The Blur of Summer

Wow. I see now when my last post was. That was quite a while ago. And so much has happened since then. We had the summer library program and I wrote about 6? 7? articles for it, including a kiss-butt sponsor article to thank the sponsors for all their donations. I felt very shmoozy, but tried to keep the cheese level down. We went on vacation (sort of) back to the home-town, and got to see a lot of family. We were there for the kids' birthdays, and had their party at the park. They had a blast! It was one of my goals (and parental desires) to have a big bash with all their family there to play with them and spoil them. Previous parties have had 2 people there. One year we had a couple of much older kids and some coworkers, but it felt more like a barbeque type thing than a party. Anyway, the kids had so much fun and played with all the family and still talk about it.

Another time, we will discuss the difference between visiting-family vacations and other vacations where you sit and do nothing until someone decides to sight-see. We had fun, but we were really tired when we got home. :) And of course, no one reads this but my family members and they will be horrified: "We thought you had fun! We tried so hard to make it fun for you!" [dissolves into sobs] We had some really fun times, but it is hard to coordinate schedules with 10 people and the 'are we or aren't we?' aspect. We also wish we could have spent more time at the beach....a lot more?


We got home and recovered some. Then it was my birthday! The big 3-0! We went to one of those Japanese Hibachi restaurants and freaked the kids out with the flames. It was funny.



The rest of August was spent doing schoolwork, keeping the house together and trying to find a way to save Play n Learn, the library thing we go to every Tuesday. Cherokee Nation cut the funding and it will be ending next week. So we wrote some letters to the Council House and fussed a bit, but I'm pretty sure that no one will go against the Mighty Budget Cut! The decree has been made. There have been noises with the other mothers about continuing it independently, but it is a lot of work and I think it will fizzle out eventually. I have volunteered to read stories, but it won't be like the 2 hours of playing at stations, crafts and snacks that we do now. But at least it will be free.
Something else that happened. [sniff sniff.] My friend, my homeschooling encouragement, the one with the 2 kids conveniently the same gender and ages of my own kids, has moved! As soon as we got back from FL, they moved to TX, following the awesome new job her husband got. We are so excited for them, but I am selfish and I miss her! And the playmates for my kids.
And now it is September. In a couple of weeks, Ian will be finished with 1st grade. We will take a couple of weeks vacation and then start 2nd grade.
We joined a homeschool co-op out of Siloam Springs that has great activities. We went to a group swim at the Aquatic center there and it was fantastic. There is a Fire Safety trip in a couple of weeks at the fire station there and a trip to a Corn Maze in Missouri on October 1! Woo hoo! So everyone who thinks that socialization is an issue can relax. Though honestly, socialization is the LAST thing I am concerned about. It's not like we are hermits in the Canadian wilderness. Those are kids I would worry about socialization, yet I'm sure they are pretty normal too.

I am almost done with Ian's quilt! This just the quilt face. I have put the back on and am doing the final handwork. It seems to be so slow, but only because I am so close to finishing!
I have been using my free time (haha!) for the treadmill, and even then I am interrupted several times. Eventually though, the kids will come to respect Mommy's quiet-don't-mess-with-me-or-I-will-trip-and-end-up-smeared-on-the-wall-with-carpet-burn treadmill time. And the dog will quit trying to jump on with me while I am trotting.

So with our normal routine, the kids, the dog, the homeschooling, the travel, the HC's job, etc, we have been busy. If you need an example of how hard it is to do anything for more than 2.47 minutes at a time, then know that, while writing this, I have been interrupted about 8 times due to a schoolwork help request (silly ones, like, what's that word? Oh! It's right there on the page.) and 3 times for a pee break, since Erin has fallen early into the ritual of girls going to the loo in groups. The dog is barking, my HC is texting, Erin needs a bandaid for some imagined boo-boo, the kids are screeching at each other because Ian won't quit making an annoying noise that Erin takes exception to. Sigh. Another squabble. Sheesh!
Summer was such a busy blur, and the fall promises to be even more fun. But don't worry, I'll try to keep you posted. :) It could have been worse, right? I could have posted all my summer articles again (yawn!).

Busy as a June Bug

This month has been pretty crazy. We've got our homeschooling (I am such a slave driver, but my kid is smart), we've got the summer library program, which is 3 and sometimes 4 days a week, we've got a garden, a grassy lawn and a pool, which all need to be tended regularly, and we've got a house with two active kids, which is hard to keep clean. Oh yeah, and I write the newspaper articles for that library program, so no ducking out for me. So it's been crazy nonstop. I haven't watched any tv (pbs kids does not count as tv for me), I haven't been able to work on my quilt (tick tock, Mandi!) or have much me time, but everything else is coming along nicely. Erin is having a bunch of fun with Ian home all the time. They play, fight, love on and screech at each other. This is the pinnacle of sibling affection, to me. My HC has been busy going to one training session after another. Some have been good and educational, some have been a waste of time. All I am concerned with is that he gets to eat out more than me. Aren't I so shallow? Then again, he did gain a little weight....lol. But being home trimmed it right off. No fair.
Now that June is almost over, Ian's favorite holiday, July 4th is coming up. The kid loves fireworks! And there are fireworks stands everywhere. We bought a few bucks worth of smoke bombs, sparklers and poppers and he is already putting in his order for the big day. Our town has an ordinance (there is an ordinance for everything...) that you can't let off any fireworks until the week before and the week after the 4th. The small noiseless ones are ok. They won't get you reported to the cops, anyway. And we don't go for the screaming ones anyway, since our kids are still little and our neighbors are close. But Ian is very excited. Of course, after the 4th, it is not long until his birthday, so that is thrilling for him too.


Saturday we went to see Toy Story 3 and since we couldn't find a theater that showed it in 2d, we were forced to watch it in 3D. We had promised the kids that we would go to see it in the theater, so 3D it was. Erin wasn't interested in wearing the glasses and I don't know how she wasn't cross-eyed afterwards, because the picture is blurry if you don't have the 3D glasses on. I will admit, though, that my HC looked adorable because the glasses are plastic and black-framed and he looked kinda nerdy. A new look for him, to be sure. Ian had to be reminded to put his back on. I was in and out with an antsy Erin. It made it worse that there were no seats together and we managed to find 2 on one row and one seat in the row directly behind it. Erin and I ended up sitting on the steps next to the seats for the last 30 minutes of the movie. Yippee.
Here are some pics of the kids, just in case you've forgotten what they look like. :)

Job, School and Grandparents!

To be short, since I'm sitting in the library and my hoodlums are being hoodlums, my HC started his new job, which has so many initials, I'll just keep him as my HC. This was his first week and he's been busy, but he really likes it. I think he likes eating lunch out even more, since he can eat whatever he wants without the guilt of our munchkins and their food allergies. He had pizza. Twice. sniff sniff. I think I've forgotten the taste of cheese. sigh.
So that is going wonderfully. Still no bites on the house, which makes my HC's commute rather miserable. And school is starting next week. We were hoping to have been moved before school started, but you do what you've got to do. Ian is excited about his new teacher, since we know her from church (it's his Sunday school teacher) and he's got some friends in his class, so that's even better.
And Gramma and Papaw are coming to visit! That's the best! They'll be here for his Meet the Teacher and for his first few days of school, so we are all excited about that. And there is the promise of Red Lobster. Mmmm...
And did I mention that my birthday is Sunday? August is turning out to be a pretty spanking good month. Now if we can just hold out until payday. Transitioning to one payday a month stinks, but we'll get used to it. :)
And my bestest college friend, Rachel is due for her first baby in the next couple of weeks. So August is good for more than just me. So if you're eating a pizza or a really good mouthful of cheese, think of me and enjoy a little more. And if you see a little bundle of joy at church or the grocery store, think of little Elias and how eager we all are to see him when he manages to come out into the world.

Hot and Sluggish

July has been punctuated with periods of extreme heat and mountains of garden vegetables. I think the neighbors are starting to hide when they see me trek down the road with shopping bags full of my vegetable offerings. There's only so much that my little freezer can hold and I ran out of canning jars. Sigh.
We are having a heat advisory until Tuesday. The heat index will be up to 110 until then and it is Nasty out. We have been trying to get outside earlier, but still end up with sweaty red cheeks after 20 minutes. And that is including staying in the shade with a popsicle.
Mimi and Grampa (my grandparents) came to visit with their friends, Bill and Shirley. They got here last Wednesday and they continued their trip after touring the Oklahoma Aquarium with us last Friday.
We had great fun. I have some pics, but I need my HC to fiddle with the camera and download them for me, since our computer had some kind of brain aneurysm and is malfunctioning every 16 minutes or so.
Can't believe that the kids birthdays are in 10 days! Ian revises his birthday list often, but only to rearrange the order that he wants his Hot Wheels ramps to go in. He got one from Mimi and Grampa for his early birthday present and he's been putting them together every day and getting them just right.
Praise God for Netflix too, because when you are forced inside to sit in front of the AC and move as little as possible, it is best to do it while watching a movie. And since my Pride and Prejudice allowance has been used up until at least October, there is precious little for my HC and I to agree upon. Well, we did start Lord of the Rings again, but then we got our Netflix delivered and that got put on the back burner.
Wish I could post some new pics. These are a couple years old; electronics and I are not getting along this month!
But I will end by saying that I am hoping that we have some very, very good news to share tomorrow.

Dripping

Yesterday it was over 100 degrees here. Everything was dripping. It was the day that we had decided to put off the inevitable and drive to the recycling plant to deliver our cargo of soda cans that we've been saving since last winter. It was 30-something cents per pound. We got about $15 for the lot, so we were pretty happy. We went to Sonic and got some lunch. We had set the bug bomb off at home to rid ourselves of the pesky black ants that had become too much of a nuisance to ignore or spray any longer. So we couldn't go home for another hour and a half, so we decided to drive over to the nearby State Park, since we'd never been. Having spent all our money at Sonic, we had to scrabble for change in the car for the $3 entrance fee. It was so hot outside, we weren't interested in the playground, which we could see rippling in the heat. What to do? Oh, Dripping Springs on a hiking trail with natural falls, which at 77' was the highest waterfall in the area. It was next to the park's 'formal gardens' so we started there. You can see from the red faces that we were keen to get in the shade. We went to the overlook and saw the falls, and the suspension bridge (eek). It was supposedly 88 steps down to the base of the waterfall and was recommended to wear hiking shoes (Ian was wearing flip flops). We weren't going to go down there, but Ian's pleading won out. Everyone grabbed a hand and we walked down. It was a bit steep, but it was all paved steps with rails, so it wasn't bad at all. The falls were gorgeous. The boardwalk was railed off with lots of benches, so you couldn't actually touch the water, but the cool spray from
the falls was enticing enough so that we stayed there long enough to cool off some. On the way back up, my HC and I remarked simultaneously: "That was worth the $3."
Then we went home and got in the pool.

"Oohs, Aahs and Ha Ha Has"

An article on the front page Westville Weekly Times, Tuesday, June 16
by Mandi Goforth

Lessons, left brains and laughter were the products of this week’s fun at the John F Henderson Library this week. Native American Storyteller Will Hill performed on Monday for a special family program. Dressed in Native American costume, he told several stories that have been passed down from his grandparents. Mr Hill also began each story with beautiful flute music and a song. With his many voices and dramatic movements, he held the audience captive as he told diverting, moralistic stories featuring character favorites such as Rabbit, Skunk, and Buffalo.
Upside down artist Dana Helm came to show us how to turn off our right brains and enter into the realm of the left. She began her presentation with a musically timed upside down artwork that she later gifted to the library. She would periodically rotate her easel so the audience could see what her composition would look like once it was right-side up. Children and adults looked on in amazement as her sketch was completed. Then she turned the tables. “It’s your turn,” she said. “Everyone try. Even the adults!” Dana supplied a page of comic faces and instructed everyone to turn the paper upside down. “Turn off your right brain. The side that’s telling you that this is impossible, that you can’t do it. Yes, you can!” The amazing results to this difficult exercise are being displayed in the library’s hallway. Come and see your child’s left-brained masterpiece!
Harmless T Jester, a veteran entertainer who has toured all around the United States and even performed an opening act for the Smothers Brothers, left everyone with aching sides and laughter-induced tears. He told jokes and stories, did impersonations and funny faces. He juggled everything from little balls to sharp knives (they looked more like machetes). Three helpers tossed him bowling pins and he juggled those while perched on a board centered on a rolling cylinder. He then made everyone in the room raise their hands and swear a solemn oath that they would never, ever play with fire. Then he proceeded to juggle flaming torches and set his own bottom on fire. Almost. Well, it was close. In case anyone missed it, he did it again in slow motion. “I never laughed so hard in my whole life,” nine-year old Dusty said. “That was the funniest guy I’ve ever seen,” a mother added. Harmless ended his show by telling the kids of a prehistoric time before computers, DVDs and YouTube. Every trick he learned, he said, he learned by reading books. Needless to say, there was a stampede in the library later on as interested boys looked for books on rope tricks and juggling.
Next week promises to be just as fun when Robert Lewis, a Native American Storyteller comes Monday to enthrall us with more timeless lessons. Toddler Tuesdays are rolling around again with games, singing, reading and experiences guaranteed to expand the knowledge of your toddler (siblings too!). The much anticipated Critter Tales will be returning on Wednesday with live animals to touch and discover. Come a little early to get a good spot, as this presentation is always crowded. On Thursday, Kirsten Jackson, Queen of Theatre will be presenting another opportunity for your little Drama King or Queen to show their stuff. Acting, singing and dancing is all anticipated and encouraged. A teen drama workshop will also be held. Don’t miss this opportunity to let your inner diva loose!
The spectacular summer program is at the halfway point. It’s not too late to register or attend this inspiring and hilarious free entertainment. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by! Be creative at the John F Henderson Library. See you there!


Ian, Erin and friend Connor play during Toddler Tuesdays at the library

Nice Cold Air

Finally (!!), my HC deemed it hot enough outside to put in the ACs in the kids' rooms. Woo hoo! Erin was very happy about this, since she's the one that has been sweating through her naps and waking up wet and red-faced. Ian has been sleeping in his underoos and finds it very inconvenient now that he actually has to wear pjs. Both were bundled up under their blankets last night. We also put the pool up yesterday, since Ian's been asking since February. It all started with a puddle. I had emptied out the dogs' water bucket and it made a puddle. Erin made a beeline and plopped right down next to it. She played happily until Ian found it and entered feet first. Mud was everywhere! Of course, they were both thrilled and played like the little piglets they are for a good hour. Thus the pictures. :)
While they did that, I was looking for the sprinkler in the shed. I didn't find it, but my HC decided that it was time to get the pool out. Yay!
Of course the water was still way too cold today, but Ian got in anyway. He gasped and chattered and insisted that it wasn't too cold to swim. After a bit, the wind started blowing and he came inside so he could be bundled up into his comforter and play some video games. (the ac in his room was on and it was cold to him...sheesh)
Meanwhile, our new fun thing is signing up for Netflix. We have a good ole video/tanning place in our wee town. The proprietors are very nice people, but they have the monopoly. You get movies until 5pm the next day and pay $3. The really old ones are $1 and they let us have the kiddie ones for 5 days. After a good salespitch from my mom, who does hers and my grandparents' Netflix accounts, we decided to take the plunge. Of course, this lead to quite a bit of time picking movies out for our queue. Isn't it ironic that after all that time, 3/4 of our picks are kid's movies? Hm. We just like to say that the ones we want to watch aren't on dvd yet. Yeah, that's right. We didn't REALLY want to watch Madagascar 2 or Bedtime Stories. Nah.
With great reluctance, my HC headed back to work for another week of fun on the river. The kids and I are trying to remember what day it is here at home. I am trying to remember the right way to load the dishwasher since it is my least favorite chore and I have short-term memory loss when it comes to that sort of thing.
The sad thing is that you can't do quite the same thing with laundry. If you run out of plates or glasses, there are always the paper ones to fall back on.
Not so with underwear. Pity.

Ice Cream After Dark

During the summer reading program, Ian and I read hundreds (yes, really) of books for the reading logs, and his name was entered several times into the drawing for prizes. A great upside, especially for those kids to whom reading 55 books was like being picked for varsity anything, a smaller incentive was provided. For every 20 books you read, you got a Sonic food card for a free ice cream cone. For a then 3 year old, who cares about a drawing for prizes when you could have Ice Cream???
But we got a bunch of ice cream cards (and a bunch of cards for free tater tots too, but they didn't last as long). While she was handing them to me, the Head Librarian/Director, whatever her title is, told me that one of her favorite memories from her childhood was when her parents would load the kids into the car after supper and bathtime and take a drive. They would always end up at a drive-in/drive-through for ice cream. "Maybe you could do that for your kids, too," she said to me with a fond smile. I guess the muggy air, lightning bugs and long days were giving her some sentimental moments. It was catching.


Last night, that's what we did. My HC was at work, but the kids and I were just doing our thing. We were all bathed and fed and playing around and then I decided. "Get your shoes on!" I told Ian and picked the baby up. I dug around for some spare change and clutching it in my hopeful fist, headed to the car.
Our normal bedtime for the chillens is around 8:30 and they get cranky when this is not observed. I can remember only one or two time when the kids have been with me driving after dark, other than driving back from a friend's house in a residential area. Well, we went to Sonic and you'd think it was Ian's first time in the real world. "Ooooooh! Look at all the lights! They're boooo-diful!" "Yeah, wow," I tried to sound impressed. Really, I was thinking "What am I doing to my children that they are bowled over by neon lights from gas stations?" Even Erin cooed and oohed as we turned into Sonic.
Finally, our ice cream was ordered and the change was counted out (Erin and I got a 99 cent Banana Split! Ian's was free). I put Ian's ice cream cone in the Tupperware bowl that I'd brought for just that purpose (otherwise you have to hold it, dripping, all the way home....ew) and we went home, oohing some more at the pretty lights (they ARE pretty if you just look at colors).
We got home and chocolate syrup and sprinkles were added. Then Ian wanted some banana in his too and we had a good time all sitting there chowing down.
And there's nothing like the chocolate ring around little smiling mouths to give you a good feeling.
Everyone went to bed happy last night, let me tell you.
Then my HC's dad, who lives in FL, popped in for a short visit. He surprised him at work and it was definitely a surprise. Then he (with an aunt and 4 of her kids) came to the house to see everyone else. Everyone else was sleeping. It was 11:15. My HC tried to get Ian up to see his cousins, but he refused. His head just lolled drunkenly on HC's shoulder and the eyes wouldn't open. It was an ice cream induced haze, I'm sure.
They left around 12:30. It was good to see them. It was definitely a big surprise, one that we never would have expected otherwise. They headed back to the aunt's house, which is about 2 hours away and then I went to Bed! HC went back out to work a little more and assist the officer on duty. And guess who was up at 7:30 this morning??? Yup, my little Banana Split Princess. Another side effect of Sonic. :D

Dirty Tissues and Dead Possums

This weekend has been interesting already. Ian is excited that he gets so many days off from school and is celebrating by watching movies at bedtime (this is forbidden on school nights) and by asking for popsicles every 5 minutes. Since popsicles are better than asking for fruit snacks and cookies, etc, it's usually a yes. But today we had church so there's only a total of 3 for today. And of course Erin wants one and I have to have one. The only thing upsetting about this is the fact that Freezie Pops are "seasonal" and there won't be any more when these are gone. :(
Another annoying thing is seasonal as well. Bubbles. Erin got a battery operated Elmo Bubble machine for her birthday and it only works with Gazillion bubbles.


This is an expensive brand, but it is different from the average formula. We know this because when we ran out of the small bottle that came with the machine (which lasted for a surprisingly long time) we tried the normal kind of bubbles, the kind that comes in the huge plastic bottle for $3. Elmo started foaming at the mouth and the bubble wand began drooling like a mouthful of novocaine. Nope, that won't work.
Thus began the Great Search for Bubbles. Everywhere we've gone we hear the same: "Bubbles are a seasonal item; if they're not on clearance, we're out." Clearance? Whine! The only thing left on clearance was a Gazillion bubbles Bubble Grill. I've never seen a grill that bubbles. Uh....must be why they're still on clearance.
We looked online. They're out of stock and the big bottle is $15 at Target anyway. We'll wait until Walmart stocks it again and buy it for $7.83 and have it shipped site-to-store for free. Sheesh! So poor Elmo sits in the corner of the room, gathering dust and watching everyone have fun without him [cue violins]. And all because some childless hotshot in Bentonville (AR, the headquarters for Walmart) decided that bubble season ends July 31 (????!!!!).
The kids' colds are slowly getting better, though Ian has decided that he is big enough to blow his own nose. Of course he has to use 15 tissues when he sneezes and then leaves them in his room on the floor because it's way to gross to hold them long enough to get to a trash can. So Ian's room is rather white. I'm very glad I got him the cheap tissues, rather than buying the Vicks ones (those are nice, by the way, but I don't usually sit there and breathe in the tissue before I use it; I usually can't smell anything, thus the need for tissues, but it's a nice concept).
Erin just wipes her nose on the nearest sleeve and grins. She just lets you think that she wanted to cuddle. Sheesh. It's always helpful to check your sleeve before you leave the house, because you might need to change your shirt...
My HC had to work late (or very early?) last night and ended up sleeping very late today. I wandered outside to check on the dogs and noticed a new lawn ornament: a dead possum. My HC was summarily dispatched to dispose of the offending article. He picked it up by the tail and flung it over the back fence. Buddy looked on smugly, the conquering hero of unwanted yard guests.





Berry looked aggravated that he had to sit there and watch Buddy terminate and get all the credit for the little booger.


My HC's schedule is changing tomorrow and we'll be on straight 3-11s. Yay! No more getting home in the wee smas! Scratch that. No more being Scheduled to get home in the wee smas! That's better.



So tomorrow is Labor Day and Jeff Foxworthy said that it's the unofficial End of Summer. I guess it is because there was nothing on TV last night except for football. Sigh. I guess summer really is over. You can't even buy bubbles.
But it's hard to think off all that when it's still hot enough to swim in the pool. And the mosquitoes are still out in clouds. Big nasty ones too. I was listening to Jeff Foxworthy on the radio (hey, he's funny!) and Larry the Cable guy came on. They were talking about the mosquitos too. Larry the CG said he saw a mosquito so big it had a tick on it. Eeeek. I believe it; the mosquitos are so big here they thump against the sliding glass doors. Then again, Larry the CG also said he was looking for tube socks and a rubber band for his grandma's homemade bikini contest at the bowling alley. Let that one simmer for a while.

I'm That Kind of Rain

Today there was rain. Lots and lots of rain. I even got to take a nap to that rain, which was oh, so sweet. And then it kept raining. It is Still raining, which is wonderful because today was Cruze Night. That's a contradiction, but that's what they call it and it starts at around 2pm with a car show. Then there's Cruze time (yes, that's how they spell it) and then there's a Burnout competition, where people from all over come and pay to see how much tread they can leave on one of our town's nicest roads. This competition goes on for hours. Until dark, because no one seems to get tired of trying. People bring lawn chairs and sit on the side of the road to watch. There are Trophies. Yes, I said trophies. For the winners. Someone gets out there with a roller measurer and measures the tread marks. The car that leaves the longest gets the biggest trophy. It costs $5 a turn and the town makes hundreds of dollars. There are also concessions that come to take advantage of the spectators. But today it rained. :)

I don't like Burnout because these noisy engined cars and trucks have to use our street to go back to the Start line. They speed and peel out at our stop sign. It is hard to hear anything inside of the house over this racket.

The crowning part of today, however is fireworks. They have been setting off blanks all day for some reason. I think they just wanted to wake up every napping baby in town. I'm sure there is a purpose somewhere, somehow. Maybe. They keep telling us they will start at dark, rain or not, but it is 9:15 and just a drizzle. Ian keeps asking me every 5 seconds when they will start. I am trying to be patient, but....it's hard when you don't know the answer. Thank you Lord for a PBS channel that does kids' shows around the clock. Who knew that Bob the Builder came on at 9pm??

They've started!

Well, that was nice. It lasted for 25 minutes. Ian really enjoyed it. He really knows his colors now. Erin did not wake up, for which I am grateful. Last night's debacle with the fuse box did not send her into dream land, so she is really tired tonight. Whew!

Buddy was made hysterical by the booming of the fireworks and escaped the fence. My HC just brought him back, fussing at me because I had been on the phone with his parents and didn't take his call. What can I say? It just takes some people a long time to say goodbye.

Everything is back to normal and the kids are in bed. Finally. Quiet. At last.

Hace Mucho Calor

It is SO hot. (or more correctly translated: It is very hot.) It was 102 today and I don't care where you are from or how hot it is where you live: it was HOT today. See the heat waves??

Yesterday, I blogged about how our AC has misplaced its purpose in life. Last night, Ian woke me up because he was scared and he heard a noise. I put him back in bed and crawled in next to him until he went back to sleep (an easy thing because he has a Great fan in his room that points straight into his bed tent and just waffles around in there because of the bed tent material. Wonderful.

So he fell asleep and then I heard a noise. I got up to investigate and there, where our AC had been at bedtime, was a big gaping hole. I could see outside. I could hear outside. And it sounded like gigantic truck engines. I went to the kitchen door to see who had the misfortune to steal our ineffective AC (good riddance!) and it was Brian's wrecker parked on the street that was making the big engine noise. There was also a cop car in our driveway. Maybe Brian (the mayor and owner of B&G's Wrecker and Recovery [B is for Brian and G is for Girric, his 5 year old son]) decided to steal our AC. But why? He has central at his house. And it works.

Then I see that my HC's unit is home as well. And then I hear voices laughing and talking and notice that the garden hose is in the front yard and not where it usually is outside Berry's dog kennel. Upon further investigation (in other words, I looked out of every window in the house), I could not locate the source of the noise. So I got a drink and checked on the kids and then there was a louder laughing and carrying on sound. I looked through the AC hole and inadvertantly scared 4 men with my eyeballs peeping out (I was on my tiptoes). I found out that they had decided to clean out the AC (you're supposed to do it every year??) and all the gunk that accumulates. They thought that it had never been done. There must have been a lot of nasty in there. Then they decided to replace it back into the hole to see if it worked any better.

I didn't care if it did or not, as long as they turned it back on. They did and it wasn't. I went to bed.

This morning, I got up and went into the kitchen. The counters were a mess. Everything was rearranged and out of place, but the kitchen felt very very good. Then I noticed the window unit that someone had stuffed in the window. Turns out we do have a window in the house that is big enough for that window unit. Thank You Lord! So the kitchen, rather than the living room, has been the heart of our home today. The little window unit has been kicking the pants off of the gigantic wall unit in the living room. It really should be embarrassed, letting a little midget like that show it up. But it's not.

I don't even know what the heat index was today, just that my HC told me to keep the kids inside, since there was one 911 call of an 11 year old needing EMS due to being outside too long and getting heat stroke or heat exhaustion or something. So we stayed inside and ate popsicles and didn't turn any lights on and didn't wear much either.

It got a little too yucky, so we decided to go to Harp's, our local grocery store. For bananas. Well, we're out and Harp's has a great AC and freezer section.

Uncle Steven decided to get us some steaks for dinner, too, so it was a great idea. He even volunteered to grill them for us. He made baked potatoes and didn't char them (I should have taken a picture of my poor mummified, dusty potatoes).

It was great.

Now we are waiting for the bedrooms to cool off enough so I can put the kids in bed. So far it's 8:30 and it's a no go. So Ian is playing his earned 30 minutes of video games and Erin is playing, not yet in the tired/cranky stage. Which is a nice change, because she's been lodged in hot/cranky for a few days now. I am just ready to stretch out and dry.

But when it comes down to it, I'm not missing the microwave all that much. I had to give up the microwave plug-in to plug in the window AC in the kitchen. Good riddance to that too. I'll haul the microwave to the bathroom if I have to use it that bad.

Don't worry, I'm not that desperate yet.

Hot Poop

Well it's hot. Hot hot hot hot hothothothothot. I signed up for weather advisories from our closest tv station (it's the only one that actually focuses on our area; Tulsa weather doesn't do us much good here). I've been getting 3 to 5 emails a day warning me of a heat advisory. It gives specific times that the advisory is in effect. I also got one severe thunderstorm warning, which didn't make any sense because when it listed the times, it said Clear after it. So I guess the storm won't hit us after all. Too bad, because we could use a breath of relief. On top of that Augustine blessing (for those of you that don't get that, it's August. So there.), our air condition is feeling its age. I'm guessing it's at least 30 years old, or pretty close to it. It is running up the bill without running down the temperature. Which means heat rash for everyone. Ian has his own ceiling fan as well as his own floor fan to blow on his bed. The baby has her own fan to blow on the crib and we have a piddly little ceiling fan that you can hardly feel, because it is too small for the size of the room. There's also a big oscillating fan in the hallway opening that's supposed to blow the cool air from the living room into the hallway. Well, it was working a month ago, but our poor AC has some kind of dementia because it has forgotten what it's supposed to do.

So we are praying for a new air conditioner. Someone told us about this great AC someone else is selling for a fraction of the price. But....it's for central heat/air. So the price plus the freon service plus the duct work plus everything would be over $1,000. Great, I know, for the price, but not exactly something that's realistic for us right now. Unless we could put our AC on Antiques Roadshow; prepare to be amazed.

So everyone is overheated and cranky. I fried some eggs this morning at breakfast time, but opted not to cook anything hot for supper. My poor HC was wilted when he came home for his dinner break. That Kevlar vest is not made for 100+ heat. And tomorrow is when the Real heat advisory starts.

So the kids have been running around in their underwear for most of the day, not allowed to go outside because of the heat, and I've been trying to keep up with messes and sooth little raw tempers. Too bad my own needs a couple hours of subarctic to help it.

And I found out today that I need to take Uncle Steven back to the airport on Tuesday because his plane leaves at 8:10am. My HC is working an overnight, so he won't be able to come with us. With check-in time and driving time together, I have to get myself and the chillens up at around 4am. Believe me, we are coming straight home for everyone to have a recovery nap. But it's going to be at least 4 hours in the car AC, so that's not so bad. And gas is down about 20 cents from when we picked Uncle Steven up at the airport, so the blessings are stacking up some.

Now to the other part of the title. No, I wasn't being crass. The kids were in the tub yesterday, playing. Erin likes to stand up and walk along the sides of the tub. She likes to throw everything out and yell until I fetch. She also likes to dump cup-fuls of water out of the tub and then yell when I take the cup away. And she likes to laugh at Ian, who will do almost anything, even knock himself out, to make her laugh. I had turned to tidy the sink and grab a fresh towel when all of a sudden Ian came shooting out of the tub yelling. I don't even think any water got on the floor. I don't even think he touched the floor. One second he was playing in the tub and the next second he had teleported to the other side of the bathroom under the towel shelf. "Ewwwww! Eww! Eww! Ewwwww!"

"What?" I asked, baffled. "What's wrong?"

"Ewwwww!" He turned horrified and disgusted brown eyes to mine.

"Baby girl POO-POO in the tub!!!!"

Sure enough, when I went to investigate, there were several articles in the tub that had not been there before. One of them was being chased by a tiny hand. Ugh!

I checked to see if she was done and swooped her out of the tub. Ian couldn't stay away. He gingerly crept forward and craned his neck to see, now that he was a safe distance away. It really didn't help matters when he spied a recycled grape. "What's that grape doing in there?" he asked. Uh oh. "Uh...that's a poo poo grape," I tried to explain.

---Today at snack time, he had some grapes (brave soul), but told Erin "you no eat grapes, Erin. Baby girl no like grapes today, Mommy." I guess he figured she'd had enough. So she got peaches. Back to our story (A good title: She Poopeth in Still Waters. har har har).---

I pulled the plug and put all the toys back in the tub basket for later bleaching. I stood Erin on the outside of the tub to watch. After some grunts and pleading, I got all the offending articles down the drain and rinsed out really good. I took out the mat and stood the kids back in the tub for a quick stand-up bath. Ian had to inspect the tub really well before he would get in and kept warily glancing at the baby's bottom like it was Mt. St. Helen's.

Soon after I had everyone clean and the tub full of bleachy water and the bath toys all in it, happily disinfecting.

Tonight, Ian remembered to tell Erin before we got in the tub. "Baby girl, NO GO Poo Poo in the Tub. Okay?"

She just grinned.

Cheese and Salsa

Tuesday we had the kids' pictures taken. We were late for our appointment and it was given to someone else who walked in, so we had to wait until they called us. I was aggravated about that; I hate being late, but sometimes it just cannot be helped. Especially when you live 20 minutes from anywhere.

When we got down to business, it was...educational. Erin wasn't so sure about all the fuss and cooing and coaxing to smile. She thought the photographer (can you call them photographers when all they do is punch a button??) was weird. I think she was in a bad mood that day (the photog, not Erin, she was just sleepy, I think). Either way, it was a good thing her assistant was there to play with the kids while she stomped and sighed and took crooked pictures. Hopefully the photo printer person will fix it.

It's a good thing we have photogenic kids. Erin was quickly fussy and wanted to get off of that podium. Every time we let go she tried to crawl off. She didn't like the positions she was forced to hold and didn't like not being held. Ian, on the other hand, is a ham. And no, I don't know where he gets that from. He thought it was funny if he made faces and stuck his tongue out at the last minute. There were a lot of retakes for him.

And then there were the packages. The cheapest package is $80. Or you can get the CD for $99 and print off as many pictures as you want. Sorry, give me a couple of backgrounds and I can do just as well with my own camera. But we were happy with what we got; now we have to wait until the cows come home to pick them up (they will being coming August 13 unless they come early. ?!).

Other news of the week: someone is interested in buying our house and is currently trying to get a loan. We don't want to get our hopes up, but the people in question keep calling us and asking us questions that make sense. We are happy to help, if it sells our house.

I did a lot of canning today. Well, it felt like a lot of canning. Only 6 jars of salsa this time, but I dejuiced and seeded tomatoes for hours today. My fingers are still a little pruny. My HC says that this skill is useful just in case I ever get sprayed by a skunk. Naturally, this made me feel oh so much better.

Ian had a friend over to play today. His friend, G, brought over a couple of toy trucks to play with. After an hour, he asked that they be put on top of the refrigerator to keep them safe (he is 5). Ian told him to leave them here when it was time to go home. G did not feel that it was necessary for him to do so and took them with him. I think Ian missed the toys more than he missed his friend, who has the tendency to choose watching tv over playing.

We are counting down to the "Meet Your Teacher" day at school. It is the same day that Uncle Steven will be going back to Florida. I'm sure he will be glad to sleep on anything other than the couch, especially if there's an air conditioning that works in the house.

We are in a heat advisory for the next several days. It has been topping 100 and is nasty outside. We are staying as close to our not-so-cold air conditioner as possible. I keep telling Ian that if he would sit still, he wouldn't be so hot. He does not agree.

Erin is getting that other top tooth in, finally. It is taking forever to break through and she is fretful. With the arrival of August, we are finished with her First Year calendar. I had so much fun writing everything down as she learned to do things, as well as big days for our family. I guess I'm going to have to figure something else out. :D

(Don't you just love the Tigger hat? We got it from Disney when Ian was 3 months old; they both look so cute in it.)

I don't feel as interesting today as I normally do. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen today with those tomatoes. I really hope the salsa turns out to be yummy. I'm not sure how I'll feel if it's nasty or no one wants to eat it. Oh well, we can always use it for Christmas gifts. Is it tacky to ask for the jars back?? Probably, but man, those jars are expensive!!

Now that it's August, I'm finally figuring out how to do things around the heat. Baking and cooking are best done in the morning, when the house is still cool. Unless you are canning, then there's no good time, it just makes everything hot. I am glad that our garden is not going to waste though. But now I am out of canning jars! Now, of course, is the time for someone to give us 10 lb of okra. I have everything but jars and hot peppers. Our local grocery store is not carrying them until the salmonella ? scare is over. I guess. I think. Because what other reason do they have not to carry them. We live in OK! There are ALWAYS peppers. Until now.

Another thing. My birthday is a week from Saturday. I feel like I need to make a list or something. My friend Rachel is a compulsive list-maker. Neat, right? No, the neat thing is that she actually DOES the things on her list. Crazy. I love to make lists too, but I end up doing other things and then putting them on the list so I can mark them off. Does anyone else do that?

Anyway, when you start not making sense it's time to go to bed. The best kind of people take their own advice. The End.