Pity Party time...

I think you probably get the point.  You see some very special people to me are together right now.  Like really special people.  Like people that mean a lot to me for a lot of reasons.  Oh and did I mention they are all together?  I did.  Without me.  Or my family.  Having very very special days together.  And besides the fact that all these very special people are together... even beyond that they are surrounded by another huge host of very nice people.  Like really nice.  All together. Yes indeed.  Without me and my family.  Enjoying special days.  Special visits.  Special memories.  Did I mention that they are all together without me?  Sniff.  Sob.  Boo-hoo.  It is indeed time for a pity party.  Think I'll go soak my sorrows over a cup of iced tea.  Maybe that will cheer me.  Since I'm not together with a lot of special people to me...

Monday Musings

Not a lot to offer up today.  Once again we'll see what the keyboard has to share.

We're in the throes of summer.  Or is it throws?  Well you don't 'throw' summer, but it does go by quickly.  I digress.  Kids finding every which way to be with this friend or that one.  Last night after g.m. we lost a son and gained a daughter.  Now the three 'daughters' are busy writing, directing, and editing a play.  I see my wedding skirt is part of the costume line-up.  Hope there isn't a witch in the cast....

And summer means baseball for son #1.  After an undefeated season so far, we were royally handed a lesson in humility.  The team was handily spanked for all three games.  Think slaughter-rule.  Not sure why.  That's baseball I guess.  But I do have some sunburned kneecaps to show for it.

I just realized I'm stubborn.  Oh really you say?  Well I was born under the sign of the Taurus.  My dad used to say I was 'stubborn as a mule'.  Takes one to know one!  (tee-hee).  But I was trying to prove a point the other day.  And I was absolutely positively certain that I was right and that I made sense.  But I didn't.  And the biggest problem was that I was trying to make a point to the Chairman.  Well if you don't know him very well, I'll tell you something.  He's smart.  Like super-smart.  And he called me on it.  And I was wrong and finally realized it about 15 minutes after the 'discussion' was over.  Rats.  So much for some self-satisfaction stubbornness that gets stomped on.

I'm still having problems with massage therapists.  You see "T" quit the place I went to and is now doing it on her own in homes.  Then they told me to choose "J" since her style/pressure/what-not was very similar.  I saw "J" for maybe 4 or 5 times and then got a call.  "J" has left the building.  I was smart enough to not bother asking why since they'd never tell me anyway.  So now on to "R".  Trying to use up five more backed up ones so I can quit.  Who ever would think that massages were such a hassle?

One of son #1's birthday gifts was a remote control helicopter.  Was told about it by a family member (shout out to T!) that it was a great deal.  Yep.  Regular retail $119 or something.  Sold on-line for $20.  I like deals like that.  And it works super-neat.  Especially with an 18' great room ceiling that ends with a hall upstairs.  So we have a helicopter buzzing by these days.

I was alone with a couple of the kids the other night so we went to the local lakefront 'Beach Party'.  Went because there is a water skiing show and ice cream and people to stare at and a beach to enjoy. My favorite scene was probably the doofus of a guy that walked by with an equally-looking doofus-y girlfriend.  But the t-shirt he was sporting said, 'if you knew my family, you'd understand'.  Now that is an honest guy I tell ya.  Lisi went sporting her 4th of July bandana.  I may be her owner.  And I may like her just a little bit.  So I may be a bit biased.  But she was wildly popular there.  Like we had throngs of people coming up to pet her.  To ask her name.  To give her a taste of their ice cream.  She kissed babies and old ladies alike.  And for her it was the best day ever.  So I came to the conclusion that people that go to outdoor 'Beach Parties' like dogs.

Well times a-wastin'.  So best be on my way.

p.s.  did you know the days are getting shorter now?  How's that for a little day-brightener for you?

Missed Monday Musings

Yep, kinda busy in these parts. Here's why:

The Chairman on Father's Day

Dad D. was here too!

And a birthday!

Happy #11!

I always wish people would ask me the next couple weeks what ages our children are.  Because our "Irish Twins" are the same age.  Kinda neat, eh?

This lovely lady spent some time with us.  How was it?  I'm pretty sure you know the answer.  Look at those faces.

And on top of all that, we went berry picking!  Seventy pounds of berry picking.  In the pouring rain.  It tested the mettle of the MYP here.  They passed after some coercion and a threat or three.  Did you know picking strawberries in the rain gives you super-de-duper soft hands?  I'm not sure why.  Was it the rain?  The berries?  Or the dirt?  But when we came home we all commented that our hands were soft as baby bottoms (without the smell of well... never mind)

Yum!

Some of the finished products

So yes, we've had busy summertime days.  The MYP are continually figuring out how to get this friend or that one over for a visit or an overnight.  Has worked pretty swell actually.

Summertime is so busy though that when you are very occupied with company and friends and berries that other things get neglected like laundry piles and flower beds.  Hard to get all self-satisfied with yourself when you think one job is really done well and you round the bend to see a LOT more to do.  Did I mention that I'm tired tonight?

But!  Tomorrow two are going south of the border and another to another place.  If you do the math that is three kids MIA from our home.  Can you say 'alone-time' with me?  It'll be lovely to have just a few hours to myself.  Then they'll come home and look so cute and I'll have missed them desperately.  Or not.

Our neighbors are moving to England.  A job transfer for about three years.  I found some irony in the fact that the big truck out front was emblazoned with the words, "MAYFLOWER" and a picture of the original one.

So I needed to find a place for all our delicious goods that came out of the strawberry fields.  Dug through the abyss in the basement that's better known as our chest freezer.  Found some french bread from '08.  A turkey breast from who-knows-when.  Some muffins that had shriveled into mini-muffins.  And an oozing bunch of those bright-colored tubes of yuck that you freeze for summertime.  I tried to put it all back neatly and I could here the pyramids falling before I even shut the door.  But at least I got two big garbage bags of icky stuff out of there the night before garbage day.

Did I mention I'm tired tonight?  Oh, sorry.

Lisi has a story to tell, but I'm not sure she's up for the telling.  You see I saw something looking very yucky on the screen porch floor.  Got closer and saw it was... well to put it bluntly, puke.  But it looked like something else.  I got some paper towels to get it and in it was a big rock.  Not just a rock, but one about 2 1/2" in circumference.  Obviously she's not a bright dog to swallow a rock.  But I think we are very, very lucky owners that she was able to hack that thing up and not have it get stuck in her throat or in her digestive tract.  We have no idea how long it's been in there.  But it was big.  And scary after the fact.

On a sweet note... we have Dad and Mom Mallard at the nearby pond with 11 of the cutest little ducklings swimming behind them.  Mrs.  Mallard is very VERY testy if Lisi gets in the water at all nearby.  We've actually trained her to go after geese and not mallards, so she leaves them alone anyway.  Mrs. Mallard isn't convinced though...

And lastly.  On Father's Day the Chairman and I were both in our bathroom brushing our teeth or whatever mundane thing we do as a couple and he said out of the blue, 'you have been really nice today'.  I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.  You mean typically I'm not so nice?  Or I'm being super-nice?  Or?  I smiled and said 'thanks'.  But it did give me a little giggle later.

This is enough.  Lots of musings on a Tuesday.  Did I mention yet that I'm tired?

Words on Wednesday

Another fresh haircut

the view from this side

'raw' chicken on the counter

what are we doing here?

So what's happening here?  Not too much.  The Chairman is spending a lot of time in his chair at his desk at his job doing what he does best.  It's good as there is work.  It isn't good as it is the time of the year when he hates to be inside.  So I feel a bit of angst when I can mosey outside to pull weeds and take the dog for a walk.  Seems unfair.  But I can't do what he does.

Today I have a big knot in my stomach.  You see some people we care about just lost a near full-term baby girl.  They have joined 'the club'.  The club of those who have lost.  Someone said to me today that we'll know what to say to them.  In some ways, yes.  In other ways, no.  But hearing of the extreme sadness they are facing brings back a flood of memories and a few tears.  I wish they didn't have to go through what they are today.  And I wish they didn't have to go through what they will for the next year and beyond.  Because it hurts.  Very, very deeply.  And life brings richest blessing and moves on.  But the ache will remain in the background with a little less intensity.

And a beautiful baby girl was also born last night to some other friends.  She has a lovely big sister.  And she'll bring a lot of joy to the home and to others I'm sure.

There was another blog hit.  This time from South Africa.  The poor people were searching for "Happy birthday to a sister that lost a loved one".  Hope the person that was searching wasn't the one that was lost.  Huh?

I think our fine state was transplanted to Ireland.  We still are lingering in the 60's with a lot of gray and plenty of rain.

I spent an hour yesterday looking for a misplaced library book.  One of the MYP here denied ever seeing it.  I looked and looked and looked and looked and lo and behold!  It was sitting right on top of a cabinet in the basement right next to where she had been playing the day before.  (sigh)  I am happy though that there are no missing items!

The Chicken Lady stopped in today.  With nothing less than a box of peeping chicks!  They were on their way to a new home.  So the MYP had a great time holding them and listening to their peeps.  (Don't tell the Chairman that they were on the island eating bread crumbs though.  He wouldn't approve.)

I think this is enough...

Monday Musings

Better get this going or it'll be Tuesday Musings.  And somehow, that doesn't have such a nice ring to it.  You see the Chairman took the MYP away for a few minutes.  And so I can actually type in peace.  Not a lot of that going on around here now that summer vacation is upon us.

Actually, for a couple days under my belt (not that I'm wearing one), it's gone fairly well.  The other night I went berserk.  Child number one was taking issue with child number 2.  But child number 3 thought some indiscretion happened and retaliated to child number 1.  Then child number 2 got involved and there was a full-blown fracas.  Physical force was used.  A few tears.  And a loud yell and some preaching from mom about 'loving your neighbor' means more than just loving the people in the green house nearby.  And it got better.  Mostly.  For a few hours anyway!

I'm surprised though on how much I'm accomplishing with them home.  They can pull their own weight!  Son #1 actually made enchiladas and our coffee and washed the van for me.  And it was done cheerfully.  Busy is good in his world.  I'm trying to overlook the humongous mess all around my feet of the remnants of the latest paper fighter jet he simply created with computer paper, some elbow grease, and a bit of tape.

Did you know blackberries can leave horrific stains on beige carpeting?  Well if you didn't, now you do.  I'm still trying to figure out how that happened since we only eat over the hardwood floor.

I'd like to grab a gun and shoot, but I think the neighbors would take issue.  You see Peter Rabbit likes green beans almost as much or more so than I do.  And so he happily hopped down the rows and kindly left four bean plants standing.  I've replaced them with squash plants as rumor has it, they aren't as tasty.

Should I mention that son #1's baseball team hasn't lost a game?  I probably shouldn't as that would come across as bragging.  So I won't.

Riveting stuff here, but that's the best I can offer today.  Saw a list recently that makes me almost anxious for fall and privileges!  Hooray for help from afar!

Last Day Jitters

First day last fall

Last day today

As a parent, it is hard to see the growth and changing that happens in tiny bits day by day.  Then you look at a comparison from nine months ago and you see it.  Just little nuances of difference.  Size, face shape, teeth!
And so it is the last day of this school year.  The kids have the jitters the first day.  New rooms/teachers/schedules/friends.  The last day (at least this one) mom's have jitters.  Oh sure.  I'm excited that we don't have a schedule to keep.  There's the neat thing about having the kids around all the time.  Places to go.  People to see.  Things to do.  And boredom... and crabby-pants... and a wild rumpus.  And wonderful time together.  Jitters for me?  You bet.  For the first couple days anyway.  Then we settle into a new normal until fall.

I think nearly without exception, one of our children had the very. exact. same. lunch. everyday.  It almost nauseated me to keep sticking it into the lunch bag.  But that's what the child wanted.  And it was basically healthy.  I'm thinking in a few years down the road she'll be asking me why I "made" her eat the same lunch every day.  Or maybe she still will be eating it...

So the kids were reveling in the fact that it was the last day.  They were going to be 'FREE' tomorrow.  No more school.  No more books.  No more teacher's dirty looks (well hopefully they didn't get too many of those).  And really, they should enjoy it.  These days of freedom.  In just a few short years they will (hopefully!) have jobs and responsibilities.  And then they won't be 'free'.  But for now.  They have that 'I'm done!' feeling.  And they deserve it.

I am usually more tired during the summer.  You see with no real schedule, the kids stay up later.  And they sleep in.  I wish I could.  But I'm so blasted timely that when it is 6:00 am, my body says it is time to get up and get going no matter the time I go to bed.  Hopefully I survive until September 1st!

And today is an open day for me.  Kinda planned it that way.  I was thinking I'd be super-lazy and just do what I wanted until the bus roared back at 3:32.  But the Chairman is working diligently.  And so I feel like I should too.  Seems fair, no?

And unrelated to school-ending jitters.  I saw this quoted on a fellow-bloggers page.  I liked it.  So here goes:

When a woman stays at home and cooks with good judgement and understanding, peace and happiness result. She thus controls the family's health and destiny, also her husband's mood, disposition and feeling, and assures the futures of her children. - Unknown

Monday Musings

I was going to skip today because quite frankly, I'm a bit short of time or brains or whatever is lacking. But will post a few pics instead of a lot of musing.

Almost done with 5th grade!  Where does time go...

State presentation

Think I mentioned that we had some graduates in our area again this year.  For some of you far away friends that might know them, I'll post a couple pics...

McKenna, Travis, and Heather

Heather with her folks

See those nice people above?  They were and still are very influential people in our lives.  You see their choices very much had an affect on a life-altering choice for us.  Their darling, healthy, bright little girls inspired us to move forward.  At just the right moments, encouragement was given.  At stressful moments in the paper-chase, strength was given.  And reassurances came ofen, 'it'll be just right'.  And it was and we are thankful they helped us.  And still are....

McKenna and her folks

See those nice people above?  They are neighbors to us.  Nice to the core.  Actually I'll admit something.  The Mrs. kinda scared the willies out of me for awhile...  a lovely home.  Beautiful yard.  Three spit-polished kids.  Great husband.  She seemed almost out of my 'league'.  And maybe she still is... but now she's my friend.  And now we talk about reading glasses and sharing rooms in the nursing home some day...

all the parents

Added for cute factor.  Little girl getting a little sibling
very, very soon.

So yesterday we had some company.  It wasn't planned ahead of time.  It was fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of company.  Usually when we have company, I want to make sure the sheets in the linen closet are starched before they come.  You know... everything should be perfect.  This time they followed us home.  I tried to think about what our meal would be.  I scurried in the door and had 38 seconds to do a quick search of misplaced items (only located one errant t-shirt in the living room).  And you know what?  It was nice.  Very nice.  And certainly a lot less stressful!

So I peeked in the 'Guidance' folder of our 3rd grader.  They are doing career surveys in 3rd grade!  Really!  Like the kind I took my junior year of high school (and still had no clue what I wanted to do).  Guess it never is too early!

Really!  I must go... no more musings for this Monday.

What is so rare...

as a day in June.  I hope all you winter-lovers out there just sorta enjoy these wonderful June days.  Wow... and we don't even have mosquitoes yet!  The garden pops.  The flowers open (well those that weren't whipped to death or submission to the wind).

A baby was born today!  And she looks very cute.  And she's kinda-sorta related to us.  But we don't take credit for the cute.  We'll leave that to her nice parents.

So the ticks had the last laugh.  The night after the 'Ticked' post I was awoken suddenly in the night that something wasn't right.  Thought I felt something crawling on my leg.  Leaped out of bed and shook my pj's with the lights off (didn't want to alarm the  Chairman you know).  Crawl back in bed and lie there another few moments.  Feel that sensation again.  Jump out of bed even faster and race to the bathroom.  Turn on the light and there is the tick.  Just getting ready to settle in for a nice drink of my blood.  Eeew.  So I pulled him out and flushed him and went back to bed and slept very lightly imagining LOTS of creepy-crawlies all over.

Then!  Last night I'm folding up yet another load of laundry and see something.  Pull it off and realize it was another tick that survived the wash and dry cycle.  Those buggers are strong.  And prevalent in these parts in the spring.  But don't get me wrong.  I still love love love spring.

So I came back from a little grocery shopping and looked at the island and realized I may have been a little too enthusiastic about all the fruits available.  At this moment we have in our house, a watermelon, cantaloupe, pears, peaches, grapes, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, apples, and bananas.  But it is good and healthy and it'll be gone before you know it.

Have I mentioned they've begun the construction of a Costco that will be five minutes from our house?  I like that we can hear roosters crowing nearby and still have great shopping as well!

Tomorrow is the local graduation picnic for three of our friends.  I'm again very impressed with them.  Such nice, promising, lovely young people.  Makes me a bit squeamish that their parents are the same age as... me!

Oh and did I ever mention that I like spring?

Ticked

Well not really.  But I don't think the school will make me the "mom of the year" this time (not that they have such a silly thing).

Phone rings.  Hello, this is Janet from the health room.  Is this Mrs. Chairman's Wife?  Yes.  Well we have Daughter #1 here and we just discovered a tick on the back of her neck.  We took it off and put it in a little cup and then in a plastic bag.  Ok....

Do you know how she would have gotten the wood tick?  Well probably.  We spent three hours in somewhat deep grass last night at a baseball game and daughter #1 was lying on a blanket reading a book the whole time.

Well we highly recommend you calling your pediatrician to decide what to do next.  And we have the tick saved and are wondering what we should do with it.  So I responded, I would probably just flush Mr. Tick down the toilet and send her back to class.  Do you want us to keep the tick?  Or do you want to come pick the tick up?  Well to be honest neither.  I don't want to spend $4/gallon to pick it up.  Nor would I take the tick to the doctor's office.  

So then I ask Janet, is the tick super-tiny like a deer tick would be?  Well no, it looks like a wood tick.  Then again, I would just flush him and call it the end of the story.

Insert pregnant pause.  Well, I marked the spot where the tick was at and we'll decide what to do with the tick, ok?  Sure that's fine.  Well thank you Mrs. Chairman's Wife (said in a tone that she's not quite satisfied).

Say Janet? Maybe you should keep it!  Why even take him home and build a little house for him!  Maybe you could get more!!!  (what I wanted to say)

On a side note:   I understand Lyme's disease is dreadful.  I understand that there are real fears that school systems have over being liable for not tending the young people as they should.  But we live in Wisconsin.  We have a LOT of wood ticks... especially in this season.  So the utter worry and fear because of them still baffles me.