Charlyn’s Web

Finally! Hans’ front tooth came out! It was hanging there by a thread when it was knocked out while playing this morning. He wasn’t sure if it was the Brute or KJ who did the final deed but it’s done! No more loose teeth for the moment.

Our thanks to Rachel and Devin for getting him to work on it so much on Friday night. The adult tooth looks to be about half way in and the baby tooth just didn’t seem to be getting any loser until then. Hans tends to be a weanie (did I say that?) and didn’t want us to pull it.

Only 18 more to go.

What is it with the time change and kid’s internal clocks?

One would expect that kids that normally get up about 6:45 AM would sleep until 7:45 with day light savings time.  Especially, when they went to bed late- or was it the normal time?   But that would be false thinking because we are dealing with children and that mysterious internal clock that goes off anytime there is a threat of sleeping in.  Or of letting the parents sleep in.  They continue to get up at what the clock says is the “normal” time- as in 6:45.  Which by my not-yet-adjusted belly clock is 5:45.

Then the whining and crying starts because of sleep deprivation.  I know, an adult should have more self control.  Maybe the kids should send me to my room.

Please.

We had friends over for dinner last night. Mind you, I don’t do the Martha Stewart Style of entertaining! I try to get the house reasonably clean, good food (I hope) and conversation. I don’t garnish things but put them in serving dishes instead of leaving them in their pots. My main goal is to get together with people and enjoy them and try not to get caught up in how “perfect” things “should” be.

We had everything picked up and vacuumed on Thursday. Friday became the challenge to keep everything looking decent. The Girls have become especially messy lately. They will have a picnic on a blanket in the living room, the books spread all over every place, and the stuffed animals all over the family room in no time flat. KJ is good about picking up but TG is still in avoidance. The mess was really threatening to get out of hand Friday afternoon. The Girls didn’t nap and were up with lots of time on their hands. KJ ended up getting sent to her room for sassing me when I told them to pick up the blankets that were being made into a fort. She stomped her little indignant foot and shouted “NO!”. She was to stay in her room until her Father got home, which did end up being longer than I thought. When we opened the door to let her out she was asleep on the floot. Which was not a bad thing.

We had Arroz con Pollo (it was left in it’s pan because there was so much of it),beans, salad, homemade salsa and guacamole. Turned out yummy, if I may say so. I made a “Gypsy’s Arm” for dessert. Very good. I used the strawberry jam instead of the guava.

Rachel, who wants to be a dental assistant, helped Hans get the last loose tooth to loosen up even more but didn’t get it out. She kept encouraging him to move it around. There was talk of pulling it but Hans wasn’t the one doing the talking. He did say that his Papa could pull it today. We’ll see.

Lots of talk. Thanks for listening Dawn!

Stayed up late, even the kids. TG went to bed at a reasonable time because she hadn’t napped but the other two stayed up very late. All the kids woke up at their normal time, why is that? So I am up trying to keep things quiet while Brett gets a little more sleep. Naps sound real good right now.

Icing on the cake? Phone call from Boo Boo. Good to hear your voice. Four more weeks!

Henry: Bathroom at one end of the house by three bedrooms. So named because I got tired of calling it “The Boy’s” bathroom because, someday, all three kids will room at that end.

Black Ear: Master Bathroom. That’s what it sounds like when KJ says it- I think she means “back here”.

Now you know, if you ever visit.

Brett received a phone call last night from an acquaintance asking him to play and sing at a funeral today at 10 AM!   Talk about short notice, although funerals don’t normally give advance notice.  He thought about it and decided to do it.  It was at the little church about 3 miles from here.  We can see it from the house so the commute wasn’t far.  The problem was that he had planned on going in to town early to get his blood drawn for a cholesterol check before his doctor’s appointment next week.  He needed to fast for it.  He went in early, ate, ran a few errands and then came back home before heading to the church.

He said the lady sounded like she was a lot of fun and that things went well.  He saw a few people we knew and met the new pastor at Pilot Rock.

Since it’s a burn day, he is doing that and then, after lunch, will head back into work.

We have company coming tonight for dinner, hope they don’t forget!  I’m fixing Arroz con Pollo, guacamole, my not so famous salsa and beans.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

I had the least, Brett had the most at 5 and the kids were really low too. I guess we don’t have real common names. If I use my maiden name, which is the 26th  most common family name , then there are 3 of me in the USA.

 Saturday started out pretty relaxed but with the idea that things needed to be done because a family from church, the Burtons, was coming over for dinner.  I saw them on Wednesday and forgot to remind them so I called on Saturday morning.  Ooops.  She had forgotten and invited their neighbors over for the evening.  They felt pretty bad but I was ok with it- didn’t take as much work to clean up for it.  We had garlicky rotisserie chicken anyway and it was yummy!  They gave me some pansies as a peace offering.

It was Potluck Sunday at church.  Always a popular event, even if when we get home Kirsten is asking “what’s for lunch?”  I guess potluck isn’t a meal.  The girls ate well this time, not too many snacks in the nursery, I guess.  One of the ladies left her lights on and ran down her battery so there was a little excitement there, mainly because no one had jumper cables with them.  Even Brett had taken ours out when he hauled some stuff around in the Suburban.  We had the Suburban because the car wouldn’t start again.

Speaking of the car;  Brett had left it plugged in on Sunday so after we got home we started it up with the hair dryer and took a long drive to Ukiah.  Oregon,  not California.  It’s  not a thriving metropolis by any means but it is the little town where Brett graduated from  high school.  Pretty drive and about long enough to finish off the tank of fuel.  Hans stayed with the Burton’s to play with Micheal and I had left my purse and Hans’ jacket  at church so we picked that up and dropped off the jacket and a pair of sneakers at Burton’s before taking  off.  The girls slept all the way up, which was good as we stopped several times to take photos and backed up to get better views.  We didn’t have to worry about the Weak Stomached One when she was sleeping.  Made it back without any mishaps too.  Ate a light supper at Burton’s, we had planned on getting home to eat left overs but they insisted.  Had a nice visit.   Although the car still didn’t need to be fueled up, Brett wanted to get it pretty low.  It got pretty good fuel economy on that tank! Of course, the one we want to use up quickly!

I know Monday is not part of the weekend but I thought I’d continue with the car stuff.  The kids and I went into town on Monday for a home school field trip to the fire station.  I am getting good at starting the car with the hair dryer.  The reserve light finally came on so the fuel was getting low.  The Fire Station tour was fun.  The kids stuck to me like glue for part of it but Kirsten was getting adventurous at the end and seemed to enjoy it.  She told Brett all about it when we dropped off his thermos full of coffee and then wanted to dress up like a fireman when we got home.  I had a Taste of Home Cooking School (demonstration really) to go to that evening.  So after naps (everyone but Hans) we loaded back up, didn’t need the hair dryer this time, and met Brett at his work to trade rigs.  I wasn’t going to try and get the car started after it was sitting for 5 hours in the cold and dark on the street!  He filled up the car on the way home.

Tuesday, the car would not start for him in the morning but did start without the hair dryer for me in the afternoon after being plugged in for several hours and it was 60 degrees.  Brett checked the glow plugs again and two more were out!  He changed them last night and the car started without being plugged in this morning!  Yeah.

So, that’s the weekend, and a little more, in review.

I wanted to call off today due to lack of enthusiasm.  Unfortunately,  the kids not only had enthusiasm but they were insistent.  Sigh.

A few hugs and kisses from the Big Guy and things were looking up- a little.

A few emails sent back and forth with Boo Boo and things looked a little more better.  (Which, I am sure, is proper English.)

Mexican tonight for dinner, although I don’t know exactly which item, is something to anticipate.

Maybe, just maybe, we should go ahead with today after all.

“Rachel is falling in love.” Kirsten stated.

Rachel is an older teen we know. Kirsten has been interested in this development.

Yes, she is.

“Who is it?”

Remember, we met him once when he came to get her. Real big guy.

“With a cowboy hat?”

Yes, I think so.

“I think it’s her brother.”

Oh, no! It wouldn’t be her brother.

“Why not?”

Just give it a few years and you will understand.

Hans has told Talia that he will marry her when he grows up. Give that a few years too.

On another love subject:

Talia has started to spontaneously say “I wuv you, Mama!”

Sweet words for a Mama to hear.

You didn’t know that you could start a car with a hair dryer? I didn’t either, until we tried it.

We’ve been having a TERRIBLE time getting the ’83 Mercedes Diesel started here lately. Brett took it to work last week but couldn’t get it started to go home. We had to go get him in the Suburban. He hooked up the jumper cables to give the car battery a boost and tried a “million” times to get it started. That was the number Kirsten came up with, it must have seemed that way to her but in actuality it was only 3-4 times. Even Mr. Stubborn had to give up and leave it there. The rest of the week was spent diagnosing the problem and finally on Friday got it started. One of the glow plugs had gone out on a cylinder with good compression (not all of the cylinders can say that).

On Sunday, it wouldn’t start again so we took the Suburban to church.

Monday the glow plug light on the dash wasn’t coming on which caused Brett to think that something was wrong with the glow plug thingy (I know that is a complicated word to understand but it’s the best I can do).

Tuesday he stayed home and we tested the glow plugs. They were really working which means just the light is out in the dash. He plugged in the block heater for awhile but it still didn’t want to start so then he started up the shop heater, pointing it straight at the car. Eventually, it decided it was warm enough to start. Brett thinks (hopes) the problem is the fuel so we went driving around to use up the tank. We still have half a tank to go.

Are you wondering where the hair dryer comes in? Wednesday, last night, I wanted to go to a Prayer Meeting at church and was going to take the car. Brett has been driving the Suburban because he is afraid the car will not start after work. I plugged the car in about 2, planning on leaving about 5:30. I couldn’t get it started. I got Brett, who couldn’t get it started. (Ha!  It wasn’t just a “girl”thing!) The motor block felt warm to the touch but it just wouldn’t start. Someone had told Brett that pointing a hair dryer into the air intake would help so we treked back into the house and got my trusty, old hair dryer. We pointed the hair dryer into the intake and Brett turned the key. Wa-la! The car started. I was a little concerned after the meeting that it wouldn’t start but it did after a moments hesitation.

This morning, I wanted to take the kids to a Homeschool Science Fair. I didn’t get the car plugged in until about an hour before we wanted to go. I took the hair dryer and hooked it all up. But it didn’t start and the hair dryer got too warm and stopped because I just had it resting on the engine and it was pointing crooked. I called Brett and he suggested Hans go out to hold the hair dryer. So out we went again but to no avail. Sigh. It must be a combination of warm engine block and warm air in the intake.

We came in and played Alphabet Go Fish and Math Rummy then made popcorn and watched TV. I was pretty disappointed.

Kirsten just said “We missed it!”

What did we miss?

“The Home School kids!”

Umm, yeah we missed that a long time ago.

“I wish the car had started!”

Yeah, me too.