The Bed

Okay ... this really isn't funny, but I have to tell someone about this.

Two months ago when we were deciding what to do about Meg's bed when we moved her out of the boys room ... we went bed shopping for her.  This was before we decided to use the antique bed that is a permanent fixture upstairs.

Anyway,  Von and I went to a bed store and we were looking at twin beds ... then moved on up to Queen size so she could grow into it and, well ... you know the story.  The salesman was really good.

We, meaning I ... spotted  the most awesome luxious bed I've ever seen.  The mattress was beautiful.  King size.  Plush.  Soft.  Memory foam.  Expensive.  No flip.  Exquisite.  Tall.  Almost need a ladder, and did I say very expensive.  It was way out of our budget ... plus we weren't shopping for us a bed, because we  do not need a bed, and we were on a mission for the princess.

We have a very nice comfortable Queen size pillow top that is to die for when you're really really tired.  Plus, our bed has sentimental value.  My water broke in that bed ... not only once, but twice in the night before our triplets were born.  Thus, we now have a very big and beautiful starburst stain right in the middle.  How could we possibly give that up?!

So I talked Von into laying on it ... and Von never makes a comotion in public, let alone would he EVER lay down on a bed in a busy store.  But he did.  Boots and all.  Then I laid on it.  Right beside him, and we giggled and he laughed, then he caught himself and got up before anyone saw us.

I have to admit .... I am the most compulsive person I know.  Von, on the other hand, is the most conservative person I've ever met ... and he never makes rash insane decisions, especially one that would involve a bed that is completely out of our league, especially when we don't need one.

So he wrote the check.  Only after I had him convinced that we would have so much more room.  He would never have to hang onto the edge again.  The main selling point to him was, if you can't keep them out ... make room for them.  Them, being the kids.  You see ... every single night they migrate to our bed.  We are totally unaware of it until all five of us are sweating like monkeys in a tin can from body heat and lack of room.  They've learned to get in the middle, after falling out several times, and before we gave in and put kids rails on our bed.  We really did.  .... They kick us and each other ... then they wake up fighting and we have to start all over.

So let's fast forward to now.  Last week, two months later, I had the bed delivered.  Keep in mind that I live in an old farmhouse with straight up narrow stairs.  Five years ago we had to have the bed hoisted up through a window because the queen box springs would not go up the stairs.  So, what made us think that a King deep box memory foam mattress would.  What possessed my rational husband to even remotely think that we could do this?

The bed people store sent two delivery men.  One being about 100 pounds soaking wet and the other being about 400 pounds that snorted when he breathed and whistled for lack of oxygen.  The skinny one gulped and the fat ones eyes bulged and turned red when they saw the narrow stairway.  But I had a plan.

"Hey Delivery Man ...  can you just bend that mattress a bit like a ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ and force it up those stairs ... and leave the plastic on it please, so it doesn't get dirty?"

They weren't thinking straight.  The fat man ended up on top and the little skinny guy was on bottom.  It is not supposed to work that way ... and they couldn't trade places.  The only way down for the fat man was to get the mattress to the top because he couldn't jump over it ... and he couldn't go around it.  So he tugged and pulled and tried to bend it, and he heaved and ho'ed and sweat was pouring off of him ... and I got worried.  The little skinny guy at the bottom of the stairs was pushing with all his might, and we weren't going anywhere, so I called Von to come home to try to figure out how to get the mattress unstuck from the stairwell.

Just as Von walked in and looked up at me looking over the wall .... the mattress gave, and the fat man fell back against the wall and gasped for air.  Yes, I'm a nurse ... but no way was I going to give that guy mouth to mouth if he needed it.  No way.

Now we have a new King sized bed in our room ... and it's total glory.  I'm on the hunt for the perfect comforter now ... and would you believe that the kids suddenly stopped getting in our bed at night. 

How'd we get our Queen bed down you ask ... we didn't.  We ended up giving it to Meg and did away with the antique bed in her room.  She sunk in the middle of the feather mattresses and they swallowed her up and she didn't like it.  So now, it's standing up again in the corner of her room.

As soon as I find that perfect comforter, I'll take some pictures to show you!

Viva Las Vegas!

Yes, we Ditched the Kids for Vegas. Last weekend I flew to Vegas to meet up with these ladies. It was wonderful to put voices, personalities and faces together, and I can't wait to see them all again next year on our "Back-To-Us" vacation. We came from coast to coast and you would never have thought that it was the first time that we all met up together.

Over the past three years, some of us that live close have met ... and others have traveled short distances to meet .... but this trip was for all of us to be together, and I am so happy that I went.

Having triplets brought us together. Being Mother's of Multiples and friends has kept us together. Over the past several years, we all ended up in an online triplet group, and our friendship grew.

Over the past several years we've experienced great support from one another. We've experienced heartache with losses of children, and we've rallied for each other through the tough times, and we've experienced miracles. ... and we've grown close. I'm proud to call these ladies my friends, and I love them.

I learned a lot from these women and I want to thank them for being who they are, and for being my friend.

Tanya M: I almost feel like your sister. We've had so many spontaneous and late night phone conversations. You were everything I thought you were. You're funny and witty and so full of life. I already knew you long before we met :)

June: It was great to share a room with you. You too, I felt like I knew so well. I envy your energy and your ability to keep it all together. Maybe someday I can be more like you and just go, do, and enjoy!

Sheri: Wow! What can I say ... you kept us all in order, and you are such a lady. I admire your faith. I can't wait until October when I come to Michigan and get to see you again.

Mandy: You have spunk Woman! I bet you could conquer the world in the very nicest way and still be so gracious. I'm in awe. I'm so glad we got to meet.

Sheryl: YOU. Surprised me. But what a very very nice surprise. I love your laugh and the fun that you ooze. Don't ever say that I didn't give you anything .... (it's a secret, right?)

Chris: You are a true Teacher and Leader. I have to say, you are so thoughtful, and your heart is as big as California. You keep us together.

Tracy: Oh Tracy! You sparkle and bubble .... and I love it! I'm still hearing your laughter, and I smile with the memories of our great weekend.

Eve: You are funny ... and so much fun to be around. You and your high heels! I'd have a broken neck if I tried to wear them ... and you just looked so beautiful in them .... and your red dress! Mario knows a good thing doesn't he?

Pam: In you, I have met a lifelong friend. Thank you for encouraging me. You are a very brave Woman that can move mountains with your faith. What a wonderful gift to have in life. You are so blessed!

Tanya B: It was great to meet you .... but I have to laugh when I think of you. You were MIA. A lot. I wish I had your indepence. I have no sense of direction .... I could never find myself around like you did, especially in Vegas.

Angela: You are drop dead gorgeous! How do you do it? I know, I know ... you have liquids! (makeup) ... but you really don't need any. At all. But mainly .... you're just as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. I'm so glad we got to meet.

Karen: You are the sweetest person I think I've met in a long time, and it was so wonderful to meet up in Chicago and fly into Vegas together. You are exactly as I had thought you would be. Honest and genuine. I can't wait to meet up again. I pray for your little angel Lauren, and I pray that your heartache eases, and that she'll always send you butterflies from Heaven.

Sabrina: What can I say that you don't already know. YOU, my friend, have a BIG BIG heart. It was the most wonderful feeling to hug you in person. It was hardest to say goodbye to you, but I know we'll meet up again next year. God put you in our triplet group for a reason, even though you have Quintuplets. He put us in your path to lift you up and help you, with love and friendship. I can't even imagine the pain of losing your three boys, but know that I will always be here for you when you need me. I also pray that God keeps Curt safe while he's deployed and this next year just whizzes by until he is back home with you and the girls.

Judy and Wedad: I wish you could have come too! You were there in our hearts. I know it's hard to make doable when you live on the other side of the world ... but maybe next year. (wishing).

Viva Las Vegas Ladies .... it was wonderful!

Love,

Tan

Date Night with My Boyfriends

Friday evening I picked up my little boyfriends and we went on a fabulous date.

You see, Juli and Kelcie had picked up Meg early in the day and they went shopping. They got BFF necklaces, went out to dinner, got new purses loaded with makeup and girly things .... and they strutted their stuff without my boyfriends!

SOOOOOO, I picked up my little guys and we headed to "Build a Bear" and met up with the girls.

I have to tell you that it was my first experience in that store .... and I've come to realize that when you have triplets, it ain't cheap! There wasn't a sign on the door that said, "Oh Honey ... you don't just buy the bear ... you buy it's beating heart, it's voice recorder, it's clothes, it's shoes, it's underwear (bikini), it's ribbon's for it's hair, it's necklace and it's toy for it's arm." Whew!

Four Kids + Four Furry Friends = a bit over $200.00. But, my little boyfriends are still in love with their new friends, and the girls are still rocking and singing with their Hannah Montana Bears! Juli got the worst end of the deal since Megan and Kelcie were her date for the evening!

Thanks Juli for footing the bill for Meg!

After a round on the horses, we ate at the mall and regrouped and headed off shopping!

Old Navy will never be the same .... and neither will I.

I realized that my kiddo's are way too sheltered when Meg walked up to a mannequin girl and talked to her. When the stylish little snob didn't talk back, Meg turned around and said to Kelcie in the most serious voice, "I do not think she is alive." Of course this drove Juli and I into leg-crossing hysteria as we laughed until we had tears, and after we caught our breath, we knew it was time to get out of Dodge and head for the sticks again!

It was fun to have a night out with my daughter. She's truly my best friend, and I love it that we have kids the same age and we can plan and do things together again.

What I didn't love was that my boyfriends got sleepy before our date was over and one had a meltdown over a piece of gum and the other one threw up in my car. NICE!

Jay

Dear Jay, 

You have many faces!  Yesterday evening I sat on the step and watched you and Sam play.  Every once in a while you looked up and glanced my way.  I played that game, "can I shoot faster than you can blink" because you don't like getting your picture taken anymore.  I've done you in with all my begging for one good shot.

Every once in a while you would look directly at me.  It was a game.  You knew I had my camera, and you were teasing me.  You're like that.  I love that.

 

You and Sam were having fun.  So much fun that when your Dad sees it .... you're probably going to be in trouble.

 

But you don't care.  It was all worth it to you because you were having fun.  Don't worry ... I'll cover your butt.

 

You're only a boy once .... and boys do boy things!

 

Then they grin about it and smile cheesy smiles for their Mom ... right Jay?

 

You are so cute and I love you so much!

Even when you and Sam go outside, pull all of the tools out of the garage, rework the yard that was just seeded, haul all of the straw away and make a big mud hole again.

I'll protect you ... and we'll tell your Dad that we don't know what happened.  Gremlins were here!

 

Cute little Gremlins!

 

and you did it all for HER!

 

Sammy the Dog!

Aunt Lou and the Auction

Today we went to an auction. It wasn't just any auction ... but Von's Aunt Lou's auction. So immediately I formed an attachment to everything I saw ... and I wanted everything that wasn't attached. I have to say that "Aunt Lou" was a wonderful lady, and she was Von's favorite Aunt, and she was an collector. Boy, was she a collector.

Aunt Lou and her husband had a couple of funeral homes before they retired ... and they had the most awesome chairs I've ever seen. I had photo shoot's in my head, and had some serious visions while standing there drooling. I was immediately snapped back to reality when Von told me in his most authoritative voice, "Don't even think about it!"

What started off as a little something to do today, turned out to be a fun fun fun (fun fun) day! All of Von's relatives and cousins were there and we were all bidding against each other. It was serious business! Some, like me ... were on a mission, and others didn't have it in them to bid against each other. Some knew what they were after ... and some (me) were impulsive and couldn't stand to lose.

Before we even got there, I was planning my catch. Being that I've never bid at an auction before and I didn't know how, I let a gorgeous pink crock pitcher (150.00) slip right through my hands. Let me tell you, I didn't make that mistake again. Being that I'm only five foot tall, I learned how to hold my number "147" high in the air, and keep it there. A couple of times, I was bidding against myself, but the good man in the booth let me know ... ha!

I didn't get the one thing I really wanted though. There was a little old red rocking chair that Aunt Lou had sat my babies in when they were little. I wanted it. So did Von's cousin. We went back and forth until that little chair was at 180.00, and when I saw the sick green look on his face ... I let him have it. I'm just kidding about running the price up. I really wanted that chair, but I knew that if I bought it at that price, I'd have to walk to home.

On impulse, I bought two very old quilts, a huge set of Pfaltzgraff dishes and accessories, a 30.00 fan that sells at Wal-Mart for 19.00, two old milk bottles, a king size bed (yes I did ... now what?), a 70.00 dollar Fiestaware pitcher that is on Ebay tonight for 27.00, more Fiestaware for another 60.00, a little table that I don't even know what it's for, and my favorite find was a little green metal teapot for 10.00.

I think it was at about that time when Von snatched my number away from me. .... and guess what? I figured out that I didn't need that little bit of paper with number 147 on it, because by then, the Auctioneer knew me. He knew me well!

You see, Aunt Lou left the bulk of her estate to her twenty-four first generation Nieces and Nephews. She was very very generous to us. Very. But I think she had an ulterior plan. She enabled all of us to have a fun day ... and she enabled all of us to buy her collections and a part of her life, when most everyone wouldn't have been able to do so otherwise.

Aunt Louise never had children of her own .... and she really loved her Nieces and Nephews. In return, they loved her too! We now have lots of bits and pieces of Aunt Lou throughout our house, and when Von is speaking to me again .... I'm sure he'll love them too!

Thanks Aunt Lou! Although we miss you, it was a wonderful day ... and I truly love all of my new treasures!

P.S. Hey cousin that bought that little red chair ... I really hope that you're not mad at me, and I really hope that you'll love it as much as I would have.

Their Inner Child and the Rocket

Tonight Von came home from the barn and said, "Want to go over to Don's and shoot off a Rocket?"
Huh?  A Rocket?  Is that safe for the kids?  Sure thing Sherlock ... let's go!

A little history:  I take it that these two .... the twins .... not the triplets, used to shoot off homemade rockets when they were younger, and the Inner Child spoke to Don when he saw one.  I'm presuming he just had to do it again ...or else, he thought the kids would love it.  Knowing how much he loves these kiddo's, he probably had them in mind.

So, the kids followed him out into the driveway and didn't understand a single thing that was going on.

 

Yes Kids .... this is the Rocket, and below is your Dad reading the instructions while your Uncle Don gets the Rocket ready. 

Can you tell he understands .... or is that complete puzzlement on his face!

.... and we're ready, and we're still ready .... and still ready!  Did I hear you say it takes batteries?

 It didn't used to be this way Von says .... it only took a match back in the good old days! 

Finally .... after the countdown, it shot off like a Rocket.  Straight up in the air.  It was pretty cool to watch how high it went, and how the wind carried it, as it fell across the road into a field. Tomorrow's mission is go find it.  It still has one more life.

Von talked about that little rocket all the way home (one road over) and all during dinner.  I think his inner child was pepped up a bit this evening.  It's funny how something from the past or childhood is fun to do again many years later.

Thanks Don for buying that Rocket!

Jump! Jump! Jump!

We have a new toy! Well .... almost! Last year we bought this trampoline from my sister ... who had bought it several years ago. She just never took it out of the box. So it's still a new toy ... but a new toy without instructions! That was the only missing in the box.

I've looked online, at Sam's Club, at Toys R Us and in several catalogs and magazines at Trampoline's to figure out how to put the darn thing together.

I think we have got it now! So in the next couple of days, we're going to put the net around it and let them JUMP, JUMP, JUMP! The plan is wear them out every evening and let them jump for a couple of hours right before bedtime!

I have a feeling that this little girl will get the most use out the new toy! She is IN LOVE with it!

Siekman Dairy Farms WINS BIG!

WE WON!  WE WON! ... and half of the team had to sit down and eat a "snackie" before they would participate!

Here's Sam up to bat with a little bit of help from Aunt Bonnie!  He wasn't really too thrilled to stand up there and hit the ball in front of everyone!

Yeah .... we really had to stand out there and play ball too!

 

Here's Jay coming in to home plate!  He scored!

Jay scored again while Sam scooted back to let him slide on in!

I know .... Mom shouldn't be jumping up and down on home plate with a big camera waiting for the kid to get there.  It is not cool!

.... and here they are after the game!  Right before they huddled and started putting dirt on each others head!

We really did win our first game!  By forfeit ... because the other team messed up and got the date wrong!

What really counted was that we had fun.  We had a great practice game amongst ourselves.  My kids, being that they are a threesome, are so shy they huddled ... and they fussed, and they wouldn't bat by themselves ... so Bonnie and I had to help them bat and then we scooted them on down the baseline.  They did run the bases by themselves and by the time it was over, they were really into the game! 

Next time ... we're getting our game on and winning for real!

Ball Practice (in the dark)

Right at dark last night we went over to Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Don's (home away from home because they're farmers too) so we could practice our T-Ball skills .... because we don't have any, and their first game is tonight. Plus, they had bought the kids a T-Ball pole and a new bat and we had to check it out.

Jay took the first swing ... and he is good! He can knock the ball "out there." We used the trees as the bases ... and they would run as fast as they could directly to SECOND base. It was so much fun watching them play and run.

I think that one flew right by you Sam! It's so funny because they would check the names on their mitts, and Sam would only hit HIS ball. Hopefully, they won't do that tonight at the real game!

Run Meg Run! It's more important to look pretty you know when you're a girl! I'm proud of her though .... she hit the ball and ran!

This is third base .... and Meg promptly fell right off face first! She sucked it up and only ended up with a few scratches on her leg.

Our Farm is sponsoring their T-Ball team this year and they have little red shirts and navy St. Louis Cardinal hats. They just look so stinkin' cute!

Okay everyone ... be chanting about 6:00 this evening! "Go Siekman Dairy Farms Go!"

Twin Stroller

My heart twinged yesterday when I found this in the back of Von's pickup truck along with my window boxes.  It too was labeled junk.  It's laid in the rafters of the garage for at least fifty years, and now it's being cast out.

I couldn't help myself as I pulled it from the pile and unfolded it, and locked the wheels into place.  The handle telescoped to just the right height as I pushed it across our backyard.  I debated whether to clean it up as I ran to get my camera.  It's still in perfect condition.  The fabric is still bright blue underneath the dirt, and the little wooden beads are still painted red, blue and yellow.  All the wheels still work and there is no rust on the metal frame.

My Mother in law used to push her babies in this stroller.  Many years ago, these little yellow seats used to hold my husband and his twin brother.  Their little chubby hands used to twirl those painted beads as she pushed them around.  It's amazing how things change ... and how time changes things. Fifty years ago was a long time ago, but not so long ago in one's mind.

I can just imgaine that at one time she parked them in this stroller right here in my yard, in this same spot, in front of the garden shed while she chatted and worked in the garden with her Mother-in-law. 

I can just imagine how lucky I would have been if my Mother-in-law was here when my babies were in their stroller, and how wonderful it would have been to have chatted with her in her garden.

For now, I kept the stroller.  I found it a new home  .... in the little garden shed that also has seen better days.  I wonder if years down the road if my Daughter-in-laws will be as sentimental as I am ... and will they keep my treasures from many years past.

Treasures of the Heart

This morning my spouse got a wild hair up his butt and decided to work on cleaning up the farm ... such as moving my beloved window boxes down to a burn pile, along with anything else that screamed the word JUNK to him. 

When I wildly ran out the door flailing my arms and yelling, "No! No!  Not my window boxes .... ", he just kept on driving!  Of course when I ran after him in an attempt to save my treasures, it dawned on me that I was barefooted and was running on gravel.  Not just just any gravel ... but rained on gravel that was mixed with barn mud.  Defeated, I hobbled back to the house and began wipe the cow poop from between my toes.

I loved those window boxes.  Granted, I only planted flowers in them the first year I put them up, about five years ago.  I had found the pattern for them on page forty-four, in a magazine that Von's Dad had given me a few years before .... and they looked so beautiful in the pictures, that I just had to have them.  I had them made and painted them with love ... and hired the neighbor man to put them up and I planted the most beautiful Petunia's in them. 

Of course, I didn't have a green thumb, and futhermore, I had even less time to water and prune and take care of flowers.  My excuse was that I had triplet babies, but the next year I would.  It was my dream ... I had visioned it while thumbing through that old magazine.

My window boxes were taken down a couple of months ago when we recontructed our kitchen, after I had made the executive decision to take out a wall of windows.  They were laid to rest on the ground next to our house by the Contractor .... and that's where they've been ever since.


The two sets of double windows that were directly above my beautiful window boxes are now gone ... and TODAY Von decided to tell me that he hadn't wanted those windows removed.  Well ... now's a fine time to tell me Lucille. 
 
I had to peek out the window to see want he was doing with my boxes ... and I watched him gently lay each one down, side by side on the ground.  He knows that later this evening I'll walk down the path to the old barn, and I'll dump the old dirt out, and carry my boxes back to where I have my other treasures that I've come up with since I've moved to this farm.
 
He knows that I'm a dreamer ... and I love magazines and pictures and have visions.  He knows that keeps me happy and keeps me here, and he knows that I'll always be that way ... and he knows that forty years from now, my window boxes will still be in that old barn along with all my other treasures of the Heart.

R.I.P. Whitey

Here lies Whitey! Well ... half of him anyway. His other half lies one road over in another freezer. He didn't even get a decent burial. He got butchered instead!

I don't know if you remember Whitey, but he was born on a Spring day almost two years ago. You can read about him here. He sure was a great little guy, and we loved him very much! Sadly, he grew up and one day he moved to Dewig's a few miles away. They certainly were not as good to him as we were here on the farm. Once there, he ended up in freezer paper and was stamped with the words STEAK across each package!

Almost everyday for the past two years, I have driven my Littles to preschool or daycare. Every morning we drive by the barn that housed Whitey. Then every evening we drove back by and waved to him while he was eating out in the pasture. Often, we'd sneak a few buckets of feed to him when the higher orders of the farm weren't looking. Not that they'd care, but we overfed Whitey and most of his siblings every chance we got. Here one day .... and gone the next! That's how it works when you have C.O.W. for a last name.




Today I thawed a few packages of Whitey ... and couldn't bring myself to cook him. Now I'm stuck with a freezer full of packages just like this one.

So tomorrow and the next day I'll drive up and down our road and watch my Littles stick their heads out the window and wave excitedly to the big black Bull out in the field, and I'll listen to their chatter about their friend Whitey.

Do I tell them? No ... because I'm a good Mom. Do I lie to them? Yes ... because as far as they're concerned ... Whitey just grew a lot and moved across the road!

I'm not sure I'll ever get used to this farm life. Steaks are supposed to come from IGA or Schnucks or Sam's Club .... or anywhere except our barn!

RIP Whitey Cow! You sure were a cute little guy!

Steaks anyone????

Purging Mission 101

Early last week I had a brain storm. I figured that if I could totally hire someone to come into my house to purge and organize room by room, I could have my entire house done in 10 working days and only cost me about $800.00. Sounds so worth it, eh? Yeah right ....

I dreamed and planned and put it all down on paper ... room by room. I visioned total organization including painting, waxing, windows and walls. Details. Complete details. I was planning a purging mission ... and it was going to feel good.

Of course I had to run my idea quickly by Marlboro Man ... and in my head, I knew this wasn't going to fly! So I took the plunge, showed him my plan, took a deep breath and didn't give him a chance to shoot me down. See, he thinks everything out ... completely. Me, I'm compulsive. Very ... to the extreme. I get an idea and it's a reality in a matter of minutes! Him ... he thinks and chews on everything for days, weeks or months. That drives me nuts. Just make a freaking decision!

So since I didn't get a answer from him by the next morning ... I acted on my idea! Boy did I act. I hired someone just like me. Someone that thinks and talks a mile a minute and has a high energy level. Trust me ... these two heads together couldn't do it for long ... but a short job we can do just fine. She needs the job ... I need the results! Even if it takes my whole paycheck. I can deal with broke until the next paycheck rolls around. What good is money if you can't buy something and have somewhere to put it?!

The mission began Wednesday. I got her started and I went to work ... My plan was to start off with the living room. It is perfect. All the toys got sorted out and what wasn't age appropriate (no matter how much they are loved) ... they were purged! Everything was washed down and put in it's place. I'm loving this purging mission. Of course MM isn't talking to me anymore ... but who cares ... I'm on a mission!

The next day she tackled the kids room ... every stitch of clothing in this house fits someone or it is GONE! Their closet is organized and hung by color. It was OUT with the old and in with the NEW! Seasonal things are organized and labeled. I just love it!

Monday she's going to pick and peel wallpaper because it's on my plan. I'll have paint by then and when I come home ... I'll have a new dining room!

Tuesday she'll move on to the living room upstairs. Wednesday it's my bedroom. (God I feel so sorry for her) Thursday it's bathroom day! Clean organize and paint. Friday is her day of rest ... and Lord knows she's going to need it.

So when she starts over the following Monday ... I'm hoping she's stored up all the energy she can muster because it's time to work on my office/junk room/work room/storage room/knee deep in CRAP room. This room will be a two day job. I can't even begin to tell you how bad it is! I swear I haven't seen the floor in this room for two years. At this point I can barely open the door enough to squeeze through sideways ... and all I can say is ... This is going to feel so good when it's done!

In my plan ... everything that I don't/won't/can't use will end up on my front porch in totes and bags. Of course, then I will have to have another day to go through everything to make sure it's purgable!

No ... MM isn't very happy with me. Not that he won't like the end result, but he would never spend that much money on an extreme home cleanover. Me ... I'm on a purging mission! Money is only money ... but cleanliness is next to Godliness ... and it's so deep in here, we are sinking!

Swim Lessons

Yesterday evening marked the first day of SWIM Lessons! Yes, my babies are now little kids and they are definitely big enough to venture out into the world and socialize with a bunch of other little squirts. In a pool. With strangers. Yep .. that's how it works. Every Monday and Wednesday from now on ... I'll be throwing them in the pool and walking away to sit with all the other Mom's who are feverishly watching through the big plate glass window.

Let's just say it all started off with a bang. They were so excited they danced around me as we walked into the high school to find the pool. They willingly put on their swim suits. Of course the boys wouldn't take off their underwear ... and in the end, that was the downfall.

After I guided (dragged) them through the crowd to the pool, they noticed that I was not wearing a swimsuit and they immediately knew that I was not getting into the pool with them. They clung to me like monkeys in a tree and I peeled them off me like an over ripe Banana ... six legs and six arms at a time, and handed them to a total stranger.

I could feel every eye on me in the place ... and I knew it would be this way, and I was prepared. I made sure I had every hair in place and my makeup was just perfect and I hid my frazzled look well!

Amazingly, they did well. Of course they clung to their stranger for dear life in the water ... and once I even saw them smile as they dog paddled around for the spongy balls that floated near.

THEN ... as quick as it started, it was over and I towel dried my babies and told them how wonderful they were and how proud I was of them. We headed to the restroom (where 20 other wet kids were) to get dressed and go home ... and the realization hit Jay that his underwear were wet and I didn't have a dry pair with me.

It didn't matter that he stood there naked in front of his peers. It didn't matter that all eyes were upon me and total silence overcame the room. It didn't matter. He needed dry underwear. He wasn't rationale. He wasn't coherent. He was in total oblivion to his surroundings, and he fought me tooth and nail while trying to put his pants on. Even when another Mother handed me her son's gently worn underwear ... for they were dry and that was our problem. It didn't matter ... because they weren't weren't like his, and he was beyond anything that I could do at that moment to make it better.

So I did the only thing I could do while trying to herd a set of three out of there. I wrapped a towel around his naked bottom and hoisted him up and walked towards the door with the other two dragging our belongings behind them. Yes, they all starred at me as I sat him down at the door and walked through. Yes, their mouths fell open when I plopped him on his bare bottom and walked out.

I'm sure we were a sight as we searched for my car in the parking lot ... three kids in tow .. and one was barefoot and naked from the waist down. But we were on a mission ... and again, they followed me and danced around my legs ... only this time, it wasn't as pretty and they weren't as happy, and I didn't care ... because we were homeward bound.

Yes, I'll go back Wednesday and we'll do this all over again ... only this time I will have a trunk full of Scooby-Doo underwear all warm and ready. Yes, my kids will learn to swim this summer ... and yes, I'm sure that I will take the word Dignity to new heights ....

I Think I'm Fired ...

Well .... it's day two of the kitchen remodel, contractor people, mess, chaos (can't have anyone over syndrone) and I'm not faring as well as I was yesterday.

Yes, it's still early in the day and things aren't going so well for me.  My expertise is not carpentry as I had thought it was earlier this morning.  I've only chimed in twice so far and gave my opinion ... and I really don't think it was well received.  So I'll just stay out of the kitchen space with my camera until THEY leave.

I don't think they wanted me in there anyway.  I went to pee and when I came back there was a big gray canvas curtain covering the entire eight foot opening!  I got their drift .... loud and clear!  So now I'll just be going to work and be right on my merry way .. right after I finish this!

MM bailed out on me and hit the road right when they got here, and left me to fend for myself.  My first question to the guys went something like this, "Ummmm, the new window doesn't have a screen????"

I noticed that all three guys looked at each other, then at me, then back to the Boss!  He nonchalantly said, "Oh we can order one for you."

Then I had to point out that I didn't see a spot for a screen, and that I HAVE to have a screen because we have a barn with cows right on the other side of the driveway and all the flies in Gibson County hang out here in the Summer.  If I don't have a screen, then I can never open the window!  Then in the nicest voice I could muster up ... I ask him, "you won't have to exchange that window will you?"  Point.

A little history:  Two different times I had ask if I needed to go pick out my own window.  It's a woman thing you know!

Then about 10 minutes later I heard the buzzing of saws and I just had to check out what they were doing.  I'm curious you know.  We had already discussed the layout of the recessed lighting and where I wanted them to be.  There were four perfect little circles in just the perfect places ... except I noticed that they were a little close to the wall, and it hit me .... Are they a tad bit too close to where the crown molding will be?  So I ask the question, after I secretly snuck off to the bathroom to call Lowes and ask how far out the crown will come.

I swear I wasn't smug when I announced that 14.5 inches away from the wall would probably butt up against or lap over the canned rings wouldn't it?  That wouldn't look very pretty now would it.  I did tell him that I really wasn't very picky, but I sure would hate for him to have to redo the entire lighting ... it's easier to fix that now than have to redo the entire thing ... after all, at this point there is only four circles cut in the ceiling!  Yikes!

(Whew ... good thing I noticed that!)

So the decision was made to just go ahead and replace the entire ceiling with new drywall since those holes won't work.

(I sure am glad we have a proposal instead of paying Mr. Contractor by the hour.)

I'm going on to work now since I can tell that they don't want to talk to me anymore and they can't cuss in front of me because I can tell they're very nice men.

So, tonight when I get home, I've got to figure out exactly where I want the electrical outlets to be and how I'm going to decorate.  I certainly can't have a plug-in interferring with my decor!

However, I do have a plan.  In all this mess, I found a black permanent marker and I'm just going to draw my plan on the walls in there with a picture of a outlet with a line through it.

Think they'll get my drift or just ask me to come back next Monday?

Kitchen "Day One" (plus some cute kids)

Bright and early this morning the kids were on watch .... and when the Contractors pulled in with their trucks and trailers and all their supplies, my kids were absolutely ecstatic. This was a first for them! Now I'm wondering how in the world I am going to survive this week!

Jay had his Binocular's out and was watching them as they started carrying tools and dry wall, boards, drills and hammers into our house.

Our appliances, new and old are in the dining room. The table is shoved up against a wall and the walls are stacked with a lifetime full of kitchen stuff. Where in the world did I get all this stuff!

Our living room is walking room only for all the totes of pots and pans, dishes and utensils that are stacked every where. Why do I need two Wok's and three electric skillets and a couple of crock pots? I have dishes from my Mother, Von's Mother, my Grandmother, his Grandmother and my own collection of oddballs. I have every day dishes, good dishes, and my Fiestaware dishes that are totally off limits.

Don't even get me started on Tupperware, Rubbermaid and Butter bowls ... and all the lids that couldn't possibly have had a matching bowl for the past two decades .... and I've only lived in this house for eight years!

In my opinion, we couldn't have picked a better contractor. He's as nice as can be ... and works fast and counts for every minute. In less than an hour, my old cabinets were gone!

These two guys are his helpers. They told me to tell you that they're both single and "looking." Ha! The young dude on the left is a whiz bang at texting and hammering at the same time! Anyone want his number??

This is the only part that makes me kind of sad to see go. For some silly reason, I loved this old corner cabinet. Even though I never knew the Grandmothers that lived here before me ... I kind of pictured in my mind that this was their spice cabinet. I like the old beadboard that it was made of, and I like the shine of the old varnish on it. So I had them to save it ... and I have it all in one piece with all the little shelves that were in it ... and maybe, just maybe ... I can talk MM into putting it back up on our closed back porch! So give him some blog love and tell him to get with it!

The double windows on both ends are now gone as I type this and they're starting to box it in .... by tomorrow it will be a whole new room!

Oh yeah, look at this guy below. His last years suit fell out of the ceiling when they took out the old soffet over the cabinets .... he sure was a big ole guy ... and I'm hoping he's moved on down to the neighbor's house by now!

I'm sure he thought it was morally and ethically wrong, and I'm sure it was totally against my husbands will, but I had to insist that he give me a bit of help this morning before the crew got here. For forty-five minutes straight ... we cleared my kichen and I was under my estimated time of one hour! I am good B.A.B.Y!

I call it skill .... he calls it procrastination!

D - Day

Tomorrow is the day ... for destruction and demolition of our kitchen. 

I am NOT ready for this.  I've waited a long time and now the day is here and I need another day to "get with it" and be ready.

My Job:  clean out the cabinets, put everything in totes, take down the blinds, curtains, shelves, "pretties" ... and pretty much clear out EVERYTHING!  I also have to sort what I will need over the next three to four weeks, and what I won't need until everything is completed.

Here is it almost midnight and the only thing I've got done is to divide the silverware and utensils and put them into three small totes.  I have six extra large totes lined up in the dining room to start loading ... BUT

I've eyeballed it ... and I think I can do it in ONE HOUR!  So I'm going to bed and I'll get up really early in the morning and get with it!  What can I say .... I work well under pressure!  Ha! 

Now that we're down to the last few hours before the crew arrives to makeover my kitchen ... I've decided that I want to flip flop the long wall and change things up again!  It ain't happening says MM!

(I'll make sure I get some good pictures of the demolition, and some before pics of the kitchen). 

Dear Meg - "Can I Smell your Butt?"

Dear Meg,

Today you're four and all wrapped up in meanness as you grow into this world. This letter to you is for when you're forty-four, have children or possibly grandchildren ... and when you think there is no way that they can embarrass you ... I want them to have read this and give it their best shot!

Today, we were at Best Buy. We had to pay for appliances ... and you can't just do that in the Refrigerator, Stove and Freezer department. No, we had to get the prices, the paperwork ... and go to customer service.

For thirty minutes, we had to go to customer service. In the line that everyone else in the store was in ... the one where at least sixty-seven people stood with their paperwork in hand and not happy to be there.

Did we know that it would take that long? No. Did we know that you three would get bored and show your butt? Yes. But we were in the middle of the line with half the people in front of us ... and the disgruntled half behind us.

For entertainment, the three of you climbed up and laid down side by side on a stack of "guitar heroes" ... and you pretended to go to sleep and you pretended snoring ... and yes, it was kind of cute in a kid sort of way. Then suddenly you began to fight ... and Jay rolled you off onto the floor and you got up and shoved him and we had to separate you. THEN, you did it.

When you had everyone's attention that stood in that line, you said, "Ewwww Mom ... did you fart? Can I smell your butt?" ...... and I wanted to choke you and rip your tongue out of your mouth and put it in my pocket until we left the store. ... and not only did you say it, you did it. You sniffed and snorted and gagged and choked and danced circles around me while I was trying to get your attention to shut you up.

... and yes sister, you got your brothers attention as well ... and yes, you got them to join in, and I wanted to drag the three of you across the floor and out the door through the snowy parking lot and throw you in the van. Did I? No ... and only because we were going to be next in line.

So Meg ... down the road when I'm long gone from this earth, I'll be watching over you from Heaven and I'll be sending vibes to your children or grandchildren, and I hope they do the same thing to you. Even though you'll not remember doing this as a kid ... you will someday read these words, and I'm sure you'll laugh and get the biggest kick out of it ... probably as much as you did today!


Afterall, this is why I blog ... kind of like a time capsule ... only it's not buried, it's here, and it's real ... your real life!

Love,

Mom

Panic on the Farm

Being that I can't keep a secret for the life of me and I love to talk ... I have to tattle on myself about today's happenings.

Late this morning I was putting dishes away in the kitchen and I kept hearing this weird cracking noise.  It was consistent and baffling and loud enough that I could track it down.  It came from within my pantry ... and from within the circuit breaker box.

Instant panic rose up in me, and all I could think about was saving my children.  Every thing and every scenario of my emergency plan played out in my head as I called Von on the phone and told him the circuit breaker box was cracking and sizzling.  I saw in my head that my house could explode or burn down before I could get my kids out ... the fear almost paralyzed me, but I knew their innocent lives were in my hands and I could keep myself together.

He was vaccinating cows at one of the barns down the road, and I was alone in the house with three four year old's.  They weren't dressed, and didn't have shoes on and it was snowy and icy outside and I knew I could not carry all three of them out of the house by myself.

I could hear him becoming short of breath as he was running to his truck to come home.  He'd told me to stay by the box and watch what happened.  No, I couldn't smell heat, and no, I didn't see fire ... and yes, it was still making that noise.  In the end, I couldn't just stand by that box.


The panic in my voice was evident to these little kids as I ordered them to get their boots on, and in between running to get their coats, and watching the breaker box ... they did what I told them to do.  They stood in a line at the back door, flattened against the wall and waited for the emergency that I was telling them was happening.  They didn't cry ... they just stood there with big eyes and were ready to run.

Within a couple of minutes of my phone call, Von came home.  As he listened to the box, I could the see the fear in his eyes ... when suddenly he said to me, "listen and tell me if it stops" ... then he went outside.  Within seconds, the noise stopped ... then started again.

As he came back through the door, all the fear that I had previously seen was gone from his face.

Then he said to me ....  "that noise is coming from the icicles that are melting off the gutter".

Then I said, "I knew that! I was just practicing my emergency evacuation plan .... and you passed!"



Well .... I really didn't say that ... but I did give a sick little laugh before I almost passed out  .... and told the kids that the coast was clear!

Snow and Ice

Yesterday was the first day I was out and about after a cruel Snow and Ice Storm pelted the mid-west. We got layers of snow and ice, then about 8 - 10 inches of Snow on top. Yes, it was beautiful, but the destruction it bought with it was pretty cruel.

I worked yesterday, and as I drove through the city I shot a few pictures through the windshield of my car. Trees were broken and down in most every yard I passed.

Limb and power lines were still falling ... but that was only what people could see on the outside. Countless people and families are still without electricity.

What most of us with electricity and shelter don't know or think about, is the many people that are in hotels or shelters ... and some of those people are severely disabled. Severely disabled and sharing a room with three or four others in their same situation, along with their caregivers.

It was very eye opening to me ... and even though I do a drug exchange monthly in group homes, seeing these young adults outside of their comfort zone, and outside of what is their normal left me very shaken. It was very hard ... both for them and me, and they have my prayers.

Yes, the ice and snow on the trees are beautiful ... but what's behind the scene is unknown unless you're living it.

I stood in the lobby of a very well known hotel yesterday as a thin worn out woman came in and ask for a room for her eighty-nine year old Father. She had come from Madisonville, KY to Evansville in hopes of finding a warm room to take care of her Father. They told her there were no rooms available and they were suggesting she drive as far away as Terre Haute, Indiana.

When I saw the tears and the defeat in her eyes, I had to step forward. I ask the Manager that was talking to her if it would be possible to bunk up some of the employees and their children that were staying there. I told her that my sister was a Chef at the Hilton Inn across the street and I knew that in order to keep the hotel running they were providing rooms for their staff and that the parents and kids were in separate rooms. I ask her if they were doing the same thing and if they could give this woman a room. I also said that if she could not or would not, I would call my sister across the street and ask her to give up her room and bunk with her teenage son.

What I really wanted to say was that I would love to call the TV station and ask them to ask the Hotel to give the woman and man a room ... but that was just the thought that crossed my mind. For a second or two, I felt like I was in a stand-off with that manager and she was waiting to see if I was going to back down. I couldn't ... it just isn't in me.

So ... thank you to the Drury Inn in Evansville, Indiana for doing the right thing. Even though I'm a nobody ... I'm proud of you, and I slept better last night knowing that an old man was warm and being taken care of.