Good morning

Man I've been a sporatic blogger lately.  Life is just flying through. 

School has been an emotional roller coaster this week.  Zeria had a wing-dinger of a melt down two days ago.  It was truely awe-inspiring.  But we moved past it, and things are still going well.  We have taken Wommie's story writing idea with my own slight twists, and are rolling with it.  Each child produced there first page today.  And my children apparently have a saving the world habit.  Each one wanted there hero to "save" the world.  *snort*  I attempted to side-track them, but oh well.

Have I mentioned lately that children are weird?

This picture proves it, and they just couldn't figure out why I was ticked about it.  I mean my brand new lawn chairs....*growl*    Throws stones at children.

Yesterday we were told by our neighbour that the beaver had dammed up the river down by the bridge.  This is just past the edge of our property, so we went down to investigate.  It was a nice walk, and a rather impressive dam considering there was nothing there a month ago.  We'd seen beaver sign up close by our house, now we know why.  We haven't spotted the beaver yet, but we will be going back to investigate definitely.  Zeria thought she saw them twice, but if she did she has better eyes then us.  LOL

This afternoons goal is to get ready for our weekend away.  I'm very much looking forward to it, and so for it looks like the weather is going to be fabulous.  And as a bonus we will bring the tv, and I just purchased Errol Flynn's Robin Hood which we will let the kids see for the first time.  What can be better then that? 

Good morning.  Nice quiet lazy day yesterday.   The kids and I went and sat down by the river in the afternoon and enjoyed the sunshine.  Its too cold to swim, so they waded a tiny bit, and mostly spent it building sand castles, tunnels and the like.  They were at it for almost an hour.  It was fun to just vedge.  

Samuel built the tallest structure.  And he was quite sad when it start tumbling down.  We discussed that sand probably isn't the strongest building material around.  And after a couple moments of sadness he returned to building.  I'm sure most of its still there this morning.  No tide to wash it down.  LOL

Zeria was into some kind of wall structure.  Eventually it also had an elaborate tunnel under it.  And then she smashed it just cause she could.  LOL 

The little girls tag teamed.  There's never amounted to much of anything, but they didn't seem to care.  The satisfaction of digging in the dirt was enough. 

And Jamari well he gets the ultimate prize in patience.  He let his little brother "help" him.  Which basically resulted in building, rebuilding, building, rebuilding.   Jer is in the destruction stage versus the construction stage.

The rest of the afternoon was uneventful.  We have campers in our campground this week.  A first.  They invited the kids over for s'mores.  Which Samuel brought his to me as he doesn't like them.  (go figure)

Samuel and Rob in the morning had a bit of world War III.   They've been really struggling with each other.  I remarkably stayed out of it.  Sat on my computer chair biting my lip and praying hard.  Rob as a first in our marriage walked away from the situation and asked me to intervene.   I went into the master bathroom and helped the two of them sort it out.  Its the first time in weeks any of us have seen hope in the situation.  Samuel was able to tell daddy what was wrong without yelling.  And daddy was able to apologize for some stuff.   I'm sure things won't be perfect, but at least we're headed in the right direction.   Parenting btw is hard work. 

Anyhow towards evening I picked up a nasty sinus headache which I had to baby for the rest of the night so chose not to be online as it aggravated it.  As a result I'm getting behind online.  (again)  Ahh well life moves on. 

Good evening

We have been missing our apple trees this year, but resigned ourselves to it.

Last week however one of Rob's co-workers who is a widower offered us the apples from her tree.  Rob brought a laundry basket and a half full home this afternoon.  *beams*

We are about to sit down to a nice apple crisp, and there are a LOT more from where they came from.  We will use our Pampered Chef Apple pealer, slicer, and throw the majority in pie size lots with sugar in zippy bags in the freezer.  Apple pie off and on all winter.    Too cool.

It was a long busy weekend.  Two trips to town--one for building supplies, the second for grocerys.  AFter the last grocery fiasco with my children, I'm committed to NOT going with all of them by myself, so I snuck off after church and did that with Kaylin.

Kaylin was quite thrilled to be spoiled.  Next time it will be Jamari's turn. 

I also hit Fashionbug and spent $$ on pants for myself.  I haven't bought pants for myself since before I was pregger with Jeremiah, and well they were UGLY.  UGGGLY.  Well I had two nice pairs of jeans, but I just wanted every day legging type things.  Fashionbug was having a 40% off sale, and I came away with five/six I can't remember nice comfy every day pants in varying colors.  I hate wearing jeans--much prefer soft legging style clothes.  As a extra splurge I bought myself my first night shirt that I've bought in over 5 years.  LOL  I love new jammies. 

Good morning

I can open and close my desk drawers now.  And find what I need when I'm in them.   Its a rather fruitless job because if any one place in the house is gonna immediately get trashed its there.  The paper breeds, the garbage breeds.  But I can see my desk top, and don't feel clausterphobic like something's gonna fall on me while I'm typing.  I've learned much about being neat as an adult...but mastering the clean desk I haven't done yet.

It actually depresses me that I can't keep this space clean.  I might make it my new resolution. 

The men from Home Depot will arrive sometime this afternoon to install our new windows.  i'm soooooo looking forward to clean windows I can see out of!

And tomorrow we are headed to town to get tires on our van so that next weekend we can go to Seaside.  We haven't been in over a year, and we're all looking forward to it.  Its about a 3.5 hour drive from here...we think.  We've never drive there from here, but we know it cuts time off living here.  We will stay in a KOA Kamping Cabin.  The park has a indoor pool, and the gorgeous Oregon beaches are everywhere.  Mommy also really likes the very nice Fred Meyer in Astoria which she doesn't have available here.  All in all it should be a nice break.  And we've declared we need one.    For a family of 8 we only have to pay $50 a night...which is astounding all things considered.

Other then that my kids are struggling with the play outside concept...but I think I might have convinced them the wrath of mommy is real. 

Did you know I have a closet floor?  Well I do, and shockingly enough for the first time in months I can see it.  *beams*  Its a very good feeling.  The rest of my room has about ten minutes of fussing and it too will be nice, but well ya know I needed a reward for finding my closet floor, so here I sit.

And ya know its the simple things that bring a smile.  I got a shiping box yesterday, and I turned to see Sam and Jer sitting in it.  Sam's arms were wrapped around Jer's and he announced "15 minutes until we reach Mar's Jerbud."   How cool is it that a 8 year old will play with his 20 month old brother?

Well that was profitable.  35 minutes one way to doctor.  $10 co-pay for him to tell me.  "Its looking good."

"But it still hurts,"   "It will get better."

"But I can't hear out of it."

"It could be 2.5 weeks before you can hear out of it.  But it is healing.

35 minutes back home.

Just peachy keen.  The good news is its not hurting nearly as badly.  I haven't had ibuprofen since midnight.   Oh and the other good news is...I truely appreciate what having two good ears feels like.....

Why do we buy our kids toys?  When a pair of shorts and a bunch of dead shingles entertain them for over an hour?  Its one of those silly things parents do.

But man the entertainment value of watching Jeremiah "build" with these for such a long time was highly worth it!

And yes that is a pair of shorts on his head.  He wore them that way a long time...after asking daddy to put them there.  The video at the top is a quick view of our new room.  Its all closed in.   It still needs drywall, trim, and official flooring.   But hey its a room.     Oh and door knobs on the doors.  One thing at a time ya know.

As soon as the doctors office is open I will be making a call.  I need to HEAR.

Do you see that bit body on the floor? Just behind Jeremiah?  Well mommy built a Jer sized fort, and then Jer was just a wee bit afraid of it.  The solution?  Daddy played in it with him.  That big lump is my husband...crawling on the floor in the sawdust with his son.

Reason 551 I love him?  And of course I needed blackmail material too

Every night I've gone to bed saying I will go to the ER in the morning.  In the morning I think, Oh it feels a bit better I'll wait.  And by night I'm kicking myself.

Picture me kicking myself.

The good news is tomorrow is normal doctors hours and I can get in and get something else.  My ear is *not* healed.  I did about an hour of moaning again this afternoon.

I have cotton in my ear along with the antibiotic at the moment and that actually feels pretty good...so hopefully I can thrive until tomorrow.

I rather melted down over the pain, and just feeling bleh this afternoon.   I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. 

We drove out to Neah Bay to pick up door knobs for our newly placed doors.  I told Rob I wanted a Native to walk up and offer to cure me...and then suggested that possibly I'd been watching too much Roswell.   I bought this as my guilty pleasure, but Rob has gotten addicted too.  *eg*  Its great, 45 minutes of mindless mystery, and no commercials.  Of course the downside of this is when we're both sitting in misery waiting for a commercial, and realize that's what the pause button is for. 

I had the thought today that its been a long time since I've had a close friend that was willing to believe in me, and support me with the exception of my husband.  Now I'm not talking mindless support where there's no give and take.  Just the kind of friendship I had in college and in High school.  Its fun to be back in contact with my friends from college, but a lot of life has gone by since then, and she's a lot of miles away.  I so wish I could make some friends....

I could get depressed now.  I've been here almost 10 months.  And we like our church, but I don't feel even remotely close to anyone.   I guess...its just the choices I've made.  Homeschooling in a non-homeschooling community.  Raising biracial children in a non-biracial community.   But life just gets lonely some days. 

No cats were harmed in the filming of this.  Hey their mommys carry them this way.  And yes that is a live cat.  *cringes*  It didn't even meow just took it.

My ear feels *slightly* better.  Rob thinks the swelling has gone down a tiny bit.  So we're still in a holding pattern.   I can't wait to be able to hear out of it again.

Medicine is NOT working nearly as I can tell.

Rob looked at my ear and he said its swollen more.  If something miraculous doesn't happen by tomorrow morning, I'm headed to the ER.  Cause of course no doctors open until Monday.  We tried to call my doctor at 4 this afternoon, but he was already out.  We then called the nurse hotline our insurance has, and they said to go in within 72 hours.  Helpful huh?

I would love to go in tonight if not for something to numb the pain.  But I'm being this tough old biddy and praying for a miracle.

Okay actually I'm sitting around rocking back and forth shrieking ow and moaning when my ear throbs. 

In other words I'm a big big wuss!