I'll decide later...

Something worth blogging about!

2009-03-12T10:24:00.003-05:00

In looking for inspiration to ATTEMPT my first pair of socks, I came across this site: Knit Purl Gurl and boy am I glad I did! She is having a wonderful contest where I (okay, or you) could win these AWESOME prizes from Knit Witch. I'm very excited about this, because not only does it include one of the GORGEOUS yarn bowls, but did you see the color of the yarn on the right? School colors!!! I'd be the coolest Mom at the track meets!! (I already am, really but this would just exemplify it!)
So, all you have to do to enter is go here: Knit Witch Wicked-Fun Giveaway and check things out. I'm sure you'll fall in love with both sites so you might as well join! (and get more entries in the process!)
Good luck!! ...and HAVE FUN!!

I'm up for the challenge!

2009-01-07T23:29:00.005-06:00

I hopped on here to check up on a few things and spotted Mim's challenge, so I decided, "I'm game!" Here is my 4/4:

This is Huckleberry. He happened to have invaded this box that K was using for his various critters (plastic, not living). He has since outgrown the box, but he is still quite a silly kitten!

Ava Jordan Marie

2008-09-08T09:02:00.002-05:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Your wish is my command!

2008-07-04T10:39:00.003-05:00

My wonderful friend, Mim requested a chicken update so, per her request.... here it is! The babies have joined Toby in the coop/run now and they are getting along fine. The boys are also a semi-permanent fixture in the run. The chicks do not seem bothered by their presence, either. In my opinion, this is GREAT because I remember getting pecked and flogged, etc when gathering eggs as a child! Hopefully my boys can escape that!

This is Kaleb and 'Puffball'

Toby Keith and the chicks dine on some leftover corn on the cob.

Under the ramps seems to be a favorite hangout.

Jess allowing Toby to roost on his arm.

I think this is Puffball again - roosting in the corner.

Toby is surveying the scene from her place on my shoulder

This is the folding roost that Pa made - makes for easier coop clean-up.

Cabbage & Brussels & Maters, OH MY!

Texting Toads

2008-06-22T08:30:00.001-05:00

This photo is my (belated) entry into The Domestic Diva's Fotografi Friday check her out!

The boys worked on the chicken coop and run with Pa & Nanny this week. It's quite the condo now. I was sitting there watching them paint and Glenn came running to me and said, "Mom, watch these for me until we're done!" Ummmmm, WATCH toads. Uhkay. So, being the Mother-of-the-Year that I aspire to be, I did ATTEMPT to watch them. However, who knew that toads were so tech-saavy? Yes, you read that right. The larger one, found out that we have unlimited texting and was sending messages right and left. The smaller one, asked me what kind of games I had on the phone. He was bored until he heard 'Guitar Hero III' then his little toady eyes lit up. He kicked toady-butt at 'Rock You Like A Hurricane' let me tell ya! We eventually let them go on their way. I was honestly afraid that they would star cutting into my roll-over minutes. (..or maybe I was afraid that I'd end up stepping on them - you decide)
The chicken coop, I believe, is near completion. The babies are just over a week old now. Toby is still not too crazy about them but she's going to have to get over it. Much to her chagrin, I'm sure, she will eventually be an outside chicken entirely. She moved from the gerbil cage to a travel dog kennel this weekend. I keep saying 'she' because that's what we are 90% certain that she is. Kaleb still holds out that it COULD be a rooster.
A dose of reality was given to me last night that I would appreciate ayone who reads this to keep in mind. I talked to my sister-in-law yesterday. She is a nurse. She and many others have been working on the levees in western Illinois administering tetanus shots to those who need them. There is quite a potpouri of individuals working to insure the safety of all those who live and work along the river. She mentioned National Guard, FEMA, prisoners, health department employees, Red Cross....the list goes on. Please keep all these individuals in your thoughts and prayers as they do their jobs to ensure the safety of others.
Have a great week, everyone! Blog ya later!

Mom, I'm bored.

2008-06-17T19:35:00.002-05:00

So we haven't been home 5 minutes from Pa & Nanny's and I hear the infamous, "Mom, I'm bored!" Apparently, our house is the most boring place on the planet....if you're a seven-year-old boy.

Now, I could be a horrible Mom and tell him to clean something. Heaven knows there is plenty to do here, but no I told him to (gasp) go outside and play. I know, I know, that is apprently torture. I don't get it! All winter all I heard was, "Can I go outside?" and it was too cold to do so. Now, it's BEAUTIFUL out and he's bored!

{sigh} I want to go outside and play, but I have more laundry to do and a dishwasher to unload and reload. (hmmmmm...maybe that would break his boredom!)

Blog ya later!

...and it's Monday again ALL DAY!

2008-06-16T08:05:00.003-05:00

Here it is again already, MONDAY. I'm fortunate this week - I only work 3 days. That means I get to hang out with my boys for 4 days! We have absolutely NO PLANS this week, either. We're just going to hang out, swim, read, knit and play with the chickens and dogs. Sounds like fun to me!

The latest project that they are doing with Pa is trying to seal up the holes in the chicken coop because a friendly neighborhood black rat snake decide he/she rather liked the coop, too. Dad grabbed it, but he wasn't able to pull it out of the hole so he's likely still hanging out up in the rafters. I'm quite certain that baby chicks would be a delicacy to said snake, too.

Yesterday, Father's Day, we hung out at Nanny & Pa's all day so the boys could swim. Rick and Pa worked on the coop a bit. Nanny fixed a WONDERFUL dinner for everyone. UB & Jules came out, too. Rick and Glenn went on a trail run to see how long the trail is - Glenn is determined to be a cross country runner and I say MORE POWER TO HIM! It's about 1000 meters as it turns out. It's pretty hilly and such which will be perfect for him training. When he gets a bit older, he can go over to the state park and train, but not right now - I'm not ready for that!

Saturday, Rick, Glenn, Jess, Jasmine and I went to check out how high the lake level is. It's pretty doggone high! I wanted to get pictures now because the Dam Road is closed now for maintenance or something to that extent. A lady from Lithia Marina came in and said they were having to shuttle people to their boats because the water is so high. CRAZY I tell ya!

We also had Tina and Clayton over on Saturday for swim fun and then came back here for a cookout. The 4 boys had a blast and I can only speak for my three but I think Clayton probably slept pretty well, too!

Well, it's about that time - I must go prepare myself for the drug business. Have a great week! Blessings and Blog ya later!

I'm a late blogger...

2008-06-13T08:23:00.000-05:00

This morning is going to be short, sweet and to the point! I'm off this weekend, I'll blog more later! We have chickens now. Toby Keith is no longer a lone-chicken, he/she now has many friends. However, as the boys' friend so eloquently put it yesterday, Toby has been evicted from the run! Toby is a couple weeks ahead of the babies and of course tried to assert his/her dominance (pecking order) and Pa would have NONE of it! You tell'em, Poppy!
As Mim found out yesterday, I have adapted quite well to the chicken and said feathers that come with it - one of my phobias, in case you didn't know, is feathers. Pteronophobia is the fear of being TICKLED by feathers, mine isn't that, it's just touching them in general! I'm cool with it right now, but when these chickens get full grown and have the possibility of being lice ridden, FORGET IT! Not cool - no more!
So here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure - me as a roost and then Toby getting accustomed to his/her new playmates:

Blog ya later!

Did you see the size of that chicken?

2008-05-27T21:10:00.001-05:00

Today was the last day of school. Well, technically, Thursday is the last day but they only go long enough to grab report cards and go. Makes sense, doesn't it? Our school's track coach had to decide between track & field or cross country - couldn't do both - I'm sure it's a funding issue. HOWEVER, they can justify driving busses around to pick up the kids long enough to drive them to school and pick up a flippin' piece of paper when they could mail them cheaper! Okay, stepping down off my soapbox now.

Kaleb's class hatched chickens this past month. Rhode Island Reds to be exact. There were 12 eggs and three did not hatch and a couple little chicks didn't make it. Sad, but honestly I think it's a good lesson for the kids to learn. Well, he convinced Pa that he needed these chickens! As it turned out, several other children apparently did, too! We ended up with one lonely little chick. As of right now, it's name is Toby Keith. I lovingly call it Nugget - it just has a ring to it!

TK is living in my laundry room right now in a gerbil cage. Jasmine and Daisy would REALLY like for him/her to come out and play, but Kaleb thinks otherwise. TK will live with us until s/he is big enough to go to the farm and live in the coop. So, for right now, it's a city bird!

Day 13, 246

2008-05-04T19:26:00.003-05:00

I hate titles - don't have the creativity to come up with something striking, really. So there you have it. I've named this particular blog "Day 13,246" because that's what day I'm on. If you want it down to the minute, that may take me a a little while longer, but it would be just more that 12 hours (I was a morning baby).

We've had the normal hectic weekend here. The boys had a sectional track meet yesterday and it, I am fairly certain, was -30º outside by the end of the day. I could not believe, that there were actually parents there allowing their YOUNG children to run around with shorts, short sleeved shirts and no jackets. Wait, yes I could believe it, I do work with the public. I'm still stunned to see people drive through and not have their children buckled in. What's it take, 30 seconds out of your busy schedule? Sheesh! (stepping down of that soap-box)

I think I got about 12 hours sleep all total yesterday, though. I just could not get warm. My wonderful hubby tucked me in on the couch, asked me what I wanted to watch on TV, I responded with I'm watching my eyelids, ESPN came on and that's all I remember...zzzzzzzzz. LOL

Today, we went out to Pa & Nanny's for Kaleb's SECOND birthday party! Pa fried crinkle cut fries and crappie. Julie made lemon bars and (K's favorite) brownies. Nanny made cole slaw and tea. UB made the iron-skillet corn bread. The boys and UB threw the pigskin around a bit, K and Jules hiked the trails. Nanny and I puttered about the garden and I got a few outdoorsy shots. A good time was had by all, I believe.

Now, here we are at home - I'm working on load 99 of laundry. One drawback of a traveling DH is the laundry comes home on the weekends! I have plenty more to get done in there. I really would like to have a set of washers and dryers for each member of the house! My own personal laundromat!!! Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Okay, apparently I have to now go feed these people. Perhaps I'll blog again later! Blessings to all!

Insert Title Here

2008-04-14T08:58:00.003-05:00

So it's Monday again. At some point, I have got to get out of my jammies and get ready to go to the grocery store. I also need to shop for a bridal shower gift for our niece who is getting married next month. Wow, they grow up so fast, don't they? She is marrying an awesome guy, Brian. They are a gorgeous couple.
I have knitting I need to work on. There is laundry that I swear is breeding and multiplying as I type. My children seem to horde it upstairs and then spring it on me just when I think I am finished. ....and now DH hollers to say we are out of washcloths in the bathroom. WHAT?? How the heck!?!? My guess is that they are all in a laundry basket waiting to be folded and put away.
Yesterday, I taught (should say REtaught) Jess how to do laundry. I figure at 12 years of age, they are old enough to be doing laundry. I know I was - and I was ironing too and loved doing so. HATE it now! I think I will make a cheat-sheet for the washer and dryer so that they know what to do. I need to not be so anal about they rinsing the detergent cup and not spilling softener down the side of the dispenser, too. Baby steps, right?
Alright, next task at hand - grocery shopping. DH is done biking so that means he's going to be ready to leave as soon as he gets done showering. {sigh} Guess that means I need to get outta my jammies!! Have a great Monday!

Spring has Sprung!

2008-03-22T18:47:00.002-05:00

You wouldn't know it to look outside today, but apparently, it is spring! We had our annual Easter egg hunt this morning. It was to be held at the grade school OUTSIDE. Well, as it turned out, we moved indoors because at 10 o'clock this morning, it was windy, it was cold and it couldn't decide whether it wanted to mist rain or spit snow!
I'm not real sure how many little ones turned out, but I had the 5th and 6th grade hall and there were only 4 boys - half of them were mine!! Needless to say, my three boys brought home about 5 pounds (yes, I said POUNDS) of candy. As with any other year, I will let them 'feast' for a couple days, then it will slowly start to disappear to work, friends, trash, etc. Then, tomorrow, they will get up and hunt eggs here at home and end up with more loot! We have never really gone all-out for Easter and this year is no different. I was STUNNED to see the amount of stuff that people were shopping for for their children for Easter, though. I guess they are doing their part to stimulate the economy, that's for sure!
Another sign of spring is that I have started to see the tulips, hyacinths, and more starting to emerge from their winter slumber. K and I have to sit down and figure out his garden plans this year. He definitely inherited my Grandad's green thumb! Perhaps when we get that going, I will post some photos to share with y'all - dirt and all!!
In talking to my enabler, Mim earlier, she mentioned that there was a contest to win some WONDERFUL WONDERFUL yarn over here at Happy Handwork - I cannot tell you how exciting this is! I am currently working with said yarn and let me just say, I concur with her statement about wrapping yourself up in every skein! I am making a prayer shawl at present and cannot wait to get it done. I will most certainly post a pic when it's finished. In keeping with the contest rules, I will say that my favorite flower is any and all varieties of daisy. I love them all!
Well, I guess I've been long-winded enough for one day! Any of you that know me KNOW that I am a talker! Have a Blessed and Wonderful Easter, everyone!!

Birthdays

2008-03-22T18:38:00.003-05:00

So, a dear friend of mine just got a year older the other day and was stressing because (GASP) she is almost 35 and I guess that's like over the hill or something like that! Well, I may have ribbed her just a tad bit, but it was only because I think she's great and I know she has a sense of humor. So, Traci, I do love ya and I do wish you MANY, MANY more great birthdays!!
As for myself, I have never been bothered by getting older, getting gray hairs, getting fatter, having grandchildren, etc. I am, however, in complete denial that my babies are going to be in junior high next year. It doesn't bother me that I'm again, but I bawled like a baby on their 7th birthday. K will be 7 this year and I don't seem to be too terribly phased by him aging. Maybe because I know that eventually, I well have my bed back to myself and he will stop grinding his teeth in my ear at night! (...and then I'll be whining because I miss it!)
So, for those of you who are bothered by getting older. Don't sweat it, girls - the alternative may suck even worse! ;-)

One for me, one of the boys....

2007-10-30T22:57:00.000-05:00

Occasionally, I get the opportunity to peruse other blogs that I enjoy! I say occasionally, because it seems to be becoming more and more difficult for me to be able to sit down and actually have the time to do something other than read email or look up something for the men in my house.
Today, as I procrastinated doing many, many things on my one day off, I did take time to enjoy the blog of a friend who is having a contest .... she may be off her rocker by Friday at 10pm, but if you're up for a contest, I am not opposed to encouraging you to check out Mim's blog and signing up! (you know I love you!!)
As I was checking out the fantastic response to her contest, I noticed that she also had a link to another contest. This one definitely piqued my interest - who, with three sons, couldn't use another Dyson? I could have my own pink one and they could have their own upstairs and do their own vacuuming! (I may be delusional, but a girl can dream, right?)
So, hop on over and sign yourself up - I would be honored to know that any one of my friends won a Pink Dyson!!! Good luck....okay, now it's time to go finish up what I procrastinated all day and go to bed! ;-)

Win a Dyson “Pink” Vaccuum in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Ya gotta have friends

2007-09-19T09:04:00.000-05:00

On Sunday morning, the Smith crew got up and headed for Nanny & Pa's EARLY. There were to be some people arrive around 7am to launch hot air balloons from the pasture. Jess & Glenn had some friends over Saturday night and they heard, so they wanted to tag along, too. One of their friends, Brook, is moving out of state at the end of this week, so we had no problem letting the 4 of them hang out together for just a little while longer. They are such a great group, anyway.
After the much-delayed-do-to-rain balloon launching (3 of them launched, a couple others decided not to)the kids wanted to get some pictures of all of them together, as well as pics of Brook & Lauren who are the best of best friends. More like sisters, really.
We had a BLAST getting pictures. I was the target for much flying bark off the dead oak - but when I retalliated, Glenn found out just how good his mother's aim is! (sorry 'bout that lip, bud!) Lauren fell off the tree and scraped her leg; Brook fell OUT of the tree and was hanging by a branch, which decided to abandon her; Jesse, he just decided to hang around - literally! As we bid farewell to the fallen oak and ventured back towards the house, I can't say I wasn't a little sad - not just for the tree that I have known to be a GORGEOUS and strong one at the edge of our property for my 30+ years there, but for the foursome of friends who will now have to be dependent on modern technology to 'hang out'. *sniff* Thank goodness for unlimited texting, IM's, etc.
The pictures here are just a SMALL portion of the ones that I took Sunday. The balloon pictures alone numbered 500+ as I recall!

New Swimmer Try-Outs

2007-08-29T19:49:00.000-05:00

The new swimmer try-outs for our local swim team were today. Jess and Glenn, of course have been on it for just over a year and they absolutely LOVE it. Kaleb decided that he wanted to give it a go.

Jesse (a.k.a. The Other Mother) prepared him for try-outs by getting him dressed in his BodyGlove swim suit, goggles and Jesse's swim cap which Kaleb likened to a form of torture. The finished product was:

When we got to try-outs, Jess trucked him into the locker room to get him prepped and ready to go. He came out and hopped right into the pool when Coach Jason prompted him to do so. I really wish I would have video taped him because Kaleb's technique was definitely ALL HIS OWN!!!

He did really, really well. Coach requested that we bring him back again tomorrow because he would like to work with him a little bit more. He is "this close" to making it. Kaleb never had any sort of formal lessons and in fact, he could only swim under water until this 'pool year'. He has really improved. I'll be sure to let you know what the final outcome of try-outs is!

A Saturday road trip

2007-08-12T09:57:00.000-05:00

Yes, the house needed to be cleaned. Yes the laundry needed to be done. However, we decided to hop in the van and take a road trip - where we would end up was any one's guess! As it turned out, we headed west towards my husband's old stomping grounds. We took the boys out and introduced them to the Hendricks'. They are the parent's of Rick's best friend from high school, Kevin. Kevin passed away several years ago, but Rick has kept in touch with his parents.

The last time we ventured out to their place, J & G were real little - maybe 4. The boys had a blast 'visiting' with the chickens, exploring the timber and just being boys!

While we were there, I took the opportunity to snap a few pictures of all three boys. Let me tell you, it was a difficult task - they don't hold still long!!! Here are just a few of the pics I was able to get - the ONLY one of J I was able to get other than the one of all three of them!!!

Monday...

2007-04-16T08:25:00.000-05:00

I had a big, long post compiled and decided I was whining so I deleted it! I don't want to start off the week whining! So.... hilighted and deleted in 2.2 seconds! ;-)
We had a relatively busy weekend. Celebrated Mom's 60th birthday with many of her siblings and friends. It was originally going to be a wiener roast but the weather had other plans - thought we should all be inside where we could be closer-knit, I reckon! It was COLD. It was RAINY. It was WINDY. We all had a good time, though and most of all, Mom had a terrific time! She has always been a big fan of Almond Joy candy bars. I happened to find some Easter leftovers and bought them for her - she immediately said she would be hiding those AND her Butter Rum Lifesavers from Dad and the kids! She got a bunch of new gear for their camper - flour sack dishtowels, silverware, windchimes...and she requested some new dishrags from her daughter...hint, hint, I guess! I made her a white dishrag with a hummingbird on it with the intent that she use it in her new camper. Well, she is going to frame it! Yes, frame it. Sheesh - it's a flippin' dishrag - WASH DISHES WITH IT!!! I'm touched, honestly, that she sees it as a work of art, but it's JUST A RAG! Gotta make her another one now.
Rick and I assembled (without killing one-another) a new swing yesterday for the back yard. It lays down, which was my one requirement. The one I wanted was a mere $449 at Home Depot - we 'settled' for one from WalMart! It is rather comfy and we have all checked it out now. The boys and their buddy Lauren were all laying out in the back yard chatting away yesterday afternoon. I have a feeling that my swing will be full of kids this summer - so much for me relaxing with a good book or my knitting in it, huh?
On a final note, as I mentioned previously, we had a party for Mom. I ordered what was quite possibly the best cake we have ever had. It was sooooo moist and delicious and she DELIVERED it to me at work! Which leads me to the point of the story...she walked into the kitchen, placed the cake on the counter and said, "Oh my! Who made the BEAUTIFUL pies?"
I say, "Me!"
Cake Lady: "No kidding? I would give anything to be able to make something that beautiful, I just can't do meringue."
Me: "But you do ....THIS!!!" (me pointing to the cake, flabbergasted that she thinks my pies are beautiful)

2007-04-11T19:10:00.000-05:00

Asssssssss youuuuuuuuu wiiiiiiissssssshhhhhhhh..........
Upon checking out a friend's blog this evening, I was prompted to do the following quiz and didn't like my first answer, so I did it again. I wanna be Buttercup, dammit!!! Inconceivable!!! LOL

Which Princess Bride Character are You?
this quiz was made by mysti

Which Princess Bride Character are You?
this quiz was made by mysti

Not much to say!

2007-04-08T22:13:00.000-05:00

32º. Yup, that's what it was at 7 o'clock this morning when Kaleb wanted to go out and hunt for eggs! Well, the Easter bunny was good this year - actually EB was a scrooge and didn't want to buy candy - and there was actually money in SEVERAL of the eggs. Each boy had an egg with his name on it that there was $5 in. They were thrilled!
When they headed off for church, we reminded them that they had raked in some cash and that they could tithe properly if they so chose to do so. (we were hopeful, ya know?) Well, as Rick and I were sitting in church, they brought the 'little guys' through to put their offering in and K was leading the pack! (he looked so doggone cute!!) We noticed that he not only put cash in, but several coins. When we got home, we were quite pleased to find out that he had decided to give his $5 because he had five more $1's so he thought he'd just share - and he gave some quarters, too because he had lots of them! Needless to day, I puffed up a bit with pride at his decision! His brothers, on the other hand, chose to give $1 each! I was impressed by this, too because they generally 'forget' to put their money in for offering and I find it when I wash their pants.
After church, we headed to Nanny & Pa's for a late lunch/early dinner with Bub & Jules. Food was EXCELLENT! The boys retired to the family room and watched Happy Feet. I worked on a dishrag that I'm working on for Mom. It's got a hummingbird on it. Will post the finished product if it shows up okay.
Ummmmmm...... I guess that about sums up the day today! I'm off tomorrow, as are the boys, so we're going to work on the house. I want to get their clothes gone through and weeded out. I cannot believe how much they've grown! More on that later, I'm going to get ready for bed.