will be opened to you." What great promises !

Our Best Babysitter!

This is Amy, our best babysitter and Rona. Just had to put a face with the name! :)

Schools Out for the Summer!!

So, we've been hearing this lovely song by Alice Cooper on the Guitar Hero around the house alot these last couple days. I actually didn't even know the song until we got the game (there's alot I don't know about these things having grown up very sheltered without TV). Aiden is quite good at Guitar Hero and actually is the best in the family. He's my gamer . . .I'm always setting time limits, like a good parent should and he's always breaking them. How did my mom ever do it with 15 kids to keep track of? I can hardly keep track of 5. Anyway, I thought I would be good at Guitar Hero because I'm musical, but I'm realizing it also requires a level of gaming skill that I do not possess. It is a fun thing to do with the kids, tho. Kenny loves playing Tiger Woods Golf PGA Tour '09 with the boys. . .they have so much fun together in the evenings.

Aiden finally got the flu/cold that went thru the family one at a time. He had such a high fever yesterday, he was quite delirious. Whenever he gets sick, he gets a really high fever and delirious. If it wasn't so scary, it would be funny. He says the most random things and his eyes are huge and look right thru you. I remember seeing weird things in my feverish state when I was sick as a young girl. Guess he gets it from me . . . He seems better today, except for neck pain and a sore throat. Kenny is working overtime today and took Sylas with him, so the house is quiet. The kids are re-discovering old Disney movies, Bugs Life anyone? They've been watching Tarzan, The emporers new Groove, among others. We own way too many movies, but most of our Disney ones are on VHS, so it's not like we could loan them out. Who has a VHS player anymore in this day and age?

I need to get out and water the garden and the flowers. I'm trying to plant a few things from seeds, that would hopefully come up year after year, like poppies. I don't know if it will work. I usually don't have much luck with seeds. I'm trying to do more in the yard this year, so we'll see.

I have a lot of ideas for fun stuff to do this summer. I really want to start camping with the kids. I have such good memories of camping as a child, my parents took us alot in the summer. We went to O'dell Lake, Elk Lake, Suttle Lake, Crescent Lake, and many others. Our favorite was always O'dell . . .and it was very primitive and rustic. Here in Ohio, we have no natural lakes; they are all man made. But, there are a few that are close to home to try camping out on, with fishing, so we'll see. There's Kizer Lake, only 1/2 hour away and Indian Lake, the more popular of the two, about an hour away. We need a tent and have been researching some of the new styles, like Cottage tents and Cabin tents that sleep 9-10 people. They have rooms and closets and a center height of 82" . . .they sound wonderful! Most of our camping stuff is still in Oregon . . .we left our tent, camp stove, lantern and accessories. They were still at my parents in storage 6 years ago, but I don't know if they have survived the clean-ups and purges that have gone on since our absence.

Well, it's been a year since Kenny's grandma, Marlys, went to heaven. She was such a wonderful woman and a good grandma. She liked me from day 1 (I think!) We shared a passion for roses and the month of June and coffee. I miss her letters and her phone calls. She always kept me up-dated on the family. She was generous and loving always. Kenny has some of his best childhood memories from times spent with her and grandpa. She was Norwegian and I had been to Norway and learned the language a bit before I met her, so I think it's such a coincidence that we had that little link. I really want to teach my kids Norwegian, as they have a bit in them. I love history and heritage. They know a few phrases already, just from me using them around the house, like "ikke gjorde det" (don't do that) , "ikke ta paa den" (don't touch that), "sett deg ned"(sit down) "jeg elsker deg" (I love you).

We are in the process of remodeling our front room, which we used as a play room and a living rm before. It will become an entry with a hall and closet and an office/guest rm. We realized in our remodeling that our existing living room has about 3 different kinds of base boards, because it has a lot of the original 100 year old wood work. They tried to match the base, but when you look closely, it is different. Kenny just found a ton of base in one of his buildings in the attic that is real wood and very similar to what we have. He is getting that base today, as the attic isn't part of building that will be remodeled. They will just seal it off, so he's allowed to have the base boards for free. I'm really excited about it . . .it is beautiful dark and wide. We're going to redo the living room with it and if there's enough, the new entry. We were going to do the newly remodeled dining rm with it, but it's more of a modern room already, so we're gonna keep that one with simple base and trim. So far we have been able to do the remodeling fairly cost free, as Kenny and I have done the work ourselves and he gets alot of material from work. I'm so glad he is so handy; and he's very meticulous, so it gets done right. In our new dining rm. we took two rooms and made 1 big room. It's a really functional room now.

Well, this blog is getting quite long as I haven't written all week and had a lot to say, I guess. We got the kids a pool, and it's set up. It is small, because our yard doesn't have much room for one and I want Rona to be able to feel confident and touch the bottom. It's 12' x 33" , but they all love it. On those really hot and humid days, it's just nice to be able to get wet . . .it cools you down so nicely and we don't have any shade in the back yard. And, you can only eat so many popsicles in one day. We tried sprinklers that last couple years, but Aida chews them up. So, I think they'll be happy with it for this summer. We go once a week to the Eubanks (a family in our church with an in-ground pool with a deep end) and swim, so they are really looking forward to that too. I have to go check the chemical level in the pool now, so they can swim.

only 3 days more . . .

Until schools out! I'm really excited to have them all home for the summer. They need the de-tox from school; it starts to wear on them after a while. This week is all make-up days from overages on snow days, so they're doing NOTHING. Jacklin has her field day today, and I'm going to "help". Also, Colin has an end-of-the-year party from 1-2, so I'll be at the school all day. I went on Aiden's field trip yesterday and we had a lot of fun. It's fun to get to know his friends better and riding on a school bus is so nostalgic, hehehe. We went to the Westcott house in Springfield, which is designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright and is over 100 years old. That guy was way ahead of his time, because that house was so modern looking still. It was restored about 2 years ago to the original look and it is just gorgeous. Has a lot of Asian zen feel to it, with reflecting pools and gorgeous gardens and verandas.

So, we got the van fixed. We ended up having it towed to another shop, because the one place couldn't figure out what was wrong. It ended up being a wiring harness behind the motor that had melted and was short circuiting. So, sometimes it ran and sometimes not. But, now it runs like a dream. We only had to dump a little $$ into it, but there went my trip to Oregon to see my siblings graduate. Oh well. That is how life is. I think it's a sign that it's their turn to come visit me! I really miss them all. I'm the oldest sister in a family of 15 and some of them are just like my children. I had a lot to do with raising them and love it when they call me or text me and we chat. Oh, I miss them so much!!!!

Well, I should be getting out the door. Jacklin is wondering if her forgetful mother is going to show up today or not. Gotta love her, she keeps me on my toes.

playing hookie

Wow . . .this week is flying by. It's already Wednesday and i haven't posted for almost a week! The Van . . .sad, sad story. It's STILL not working, well, we thought it was fixed on Monday. We made it to the picnic at church and home again (it's a 5min drive there, and 5min back). Then, yesterday Jacklin had a field trip and we missed the bus cuz the van wouldn't start. I finally got it going and drove them quickly to the school, but sadly it died while trying to turn into the school. Yes, I blocked traffic for about 2 miles back, buses, teachers, students. I could not get it to start. A very kind gentleman finally came and helped me push it off the road. That is very nearly impossible at that time of day because the school is just off a main highway.
People are suppossed to drive 20 miles per hour in the school zone part of the highway, but it's constant traffic @ 7:45 in the morning. Well, after the van was on the side of the road, I had to run the kids across the busy highway to the school. Whew! Jacklin made it to the field trip. Thank goodness we have AAA. I called them and they towed the van to the repair shop. I borrowed a friends Suburban to pick them up from the bus stop yesterday.

Well, the van is still being repaired or they're still trying to figure out what is wrong. Kenny replaced the fuel pump, air filter, some sensors, but it seems to be an electrical problem. We just had a tune up on it in February, but I keep thinking maybe its just a defective spark plug or something. Cuz, I know so much about fixing cars.

So, today all the kids are home from school and I am sick with the flu that has been going around our family. the headache, sore throat, sinus pressure sickness . . .yuck! Aiden very sweetly made me breakfast-in-bed. he made OJ, oatmeat, and yogurt. Rona ate most of it, cuz my appetite is not too good. They are all so happy to be home. I told them they could do 1 chore and then play, so right now they're putting away their laundry. I put Sylas in charge of helping them get the clothes to their rooms, so we'll see. Sounds like they're fighting down there . . ."Sylas stop choking Aiden". Oh my. I'm being lazy and sitting in bed writing my blog.

It rained a bit last night for the first time in about a week. It's been really humid for the past 3 days. I do not love humidity. We're watering the garden and flowers alot and the garden is growing well. Although, the slugs have been eating some, so we've replanted. Anyone know how to keep slugs out? I love working out in the yard, better than working in the house. I would rather pull weeds and haul water to gently water my seedlings, than do housework. But alas, the laundry is piling up and the floors need washed. maybe since I have so many helpers home today. . .hmmm . . .

So, I'm meditating on that verse that "all things work together for good to those who Love God". It seems like there's a dark cloud following me around, but I know that God won't give us more than we can bear and that He follows along closely with us, even the very hairs of our head are numbered. So, it will all work out eventually and I still have so many things to be thankful for. Well, I gotta go for now, Colin has been up here crying twice, because "the boys are being mean to me" and "Sylas yelled at me." So, I will go play referee. "This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it".

3-day weekend ahead . . .

Oh I love extra vacation days! I haven't posted for a few days because my internet was down and I was too lazy @ night to go fix it. . .something about the modem getting reset? I'm just savvy enough to be dangerous, with technology.

Well, yesterday was Jacklin's spring music program and they've been working on the songs for months. She sings them around the house all the time. . .she loves to sing and loves music. We got loaded up in the van @ 6:30 to go and everyone was cleaned up and in clean clothes, and the van wouldn't go! It has been stalling for a couple months in the mornings, and Ken fixed the fuel filter awhile ago. He thinks it is the fuel pump now $$$. . .if it isn't one thing, it's another. So, we didn't go to the program and Kenny had to take the day off today to fix the van. Now, I could complain about many things, but I'm so thankful that Ken can fix cars; and we got to have a day at home together. It was going to be a crazy day, me going to work, and then trying to get to the grocery store in between picking up kids from the bus and going to T ball and softball games tonight.

We have had such warm, beautiful weather this week. I planted more flowers this year than in past years, mostly because I have time for it now. But, I also have to remember to water them every night so they survive. I love being outside right now. It has been such a nice spring. Usually it's already quite humid and unbearable. I'm so thankful for this beautiful weather!!

Rona went to the dentist for the first time yesterday!! She just got her teeth cleaned, because they wanted her to have a good experience before she got her filling this morning; yes, she had a cavity already!!! I noticed it about a month ago and I swear it's from all the fruit snacks she kept sneaking under the couch. I've been a mean mommy recently and haven't bought any fruit snacks since we discovered the "rotten tooth". Those things are aweful; i buy them for road trips to victory, cuz it's special and we're in the car for 9 hours. But, Rona had somehow been able to eat the entire box if she could find one in the cupboard. . .where was her mother?

Sylas has a mowing job for the summer, that he has started already. He gets $20 each time he mows and it's taken quite a bit of motivation to keep him at it. Usually Ken or I will have to go there with him to keep him working, but he went last night by himself and did a good job. He just has to finish the side yard a little bit today. It was so hot yesterday, 86, that he waited til later in the evening and then it got dark on him. He's trying to earn $ for a trip to Oregon this summer. It's really good for him to have goals.

Drawing with chalk

Rona loves to draw and it shows . . . just come inside and view the walls in our home! She can draw on them faster than her mother can clean them. That is why sidewalk chalk used outside on sidewalks is such a good idea! Here she is making a flower for mommy. Her favorite colors are pink and purple . . surprise, surprise!

I'm going to bed now, but will get more pictures up soon with the other kids in them, too.

Thankful me!

I was thinking of all things I'm thankful for today, to make up for hating on Wal*Mart last week. I'll try to do the short list:

1. Ken, my husband, because he is so good to me, even when I don't deserve it. And, he works hard without complaining and he lets me work the coffee bar @ church (which I love doing); and he loves me unconditionally.

2. My children: Sylas because he can be such a comic, Aiden because he can be so serious, Jacklin because she gets me to play with her (so I dont grow up too fast), Colin because he makes me laugh and cry, and my baby Rona because we hang out together every other day when I'm not working.

3. Amy, my mostly helper, who comes a couple days a week after school to help me keep my sanity. She is just awesome and such a good helper with kids, laundry, meals, baths and bedtimes. . . when Ken is gone fundraising, she is my right-hand girl.

4. My house . . .it is such a nice place for our family and we are so blessed.

5. Our friends, near and far, who encourage us and hang out with us and love us just the way we are.

6. Our family, far, far, away in Oregon . . .they pray for us often and God hears and answers. We are so blessed to have such good parents, in-laws, aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents and siblings.

7. Good health and energy (compliments of coffee). . .where would I be without my daily fix?

8. My job and Ken's job . . . it can be easy to complain about the monotany of cleaning for me, but I have such a good job. I am so blessed to be employed by God-fearing and loving people.

9. The bible . . . God's word, I get encouraged to count it all joy when I experience various trials. Instead of complaining about my life situations, I can have Joy, because as I experience these trials, I get more patient, more kind, more merciful and long-suffering.

10. Low gas prices . . . it's amazing how easy it is to complain when the gas prices are high, but now be thankful when they go down. I'm very thankful for low gas prices!!

that's the end of the list for now, but I am thankful for so many more things. I want to be an example of someone who is happy and thankful no matter what. It's so ugly to have a complaining, unthankful attitude. There's the saying "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" and it's so true that I can set the tone or mood for my home. I want it to be a happy, safe place to be.

Well, this last weekend was the soccer tournament up in NY @ our conference center. I stayed home with sick little Rona, Colin and Jacklin. We rested and watched movies and put in the garden and drank a lot of fluids. I think it helped Rona recover quicker. She's a lot better today. We bought vegetable plants already started . . . they just do better than trying to start with seeds. We had a frost on Sunday night, so I had to cover the newly planted peppers, cukes and watermelon. They survived and look very happy in our little garden plot. We planted marigolds around the border to keep out bugs, so we'll see if it works. I let the kids pick out something from the nursery to plant themselves. Jacklin picked a raspberry bush (expensive), Colin picked a package of pumpkin seeds (cheap) and Rona picked a pkg of sunflower seeds (cheap and colorful). So, we did plant some seeds, but I always have luck with sunflowers and squash type plants are easy to grow too. I LOVE to garden . . . I wish I had a bigger area for a garden, but it's about all I can handle right now. I also have an herb garden with basil, cilantro, parsley, dill, chives and lavender (for smell). I'm thankful for my gardens, too! And, thankful that I figured out a way to keep Aida out of it!

Firepits and Camping

Well, it's very late, but i had to write before I sleep. Thursday night turned out so fun! Colin's practice was cancelled, because of the thundershowers in the morning and early afternoon. Sylas decided an after-school nap was in order, so while he slept, we ran to the store for hotdog buns and the much-desired-by-Aiden Strawberry Lemonade mix and some more boxes of our new favorite cereal, O's. The sun was shining warmly down and we all agreed it was a great night for a fire-pit! We had the ingredients for s'mores and hotdogs and I made guacamole for the parents. We had just the right amount of coals to cook our food properly and enjoyed our 1st firepit of the season. Colin asked all winter long to "have a firepit tonight" , so he was probably the most excited. . .kept throwing in twigs to keep the fire going! All the younger kids needed to be bathed, so bedtime was late and we were all tired this morning! TGIF , well, now Saturday, officially.
Friday . . .Rona is still not feeling good, so no work day for me today. This weekend is the soccer tournament at our church camp in Victory, NY. Sylas has been practicing like crazy and Aiden is allowed to practice as well, but can't officially play until next year. We usually all go up together as a family, but our 5th wheel is in much need of some TLC from Kenny, so we decided just Kenny should go with Sylas and Aiden. Kenny is driving his tiny little Honda Civic up there, so I'm praying he makes it there safely and the car doesnt break down. I will cheer from home . . .GO URBANA! In the past they've won a couple tournaments, so we'll see!

I gave Rona some IB to see if she would perk up and sure enough about an hour later, she pipes up, "I feel better, Mom",so off we went to the mall to shop with our friend, Allie. We went to Old Navy for cheap flipflops and to finishline, cuz Allie needed new running shoes. I got crocs on sale there for Rona and Sylas. He's been wanting a pair for over a year . . I actually got him the mammoth style (slipper lined) because the liners are removable. He was thrilled to death!

Colin had a game tonight @ 5:30, so I took the 3 younger kids with me . . .he's playing 3rd base position and loves it! He is so cute . . . I texted Kenny the play by play cuz he was on his way up to NY already and usually takes Colin to the games and practices. He scored quite a few points for his team, had a triple and a double and made it home 2x. I will get some pics of him on here soon. Then we ate dinner at Subway and got a movie and came home to go "camping". We brought the little tent into the living rm and Colin and Jacklin are camping tonight. Rona is sleeping with me, so I'm not lonely. Looking forward to the morning. . . we plan on planting our garden tomorrow!

Rona got the flu bug :(

Well, I wanted to work an extra day yesterday, but Rona got bit by the flu bug...it went into her eyes and ears and she slept most of the day. The waking hours were spent fussing and wanting mom to hold her and not wanting to eat. That is the biggest indication that Rona is sick! She LOVES food, just like her mom!!! I'm thankful that my genes have a good metabolism included, because sometimes I can pack the food away!
I went to work today, with Rona in tow (and blankey and bunny and lunch box and children's motrin). She's actually pretty good when she comes with me, just watches movies and plays Polly Pocket. I've even considered quitting daycare, but she really likes going and probably needs to learn social skills, blah,blah,blah... Her ears were bothering her still, but I came across this wonderful homeopathic medication when Colin was sick last week. It's made by Herbs for Kids and it's called Willow Garlic Ear drops. It relieves the ear aches and helps with grouchiness! So, now of course, she's feeling wonderful with that IB in her and her & Jacklin are outside setting up the tent and playing house. Jacklin is a wonderful big sister, she comes up with lots of imaginary games and plays well with Colin also.
This morning it was thunder and lightening and lots of rain, but now it's sunny and warm. We've actually had a spring this year! I'm so happy. Usually it's a one week affair between winter and summer; we barely turn off the heater and the A/C is on. Jacklin has softball practice tonight, so I better go and make supper...something Mexican tonight because I have avocados that are dying to become guacamole! I still didn't make the chocolate chip cookies that I was craving yesterday, so I better get into the kitchen and get busy. I'm actually excited that I know what I'm making for supper tonight.

Wal*Mart the witches house...

...my husband has dubbed it that. Reasons why I HATE Wal*Mart:
The bakery smells good

They already have fruit flies and the produce isn't good

I get a workout just to hike back for a gallon of milk (or 2 or 3) and a dozen eggs (or 2 or 3)

They only have one register open after 9pm and it's a good 1/2 hr wait in line

They have really low prices on most things, but

They don't do double coupons . . .argh!!!

I can find good deals on kids shoes after season

They put cheap ring pops by the register

You walk in the doors and immediately forget what is on your list because of all the low prices and proceed to buy many things you don't really need, just because it's cheap

If all you need is a package of hotdogs and a new goldfish, because Jacklins died last night, you have to hike nearly 1/4mile before you're done and spend nearly 1/2 hour at the witches house!

Oh, how i love to hate Wal*Mart...
where is the natural foods section?
Rona always wants the BIG cart
that she refuses to sit in!

I know, I'm no poet, but I had to vent...of course, I went there last night for a couple things after 9:30pm. I mean it was literally $27 worth ... i Needed icecream and bananas for banana splits to bless my husband and we needed shower gel...It took me 45 min. from start to finish!!!!!! I almost read an entire People magazine while waiting in line!! Needless to say, i was very frustrated. Oh well...I actually managed to boycott them for 1 year but it had no effect...they're still in business and thriving, darn it. Maybe on the new earth we can do something about them.

Rona is a bit flu-ish today, but no temp. so that's good. Colin got sick last week with the flu on Tuesday, started with an earache, then fever, headache, sore throat. So he got to miss a few days of school...yesterday was his first day back. He was so happy to not be going to school...they are all so ready to be done. I really hate this time of year because they don't learn anything new, they watch movies and try to cram in all the field trips and the field days and the papers that come home...egads! I'm so looking forward to summer and having them all home.

my first entry...

Well, here goes...thanks to Della for getting me inspired! I don't know if I'll be able to do this justice, but so many times I want to write down cute things the kids say or do (or vent) and I think this might work for me. So, we'll see.
I'm supposed to be going to work, (my job that pays in $$$). I clean 2x a week for a very nice, Christian family ... i've worked there for 4 years. They have been very good to me and i'm very thankful for my job. I have a lot to do here at home to, but for some reason, i work better under pressure, so when i don't have as much time to get something done, i work faster and more efficiently. It's that darned procrastinating nature of mine. But, I've had 2 cups of coffee now, so I'm ready to head out that door.
All my kids are in school, except for Rona (my 3 year old). There's a lady from our church who has an in-home daycare and only 6 kids a day, and that's where Rona goes on tuesday and thursday. She loves going there, but likes her mommy and Rona days too, as she calls them. She's begging to go, so I must for now, but will write more later...hopefully...this evening after I read Della's posts.