Good morning

Nothing exciting on tap for today.  Just getting a bunch of needed chores done.  Something that actually is exciting because my back is actually up to snuff, and I'm able to. 

Yesterday in town we hit a flea market.  I bought 12 everbearing strawberrys.  I know their superb, because my mom bought from this lady YEARS ago, and I took runners from hers, and moved them with me three times.  LOL  The last time they were in the ground so I couldn't justify moving them.  I also bought another bunch of rhubarb, since I know it does well out here, and my family LOVES it.   And two current bushes.  These are a wild bush, that can be domesticated.  I want to plant bushes along the back side of the modular so it doesn't look so stark, and has WAY more curb appeal from the road.  All the beauty of this property is where you can't see it from the highway.

So, the kids and I got out and planted them all.  They were terrific little helpers, and saved my back much.  I dug the hole, and they took turns sticking the plant in and covering it with dirt.  They were all delighted by it all.  Especially since they KNOW they love strawberrys and rhubarb.

My already growing rhubarb has doubled in size since Wednesday.  Its getting big.  Our mouths are watering watching it LOL.  With any luck I should be able to harvest stocks by next Saturday at the latest.  Rhubarb crumble here we come.

Yesterday we were gone from the house from 8 in the morning until 7 at night.  It was a long day of errands, but delightfully fun as well.  We found a flea market, and a park.  Which made up for Walmart

I didn't blow money, as I knew it couldn't be that kind of trip.  Just bought the needed household cleaners that are MUCH cheaper there, and so on.  Looked for a pair of shoes for Jeremiah, couldn't find any, thought of buying Samuel a new pair of tennis shoes as he had been missing one of his for almost two weeks.  Couldn't find anything I liked, so decided to hold out on the shoes showing.

We found it this morning!!!  So happy.  LOL  They were only a month old.  And the missing shoe was NOT Sam's fault.  It was either the puppy or Jeremiah.  It was under our deck. 

Anyhow the yard is looking a bit more spiffy.  I wanted to get some more weeds out of the neglected side yard garden, but my energy was rapidly going, and my back was tweaking, so time to stop.  Gotta pace myself. 

Now, I think the hammock chair is calling my name.  I can't wait until Rob rehangs it so its more comfy. 

Photo Blog Challenge this week is Candids.  They are my speciality, my preference.  They are the "real" reason I take pictures.    Today we ended up at a park, and so I share with you some candids that I took of my children.  I tried to take them from their perspective, and had a lot of fun with just snapping a way getting "accidental"  perfection.     I particularly like the perspective and angles I took these from.  You can see the height involved in their swinging. 

And *gasp* one of me...which probably isn't completely candid,  I took it of me *giggles*  But I took it also today, and was quite happy with how it turned out, and my hair isn't even all wonky/fuzzy or up in a bun.  *snicker*

At Rob's request I'm about to make a new purchase.  My husband is slipping LOL.  He's gonna let me buy software to play with.  He wants me to be able to get the little Kodak video's and my stills on DVD so his parents can watch them.  They don't have a computer at home.  FIL brings home a laptop some days, but it would be much easier for them to have it on DVD.

So, I found some nifty "movie" making software, played with two or three freeware samples, and found the one I like.  It flows really easy, and you can clip the music right into it.  Yesterday I had fun surfing some funny music to use as background.

I found a CD that I particularly liked, cause the songs were fun folksy kids type stuff.   Nice mellow background music that made you giggle at the same time.  And my kids dance.  They had great fun while mommy surfed music.  I've just never never gotten into surfing music cause it was sooooooooo crappy on dial-up.   The CD is called Here & Gone in 60 seconds.   Have songs like My cool shoes, and Rocks in my pockets.

Last night I surfed for other music.  I found fun romantic sappy songs.  Mostly Country.  I made a playlist, and we quite enjoyed them when Rob got home from work.  Okay we enjoyed other things too.  *giggles*  It was fun, and definitely something I have to try again.   I know OVERSHARING

Today Rob is switching shifts again.  So he'll be home at night to sleep.  Gone from noon til 10.  Feels weird, can't remember what day it is having his shifts switch over.

Other then that this is a majorly boring blog and I should hit submit before everyone falls asleep trying to read through it.

Good morning

My schedule is getting thrown to pot today.  But tis okay.   Rob has been asked to take second shift, and will get overtime for that.  He will then take 'vacation" time for his third shift.   Its all confusing, but makes his boss happy. 

The basic gist is several people are out sick.  His boss has someone willing to do Rob's night shift, but unable to do the second shift.

Its beeeeeeeeeeeeeautiful outside again today.  I think we shall do school on the deck.  In the sunshine. 

I bought myself another swinging hammock chair, which Rob will hang today.  Amazingly I'm quite comfy in it and my back doesn't hurt.  So, I have full intentions of cuddling in it.  *grin*

Zeria had a lot of fun at her friends house, and the kids and I enjoyed bumming around the house.  Kaylin informed me after their favorite Scooby Doo was over I was to come outside with them.  And so I did.  We went and played in the kids "rock" climbing wall.  I sat in the last of the afternoon sunshine, and just enjoyed.  It was wonderful.

The climbing wall is actually a retaining wall made of concrete pieces.  The kids discovered it the third day we owned the house.  They LOVE it and spend hours, just climbing all over, playing house, driving etc. 

I had so much fun taking pictures of Jer in particular as the other kids were moving targets and impossible to catch.  *snicker*  I loved the way the sunshine was making his hair glow.  He however was his own moving target, so I only ended up with one that I liked.  (the above one)

This is part of the "climbing wall"  the kids love.  Kaylin and Jamari were driving cars in this picture I think.  *shrugs*  Whatever it was it was very elaborate, and the rules changed by the minute.  Typical kids play in other words.

This is a bit funky of a picture, but it gives you a good idea as to how high the "climbing wall" is.  Jamari on the top, Jeremiah on the bottom in the shadows.  Jamari was playing baseball with a stick in that picture.

Rob and I are soooooooooooo greatful to see "real" spring, and "real" spring weather.  The sunshine has been greatly missed.  LOL

And the last is a fun picture of the hardy fern that decided to grow in the rock pile.  Talk about persistence.  Okies its gorgeous outside, I have school to do, a hammock chair to hang, and sunshine to enjoy.

*cheerio*

We rather ditched school today.  LOL  And went to the beach.  It was supposed to be recess, but it was beautiful, and well time flew.  When we got home R and his kids showed up about five minutes later, and just left.  So, no school.  Its spring break for us too apparently.  LOL.  They got a bunch more of the firewood, and the kids got a chance to play.  Zeria has left to spend the afternoon with them.  So the house is down a child, feels a bit strange. 

We have rapidly found a "favorite" beach.  This is where we end up almost every recess now.  Its called Shipwreck point, and its *gasp* mostly a sand beach.  The kids love playing and exploring.  And it makes for gorgeous pictures too.  LOL.  The above is Rainee in her never-parted with wubber boots.  They have a cwack (crack) in them, so she's gonna have to part with em soon.  LOL

Samuel is my tidepool boy, he just loves checking them out.  And I loved the reflection of him in it. 

We walked almost a mile along the beach just enjoying the varying birds; herons, seaguls, eagles, and the many different shells.  Until we finally found a rock outcropping the kids thought was great.  It had "caverns" (Sam's word) in it that they explored.  Unfortunately by the time we got down there Rob had 25 minutes to get home get showered and get to work.  So we will park closer and let them play there next time. 

Jeremiah well he just loves the beaches.  Beaches when you are 16 months old are for throwing things.  Lots of things.  Whatever isn't nailed to the ground.  Jer is the most content when he's throwing.  Rocks, Sand, Sticks.  So boy.  I think he's gonna be a baseball player.  Never had any of my kids be this into throwing.  He was ticked when we put him down in this picture, but the boulder was very high and we didn't want him up on it.  So I said.  "Jer sit down and throw rocks."   He did....can you tell how much this delighted him??  LOL

Give  a boy a rock, and he will grin.

Good morning

Well, I guess I'm going to begin a new lifestyle change.  One of the suggestions that I liked the most about this book was the way you weigh yourself.  You weigh yourself every day around the same time of day.  You right the weight down and forget it.  At the end of the week you take all seven weights add them together, and then divide them by 7.   That's how much you weigh.  Its a much more accurate average, as scales, and your body fluxuate quite a lot.

For a funny.  I weighed myself last night and then again this morning.  Overnight I lost  5 pounds apparently.  Rob and I had a good giggle over that.

And no I didn't cut my hair off.  ROFL

Its beautiful BEAUTIFUL outside.  And I have full intentions of enjoying it.  LOL 

Yesterday ended up being a lot of fun for the kids, as the couple with the five kids from here on will refer to them as R&R showed up to do firewood.  So, my kids played with there's most of the afternoon.  They liked that a lot.  Its spring break, here which is why they were able to do it.

I was also able to visit a bit with the wife in between her loading the truck with wood.  I've decided she's just very quiet. 

Yesterday when I went for my walk around the loop before school I found the kids doing this;    They had collected the saw dust from daddys chainsawing, and had collected the butt ends from the wood cutting, and were "cooking"

Jeremiah was too little to cook, so he was busy splashin in puddles.  *snicker*

Anyhow on tap for today no idea.  Keep trying to get ahold of my mom, and she's not answering.  My brother whose going to boarding school is supposed to be up this week, was thinking I probably should let him see his siblings...very closely supervised of course.  So, we shall see. 

Oh man,

Our Mailman is a pain in the butt.

I was actually online researching what their actual job required to see if I was in the right.  And tonight I finally drug myself to the local post office to pick up the packages he had failed to deliver.

I found out that yup he's a pain in the butt.  The post mistress had already chewed his butt out for it.  And now that she knows the full story will be doing so again.

Loverly.

He has decided he doesn't like the fact that I've been purchasing clothes/etc off of ebay.  And doesn't like the fact he has to come down my driveway several times a week to deliver packages.

He told us we had to have a bigger mailbox.  (we already have a HUGE one)  and when I informed him over a month ago I was ebaying.  He said.  "I hope you don't do it much more."

Growls.

Anyhow he finally decided last week he just wasn't coming down the driveway anymore.  And told the post mistress "I couldn't there were kids toys in the driveway."

Funny thing is is I just drove out of the driveway fifteen minutes after he said he couldn't.  wasn't a single toy there.  And the last time he didn't come down?  The UPS man and FED Ex had just been down.

So, I've registered a formal complaint against him...and now he's really not gonna like me.  *snort*

The good news is when I went to pick up the package the post mistress says.  "Are you Tonia?  I was just giving so & so crap about not delivering your packages."   So she's definitely on my side

Ironically, I'm "almost" done ebaying for a bit.  I've furnished my bedroom, living room, and kitchen with the extras, and all of my kids are caught up on clothes.  *cheers*

I haven't *gasp* bid on anything in over a week.  So litttle does he know he made a enemy over someone who's ordering is about to come to a screetching halt.  The irony in this of course is...I was keeping him employed.  Guess he isn't too concerned about that?

flunking family 101

I finally got ahold of my sil--whom I haven't spoken to in almost 3 months.  How sad is that?  We none of us are used to having to "work" to be family.  We've just always gone to the same church, and frequently bumped into each other at mom & dads.  Well mom and dad moved, and then we moved, and so we gotta do better then that.

And go figure she called me from New Jersey.  She's at a scrapbooking convention.  She's being trained how to teach university level scrapbooking classes, so the classes she teaches twice a week can be credited.  Very cool.

She's a sahm for the most part, just does this for about 3 hours twice a week--getting paid to teach your hobby.  LOL  i think I"m jealous, actually I'm not my hands are full.

And Bardic Web is being a butt.  *nods*  Its decided I'm no longer aloud to edit...anything.  So I found a fubar, and poor muse is working trying to figure out why.

Shakes finger at it.

I am amused.

I've been online for about 35 minutes, and I was making good progress on the boards, until I found a oh-so-not lovely glitch in regards to my masterbard subscription.

I have to log-out so it can be fixed.   I guess this means its time to rejoin my family as I'd planned huh?

*sniggers*

Good morning

Had a good day yesterday, and my back is most definitely on the mend.  *cheers*  I actually *gasp* slept from 10-6 this morning without having to wake for drugs to ease the pain. 

I'm still quirky and have to remember my posture--something I should do anyhow.  But woo it feels good to be this pain-free.

Church was uneventful, although I'm still struggling with finding a niche.  Its hard as everyone there has known each other since kindergarten.   We are definitely the outsiders.  The women have not reached out to me, but then I haven't reached out to them, cause I don't know how.  Well one has--the older lady.  So kinda impasse.  I'll keep working on it, and try not to get bogged down too much.

After dinner before bedtime we went for a drive exploring some more forest service roads.  We didn't find anything super spectacular, but it was a nice drive.  And I managed to snag this picture of the forest. 

Today is my first day of no day time aim.  It might kill me, or it might killl Rhiannon.  *giggles*  But it will have to work.

I have been praying, and thinking about a diet plan since Christmas time.  And I am very close to jumping over the edge into one.  It is one I've researched into the past,  but didn't get into as it was during my thyroid days--which were just awful, and didn't need the extra change of a "life style plan".

I rebought the book, and refreshed my mind.  I was delighted to see that they've made some small improvements which make it even easier.   And yes I'm not 40 yet--snigger.  Which made me giggle at the book.  But the diet works for younger, and this book had the improvements in it, which is why I ended up with that title.

The basic premise is  you limit your carbohydrate intake two meals a day--and then your allowed as much as you want for 60 minutes each day.   At that time you have to eat 1/3 veggies 1/3 protein and 1/3 of whatever carb you've been lusting over all day.  *snicker*

So, I'll tell you if I actually plunge into this.

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt I feel better when I eat low carb.  This option however gives me the ability to eat it sometimes, and keeps me from feeling like I'm saying no to all the pleasures of life.

It has no limits, no counting, etc.  None of which I do well on. 

I might even *gasp* get the courage up and put a weight ticker up...although man I don't know its extremely embarassing what I weigh these days.  So we shall see.  

We are moving slow today--the time change messed us up.  So I'm gonna go walk around the driveway loop with my camera, and then get the kids in for school.  Have a day.