Happy rainy Tuesday. My plants are loving this and I really need to get the rest of the seedlings transplanted and the rest of the seeds into seed pots. I plan for my Saturday to be gardening Saturday, unless it's still pouring of course. The beans were planted a couple weeks ago and are doing great. Carrots are a pain to transplant, next year they're going in the ground first rather than later.
I've finished one of my on-line classes and looks like I got a 94%. I should have, it was a GEO 121 class so if I couldn't pull that off... yeesh. Still waiting to take my final exam in my other class. Then it's off to take the Praxis.
Tonight... "Lost".... Aaaaagh!
And finally, Happy Anniversary to us! It's been 14 years since Ian decided he really would put up with me forever and always. And thank goodness he said he would, I can honestly say that he has made me a better person and I love him for it. I'm a lucky girl.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
From the cute to the not-so-cute
Have I ever mentioned the Zip-It? It's a drain cleaner, like a snake, comes in packs of twos so I gave one to my mom way back. It has toothy ridges and is flat to slip into any drain, and yields the most disgusting things (after a clogged toilet of course). Jonathon took a bath this evening and mentioned the tub was draining slow. It wasn't just slow, it didn't make a noise at all as the water barely dripped down. Out came the Zip-It, and from the drain.... wow, be glad I didn't take a photo of that nonsense.
In other news, this evening was the fourth grade Virginia history program at school. Nicholas had a part to read and for those who know him this was big. He not only read clearly and loud enough about Harriet Tubman, he sang for the various songs. He sang the songs with his mouth open and facing out, not at the floor. Like I said, this was big and he's proud of himself.
In other news, this evening was the fourth grade Virginia history program at school. Nicholas had a part to read and for those who know him this was big. He not only read clearly and loud enough about Harriet Tubman, he sang for the various songs. He sang the songs with his mouth open and facing out, not at the floor. Like I said, this was big and he's proud of himself.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mom's Day 2010
It's blurry (I killed my Canon Powershot, so used one of the kids' lesser Powershots...) but still makes me happy.
I am blessed.
I am blessed.
More milestones achieved
This weekend was one of those weekends that won't ever happen again. Not only my 14th Mother's Day, we also celebrated my dad's 60th birthday and our final First Communion.
A photo entry.
One other thing from this weekend that unfortunately is not a once-in-a-lifetime event and will occur again as it has many times before... we said goodbye to a good friend who is off on her next adventure, this time as an Officer in Prague. We'll miss Ms. Kelly.
A photo entry.
One other thing from this weekend that unfortunately is not a once-in-a-lifetime event and will occur again as it has many times before... we said goodbye to a good friend who is off on her next adventure, this time as an Officer in Prague. We'll miss Ms. Kelly.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Happy May Day Saturday. Oh how we enjoy thee.
May Day seems to equal the kickoff to yard sale season. Am I right?
There were dozens in our neighborhood including the community yard sale at a nearby elementary school. Nicholas went out with me and I scored 5 Wilton cake pans for Becca for $5 and an orangey leather loveseat for the boys' room... free. Nicholas was awesome helping me get that thing in the back of the van to bring home and he got his very first ride in the front seat.
Sadly, I passed on the tent we saw. We don't camp, yet I'm always attracted to tents. Explain that one.
Ian and I huffed and puffed the mini couch up to the boys' room then went out with the family to lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise, a quick stop at Home Depot for a filter to fit our new heat pump (we had 16X25, this one calls for an 18X22 which apparently doesn't exist in real stores so we currently have an 18x18 in there.... seriously, I have to order filters for the new system) and then off to pick up Caleb, Katherine's friend, to see "Alice in Wonderland" not in 3D. It was OK. I liked the little twist at the end, the story was fine, the imagery was nice but I don't know, it really didn't grab me. It didn't grab me anything like "How to Train Your Dragon."
Dropped older 3 kids at home to clean bedrooms, mow the lawn, etc. and took Jonathon and Ian for haircuts. Jonathon was not a very happy camper, first two shots on Thursday and now his hair, but I told him that after this he didn't have a reason to cut his hair for a long time and he'd feel a lot cooler with the hot weather coming. He wasn't all that convinced but he was pacified, not that he threw a fit or anything but you could tell he just wasn't happy about getting the chop.
Aw look at those pretty blue eyes! Couldn't see them under the mop before.
Ian wasn't a happy camper either largely because the woman sitting beside him had $100+ of work done on her head (at Hair Cuttery! can you imagine everything she had to have done for that much money at Hair Cuttery?) and had her toddler in a stroller between her and Ian. A toddler that very clearly did not want to be in a stroller anymore.
Back home again, we cleaned more in the garage in search of the edger charger and finally found it. If it doesn't rain tomorrow, edging will be done. The composter contents got dumped around the roses, some weeds were pulled, some dirt was swept. In the basement more laundry was washed.
I think I'm done.
Oh, quick story from earlier this week. Becca's rose cake? She made a strawberry box cake (remember, we're saving the cake making learning for after the cake decorating learning) for her class this week. She put in in the oven, cleaned up, and realized she hadn't added the eggs to the batter. Thankfully it was within 5 minutes of putting the pan in the oven, so out it came and she added the eggs, stirred up the batter and popped the whole thing back in the oven. Baked, cooled, and iced it went off to class. Back home, Rebecca served us slices and we hit this:
Maybe we need to tackle basic cake making sooner?
There were dozens in our neighborhood including the community yard sale at a nearby elementary school. Nicholas went out with me and I scored 5 Wilton cake pans for Becca for $5 and an orangey leather loveseat for the boys' room... free. Nicholas was awesome helping me get that thing in the back of the van to bring home and he got his very first ride in the front seat.
Sadly, I passed on the tent we saw. We don't camp, yet I'm always attracted to tents. Explain that one.
Ian and I huffed and puffed the mini couch up to the boys' room then went out with the family to lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise, a quick stop at Home Depot for a filter to fit our new heat pump (we had 16X25, this one calls for an 18X22 which apparently doesn't exist in real stores so we currently have an 18x18 in there.... seriously, I have to order filters for the new system) and then off to pick up Caleb, Katherine's friend, to see "Alice in Wonderland" not in 3D. It was OK. I liked the little twist at the end, the story was fine, the imagery was nice but I don't know, it really didn't grab me. It didn't grab me anything like "How to Train Your Dragon."
Dropped older 3 kids at home to clean bedrooms, mow the lawn, etc. and took Jonathon and Ian for haircuts. Jonathon was not a very happy camper, first two shots on Thursday and now his hair, but I told him that after this he didn't have a reason to cut his hair for a long time and he'd feel a lot cooler with the hot weather coming. He wasn't all that convinced but he was pacified, not that he threw a fit or anything but you could tell he just wasn't happy about getting the chop.
Aw look at those pretty blue eyes! Couldn't see them under the mop before.
Ian wasn't a happy camper either largely because the woman sitting beside him had $100+ of work done on her head (at Hair Cuttery! can you imagine everything she had to have done for that much money at Hair Cuttery?) and had her toddler in a stroller between her and Ian. A toddler that very clearly did not want to be in a stroller anymore.
Back home again, we cleaned more in the garage in search of the edger charger and finally found it. If it doesn't rain tomorrow, edging will be done. The composter contents got dumped around the roses, some weeds were pulled, some dirt was swept. In the basement more laundry was washed.
I think I'm done.
Oh, quick story from earlier this week. Becca's rose cake? She made a strawberry box cake (remember, we're saving the cake making learning for after the cake decorating learning) for her class this week. She put in in the oven, cleaned up, and realized she hadn't added the eggs to the batter. Thankfully it was within 5 minutes of putting the pan in the oven, so out it came and she added the eggs, stirred up the batter and popped the whole thing back in the oven. Baked, cooled, and iced it went off to class. Back home, Rebecca served us slices and we hit this:
Maybe we need to tackle basic cake making sooner?
Friday, April 30, 2010
Red flagged on immunizations
You would think that with all the shots my kids get, all the med units who check and recheck their yellow cards, all the schools we submit vaccination records for, that they'd all have far more shots on record than any child ever needs and all plenty within the right time frame.
Prince William County disagreed. According to their regulations, two shots - DTaP and Polio - have to be given on or after the 4th birthday. Jonathon's 4th dose in July 2005 before we left to Togo didn't cut it. A month before his birthday. Seriously. And it got flagged now. I got a happy little note saying if he didn't get the boosters (again) then he'd be prevented from attending school after May 1st. Seriously.
Jump to yesterday, I pulled him from school early to go to the Kaiser Perm building, called in on time, waited for 45 minutes in the room while the doc had an emergency elsewhere, waited more after I explained what PW County wanted and she was baffled, doc checked the ages DTaP is given (before 6 years or after 11 years, not helpful for an 8yo), decided to give the Polio and a plain Tetanus, neither of which he needed but because a piece of paper said so.
Ah well, it's good to have insurance and it's good that the process was painless. Just a little annoying that PW county school policies trump common sense, you know?
Prince William County disagreed. According to their regulations, two shots - DTaP and Polio - have to be given on or after the 4th birthday. Jonathon's 4th dose in July 2005 before we left to Togo didn't cut it. A month before his birthday. Seriously. And it got flagged now. I got a happy little note saying if he didn't get the boosters (again) then he'd be prevented from attending school after May 1st. Seriously.
Jump to yesterday, I pulled him from school early to go to the Kaiser Perm building, called in on time, waited for 45 minutes in the room while the doc had an emergency elsewhere, waited more after I explained what PW County wanted and she was baffled, doc checked the ages DTaP is given (before 6 years or after 11 years, not helpful for an 8yo), decided to give the Polio and a plain Tetanus, neither of which he needed but because a piece of paper said so.
Ah well, it's good to have insurance and it's good that the process was painless. Just a little annoying that PW county school policies trump common sense, you know?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
The wonders of the modern age
Cell phones, hybrid cars, solar panels, central heat. Glorious central heat. It is ours once again.
We highly recommend Universal Appliances down here in Woodbridge for all your heating/a-c needs. Yes, it took 3 weeks from the time the heat pump went out to it being repaired, that was thanks to the insurance people "forgetting" us, but yesterday the technicians arrived in the early afternoon with our new heat pump and spent until 11 p.m. installing it. They were back here at noon today and spent another 3 1/2 hours completing the installation.
Two Pakistani guys who noted our Indian art, they left after removing all the old parts and a lengthy discussion on good Indian food options in the area and an offer of Pakistani biryani made by the head guy's wife.
And now my hands and feet are warm, with no socks and no blanket wrapped around. Bliss.
We highly recommend Universal Appliances down here in Woodbridge for all your heating/a-c needs. Yes, it took 3 weeks from the time the heat pump went out to it being repaired, that was thanks to the insurance people "forgetting" us, but yesterday the technicians arrived in the early afternoon with our new heat pump and spent until 11 p.m. installing it. They were back here at noon today and spent another 3 1/2 hours completing the installation.
Two Pakistani guys who noted our Indian art, they left after removing all the old parts and a lengthy discussion on good Indian food options in the area and an offer of Pakistani biryani made by the head guy's wife.
And now my hands and feet are warm, with no socks and no blanket wrapped around. Bliss.
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