Jingle Bells, Batman Smells

It happens every year, just like clockwork. I've done my shopping (but there's still the wrapping) school is out (but I'm exhausted from all of the parties, crafts, sugar, etc) I've pondered the TRUE MEANING of Christmas (and gritted my teeth everytime some do-gooder pretends that Christmas is the only holiday celebrated in December and urges me to boycott anyone/aything who has the audacity to say "Happy Holidays") and now it's time for my Annual Holiday Meltdown where I want to scream to the world, "WILL YOU ALL JUST SOD OFF YOU UNGRATEFUL INGRATES???!?!?!??!?!!?!?".

*takes a deep breath*

*gets into zen mode*

*wonders if that is allowed when one celebrates Christmas, or is that not Christian enough of me?*

*doesn't care*

*takes another deep breath*

*thinks about my favorite Christmas songs, especially the rendition of "O Holy Night" that was sung at church yesterday*

*drinks some Dr. Pepper*

*knows the meltdown will pass in a few hours*

*feels better while keeping things in perspective*

Baby, it's cold outside...

No, really it is. 39 degrees with a windchill of 29. In the middle of the day. (And I know some of you live in other parts of the country where that's nothing. I don't wanna hear about it. Do you see me razzing you when you're sweltering at 85 degress and no humidity? No.) We usually don't see temps like this until January or so. The house is cold. I suppose I could go turn up the heater, but I need to start cooking dinner in the next hour or so, and the oven would heat up the house a bit. But I'm too cold to think of doing anything but crawling under the covers and taking a nap.

I haven't mentioned it here yet, but the chickens finally started laying eggs about three weeks ago. Happy day! I took pictures of the first eggs, but then they were accidentally deleted (along with 300 other pictures) when I let the girls use my camera. You'll just have to believe me when I say the yolks are a vibrant yellow, and they make the prettiest scrambled eggs, not to mention they taste yummy.

This is our last week of school before the holiday break. I am very, very happy about this. I'm especially happy with the way the break falls- a full week off before Christmas and a week and a half off after Christmas. This gives me time to get everything done I need to before Christmas, and time to recover after.

Sometimes I feel like I'm spinning my wheels. I suppose that's a feeling common to most women. I keep telling myself that I'll get it all together here soon. I'll let you know if that happens. ;)

I Have an Annoucement!

STAY TUNED....

It's not that I'm ignoring you, because I'm not.

Posting has been scarce here at Ye Olde Blog as of late, I know. Sorry 'bout that. But I'm doing a little blog revamping. It'll be exciting and fresh and new!!! (Kinda sorta.)

Keep a sharp eye on the horizons, mateys.

Today

Today, I woke up to the sound of James hacking up a lung. He's caught the hellacious cold I had last week, evidently. Given that I was woken up two hours before I actually needed to be awake, I wasn't exactly a happy camper. But then I remembered that today was Friday, and once today was over, I would be on Thanksgiving break.

Today, I went to preschool and helped transform my class into nine pilgrim boys and girls. We then trooped happily to the church fellowship hall and had a Thanksgiving Feast with the three year old turkeys and two year old Indians. A good time was had by all.

Today, I came home from school to find James feeling moderately better. He was feeling well enough to start on the approximately 87 loads of laundry that had piled up over the course of the week. As I as printing off a coupon for some Christmas shopping, I heard a high pitched whine coming from the washing nmachine, followed by a loud *THUNK*. It then sounded like we were attempting to wash 1000 nuts, bolts and screws rather than some towels. As the washer was still running, I asked James to take a look at things when the load was done.

Today, I left the house confident that my man would fix whatever was wrong while I went Christmas shopping for the girlies. Armed with a 30% off my entire purchase coupon and knowing exactly what was on sale, I proceeded to save almost $100. With the exception of stocking stuffers, my shopping for the girls is now DONE. GO me.

Today, I decided that after working so hard, I deserved a treat. So I made my way over to the nail salon where I let the nice ladies take care of my cracked heels, ragged cuticles and overgrown eyebrows. I even let the lady talk me out of my normal french manicure in favor of a very pretty dark red.

Today, I came home to fond out that the washer is caput. Bummer. Given that we bought it used for $75 almost six years ago (and it had been used by it's previous owner for over 5 years) we figured we'd got our money out of it. I remembered that we'd received a $25 coupon in the mail from Lowe's a few days earlier. I hopped online and found a decent washer that was on sale and in stock. We decided that we really didn't want to wait to find a decent used washer in the paper (remember those 87 loads of laundry? We had clean towels, but the underwear supply was running dangerously low.) Presto change-o, the old washer is out and the new washer is in. It's a bit loud, but I figure I'll be able to hear when it's all done.

Today, I was busy and spent a lot of money. But we'll have clean clothes again, presents under the Christmas tree and my eyebrows aren't a source of shame for the family anymore.

I call today a success.

Things Remembered

There are a lot of things I don't really do anymore now that I teach preschool five days a week.

I used to scrapbook almost daily. Scrapbooking was my main hobby for almost 15 years. I really enjoyed it, and I'm proud of the work I did. But I can't remember the last time I scrapped. Maybe two years ago?? Along that same line I used to make handmade cards. I'd give them as gifts or use them for Christmas. I haven't made my own Christmas cards since 2007-ish??

I used to love to cook and bake. I loved getting a new cookbook and working my way through the recipes that sounded good. Although I still love to read a new cookbook, these days I tend stick to our tried-and-true favorite recipes, and if I need something new I consult The Pioneer Woman or Nigella, who never let me down.

I used to blog more often. I've been blogging since 2004, and I rarely let a day go by without posting *something*. I don't stay up as late as I used to. I don't go out with friends as often. I don't play as many board games as I used to.

Some of this can be attributed to the fact that the girls are getting older. They have lives outside of the house, and I'm not the only one setting their agenda for the day.

Most of my creative energy goes into preschool. It takes a lot of planning to come up with crafts and activities for nine 4 year olds! The time I used to spend making Christmas cards is now spent helping my kids make presents for their parents.

The thing is, I like my work, even if it has taken the place of some of the things I used to do. A few years ago we had a new family move into our ward (they are gone now, and I don't even remember their name, so I don't feel bad about telling this story). I was talking to the husband one Wednesday night at church and I mentioned that I waught preschool. He said something along the lines of how glad he was his wife didn't have to work outside the home, because his job provided enough for the family. Bless his heart, I don't think he realized just how offensive that was. Not only was that a slam against me, but it was also a slam against James, insinuating that he wasn't a "good" provider if I worked outside our home. Stupid man. ;)

I choose to teach preschool. It fulfills me in the same ways those hobbies used to. Sure, teaching here in Albany takes up more of my time that teaching in Tifton did, and sometimes I wish I had more time to spend being creative *for me* or puttering in the kitchen, but I'm okay with that.

Most of the time.

This is all just a long way of saying I roasted a chicken with veggies and made homemade bread when I got home from school today, and it felt nice to be my "old self" for a few hours. Tomorrow it's back to Grilled Cheese and Tomato soup for dinner while I read a book. ;)

I wish it was raining today so I could title this post "November Rain"

Sadly, that awesome title will have to wait for another (non sunny) day.

I think our Indian Summer might have finally left south Georgia this weekend. There were days last week when it was in the mid-90's with crazy high humidity. How insane is *that*?? It about killed me. Today the high is only 81, and the low tonight will be in the mid-50's. This weather is bearable, but I'd prefer some high in the low 70's, maybe high 60's?? Is that too much to ask, Mother Nature??

I don't like to brag, but the girls looked pretty awesome for Halloween this year. You don't believe me?









A friend of mine gave me some clothes her daughters had outgrown. When I saw these dresses (which I knew the girls would never really be able to wear anywhere else) I immediatly thought of Halloween.

Madeline decided to be a 'Snow Queen' and Isabella decided to be an 'Undead Beauty Queen'. She wanted me to attach knife to her dress so it would look like she had been stabbed, but I thought that might be going a little too far. James took the girls around while I stayed home and handed out candy with Gertrude.



We have enough leftover candy to feed a third world country. It's not that I bought too much, it's that we were light on Trick-or-Treaters this year. James' crew at work will appreciate some of the leftovers, I'm sure.

So it's on to November. Three weeks until Thanksgiving holidays. Oh crap, I just remembered we have to pay our car registration this month. Why is your birthday so close to the holidays Jaws, why??

Speaking of Jaws, we've been asked to team teach the CTR 7 class at church. HAH! Can you believe that?? These are the kiddos getting ready for baptism! We're responsibe for making sure they know what they are getting into. ;) Who thought it was a good idea to let us teach that class??

Also speaking of Jaws, he just walked in the door, so it's time to eat some dinner.

Choices, decisions

Yesterday I made a decision and today I feel good about it. Six months ago I wouldn't have made the same decision- honestly, I couldn't have. I would have felt sick-to-my-stomach horrible about it. It would have been a Very Bad Thing for me. (Even though the thing the choice was made about isn't a bad thing at all. It was a good thing, but not a Good Thing for me at the time. If that makes any sense.)

So what's my point??

Sometimes you simply cannot choose to "just be happy" about any given situation. You can choose to deal with it in a mature, rational way, but you sure as heck don't have to be happy. You can set boundaries and say, "No. Not right now. Please don't bother me about this until I give you some sign that you can bother me about this."

As a woman of faith, I'm expected to "cast my burden on the Lord", even though it's really against my nature to do so because honestly, I don't want to bother Him and there is a lot of suffering out there. But too many people think this step automatically makes everything better. Sometimes things do get better, and you can be happy again. But sometimes things just get a lot worse and there's absolutely nothing to be done about except embrace the unhappiness and move forward.
It's downright unreasonable and more than just a little sadistic to expect people to *always* choose to be happy. Even Jesus wept, right?

But we also know that "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" . My season is changing. I'm able to make different choices and decisions in this season. I feel excited, and yes, happy. Not necessarily because I have *chosen* to feel happy, but because I just am. I know the seasons will change again eventually, and I'll apply the lessons I've learned in this season of joy to get through the vale of tears.

In the end, this is my journey through mortality. I have my choices and decisions to make, and my journey won't look like that of anyone else. I find lots and lots of comfort in that.

My Fate is in Your Hands

I know, Sweeties, you've missed my blogging. What can I say? I'm a busy woman. It's a busy time of year for me. I've been helping Jaws recover from Gallbladder Surgery/Hernia repair. The chicknes still won't lay any eggs. The girls have lives seperate from mine. (The horror!!!) The days just blend from one to another and before you know it, a month has gone by.

But here I am to make it up to you! My mother is convinced that my BIG BREAK (into what, I don't know) is just a few blog posts away. Awww...it's nice when someone irrationally believes in your talent! I realize if I don't blog the moolah will never start rolling in. The conundrum that is my life! *sigh*

Anyway. So what would you like me to blog about?

My favorite cookbooks?
Why I think the grid system in Utah is overrated?
My signature fragrance?
My first roommate?
Why mushrooms are gross?
My Desert Island CD/Book/Movie/Etc collection?
The best medications I've ever taken??

THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER, PEOPLE!!! MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD!!!!

TWELVE

 

I'm so popular!

I was getting ready to make a ginormous post about all the things we've been up to lately (birthdays! surgeries! more! more! more!) when I noticed that I have a new follower. How exciting is that??!!?? And even better, I have NO IDEA who he is! But my mama raised me with good manners, so let me be the first to welcome

Will Hiemenz

Now that you feel welcome, Will, do you mind answering a few questions???

Who are you? Why are you here? How did you find me? Do I need to be afraid for my life? Do you like it in the Tree Fort??

Schmoopy, schmoopy

Fourteen years and counting...

Gloom, Despair and Agony on Me

I recognize that my life is pretty good.

My clothes are clean.
It's 92* outside at the end of September, but I have A/C to keep my (somewhat) cool.
I've eaten three meals plus snacks today.
I have two working cars to drive.
My husband has a great job.
My children are healthy,
My cats are neutered so I don't have to worry about unwanted pets.
I have libraries and the internet to keep me entertained for hours.


But some days my inner critic just won't shut up, and all I can think about is the mistakes I've made and the anxiety I feel, and that inner critic won't stop yelling, "Hey Jennifer!!! You SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!!" Today is one of those days. I feel like cussing. (But I won't because my mom reads this blog. And it would just give the inner critic more ammunition.)

It needs to rain. And get colder. Is 33 too early to have a mid-life crisis??

Monday Ain't So Bad

As I was driving home from school today, I realized that unlike most of the industrialized world, I really don't hate Mondays. Sure, I wasn't too keen on getting out of bed this morning, but I pretty much feel that way every morning. I realized that Monday is pretty much the only day of the week guranteed NOT to have any plans other than work and school. Once we all get home, we don't have to leave again unless we want to. And usually we don't want to! So YAY Monday.

I'd also been looking forward to this Monday for awhile now. Once this Monday arrived I knew I would be:

*** past the hardest weeks of preschool

*** done with Madeline's birthday celebrations

*** happy to have received my first paycheck since May

*** looking for cooler weather sooner rather than later

So when I woke up this morning it really was like a breath of fresh air (figuratively speaking, because someone somewhere near our neighborhood had done some major burning yesterday and the air was still smoky this morning).

Speaking of Madeline. Bless her heart. She really is closer to being a teenager than she is to being a kid. She came home from school today, and as she got out her homework she told me all the things that went wrong. Her brand new makeup compact broke, the button on her new Vera Bradley tote fell off, her hair kept coming undone, etc. I gave her a hug and a pep talk and went on about my business in the kitchen. A few minutes later I walked through the living room and found her fast asleep in the chair.



Poor baby! Middle School is HARD!!

What I would say if this was being written snail mail style

Dear Mamacita and Papa-san,

It's been too long since you heard from me, blah blah blah fishcakes. Feel free we're all still alive and kicking (except I'm not really kicking that much because on Labor Day I fell in a hole in the backyard and twisted my bum ankle but good. It still hurts, btw).

You'll be happy to know I'm cooking more, so Jaws is complaining less about me not cooking. The new Publix has opened up and it's like a dream in there, except I spend a lot of time wandering around trying to find everything since the layout is completely different from the old Publix. Is it wrong that I am SO EXCITED about the new Publix? Because it is, I don't want to be right.

Can you believe Madeline is 12 now?? We had a low-key lunch on Sunday (cheese toasties and chocolate chip cheesecake by her request). Her "real" party is this Friday night, when friends are coming over for dinner and a sleepover. I bribed her into having a smaller party. I offered her the cash we would have spent on a HUGE-ish party along with a smaller party. She thought about it for about five seconds and said she'd take the small party and the $$$. Smart girl. I hope she's this sensible when it comes time for a wedding.

Isabella is doing guitar lesson through the school like Madeline did last year. She's been feeling very overwhelmed with 5th grade, and frankly so have I. But we're only a month into school, so I'm sure we'll be on track soon. I hope.

Preschool is a hoot this year. Smaller class (only 9 five days a week, and 5 three days a week) which is great, but with the exception of two, they all *just* turned four. To say that this is a young class is an understatement. I have a feeling that it will feel like an uphill struggle all year, then in the spring it will fee l like a great accomplishment when we look back and see how far they've come.

No eggs from the chickens yet. Sometimes I walk out to the chicken condo and yell, "LAY, DAMN YOU!!" I'm sure it helps.

Lately I've realized that I am much happy when I have something special to look forward to. Last year it was the U2 concert. Sadly, there is nothing that awesome to look forward to on the horizon. Must rectify the situation.

How are things on the homestead? Have your hemorrhoids cleared up yet? What about Pa's prostate and goiter?? You should make a trip over soon. We miss seeing your faces. (Although I can do without the pics of the hemorrhoids.)

Love to you all.

Ever notice...

You know the little "About Me" thing that's on the sidebar of most blogs? Ever notice how most people write about their family and mention their "beautiful children"? (Yeah, I'm guilty of it, too.)

Just once I'd like to see something along the lines of

"Married 11 years, mother of three kids that are kind of homely, but we love them anyway. What did you expect when my DNA mixed with Bubba's? It's not like we're Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt up in here!"

That would be kind of a refreshing honesty, wouldn't it??

First Day of School 2010

School started for the girlies on August 13th. I'll come right out and say it- I'd been dreading the since the first day of school LAST year. Madeline started middle school this year, which also meant getting a new bus. In Lee Co, Pre-K through 5th grade students ride one bus and the middle school and high school kids ride a different bus. Talk about nerve wracking for *me*! Of course, Madeline has handled it fine, and Isabella is thrilled to finally be the oldest on her bus. I won't lie- I'll be so happy when they are back together next year.

We've settled into the school year nicely after a bit of a rocky start (adjusting to randomly wierd middle school rules and schedules), but of course the real test begins next Monday, when preschool starts for me.

Confuzzled

Ever feel that way? Confuzzled? That's how I've felt this week. It's a mixture of confused and puzzled (which are two entirely different things, BTW.)

My brain has felt foggy and my body is tired. Yesterday I thought things were getting back to normal (re-adjusting to the school schedule, etc) bu this morning it was just as bad as it had been on Tuesday. (When it was *really* bad.)

I know part of the reason is the chaos that is my house. If you know me, then you know my love of all things organization. Things in my house are (usually) organized. It might not be picture perfect clean, but there is a place for everything and we try to keep everything in its place.

Not so much this week. Or last week, for that matter. Add into the chaotic mess the need for the doing of laundry regularly, meals (of some sort) some sort every night, lunches made for school the next day, and all the things that come with going to school and I CANNOT tell you how much I'd rather just MOVE than deal with the chaos in my living room. And bedrooms. And the playroom/girls' dressing room/preschool supply room. And kitchen. And the pantry/laundry room. (Oh man. The HORROR that is the pantry/laundry room.)

The other reason is the chaos in my mind. Sometimes I wish I could just skip straight from the end of July to the middle of September.

- It's too hot.

- There are so many things that have to be done to go back to school (I've had to make FOUR trips for back-to-school supplies because the middle school teachers keep adding things to the list. There was a reason I tried to get all this shopping done back in July, you know??)

- And it's not just the girls that go back to school, it's me, too. I have stuff - LOTS OF STUFF - that I have to do to prepare for the newest batch of little darlings.

- Then let's talk about the outflow of $$$ during this time of year. Or not. The worst of it is that I don't get paid until the middle of September.

- The birthdays I have to worry about. Okay, so I only really worry about one- Madeline's. I feel like she ALWAYS gets the birthday shaft because there is no "extra" money. Since she turns 12 this year, she gets a birthday party. A real party. With people. People who aren't just family. Oy vey. The anxiety this causes me!

- And speaking of anxiety, I had a meeting with my mental health doc yesterday, and I finally had to accept the fact that I will probably be dealing with this for the rest of my life and medication will probably be the key to me living a healthy and productive life. He even made the diabetes analogy, which I've made myself countless times (to other people). And I mean, I knew it. I really did. And I know the anxiety triggers. And I know it could be worse. A lot worse. But this is my cross to bear, and the fact that it could be worse doesn't make it any less scary/damaging/stressful/etc.

You know The Serenity Paryer?? It's kind of my mantra these days, except I have my own version that goes something like this:

Jennifer:

Put on your big girl panties,
pour yourself a cold Dr. Pepper
and make better the things you can
and don't worry about the rest.

If you find you can't stop
worrying about the rest,
take some deep breaths
and a Xanax.

Like any good zombie, I'm on the hunt for BRAINS...

I used to be smart.

I swear I did. I mean, I used to *know* *stuff*. I could think a coherent thought and communicate effectively. I was on the Brain Brawl team in high school! (Not that that really counts for anything. My friend Sarah's dad was one of the sponsor's. They needed a team, and Sarah's dad said if we joined he'd buy us lunch after every match. So it was me, Sarah and two other friends. We only did okay. But we got to be on the local public television station in the wee hours of Saturday morning! Oh yeah.)

These days, I don't feel very smart anymore. Part of it is the whole "Mommy Brain" thing. I manage the schedules of three other people who live in this house, in addition to my own, and I think keeping up with all that info has pushed out all of those long passages of Shakespeare I used to be able to quote from memory.

Another part of it is that I spend ten months of the year trying to think like a four year old as I plan out lessons and activities for my preschool class. Sure, I can come up with a *minimum* of 15 verses for "The Wheels on the Bus", but for the life of me I can't remember ANYTHING about algebra (which is a problem now that both girls are doing Pre-Algebra/Algebra stuff in school).

My brain feels foggy a lot of the time. Sometimes it's because I'm tired. Sometimes it's because I'm overwhelmed mentally and/or emotionally. I think a lot of it has to do with my anxiety medication because it DIRECTLY effects (affects? No, effects. See I used to know this no problem!) the way my brain is working. It's been especially bad today. Luckily I'm not really responsible for anything more taxing than making some pasta salads.

Crap. The whole effect/affect thing was bugging me so much I had to go look it up. I WAS WRONG. It's affect. The stupid medicine is affecting my brain. GAH.

I suppose it could be worse. Even though I *feel* stupid, I know I am not *actually* stupid. And the four year olds often think I'm a genious, so that's something. And maybe someday my anxiety will be in check again, and I can give up the foggy brain medicine. In the meantime, I'll keep trying to remember all the things I've forgotten.

Hello? Is it me you're looking for?

1. As much as I tried to avoid it, schools starts on Friday for the girls. It starts on Monday for me. Jaws, not being affliated with school in any way, has had no break and has been going to work on a regular basis for awhile now.

2. Last Saturday we (meaning me and the girls) drove Mom down to Tallahassee for an almost all day seminary training meeting. We decided to do some final back-to-school shopping. Our first shopping trip was when we were down in Jacksonville last month. It's exciting to go shopping in the big city, doncha know? I'm thinking about making this kind of trip a tradition. Something to look foward to to shake off the End-of-Summer blues.

3. I am so sick of mowing our lawn. Jaws is too. This school year I use my school money to buy a Dyson vaccuum and a riding lawn mower, come hell or high water.

4. Last week Madeline got Stage Two braces put on. Poor thing. More hardware this time, for a longer period of time (two years). If I don't buy a Dyson it's because of these braces.

5. Bella will most likely go into Stage Two braces in November-ish. If I don't buy a riding mower it's because of these braces.

6. I've discovered a new Pet Peeve. I hate it when people complain about where they live. Let me repeat that. I HATE IT. Maybe it's because I grew up in a military family, but I was always taught that home should be wherever you are and to make it as joyful an experience as possible, because it does no good to complain about it.

If you don't like where you live, MOVE. If you can't move, find the good in the situation and learn to be happy about it. If you can't find the good and be happy, then SHUT UP, because no one -NO ONE- wants to hear you complain about how terrible Podunk City is, especially the people who choose to be happy living there.

I'm sure this opinion offends many people, but frankly I don't care. I am sick and tired of the complaining. It's fine if you think somewhere else is better than wherever you are. I think there are LOTS of places better than where I am! But it's not fine (with me, anyway) to constantly whine and moan about it. For Pete's sake, GROW UP.

7. Wow. Maybe that PMS medicine isn't working as well as I thought. On the other hand, maybe it is, as I haven't actually voiced this opinion to anyone in particular, to their face. And I probably won't. Probably.

8. My mom made me laugh - out loud - TWICE last week. It's not that she's not a funny person, because she is. But her humor is more of the subtle type. It's ninja humor. So the fact that I LOLed is noteworthy.

9. My birthday is on Sunday. Email me for gift ideas, although cash is always welcomed.

10. What do you think of my new art project?? Feedback to make it better always welcome!





The piece in the middle is a print from Urban Outfitters that says "Home Is Where You Are", and I've surrounded it with favorites pics of the fam. I plan on adding to it.

Q and Eh?

Hey man! What's up?

Hey yourself. Not much. Just livin' life, ya know?

No, that's not what I mean. What's up with you? Why aren't you blogging this summer? Did I do something to offend you?

Of course not! It's not you, it's me.

That's what they all say.
No, really. It *is* me. You know how it is in the summertime. The days are lazy and soothingly repetitive. How many time do you really want to read about my taking the girls to the pool and how dark my tan is getting?

Well...

And think about it- if you have to get up for a job/small child/weak bladder, do you really want to hear about how I regularly sleep in past 10:00 9:00 am while my children happily entertain themselves??

I guess you have a point.

Sure I do. My not blogging has been for *your* benefit, see?

That's really thoughtful of you.

I know. I'm a giver.

But honestly, I've missed you and your witty insight into the minutiae of everyday life!

Sorry about that. I've tried to make a conscientious effort not to be in front of the computer so much this summer. It's been hard, seeing as how most of my closest friends live in my computer, but it's been good for my mental health.

What? Your mental health? What do you mean??

Never mind.

The least you can do is throw me a bone here. Haven't you done ANYTHING blog-worthy in the past two months? What about the chickens and the playhouse? What's going on with Jaws and the girls?

Okay, okay. Jaws went to Scout Camp at the end of June. We missed him a lot. He took my camera and came back with pictures like this:











A few days after James got home from camp, the girlies and I took of to Florida for a few days. We visited some old high school friends of mine, went to the beach, did some back to school shopping in the "big city" and generally had a great time.

The chickens are doing great! We almost double the flock to 15 after getting 7 more chickens from my brother. They are all getting big, and we should start seeing some eggs in the next month or so.

James finished their coop and run before he left for camp.



















Impressive, no? The playhouse still needs a real roof, some insulation and electricity, and James still has to build out the storage area under the playhouse (not to mention the whole structure needs to be painted). But the girls are happy, the chickens are happy, and I'm pretty sure we've become the crazy family in the neighborhood, as at least five different people have stopped and asked what the heck we were doing back there.

Jaws is busy with work. Madeline is excited to start middle school next month. Bella is excited to start 5th grade. I'm excited to start my third year of teaching Pre-K (and my 8th year of teaching preschool altogether). I am not excited that we will have to get up before the crack of dawn again. But that's still three weeks away, and I'm not going to think about it yet.

Good for you.

I know, right? See how much better my mental health is??

Uhh...

Trust me. It is.

I'll take your word for it. So what else??

Nope! You're not going to catch me monologing! That's enough news for now. If you want to know what I'm reading, check my Goodreads box on the side of my blog. For more day to day action, you'll find me on Facebook. If you really, really want me to post something (or something in particular) feel free to leave a blog comment. Now, I think I hear the UPS man delivering my latest order of books from Amazon, so adios amigos!

Random Thoughts on a Random Afternoon

It's raining, and I'm home alone.

The house is quiet, except for the hum of the A/C and the pounding of the rain on the back patio.

James is at work, and the girls are at a birthday party.

I've been trying to make quick refrigerator pickes all day, but I've haven't yet.

Summer is more than half-way over.

The chickens are getting big, and we should start seeing some eggs in the next month or so.

I bought a new planner yesterday (I like the type that go from July to June of the following year. It matches the rhythm of my life much better than a January to December planner) and my preschool planning book should be arriving in the mail today.

I've been blogging for a long time. The novelty is starting to wear off.

I wonder how long the rain will last? Hopefully the rest of the day. I like falling asleep to the sound of rain.

This picture says so many things about our family

Happy Father's Day!

Summer Fun

Albany is a big-ish small town. We're big enough to have a Target and Old Navy and soon-to-be-two Publix's, but not big enough for an Olive Garden or Super Target. If I go to the grocery store, I'm bound to see at least a few people I know. Albany has a definite small town feel.

Not too long ago, we started noticing that for such a small town, Albany has an inordinate amount of places that serve *only* hot dogs. At last count, we've noticed at least five. It's kind of weird, actually. Why the great love for hot dogs in Albany? How do five hot dog stands survive in the cut-throat restaurant business? This doesn't even take into account all of the BBQ joints and fast food restaurants that have hot dogs on their menu.

I mean, hot dogs are okay, if you're in the mood for a hot dog. It's not something I seek out, and it's certainly not something I think about buying when I'm looking to buy a precooked meal.

But the girls like hot dogs, and Madeline came up with an idea for some summer fun. We are going to visit all of the hot dog restaurants in Albany, one a week, and rate them. We even have a grading system! Sure, we could be doing something else with our time, but why not? Look for our first review soon!

A Tree Fort in Our Yard (minus the tree)

If I had a million dollars
I'd build a tree fort in our yard
If I had million dollars
You could help, it wouldn't be that hard
If I had million dollars
Maybe we could put like a little tiny fridge in there somewhere
You know, we could just go up there and hang out
Like open the fridge and stuff
There would already be laid out foods for us
Like little pre-wrapped sausages and things

- Barenaked Ladies

Well, we certainly didn't have a million dollars, but we a lot of free wood, a friend who lent us a nail gun, and a man with a big immagination who would do just about to make his girlies happy.

The free wood had lots of nails in it that had to be removed before it could be used. Each piece of wood had at least 12 nails in it. James pulled them all out by hand.


The Bucket 'O Nails, at least two inches deep


Putting down the flooring while sitting on the flooring takes lots of talent!


Don't try this at home, kids!


Me, wondering how all of our projects get so out of control


Look! Progress!


James saying "Worship my mad building skillz!"


Look at that!! A real playhouse! And the beginnings of a chicked coop and run!


James, Isabella and 3rd daughter Katie on the balcony


The temporary roof- our old trampoline! It's not waterproof, but it makes great shade and it was FREE!


The girls decided they were going to spend the night in the clubhouse.


They got eaten alive by mosquitos, but they stayed out all night! Can you believe it?


Obviously, the playhouse isn't quite done yet. But it's playable, and that's all that matters! Work now turns towards the chicken coop, because the baby chicks are starting to look like real chickens.



(This picture was actually taken a week ago, and they are even bigger now!)

Public Service Annoucement

'Yeah' and 'Yea' are synonyms.

'Yea' and 'Yay' are homonyms.

Don't use yeah/yea when you really mean "Yay!"

This PSA is brought to you by my raging case of PMS. You're Welcome. :)

What a cross between Stonehenge and the Taj Mahal would look like if it were being built in So. GA

For about two years now, we've had a plan to build a playhouse for the girls. A playhouse complete with electricity (and therefore A/C) that could also double as storage, and just maybe a guest house for when people come to visit. Our neighbors heard about the plan and laughed. The next day we came home and found three chairs on the front porch with a note saying the chairs were a "contribution to the girls' first apartment".

These playhouse plans were also part of the motivation for James to bring home all that wood last spring. He built the compost bin last spring, and the pile of wood had been sitting ever since. In James' defense, he's a busy man. But with the addition of the chicks (and the return of longer days) James has been working hard in the back yard.

Which brings me to last week....

James' plan for the permanent chicken coop involved a long yard and a coop with nesting boxes, tall enough for us to walk inside without having to bend over. We planned things out together, spray painting marks on the ground where poles would stand and things would go. I left him to his work. James had been outside digging holes for poles for about two hours when he called me out back, saying he had an idea. This is what I saw.



His idea was to build a small "treehouse" on top of the coop for the girls to give them a place to play until the "real" playhouse was built. In our minds we were thinking of the treehouse my Granddaddy had built over at the compound.



You can see it in the above picture. Something simple. Something easy.

*cue ominous music*

The girls loved the idea, of course, so James go to work going through the piles of wood to see what he would need to use. About this point I suggested that it might be nice if the playhouse was just a little bit bigger than the coop, making a balcony up top, and a covered place underneath where the girls could park their bikes and scooters. James thought this was a fabulous idea and adjested his plans accordingly.

I'm not sure what happened next. The next time I went outside things were...bigger than I had imagined.



See those cross boards? Those are the supports for the playroom floor. Let me show you from a different angle.



James is over 6 feet tall. The floor will be 8 feet in the air. The playhouse itself will be almost 6 feet tall with a pitched roof. To say that this thing will tower in the air would be an understatement.

Then I got to looking closely. All of the posts seemed kind of far apart. James then explained to me that the dimensions had changed a bit to make it easier to work with the wood we already had.



All told, from one end to the other, starting with the entrance to the chicken yard to the end of the balcony this structure will be 38 feet long. The playhouse floor itself (8 feet off the ground, remember) is 8 1/2 by 14 1/2 feet. For the record, this is almost as big as our bedroom. It started out 5ft by 8ft. The plans now included enclosing the area underneath the playhouse and building shelves/cabinets for even more storage.

Please tell me why we can never, ever stick to a simple plan.

TO BE CONTINUED, AGAIN