Charlyn’s Web

This has been the snowiest winter in memory (mine anyway, which isn’t saying much). I had inherited (such a nice, genteel way of saying “hand me downs”) some nice snow pants through the years that we have hardly used. The Boy grew out of them in no time with hardly any opportunities to wear them. For some reason when I was going through things to re-gift (how many euphemisms can I come up with?) I kept wanting to put them in the “share” pile and not the “futures” pile because I kept thinking that The Boy had outgrown them. Well, in case you haven’t noticed, we have more than one child. I swear, I am not blond! There was no reason the girls could not wear them also. So this winter when the snow was falling ever so frequently, I went in search of said snow pants that would fit The Girls ever so well. Not in with the winter stuff. Not in the Futures box. Hmmm. Search again. The Boy’s were easy to find but not the others. I didn’t really do the unthinkable and got rid of them, did I?

As you could see in my Trees post, there are robins around. When I go outside I hear the birds singing loudly and ever so often, when it’s actually quiet in the house, I can hear them in here too. All the snow piles have melted and it’s been in the 50’s. The sun has shined. My little heart goes pitter-patter at these signs. It sings that possibly, just maybe, spring might be approaching. But I also know, the true sign that spring has arrived will be when I find those snow pants!

Groan.

I am supposed to find the book closest to me and turn to page 123.

This was the first challenge as the closest books didn’t have 123 pages in them. Children’s books aren’t usually that long. So I reached into the school reading basket that is close to the computer here. The first one that I grabbed was:

“Parables from Nature” by Mrs. A. Gatty ( which is a possible clue as to it’s age. )

Find the 5th sentence and then type the next three here.

I remembered too, that only a short time before, I had seen budding almond-trees in villa gardens outside the town. They were not common in my own country, and they must all be out in flower now, I thought; and this decided me. I would go and see them that very day.

I am now supposed to tag 5 (yes, five!) other people. Well, since I don’t know 5 other people with blogs that haven’t already been tagged, I’ll just leave it here.

Aren’t you glad I didn’t grab Pilgrim’s Progress? I sure am! Those sentences go on forever!

I glanced out the kitchen window as I was making dinner and saw the sun shining on the trees with the dark sky behind.

I thought that I had better not stop. I had better fix dinner. Then I thought- what kind of photographer are you?

Those are robins in the tree.

So I turned the burners down, grabbed the camera and went out the door as I checked my ISO and F-stop settings. (Oooo! sounds like I know what I am doing, doesn’t it? Ha!)

The sun was cooperative for a few more minutes and I shot away.

The kids can starve.

I’m not chained up…the van is in the front….my people are getting into the van…the doors are open!

Road Trip!!!!

Don’t leave me!

Get in! Get in fast! Squeeze between the people!

I’m in! I’m in! In!

Hello Boy! Love, love.

Happy dance! Oh, lay down. Head on paws. Look cute. Maybe they will not notice.

Dog! Get out!

Ignore him! He doesn’t mean me, I’m sure. Flatten myself to floor. Look cute. I’m in!

Dog, get out NOW!

Humm dumm ditty. I can’t heeeaaarrr you. I’m in!

Dog! Out!

No! No! Don’t leave me! Oh no! Not the collar! Not the collar!

I’m out. Sniff. Droop tail.

Bye Mom and kids.

Wait- Dad is still here! Dad is staying with me! Oh joy! It must mean I am HIS dog!

Joy, joy. Love, love. Happy Dance!

Col. Panic had a doctor’s appointment in the city but he wanted to make a fast trip of it and wasn’t going to go to my favorite store. He decided to take the older two with him and I was left at home with my little Sunshine. As an aside, I wonder why I thought things were tough to get done with just one kid? Now, when I have just one it’s so easy! (Yes, KN it may seem overwhelming now but you too may think this someday.) So now I had time on my hands and I actually did something! As opposed to sitting here on the computer the whole time. I tackled a project that needed to be done and had been bugging me for quite awhile. Now, you who are sensitive in nature and are OCD in the cleanliness department might want to skip the rest of this post. It’s not pretty. You have been warned!

I tackled the mess in the Girl’s room. I am showing you horrible things- please don’t think less of me.

Before-

Awful, isn’t it? See the path? I cleared that the night before so that if they got up in the night they could have a place to walk. Or if I had to go in I wouldn’t step on a musical toy and have “Have a Happy New Year!” blaring out. I had picked it up recently but they had so much stuff that it got out of hand pretty fast.

See the brown bowl with the pink shoe in it? I was looking all over for that last Sunday to put a salad for potluck in. Silly me, I looked in the kitchen and the family room but didn’t think to check the Girls’ room. When I tell them to put things away in their room, I usually tell them a specific place to put it. The shoes are supposed to go in the closet. I guess they are close. The stuffed animals and dolls are supposed to go under the crib.

I went to work. And after two or so hours, and Pixie had returned home, it looked like this-

I got rid of some of the dress up things they were not using so there is less in the dress up box under the window. I think it may have to be trimmed farther but we’ll see how it goes.

I vacuumed under the crib too! I didn’t move it but just reached under it with the vacuum wand with an attachment. I thought of trying to get a photo of that but, besides the fact there was no one here to take it but a three year old (I know, she probably would have done well) I decided I didn’t want the Internet to see my bum sticking up in the air as I stretched to get to the back. I know you thank me. You can even see the vacuum marks!

I didn’t get the shelves organized. I think I need to do something else with them. The seemed like a good idea at the time but, as with anything, things just get thrown around. One shelf was for Pixie and the other for Sunshine but now they get all mixed up. They both can wear some of it but their tastes are so different they don’t often mix it up. Also, I think there isn’t enough room on the shelves.

It’s a start. Now we need to work on maintaining it. That is where my cleaning prowess breaks down.

Look at this face! Hard to believe the messy monster that lurks just under the surface!

“We didn’t eat that apple because we want to eat it.”

Umm, yeah.

I’ve noticed both of the girls say very illogical things- KJ did it some when she was younger but not as much as TG.

The ones that get me rilled are the times I think she is lying or sassing. I will watch her do something and tell her not to do it and she’ll say:

“But I am not! I didn’t!”

Then I get upset because I saw her doing it. So I’ll say- I saw you doing it so you did do it!

To which she shrieks that she is not doing it! Ever try arguing with person with limited logic and vocabulary? It goes in circles.

I finally realized that she is not saying she didn’t do it but that she is stopping doing it….hopefully soon.

“When I am in second grade, I’ll be a boy.”

I hope not, dear. I think she gets this one because her brother (a boy!) is in second grade.

“I like it but I don’t” or the opposite “I don’t like it but I do!”

Wrap you head around that one.

Then the one that sums up the conflict that young ones are ever feeling-

“I’m little… but I’m big!”

Pixie came out of her bedroom, after being told way too many times to get dressed, and proclaimed:

“There is NOTHING to wear!”

Well, there’s the tan slacks and jeans.

Oh horrors, no.

There’s the tan skirt.

Eeeek!

See a trend here?

If you had put some of your dirty clothes in the wash then you’d have more choices. Oops, excuse me, I forgot- you’re five. Clothes are to be left on the floor and walked upon.

I found a black jumper dress with a black and white shirt in the dryer and that was acceptable.

I guess she just doesn’t have enough acceptable (i.e. non-tan) clothes to fill out her wardrobe. I don’t look forward to her teenage years. I don’t like to clothes shop and am very fashion challenged. I can see her dragging me around stores while I proclaim loudly “But it’s UGLY!”. Even when it’s not- payback time!

I know! Twice a year I will ship her off to visit Dear Friend Boo-Boo, who understands clothes and fashion, and they can have a grand time together! How in the world we will be able to afford that will be a mystery as we will be spending all our money on trying to keep her brother fed.

Since we went to the Gym today, I told her she could wear her nice black Mary Janes to town but must wear her “strap on shoes” (tennis shoes) while in the gym. That was ok with her and she changed when we got there. However, when it came time to leave she didn’t want to carry them out. She insisted that I do it. I refused and continued talking to the other Mothers. As we walked out someone asked if those were our shoes on the bleachers. Sure, enough there her shoes sat.

Now her favorite pink sparkly shoes were taken away from her because she took them off at the table and left them there- something that is becoming a habit. So they are in our closet until the time her Papa decides to give them back. Now there is a black pair beside them. I told her she would have to wear her strap on shoes to church and oh, the wailing, the gnashing of teeth!

Such hardships that child has to go through.

There has been a group of mothers meeting on Friday afternoons and I have been invited to attend. It’s nice because they are all homeschool families and one of the families has older daughters who take the kids downstairs to play while the mothers talk upstairs. To give you a hint as to how many kids are there- I will just say we have the smallest family. I am so excited that I am included- old fuddy duddy me who was starting to wonder about her friend shortage. It’s easy to take that kind of thing personally. So, as you can imagine I’ve been enjoying these times.

Last week, we had company coming for dinner but I really wanted to go to the Mom’s meeting. It’s in the afternoons and we don’t get home until 4:30 or so. It was great incentive to get the house all clean on Thursday and make up the Enchilada casserole and bean salad (and clean up) on Friday morning. I made Spanish Rice and a lettuce salad after I got home. It turned out well and I was pretty puffed up.

I had also invited Master Bill and his lovely wife over for a meal after Church on Sunday. Just feeling that hospitality spirit, I guess. I was having troubles figuring out what to fix. It needed to be fast, as we all would be hungry. Also, since we hadn’t made it to the store in ages, it had to be made from stuff on hand. Hmmm. Well, there was lots of Enchilada casserole and Spanish Rice left over… it would be quick to heat up. So it was settled, I fed my Pastor and his wife leftovers. It does not in any way reflect how much esteem I have for them. Except for the copious snowfall it worked out pretty well. As he ate our leftovers Master Bill kept saying how good it was. I didn’t take it to heart because I knew that I could feed that man slop with a side of swill and he would compliment me on it.

This Friday we didn’t have company coming but I did plan ahead and loaded up one of The Col.’s favorite meals into the Crockpot. When we got home we had tender pork chops and potatoes ready for us.

I have been so pleased with myself that my shoulder hurts from patting myself on the back.