February 13, 2008

Trees (10 Comments)

Filed under: Life,Photos — The Spider Herself @ 7:02 pm

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

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

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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!)

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

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The kids can starve.

February 11, 2008

I’m In! (4 Comments)

Filed under: Life — The Spider Herself @ 11:57 am

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!

February 10, 2008

The Pit of Despair (7 Comments)

Filed under: Life,Photos — The Spider Herself @ 6:58 pm

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-

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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.

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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-

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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.

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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!

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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!

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February 8, 2008

Logical Illogic (6 Comments)

Filed under: Personalities,TG — The Spider Herself @ 7:20 pm

“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!”

February 5, 2008

Nothing to Wear (10 Comments)

Filed under: KJ,Personalities — The Spider Herself @ 4:37 pm

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.

February 1, 2008

My Shoulder Hurts (8 Comments)

Filed under: In the Kitchen,Life — The Spider Herself @ 9:25 pm

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.

January 31, 2008

Addictive? (10 Comments)

Filed under: Blog Stuff,Life — The Spider Herself @ 4:17 pm

KN asked the other day if blogging was addictive because she is finding that reading them can be! (Hold on a second while I figure out how to link to a comment. Oh that wasn’t so hard.) Is “be” a preposition and did I just end a sentence with one? Gosh! The things one runs into with Bloggy Stuff. (A copy editor reads this and, I am sure, cringes at each post- but fortunately, I think she’s becoming addicted.)

Back to the subject at hand, I wouldn’t call the actual blogging part addictive. It can be quite difficult to think of catchy titles and figuring out which category to put things in. (One blogger I know doesn’t put anything into categories but I have used it to find things on here before.) Plus, the really important part is actually having anything worthwhile to say! I have posted about having nothing to say (now, where is that? Oh! Here it is.) But one can only get away with that a few times (Hmm, it’s been almost a year….). The kids only say so many cute things and as they are getting older, there is less of that and I only do so many dumb things, thank God! A bright spot is that the weather has provided some blog fodder but that only goes so far too. The actual writing part takes time and thought. I am thankful for Spell Check.

But, the part that is addictive is getting comments. That part is fun! It says someone has read what I’ve written and has thoughts on it. Then, it’s more of a conversation than a monologue. I like the sound of my own voice for only so long.

Last night, I went to the Church’s Monthly Soup and Prayer meeting. I drove the Suburban because our driveway and lane were still snow covered and there were areas on the roads that have snow, ice and slush on them. On the way home, I was on a bad stretch and things were going well. I was thinking about KN’s comment and composing a post in my head when I noticed I was sliding. Towards the ditch. I slammed on my brakes.

Ha! Got ya! Did I hear you slapping your forehead and saying “She didn’t!?!?!?” I’m not (quite) that dumb. I eased off the throttle and steered it out of the slide. I paid more attention and went slower after that.

So…. blog writting may not be as addictive as reading them (I know, I am addicted to reading several) but it can be hazardous to your health.

Now, I am off to check my favorite blogs- think they’ve posted anything yet today?

January 29, 2008

Happy Anniversary! (3 Comments)

Filed under: Blog Stuff — The Spider Herself @ 9:47 am

Happy Anniversary Dear Blog!

It’s a year since I started blogging. I’ve only posted 170 times (with a few from Col. Panic thrown in). That’s not very active- only about 14 per month. I see several blogs that post multiple times a day- but I don’t have that much to say. I have increased my readership from 2 (Col. Panic and ever faithful Boo Boo) to 10, at least occasional, readers. Whoopee! The numbers astound! One complete stranger subscribed but it turned out to be a spammer. I read one blog that started just over a year ago and she has thousands of readers and hundreds of comments. I keep wondering if that is what I want and in reality, I don’t. I enjoy writing for my friends and family and don’t want this to turn into a “job” or a “have to” situation. It’s a record of our lives and what I am thinking about and that is good enough for me.

To celebrate my wonderful husband is taking me out tonight. Oh, O.K., it’s the regular weekly date night and it’s my turn on the rotation. It sounds better the other way.

But I am concerned about the blog’s content- when one is reduced to talking about the weather, is it all down hill from here?

January 28, 2008

Winter (3 Comments)

Filed under: Life — The Spider Herself @ 3:51 pm

We don’t usually have a very severe winter here. If we have snow it would be anywhere from a skiff to 2 inches. The people here are pretty hardy and it doesn’t paralyze things like it does in a certain large city I know. Unfortunately, I am not one of those “hardy” folk due to growing up close to that certain city and prefer to just stay off the roads. Col. Panic, however, loves the stuff- loves driving in it, loves watching it fall and loves being out in it. This year he is getting plenty to play in. We are actually getting a winter!

Last week there was a snowfall with about a 2 inch accumulation here at our place. Then yesterday it snowed all day and so we have a grand total of 10 inches in the yard. It’s very pretty. Especially now with the sun shining and blue sky, at least on one side of the house- the other side is still gray. This year the snow is sticking around for more than a few hours and sometimes it stays around a week. The weather forecast says there are chances of snow showers everyday this week. But they have been known to be wrong before.

The Col. moved things around in the shop last night so he could get the Suburban out this morning. He was very disappointed that the snow plow got to the road before he did. Gasp! That is an unheard of event, normally our country roads are the last to be plowed. The kids did their usual things. The Boy wanted to throw snowballs and his sisters are too wimpy for that. I had to go out and lob a few around. He needs a boy to play with! Pixie would walk around in it but wasn’t interested in being too adventurous. TG stood on the porch and played with the broom. Ah, that scary snow! She’ll declare she likes it when there is none to be found but once there is a trace on the ground she’ll refuse to leave the porch- and I have to (not so gently) insist she go out that far.

It’s been an interesting winter. Often we have an inversion that creates a cold fog bank that sticks around long past it is welcome but this year, due to winds, we haven’t had the fog. I am not sure which is preferred because the winds have, at times, been strong enough to cause damage. We are missing quite a few shingles and we got off easy. Since November about 19.5 inches of snow has fallen. Wow! Some of you may get more but it’s highly unusual for us. We also have had a low of minus 8 degrees Fahrenheit.

And the show isn’t over yet! What is nature’s equivalent of a Fat Lady singing?

January 26, 2008

“Agony!” (0 Comments)

Filed under: HP,Personalities,TG — The Spider Herself @ 12:06 pm

“Agony! Oh agony!” shouted The Boy. He wasn’t really in “agony” although he may have been uncomfortable as he was playing Spider Boy (climbing the walls) to get his “camera traps” down from the top of the closet. The camera traps were large Legos made into various forms and placed on top of the closet in the living room area to spy on people. They have been there for almost a year, I mentioned them here back in March and I was tired of their presence. So he was climbing up the closet opening to reach them all and having to stretch to get them therefor the “agony” part. A great exaggeration.

TG heard him and after a few times started saying it herself.

“Ago-him!”

“Ago-you!”