Something is just outta place

I'm often finding things in my home that are just so outta place. When I find these oddities of placement, I figure I am just losing my mind.


But I don't think it's just me putting things in the wrong place.

I'm certain of it.

My kids and husband seem to do it to just keep me THINKING I'm losing my mind.

Thanks, guys, but I really don't need your help.

845

Here's my youngest at 8 months.

He's a cutie, huh?

The thing is he'll be 9 months old tomorrow.

I just downloaded 4 weeks worth of pictures onto my computer. Do you know how many pictures that was?

845.

What is a gal to do with 845 pictures? I have lots to sift through, that's for sure. And I've got about 10 blog posts with all these pictures. I wonder if I'll ever get around to it.

I will.

Next year, maybe.

Proof of Life

Little boys. Dirty hands. Candy. Watching Tractors in the parade.

Life is good.

Gettin' Ready

We've been plumb busy.

Side note: I like using the word plumb. It's very southern. I'm living in the south therefore I can use plumb. If a northerner uses plumb, it's just weird.

Lately, we've been busy going out of town and getting ready to go out of town. Both activities pretty much require the same amount of time when you have a family of 5, of which 3 members need me dependently, and a dog that is very high maintenance. And when the dog's normal boarding facilities are full, it requires a little more leg work on my end. By the way, if my legs COULD get a work out from all the "leg work" I do, I could be a weight lifter in the Olympics.

This week, we're prepping for Ethan's surgery on Thursday. Today I've got to go to the grocery store to shop for food for the next week or so but before I go to the grocery, I have to make my lists. But, before I make my list I've gotta figure out what we're gonna eat for the next few weeks. Then it's perusing the coupons for the money savers. I like going to the grocery, but it takes me a long time to prepare. It's worth it to save at least 35% off my grocery bill, though...

I've got pictures and pictures that I haven't even loaded on the computer: pictures from blackberry picking, 4th of July, our trip to Gommy and Poppy's, my first "food photography" endeavor, canning...one of these day's I'll get around to it (that's my life's mantra, ya know?).

I just wanted to check in. I'm here. And I'm alive.

Just plumb busy.

Vacation - Part 3

"It was shortly after the kids went to bed when Patrick noticed the rash."

We left off from my last post talking about the quasi-successful day at Dollywood with the kids. It was hot, though not terribly hot. I'd say it was around 85 degrees. Ok, that's hot when you're toting around a 20+ lb baby.

Anyway, Patrick started noticing a rash developing on this legs when we got back to the hotel on Wednesday afternoon. It was more noticeable on Thursday morning, but still not too bad. He had gotten these rashes before when we had vacationed in the Caribbean back in '03 and '08. We had not yet determined the cause of the rash, though heat and humidity were both suspects. But, the '03 and '08 rashes were not fun - not fun at all: a red, itchy rash covering him from head to toe. So when we saw the beginning stages on Wednesday, I was concerned about Patrick and new what we would most likely be dealing with. He was concerned, but excited about trying Dollywood again. So, we pressed forward with our plan and left for D-ville.


We arrived at an earlier time and avoided the train like the plague. We took them right to the water area of Dollywood and let them get soaked. They ran around like banchies on Halloween, happy to be free of the heat and soothed by the cool waters. Mallory and Patrick went on the log flume ride while Ethan had a ball in the play area adjacent to the flumes. There were a few other children there, but he tromped around like he owned the joint.


And Evan just zonked.

I must say, a woman must have designed this little play area because it was adorned with huge fans blowing shaded air into the heat of the play area. It was refreshing and it helped ease the sweat drips that were trickling down my back.

We later took the kids to the kiddy rides and they had a blast. There were no lines and there were a few rides they could go on by themselves. We also took several turns on the carousel. All the while, I kept glancing at Patrick's arms and legs, noticing the redness spreading. He said he didn't feel it and was having a great time. Hmm. I didn't believe him.



I have to say that Dollywood had a very nice nursing room for moms like me who were a walking grocery store. Though I know a lot of moms who don't mind whipping out the milk section in public, I'm just not that kinda girl so I was very thankful for the privacy. The room was very small but had A/C and a comfy chair. I just tried not to think about how many sweaty bums and backs that have graced that chair...

After a great day at Dollywood, the kids were hot and tired and very excited to ride their most favorite ride of the day: the tram! Who woulda thought that the tram would be the best ride? At least they weren't fighting to leave. They like Dollywood, but the REALLY liked the hotel. But before we went back to Hotel Heaven, we stopped at the nearest pharmacy for some calamine lotion for that mystery rash that was now very, very evident on Patrick's body. When we got back to the hotel, there were naps all around then pool time. We decided not to take the kids out to dinner because we didn't want to spend a ton of money on food that the kids wouldn't eat. We decided to just pick up whatever they wanted and eat at the hotel. Mallory asked for a biscuit and Ethan asked for sausage so Bojangles it was. And they were happy. Like banchies on Halloween.



My husband still hadn't applied the calamine lotion and Patrick was redder than a ripe cherry. It was not a pretty site. I scratched my leg subconsciously.

After the kids went to bed and Patrick took a shower, we covered him in pink calamine lotion. He was itching to high heaven, though the calamine helped relieve some of his discomfort. Thankfully, he slept very well that night while I tossed and turned, dreaming about mosquitoes attacking my body and sweaty nursing chairs.

The next morning, we considered going back to Dollywood before heading home, but I insisted Patrick try to get an appointment with a doctor back home. It was a holiday weekend and I knew that he wouldn't be able to see someone until the following Tuesday. He said that he felt OK, but he was going to take a shower to see what his rash really looked like under the pink calamine hue. After the shower, he felt miserable.

He called the dermatologist, who was not able to see him. So then he called his usual doctor, who was able to fit him in at 2pm. We packed up the hotel room, snapped a few pictures of this beloved little space and headed home. I drove while Patrick itched. And itched. And itched some more. I scratched my chin subconsciously.


The doctor told Patrick that he had some kind of reaction to the sun and the rash would linger for a week. She gave him a shot in the bum of some steroids, which helped alleviate his misery to just being uncomfortable. In our talking, pondering, questioning and wondering about this rash, we think it's a combination of cheap hotel soap and the sun. He takes the same care of his skin at home like he does on vacation and it's not like we live in a cool climate (though cooler than some) so it can't be JUST heat. The biggest difference between home life and vacation life is the soap. That's my theory, at least.

Anyway, we had a great time despite the rash. We're planning another trip in August/September and I know that I have to take great care in choosing the location since our kids LOVED the hotel. There is no sense in spending tons of money on the other thrills of vacationland since our kids would just be content in a hotel room.

Vacation #1 down and a whole lifetime of more to come!!!

I'll just remember to bring our own soap.

Kids!

I had to tell my #1 son to get his head out of the toilet today. I had to discipline my girl and my #1 son because they pulled the curtain rod off the wall while they were playing too rough with my curtains...and they hardly ever touch them! Why now?

The kids sure has been pushing limits with me and I'm plumb exhausted. Ethan is testing the waters of how serious I am about discipline and he's learning the hard way. Mallory is obeying for the most part, though I'm concerned about her intentions, whether it is obedience to one-up Ethan or obedience because she wants to please me and glorify God. She's showing me signs of really getting the connection to sin, acting on sin, and the consequence of sin, but I think she also likes to make sure I know (and Ethan knows) that she's doing things right. Maybe it's my sin that makes me think she has some underlying intention? Or maybe it's because I'm a woman. It's a mix of both, I'm sure.

This parenting business is hard work, lemme tell ya.

So is being a girl.

But this sure is pretty, huh?

Growing

We have a garden this year. Well, I guess you mighta sorta figured that out in my prior post, but I never really talked about it before. Here it is:


OK, that was a while ago.

We had a great time building this little thing. It was a family affair.






I did some of the digging and grass removal. Then I pooped out so I took pictures. Someone had to.

Patrick has been working very hard in the garden this year. We had quite a few yummy salads from the robust romaine we planted, which quickly were overtaken by the butternut squash. Our garden is small, comprised of tomato, green pepper, jalapeno peppers, and butternut squash, but it will give us a nice harvest which will allow me to produce a few jars of salsa, tomato sauce, and some delish butternut squash stirfrys. I talk sassy to my tomatoes in hopes they grow up to be nice and plump and juicy.



I give our peppers a lot of love, too. They need some spice in their lives. And they'll, in turn, give me some spice in my life.


We also are greatly anticipating our first crop of blueberries that I gave Patrick last year as a father's day gift. Hello, you beautiful berries, you. I'm dreaming about making some blueberry pancakes outta you...hmmmm...

I love you.

We bought some blackberry bushes at last year's Evergreen midnight madness sale and they are ripening very nicely. I go out and sweet talk my berries as I know they will sweet talk me with a glop of whip cream on the side. I dream of how I am to use them in scrumptious crumbles and cakey cobblers. And next year? Oh, I have high hopes for next year!



It's amazing seeing where our garden started to seeing the fruit of our labor. Well, of Patrick's labor. Patrick has put a lot of sweat in this garden. Since it's hotter than a fat woman runnin' in corduroys, he's been watering it a bunch. And the kids have been helping.

So, come on, boys and girls. Let's get growin' so I can make somethin' soon!

Happy Birthday, America!

I've explained to the kids that we're celebrating America's birthday this weekend. To celebrate, we were going to go to a parade and wear red, blue and white with all of the other people at the parade. And we were going to have lots of special treats. And some cake later.

No, America is not going to blow out the candles.

We'll still have fun.

Trust me.

Well, hello there beautiful!

So, when did you get red?



Let me pick you off, slice you up and cover you with dressing.

Mmmmmm.

Hmmm...

Do you notice anything a bit unusual in this picture?

At least I didn't do this. It would make sense that I would do this, but I didn't. This just proves that our lives are plain crazy.

Aw, heck. WE are just plain crazy.