Been a While

Wow...I haven't blogged in a while.

Been busy around here. I still need to take pictures of the work we've done around here. Still haven't found the charger for my camera battery. I haven't really looked for it, though...been focusing on other things.

I have about two months left before I'll finally be finished with school. I can't believe it. There was a time when I thought I'd never finish my degree, and now here I am on my next-to-last class. So most of the writing I've been doing lately has been for school, and I haven't felt much like writing anything else. So that's why I haven't been blogging lately. Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things when I finish.

I've been neglecting the blogs I've been reading for the last year, too. Boy am I gonna have a LOT of catching up to do!! I'll get caught up with you all, I promise!

Isn't it Kind of Early for This?

My phone rang this afternoon, and I didn't recognize the name or number on the Caller ID.

I answered the phone, and it was a little boy asking to speak to my baby girl. I told him she couldn't talk at the moment because she was cleaning her room, but that I would be sure to tell her he had called. He was very polite.

So I called her downstairs.

Mom: A, who's D (the little boy's name)?
A: He's a boy that rides our bus
Mom: So are you giving all the kids our phone number?
A: (Looking concerned) Mommy, he ASKED for it!

I couldn't help but laugh at this point.

Mom: So, is he your boyfriend?
A: (Looking embarrassed now and bumping up against me, sort of pushing me) No, he's just a friend!

Then my son decides to chime in. "Mom, remember she has a boyfriend from Kindergarten in Germany?"

How do they remember these things? I reminded him that's been almost two years ago now.

A: Yeah, I'll probably never see him again.

So I told the hubby about this tonight. He said he guessed he'd have to start keeping a shotgun in the house now.

Funny...I can remember at least one occasion when a boy came over to the house my daddy was sitting in the living room cleaning his shotgun when the boy came in. Aaaahhhhh memories!

Request

I got an email today from a friend of mine I met through blogging. I'm not sure where this woman gets the energy to do all the things she does for our servicemembers. She's a working mom, regularly sends care packages to our troops overseas, and now is involved in a charity for wounded heroes.

I'm behind on reading my favorite blogs, or else I'd have posted something about this earlier. Fortunately, I got an email from her today asking me for help. All she's asking for is a couple of minutes of your time to vote for the charity.

America's Wounded Heroes is a new charity. You can find their temporary website here. Yes, you can donate there, and I know they appreciate donations, but that is not what they're asking for at the moment. But you can read their mission statement there.

They're currently involved in a contest to win funds for the charity, and they are depending on votes. All you have to do is register at the website, and it's free, in order to be able to vote for America's Wounded Heroes. All it takes is a couple of minutes, and is a small price to pay. You can go here to vote. America's Wounded Heroes is about the eighth down on the list.

Thank you all!

Ugh!

My allergies are giving me a fit today. At least I hope it's just my allergies. I've been sneezing all day, my nose is stopped up, and my asthma is acting up a bit (which only happens when my allergies flare or I get sick). I REALLY hope I'm not coming down with something. I really don't have the time or patience for that.

I've been tired and cranky all day, which I thought was just because I didn't sleep well last night. I got a bit too much sun while outside helping the hubby with the fence all weekend, so had a little difficulty getting comfortable. My own fault, I know, but it still hurts! But maybe my crankiness has more to do with my allergies or whatever it is I'm trying to come down with.

The idiot drivers around here didn't help matters any today either. I went to meet the hubby for lunch today, and was sitting at an intersection getting ready to turn right. I had a red light and the left turning lane facing the same direction I was facing, as well as across the intersection, had a protected left arrow. Meaning I had to wait for the people turning left from across the intersection to clear the intersection before I could make a right on red. Well, the idiot behind me blows his horn at me wanting me to go. Then, a little ways down the road, the car in front of me needed to make a left turn. We were on a two lane road, one lane in each direction, and of course the car in front of me had to stop to wait for traffic. I stopped behind him, and the car behind me stopped as well. A pickup truck two cars back from me decided it would be a good idea to come around everybody on the shoulder, nearly taking off my mirror. You know, with everything I have been through with my car, I would have had a hissy fit, let me tell ya! So I was fuming by the time I met the hubby at the restaurant, which didn't make me very pleasant company for him.

Then I came home and tried to get some rest before going to meet the kids at the bus stop. My baby girl didn't get off the bus at the stop. This is the third time this has happened in about two weeks - not with my kid, but another little girl who rides the bus has missed the stop a couple of times. Isn't it the bus driver's responsibility to make sure the kids get off at the right stop? I had a few words with her this afternoon, especially when she tried to use the excuse "some of the kids just don't want to get off the bus." Yeah, I don't THINK so! It happens again, I'll be up in the school office before she even has a chance to get back with the bus. I really miss the bus driver the kids had last year...he was great!

So that's what's going on around here. I still need to take some pictures of what we've done here at the house, but I have to locate my battery charger first. Can't remember when I had it last...imagine that!

Not Funny

The hubby and I were sitting here trying to relax last night after the kids went to bed. We had just decided to go to bed just before 11 when we heard what sounded like a gunshot. The hubby hit the floor and sort of crept over to the window to look out while I was hollering wondering what it was. There were a couple more explosions, and I could see a flash out the window from where I was sitting. Turns out somebody (probably some kids from a nearby neighborhood) had decided to put firecrackers in our next-door neighbors' mailbox and blow it up.

Like I said, we didn't think it was funny at all. Most of the neighbors nearby came outside to see what was going on. Nobody saw who had done it. One of these days those kids are going to mess with the wrong person. I just hope somebody manages to catch them soon.

More Improvements

I really need to get outside and take some pictures of all the work we've done out there over the past couple of weeks. Well, last weeked it was the hubby doing the majority of the work outside, but that's really mostly because he was putting trees and plants in the ground. If I mess with plants, they die.

He had to go in to work for a while today. It was a processing Saturday, which is usually the Saturday before a mission day. Then after he came home, we all had lunch, and he and I went outside to get to work putting up the privacy fence. The materials for the fence were delivered on Wednesday. The good thing is that it was almost 20 degrees cooler today than it has been all week. When we went outside a little after 1 this afternoon, I think the temperature was about 86. Thursday and Friday we had temps of about 112. Crazy!

I had gone Thursday to get the permit we needed to put up our fence. I ended up having to go to three different places. Well, the first was because of an incorrect assumption on my part. I've always considered Hope Mills as a sort of subdivision of Fayetteville, so I went over to Fayetteville City Hall to get the permit. They told me Hope Mills has their own Town Hall and Inspections Department. Duh! So after having lunch with the hubby, I go over to Hope Mills Town Hall to apply for the permit, only to find out that we're just (barely) outside city limits and don't need one from Hope Mills either. So I called over to County Inspections, and found out I had to get a permit from them. So I went over there to get the permit, and was actually able to get a clearer copy of the plot map from them too, which was great since our copy was awful. We could barely make out the numbers. So armed with the permit and the clear plot map, all I had left to do was call for the utility companies to come out and mark the yard so we didn't hit any lines while digging. I did that when I got home, and they came out and marked the lines Friday.

So today the hubby and I went out to start on the fence. I know the part we're working on right now, putting in the posts, is the most time-consuming part. We got most of one side done today before having to stop. It's hard work, but I know will be worth it when we're finished. Even more so right now considering the couple of vegetable plants we have out there right now. We have two tomato plants and a couple of English cucumber plants. All the leaves on both tomato plants had been eaten off, and we found rabbit droppings in the yard. I was not happy, nor was the hubby! Hopefully the fence will put a stop to that. The tomato plants had just put out a bloom each, too, so I don't know how this will affect when I'll have tomatoes. We can't figure out, either, why bunny ate the tomato plants and not cucumber. Oh well.

I'll try to get some photos up soon!

Another Kid Funny

I know it seems all I've been talking about are the funny things my kids have said lately. I can't help it...they've come out with some good ones.

Last night we went to have dinner with the in-laws. Some family that we haven't seen in years were visiting from Alabama, and we went to visit with them a little bit over dinner.

We sat down to the dinner table, and my son, out of the blue, asks my mother-in-law:

"Nana, were you alive when the Titanic sank?"

Everybody at the table just burst into laughter. The hubby had a mouthful of tea, and I'm pretty sure some came up through his nose. Nana was sure that Daddy had put the little man up to asking the question, but nope, it was completely out of the blue.

Kids are great!

Could it Be?

Looks like we're actually gonna get some rain tonight!

Hallelujah!

It has been so hot here this week that I've been seeking refuge in the house whenever I can. I haven't even gone riding...well except for today when I took the hubby's bike over for its annual safety inspection. It's just entirely too hot, and humid! I shouldn't complain, though. My hubby talked to a buddy of his in Iraq today and he said the temps there are 130+. So when I start wanting to complain about the heat, I try to remind myself of what our military goes through, then I realize it's not so bad.

Yep, sounds like a good thunderstorm coming through. As long as it doesn't scare the kids into jumping out of bed and running downstairs, we'll be ok.

Another Kid Quote

I'm supposed to be finishing up a paper that is due for my class that ends tonight, but I needed a brief break. So I thought I'd put up another funny from my daughter.

We're eating dinner tonight and were talking about my sister's baby. I had mentioned that I'm not going to be keeping her this Thursday (I usually have her every Thursday and Friday) because they have a doctor's appointment (probably her well-baby check, but I didn't ask). So the kids asked me if I would still have her on Friday (they love getting to see her those two days every week), and I assured them that I would as far as I know. Then the following conversation took place between the Princess and myself. Remember...she just turned 7.

Princess: Mommy, when is the last week we're going to have the baby (my sister will be putting her in daycare some time in the not-too-distant future).

Me: Baby, I don't know. I told you last time you asked me that I didn't know.

Princess: That was a rhetorical question.

Hubby looked at me, and I looked at her.

Me: What? You don't even know what rhetorical means.

Princess: It means don't answer.

Hubby and I both just started laughing. Can't argue with that. As the hubby said, not only did she know the word, but she used it properly. She then says, "you always laugh at me when I say something wrong." We assured her that she didn't say anything wrong, that she actually had said it just right, which is part of why it was funny. Hubby then informs me, "that's YOUR daughter." Yep...she gets the brains from me! So glad he could admit it!

From the Mouths of Babes

My baby girl said something yesterday that really tickled my funny bone.

We were on our way over to Home Depot to get some plants and things for the yard (the hubby's been working out there all weekend). When we took the exit from the freeway, we drove right by Fayetteville's water tower.

The boy said, "look, Mommy, you can climb up the water tower" (referring, of course, to the stairs winding up there).

Then the Princess says, "yeah, that's how they get the water up there."

As if that wasn't funny enough, the hubby quipped, "yep, one bucket at a time."

I think I giggled about that one off and on for a good 10-15 minutes. Thinking about it still makes me giggle. The baby girl also noticed the "trap door" through which they put the water in.

Kid logic - I LOVE it!

Busy Day

I feel like I was running pretty much all day today, but I also feel like I got quite a bit accomplished.

After I dropped the kids off at the bus stop (about 7:15), I headed off to the gym. I'm going about three days a week now, the days I don't have my niece, which is lots better than I've been doing for the last several months. I'm feeling better about myself for it, too. Right now I'm just doing cardio when I go so I can get myself moving. I hope to start some weight training within the next week or two. I've also started eating better. If I can just keep up my motivation, I should finally be able to lose the weight I want to lose.

I came home and the hubby was having his breakfast before heading to work for the day. I was kind of surprised to catch him at home, since he's usually gone before I get home on the days I go to the gym. So I saw him off, had my breakfast and sat down to chill out a bit before getting my shower. I got a phone call from the guy who was coming to replace the windshield in my car, much earlier than I expected. The insurance company gave me a timeframe of 12-5 p.m., so imagine my surprise when he called just after 10 this morning! After getting directions to my house (this new part of the subdivision can't be found on Mapquest or similar programs), he told me he was on his way. So I hurried upstairs to jump in the shower and get dressed before he got here. He arrived sometime after 10:30, and had my windshield done by 11:30. Awesome!

I couldn't drive the car for about an hour after the windshield was replaced, and the hubby and I were pretty hungry for lunch, so I hopped on the bike and rode over to his office to meet him. We rode over to our favorite Sushi place for lunch (I figured that was a safe bet for my diet). That place is excellent! There's only been one thing there that I've been unimpressed with. It wasn't BAD, but it was bland and not nearly as good as everything else we've had.

After lunch, I rode home, got in the car, and took off to take care of some errands. I had to go over to the courthouse because when I tried to renew my tags on my car, I found out that there were still outstanding taxes on it. Since my car is titled in both of our names, I have to pay half the property tax on it (the hubby's half is exempt since he's military). Either my math was a bit off or I was a bit slow sending it in (remember my previous posts about procrastination?), because there was $4 and some change left over. Ooops!! So I went and took care of that and got the registration renewed before I had to meet the kids at the bus stop. Then the kids and I took off to get it inspected since it was due as well. We waited there for a while for them to get that done (amid complaints from the kids about being bored and thirsty...always fun), and then headed home. So my car is good for another year. The kids did their homework after we got home and I relaxed for a bit before getting dinner started.

After dinner, the kids helped me clean up the kitchen. They have asked me for a while to let them help load the dishwasher and such, but I've always just done it myself. Tonight, since they wanted to help so badly, I let them go to work. The baby girl rinsed the dishes and the boy loaded the dishwasher. I was putting leftovers in the fridge and doing other things while keeping an eye on them. He asked me a few times where to put certain things, and I'd guide him. I also showed him that he could sort of "stack" things on the top rack to make a bit more room, since he was putting them flat. Other than that, I really didn't have to rearrange much of anything. They were so enthusiastic about it. If only they'd keep that enthusiasm! Heck, if only they'd apply that same enthusiasm to keeping their own rooms clean! They were just tickled to have been such a big help to me in the kitchen, and honestly, I was tickled to have the help. They're great kids! Maybe I've done something right after all!

After they went to bed, I set to helping the hubby with his bike. It's also time to have it inspected. This is the one he had the accident with back in March. When he did the work to get it back up and running, we had to figure out how the front brake switch worked because we noticed the brake light was staying on all the time. I found out how it worked, and we got it working properly for our trip to D.C. in May, but I noticed when we were out riding the other day that his brake light was staying on all the time again. Before we went to D.C., we also noticed that the brake light wasn't illuminating when he used the rear brake, which we weren't too concerned about at the time, because we usually use both brakes. But we figured it would cause a problem for the safety inspection. So one of the things I was doing this evening was trying to find out how to help him fix that problem.

I did some research on the internet and found out how to fix the front brake switch (beyond the temporary fix we did a couple of months ago). I also found out where the rear brake switch was located on his motorcycle. So then we went out to find it and fix it. Turns out when he had his extended controls put on last year (some time in October I think), the shop that did it did not put the switch back together properly. Apparently, they got in a hurry and one of the prongs was bent so wasn't engaging properly. Once the hubby got in there and figured that out, we were able to get it working. I was quite proud of myself that I'd found the answer he needed to be able to help him fix the problem. I also got down there to see where the switch was so I'd know in the future, and would be more likely to be able to find it on mine, although mine's a little different.

After that, we came back in and I finished writing a paper that I've been procrastinating on (imagine that...ME procrastinating!). And now I'm just trying to relax a bit before it's time to hit the sack. But I'm rather satisfied with what I got accomplished today. I have a lot to do around the house that I didn't even touch today, but sometimes other things have to take priority!