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11 September 2011

Moving on

253/365 - These used to fall off Adam's feet, he was that tiny. Key word - was. Now, I don't think they would cover more than his big toe.

I cleaned out baby clothes boxes today. Five boxes turned into two for my cousin who is about to have a baby girl (like any day now), one for me to keep, and two for Goodwill. It was hard to do, but I was able to part with a lot more than I thought I would.

 Some cute dresses going to new baby:
This was one of my favorite outfits for Carus.  She was able to wear it between 6 and 9 months.


I'm not sure if Carus got to wear this dress more than once, but it is adorable and light - nice for summer, which will probably be around the time it fits new baby....maybe. It's been awhile since I've had a baby, not sure if I remember much. :(


This is a velvet like bodice and satin like skirt - adorable. If I'm not mistaken, this was Carus's Christmas dress for her first Christmas, when she was a year old.


Adam-head's onesie from about 3-4 months.

Sorry these photos are a little blah - cell phone pictures.

 In other news, 7 Days starts again in 7 days. I'm excited. Not sure if the kids will want to play along again, but we'll see.

Note: Reminder for Race for the Cure in 8 days - Please read, donate (if you can) and pass on this link: http://tinyurl.com/3jjmnlx 

09 September 2011

First day of school and then some...

Or more appropriately, first week of school.

 250/365 - First day of 7th grade and can't be bothered with first day photo... First day of school 2011 250_365 09-07-11

 Oh wait, maybe he can.
  First day of school 2011

Adam's bus didn't show up Wednesday and I had to take him to school. I had switched shifts with a coworker so I could start later and be available without worrying about being late for work since I was kind of expecting this as they didn't show up his first day last year.  Obviously, a good idea.  I think they missed him because only 7th graders and new students started Wednesday so they would have an easier time finding their way around a new school. He was the new student in a 5th/6th school last year.

I called the bus company to make sure they would show up the next day (they did) and at one point said, “we were out there 5 minutes early and stayed 15 minutes after scheduled time. Well, he was. I’m not allowed to go with him.” Bus company lady snorted. Yeah, that.

I'm trying hard not to be embarrassing but at the same time, I want to embarrass the shit out of him.

After dropping him off at school and making sure I didn't embarrass him by yelling out "Mommy loves you sweetums", even though I really wanted to, I decided to get a coffee shop coffee. I went to a local small drive-thru coffee shop.  I don't regularly get to have a coffee shop coffee since I work from home and my commute only takes my by my kitchen and not Starbucks (one corner they aren't on). This also turned out to be a great idea. Not only was I able to get my coffee and Carus a hot chocolate for $2 less than I would have at Starbucks, but she threw in doggy biscuits for Yoda (who got to go bye byes with us) and little cinnamon rolls for Carus and I for free. The doggy biscuits are a common thing to get for free, but still, he was happy. Also, I got an iced coffee (our weather has been in the 90s all week) and I found out that she uses coffee to make the ice cubes. Instead of my coffee getting watered down I got more coffee! SCORE!

I told this to Robert all amazed and everything and he looked at me like I was an idiot and said, "Uh, yeah that's a good idea, but it's not new. I used to do it with my Kool-Aid as a kid." And yes I know it is done for other drinks, and I've done it myself; however, it's not a common thing for coffee shops to do so be amazed with me. Can you tell he isn't a coffee drinker?

First day of 4th grade.
First day of school 2011

Carus’s school work started out beautifully, except her speakers weren’t loud enough and we couldn’t get the volume up no matter what we tried. We worked through it and did okay. She got all her Scantron testing (assessments required by the state) done and out of the way (until spring when she does them again), but did dally a little with the math testing and tripled the amount of time she had to spend on it. I think it taught her a lesson though, she has to be more responsible for her time and if she goofs off even a little it sucks.

When Robert came home I told him about the speakers and asked him to fix it. He checked several settings, deemed it okay, then not okay, then just needs updated drivers for speakers, then what in the world, then – oh, they came halfway unplugged.

Sad part is, I thought about checking to see if they were partially unplugged and thought, “nah, that can’t be it.” Lesson learned universe. Lesson learned.

The rest of her school is a learning process for both of us and while Thursday was better than Wednesday, and today was better than yesterday, the week was just a smidge exhausting. And it was only 3 days. I'm confident once we get the hang of this new way of school we'll both sail through each day and week easily, and frankly, that's all that is keeping me going right now. I'm spent.

251/365 - Seen in my yard - butterfly on my lavender. 251_365 09-08-11

Same butterfly, different side, different processing. Isn't it creepy looking? 09-08-11 (4) copy2

To top things off, work has been super fun lately! Both literally and sarcastically. We have a lot of work leading to a lot of over-time, I've been running an educational quality control process, and we have been working towards adding a new facility. (Yay expansion and Yay job security!) After the start date for the new facility had been moved back three times we found out Tuesday that it would start Wednesday morning. That was FUN! There is always an adjustment period with new things, there's just a lot of new to take in all at once. The educational project has been great and I'm learning more running it then if I wasn't.

252/365 - Leia. I was holding a pine cone up so she wouldn't come try to lick the camera. Again.
252_365 09-09-11

Note: Reminder for Race for the Cure in 9 days - Please read, donate (if you can) and pass on this link: http://bit.ly/rukLlC

06 September 2011

Ready for school

249/365 - Ready for Carus's first day of school tomorrow. Ready for Carus's first day of school - her school books for the first day, a couple print outs/worksheets, notebooks for writing, and the online work. 249_365 09-06-11

Note: Reminder for Race for the Cure in 12 days - Please read, donate (if you can) and pass on this link: http://bit.ly/rukLlC 

Menus are back

With school starting for both kids and with my anticipation of having a little more on my plate with Carus homeschooling this year, I'm bringing the menu back.

I'm going to try to post each week's menu on Sunday evening and HOPEFULLY it will help me stay motivated to keep creating the menu.  That small bit of organization really helps me. I know what I'm making for dinner each night, and the night after, and I don't have to think about it or worry when I can't come up with something. It also helps me create a more thorough grocery shopping list and I don't find myself running to the store for items I forgot as often.

Normally I grocery shop for one week at a time, and I hate it. I go to the "cheap" grocery store 45 minutes away, spend around an hour in the store, and then another 45 minutes home.  It takes up a nice chunk of my weekend.  This week I took it up a notch and did my shopping for two weeks. It was a larger number at the checkout, but I'm pretty confident I got what I need for 2 weeks (minus some fresh produce because most of that stuff doesn't last long).

I am a little late on the menu post this week, but it's all good because this is my blog and I said so. :)

Sunday - Grandpa Alan's company picnic (woo, I don't have to cook or clean)

Monday - Scalloped potatoes and steamed broccoli and cauliflower

Tuesday - BBQ chicken sandwiches

Wednesday - (1st day of school) Crock pot beef stew

Thursday - FFY (fend for yourself)

Friday - Beef & Broccoli

Saturday - Fried chicken breasts, crash hot potatoes, corn


05 September 2011

3-day weekend for the win!

246/365 - Baiting his hook with a worm.
  246_365 09-03-11 copy
Saturday we took Adam out to Hagg Lake Saturday to break in his fishing pole.  Shortly after reaching the bottom of this hill Carus was stung by a bee or bit by a bee, which pretty much ruined her day - drama queen.  She is better now
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Fishing.
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Trying another spot.  Even though it appeared Adam and Gramma were getting bites we didn't get a fish.  We think we had a fish or two stealing the bait but not getting caught on the hook.
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Gramma fishing.  Hagg Lake is close-by and fishing season lasts until October-ish so I'm sure we'll get another shot.
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After lunch Adam's friend (not pictured) came over for a sleepover and we went to Big Al's for some arcade fun.
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Carus driving - and having trouble reaching the pedals.
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 247/365 - Time for Grandpa Alan's annual Labor Day weekend company picnic. We get to tag along each year and get some free food and have some fun.  The company hires a clown for the kids and rent a bouncy house, its fun. Goofing around with balloon animals.
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Burger - YUM!
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Robert
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Ice cream cone - YUM!
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248/365 - In case you didn't know, puppies do not really help with sweeping. I got a bonus day off today for Labor Day (whoop whoop) and I spent the morning forcing getting the kids to help me do some cleaning.  It didn't take long after I put Leia in her kennel.  The rest of the day was dinking around, getting Adam's school supplies together and organized in his bag, getting Carus's school work and books together for Wednesday (Back2School time), making dinner, and baking some banana chocolate chip muffins.
248_365 09-05-11

02 September 2011

Happy 13th Birthday Adam!

245/365 - A little Before & After. 
245_365 Before & After

Before - The first picture was taken when he was in Kindergarten. The kids were to pick something out of a box as a prop for the picture that represented their dad - sports stuff, fishing stuff, etc. Adam chose fishing stuff. Robert had never taken him fishing or talked about fishing, or gone fishing that Adam knew of (he had gone with his Grandpa when he was a kid), but for some reason, Adam chose fishing. This photo has lived on our fridge since 2004 when Robert received it - and I hope it always does.
After - 7 years later. His grandparents took him fishing this summer and he started asking for a fishing pole for his birthday. Gramma and Grandpa Alan got him the pole, and I knew it was coming. One evening last week as I was getting something from the fridge, I saw the kindergarten picture and I was determined to recreate it as best I could.  4 stores later, I finally found a fishing vest (well if you don't count the $120 one with 2 pockets).  It's not the color I wanted, but it worked. I couldn't find the hat.  Later on I looked at 2 more stores and still nothing (also if you don't count the $77 one, and I don't cause IT'S A HAT!).  Then, Robert went back to the store I found the vest in and he found the hat.

We are going to go fishing tomorrow morning.  In the afternoon he has a friend coming over and then we will go to the arcade, come back for pizza and ice cream cake, and he'll have a sleep over.

I was going to put up some baby pictures of Adam too - but if I pull those out I will definitely start bawling, so I'll quit while I'm ahead and just tearing up.

I am so proud of the wonderful young man he is and I'm so excited for all he has ahead of him.

Holy shit!  I am officially the mother of a teenager now.

His favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip and I made him an ice cream cake.  Oreo cookie crust, ice cream, chocolate cake, ice cream.  The whip cream decoration actually started melting moments after this picture...well kinda the second after I put it on it started melting.  Apparently the cold ice cream is not good for whip cream...  If I make another ice cream cake I might look into icing instead.  And those are grasshopper cookies broken in half.


Gramma got a little creative with the wrapping of the fishing pole and put it in "A" box.
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One of the few times when they are truly getting along and actually look like they love each other.   Really though, they do get along like 80% of the time.
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Blowing out the candles.
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Note: Reminder for Race for the Cure - Please read, donate (if you can) and pass on this link: http://bit.ly/rukLlC

01 September 2011

Power's Out

This post was written last night, uploaded tonight.

243/365 - Candle lit bathroom.
243_365 08-31-11
We lost power tonight. Not sure why, neither is the electric company. Its nice that the weather has been cool this week and we aren't roasting.

But what sucks is that the power went out right when I was mixing the dye to color my hair. I have grown tired of all my grey hairs - I am too young for this much grey hair. Darn kids making me grey prematurely.

And now I sound older...

I was able to find enough candles and a husband willing to shine a light at my head while I quickly put said dye on my hair.  So yay!

The dogs are freaking the frick out and barking at every little sound, i.e. the neighbors outside talking about losing power, and my flashlights reflection in the sliding glass door. Silly dogs.

The cats could care less since apparently the flashlight is not out to amuse them and we keep walking away from where they were just attacking that light spot. Silly humans, amuse kittehs now.

The kids are supposed to be going to sleep, but do you know how exciting it is that we have no power?!

Robert was outside working in the yard...cleaning up from working in the yard...when power went out and the garage door was stuck open because of the electric door opener. He ran an extension cord from his computer's UPS (uninterrupted power supply) in the bedroom to the garage door opener and closed the garage door. Bloody brilliant IMO.

Time to rinse my hair (God I love technology and my phone).

* * * * * *
And now for today's photo

244/365 - No more roots (or grey). Much better
244_365 09-01-11

Note: Reminder for Race for the Cure - Please read, donate (if you can) and pass on this link: http://bit.ly/rukLlC

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