I'm still here, I think.....

I have some excuses/reasons for not writing the last month or so, but none of them are going away any time soon. Softball season is in full swing for both of the oldest girls, meaning, practice or games most days a week! The younger kiddos couldn't be happier with 2 hours a day at the park. We are doing several home improvement/organization projects along with attempting the normal upkeep of 20 acres. Morel mushroom season is just around the corner and I am trying to prepare myself to being a mushroom widow for a couple of weeks. I can handle it as Paperman looks forward to this time of year and rarely comes home empty handed. We get to share with our friends and family PLUS eat from our freezer stash all winter long. Piano and dance recital preparations are underway and will happen in the next 3 weeks. I've started a revised plan of working out in the morning (Monday-Friday) which has been forcing me to go to bed earlier, except tonight, I couldn't sleep (this never happens!). Probably from thinking about all of the above. DS continues his daily whirlwind of activity and nearly draining me of energy. Meal planning has been slipping, but I would really love to get some more meals in the freezer to free up my afternoons for quality time with dd3. The next few months will be an experiment in being in two places at once, leaning on my friends and family and taking deep breaths. There it is in one rambling nutshell.

Swimming naked

It’s only when the tide goes out that you learn who’s been swimming naked.Warren Buffet

And the tide is on it's way out. I have posted about this blog previously, but www.trendydollar.com has some great reading. I won't copy anymore of her writing, but this quote and a movie literally sucked me in tonight "The Pursuit of Happyness" (this is really the way they spelled happiness...) really put things in perspective. Today was one of "those" days. The baskets of (clean) laundry, my sore neck, my captive cell phone, my tight jeans, the baby who didn't want to go to sleep and the messy entryway were all wearing on me, and my patience. I was a grump, then as Paperman was going to sleep and flipping through the channels one last time, I noticed the movie. Just reading the description and the 30 seconds he kept it on that channel made me know, I was staying up until midnight. All of the sudden, none of MY problems were so bad. I also owe MY babies an apology for being impatient at bedtime. In the movie he slept holding his son on the floor of a subway station bathroom, but still didn't lose HIS patience. Goodness, Heather. Every once in a while I need that eye opener. I got mine.

21 hours....

It sounds like a long time if your thinking of staying awake, riding a bike without stopping or being sick. It sounds like a very short time if your thinking vacation. That was the length of our midwinter getaway last week. It had been over 2 years since we'd been away for over 12 hours. It was enough time for us to remember what WE are all about when we aren't being double teamed at home. Time enough to eat 2 straight meals with conversation. Time enough to sleep until WE were ready to wake up. Time enough to shower without thinking about the septic system, the bathtub needing cleaned or having to wash the towels. Time enough to thoroughly relax and enjoy being together. Time enough to miss our kids and appreciate all they bring to our lives. Time enough to be totally grateful and indebted to all 3 families that had a part in caring for the kids and the dog. Little do they know, it was only a test....everything went so well we might just have to do this again!!

7 things I Love

I don't know why I picked 7....but just go with me on this one. There are the very obvious things, I tried to dig deeper.

Music....loud, when I can sing and pretend, hope and pray no one is listening! Like in the car, by myself. Does anyone else have the false sense of security that others can't see you behind the windows of your car. I am amazed at the power music has, to take you to a place you haven't been in many years, to bring a smile to your face or make you cry, to make you walk faster or want to go to sleep. I know this is not a new revelation, hence the mp3 revolution, but give me a break here, I'm trying to be philosophical.

Our neighbors....ever have one of "those" people in your life, we all have them. The song "find out who your friends are" was written about them...well we're lucky enough to have them a big strong stones throw away from us...about 1 minute from a phone call in the middle of the night, away from us. I can only try to list the phone calls I've made....my baby's not breathing right....I need eggs for the cookies.....I hear voices in my back yard....the garage is flooding....we're out of toilet paper for the birthday party...someone's arm hurts, they have a rock in their ear, they won't walk on their leg (fyi, they are paramedic, fireman, and rn wrapped up in one awesome package), the snowblower is broke and we just got 8 inches of snow (we didn't even have to ask on this one).... I try to have extra eggs on hand to repay all those favors, but goodness, I'm going to need to buy chickens. It's not only the things they do for us, but just their family in general that is a bright spot in our day. Thanks guys, never ever leave us, ok??????????

Soft sheets...I remember buying sheets for the first time and thinking, "like it really matters...sheets are sheets" now when I lay my weary old body on my 600 thread count softies, I realize...yep, it really matters.

Stetson... that's what Paperman wears, always has. nuff said.

My Sleeping Babies.... It's not what you're thinking...yep, they sleep, she's off the hook for a good 10 hours. It's the innocence, the renewing of their bodies and souls for another day of growing, learning and loving, it's all that it takes to make everything right with the world (mine anyway) to look at them so peaceful.

Sunsets and rainbows... One of my oldest and bestest friends and I used to have a saying whenever we saw a beautiful sunset.... "Wanna go?" That was over 20 years ago but I could still call her up, look out the window and utter those 2 words. She would respond "Sure!". I have passed this on to my kids too. Often we'll be driving and someone will say "LOOK!" with responses of "cool..." "wow" and in my head I hear "Wanna go??" We have also been known to jump in the van and chase the rainbow to get a better view.

The ice cream truck... yes, the prices and the music are both outrageous but they can't overshadow the pure excitement that rushes through this house with the faintest tune. Being willing to drop everything, grab a fistfull of cash and run down the lane (Paperman has been known to jump on the 4 wheeler with a kid or 2). It is ice cream, it is summertime and it is being able to give my kids everything they ever wanted (for those 5 minutes anyway).

Out of the mouths of babes...

Yesterday Paperman was reading a take home page from preschool to DD3. It was talking about the Savior being born. DD3 listened intently during the story then commented "Mrs. S has a Savior in her class." I had to think for a bit, then it hit me, (one of those "turn around and your shoulders shake trying to be quiet" incidents) the boy's name.....Xavier.

beep, beep, buzzzzz

Zoey, we really do love you, or else we wouldn't be doing this. We wouldn't be putting limits on where you can roam and run in this beautiful and interesting world we live in. We wouldn't have gotten you a new collar and transmitter to send you some not so pleasant messages to keep you safe and close to home. You are growing older, and braver and are just wandering too far for our comfort. It is fall and people are hunting and trapping and that is not good news for a pretty girl who loves mischief. So, you'll get some extra time with us, learning your new boundaries in the next few weeks and we should all be happy soon. Tonight you made us so proud staying in your "down" for 6 minutes! What a big girl. DD2 was just too tempting when she made that pass right beside you. I don't blame you at all, I like to play with her too. That's ok, we've got 4 more weeks until another training session and you'll make your 10 minute "down" assignment. Being good will have it's advantages. But I can guarantee you'll never get to take Paperman up on his offer to join him in bed. That's my spot Missy.

Fresh from the farm

Wednesday was chicken day. We had ordered 8 farm fresh, no antibiotic, free range chickens for our freezer. Paperman and I were both raised on this kind of chicken and whenever he eats (the other) chicken it's just not the same. Of course, I'm sure if his Mom made (the other) chicken it may be better! I stewed a 6 lb chicken today with salt/pepper/carrots/onion and celery. I covered it in water and let it simmer about an hour then sit in the broth for a while (it was still quite warm). I removed the bones and skin and came up with 2 gallons (!) broth with a lot of flavor and 6 cups of chicken. I packaged everything into quart ziploc bags and now have the fixens for chicken soup, chicken and dumplings or chicken and noodles anytime we want. yum.
At $2.25 a lb the chickens are a bit pricey compared to (the other) chicken but we should get at least 4 meals out of this one chicken by adding a few staples and veggies. Now I'll have to ration the remainder of the chickens as we won't be able to get more until July.

What were you doing 9 years ago?

October 28, 1999. My due date. I worked a short shift (dr's orders!), stopped at DQ for blizzards for Paperman and I then came home. We ate our ice cream (pumpkin pie for me and choc chip cookie dough for him) outside at the picnic table as it was a picture perfect fall day. We decided to go for a ride to see a friends' house he was building, back a long gravel (bumpy) lane. I guess it was bumpy enough...after we got home Paperman went hunting out back and I made supper of chicken breasts, green beans and apple crisp. Then I sat down to watch tv (I thought I remembered what show....). I felt a 'pop'. hmmm...then I thought I peed my pants, a little. (sorry) Nothing else felt different so I waited for Paperman to come back, about 1/2 hour later. He was telling me about his hunt and I kind of listened....then I told him, I think my water may have broke. So we ate supper (I paid for that later), finished packing some last minute things and headed to the hospital. On the way my contractions started. They continued to pick up but I was only feeling things in my back, nothing like I had imagined. I was around 3 cm when we got to the hospital. We got checked in, the contractions worsened, still only in my back....(from this point forward, for any of my children's births, if I say "contraction" it means BACK LABOR. I've had 4 kids, and not a single "regular" contraction....oh the things we miss out on.) I was the normal, stars in my eyes, first time Mom thinking I wanted to do a non medicated birth. That lasted a while, but I wasn't progressing much (around 6 cm at 1 am) and the only thing I was saying was "help me, help me...". I got an epidural and 20 minutes later I said I needed to push...they didn't believe me, but I did. So I pushed for about an hour and the dr came to check on me. She said she could use a vacuum to get her out now, or I could push for another 2 hours....(she had a c-section to do!). Fire up that vacuum! At 3:45 am on October 29, 1999 DD1 was born. Paperman is an awesome birth coach and maybe could become a doula if times get tough! In fact, I kept him on for the next 3 births. :) He got to call our parents, who didn't even know we were at the hospital, to tell them the news. My Dad was the first to meet DD1 as he stopped on his way to work a few hours after she was born. We brought her home on Halloween, a beautiful 80 degree day. Such a fitting beginning. I love you dd1, thank you for being part of my life and our family. You'll always be my #1 baby.

Bye Bye Betsy

Yep, we name lots of things around here. Even trucks. Paperman has owned "Betsy" (a 1987 ford f150) since 1988. That's half of his life. It was the first vehicle he purchased. It was what he was driving when we met. Betsy had served him well. Her speedometer was broken, wipers didn't work consistantly and she was rusty, but she still ran well. Until a year ago Paperman drove her back and forth to work on a regular basis to save miles on the "good" truck. After I did some wheelin and dealin' (mostly dealin' as we sold her for 1/2 of our starting price) she went to a teenage boy who does a lot of 'coon hunting. Perfect. The girls yelled "Bye Betsy" as they drove away. The best part of it all (besides the extra parking spot!) was when Paperman walked up to me and said "Here's your money." Gotta love him. My money. Is that grocery money for the next 3 weeks? Is that pedicure and shopping money? More than likely it will go into the general fund (as everything does). But I do hope for it to be Christmas money as we dislike greatly writing the check in January to pay the piper for November and December! That got me thinking, what can we sell next October??

4 little pumpkins

I assume most families do this as they head to the pumpkin patch... pick out pumpkins based on birth order of the children (add parents if they get pumpkins too). Ours worked out that way this year anyway. The kids had been asking for a week to carve them, and I wanted it done, but needed a chunk of time that I was feeling pretty caught up with things to make a mess of the kitchen! That was hard to find. So Sunday morning I promised they would be done before bedtime. Forward to 7 pm, finally, pumpkin carving time. This was not the best judgement on my part as we had spent the afternoon outside at a Halloween party (45 degrees and 30 mph winds!) then came home and worked in the yard (mowing and raking up locust tree pods). This tends to wear most anyone out, especially kids that have been up later than usual 2 nights in a row. I wasn't going to break my promise OR miss out on the first time Paperman was around for pumpkin carving. I usually use this as an activity to pass the time when he's gone. It's amazing how his presence can make any activity go more smoothly. Anyway, the kids did great cleaning out their pumpkins, ds really got into the whole process and we've got some cute decorations for the front step! Happy Halloween week!

Our newest addition...

How's that title to get all you naysayers going? (HA! I knew they weren't done. It's officially fall now, when will we hear? DS needs a brother, he really does. They still have one empty seat in that van of theirs, wonder when they'll fill that up?)

His name is Joe. As in Scarecrow Joe. Every scarecrow we've ever had has been named the same. Tradition or lack of originality, I guess. In years past we've went to Michael's and picked out just the right one, to sit in the rain and fade and look too shabby to put up next year. Attempting to be frugal, creative and find something for us to do this weekend, I went to the Internet searching for instructions. I found a fun website http://www.monkeysee.com/. It's a fun how-to website, with videos for those of us that learn by seeing not just reading. Then I went to the phone and called my parents. Not that they have a lot of old shabby clothes lying around waiting for some use, but hey, my Dad's a farmer, even though he lives on 1/10 of an acre. Once a farmer, always a farmer. He grows tomatoes now instead of cows and corn! And he has overalls. The girls did a great job stuffing Joe with leaves and drawing his face. We ran into trouble as everyone wanted to do his eyes, so we "drew sharpies". Paperman and I decided the eyes would be black, nose blue, and mouth green. Then the girls picked a lid, whoever got that color, drew that facial feature. Tears avoided. Joe is now placed on a bale of straw, with pumpkins and mums at his feet at the end of our driveway. He's also covered in cayenne pepper. Zoey would love to chew him up, but the cayenne worked to keep her our of our flowers this summer and we're hoping it will prolong Joe's life. Something I realized, this scarecrow, though wearing my Dad's clothing (except for the hat and kerchief), looks NOTHING like my dad. Maybe the clothes don't really make the man after all.

Odd but true...

Did you know?

Paperman and I both went to 1A schools (about 80 miles apart) that have football uniforms that are white with red lettering? (I know that because they were both featured on Friday night lights)

We both attended college for 1 year at a state school then transferred someplace else for "roughly" another year. (We're poster children for attending a community college, get your aa then figure out what you want to be when you grow up!!)

We both saw Bon Jovi and 38 Special in concert, though he was a freshman in college and I was in 8th grade.

In high school, Paperman wrestled, and BEAT the older boy who used to pick on me on the bus! Now, he works with his brother.

How you like those apples??? Just 4 more little known facts that prove we were destined to be together.

Fun with phonics

The scene: reading through dd2's "Friday folder" from school with help from dd3. I was showing her the work her sister had done at school the previous week. A sheet, obviously used to help dd2 continue to read the words she'd been reading for 2 years came up. It featured a picture of a writing utensil, below it dd2 wrote p-e-n. A picture of 3 males, dd2 wrote m-e-n. So on and so on. As dd3 is seeming to be in the "wanting to learn to read and spell stages" I was having her "help" me read the words by looking at the picture and sounding out the first letter of the word. Pen. Men. Next, a picture of the poultry that might say "Kentucky fried" above it.... word starts with an H - dd3 answer- of course, it's a H-i-c-k-e-n! I did one of those "look the other way and shake until tears roll down your cheeks" and said- "well, yes, good, but another word might be a hen." If you don't see the utmost humor with the above post, that's OK. Paperman just grinned politely as I was retelling the story, nearly falling off my chair. So then I called my sister, at least SHE laughed, nearly as hard as I did. Maybe you did have to be there.

Yellow tape

If you see our property surrounded by yellow (do not cross) tape, do not worry. It's just the health department doing a quarantine on our household for germs that just won't leave us alone! Go as far away as you can and come back in a week. We thought we were safe. Thought the worst was over. Thought we could have a weekend together as a family (it's only been a month!). Nope. Not happening. Paperman came home today in the middle of the day. I was excited for about 4 seconds (thinking they didn't need him at work and our weekend started early), he's sick. DD1 has very high confidence that her good health will continue. I'll go with her on that. We have her sleeping in the garage and bathing in rubbing alcohol. Just kidding. Get better soon Paperman, we love you and miss you when you can't go places with us!

Money....

How's that for a creative title? One word that conjures up a lot of feelings from excitement to frustration depending on what context it's used in. An unexpected bill...frustration? A sudden windfall...excitement? There is so much public talk about money right now, and I am no expert but here is a link to some one who is

http://www.daveramsey.com/etc/newsletters/company/092608.cfm?ectid=cnl0809_05


Dave Ramsey. In the link above he helped me, for the time being, put this "financial crisis" in a realistic mode. I do realize all in all, any of those who bring home paychecks, including Paperman, could lose their jobs. But don't panic. Dave Ramsey has also done a lot for a lot of people. Read around his site if you're interested. To be honest, I have not read any of his books, I have never listened to an entire radio show or podcast, but I consider myself a convert, by marriage. :) (Not that Paperman needed a radio talk show host/author to teach him to be frugal....) What has Dave done for us? He has given us the inspiration to be completely debt free (ie: no mortgage) (1) in a (short)time frame that still lets us live our lives (2). I'll explain the numbering system. Dave and Paperman came up with the first half of that sentence, I came up with the second half. It's all about compromise right? Not everything we do is "by the Dave Ramsey book" but our general debt philosophy is. So for now, Paperman still works his Heine off and I try to clothe and feed our family in a fiscally responsible way (Aldis, garage sales, Von Maur sales racks...), the 96 Concord keeps on ticking and I'll keep dreaming of the home addition. My favorite quote from Dave is "live like no one else, so later, you can live like no one else." I guess if everyone had bought into this saying ( bankers AND borrowers), there would be no financial crisis... (check out Iowa Geek and Green 3 to see some other very insightful money articles. You can find their blogs in my profile under blogs I follow.)