Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

setting myself up for a fail

Good afternoon. If anyone is counting, it is Dogs 1 Me 0 as far as the garden is concerned. Somedog (I'm not naming names, but a not-so-little puppy has dirt written all over her face and fingernails) totally ignorned the Boundary dog spray and went right for a plant in one of my pots and also one of my grasses. She totally dug that up and took up some weed fabric along with it. I had that tacked down! She also pulled up some plastic that was under pea gravel which was by the air conditioner to keep the dogs away. (I read that they don't like the feel of pea gravel under their paws. I guess that was wrong). So, wait, that means it is Dogs 2 Me 0.

Sigh.

After blowing a fuse, I am calm now, the garden is halfway back to normal and the dogs are put away in the laundry room. I realize that I was just asking for it by planting grass. What dog doesn't like grass? And mulch? And apparently, fabric? Back to the drawing board...



Mangos.  Delicious, yummy fruit.  I found them at Sam's.  We've yet to eat all of them but we are working on it.  I took this picture last week when it was sunny.  I don't mind the clouds, really, I don't, but I do wish it would rain if there were clouds.  And spring is the only time with decent temperatures to enjoy here in humid Oklahoma.  Summer is coming up fast and the hot temps await. 

Wow, I really trailed onto another subject there.  I was going to say that I'm working on taking photos inside with no flash and I have found that lots of light is helpful.  Everyone probably knows that so I won't say anymore on the subject.

I'll end this post on a good note:  This morning, I awoke to the sound of my boys laughing.  And that was a really nice way to start the day.

Bye for now...

Monday, March 28, 2011

i really love my two goofballs

I took this about a month ago.  I took several pictures of them and believe it or not, this is the only one that they are both smiling a little.  The others they are making funny faces or pouting (Noah) or I can see pink gum (Rhett).  Yes, they are goofing around but don't they look adorable doing it? :)

If I can ever get us up and around on a Saturday, I would love to take some family shots in our living room.  With the light coming in from the windows, it really is beautiful.  Maybe someday.

I'm cold today.  I haven't recovered from this weekend where we sat in 35 degree weather watching Rhett's baseball tournament.  Every two minutes, Noah would say, "I really wish we could go right now."  And I would say, "I know.  Me too."  But still we sat, huddled underneath a blanket and freezing our you know what's off.  I am beginning to think Mother Nature doesn't like baseball. 

Speaking of cold, the ice cream experiment is a breeze.  hee hee.  Seriously, so easy.  All you need is:

1 gallon size freezer bag
1 quart size storage bag
3 cups of ice
3/4-1 cup of ice cream salt
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
1/4 t vanilla


1.  Add the sugar, milk, cream and vanilla in the quart storage bag.  Seal securely.
2. Put 3 cups of ice into the gallon storage bag.  Add 3/4 to 1 cup of salt to the bag of ice.
3. Place the sealed quart bag inside the gallon bag and seal the gallon bag securely.
4. Gently rock the gallon bag from side to side for 10-15 minutes or until the contents of the quart bag have solidified into ice cream.
5. Remove the quart bag, open it and serve!

You might want to wear gloves for this.  The bag gets really cold! Also, make sure the quart bag is sealed, otherwise your ice cream will taste salty.  One boy had really salty ice cream, but he ate it anyway. Blech.

The experiment was too see if the temperature of the ice got colder or warmer when salt was added to it.  It really is kind of cool (forgive all the puns) to test it out. 

The ice cream didn't get too hard but the kids liked it that way.  They used straws and had milkshakes. 

I think I'll do this with my kids this summer because it was so easy.  Enjoy!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

three short thoughts; bittersweet in mood

  • I helped Noah and his classmates make ice cream today.  It was a pretty cool experiment and just a little messy.  I love getting to see Noah during the school day.  He is always so happy to see me.  Rhett is too.  I have missed that this year.  In their school, parents aren't allowed to volunteer for their child's teacher, so I don't get to see them as often as I did last year.  It was fun.

  • Yesterday, there was a funeral for a young man in Bixby, Oklahoma and "those" protestors (you know the ones that are always in the news.  I don't want to say the name because I don't want them to get even more attention) came because they hate Oklahomans for some reason or another.  It makes me sad, to see such hate and lack of compassion.  Then you see the other side, the wall of anti-protestors that protect the family from the hate and it is so beautiful to see people work together for good. 

  • Our heater just turned on for the first time in a while.  It is much cooler today, of course, because Rhett has a ballgame and I'll be able to stay the whole time this time.  So, of course, it will be cold. But he may pitch tonight. That will be exciting because he so wants to pitch.  I'll let you know how it goes. 

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

C25K Week 2 Day 1 reflections*

Yesterday, I went to the gym. It was kind of spontaneous, well, actually, the buying of new sneakers was spontaneous, the guilt that followed was self-generated.  (As in, I just spent good money on a pair of good work-out shoes, now WORK OUT or else!) So, to the gym I went in my new shoes (they are the Sketchers Tone Ups which, judging by my sore butt and inner thigh muscles, really work.) and I began my Couch to 5K program again.  And I found that it really wasn't that hard, this running and walking on the treadmill thing.  I actually enjoyed it.  I would walk and read To Kill A Mockingbird (again) and then run and think about things like "Wow, my neck looks old." (I saw my reflection in the tv monitor) and "I can't believe I named my dog after a man who stabbed his dad with scissors."  and "But doesn't Boo Radley redeem himself in the end?" and "I can't believe its been so long since I've read my favorite book that I don't remember these things." and then it was time to walk again before getting to deep into thought.

It really went by fast.  30 minutes, 165 calories burned (is that really it?) and I was out of there.  I also had energy to go back to work in the back yard for awhile. 
I have decided I must go back at least 3x a week.  And only read To Kill a Mockingbird then because that will motivate me. 

I have also decided to start using night cream on my neck.  Or is that too much information for you?

*I need to tell you in full disclosure that I started C25K last month.  Since I walk/ran only once a week, then took a couple of weeks off, I am only on Week 2 when I should be, oh, much farther.  But I didn't have the shoes.  Now I do.  ;)

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

flowers, flowers everywhere; Rhett's a hitter!

I love my camera. I have never taken better pictures of flowers than I have with this camera. I love my photo editor too. It is so fun to play around with my images and find things that make my pictures better.

These flowers are from my front flower bed.  The pansies were buried under a foot or more of snow and are still beautiful.  I don't know how they do it but what an amazing flower. 


Here is a tulip.  My first tulip to bloom.  I'm so proud.  :)
The next two pictures are of the same tulip, but different filters.  I kind of like the bottom picture better but the top is a brighter red.  Which do you like?


I have different filters for the next shot as well.  I liked both so I put them both in.  This is my favorite tulip color. 
Ahh...spring. Finally. 
And this is what I've been working on yesterday and today.  My back flower bed.  I planted some grasses and just love this striped grass.  Boo has been eyeing it so she much love it too.  She also eats this mulch for breakfast so I sprayed some Boundary dog spray (very stinky) around the flower bed in hopes that the dogs stay out.  They love to go behind the bushes and dig.  Actually, they love to dig anywhere in the bed.  So I am hoping that the weed fabric, rocks around the back edge and the spray deters them.  Hope with me, will you?  Do you think it is a lost cause?  I don't want to pen them up but I may have to when we aren't outside.  It may just be too tempting for them. 
I'm not done with the back yard but I ran out of gas.  That wore me out.  And I need to do some other things too.  Maybe tomorrow I will get back to it. 

Rhett update:  Last night he batted an RBI! I didn't see it because I took Noah home so he could go to bed ("It's not fair Mom.  Rhett gets to stay up late and I don't.") but he hit one right to the pitcher and even though he was thrown out at first and tangled with the first baseman and bruised his knee pretty badly (you should have seen him limping proudly), his teammate made it home.  That's pretty cool.

Oh and don't tell his eye doctor that he played.  His eyes were dilated yesterday afternoon and the doctor strongly discouraged him to play.  He was bound and determined though. 

Noah update:  He is bound and determined to not let me forget how much he wants a Pokemon DS game.  That is all.

Hope everyone has a great day!

Monday, March 21, 2011

it started out as a Monday

This morning began with a bang.  A dog to clean up after and two boys who slept in after a week of getting up extra early-just because.  We missed the bus, again, and so we hurried out the door to make the bell.  (This would sound so much more dramatic and much less pathetic if the bus didn't get here at 8:10 and school didn't start at 8:50 am).  I forgot my cell phone, so had to race back home to get it, then on to Lowe's to find plants for one of my flower beds. 

The fun began!  I picked out several ornamental grasses and a pink garza plant (my fave).  But that fun didn't last long because I had to work after that.  I had to even out the dirt, put weed fabric down to deter the dogs from digging, rocks around the back near the house to deter the dogs from digging (you see a pattern here?) and now I've run out of rock and mulch so I have to go back tomorrow.

This afternoon Rhett goes to the eye doctor and I really am hoping for some different news than the same old story.  "Does he need surgery to correct his eye because it isn't getting that much better and he doesn't seem to be growing out of it?"  "Can he have contacts because his glasses are a pain to keep clean and adjusted?" Oh and sunglasses.  Got to ask about those. 

The day is not over for us.  Tonight is Rhett's first game of the season and it starts at 7:45 pm. I want to watch all of them this week (we have baseball every day this week except Tuesday) but then again, I don't.  But I keep reminding myself:  This is what Rhett likes. 

So today has been a Monday.  Right now, I am reminding myself of the fun we had last week, visiting our family in Friona, getting to see old friends and while Rhett and Seth went to NCAA basketball games on Friday night, Noah and I went to see Rango (is it just me or was it trying to make a political or environmental point, albeit subtly?  If you've seen it, let me know in the comments.  Also, Johnny Depp.  Love him, even as a lizard.), Seth cleaning the house last night while I sat and watched The Real Housewives of Orange County (please don't judge me), and I am also reminding myself of future fun (I get to see Krista soon!!) so I can get through this day and perhaps week.

I also am going to try blogging more regularly.  Casey mentioned that I don't much anymore.  And Dad has my blog bookmarked on his phone (it looks like an app!).  So I need to get with it.  I will see you tomorrow with pictures of my tulips because I am so excited they are coming up. 

Have a good day.  Even if it is a Monday.

Thursday, March 03, 2011

add this project to the list

I have found fabric that makes me want to sew.  To be a seamstress.  Mom, I'm gonna need your help. 

Ruffle Fabric is exactly what it says it is.  I happened across it one day while googling "ruffle fabric" to see if I could find fabric that looks like Anthropologie's bedding that I am in love with but just can't spend the moolah for but I also know I could never sew that to save my life.  Anyway, this site has ruffles, and lots of them, ranging from cute and frilly to soft and beautiful to "hey, I'd like a casual skirt in made from that."   Wouldn't that be great in the summer?  I'm hoping I can pull this off and even more hopeful that the fabric will arrive before Spring Break so I can bring it with me when I go visit my mom. 

While I'm hoping, I will also throw in that I hope that any sewing lessons from my mom will go better than the last time we tried this.  Ha!  I vividly remember trying to make a pale blue dress and accidently cutting the fabric that was supposed to be the front of my dress.  I was so frustrated, even though Mom spent so much time trying to fix it (with a fabric overlay in the shape of a V.) If none of this makes sense, I am sorry.  I don't have any visuals but can see it perfectly in my mind. 

I can sew okay now.  And I think the skirt I have in mind will be fairly easy.  But I do want to make sure nothing goes wrong because I do so love this fabric. 

And to my family and friends that have girls, wouldn't a ruffle skirt look adorable on your daughters?  If I can do this, your girl(s) may be getting one.  I have to share the ruffle love and my boys just wouldn't appreciate it.  :)

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

a post that's all about Rhett

I think Rhett is the luckiest person I know.  He is the one who always finds the quarters on the ground, much to his brother's dismay.  The other day, we were at Blockbuster looking for Megamind.  The section it was supposed to be in showed it was out. But as we were looking around, he found a copy in a section where you can buy movies.  Apparently, someone had it and changed their mind.  Who knows but it was no surprise that Rhett found it.  If it were just me looking, I would have gone home empty-handed.  He is cool like that.

He has officially started baseball.  His first tournament is this weekend.  He pitches and yesterday, played 2nd base in a scrimmage.  (I didn't stay and watch.  I figure I will make it up with the many, many games on the way).  Honestly, I don't love watching baseball.  I love watching Rhett though.  Seth and I both hope though that his nerves and worrying don't suck the fun out of it for him.  Because he does love baseball right now.  And he does really well when he relaxes and just goes with it. 

Monday, the 4th Grade students are turning into "living wax figures" from history.  The people they represent must have contributed to society somehow.  Rhett chose Chuck Yeager.  He is the man who broke the sound barrier in case you forgot.  In preparation for this day, we watched The Right Stuff, read some of an autobiography on Yeager, and he is now in the process of memorizing a speech that includes a quote from Yeager himself:  "The secret to my success was that somehow I always managed to live to fly another day."   I didn't let Rhett know that after his first wife died of ovarian cancer in 1990, he went on to marry a much younger woman and that 3 of his 4 children sued for financial reasons.  He basically disowned them, which is totally sad and disheartening.

I am going to take some pictures of my tulips that are peeking out of the ground.  I sure hope that Spring is on its way because they sure think its time.  I've never grown tulips before so I was pretty excited to see the tiny shoots. 

Have a great day!

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

No school Friday and other stuff

As a mom who has spent the large part of February with her children, stuck inside because of snow, and knows that Spring Break is in two weeks, I am a little confused.  Friday, the boys have no school for "optional" school conferences.  How about they use that day.  We have six days to make up!!

Ugg.

(By the way, Uggs are still my favorite shoes ever.)

But enough complaining.  Here's a highlight of what's been going on:

Me:


I bought a couple of art books last week from Amazon and I am so excited to get started on a couple of projects.  I've always wanted to learn screen printing and I've been dreaming about making curtains from fabric that isn't boring but can't find what I want.  So, I thought, why don't I make my own design?  Sounds like a big project but hopefully, these books will help.  I'm going to start small and try some pillows first.  I'll keep you updated on my progress. 

Project 365 is going...not well.  I'm going to call February a wash and hopefully in March I will prove more successful. 

Noah:

He is a mess.  And I mean that in the best possible way a mom could when talking about her child.  We went to two birthday parties in the past two weeks and he had a terrible time at both.  The first one was a bowling party and we showed up late, so that is probably one reason he didn't have fun.  The rest of the kids were halfway through the game and he likes winning.   Then we went to a roller skating party and I thought he would have a blast.  I loved roller skating parties when I was younger!!  Alas, Noah did not.  He cried.  He fell.  He cried some more.  I even laced some roller skates on and skated with him.  He didn't crack a smile once.  Other kids were falling around us and popping back up, laughing.  Noah would fall and stay there, thinking his wrist was broken.  It was awful. 
This morning, he said something about how he missed another classmate's birthday party that was this past Saturday.  "Why?" he wanted to know.  I told him because he was miserable the last two times we went to a party.  "Oh, yeah.  Sorry about that."  Yeah, me too.

He also had a research paper on Franklin D. Roosevelt that is due today.  He never had to bring it home but because he missed working on it one day last week because of a trip to the nurse (sigh), he brought it home last night.  He had to write 10 sentences.

"Do you want to know more about Franklin Rosevelt? Then keep reading." 

He wrote about his birth, who he got married to and his death.  That about covered it. I bit my tongue trying not to say anything. 

But, I do have a couple of positive things to say about him.  He has finally found a book that he loves and it is a chapter book.  His teacher wants him to read more challenging books besides the comic books he so enjoys, but he always found them boring.  Rick Riordan's Red Pyramid provides just the right amount of excitement for him, I guess.

He also has one more basketball game and then we'll be done for the season.  I think he enjoyed himself.  He has learned how to screen for his teammates (even getting a bruised lip in the process) and last week scored 4 points.  He wants to play golf next so his awesome uncle is going to give him a couple of lessons over Spring Break.  I also said that I would, gulp, try to find out if he can start drum lessons.  I know!  But he has been asking forever and that may be a good thing to do over the summer.  Yes, I am just asking for it.

This has turned into a much larger post than I thought so I think I will stop for now.  Tomorrow I will write about Rhett and who is going to be for 4th grade's Living Wax Museum.  Pretty exciting stuff!