Mid Summer Updates

Well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here goes...

Annual float trip with work - Gasconade River

Fun at Lake of the Ozarks with the Ericssons

4th of July


Table Rock Lake with Grandma & Grandpa White


Picking Blueberries

Travis turns 13, and dun, dun, dun... gets a cell phone (photo's later - this is a photo of his new watch)

What kids say

Ethan asked me the other day if he could go to his friend Zach's house. "He lives on Highway U -but Zach calls it U Highway-, then you turn onto a soft road (He illustrates this by turning his hand) and then onto a bumpy road with rocks on it." I can see this little conversation between two 6 year olds. I wonder where Zach thinks we live?

Busy times

Well summer is upon us and although the school year has come to a close, the activities seem to have picked up. We spent a great weekend floating the Buffalo River the last weekend in May. We planned to camp in a campground, but they were all booked up by the time we arrived, so we piled our stuff into the canoe and headed down river in search of a gravel bar. It is one of my favorite rivers to float because the water is so clear and the bluffs are so beautiful. The water is low though and there were a lot of little rapids which scraped the heck out of the bottom of the boat, so we may not return for awhile, but it was a beautiful time. Brian and Ethan had promotion ceremonies on June 2nd, Ethan moving from Kindergarten to 1st grade and Brian moving from 4th to a new school for 5th. On Friday June 6th we went on a hike at a nearby conservation area - Cedar Gap and were enchanted with this new found place where Bryant Creek begins it's journey. Later that night we headed to the drive in in Aurora for our 2nd annual end of the school year celebration. They open the gates at 7, we didn't get there until nearly 8:30, waited in a line of cars a half a mile long, crept our way into a crowded, and I mean CROWDED lot and finally meandered our way into a parking place pretty much on the driveway near the front of the lot. We ripped into our goodies and watched "Land of the Lost" with glee. Beyond that we've been watching Brian play baseball every Monday night and the boys are enjoying their summer at the YMCA. That's about it for now. Check out the Family Photos link for more photo details : )

Strawberries

Brian woke me up at 6:30 this morning, fully dressed, "Mom! I thought you said we were going to get up EARLY and go pick strawberries!" No rest for the wicked. By the time we left the house - 7:15ish, everyone was awake. Rylee and Brian and I headed for the strawberry patch which it turns out, I had no idea where it was exactly. I called a friend from bookclub who lovingly gave me directions and we turned into the patch and came home with a whopping 14 lbs! Sounds like a lot, but really, by the time we ate and will eat a couple of pounds, it only adds up to a frozen lot of 7 quarts. Not quite enough to see us through till next year. Don't know if we'll hit the patches again before the season is over, or just make due. From there we went to see my friend from book club who lives on an enchanted acreage with her husband, two mules, a Saint Bernard named Millie, several cats, several ducks and plenty of wildlife. Her husband took the kids and I to get fresh milk from a Mennonite dairyman - 2 gallons of the good stuff, yum! Then back to the enchanted acreage for some snacks and oh yea, a kitten. I'm telling you, if Brian looked at you with those big brown eyes pleading for the kitten clinging to him, you wouldn't be able to say no either. I tried, several times, but to no avail. So now Brian is the proud parent of a tiny kitten. He has named her Cinnamon, or Puma, we aren't sure, but probably Cinnamon. He's changed her litter box already without being asked - I actually can't believe that she figured out how to use it already. He also gives her fresh food and water on the quarter hour. I think they'll do well together. More on that later though. I should write more, much more has been happening, but it's 11pm now and I've been up since the 6:30am Brian alarm went off, so I am starting to feel dizzy with exhaustion, so more later...

Books and the way they move us

We are reading this book for book club. Not this month, but sometime this year. I randomly found the audio book at the library and glommed onto it. This book is changing me. It tells tales of eating locally grown food and avoiding the over processed, nutrient robbed foods of our general consumption. These concepts are not foreign to me. I come from farmers. I have canned tomatoes and made jelly. I have made bread from scratch and my family currently keeps a compost pile and we grow a tomato and a summer squash or two. Still though, the ideas in this book are changing me in a way that moving across the country would change me. The way you are required to look at all your stuff and evaluate what you need and what you don’t. They way you stand back at that new place and quietly observe things that under normal circumstances you would just ignore in your daily rush to touch all the bases you have to touch in a day. The way you have to make new friends and find new stores. The way you hold your family dear, the only constant in an ever changing landscape. There are 12 CD’s in this audio book. 6 CD’s in and life is shifting before my very eyes. http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/

Well, today was kind of a rough day at work. My staff are looking like slackers in the eyes of upper management and I am having to make excuses for them. Alas, the excuse bucket has run dry and the cries for pity will no longer be heard. It is time to pay the piper. I was feeling a bit inadequate as a supervisor and came home at lunch nearly at the point of tears. But I have a teenager AND a toddler, so I can surely handle a bunch of unmotivated 30 somethings. I switched the laundry, fixed myself a salad of fresh baby spinach from the farmers market, pulled up my big girl underwear and went back for more. The afternoon was spent mostly gathering data to see where to go from here and to show the ones in charge all that I have been doing on the treacherous front of supervising burned out government workers. I have neither a stick or a carrot, but somewhere, somehow I need to find a way to jump start the battery of the overworked and under appreciated. Maybe I can threaten them with chili peppers.

Meanwhile on the home front, here's a little of what we've been up to lately...

Ethan was the "Kinderstar" or "Proud Mountain Lion" for a week

Uncle Gary and Aunt Vickie (not pictured) came for a visit from Michigan. Uncle Gary is a wiz at the guitar and helped Travis with his.

Brian caught the biggest fish of the season so far this year. He always does.

We went on our first campout of the year 04.24.09

and Ethan played another great soccer game, he even kicked a goal!

There, I feel better now, don't you?

Bees

Life at our house is never boring. Tonight we found a bee swarm in the tree in the back yard. We tried to call some local bee keepers to come and get it, but to no avail. So we will hope they move on tomorrow.

Big Plans

Well, I had big plans for my Tuesday evening. I was going to fill out the growing pile of papers the kids need for various activities, read my book for book club (well not all of it), write a letter requesting a new pediatrician for the kids as I detest ours, clean out my car which has developed a peculiar odor (I am pretty sure it has something to do with the 4 small people who shove uneaten food between the seats and drag bones and turtles and lord only knows what into it). But alas, I planted flowers instead. I love flowers and digging in the dirt.

Sydney, Sida, Sidalouise, Syd

Sydney passed away a few minutes ago. She has been acting normal and fine. She ate, hung out outside, snuggled with Rylee and the rest of us today. She came to bed in our room as she always does, layed down at the foot of the bed and didn't wake up. We heard some strange noises coming from her and when Kevin got up to check on her, he said in a half panicked, half unbelieving voice, "She's dead." He tried to resuscitate her, but it was not to be. We stared in disbelief at our silent (she usually snores -loudly) and still dog. We snuggled her and cried, and stared some more at the surreal scene before us as she slipped further away. She has been a great companion, loving and patient, loyal and sweet. We loved her with the depth of our hearts and she loved us back with the depth of hers, which was always, always true.

These pictures are from today...

Science Project

Anyone know what happens when you wait until Sunday night to check up on your kids homework? Bad things, I can tell you , bad things. Brian brought his friend's camera home and said he needed some pictures of his science project printed out. I thought 8 or 10. No 40. 40 pictures of melting chocolate, different kinds, taken every 20 minutes until melt out. So, now my punishment is going to Wall Green's at 9:30pm to pick up pictures of melted chocolate. Will I never learn?

Ethan's first soccer game of the year

Ethan got to play Goalie for part of the game. He got so excited when the ball came his way, he literally jumped up and down...

He did a pretty good job throughout. Last year, he walked off the field in the middle of the game and said "I'm cold, I want to go home." and that was that for the game and for the rest of the season. So far so good this year!

Ethan's behind the kid in the middle, getting ready to kick the ball...

Rylee's Sleepy Song

Book Club

Went to my monthly book club tonight. Didn't finish the book, but it looks to be a good one. It is my first book downloaded to my I-Phone. It is kind of fun to read on there. The book so far is a bit of a frustration as you hear about how people live in their cars, work two jobs, scramble and struggle to try and make it through the month on minimum wage jobs, and how we as a society treat them. We all discussed our jobs of youth that brought us a bit too close to living life on this front. I said there were times in my life that I feel I was just a turn away from heading down this road, we all agreed that we all had been. Yet somehow, we all knew even if we landed in this tretcherous place, we would find a way out, that this life of busting your buns to circle back around for more and still live out of your car was not a lifestyle choice, but a strong signal that you are "going the wrong way". ("How do they know where we're going?" - Plane's Train's and Automobiles.

Winter/Spring? What is going on??

On Saturday we had a beautiful day, played outside, split the hostas, worked in the garden etc. Sunday (Our 12th Anniversary) we decided to head to Silver Dollar City for the second time this season and nearly froze our buns off!! Today snow fell! Not much, but some did come down! I want Spring to come and STAY! Ethan had his first soccer practice today in the snow flurries, he was a trooper and went out it in. Rylee and I stayed in the car. Brian went with Ethan up onto the field and supervised from the sidelines - such a good big brother. My parents took Travis to the library to meet with his Math tutor while Kevin worked a late assignment. Tomorrow I head to Columbia for 3 days. Statewide meeting with water pollution staff. I have to give a presentation Wednesday at 1pm. Be thinking of me. I am nervous.

Syd's A OK now, Yeah!

Crossing our fingers and praying hard

Sydney took a bit of a bad turn yesterday. She spent the day laying around in the basement, throwing up pretty frequently. Today she looks a little more alert, she's gotten up a couple of times, did her business outside, drank some water, eaten a little bit. Still pretty lethargic, no attempts at climbing the stairs or even getting on the couch (otherwise known as her bed). We were going to take her to the vet today, but our vet was out of the office, we have an appointment tomorrow at 4pm. Could probably stand a few more prayers or good thoughts whatever it is you do best : )

On another note, Kevin's attempting to fix a leak in the washing machine which we use DAILY, so hopefully the patch works until the new part comes in.

And Rylee used the potty TWO times yesterday!!! This is totally her doing. I wasn't even going to attempt it until she was 2 or so. But for about a week now, she's been bringing me the toilet seat ring and wanting to sit on the potty. I was surprised when she actually went the first time, but the second time, I thought WHOO HOO, maybe this will be easier than I thought!!!

Rylee and Travis and I went to the library tonight to meet a co-worker's daughter who is a math teacher who is tutoring Travis once a week for awhile. I think it will help boost his confidence and help him raise up that D. He has most of his other grades up since we changed schools in January.

Well, Kevin's off to St. Louis this weekend for the men's basketball tournament. It's always tough to vote for the other team, ok, not so hard, but I'm selfish, I want my husband home. March madness has begun. Kevin will travel until they lose. Go BEARS.

Hummmmm

Well, we saw this house on the multi list. It is a good price, but it is in need of a lot of repair. We are up for projects and have been looking at country life. This house is only on 3 1/2 acres, but it is wooded and overlooks a beautiful valley at the bottom of which lies the James River and rail road tracks (the boys all love trains and I don't mind them). Are we up for this? Do we really want to move? Such big questions...

Little Ms. Rylee

Life with Ry is getting interesting. She is only 17 months old, but I think she's really 12 trapped in a small body. The MINUTE we get home she is ready to eat dinner. Here are some photos of her tonight, trying to pry open the refrigerator door, laying on the floor at my feet while I try and cook dinner, sitting on the potty - her new trick (she brings us the seat about once a day and then sits there looking at us with pretty much no idea what she's suppose to be doing sitting up there, but happy anyway), and in the tub playing peek a boo.

Random Ramblings

I wrote the date several times today, February 24, 2009, but each time it felt weird, like it wasn't really the date. Like I am trapped in some kind of time warp. Other than the time warp thing, life is progressing pretty well. I painted the hall way last weekend after painting the living room last weekend in my typical obsessive fashion. I went from a light beige to a medium/dark green a couple of years ago, but the new cherry finish wood floors made the room too dark, so now we are back to a slightly darker then the original beige. I still want to paint my bathroom again and the kitchen, possibly Ethan's room and Travis's room. It is difficult to paint with a toddler though. I tried to barricade her with furniture, but she found her way through anyway.
I got my hair highlighted on Saturday in the midst of running Ethan to a birthday party and dropping Rylee at Kevin's parents, we won't say that Dad could have helped a bit more, but, Dad could have helped a bit more, ok I said it. Anyway, I don't like the hair. Too coppery, but not sure I want to spend more money to fix it and the girls at work said it looks good, although they are probably just being nice. I think all those white hairs are messing with my normal dye job. Have you all tried Zumba? If not you must. It is the funnest thing ever. An exercise/dance class that even someone as uncoordinated as I, can enjoy. Find a class, pay the fee, have a great time and burn 600-900 calories each session!!! Well, that being said, Kevin is home now from a long night away from home shooting basketball and he has girl scout cookies. So, I'm off to have my ration : ) More soon!

Ahh Winter

Well, it is raining ice right now. I can see it coming down against the street light, looks kind of like rain, only more solid. It hits the windows and the fireplace flue and the skylights with a little ping, then it piles up on the streets and sidewalks into a glassy, slick surface. I parked at the top of the street in case there is some hope I can go to work in the morning. They already canceled school and Dad and Edi said they would come over, but not sure I want them to get out in this. Kevin said when he came home he slid all the way down the street to the bottom of the circle and it took him 4 tries with 4 wheel drive to get to the driveway. Why am I living in Missouri again?