Pictures and Ramblings (Technically: Rantings)

The last couple times we have been near Target, Tyler has pointed in the direction of the Devil's Lair, also known as Toys R Us. At first, I thought he wanted to go because it bright and colorful. But he started talking about wanting to go there to buy 'Thomas' trains. What?! I really can't remember when, if ever, he has been there. It has to have been at least a year ago, if not more. I really HATE toy stores. While I have fond memories of standing in the aisles of KB Toys in Mesa Mall trying to figure out how to spend my piggy bank stash, I have yet to take my kids to a toy store for kicks. Go ahead, call CPS, but the whole commercialism of toys, and the gimme-gimme-gimme, I have to have it! thing makes me feel a bit hostile. Here at ye olde Groves homestead, our kids play with sticks and rocks. They do have toys too, lest you think I am a total scrooge. I just am not a fan of a LOT of toys. Or toys with batteries. Or toys that only do one thing. Or Tickle Me anything. Anyway, all this rant to say...how the heck does Tyler know what Toys R Us is?! Did someone take him there without my knowing?! I think I would rather him hanging out in a smoky pool hall than the Devil's Lair! I ended up telling him that we will only go there if he gets Christmas money, at which point he can buy himself whatever he can afford. Until then, you can find us sharking the regulars at the pool hall. 

Here's my little sunshine hanging the fragile ornaments. She is such a great helper! There were a few ornaments that didn't have hangers, and she asked 'is this one that needs to perch?' 

The boys snuggling before school

A dress I made for myself and finally got a picture of.

Tyler making Christmas cookies

James hard at work

Katie showing off her creation

Tyler got a knife and added a butt to his gingerbread man. Boys! And it actually looked very realistic after baking.

The doll I made for Katie for Christmas. I can't wait for her to open it! I had so much fun making it. 

Suitable Programming

At the risk of sounding like one of those 'when I was your age' finger-shaking curmudgeons, I must say that my list of suitable TV programming for the kids is shrinking. If it weren't for the fact that I like to take a shower in peace, I just might scrap it all together. However, it sure is convenient sometimes. We don't have cable, so that rules out just about everything. What is left is PBS, Qubo, and occasionally the Smile of a Child network. I have various beefs with these stations. Qubo is annoying, because every 3 minutes or so, there is an infomercial. These infomercials are selling two things: things your kids will beg you to buy and things that old people need, like scooters and life alert. I don't really know how those two things mesh, but whatever. All the commercials are annoying and I don't like my kids being assaulted by consumerism. Smile of a Child is a Christian channel, and I don't worry that they are going to see on there. It is simply a bunch of reruns of old-school stuff, including Superbook. However, there is this gentleman who does story time that leans forward and lectures the kids in a fire and brimstone kind of way, which is a little weird. I usually don't have to worry about this, because that station rarely comes in. And PBS, oh, PBS. I love PBS. I hate PBS. I feel like of all children's shows, theirs have the most propaganda. There are shows teaching children to tell their parents to Reduce! Reuse! Recycle! and to get all their shots, the flu shot, and heaven forbid you remove the stump from Sid the Science Kid's backyard, because it is a habitat. Dr. Seuss in the meantime, is imploring kids NOT to pick flowers, because flowers are somebody's home. I'm fairly certain that is communist or something. You can't pick flowers?!?! Hello! What do you think God put them there for?? Anyway, moving on. Beside these annoyances, there are several categories that I put TV shows in. They are as follows:

1. The Subtle Message Shows: Dinosaur Train (evolution), Sid the Science Kid (ultra enviromentalism, vaccines, etc.)

2. The Disrespectful Kid Shows: Clifford, Arthur (sometimes the kids are sassy and rude to each other or their parents which really annoys me. Also, after checking out an Arthur book from the library in which the 8 year olds play spin the bottle at a birthday party really turned me off to that)

3. Last, but not least, the SUPER ANNOYING shows. They include Barney and Daniel Tiger. Now, I realize Daniel Tiger is a derivative of Mr. Rodgers and it's probably un-American to hate it, but it is basically a preschool-themed cartoon musical. And if I hear the song 'If you have to go potty, STOP and GO right away...' one more time, well...I just might rip those bunny ears right off the TV. Looks like Daniel Tiger's on the black list.

That leaves Curious George and Bob the Builder. Can we fix it? Yes, we can!

Errrrrrr!!!

Here is James in front of his Science Project. He is giving me what I like to call the 'Jeff smile.' Because really, it's more of an 'I'll humor you while you take the picture, Mom' look. He was quite happy to take home a certificate, a ribbon, and a free Water Ice coupon. Speaking of water ice, yesterday was the first day of spring and that means free water ice at Rita's! I still haven't figured out quite how to describe Water Ice to my non-PA friends, other than its like a slurpee meets a snowcone, but better. I actually hate slurpees and snowcones so maybe that's not the best description. Anyway, while I do feel that in the world of water ice, Dairy Delight is where its at, Rita's is also good...and free on the first day of spring. Back when I was young and fancy-free, my sister and I went to several Rita's locations on free day and loaded up. Good times.

In other news, I went to the doctor yesterday to get my Thyroid checked and guess what I got diagnosed with? Asthma! Woo! Who knew. He asked me if I ever got short of breath. Uh, no. Then he diagnosed me with asthma. When I asked him why, he said because he could hear a slight rasp in my breathing. Huh?! He prescribed me an inhaler (that I can use up to 4 times a day as needed, you know, for when I get short of breath and all) and Singulair. He also kept my thyroid dose low, even though he told me that my dose will need to keep increasing as I get older, and this is the lowest dose I've been for as long as I can remember. All in all, very discouraging and now I feel that I must find a new doctor...again. I didn't fill the prescription for the inhaler or Singulair, because I am pretty sure if I had asthma, I would have noticed.

I'm Tired Of School (And How We Got Here In The First Place)

Last week if officially hit me: I am sick of this semester already. I know, I know...he'll be done soon, and for that I am very grateful. I am just tired of Jeff being gone two nights a week, with homework in between. The kids have been getting upset when he leaves for work, or when he has school. They want their daddy, and they want him NOW! I keep reminding them, and myself, that it will be over soon. Yay! And when that day comes, I plan on throwing a big ol' par-tay. I will invite you, and the mailman, and the termite guy (even though we don't have one). I will even invite my brother's neighbor's cousin's half-sister's goats ex-owner, for crying out loud! A few days ago, I told the kids that I wanted to plan something special for Daddy since he was graduating. Katie suggested a cake. Of course! James suggested 'renting a clown.' I think that is right up Jeff's ally...ha! Seriously though, this has been a long time in coming.

And while I'm on the subject, wanna hear how Jeff ended up in school anyway? Did you know Jeff never even planned on going to college? He wanted to join the Air Force, but he was too tall, or maybe too blind...one of those. His plan B was to work. Jeff's high school career was less than stellar in the grade department and he never liked school. He scammed his way through the system and graduated when he was 16. He got credit for living at the farm, shooting prairie dogs, drinking Mountain Dew and eating Fireballs. No joke. He also took two periods of Teacher's Aid where he was in charge of the attendance records. There was one or two kids who he didn't get along with for whatever reason, and he would carefully erase their attendance mark here and there before scanning the card, then fill it in afterward. The offending student would get a phone call to their parents for their lack of attendance. That is how he earned enough credit to graduate early. He moved out at 16 and lived at the farm, where he was living when we met in 1998. I was going to college, and around that same time, his grandpa told him he should go to college and make something of himself. No one in his family, aunts, uncles, etc...went to college. He decided mostly to pacify his grandpa that he would apply, knowing that they would never accept him because of his GPA. Guess what? He got accepted. No problem, he thought. I'll still never be able to pay for it. Guess what? He got a full ride to pay for tuition, books AND living expenses. At that point, he ran out of excuses about college. The only problem was, he had to declare a major. He had no idea what he wanted to do. He picked up the book, flipped through and saw 'Computer Aided Drafting.' He thought it sounded interesting, from the short description provided. He wrote it down and went with it. Well, it turns out that he loved it, and was (is) very good at it. He was working many hours at the farm, and taking 19 credit hours per semester. He kicked some academic butt, bringing home almost all A's. There were times he wanted to quit, like when we took Algebra together. (He managed to avoid Algebra in high school...not sure how that's even possible) I wouldn't let him quit. I actually tutored him through that class, if you can believe that. It was the blind leading the blind. He soldiered on, in the mean time saving money for a laptop. Back in ye olden days, laptops were quite expensive. He wanted to have one so he could do his work at the farm and get ahead. He saved up $2400 and I remember going to Circuit City with him to buy the thing. It cost more than both our cars put together I think! It also cost more than our wedding, come to think of it. It wasn't long after that his grandpa came into town to visit. Thinking his grandpa would be proud, Jeff told him how he had saved for the laptop, and how he had been working hard and getting good grades. His grandpa looked at him, rather unimpressed, and said 'Well, I hope you don't end up being a bus driver.' That made smoke come out of my ears to say the least. But Jeff didn't give up. He finished up his Associate's Degree in CAD shortly before we got married. Once we moved here, we realized that a two-year degree was not going to cut the mustard and he needed to go for his Bachelor's degree in Engineering. The past ten years have been one class at a time, two or three classes a year, working toward the goal of a Bachelor's degree. So there you have it, the life and times of Jeff as a college student. I know God has been working from the beginning to put Jeff where he is today, but I am glad that this phase of that is almost over. We are all going to enjoy not having to share him with homework time anymore!

Randomness

(Tyler trying to feed the chickens a stick in their old digs)

The weather has been fabulous these last few days, in the low 70's and sunny. Basically, I have decided that if I let my kids play outside all day long that means they cannot mess up the house. Except they do. With their dusty feet and dandelion puffs. But who can complain? We are all getting more than our share of sunshine. I am reading two books right now about children and their need to play outside. Seriously, there are a plethora of books written on this subject. You know what the sad truth is? Children spend an average of 30 minutes of unstructured outdoor playtime....a WEEK! Well, shiver me timbers! I think my kids spend that much time outside before breakfast some days. I couldn't believe when I read that, but I have seen that statistic thrown around several times since. Instead of outdoor time, kids spend 5-7 hours a day on TV, computer, video games, etc. Crazy! Now here I am, off on a soapbox again. Speaking of soapbox, I was really happy to hear that Florida is making it illegal for pediatricians to ask parents if they own a gun. It really ticks me off every time I went to our previous pediatrician and they interrogated me about various (non-health-related) things, particularly if I own any guns. Is it any of there business?? Phew! I promise no more soapboxes for today. Aside from that, the chickens are enjoying their new digs. Katie and Tyler will sit at the fence and feed them various tidbits. Katie digs for worms for them, and brings them bugs and grass. James finds worms and calls for Katie to come and get them, because they 'gross him out.' Tyler tries to feed them sticks and rocks, which they look at and roll their eyes. I have been planting stuff every day in the garden, and so far...no groundhog! We do, however, have skunks rummaging around at night.....remember the notorious skunk incident of 2010???? Let's not repeat that again!

Ready For Spring

We are supposed to get a big storm tomorrow and Wednesday. Ice, snow, sleet, and who-knows-what-else. I am ready for spring. Ready to play in the dirt and plant the garden. Ready for the kids to be able to get out of the house. Right now, they are running around, all happy, and VERY LOUD!!! We need to get outdoors! But enough of my ranting. I did finish painting the boys' room today which I am very EXCITED about! I posted a skirt over at my crafty blog, so that means I have been sewing too. It keeps me sane. And thus ends quite possibly the most boring blog post ever. Adios, amigos!

Muy Bien!!

Jeff has been released from his ten week incarceration in Ohio!! Yippee!! This week, week Numero TEN, will be his last. While there is some disappointment in that he will be unable to finish the job he has worked so hard on, there is also muchos relief that he will be free! So much relief, in fact, that it is apparently making me feel like bursting forth with what poquito espanol I know. I think we need to hold a fiesta in honor of this momentous occasion.

On a side note, when I Googled one of my limited Spanish words (you know, to make sure I was remembering it right and didn't inadvertently post a bad word...) Speedy Gonzales came up. And you know what I learned? He has been banished from the airwaves because he furthers 'ethnic stereotypes.' Seriously! What is this world coming to? Our children can't watch a speedy Mexican mouse, but they can turn on Sesame Street to see Jay-Z (among other celebrities that little kids should be oblivious to) or listen to propagana-laced cartoons pushing flu shots, evolution, extreme environmentalism (like not picking flowers at all because every flower is a creatures home!), etc. OK, total rant there, but its true! And the reason my kids watch little in the way of TV.

Stinkin' O-H-I-O

Ohio is officially on my list of four-letter words I never want to hear again. After declaring that his work in Ohio was done, one of the new managers quit. Now he is back to square one, and will have to stay out there several more weeks (or more), til he is able to conduct more interviews, hire and train the next person. Argh, matey! I am not looking forward to it, but if I've done it for eight weeks now, what's a few more, right? Right??? I feel especially bad for the kids. They were so glad that he didn't have to go back, and now Katie is already asking when he is going to come home. That's the first thing she asked him when she was talking to him tonight. James was looking forward to starting AWANA's at our new church, and now he'll have to wait a few more weeks. Oh, well. He has a job and for that I am grateful, especially in light of current events.
In other news

• Tyler is the most crazy/determined/climbing/fearless child I have ever seen!! He gets in to everything all the time. If he is not swinging the chandalier back and forth, he is climbing on anything that will hold still for him. Jeff actually watched him climb to the TOP of the ladder, without any fear. Tyler figured out that if he could climb the ladder he could get into Jeff's toolbox. (The ladder is a little taller than Jeff, and Tyler went to the last rung before the top) I feel like I spend my day plucking him from precarious situations.
• We had our first 'art lesson' today. I volunteered to have our friends' kids over for an art lesson every week. Today was the first one and it was fun! I slapped aprons on everyone but Tyler and we went to town! I let them paint, which they were sure to tell me that Daddy wouldn't care if they got messy, but Mommy would. :) I'm going to go out on a limb and say that that is because Mommy does the laundry. ;)
  
• Katie is a chatterbox. It takes her 30-40 minutes some days to go down for a nap because she is so busy talking to herself. She does that at night too.
  
• James is currently in an All-Pirates-All-The-Time phase. I am thinking that the farmer obsession will be back shortly. After all, he has been in to farmers for the last 3 years. The funny thing is, he has no idea what pirates really do. I tried to explain but he wasn't having it. He is just content to but castles and forts for his apparently land-locked pirates. The pirates also have successful gardens, horses and livestock. Those pirates always were an industrious bunch.
  
• And lastly, its beyond me why I forgot to post these pictures of Auntie Rachel playing with her favorite niece and nephews in the tent they made. So, here they are:
  

I Apologize In Advance (USPS Rant Ahead)

As if I didn't despise the USPS enough! Yesterday I received two boxes from my sister-in-law in the mail. As I was opening the first one, I was cursing her for how much tape she used. I planned on calling her and asking if she intended for me to chop my arm off opening the boxes. Then, I realized that the package had been opened. Scratch that. The package had been reconstructed all together. It appeared that the original box had been destroyed, so they cut the top of the box off and taped it onto a new box. They wrapped the whole darn thing in layers of that fibrous packing tape with a sweet little label reading 'We're sorry. You're package was damaged in transit. We hope it doesn't cause you any inconvenience. Bla, bla, bla.' When I finally get the box open, I am greeted with a strong, musty, moldy smell. I picked up the first item, and it was damp. And moldy. And stinky. The box contained mostly clothes, for the kids (birthdays, etc.) All of the clothes smelled pretty nasty, and one dress is most like ruined because it has dark gray mold stains all over it. From what I can tell, the original box must have been soaked, and they repacked the (wet!!!) contents into a new box, sealed it up, and took 14 days delivering it. (It was sent Priority Mail!!!) The other box she sent also had that the same label. I opened that one up to find 19 cans of Squirt. One was leaking. They looked like they had taken a tumble down the conveyor belt as they were very scratched up. Now the Squirt, I can understand. It is a can of liquid, and apparently more of the burst and that was the reason they had to repack that box. They removed the exploded cans and repacked it. I can handle that. But what happened to the clothes?! They aren't sticky, or smelling of Squirt, so I can deduce that they were damaged in another incident all together and not from sitting near the Squirt box. Fabulous service, yet again, by the USPS. I can only hope the box I just mailed to my friend Erin will get there intact, and heck, maybe even within a month or two since I sent it Parcel Post. I should have sent it Pony Express.

PS. On a happy note, we are now the proud owners of 18 cans of Squirt, and 6 cans of Green Chile Sauce....Colorado Contraband!!!

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Alternative Title: Being a Parent is Stinkin' Hard!!!!

Go ahead, tune out, I'm about to start ranting....

We are looking to switch pediatricians for a number of reasons. Come to find out, because we are delaying our vaccinations til we decide what to do about them, we are going to have a hard time finding a pediatrician. I do not mean that we are having a hard time finding a ped who is accepting of our choices. I don't think I'll find one. But, I have called two large practices that have both refused to take our family on because the kids aren't up to date on their shots. They told me that they follow the AAP guidelines to a 'T' and that we'd have to go elsewhere. What is a parent to do? Just a little bit of research can send you into a tizzy. Both sides have valid-sounding arguments, and both sides produce compelling 'evidence.' The tricky part is sifting through it all to find out what is true, what's not, and what is best for the health of my children. What I do know (from both pro and against vaccination websites) is that:

• Vaccines are cultured in eggs, monkey kidneys (which have been know to contain diseases), human embryo cells.
  
• They can contain mercury, formaldehyde, aluminum, detergents, and many other ingredients that would not be considered safe under any other circumstances.
  
• Each child is to receive 38 doses of vaccine by eighteen months of age. (I don't think the flu/H1N1 are counted in this)
• Pharmaceutical companies stand to profit immensely from the government mandating their vaccines. (So can they be trusted when they say they are safe?)
• Older girls are now strongly encouraged to get vaccines for STDs (under the guise of 'Cervical Cancer') (babies are also to start the Hep B at birth)
  
• And on and on it goes....I won't bore you with it all. (I'm really just venting!!)
  

It is a hard decision to make either way. We started out mostly following the 'rules,' but after an appointment where James was given EIGHT shots at once, it just seemed a little crazy. Anyway, here we are, me researching like crazy and trying to find a pediatrician. This is not the kind of stuff I'd like to be researching, but alas, here I am....

Are those all yours?

Judging by the comments I receive these days when going out with my brood, I have officially crossed over onto the 'big family' side. Now, I don't really think that three kids is a 'big' family, but I guess we have deviated from the average American household, which is 3.14 according to the census bureau. Whenever I go out, I get sympathetic looks from people, who say things like 'wow, you must have your hands full.' This one annoys me; I am not sure why. I do have my hands full, but there are a lot of blessings to having three kids and no one ever mentions that. I also get the 'are they twins?' comment about James and Katie more often than you'd think. I get people who can't believe they are so close in age. And then today, I got one of the more funny and curious ones....'are they all yours???' Well, yes, yes they are. Or at least I think so. Of course they are mine! Are three kids too many for one mother? I think not. Fortunately I didn't let this inner dialog out. I just smiled and said yes. This lady felt so sorry for me she offered me her shopping cart, insisting that I take it. I kindly refused it on the grounds that it was a lot easier for me to hold James and Katie's hands (Tyler was in the carrier) than to hoist them into a cart, try to keep them sitting down and occupied, etc. I think she just couldn't fathom someone having three whole kids. It was strange. And yesterday, I got my favorite comment of all time, and it wasn't even obnoxious either! I was crossing a parking lot with the older two in the stroller and Tyler in the carrier. A gentleman waved me across and as I turned to thank him, he rolled down his truck window and asked me 'What do you do in your spare time?' with a grin on his face. 'Ha, ha. That's a good one,' I said. 'Very funny!' He gets extra points for being humorous without being obnoxious. I am just waiting for someone to ask me if I am Catholic. Our pastor has six kids and someone asked him that. When he said no, the guy told him that the only kinds of people who have six kids are either Catholics or perverts. I tell you what, if someone had said that to me my inner dialog would not be able to behave itself!

Differing Thoughts on Motherhood

I stumbled across a blog yesterday looking for crafty tutorials. When I read this, it kind of stuck in my head. I keep thinking about it, and how sad it is:

Currently I am serving time as a full-time homeschooling Mama to two forces of nature known as boys and most days are spent juggling the various brain-draining, soul-destroying, unthanked, unseen, monotonous, boring tasks ensuring other people remain alive and uninfected. When they are asleep I assume my true identity as a human being and craft to my heart's delight!

While I can understand most of it, I feel sad that she thinks that mothering is 'soul-destroying,' and that she can only assume her 'true identity as a human being' when her kids are asleep. It makes me sad because I think that our society sort of creates an environment where women feel that motherhood is not a 'legitimate' career. I'm pretty sure this woman is not the only one who feels that way she does. We have been trained to feel that to 'give up' our 'careers' to become mothers is to trade in something valuable for something of lesser worth. We have bought into the idea that to trade in the 'career' for motherhood is a step down, and that we must just hunker down and press on til our kids go to Kindergarten and only then can we have our 'life' back. Yeah, there are plenty of times I am just pressing on. Some days are long, and brain-draining and some days are boring and monotonous too. Sometimes I envy Jeff's lunch break. Break? What's that? But why do we feel that motherhood is something apart from 'life' or it is not part of our 'human identity'? Being a mom makes me happier than I ever imagined it would. It is my career right now, my life right now, and I don't feel bored. I don't feel as though something is missing from my life. I don't feel de-humanized. Sure, I would like to be able to pee without someone walking in or banging on the door asking 'hey, mama, are you going pee or poop?' (MYOB!!!!), and it would be nice to have a little time to myself every now and then. Even so, motherhood is very fulfilling, even if it does require wiping a thousand butts and trying to entertain small children for hours on end.

The other thing she said that got me was saying her job as a mom was to ensure ' other people remain alive and uninfected.' Dang! If that's all there is to it then I have been working way too hard! ;) Seriously, I guess that might be the reason why motherhood is unfulfilling to her. If I felt that my entire life was devoted to merely keeping my kids alive til the next day, I guess that would be disappointing. If we hold no value in our 'job title,' then how are we supposed to feel fulfilled.

People and Pets

Since I am never going to finish the post I have been working on since Monday I am starting from scratch. In a nutshell, we had a crazy but awesome weekend with the fam. And now, since I have scrapped my original post, I am going to get up on my soapbox for a second. (Jenni, you're going to laugh at me and probably roll your eyes ;) This morning I read a post on Freecycle offering a kitten. Here is an excerpt:

please must be able to take care of the kitten and please have it be an inside cat. i dont like when people have animals and keep them outside.

Those evil people who let animals live outside, you know, in their natural habitat. What are they thinking?!? There seems to be a general consensus around here that having 'outside' pets cruel to the animal. People will actually turn you in for letting your pet stay out in less than ideal weather conditions. My neighbor has a dog, and when the weather gets bad, he gets special treatment. If it rains, he has a raincoat. If it is cold, he has a puffy-marshmallow jacket. If its raining, there's an umbrella carried to cover him while he does his biz-ness. If it snows, they shovel a path for him to go. Every now and then, Charlie tries to remind himself he's actually a dog by catching a rabbit. This behavior, of course, is not appreciated by his owners. One has to wonder, what did animals do before us humans decided to domesticate them and keep them indoors? Did they all freeze to death, or line up for meals at the local doggie-soup kitchen? I think not. They did just fine, and gasp! Hunted for their own food. Now I do realize there are some exceptions, since humans have been breeding dogs to have certain characteristics, like being small. I don't think a Chihuahua would survive a PA winter. However, for the most part, it would seem that God equipped animals with what they need to stay warm, or cool, and to find their own food. Keeping a pet inside seems more of the owner's preference than a real necessity. Ironically, I will be receiving a duck later today which I will be babysitting for the weekend. A lady from our church gets ducklings and keeps them in their yard til they get big enough to release into the wild. That is, until she found out that they get eaten by other animals when left to fend for themselves. So now, she is keeping the duck indefinitely. I don't mind at all, because how fun will it be to babysit a duck for the weekend?! Did I mention that the duck has to sleep inside? (he he he he)

F@cebook: Opening a Can of Worms

I was going write about socks and how they maddeningly disappear and reappear at random. But no, I decided to open a can of worms instead. (Can you tell my mind is starting to be affected by the multiple layers of grime and despair we've been dealing with?) First off, let me start by saying that I think a good majority of you trusty readers are on the F@cebook. But now that I have joined, I am more confused that ever about the point of f@cebook, besides draining people's time away by tempting them into taking the 'What would your pirate name be?' quiz. Here are some things I don't get:

• Becoming a fan: someone I know became a fan of 'sleep.' I looked, and there are nearly a million fans of sleep. Now seriously, who says to themselves, 'self, I am going to create a f@cebook group called 'sleep,' and everybody will be a fan. And how does one go about finding these groups to join, and why?
• The, and I quote, 'lil green patch.' These things show up all the time, with people trying to get me to accept a green patch to help save the environment. Really, is accepting an electronic icon going to keep anyone from chopping down a tree in the rainforest?
  
• Gifts. People can send gifts. I don't know where they come from, or where they go. Someone sent me a Cadburry egg. It disappeared somewhere into cyberspace, never to be understood.
• There is also, apparently, a way to launch snowballs and Ob@mas at one another. You can be greeted in the morning by 'Your friend XX flung an Ob@ma at you.' You can respond by flinging one back.
• The status update: I never know what to write, and usually don't fill it in. Usually, the thoughts that run through me head are Megan is....picking her nose. Megan is....wondering who really cares if I am going to make a PB&J after this. Megan is....thinking that whoever created the group 'I like big butts and I cannot lie' needs to get a life, and fast.'
• Collecting friends. Seriously? How can you possibly keep up with 378 friends, and do you really want to? Like the guy you met at the bus stop in Kindergarten, who moved away the next week. Or your brother's ex-girlfriend's brother's cousin's uncle's neighbor?

I would like to say, I do think the 'book has some benefits. It is fun to leave a little comment for a friend, or see pictures of your friends' kids. Friends of ours recently had a sweet little baby girl with some health issues, and I checked all day long for updates. (Hi, Lily and Merry Jo!!! And Scott and Emma) I keep up with a few childhood friends of mine through F@cebook. There really are good things about it, but I don't think I'll be taking the 'What foreign world leader do you look like?' quiz. Besides, I'd be too afraid it would tell me I look like Yasir Araf@t, and who wants to broadcast that to their 528 friends?

And I thought Smoky the Bear was risque...

Remember a long while ago I posted about our vintage Smoky the Bear book, and how Mr. Swift, the father, was smoking in nearly every picture? Well, move over Mr. Swift. Arther has just made you look like tame ol' Mr. Rodgers, complete with librarian sweater. I let James check out an Arther book from the library today. Why? I don't know. I don't let him watch Arthur, since I think the kids are snotty and rude to each other. But I figured maybe the book would be better. Well, let me tell you.....we cuddled up on the couch to read all about Arthur's birthday. I was disappointed to find that the kids did have a bit of the attitude they have on the show. I was mortified, however, when the kids (who are celebrating Arthur's 8th birthday) suggest playing spin the bottle at Arthur's party. The book ends touchingly with Arthur's girl friend giving him the gift of a decorated bottle emblazoned with the words 'Spin-the-bottle.' What?!?! Am I missing something here? Is there some other, more innocent game of spin the bottle, or are we encouraging little kids to kiss members of the opposite sex at random. I hope they don't come out with a book about Arthur's 9th birthday. Can you imagine?! Let's go robo-trippin' with Arthur, or maybe we could play a little strip poker, shall we? Maybe that's a little extreme, but seriously. I was shocked. Is it me, or is this just crazy?!

P.S. Fortunately I read ahead as I am reading out loud and skipped right over the parts about 'Spin-the-bottle,' although James did ask why Arthur got a bottle for his birthday.

Happy News/Crappy News

I know, I know. I shouldn't use that word, but it ryhmes, and it works. Happy news first:



Cheepa! (which I have been informed is a naughty word in Polish...who knew?) Isn't he adorable and lovely and handsome and delicious and....oh! I can't wait to meet him.

Snow! Here I was whining to Jeff that we hadn't really gotten any good snow this year. While its still not a record or anything, we've got a good amount, and its still coming down. Its too hard to tell how much of it is out there since the wind is blowing like crazy. Nothing like dressing your kids up like mummies to go outside for 15 minutes, which, ironically, is the same amount of time it took to get them dressed in the first place. Unfortunately Jeff got to work only to find out that the 'don't come to work til 10am' email went to his junk folder. Lovely. Hopefully they let him out early. Also, the snow reminded me of why I love my neighborhood. This morning, there were no fewer than three of our neighbors out with their snowblowers, clearing their driveways and the neighbors too. Our next door neighbor did our sidewalk and driveway! Bless him! And a nice older guy down the street did probably 4 or 5 houses worth of sidewalk, and who knows what else. Another neighbor cleared and shoveled for the sweet lady across street. Made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

And now for the crappy news.

Those Europeans are brutally honest: More Rental Saga
So yesterday was another depressing day on the rental front. I showed the house yesterday to a husband, wife and their daughter who looked about 20. The parents spoke little English, but the daughter spoke it well so she was the liaison. They were some sort of European, and since I am an uneducated yokel I couldn't tell where, except to guess somewhere not in, but around, Russia. Helpful, I know. Anyway, they were very nice. I explained, again, to them that the house was not in good shape. They nodded like they understood. Well, we walked in and were greeted by the lovely smell that cannot be mistaken: urine. They immediately looked around and back at me with a repulsed look. I know its hard to see past all the filth, and the smell. The man didn't even see the whole downstairs before he walked out. The women looked upstairs, I think out of courtesy, and then said 'We need to get outside now!' All the while, they kept looking at me and saying things like 'How can people live like this?' and 'This is disgusting.' Pretty much the same thing that the others have said, and totally understandable. When we went outside for some much needed fresh air, they asked a lot of questions about the house. I told them what we would be doing (which will greatly improve the house and return it to its former condition, and in some ways better). The guy told me that we would have to do a whole lot more than that to improve the house. He told me everything would have to be redone. (Two sidenotes: all the while, between questions, they were bantering back and forth in their native language, even arguing at times; also, at this point in the story, the guy whipped out an ad for his renovation business...clever, no?) He also asked if I was going to be putting in central air before the next tenant. Uh, no. I don't even have central air in my house. Lets repeat this again, folks, its a R-E-N-T-A-L! If you want the Taj-Mahal, buy your own house and fix it up, or be prepared to fork out upwards of $2000 or more to get what you want. Anyway, the guy shook his head and said, 'No, we can't live here.' The woman asked if we were going to be doing anything about the kitchen (through her daughter). I told her that aside from cleaning and painting, the kitchen would be the same. She shook her head in disgust, and she said in the first and only English I heard her speak, 'The kitchen is disgusting.' (I agree in its current state, it is disgusting, but she meant the kitchen in general: size, cabinets, etc.) The man told me that we would keep getting the 'same trash until you do something about that kitchen.' As rude as it sounds, I really think he was just being honest, with no intent to be mean. No surprise, they told us they were not interested. I cried on the way home. It was all just too much. I am angry that the tenants have managed to do so much damage in 10 months, and that we can't even show it like it is. I was angry that they insulted the kitchen the way they did. I never liked that kitchen, but it worked, and there were 17,000 kitchens like it built here in L-town, and people have been using them for 50+ years. I know plenty of people who are not 'trash' who live with similiar kitchens. Anyway, the whole thing was ridiculous and frustrating. We are now waiting till closer to the time that the tenants move out to advertise and show it again. It is just too disgusting to show, and we fear that when people see it like it is now, they will not give it a second chance if they are still looking at the end of the month. So there you have it, another depressing installment of 'don't you want to have your own rental property?'

Going to Heck in a Handbasket

Why is it when it rains, it pours. Last year was crazy, and I was hoping that this year would be nice and uneventful. What was I thinking?! In the last month or so, we found out our tenants are moving out. We found out a lot more drama then we needed about that too. Then, Katie's disappointing hip check. Then, we find out our rental is trashed. Like, almost as bad as when we bought the place. Then, our dryer died. Now our dishwasher. My precious dishwasher!!! Oh, and Katie's crib is recalled, the kind where they tell you not to let your child take one more nap in it, ever, and here's all your money back while we're at it. Fortunately on that front, we were just given a nice crib for Cheepa, so she can sleep in that till we return the other one. All this, and its only February!!!! I think I will be going on vacation for the remainder of the year, somewhere where trouble can't find me. :)

Garry, Garry, Quite Contrary: An Odor Clause???

***Names changed slightly***

So...let's chat about the guy who has showed me up to see the house a few times now, shall we? This guy, Garry, came to see the house, was appalled at the condition (we were too), but like the layout and was really interested. He wanted to bring his wife to see it, and set up an appointment for Wednesday. Well, he didn't show. Turns out, the story goes that he wrote it down in his planner as Thursday. Whatever. I gave him the benefit of the doubt since he had originally said Thursday, then said Wednesday was better. Funny thing is, I sent him an email too saying Wednesday, but obviously he didn't read it. This time, I wised up and told him to call me when he was almost there and I would head over. Guess what?! He never called. Bla. Bla. Bla. He got caught in a meeting at work. Couldn't call. Couldn't email. I have no idea why his wife couldn't have called. Anyway, we were just about done with him. However, he said he really wanted the house and had the application filled out. Given the current economic climate, we figure we better give everyone a good look and at least review the application. So, he set up an appointment for this Wednesday. Confused yet? Me too. He called at the last minute and asked to change the time. At this point I just wanted to show him and his wife the house and be done with it once and for all. So I said OK. I did tell him I had stuff to do and the time couldn't be adjusted yet again. After waiting for my limit of 20 minutes, I was just ready to leave when who pulls in? You guessed it. Garry and his wife. I showed them the house, again reassuring them that we will be replacing the flooring and painting the entire house, as well as necessary repairs (all of which we are willing to put in writing as part of the contract). While I was showing them the house, they started asking if this would be replaced, or that would be replaced. I was hesitant to give him a firm answer as I had no idea what Jeff had told him. While we are more that willing, and obligated, to make sure the house is clean and in good repair, we ain't promisin' the world, honey. The house is 50 years old! So, I again reassured them that we would write it into the lease contract. He called me that evening to say that they were really wanted the house, but were concerned about the odor. What would happen if the house still smells after new floors and paint? Could they get that in writing. I kindly explained to them that while we don't anticipate the smell lingering, and we don't want it to smell, odor is a subjective thing. By putting a 'smell' clause in the lease, they could basically walk away from the deal by saying the house smelled a little funny. Seriously? I explained to them that we wouldn't be able to do that. Then...oh, then, they emailed us about a few other things. They want to know if we will be replacing the appliances, because some of them look like they are not, and I quote, 'in the greastest condition.' We all know that used appliances are just not acceptable in a rental home and would of course be replaced, right? Not!!! So, we told him that the appliances were staying (unless they don't work) and that they can use their own if they want. At this point, do we really want to rent to them? Uh, no. What if a light bulb burns out? Would we get a call? We've decided that if they try anymore finagling we are just going to tell them that while the house will be presented in a clean, freshly painted state, with certain repairs made, it is AS IS and if that's not OK, then you might want to look elsewhere!!!

If you've made it to the bitter end, I am impressed. That was a rant alright. But guess what!? One week til the ultrasound!!! Start making your bets, folks! Will it be a boy or a girl? Or one of each? Just kidding about the one of each. Now that would be a shock and a half.

And so it begins...

Ugh. We had two appointments to view the house today. The first appointment, at 10, was a couple whose husband had seen the house on Saturday. He said he was very interested, wanted to 'start the process,' and got an application. The other guy, whose appointment was at 11, I know nothing about. Anyway, guess what?! Yeah, you guessed it. No one showed. Or called. Or emailed. I sat there with my kids for 1 hour and 20 minutes waiting for nobody! Thank goodness it is a beautiful day out and we walked up and down our old street, picking up sticks and nuts and whatever else caught the kids' eyes. This is such an ANNOYING process!!! And I don't think I mentioned before, when we went over on Saturday, we found the house to be in bad shape. Its going to be a lot of work to get it back to where it was. Jeff is much more laid back about it. He just says 'this is what renting is about.' I say 'but I don't wanna deal with it! They trashed our house! Now we have to fix it! Waaaaa!' I try to remind myself that they have paid our mortgage and then some for the last year, which is a nice profit. But still...waaaa!!! OK. I'll stop whining now. Hope y'all are having a good day!

Weather, weather....

Yesterday it was a balmy 48. Nice enough to go for a walk, which was glorious. We even headed down to the green belt to search for walnuts, per James' request. As I expected, they were all gone, stashed away by the squirrels. Instead, we saw a bike in the creek along with other assorted flotsam and jetsam. It always gets on my nerves how much junk people dispose of in the creeks around here. Seriously, there is very little green space around here. Why is it OK to dump your trash there?! Anyway, its one of my PA pet peeves. But I digress. It really was nice to be outside and collect sticks and pine cones and such. Today, however, we are due for ice and freezing rain. Some weather forecasts say up to an inch accumulation today, and another inch over night. I don't mind winter, although I am itching for spring gardening. However, give us some snow already!