Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all fathers. Hopefully everyone will get a chance to wish this to their fathers today. John is wearing a tie that Anna painted for him in school. He is wearing it with a black T-shirt. The tie is a regular tie that her teacher brought to school, and then each child got to design (paint) their own for their father. What a good Dad that John can be!
My dad just worked his last day on Friday. He is officially retired. Anna wanted to get a retirement card for him, but they were all so sappy. I told her she should make one for him. She told me what it is going to say, "Since you are getting kind of old, you might want to think about retiring"! I laughed and told her that was great! Not at ALL sappy!
Well we must go on a bike ride on the bike trail as John and the boys have picked that for our activity this afternoon. High in the mid-eighties!

Puberty

Yesterday, I took James, Daniel, and Abby to garage sales with me. That is quite possibly the stupidest thing that I have done all week, but there was a funny little moment when we were walking over a little bridge and up a path to one house. Abby kept saying "This is NOT our puberty. It's not our puberty!" I said "Not our puberty? What do you mean?" She said, "We do not live here. It's not our puberty."! Oh, I get it! Not our PROPERTY! I had a hard time trying to keep a straight face as I explained these terms to her. Silly, sweet little girl!

The Back 40

Today as I was washing clothes, helping mom use the computer, and making reservations over the phone for a hotel for a baseball tournament this weekend, I happened to look out the front window. Very cloudy and ominous looking out there. Right in my front yard stood 2 coyote! Mom's little dog was lying on the bench on the porch, and our Charlie I did not see. These animals got up and just came closer to the house! All of the sudden, Charlie came flying around from the back of the house, and was off like a shot after them. That set mom's dog off yipping after them too. Charlie got nipped a few times on the backside, and there I went in my longjohns after the BB gun- the ONLY gun that I will allow at my house. I knew how to shoot a BB gun a long time ago, but this one has a scope on it, and I am not so steady as I was at age 14. Anyhow I did get a few shots off, and they ran "down in the hills". Never a dull moment out here in the back 40!
I just told the kids last night that we would put the tent up in the back yard soon so that they could camp out. I may rethink that thought.

One Boy Missing

One would think that when one has 4 children, one would not be so full of anxiety when a child is away.
Daniel is away at 6th grade camp this week -Mon thru Fri- and everything just feels "off". My friends make fun and call me a Mother Hen, but I miss them when they are gone. Even when they are just down the driveway at Grandma's. No offense Mom, you understand don't you?
I am not a parent who gladly sends the kids off to friends' houses on the weekends. I am sure that I am doing a disservice to them by not letting them go, but I don't care. Maybe this feeling is why Dad never let us stay away? Maybe I am neurotic. There is nothing specific that I worry about, I know that he is safe, there is just a void here-- in my heart of hearts.

Happy Mother's Day!

A very Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers, and Mother-type people out there. It's a job, but somebody's got to do it! I think that I prefer it to any other job, even though I sometimes want to proclaim loudly that "I don't want to be the Mom any more!" It is just a passing urge. Last night after James' baseball game, we had pizza, and went shopping for Mother's Day gifts. John told me that I would have to go somewhere else while he and that kids shopped. I told him that I wanted shoes, and he said I had better come in and pick them out. Just what I hoped! I know it is a rather unusual gift, but it is "just what I wanted"! I'm all about practical gifts.
Happy Mother's Day!

Juvie or Jail?

Today we went to James' baseball game in Willard. We were suppose to meet at Northmor and follow everyone there, but John decided that we would just drive ther ourselves. "It's right across from Willard High School". I mapquested Willard High School, and off we flew because we were running a little late! We found our way to Willard, but darned if there was any park that we could see across from the school, and the school had a front and back entrance. After driving around in some questionable areas of town looking for a "train that is in front of the park"- (there were train tracks all over the place), John made ME call the coach. We finally found the place, and James had to warm up by himself. The game was a disappointment. We were glad that it was the last one.
On the way home, we passed the Reformatory in Mansfield. I pointed it out to Abby who said "Is it Juvie or Jail?" I nearly lost it. I asked her what she said, and she repeated it. She is SIX! Where does she GET this? I asked. "A movie", she informed me. Way too much T.V. We really should pull the plug!

More Music

Tonight James had his last band concert for the year. First he had a baseball game and then we met him and John at the High School for the concert. This concert was a bit longer than last week's because the High School band also played. It was nice, and there is a HUGE difference between 6th grade and Jr. High band. The Jr. High has band every day, and 6th grade only twice a week. Again, I never hear James practice. He leaves his trumpet in the bandroom at school. Oh well, you can only do what you can do. I'm sure that John is planning on him quitting in High School, but the band geek in me kind of hopes that he plays in the Marching Band. It probably wouldn't help his image any, but it sure is a lot of fun!

First Communion

Today Anna made her First Holy Communion. She has waited all year for it, and was very excited. She even wrote a poem about it the week before:

I'm half way in the church and I'm relly relly nervous but the thing is The Church hasn't started the service. I practised day and night but my dress is a little tight! I'm going to recive bread and wine and my teacher will give me a sign. I Loved it!

That is the entire poem be Annne Katherine. None of the spelling has been changed. I wish we could all be so young and excited about life. She is constantly writing things.

It was a beautiful day, and Sarah and Darren, Jen and Dave and Mom and Dad all came over afterward for lunch. We should have Sunday dinners more often!

And The Band Played On...

Tonight was Daniel's band concert. He plays the Trombone. I wonder if all six graders practice as much as mine. I hardly even know what his trombone sounds like. He did have a bit of a solo during the one song. Or should I say duet? There were only 2 trombones in the 6th grade band, so it was heard loud and clear. Not bad. Just think how good he could be if he actually practiced! There is not enough time in the day for all of the homework and practices. Well, maybe if we pulled the plug on the T.V....!

Happy Easter!

Hoping that eveyone had a Happy Easter! Just a picture that I caught while the kids were hunting eggs. Anna was very impressed! She wants to take a copy to school to show. I am quite afraid that everyone will make fun.

Hannah Montana

I must be out of my mind. All week, Anna reminded me everyday that "Hannah Montana The Movie" is in theaters April 10th. "PLEASE can we go?" All week, my answer was the same. "We'll see". They did not let me forget. I should have burned all of the calendars so they did not know the date. Today dawned very rainy and dreary. Anna said, "A perfect day to go to the movies". Anyone who knows my penny-pinching ways knows that I will not pay full price for a movie. I usually only go to the dollar theatre, and tried to make the girls see the sense in this, but to no avail. The first showing of the day is the cheapest, and it was the first showing of the movie in our town (except for the midnight showing the night before). So, off we went to get our tickets an hour early. The theatre was not even open yet. There were only 3 cars in the lot. So we sat and waited. Soon, people started showing up and getting in line out in the rain (it was only a sprinkle at this time). We joined all of the other crazy parents and their excited offspring. In about 15 minutes or so, the doors were opened, and I tell you it was like Walmart the day after Thanksgiving! The line disappeared. People were going into ALL of the doors at once. We got our tickets, and our seats and waited for another 45 minutes until the movie started. The movie itself was the same as the show, only 4 times as long! As I said, I must be CRAZY! My mother would have NEVER have done such a thing! I probably won't do it again , either. The dollar movies are just fine with me!

Girls Day Out

I took Anna and Abby to the movies today after school. We went to see Marley & Me. I was a little apprehensive about taking them as most everyone who I know who has seen it says that they cried at the end. It was rated PG, but I felt that it could have bee PG 13. There was a bit of language in it , but it is not like they never hear that here. (Never!).
I guess I shouldn't have worried about their tender little feelings at the end. Abby informed me that the people behind us were crying. Then, as they dog was being put to sleep and the theater was very quiet, she loudly announced, " It's not like they can't get another dog." That's my ever-caring, tenderhearted(NOT!) girl.

Oh, Pure Happiness (inhaled)

Today I had to go to the oral surgeon to have the roots of a molar removed after my new dentist broke the tooth off trying to pull it last Thursday. All weekend I dreaded this visit. I was even such a baby that I had my mommy come along.
I arrived at the office and filled out all the paperwork, and was ushered to THE CHAIR by a very nice lady who I could not stop talking to because I was SO nervous. I told her that this was the case, and she was very nice about it. She toldme that I could have nitrous oxide (which I had never had before). She told me that it would probably make me feel "floaty" and my hands and feet tingle. She instructed me to breathe only through my nose. If I started to breathe through my mouth, the effects would go away immediately. She then hooked a hose to my nose and proceeded with the topical anesthetic. Suddenly, I began floating, and everyone that spoke to me sounded like a speeded up record and I couldn't understand them. I just kept saying "UH HUH", and sucking in through my nose. The dentist numbed with Novocaine in the roof of my mouth, and I could have cared less! I just kept inhaling! He had to drill into the root to get ahold of the tooth, and I kept inhaling. He finished and they took away the lovely gas and I said through the gauze, "Did you get it all?". Of course. I said "YAY!" I know that I was silly, but I did not care. THAT is a dentist appointment I would never dread again! Not that I want to do it again, but a regular dentist will never be allowed to pull my teeth again.
I wonder if they give the lovely gas when cleaning teeth...

THINK

Note to self...
Think long and hard before agreeing to let a new Dentist extract a tooth on the first visit "because you are already numb". These impulse decisions cost a lot of avoidable spending! Ask the appropriate questions before agreeing, " Is it fast? Is it painless? DO YOU HAVE THE CORRECT TOOLS? How much will it cost in the end?"
This may help avoid broken tooth and a visit to an oral surgeon.
THINK!

Happy Birthday Abby!

Today, just one week after Daniel's birthday, it is Abby's 6th birthday. I can not believe that my youngest child is 6! I guess time really flies when you are busy "having fun". She wanted a butterfly cake which really was not that hard or time consuming to make. She colored a picture of a butterfly the way she wanted the cake decorated. That is the reason that one side is pink, and one is orange. It was ordered by the birthday girl that way! The grandparents and Aunt Sarah came for dinner. It was pretty much a repeat of last week's birthday food, but we had steak instead of chicken. I will accept any excuse to eat good food, and a birthday is just a great excuse! Happy Birthday Abby!

Sorry Beth

So sorry, Beth, for copying your Deals of the Day post! I told you I was jealous of your deal the other day!
Today started at 6:30 am with the cell phones ringing. Mom called to tell us that the power was out and a tree was on the line in our driveway. John and James had to walk to mom and dad's and drive their van to school because we could not get out the driveway. At 7:30, I got the other 3 up, and was searching for socks and tripping all over the girls' room on all of their junk and saying "What an adventure", when Daniel came in the room and flipped on the light. Smartie Pants! Oh well, I guess it got me up and moving early. Washed 2 loads of laundry by 10:00. That is totally unheard of!

Deals Of The Day

Anyone that knows me, knows that I live for the best deal that I can find. Then I have to totally bore everyone that will listen(or read) about it until the next deal comes along.

Today, against my better judgement, I took Anna and Abby shopping for dresses for Ben and Sarah's wedding (they are to be the flower girls). Anna is also making her first communion in May, or we would not be buying anything until late summer. I thought we would have a fun "girl day". First we went to church where Anna wanted to sit in front where everyone could see Abby leaning all over the place and rolling her eyes and making faces when I told her to stop. Then we went to their favorite place for lunch THE CHINA BUFFET. I don't understand why it is 4.00 more on Sunday when the food is the same except for the crab legs that have a sign above them stating that if you want to eat them, you will have to pay 3.99 EXTRA. But because it is their very favorite place, I gave in. I was not even halfway throught my first plate of food when Abby spilled nearly her whole adult-sized glass of water on my left leg! The waitress was there instantly to wipe it all up. I said "I knew that might happen without a lid on the glass." To which she replied "Yes, yes". I asked for a lid for Abby's glass. She said "Yes, yes", and brought a new glass full to the top with no lid. I politely asked for a lid, she said "Yes, yes", and brought me new silverware! At this point Abby has turned into her other self and is pouting and lying down in the booth to eat her chicken. I just told her that I would help her get a drink when she is ready. I went up to the buffet to get more food as mine was floating in a lake of ice water, plus it is warm at the buffet, and my leg is soaking wet. We finished eating and got our ice cream, and Abby was eating her ice cream cone over her plate when the waitress came and pointed at her plate like she wanted to take it for us. I said that she was eating her ice cream over it so she would not make a mess. The waitress said "Yes, yes" and took the plate! I think that the only words that she knows in English are the names of the drinks that they serve there! Anyhow the ice cream ended up in a big chocolate blob on Abby's dress, and we finished there.

So, to get on with the story, the deals of the day were the communion/flower girl dresses from Gabriel Brothers for 19.99 each! For those of you that mistakenly thought that the girls were the deal of the day from looking at the pictures and the title, I am sorry. By the end of the day, they would have been a free deal. Abby was whining at the checkout that her stomach hurt, she was hungry, and had to go to the bathroom. She did not address any of these things after we got home, however. Now I remember, I SHOP ALONE!

The Party

Today we celebrated Daniel's birthday. Four extra boys we had. WILD! These boys weren't really any trouble, but James and Daniel must just be abnormally mild compared to their peers. There were about 22 for a dinner of grilled chicken, hamburgers, cheesey potatoes, a couple different salads, and cake and ice cream. Thank you Aunt Sarah for making a cool basketball cake!

Happy Birthday Daniel!

Today Daniel is 12. It is hard for me to grasp it. Just last year,(so it seems) he was a huge 10 pound one ounce baby! Now he is nearly as tall as me- I know that is no great accomplishment- and as skinny as can be! He plays basketball, and baseball. He also is a budding young chef, just like Uncle Ben was! He does like to bake and cook. Plays the piano and the trombone, although I never do hear the trombone.
For this birthday, he wants to have 2 friends over, and James also wants to have 2. "So we can play basketball", James said. We will see how that goes.

Thank You

Thank you, Beth for making my blog so pretty! I didn't have the time or the knowledge. It was a pretty uneventful week. We ended it yesterday with a baby shower for our new little nephew who will be born in April. Anna,Abby and I went to this while John and the boys were free to do as they pleased with none of us girls to cramp their style. And Boy did they! They hit the grocery store, the sporting goods store, the movies, and went out to eat! That's it! They are cut off from spending! They had a good day, though.
Today I am cracking the whip. This house needs to be put to rights before a new week starts. Anna has gotten into a cleaning mode and has made a list and everything. Abby, however is harboring a terrible attitude, and is on the couch and is complaining " Im hungry. I want chips and dip" even though we just cleaned up brunch which she did not love. Too bad. Maybe a new attitude sandwich is in order for her?
Well, I need to catch up with Anna's cleaning. Have to takd advantage of it while it lasts!

I Think I'm Growing

Poor Dear Anna has had a rough winter. She started with a stomach flu at Thanksgiving, and has had Strep Throat 3 times since then. Last week it was a fever with runny nose and congestion. She recovered from that only to start walking like both her legs were broke. Said that the backs of her calves felt " like there's a bone poking through" 4 days of this we endured. I told her that maybe she was growing and would be taller than her brothers next week. She moaned and groaned and hobbled about. Today she slept until 12:30. I kept going up to check on her. Finally, the last time I went up, she was awake lying in be holding her knee. "I think you were right, I am growing. I got freckles on my knee, and I never had them on my knee before". Where did THAT come from? I informed her that she is such a redhead, and before she is all done growing, she will probably be covered with those freckles. She got up and has walked fine ever since. ITS A MIRACLE!

Did You Know?....

This morning I was awakened by my lovely John telling me that his car would not start, so he was taking my van. "You will either have to drive the truck, or jump my car if you need to go somewhere. There is hardly any gas in the truck", he informed me as he made big wet puddles on the carpet on his way out. I thought, "I can DO this". It was really cold- probably why the car wouldn't start- and I would have to take the kids to the bus in about an hour.
Well, I started the truck and moved it over by the car. Now I have never actually jumped a vehicle by myself, but how hard can it be, right? It is all color coded, right? I fumbled the cables, and got them attached to the truck and then was ever so careful not to let the squeezey things on the other end touch. Hooked one squeezey thing to the car, and then.... Did you know there are fireworks if you don't get the right cables on the right connector!?!!!! I was sure it was right, but I was frighteningly mistaken! Anyhow got it figured out, and started the car and did not die- thank goodness. I always wondered what would happen if a person hooked up those squeezey things wrong!

Happy Birthday Sarah!

Happy Birthday, Sarah! I believe I was in 4th grade when you were born. It was a Saturday. A Saturday of cutting wood and various other exciting jobs outside. After Mom did all of that, she quickly went to the hospital and had you in record time! I hope you had a great one, as I am just now getting to this.

We awoke this morning to the phone ringing at 6:20am. The nice computer lady on the automated call announced that school would be delayed 2 hours. I said "I wonder what it did out there". SNOW. Blowing snow. Totally unexpected. So what do I do with 2 extra hours in the morning you ask. I sleep! Then I wake up and wish I had gotten up and done something. Which brings me to another thing. Why does the Laundry Fairy never visit here? She is probably hanging out with the Dirty Dish Fairy who never visits either! I have GOT to find those two!

I Think I Made It!

Heaven help me, I am trying to come into the computer age! Beth has begged me to start this blog because she feels that it will be entertaining for others. I personally felt like who wants to hear about me, so I will try to keep it light and funny. I have used up about an hour trying to set this up, and forgot to write down my URL (I had to try several). Hopefully, I will be able to get back here tomorrow or when I find time! This could be very time consuming and my house may go to pieces for it, but I do like to read others' so.... here goes!