The Circus is in Town

This is my 100th post on this blog! Yeah!

This last Saturday the Shriner's put on their 67th annual Circus at the Fairgrounds and my Husband thought it would be fun to take the boys to it, so here are some of the pictures (This is their 1st circus ever, I think they had fun!)
Before it starts...doesn't my Oldest look happy? He spent the night at a scout lock-in the night before and he was tired!

It begins....

The snow tiger tamer!

They have my Youngest's full attention.

Swinging in the sky!...no net!

One of the boys' favorite acts...

The Flying Wallendas!...Death Defying!

Isn't the baby elephant cute?

I Do NOT like clowns or circuses so I stayed home and sent the boys. I had 5 hours at home by myself to do whatever I wanted! I was ready for the boys to get home though after about 4 hrs.

A New Vacuum

I had to buy a new vacuum last night...this is getting to be a yearly ordeal (although I might have had my last one for 2 yrs). I don't know if it's our carpet, our dogs who shed, or the operator, but the vacuums do not last at my house. Maybe I have a vacuum ghost? Or the fact that my Oldest has started using it around the house...Hmmmm? The rotater bar on our last one stopped beating and although we could probably take it in and get it fixed, it is easier and cheaper to buy a new one (vacuums have really come down in price). I borrowed my Mom's a couple of weeks ago, so she will be ecstatic when she gets home from her trip and she can have her vacuum back! Let's see if this one will last the year...any takers?

Merit Badge work continues...

My Oldest son is an active member of his Boy Scout Troop among other things and he's been busy the last couple of months with several merit badges (these badges are worn on Boy Scout Sashes and a certain number are required to earn their Eagle Awards in the future.) He began Family Life in January at a Merit Badge fair (this is one of those required ones!) It takes at least 3 months to earn and we are in the last couple of weeks. Requirements include: discussing what a family is and how you're important to the family; make a list and keep track of household chores for 90 days (the long part of the MB); carry out a project around the house; carry out a project around the house that includes your family; discuss family meetings and conduct a meeting and discuss drugs and alcohol abuse, body changes and sex, finances, crisis situation in family, effect of technology on family and good etiquette and manners; and understanding the role and responsibility of parents and what makes a father and his role in a family.


He is also working on the Cooking Merit Badge just this week and since I have a lot of experience in meal planning, I've been helping him a lot. Requirements include: injuries in the kitchen, proper storage and preparation of food, and possible food related illnesses; label a food pyramid to your specifics (he's and active 12 yr old boy...), serving sizes, examples, and nutritious ways to fix food (i.e. bake instead of fry); plan a menu for 2 days of camping, make the food list, price it and tell what utensils you would need; then a menu for 3 meals for a hiking/backpacking adventure, do everything for the camping one and figure the weight of the food, then prepare and cook the breakfast and dinner using the proper trail stove, using the proper food handling methods and disposing of trash properly; menu for 3 days at home, doing everything as previous including preparing 1 days menu (3 meals) at home; then last find out about 3 career opportunities in cooking, picking one and finding out about education, training and experience needed for the job.

If you think earning the Eagle is easy, you are very wrong...this is just 2 merit badges and they have to earn 21 of these! Luckily my son's troop is having a Lock-in tonight and they will be covering some of this at that...I helped him with the planning of meals, discussed the food pyramid with him, helped him make up the shopping list (we need to go shopping and get prices this next week), and will discuss utensils needed and he will get to prepare all the food next Saturday from one of his menus. Whew I'm tired!

Progress is being made...

I've seen progress being made in a couple of areas in our household: the bathroom remodel and food. The bathroom remodel is slooooooowly progressing, but work is getting done. We've completely torn the old tile off the walls and they're ready to be dry-walled. The toilet is leaking a little so it needs to be pulled out and re-set on a new wax ring (we can dry-wall behind it before it goes back in for the 2nd time!). The floor is done. I need to get in there sometime this week and pull the old caulk off the tub so my Husband can re-caulk it (there's a little mold and this should get rid of it!) this week.

On the food front is my mission to get my boys to eat more veggies and fruits (me too...I just don't admit that I have a problem!) with their meals. I've been concentrating on roasting veggies, since I like them done that way the most. We've been eating a lot of broccoli that way and since Spring is here, I'll add asparagus. I made a really simple meal the other night that included Sausage-Cheese Balls, BBQ Little Smoky Sausages, Crudites and Veggie dip...the crudites included carrots, broccoli and cauliflower and my boys (and I) ate all of our veggies. The next night I was planning on roasting the left-over broccoli , but my Oldest asked if we could eat it raw again with the dip...seems he really likes it! My Youngest didn't say anything, but he ate his without complaint too. Last night I did roast it and they both cleared off their plates. Progress! I've never roasted cauliflower, so I'm going to try that one day this week (we still have left-overs in the fridge).

Spring Break is now over and school, scouts, and soon baseball will be starting. It's going to be a busy spring! Hopefully our progress continues.

The Loss of a Wonderful Woman...

A week ago today my family lost a Wonderful Woman named Mary. She was my Grandmother, my Mother's Mom and although it did not come as a surprise it hit hard. She came south to spend the Winter with my Mom and was eventually diagnosed with advanced colon cancer...only a few months left...this was right after Christmas. She's home now and will be buried with my Grandfather tomorrow...I haven't shed many tears, but writing this brings them to my eyes.

I was lucky enough that she was close these last few months so I could talk and laugh with her... She is one of the 3 people who had the biggest impact on my development as a person growing up...we were alike in so many ways. (I wish I had a picture to place here to share). My sons got to meet her and I know my Oldest will always have a memory of her, not sure if my 5 yr. old will (it is strange what they do and don't remember at that age.)

My memories of her include grapes (they were always on the counter when we came to visit), ice cream (always in the freezer or we visited the ice cream shop in the next town over), cherry mashes (a candy not available in her neck of the woods, but something we always brought when we came to visit...and stored in the freezer), beet pickles (my favorite kind...hers were the best!), iris' (dark purple and found in her garden along with the rhubarb and the lilac trees), the time she told me to go cut a switch (although she never used it), the time I thought her chocolate Easter bunny was mine and I ate it before she woke up (boy was she mad at me that Easter morning), books and libraries (we could pass a whole afternoon in each other's company with a good book or at a library and call it a good day), the windows cracked open although it was 30 degrees outside and the heat was cranked up to 90! (she would say we needed the fresh air), burnt bacon and eggs cooked in the grease...So many memories!

I love you and miss you already Grandma!

Emergency Bathroom remodel!

A week ago today our journey to our emergency bathroom remodel began! I started a load of laundry (a typical Wednesday occurrence) only to have it drain up through the Kitchen sink and onto my Kitchen floor on the 1st drain cycle. Husband came home and spent the next 2 days trying to snake it, he poured a ton of drain-o down the drain and NOTHING! Not fixed. Called a plumber friend of ours and he couldn't get to the house until Saturday, which was okay...so we decided to wait until Saturday.

Friday evening my Husband decides to open up an access panel in our living room floor that allows us access to the space under the house. He sees standing water...which is not uncommon (we've had a lot of moisture this winter and if their is moisture in the soil, there's a tiny pond under our access hole)...Cancelled the Plumber (he's a friend, but not FREE!) and Husband decides to climb under the house...

A side note: Our house is 70 yrs old and was built not on a foundation but on cement blocks...the hole in the living room floor is where the old heater was before central heat and air was put into the house several years ago. Our hole is dirt and my Hubby could not reach the pipes he needed. The bathroom has needed to be remodeled since we moved in 5 yrs ago and I actually went out last year and purchased the toilet and vanity and tile for the bathroom, but both my Husband and I were dreading what we would find when we tore up the floor, so it hasn't never been done...

The pipes we need to fix the clog are under the bathroom...

There was another option to reach those pipes than the hole in the living room...
This is my Husband tearing up the bathroom floor so he can reach the clogged pipe. After working all day Saturday and with the help of a family friend, they did unclog my pipe and my washing machine is now draining like a charm! I did get dirty and help...I tore up the 1st layer of tile and I took out all of the debris and threw it away in the trash...I also took care of the children until about 2, when I took them to a friends house and she was nice enough to feed them, etc. We eventually spent the night at her house on Saturday, since we decided to finish the demolition and took out the toilet (we only have 1 bathroom!)

The family friends took the boys to Church on Sunday morning and Hubby and I got an early start. This is the hole in the bathroom floor. We eventually put extra blocks under the support stud and the tub, and we added more joists on joist hangers perpendicular to the support boards. I spent some time down in the hole holding the support boards under the tub while my husband used the drill to screw them in.

We had to have the toilet in by Sunday evening since my Husband had to go back to work on Monday and the boys (who are on Spring Break) and I needed a working toilet. We finished this much of the floor and replaced the toilet by 11:56 PM on Sunday evening!

Of course in this picture you can see that there is still a lot to do! We need to:

1. Finish the floor

2. Take the remaining tile off the wall

3. Put up new wall board, texture and paint

4. Put in my new vanity

5. Put up new trim

6. Eventually in the distant future, re-tile the tub!

This is my new vanity! It's sitting in the box in my dining room at the moment. My goal is to have it in by this next weekend!

I found this tile in the last Home Depot ad and I love it! I will probably paint the bathroom to complement this tile and take our tax return for next year and finish the tub.

I am really proud of my Husband and I...we work really well together! Thank you to our friends, the Husband helped my Husband on Saturday and the Wife took the Boys. THANK YOU!

My Own Band Concert Straight From My Couch!

I've been watching a friend's son in the mornings the last couple of weeks. My Oldest and his Friend are both in Band and decided to give me a concert on Friday morning.
They have an All City Band Concert at the end of March and so they wanted to show off what they've been learning.

My Oldest and his Clarinet.

My Youngest got in on the act with his brother's old recorder.

Brothers playing together.

The Friend with his Trombone!

When they started band last fall I thought I would have to dig out the earplugs every time they decided to practice, but I've found I really enjoy listening to them with their instruments...even when they send up a wrong note! I'm very proud of both of them.

What Love means to a 4-8 year old...

What Love means to a 4-8 year old...

Touching words from the mouth of babes.
A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds ,
'What does love mean?'
The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined
See what you think:

'When my grandmother got arthritis , she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.. So my grandfather does it for her all the time , even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.' Rebecca- age 8

'When someone loves you , the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.' Billy - age 4

'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.' Karl - age 5

'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.' Chrissy - age 6

'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.' Terri - age 4

'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him , to make sure the taste is OK.' Danny - age 7

'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing , you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss' Emily - age 8

'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.' Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

'If you want to learn to love better , you should start with a friend who you hate , ' Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt , then he wears it everyday.' Noelle - age 7

'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.' Tommy - age 6

'During my piano recital , I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.' Cindy - age 8

'My mommy loves me more than anybody You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.' Clare - age 6

'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.' Elaine-age 5

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford .' Chris - age 7

'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.' Mary Ann - age 4

'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.' Lauren - age 4

'When you love somebody , your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' (what an image) Karen - age 7

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.' Mark - age 6

'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it , you should say it a lot. People forget.' Jessica - age 8

And the final one
The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry , the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard , climbed onto his lap , and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor , the little boy said , 'Nothing , I just helped him cry'

Heavenly Father , please bless all my friends in whatever it is that You know they may be needing this day! And may their life be full of Your peace , prosperity and power as he/she seeks to have a closer relationship with You. Amen .

Kiwanis "Terrific Kid" Award

The local Kiwanis club goes out to the elementary schools in town each month and hands out "Terrific Kids" Awards and my Youngest son received the award for March. They do them differently at each school, but at my son's school they take a letter from "Terrific" each month and put and attribute with it and hand out the award for the kid in each class that best represents that attribute. March is the award for the "FRIENDLY" child and my Youngest, who is extremely friendly with everyone (even strangers on the street), received the award.
These are all the kids that received the "Friendly" Award...one from each class.

My son woke up not wanting to go to school this morning, but after receiving the award, which his brother, his brother's friend and I all got to see, he said "It's a happy day, MOM!"

Congratulations Son!!!!

Family Story Time

My family has started a new tradition of story time this winter, where I read to them and they sit around and listen. I can see us as a 19th century pioneer family, sitting in front of the fireplace in the evenings, having one of the parents, or if old enough one of the kids reading to the rest. It's fun.
I read to my husband at bedtime most nights...he says my voice relaxes him and I usually get to choose the books I read to him (most of them old favorites of mine that I want to share with him). Moon Called by Patricia Briggs is a fluff piece, but fun. My fun reading materials almost always deal with the supernatural and this one is about a "skinwalker" trying to survive in a world of werewolves, vampires, and fae.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riorden caught my Husband's and Oldest son's interests when they saw the movie previews and I brought home the book from the library so I read this one to them in the early evenings, after school work is done, but before I have to make supper. My Oldest isn't a big reader, but I think he's really enjoying having me read to him like I used to when he was so much younger. He will actually go and get the books in the evenings and ask me to read to them. I love that.

One of my Oldest son's best friends and a good friend of the family started cleaning out his bookshelves and found a collection of Scooby-Doo and You books. These are neat little books, because they give the kids the suspects and the clues and they get to try and solve the mystery before the Scooby Gang does! The first book we read was Scooby-Doo and You and the Case of the Haunted Hound. These will help with his comprehension later, since they ask questions after each chapter like "Who is the suspect?", "What do they do for a living?", "What is the Clue?", or "Why is the Clue important?" Then we discuss what we've just read before reading the next chapter. He's also having problems recognizing his letters, so I will choose 2-3 a week to concentrate on and I will have him pick them out in the book. He really seems to enjoy it. I usually sit down with him and read after lunch, and before his bath. Again he will go and get the book and bring it too me to read.

If you haven't tried doing this in your house, I would recommend it to everyone...even those without kids (the dogs will listen too!)

1st Day of March and Signs of Spring!

This first day of March brings the first signs that Spring may be just around the corner! I went out into the swamp I call a backyard and I just happened to look over the fence and saw these jonquils, which are the 1st flowers of the season. I love jonquils! Next will be the hyacinth and crocus and soon the tulips...I love spring flowers.

My menu plans for the next 2 weeks have been simplified a bit. I've had a tendency to try recipes with fancy things done to the meat, so I'm trying to go back to simply, but Yummy! This weekend my Husband and Oldest are off to a camp-out with their Scout Troop, so my Youngest and I will be at home and I try to spoil him when they are gone. He's asked me out on a date to McDonald's so I told him I would take him this week.

Menu for March 1-7:

Monday---Sloppy Joes w/Fried Potatoes and Peas w/Mushrooms

Tuesday---Sweet-n-Spicy Bacon wrapped Chicken w/Rice and Green beans

Wednesday---Beef Fajitas w/Onions, Refried beans and Spanish Rice

Thursday---Chili Dogs w/Tater tots and Coleslaw

Friday---Pizza

Saturday---McDonald's

Sunday---BBQ Beef Ribs w/Baked Beans and Potato Salad

Menu for March 8-14

Monday---Italian Sausage w/Pasta Salad

Tuesday---Ravioli w/Meatballs, Garlic Bread and Butter-fried Green beans

Wednesday---Pepperoni and Bacon Pizza w/Salad

Thursday---Balsamic-Honey Glazed Pork Chops w/Creamy Loaded Mashed Potatoes and Zucchini Cakes.

Friday---Herb and Wine Seasoned Chicken w/Parmesan Noodles and Peas

Saturday---Picante Egg Rolls w/Bacon-Nacho Salad

Sunday---Chicken Fried Steak w/Mashed Potato and Butter Corn

Saturday's weather was beautiful and it's just the beginning of a week of 50's weather and possibly even 60's by the weekend. My Husband took the boy's to a nearby school so they could practice their baseball and t-ball on the black top since the ground is saturated from the recent rain and/or snow we've had the last 2 weeks. My Oldest is looking forward to ball starting up soon and my Youngest has been ready to start his 1st year of t-ball instead of watching his brother's games. There's going to be a lot of schedule juggling come April and May and June!

My Youngest son is getting a Kiwanis "Terrific Kids" award at school this week. He's being recognized for his "Friendliness!" Everyone agrees...he is a very friendly child!
Off to do some more laundry...I never seem to get caught up on the laundry!