End of weekend AND month

In theory I like September.  Beginning of fall, back to school, Adam's birthday, etc etc.  There are a lot of nice things my mind likes to associate with September.  But I don't think September likes me too much.  It always feels like I'm spending the month overwhelmed, over-worked, and over-tired.

This weather has been gorgeous, and dry.  The fall rains haven't started yet; we are getting loads of sun.

Yesterday Robert and I took the dogs to the dog park for some play time.



And today, I've done a whole lot of nothing so I took my picture of the day of Timmy joining Robert and I for TV shows.



Can you believe that tomorrow is the start of October?!

Day 7

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New hair color.




Carus's day 7, a video of some jokes.

There are two jokes, one she read online that she has been giggling over for like 3 days, and the second one she made up the other day.

Day 6

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My roots, and grey, are showing badly. I think I'll color it...what color should I do?



Carus's day 6

"I found a great place to keep my glasses when they're not on my face."

Polka dots

Today was a theme day for 7 days, polka dots.  I don't have the energy.  We had issues with Carus's bus AGAIN and I'm beyond frustrated and exhausted and aaggghhh!

It would be insanely easier to just pull her from the bus and drive her myself to and from school, even though I would have to work late every day this year to make up the time when I had to do it during my work hours,  but I am not giving up. I will continue to call them and basically harass them.  This is their job and they need to be competent in it, not just for me and my child, but for the other children now and in the future.  Carus is not in danger* by their shenanigans, because she is smarter than them and so for now we fight.

*She would be in danger if she was/we were more trusting of the bus drivers.  Her stop is on our side of the highway, she is not to cross it. The speed limit is 40 and no one drives just 40.  We've told her that under no circumstances is she to allow the bus drivers to tell her to get off on the other side and to cross. None, whatsoever.  So this week when they did just that (TWICE) she told them no. 

I spent a good 45 minutes trying not to panic about why my child wasn't home from school yet again today, and called them two more times (that's just today's calls). I am bringing these issues to her school, the district office, and the head honchos at the bus company and I will get things fixed for good.  It's just so exhausting and frustrating when it feels like no progress has been made towards the simple act of the school bus consistently and competently transporting my child to and from school.

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7 days, day5. Lap topping to unwind and destress. This month can go ahead and end now. Also, the local school bus company can hurry up and stop sucking.



Carus, did do the theme.  As soon as she heard it was polka dots, she ran and grabbed her ear muffs.

Day 4

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I arrived to pick up Adam from football practice early so I got to do a little reading. I'm reading Brisingr, which is the third book in the Eragon series.  I'm enjoying them very much, which Adam is being very smug about.  I started reading the series now (it has been on my list for years, just kept getting passed over in favor of something else) because I'm constantly trying to recommend books to Adam.  He reads fast and once he's finished a series of books, because that is what he likes - series, he will complain that he has nothing to read until he finds the next series.  I got him to read Old Yeller, which has a sad ending and though he liked the book other then the sad part, he has been reluctant to try any of my other recommendations.  As an appeasement or atonement, you chose, I am reading from his recommendation (the Eragon series is one of his favorites).



Carus day 4
Reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  "78% done!YAY!!!"




In other news - Just when I thought the bus company had finally got their heads out of their tookuses, they shoved them back up there.  Story/explanation later after I calm down a little bit.

Day 3

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At Adam's football game, giving Robert bunny ears, which he didn't notice. We lost.


Carus - At my brother's football game.

The Shed is Finished!

Robert hasn't been letting me taking progress photos of The Shed.  He wanted me to wait until it was finished.  He has been doing the trim, sealing, and final touch-ups for 2 weeks now.



Seams along the walls, ceilings, window, and door have been sealed and all paint has been touched up.




The door was repainted and the door jam filled with foam.




Door open.



Last night he wired it for light and a couple plug outlets.



Plug!



Look another plug!

Today, he started moving his tinkering stuff in and rearranging the garage.  He officially has his very own man cave to run away and hide from us.

Day 2 - Stripes

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Spent some time today cleaning the grill after the whole setting the it on fire fiasco.  The 7 days theme today was stripes - so I have stripes from the grill grate and the deck.



I ended up getting an alternate for today.  I was in the bedroom and went to adjust the blinds and noticed the afternoon sun was coming through the blinds.



Carus's 7 days, day 2 photo.

"My shoes have stripes."

Fall 7days, day 1

The fall run of 7 days began today so now you get to look at self portraits of me for the next 7 days. You're welcome.



Carus asked if she could sew so I pulled out my mystery quilt and worked on it a little bit, and Carus decided she wanted to make a little stuffed animal.  She is designing it herself, though I've been recruited into showing how things go together and helping sew. And tomorrow I'll be recruited into going and picking up some stuffing for her.

Carus just decided to participate - her and her bunny ears.

Toofers

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Carus lost a tooth at school yesterday and they put it in this little tooth-shaped case to keep safe for her to bring home.  It is adorable!

She knows the tooth fairy secrets, she found out this summer, but she keeps them as proof so she can get paid.  The tooth fairy overpaid for the last tooth so this one is already paid for.

I will be keeping the little tooth case.  It's too cute not to.

Reading time

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Reading time.  Carus is working on the fourth Harry Potter book (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire).  She sped through the first three, but the size of this one is slowing her down a bit.

Timmy is supervising.

FOOTBALL!

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Woo!  FOOTBALL!

Adam's team lost, but it was still a fun game.  He is the one with his hand on the ball; he played center (the one that hikes the ball to the quarterback if you didn't know).  Next game is Monday.  There are try outs at practice tomorrow to find out who is starting line.  He is going for starting center, and is pumped and excited about getting it.

This Weeks' Beginning

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I got to spent Sunday morning with a friend and her new babies - twin babies (boy and girl).  She had a photographer cancel on her at the last second because they didn't want to drive out to her house after they knew where she lived before hand so I asked if I could help take some photos, especially a family photo.  It was a fun morning!



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My celery is flowering.  I haven't harvested anything from the plant - wasn't sure when to do it.  I probably could cut a stalk or two off here and there, it doesn't look like celery in the store so I'm doing something different or something...?  I dunno.  We don't go through celery like crazy so it's no biggy.  It's interesting to see how it grows.


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Leia gots to go bye-byes today. I took the dogs with me when I went to pick up the boy from football practice.


Speaking of football and the boy - I get to go watch a game tomorrow! WOO! I've been dying to go to a game and his first game was an hour drive away, during my work shift, and didn't give me enough notice to get the time off so I couldn't go.  Then he swung over to the other team to play as a back-up/relief and it was in the same place at the same time and not enough notice for me to get off early - again couldn't go.

Tomorrow, the game is AFTER work and it's a home game so we can go!

Dude, middle school football is rough!  In the two games his two teams have played, there have been injuries.  They've acquired a broken arm, a small concussion, and a broken clavicle.

Forest Grove Chalk Art Festival

Each year a local art gallery, Valley Art, hosts the chalk art festival. Last year was our first year attending (see).  Downtown Forest Grove gets blocked off and all the sidewalk squares are up for rent.  With your reserving fee you also get a box of artists chalk.  None of the big chunky little kid sidewalk chalk, although that stuff would be good to have if you need a lot of one color.  The art lasts for at least a month, if not more, depending on how much rain we get.  Some of the darker colors, or thicker colors will last through lots of rain.

Each year the chalk art festival coincides with the corn roast.  I'm thinking they do that on purpose so they are blocking off streets less often. I think next year we'll do more stuff there, we just walked through as we were leaving today.  Elmo was at the corn roast, but he wandered around the chalk art saying hi to all the little kids, and we got to meet him!!

Me, our friend, and Elmo.


Carus, her friend, and Elmo.


Anyhoo.  Unlike last year when it was cool and rainy, this year was warm and sunny!  The day started out nice and cool, but it didn't take long for the sun to pop out and really start to bake us.  I have a little bit of a sun burn to prove it!

Carus chose a sketch out of my sketch book and that is what we did.
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Gramma Barb came out to draw with us.  Here she is with her finished moon.


Things we MUST remember next year:

• Canopy/large umbrella.  Rain or shine, this would come in handy!
• Knee pads or gardening pads.  This year I brought towels to kneel on thinking they would work good enough - they helped but they were not good enough.  My knees are so sore.
• A chalk blending method other than our hands and fingers.  Carus gave herself a couple little blisters on her fingers rubbing on the concrete, and my palms are sore.
• Small broom to remove the dirt and leaves from the square before we start.  I kept getting splinters from bark mulch debris.  Annoying. 

Gramma and Carus took a break after we'd been there about 45 minutes or so and went around taking pictures.  Of course we did not get a shot of every square, but you can see what I did get here or just watch the slideshow below.

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I made Adam bring home his football uniform for me to wash.  He forgot it last week so it has been 2 weeks since last washing.  It had been worn in a 2 hour practice today right before I got my hands on it.  It was 90 degrees today and they run those boys.  I had to pull the sweaty pads out of the sweaty pants.  Ew!


They came out of the washer DRIER than they went into that washer.

There was also an half smooshed (and really clean) earthworm in the bottom of the washer.


They look better after one round through the washer, but I've sprayed them again with Spray and Wash and will put them through another cycle in the morning.  They won't be perfectly clean (and white again) but they will be cleaner and Adam won't be stewing in sweat and dirt for another week.

My mom job is done for the day.

Tomorrow better still be Friday

256:366 -  Came home from a CRAZY day working at the hospital and found Robert had cleaned up the kitchen.  The counters were COVERED with dirty dishes, clean dishes, canned food I hadn't put away yet, and other general clutter.


257:366 - Bedtime snack - Fresh pineapple.


258:366 - Pretty Wilbur kitty.


This week is better than last, but it's still been crazy.

The bus saga continues....

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Pretty clouds seen while waiting at the bus stop this morning.



The bus showed up - but was late.  I called the bus company to see how late and they again couldn't find the stop or Carus in the system.  At that point I was starting to lose it and when I said that I had been assured repeatedly that the bus would be there to pick her up this morning I was quickly transfered to who I assume is a head honcho, who remembered me from last week.  It only took her a second to radio the bus and find out how late she was running (my point of calling).  Idiots.

I thought I had given the full bus saga story before, but looking back I've just mentioned it.  I've complained on Facebook a couple of times though.

Full story:

Mid August we are supposed to get a little postcard from the bus company to let us know which bus the kids are to ride to and from school as well as their pick up and drop off times.  Adam's card showed up, Carus's did not.  I waited a week and called.  They assured me that it would probably show up, and even though they couldn't find her in their system, nor our stop (though Adam was in the system) they said she would probably be riding bus B and Adam was confirmed as riding bus A.

A week before school starts, the postcard still hasn't shown up and I wanted confirmation of her bus route so I called back.  They still couldn't find her or our stop in the system, and after some digging around (not sure what the guy was doing) I was told she would be riding bus A.  But wait, that's Adam's bus...  I was reassured that that was correct and that it would go to Carus's school and then to Adam's.  At one point in that conversation he even told me, "Just stick her on his bus and we'll get her to school."  Um, thanks random stranger, I'm totally cool with that plan.  He then suggested that the school hadn't sent her information over to them and I should call them.

Two days later I finally got a hold of the school (they were really busy with back to school I get it)(it probably would have been sooner if I left a voice mail earlier than I did)(I don't like leaving voice mails) and they didn't have a bus route listed for her.  They called the bus company, again came back with bus A and when I told them that was Adam's bus which goes to an entirely different school, I was reassured again that it was correct.

Okay.  Weird, but okay.

First day of school and the bus has a history of not showing up for the past two years (new to a school students and new to the district students start a day earlier than everyone else) so I take Carus to school to avoid the wait for a bus that probably won't show up.  We've told Carus which bus she is to get on after school - bus A.

She gets home an hour later than she should because there was NO bus A at the school.  NOT AT ALL!  The school office put her on bus B and bus B had to figure out how to get her at her stop (correct side of a busy highway so she doesn't have to cross).  I call the bus company and was told that bus A was at her school and that they would be calling the school to talk to them about it, and that yes Carus should be riding bus A morning and afternoon.  I don't believe them.

I go to the stop the next morning and ask Adam's bus driver if he goes to Carus's school and his exact words were, "Uh, no.  Why should I?"

BOOM. My head exploded.

He radio'd and they told him they didn't know what I was talking about and could he take her.  Yes he could.  But I wouldn't let him. Cause of the head exploding thing.

I called and that was the first time I talked to my head honcho lady.  She rerouted bus B to make sure that it stopped correctly for Carus and gave me a new pick up time that was 10 minutes after Adam's.

The next morning - Friday - the bus doesn't show up.  I call and was told that she was running late and I probably just missed her as we had already started walking back to the house for me to take Carus to school.

That leads us to this morning.  See above for that.  Getting Carus home hasn't been too hard for them, and the school is not far, but I am anxious until she walks in that door.  I can take her every morning since it's before I start work - but I can't pick her up easily.  If I have to, I have to though so...

We'll see how tomorrow goes!

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Yes, I was messing around taking pictures of bees again.

No, I didn't catch anything on fire this time.



This bee was just chilling on the screen of the back porch, not really moving much.  It was cool this morning so maybe he couldn't move quite yet.  Either way, he was a willing model for about 20 minutes.

Today was a good day. I hope it means this week will be a good one.

I made and canned a batch of my spaghetti sauce and canned a batch of tomatoes from my garden.  I got 3-3/4 quarts of tomatoes and 10 quart jars of spaghetti sauce.  That last quart was a bit hard to fill, I ran out of ripe tomatoes, but I improvised and hoped I got it full enough.  After processing, there is more juice than tomatoes than the other jars, but I think it will be okay.

I also made two loaves of banana bread.  I need to make it more often, it is very good.  I know what I'm having for breakfast!

Robert has spent the weekend painting and hanging trim on the shed and caulking and sealing around windows, doors and such on both the shed and touch ups on the house.

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This bee was covered in pollen and it wasn't really moving. I don't think it could - it was pollen drunk.

I was just messing around with selective color.  I like it, but... I dunno.

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This week has sucked.  It keeps trying to be awesome, but each awesome has been trumped by a shit hole. Or some other word(s) that better describe.

Good:  Kids started back at school.  Bad:  The ongoing issues with the flipping bus stuff for Carus.

Good:  Adam gets news of first football game.  Bad: It might be at 4:30pm in McMinnville, which is an hour away, I get off at 4:30, and on that particular day I'll be working at the hospital so I wouldn't get home until after 5.  This particular shit hole has me sad and angry.

Carus started dance class, but her insecurities and perfectionism had her upset she wasn't good enough. It breaks my heart to see her being that hard on herself.

Good hour at work is trumped by bad hour at work.  Or day to day.

Let's throw on some guilt for working and not being able to drop off and pick up the kids from school so I can stop dealing with the stupid bus company, not to mention being able to attend Adam's football games.

Today was going good.

And then, tonight, I set the grill on fire.

Not just a little fire - a full out had to break out the extinguisher fire. Because I am an idiot and started the grill and then went and took pictures of bees for 10-15 minutes and didn't pay attention to the grill.

POOF.  But luckily the deck and the house didn't POOF.

I turned off the grill and the propane tank and knew enough to not open the lid (back draft) and called for Robert to help.  I was going to try spraying water - he went full extinguisher.  He made the right choice.

At first it look like the grill was toast, but it might just need cleaning.  The internet tells me I can clean the extinguisher residue off and all will be good.  We'll see.

It's Saturday night.  I need this to be the end of my week. And I really need next week to be better.

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Robert has been working on painting The Shed all week.  He wanted the same color as the house, and it will have the same color trim as well, to match and tie it in.  It will look better that way.  But there was one problem - what color is it?  Unfortunately, of the several cans of paint left in the garage the house color was not one of them. Robert kept insisting it was more of an off-white, I said it was a light gray.  We knew we could take in a sample and get it color matched, but didn't have anything small enough to take in; until I found  a gutter downspout clamp.  When Robert removed the clamp we found that underneath the gutter had a spot with the original paint color of the house - a mint green.  Ew! Thank you to whoever had the house repainted!



At first Robert was painting by hand, but wasn't happy with how it looked so he went and got a paint gun, which worked well enough.  With a final coat with the roller to even out some spots it looks great.  Now on to trim!

Leia must have walked a little close to The Shed, she got a little paint on her ear.

Back to School!

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Her sign says "Carus, 10 years old, 5th grade. I want to be an artist."  I was reminded by my cousin to do this little sign.  It will be nice when she is grown to be able to look back and see how plans have or have not changed.  I wish I had started doing it when the kids started Kindergarten though... Live and learn.

Carus got to go back first, going yesterday.  She was a bit nervous and became more and more nervous the closer we got to school.  I drove her to avoid more bus drama (and boy has it been a bunch of drama - they can't seem to be able to figure out how to get her to and from school, but anyways) and we arrived at the school a bit too early so we parked and sat for 10 minutes.

The original plan was to drop her off at the front door but when it came time to go she asked if I would walk her to the door.  I did.  As we got closer to the door, I was asked to walk her to her classroom.  I left her as she was greeting her teacher.  I wanted a hug, but I knew she wouldn't want the embarrassment so I just waved.  As I was leaving I saw a friend and found out she was in Carus's class and felt better for her.  She had been worried that she wouldn't know anyone when she didn't recognize any names on the class list.

I missed her so much.

She bounced in in the afternoon a bit late (because of the stupid bus issues - but anyways) and said she had a good day, was happy to know several people in her class, declared her teacher awesome and told me all about how she won two pieces of Jolly Rancher candy in a game played at school.

(The bus issues continue today! For some reason, they can't figure out what bus Carus is supposed to go on, and their nonchalant, "just stick her on the same bus as your son and we'll get her to school" IS NOT reassuring, nor something I'm okay with.  After yet ANOTHER phone call (this puts me at 10) I think I've FINALLY got it sorted out.  We will see tomorrow...)

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Adam's sign says "Adam, 14 years old, 8th grade.  I don't know"  I don't think he's ever known what he wanted to be.  There have been the moments of policeman and firefighter and superhero but those were very fleeting.  There was mention last year of being a writer and he started writing a book, but that has stalled - or run out of inspiration for the time being.  He'll figure it out.

Adam was excited, nervous, and sad about having to go back to school.  He enjoys school, but it does cut into video game time and it comes with homework.  He was excited that he already knew who his math teacher would be (she was great last year so WOO!) and was excited to go back to band (the district has a great band teacher).  He has football practice directly after school so I won't get to hear how it went until much later.

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09/02/2012 - Sunday

Adam's birthday of course! We had a little family party with dinner (steak as requested by the birthday boy) and chocolate cream pie (he didn't want a cake). I made two pies - one with a mint Oreo cookie crust and one with a regular Oreo cookie crust. Both were good.



My finger was up because I was getting him to hold on blowing out the candles a second for Daddy to get in position with the camera (which I had forgot to check the settings on and THANKFULLY the pic came out). I didn't hold him long enough for Grandpa Alan to get into position though - sorry!



Gramma Jerye came up for his birthday, the first birthday of his she has been to since he was born. Don't wait 14 years to be at another of his birthdays Gramma! And unfortunately she had to head towards home right after dinner. Visits with Gramma's and Granny's are never long enough... 

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Monday

Quilting Day! A friend and I are still working out the Mystery Quilts we started back in January. The ones that were supposed to be done by now. (Yay for a fellow procrastinator!) We've been trying to make a point of getting together once or twice a month (or as often as we can) and working on those quilts.



One of these is not like the others...



Oops, made a mistake. Oh well, it was only this one block and it was an easy fix.


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Tuesday

Football season has started! Adam has been in practices for 2 weeks and is enjoying it. He did not want to pose for this photo, he was tired and sweaty and wanting a shower - but he does as I say.

Ignore the messy pantry please.