The likelihood of getting a closer to Christmas post up is slim to none. :) So, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our home to yours! I hope that 2011 is a safe and blessed year for all of you.
Life is busy in these parts. We've gotten the obligatory round of stomach flu, with just a hint of strep throat added, for yet still more fun. I think the last of the kids to go down has just gone down, based on the unfortunate activity that just happened behind my desk chair :(
It's also gotten quite chilly here. You'd think we were in PA, although I am assured it's colder there. We picked up close to 1/2" of snow yesterday, though only on the grassy areas and cars. For spite, it sleeted first, so the windshield wiper blades were frozen the the glass, adding to the overall misery of scraping in 20* weather, active snowing, and winds out of the WNW at 10-500 mph! So much for global warming. ^_^ Kids are doing well in school, we're in the Thanksgiving to Christmas school-lite stage, mostly practicing for the church play "The First Leon" in which N. has the lead. N. needs to get a better handle on his lines. It's Tuesday....play is *this* Sunday. No pressure. I need to get fruitcakes made, as my dear FIL loves them and this makes an easy and appreciated Christmas/birthday present. But they are a 48 hr process and they don't start themselves. Mr. P. is busy with work and school work. Seems like by year's end the work schedule and load will settle themselves down, which will help tremendously.
Well that is about all that's new. Foster doggie didn't end up meshing with the family, so we helped him with his ear troubles and he's getting a forever home with someone else. Garden is still pretty much in a standstill--no rain half the summer and nothing but rain (or snow) ever since. A few more days of this crummy weather though and the ground will be frozen enough to get the beds pulled apart & we can try again to go weed free in the spring.
Hope you and yours stay healthy, have a wonderful Christmas, and STAY WARM!!!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Fun in the Farm Kitchen.....
Today was a work your tush off to get nothing done sort of day. Fuse blew out first thing this AM on the circuit running the microwave & the fridge. Think I found fuse in question. Thoroughly purged fridge and freeze. Take advantage of opportunity to totally scrub both down. Both sparkly clean. INconveniently forget to empty ice cube collector.
Go to Lowe's in search of fuse. Get fuse, get coffee. T drops his not once, but twice in van. (Milk, I don't feed my 3 year old coffee, honest.) Replace fuse. Apparently this wasn't it. :( Find water puddle. :( :(
Give up, try to dig out kitchen. Make taco meat, then think better of it. Dump in noodles, corn, salsa & cheese and call it casserole. Manage to stir it wrong, splashing it onto the stove, floor and me. Clean up in aisle 2.
P's home at this point & couldn't find fuse either, thought outlet bad. 2nd trip to Lowe's (and second coffee of the day, he took pity on me), new outlet, #*$&@*#&@* thing still doesn't work. Look in other fuse box. Fuse so obviously blown I could tell it was blown. Replace fuse, works immediately.
Beat head against wall repeatedly.
Not a total loss though...fridge and freezer look WONDERFUL, outlet works nicely, and honestly, was in need of new hardware, and I removed dust bunnies the size of woolly mammoths from behind the micro stand. And a good time was had by all.
Alright, gonna swap out the laundry and GO TO BED.
Go to Lowe's in search of fuse. Get fuse, get coffee. T drops his not once, but twice in van. (Milk, I don't feed my 3 year old coffee, honest.) Replace fuse. Apparently this wasn't it. :( Find water puddle. :( :(
Give up, try to dig out kitchen. Make taco meat, then think better of it. Dump in noodles, corn, salsa & cheese and call it casserole. Manage to stir it wrong, splashing it onto the stove, floor and me. Clean up in aisle 2.
P's home at this point & couldn't find fuse either, thought outlet bad. 2nd trip to Lowe's (and second coffee of the day, he took pity on me), new outlet, #*$&@*#&@* thing still doesn't work. Look in other fuse box. Fuse so obviously blown I could tell it was blown. Replace fuse, works immediately.
Beat head against wall repeatedly.
Not a total loss though...fridge and freezer look WONDERFUL, outlet works nicely, and honestly, was in need of new hardware, and I removed dust bunnies the size of woolly mammoths from behind the micro stand. And a good time was had by all.
Alright, gonna swap out the laundry and GO TO BED.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Time to purge the medicine cabinets!
Alrighty, time for a public service announcement :) Saturday the 25th is the drug take back/turn in as sponsored by the DEA. Please do not flush your meds....it turns sewer rats into 3 eyed Cretins. :(
DEA Announces National Drug Take Back Day
Turn in your unused or expired medication for safe disposal. For more information about the initiative and to determine the closest collection site to your location please click on the icon or go to the DEA website. www.justice.gov/dea
Have a happy Friday y'all!
DEA Announces National Drug Take Back Day
Turn in your unused or expired medication for safe disposal. For more information about the initiative and to determine the closest collection site to your location please click on the icon or go to the DEA website. www.justice.gov/dea
Have a happy Friday y'all!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Toddler funnies & foster critters
J (20 mo) and T (3) are fiddling around the desk while I am try to copy math pages.
J got one shoe off. Mom is clearly not providing entertainment :( As an added bonus, she's not looking.
T says "Hey J, watch this! Abra Cadabra, disappears!!!" And throws the shoe over his shoulder. "See, it disappeared" (as the shoe hits the corner cabinet filled with various glass vases).
J: squeals for joy.
Mom hits roof.
T--totally befuddled--"What? I am playing with him. He likes it."
Mom (beat head against table) "That's not the point. No abra cadabra in the house, OK?"
{and no, for what it's worth, we don't allow magic in the house at all.....but that is a phrase children need to hear only & exactly once in their lives to be able to use correctly forever} I don't know if it's that funny or not. But it was funny to watch it. Apparently I am done multi-tasking.
On to other news, we have a new foster critter. A cuddly, if food & toy possessive 7 year old parti-coloured cocker spaniel. I love cockers, which is most likely the only reason dh signed onto this little bit of lunacy. :) He's very cute. He's also deaf as a post, which serves to heighten my anxiety (visions of the dog getting spooked and biting have danced through my head) but not the dog's. The bright side? The trains don't bother him nor do the F-16's flying over the house. Yeah, he really, really can't hear! This is our first fostering experience, so far so good. Off to petsmart to find a chewie that isn't already named and tagged "webkinz". ^_^
J got one shoe off. Mom is clearly not providing entertainment :( As an added bonus, she's not looking.
T says "Hey J, watch this! Abra Cadabra, disappears!!!" And throws the shoe over his shoulder. "See, it disappeared" (as the shoe hits the corner cabinet filled with various glass vases).
J: squeals for joy.
Mom hits roof.
T--totally befuddled--"What? I am playing with him. He likes it."
Mom (beat head against table) "That's not the point. No abra cadabra in the house, OK?"
{and no, for what it's worth, we don't allow magic in the house at all.....but that is a phrase children need to hear only & exactly once in their lives to be able to use correctly forever} I don't know if it's that funny or not. But it was funny to watch it. Apparently I am done multi-tasking.
On to other news, we have a new foster critter. A cuddly, if food & toy possessive 7 year old parti-coloured cocker spaniel. I love cockers, which is most likely the only reason dh signed onto this little bit of lunacy. :) He's very cute. He's also deaf as a post, which serves to heighten my anxiety (visions of the dog getting spooked and biting have danced through my head) but not the dog's. The bright side? The trains don't bother him nor do the F-16's flying over the house. Yeah, he really, really can't hear! This is our first fostering experience, so far so good. Off to petsmart to find a chewie that isn't already named and tagged "webkinz". ^_^
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Ooohhh the blogging slacker
Yup, that's me :) Apparently I can blog twice annually. You get a summer and winter update. That's it.
So, here's your summer update! (I say, half in jest)
We've actually been busy little bees this summer. Not so much in the garden. I am growing some evil weed. Like kudzu only less redeemable, if that is possible (kudzu is at least pretty.) They've killed most of the beds. :( A few I had the good sense not to even try to plant. A few I tried with the expected results. The back garden actually did rather well this year, save for the drought conditions. The zucchini died. Died!! I didn't know that was actually possible. The corn lived though and we enjoyed several yummy meals of sweet corn picked to table in less than 30 minutes which is just plain fun. My parents thoughtfully rounded out the garden by blessing us with 200 ears of tasty Pennsylvania sweet corn. Canning corn is seriously hard work, but looks very impressive in the pantry. ^_^
We have started homeschooling this summer! This is quite the undertaking. Currently we have a 4th, 2nd and Kindergartener this year. We are really enjoying the change, though our bigger kids are missing their friends and the school routine, saving for the up at 6:30 AM bit. No one misses that. We are using a mix of curricula Rod & staff (which I really like-I'm the uncool HS'er who thinks text books are a good thing!) Math-u-see and Story of the World, which is a considerably more entertaining way to learn history as compared to what I was subjected to in school. Managing a party of 5, including a 20 month old who's discovered screaming as a recreational sport is challenging. But being about to work at each child's pace makes it more than worth it.
That's about the height of the new news in this part of the world. We are enjoying the cooler temps and the leaves which are just starting to change colour. College football season is upon us and UW and PSU have each begun the season 1:1. (And for the benefit of the locals....Tech 0-2 and losing to JMU at home?!? What on earth is that all about?) Mom and Dad H. will be coming in October, to enjoy a week at the beach and we can't wait. State fair is in two weeks and we look forward to a full day of petting cows and eating deep fried everything. (Well, maybe not the pickles. )
Have a blessed one!
Maureen
So, here's your summer update! (I say, half in jest)
We've actually been busy little bees this summer. Not so much in the garden. I am growing some evil weed. Like kudzu only less redeemable, if that is possible (kudzu is at least pretty.) They've killed most of the beds. :( A few I had the good sense not to even try to plant. A few I tried with the expected results. The back garden actually did rather well this year, save for the drought conditions. The zucchini died. Died!! I didn't know that was actually possible. The corn lived though and we enjoyed several yummy meals of sweet corn picked to table in less than 30 minutes which is just plain fun. My parents thoughtfully rounded out the garden by blessing us with 200 ears of tasty Pennsylvania sweet corn. Canning corn is seriously hard work, but looks very impressive in the pantry. ^_^
We have started homeschooling this summer! This is quite the undertaking. Currently we have a 4th, 2nd and Kindergartener this year. We are really enjoying the change, though our bigger kids are missing their friends and the school routine, saving for the up at 6:30 AM bit. No one misses that. We are using a mix of curricula Rod & staff (which I really like-I'm the uncool HS'er who thinks text books are a good thing!) Math-u-see and Story of the World, which is a considerably more entertaining way to learn history as compared to what I was subjected to in school. Managing a party of 5, including a 20 month old who's discovered screaming as a recreational sport is challenging. But being about to work at each child's pace makes it more than worth it.
That's about the height of the new news in this part of the world. We are enjoying the cooler temps and the leaves which are just starting to change colour. College football season is upon us and UW and PSU have each begun the season 1:1. (And for the benefit of the locals....Tech 0-2 and losing to JMU at home?!? What on earth is that all about?) Mom and Dad H. will be coming in October, to enjoy a week at the beach and we can't wait. State fair is in two weeks and we look forward to a full day of petting cows and eating deep fried everything. (Well, maybe not the pickles. )
Have a blessed one!
Maureen
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Happy New Year!
Hope that all are well & had a peaceful (or wild-n-crazy if that is more your flavour) New Years. We are well here and Momma rang the new year in at work while S., N. & I. stayed up to watch the ball drop in Times Square. The reviews were mixed....."I don't know what the big deal was-it was a ball, it dropped" and "There sure was a lot of kissing...Yuck!" So, I think next year they'll be going to bed at a more civilized hour again :)
Since my last post, J. has grown to a nearly one year old speed machine on all fours who has taken a few steps so far. T. has turned 3!!! I. is busy, learning letters and numbers and such not. If we can't convince Daddy that HS'ing would be a brilliant plan, he'll start K in the fall and something tells me I. may be my phone call home *every*single*day* child. N. is enjoying 1st grade and played fall ball. S. is surviving 3rd (for those in VA this is the year of the first round of "SOL-standards of learning exams" our gift from the NCLB act. We can't thank them enough...)
Daddy is still busy in the 'Burg. So far state budget cuts have been sparing to his dept., but raises have not and likely will not be forthcoming. Which stinks, but beats the hay out of unemployment, which so many are facing. I am still at Chip at nights and working as a FNP on the weekends at a retail health clinic.
The garden was good for tomatoes and peppers this year. The plan is for this coming year is to rework the plan ^_^. Santa brought me many new gardening books, among them the All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew & Year Round Harvest By Eliot Coleman-who is a Mainer. If he can garden year 'round, I am sure I could pull it off here. Although currently it feels like Maine outside. Daddy has given me license to totally rework the bed layout. This should be fun. I heard Joel Salatin speak this summer at the HEAV convention in Richmond about turning your home & yard into a profit centre. Glorious predictions of making $40K off a 1 acre yard. Don't think I could pull that off, but half would mean I would only need to work one away from home job and sure wouldn't break my heart. We'll see. We're accepting suggestions for pseudo-farm names.....Suburbia Acre is leading the pack so far.
The big news of recent note here is that we finally broke down and got the BIG VAN. A lovely, very large while Ford F-350 econoline 15 passenger van. It is cool in that it has a centre aisle rather than 4 rows of benches. It's official-we've become "those people".
Well that is all the news for now and the tribe requires lunch, so I GTG as all the cool text-talkers would say. I pray that you have a safe and blessed 2010.
Since my last post, J. has grown to a nearly one year old speed machine on all fours who has taken a few steps so far. T. has turned 3!!! I. is busy, learning letters and numbers and such not. If we can't convince Daddy that HS'ing would be a brilliant plan, he'll start K in the fall and something tells me I. may be my phone call home *every*single*day* child. N. is enjoying 1st grade and played fall ball. S. is surviving 3rd (for those in VA this is the year of the first round of "SOL-standards of learning exams" our gift from the NCLB act. We can't thank them enough...)
Daddy is still busy in the 'Burg. So far state budget cuts have been sparing to his dept., but raises have not and likely will not be forthcoming. Which stinks, but beats the hay out of unemployment, which so many are facing. I am still at Chip at nights and working as a FNP on the weekends at a retail health clinic.
The garden was good for tomatoes and peppers this year. The plan is for this coming year is to rework the plan ^_^. Santa brought me many new gardening books, among them the All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew & Year Round Harvest By Eliot Coleman-who is a Mainer. If he can garden year 'round, I am sure I could pull it off here. Although currently it feels like Maine outside. Daddy has given me license to totally rework the bed layout. This should be fun. I heard Joel Salatin speak this summer at the HEAV convention in Richmond about turning your home & yard into a profit centre. Glorious predictions of making $40K off a 1 acre yard. Don't think I could pull that off, but half would mean I would only need to work one away from home job and sure wouldn't break my heart. We'll see. We're accepting suggestions for pseudo-farm names.....Suburbia Acre is leading the pack so far.
The big news of recent note here is that we finally broke down and got the BIG VAN. A lovely, very large while Ford F-350 econoline 15 passenger van. It is cool in that it has a centre aisle rather than 4 rows of benches. It's official-we've become "those people".
Well that is all the news for now and the tribe requires lunch, so I GTG as all the cool text-talkers would say. I pray that you have a safe and blessed 2010.
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