Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Opie


Isn't he cute?
Last night "someone" dropped him off on my back porch.
The reason I think he was dropped off is because when
I opened the door, he flew in the house, ran up my pants leg
and purred and purred and purred.
(He's also potty trained and I didn't train him!)
I tried to take him to the house by the park that has
1,236,544 cats, but the other cats hissed and spit
at him and he followed me back home like a puppy.
Then I tried my three neighbors across the street.
They all said "Oh, how cute!" and then slammed the door.
(Just kidding on the door slamming, but they all said no.)
Landon named him Opie.
So, last night Opie slept in Landon's room.
All night long.
I tried posting a picture and a "Help!"
 shout out on facebook, but no takers there either.
Then this morning I had a brainstorm.
My dad!!
The only person I know who is more softer than me
when it comes to animals, are my parents.
I called my dad, he said yes and I took him over there right away.
His older cat Annie wasn't happy.
At all.
So this morning when one of my dc parents, Sarah arrived,
(Sarah is an animal lover too!)
I asked her if she would like to take Opie.
I about fell over when she said yes!!
Now Opie will live out in the country
and have a great life chasing mice and butterflies.
Bless you Sarah!

Monday, June 28, 2010

Here Comes Peter Cotton Tail


Olivia stopped by to show us her new bunny!
Sweet Pea.
The perfect name, for the perfect bunny, for the perfect girl.

Strawberry Fields Forever....


Fresh strawberries from our garden!
(Thanks Nancy Jo!)

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Still Fishing...







Yesterday afternoon around 2:00
 Tim and Landon went fishing.
Around 8:00 I started to get a little worried
as I hadn't heard from them.
So I went out there to see if they were all right.
There they were.
Still fishing.



Shhhh....
No talking allowed!!


Such a sad sight.


.

Much nicer to look at.



Patiently waiting...


Tim caught one!


A very sad sunfish.


I have a feeling unless I take up fishing,
I won't be seeing much of my boys this summer.


Friday, June 25, 2010

A Special Surprise



Last night after Landon's ball game, he and his dad decided to go fishing.
I do not like to eat fish nor do I enjoy fishing.
The worm and hook thing really bothers me. I feel so bad for the worm.
 I also can hardly stand to look at the fish. Their eyes popping out,
hooks in their lips, gasping for air, tails flopping....
The whole process is just horrifying to me.
So, this old bird went to bed.
(BTW don't pay any attention to the "times" that my blogs are posted.
 Whenever the wind blows, my computer blinks and the clock sets itself
to whatever time it feels like. This happens at least three or four times a day.
I no longer bother to reset it. So, when you see a post that says 3:00 A.M.
you can rest assured that I am tucked up in my bed and fast asleep!)
Anyway....
This morning when I got up, I found my camera
and a few notes from Landon laying on the counter.







Mom, Look at the pictures!!!
Love, Landon



Morning.
3 Sunfish.
5 More sunfish for a meal this size.



This size.





One fish.




Three fish.




Guess who's cooking supper tonight?
(Hint....It's not me!!)



Thursday, June 24, 2010

I Love Drugs

O.k. not really, but man o' man the new one's that Landon are on are INCREDIBLE!!! Landon went to his new Dr. in Fargo on Tuesday. He was acting his normal self. He couldn't sit still and pay attention in other words. She said he had ADHD (But, we already knew that.) and gave him a new prescription. She also said that she has seen way worse, (That made me feel GOOD!) and that there was no need for counseling. (That made me feel GREAT!) She gave him a pill while he was still in the room with her. Within 30 minutes we had a brand new kid! WOW is all I can say. He is calm. Not drugged up or zombie like. Just calm. He is still very much an 8 year old boy, but I wouldn't want that to change, ever. He sat down beside me on the couch last night, looked up into my eyes and said,
 "Mom, I feel soooooo good!"
(Oh yeah, the tears were pouring out of my eyes by the buckets.)
Thank you Lord for answering my prayers. I owe you one.

P & W


Two of the greatest qualities in life are:
Patience & Wisdom.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Jingle Bells....Batman....

I am constantly shocked (not really) by the things Landon tells me he learned at school or from his friends. I remember all the terrible things I learned as a child and probably told my friends too, so I was "kinda" prepared for the school years. I just wasn't expecting it to all happen so early! Times have changed, baby. Times have certainly changed. Last week Landon told me he learned at Toss ball that if you hold up your middle finger, it's like saying all the bad words in the world at once. I have to admit I was holding my breath and was relieved that it wasn't any worse than it was. Then yesterday Landon was checking out a musical book that my southern girlfriend had sent us. The book was a Scooby Doo book and the music playing was Yankee Doodle. Landon started singing a totally different version. It was a really gross version. I won't even tell you what it was. I told him that was disgusting and that I didn't want to hear that song out of his mouth ever again! He told me to relax and that all the kids sing it that way. ( I suppose if I was more of a June Cleaver type I could have used that opportunity to say "Well, if all the kids jump off a cliff are you going to do it too?" I was thinking to myself, "Really? You're eight years old and telling me to relax???" I think I told that to my mom too, but I was at least 15...) Remember singing the Jingle Bells song when you were a kid? The batman version? That was tame. Life is a whole different ball game now folks. I could blame it on the "other kid's and their older siblings" or the t.v. shows that are on nowadays. iCarley, Josh and Drake....etc. But, the truth is, kids are always going to be thinking up gross, naughty, disgusting stuff. Always. Small town. Big town. Doesn't matter. As a Day Care provider, most of my dc kids are not in school yet. I see so much of myself as the way I was, in their parents. Wanting my little boy to be protected from all the bad things in the world for as long as I could. I wish I could tell them it will always be butterflies and bunnies and they will can keep the innocence of a two year old forever. But, it's just impossible. No matter how hard we wish. So, what's a mom to do? If we turn off the t.v. and tell them they can't hang out with this kid or that kid, then yes we are protecting them to an extent. But, on the other hand is it doing more harm than good? Are they going to be picked on because they haven't a clue about life or what the other kids are even talking about? This is a real fear of mine. I went to a "church school" for the first six years of my life. My parents left that particular church and I went to a public school in 7th grade. I was so green!!! I was so socially out of the loop it wasn't funny.  I didn't know any of the "cool" words. I didn't know anything about boys, when all the other girls my age already had several boyfriends under their belt. (When a boy asked me to "go steady" for the first time. I freaked out because I didn't really know what he meant and I told him I wasn't ready to get married. He never spoke to me again. I suppose I was a freak in his mind. Talk about green....)  I didn't know how to dress or act. "The church" didn't allow certain  foods/drinks, no meats, no alcohol, tobbaco, jewelry, (Not even a wedding band!), no dancing and movie theaters and t.v. were also a big no no. I felt so lost. My life was a small circle of church kids, my parents, brother and all our hobby farm animals. I had a good life, but I might as well have been Amish for all my "worldly" experiences. (We weren't.) But, luckily I became friends with a few cool girls and caught on real quick. Then I rebeled. Big time. I made up for all those lost years and gave my parents many, many grey hairs. I swore I would never "shelter" my kids from life like my parents did me. (I do want to say that my parents were wonderful parents, they were just caught up in that church for a time, and didn't know any better. I love them both very much and we have a great relationship. I turned out o.k. after all. I think.) So while I do want Landon to be exposed to the real world, I don't want him to grow up too fast. I want him to look back on his childhood and love every minute of it. Wishful thinking? Where do we draw the line? It's such a fine line. They say that parenting is the hardest job in the world. They got that right.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Nice People Make The World Go 'Round...

Yesterday the UPS man came to my door and handed me a huge heavy box. I wasn't expecting an order from anywhere, so the first thing I did was check the label to make sure it was suppose to be delivered to me. Yep. Had my name on it and everything. It was from a lady who lives in Florida, who now has one of my former jobs. (She has my most FAVORITE job that I ever had!) Inside the box were several books for my dc kids, playdough, a purple dragon snowglobe, a momma and baby bear figurine, the list goes on and on. The box felt like a bottomless box! Each item was carefully wrapped and packed. Unwrapping each item felt like Christmas!! But, what is truely amazing about the whole thing is, I've never met this lady in person! We have exchanged a few emails and are friends on Facebook. (She knew from my old boss that I used to have her job. That's how she found me on fb.) The fact that she took the time out of her own busy life, to find, purchase, pack and ship this box to me, makes me think she has got to be high on the list of  "the world's nicest people!" Imagine if everyone were to do nice things for other people "just because" and not because there was something in it for them.....what a wonderful world this would be.

Monday, June 21, 2010

My Little Fisherman










We had a working/family get away in Long Prairie last weekend.
Before I had to go to work on Saturday morning,
Tim and Landon wanted me to check out the
sweet little fishing spot they found.
I tried to get a picture of Landon catching a fish,
but they just weren't biting.
While I was working, Landon caught a little itty bitty fish,
and a huge moster of a fish!
Tim took the pictures.
They could hardly wait to show me
the pictures on the camera.
While I ooohed and aahhhed and listened to
the story of the huge fish being caught,
I happened to notice Landon was grinning a fishy grin.
He fessed up that the big fish was actually a dead one
they had found floating along the edge of the lake!
Now, that's a fish tale if I ever heard one!


Batter Up!






Crack!


1st Base!



2nd Base!!




3rd Base!!!





Home!!!!







Hat's off to you, Buckaroo!


Yes, he does wear many hats...

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Old Farmer Advice

Old Farmer Advice






 

Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.



Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.



Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.



A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.



Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.



Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.



Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.



Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.



It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.



You cannot unsay a cruel word.



Every path has a few puddles.



When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.



The best sermons are lived, not preached.



Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.



Don't judge folks by their relatives.



Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.



Live a good, honorable life..
Then when you get older and think back,
you'll enjoy it a second time.



Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none.



Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a Rain dance.



If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.



Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.



The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with,
watches you from the mirror every mornin'.



Always drink upstream from the herd.



Good judgment comes from experience,
and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.



Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.



If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence,
try orderin' somebody else's dog around..



Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply.


Speak kindly.

--



Tuesday, June 15, 2010

My Energizer Bunny

He just keeps going and going...
A few posts back we were exploring the world of natural remedies for Landon's hyperactivity. We had taken him off of his prescription meds (They were messing with his personality big time!) and were starting a new herbal remedy. I have a great faith in vitamins, minerals and herbs. I know a lot of people out there have had success with the natural route regarding their ailments whatever they may be. But for Landon, we might as well have been giving him plain water. It seemed to be working the first week and we were hopefully. However, after that, we were back to running the fastest speed on the treadmill. Constantly. It just didn't work. My friend Jackie said she wished she had a magic wand and could make it "all better." I do too. There is nothing in this world I want more than for Landon to experience calmness and peacefulness in his soul, mind and life. The fast rollercoaster ride that never ends in his mind is exhausting. We now have an appointment to see a Dr. in Fargo and get a "Proper Diagnoisis" and see what the next step is. I hope she has a magic wand.

D*et Update...

It really is a dirty word, isn't it? So, it's been just a little over two months into my diet now, and I am sad to report I've only lost another 2 pounds for a grand total of 9. It's ridiculous. The weather isn't helping either. (I know, any excuse will do.) But seriously, it has been raining or cold and windy almost everyday. So, the kids and I haven't been able to walk to the park at all! We did catch a break a couple of Mondays and was able to walk to the library for story time though. So my exercise is limited to 123,887 daily laps around the inside of my house. It's also summer. (Another good excuse!) How can you get through the summer without ice cream? I do have sugar free popcicles which are good, but some days nothing but ice cream will do. So, I am going to blame it on the lousy June weather. I know a hot July is just around the corner, so look out! (Yeah, right....) They should have a SLOWEST Loser show. I'd be the champ for sure. I still have 29 pounds to go to reach my goal. Ugh. I should be there by August.....2011.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Ladder Ball!


Got your ladder ball?

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Get a job!

A friend of mine emailed me one of those "surveys" the other day. You know the ones where you have to give three answers to all the questions. Well, one of the questions was "Name three jobs you've had in the past." Boy, oh boy.....I could have named 3,323,433! My parents didn't have a lot of money when I was growing up and while they certainly provided me with all the things I "needed," they couldn't provide all the things I "wanted." (Especially once I became a teenager!) So off to work I went. Happily. Not once did I ever resent it. I loved nothing more than getting a paycheck and running off to the mall. (Still do! Only now it's more Walmart than mall...)  My first job was in 4th grade. My best friend Teri and I rode our bikes all over Breckenridge delivering newspapers. After we moved to Florida, in the summer I would work two or three jobs where ever I could get hired. I got my first "real" job at 14 waitressing. Then came Burger King, Baskin Robins, A Meatloaf joint, (It went out of business before I even got my second pay check!) Mom and Pop's Doughnut shop, Mr. Doughnut, Flea Market, The Boardwalk, Holiday Harbour, Baby sitting... Because of all these jobs I was able to buy my first car at 15! (I had friends who were 18 who would ride with me.) A HUGE Green Army tank of a car. Monaco Dodge. You could fit six people in the back seat! Then after high school came... (I didn't go to college until I was 30!) Hawiian Tropic, (I sold suntan oil at the Daytona Beachside hotels. Now, that job was FUN!) ABC liquors, (Bartender) Avon and MaryKay, Matey's Brig, New York Pizza, The Bookstore/Gift Shop, Secretary, Telephone Solicitor (that was an interesting one!) The Investement Co.... These jobs allowed me to move out of my parents house after school and live on my own. I loved every minute of it!! Then came Winn Dixie. Winn Dixie is a major chain grocery store in the south. This is one of my woulda, coulda, shoulda jobs. I started out as a cashier and worked my way up to Head Bookeeper within four years. If I would have stayed and not continued on the path that takes me to the present, right now I would be retired with a very healthy retirement package. But, I left Winn Dixie to marry Charlie and together we owned and operated the Long Horn Tavern. When I left Charlie, I got the BEST job in the world at B&G Boat Trailers as the office manager. But, I missed Minnesota. (I still question my judgement when it's 20 below, but for the most part I am happy to be back.) So, home I came. What a shock the employment "opportunities" in Wheaton were! I did Citgo, State Bank, D'Bar.... But, I wasn't content and I was restless. I decided I needed to work for myself. I started my own Cleaning business and business was great! But, I was tired. That was hard work! I loved being my own boss and knew there was no way I could punch a clock ever again. So, I closed my cleaning business and I decided to start a Day Care business. Oh man, there is nothing like being your own boss or working from your home. Landon was two and I wanted to be home with him so the timing was perfect. But, after four years Landon was in school full time and I was getting antsy for the next thing. So, I started a Handbag business. I loved it!! (Still do!) I even took two years off from Day Care and did nothing but purse parties. Then the economy took a nose dive and I got scared and re-opened my Day Care and now I just do an event or two each month with my bags. I've got the best of both work worlds now (Babes and Bags) but yes, my mind still keeps turning and turning. I am sure it always will.  I talk a lot about wishing I could retire, but the truth is I would be bored. My mind says...."What next? What next?" I am content and settled for now and picture myself staying right where I am for a long time. But, don't be surprised ten years from now when you are cruising down the interstate.....looking up at the billboards....and you see my sweet smilng face looking down at you, telling you to...
"Buy Gurdie's Girdles! They're Great!!!"

Friday, June 11, 2010

Freebie Thrills

I did it again. Changed the template on my blog. Do you like it? I love change. Change is good! Especially changes that are free! Don't get me wrong. I'm no cheapskate. I love to spend money, but the freebie thrills are even better! Like getting new books, movies and magazines at the library every week, or finding a great dresser on the side of the road. (Now, that hasn't actually happened to me, but I know someone who it has happened too and they were happy!) Or bringing home a stray kitty (Like our cats Lucky and Clyde) But, the best one is re-arranging the furniture in my house. It's like getting a new house! I probably re-arrange my living room at least every three months. Drives Tim batty. But, he knows it makes me happy (and doesn't cost him anything!) so he puts up with it. There are a couple of ladies who live in Wahpeton who re-arrange furniture for a living. Seriously! All they do is come into your home and move your stuff around. They might take a chair out of your living room and put it in your bedroom. Or maybe take a table out of your kitchen and put it on your porch. Imagine that! It sounds like a dream job to me!
Hey, want me to come over?

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Ribfest!




The Nortons.
The Siegels.
Ribfest!



Ribs!



Beer!



And Hot Tubs!!



Security.



Race Em' N- Eat Em'!



I love this girl.
She asked me for my I.D.!!



Desperado's was pretty good.
 Porky's N Beans was even better!!



Phill Vassar



G'night Ya'll....






















Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Just A Little Rambling On About Nothing....

Funny how life comes in bunches. You're just cruising along doing your normal life routine and then...Bam! Bam! Bam! You've got 5,988 things to do in 2 days. The past week/weekend and the rest of this week has been that way for us. We were at so many events and had so many things to do, and yet I didn't get a single picture taken! There were a 1,001 kodak moments at the benefit (D'bar) and we went to Royalton to do a Purse Party for Tim's cousin Cindy. No pictures. I did get a few pictures of Landon at ball practice last night, but they had to play in the gym due to the rain and the pictures aren't that great. So, I will take more next week when they play outside. I am looking forward to going to Ribfest tonight with Jeff and Kay. I have never been and I love ribs, beer and good music! What more could I ask for? Tomorrow night one of my dc moms is having a pampered chef party. I am looking forward to that too. I love pampered chef. (Even though I am more of a rough short order cook.) I am really looking forward to the weekend as we have absolutely nothing planned. I have never in my life done "nothing," but I am sure I will find something to do. Usually when we do have those kind of weekends, by Sunday I am begging Tim to take us somewhere. (He hates that! He loves doing nothing weekends.) I don't care if it's just to get an ice cream cone and ride around town in the car. I love doing that. It's kinda silly, but it's cheap and fun entertainment. Last night we ran into (Not over, just into. Hee hee...) Monica and Isaac, Shaun and Lisa and their kids, and Todd and Joetta. So we stopped for a few seconds and chatted in the middle of the street in our cars. (That's a taste of small town livin' for ya!) It's a little hard for us with those do nothing weekends, because I've been home all week and by the weekend I'm ready to rock and roll! Whereas Tim has been out of the house all week and by the weekend he's ready to do a slow waltz. ZZZZzzzzzz...... I do know our grass needs to be mowed and my tired old body needs to jump in our local swimming pool at least once with Landon this weekend. We don't have another "nothing" weekend until July 31st, so I know I should make an attempt to at least kick back a little and enjoy it. If it rains, we are up the creek.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Wet Oatmeal Kisses

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook today. It touched me deeply, and yes I admit I cried. (And cried and cried....) I hope it touches you too.


WET OATMEAL KISSES


The baby is teething. The children are fighting.
Your husband just called and said, “Eat dinner without me.”
One of these days you’ll explode and shout to the kids,
“Why don’t you grow up and act your age?”
And they will.

Or, “You guys get outside and find yourselves something to do.
And don’t slam the door!”
And they don’t.

You’ll straighten their bedrooms all neat and tidy, toys displayed on the shelf hangers in the closet, animals caged. You’ll yell, “Now I want it to stay this way!”
And it will.

You will prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn’t had
all the olives picked out and a cake with no finger traces in the icing
and you’ll say, “Now THIS is a meal for company.”
And you will eat it alone.

You’ll yell, “I want complete privacy on the phone. No screaming. Do you hear me?”
And no one will answer.

No more plastic tablecloths stained with spaghetti.
No more dandelion bouquets.
No more iron-on patches.
No more wet, knotted shoelaces, muddy boots, or rubber bands for ponytails.
Imagine. A lipstick with a point.
No babysitter for New Year’s Eve, washing clothes only once a week.
No PTA meetings or silly school plays where your child is a tree.
No carpools, blaring stereos or forgotten lunch money.
No more Christmas presents made of library paste and toothpicks.
No more wet oatmeal kisses.
No more tooth fairy.
No more giggles in the dark, scraped knees to kiss or sticky fingers to clean.

Only a voice asking: “Why don’t you grow up?”
And the silence echoes: “I did.”



-Anonymous

No Girls Allowed!


Landon has been begging for years for a clubhouse.
So, yesterday he and his dad cleaned out one
of our old sheds behind the house.
(Landon thought it would go faster if he just
threw everything out the window!)
It's perfect!


Carpet, bean bag chairs, pillows,
fan, t.v. and fridge...
Hmmmm....
I think I might have to sneak out there too!




Ryder and Landon checked out the seats in the house.
I feel very honored.
I was invited into the clubhouse last night
 to watch a movie!
(Although, it might have just been a ploy to stay up later...)

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Now, What Was I Doing Again???

My short term memory is shot.
I honestly can't remember a thing. I have 123,232,333 notes
 posted on my calendar to help me keep track of everything.
If I lost my calendar, I would be up the creek.
Tell me something today and if I don't write it down,
chances are really good I won't remember it tomorrow.
My Grandma had dementia and I swear I have it too.
Yes, I know I am too young to have it now,
 but there is always the exception. 
I am constantly telling Tim to be prepared to take care of me,
because I am NOT going in a home!
He says he doesn't have to worry about it because
I won't know where I am anyway. Isn't he sweet?
So, a few weeks ago when I ordered Landon's "natural meds,"
(I will post more on that at a later date.)
I also ordered some memory drops for me.
Or so I thought.
I waited and waited and they never came.
So, I called the company and they said I never placed the order!
Guess I forgot.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

A Little Taste Of Heaven...



Honey Ham Sandwiches ~
Hot Buttered Corn On The Cob ~
And Ice Cold Juicy Watermelon!
Doesn't get any better than that folks!

Chahinkapa Zoo!






This is my favorite zoo in the whole wide world!
It's not too big, it's not too small,
it's just right!





Landon tried really hard to pet a duck.


Picnic in the park!

I could watch the monkeys all day.









Click on the picture for a close up.
He's sticking his tongue out at us!


Couldn't pet the ducks,
 so had to settle for petting the turtle.



He's so happy, he's smiling.


Gotta quarter?



Madagascar!



Happy! Happy!



Warm Fuzzies.


Hi.



Can you find the egg?


Peacock Pride!



Make a wish.....
or two or three...



Well, hi there...




Ya'll come back now. Ya hear?