All Set!

I think

(uh-ONE...TWO...THREE...FOUR)

Baths all taken.

Backpacks awaitin'.

Clothes are prepped.

Alarm clocks set.

Breakfast table laid.

Eatables arrayed. Got my

Maps dis-played and my

Plans all made and the

Diet Coke's chillin' so

Ma--is--willin', To-

-morrow we shall travel to the city of Dubuque where it sits by the waters of the great Mississippi.

OOM chucka, OOM chucka, OOM chucka chucka chucka,

OOM chucka, OOM chucka chucka, "Oh BOY!"

OOM chucka, OOM chucka, OOM chucka chucka chucka,

OOM chucka, OOM chucka chucka, "EVERY-body now!"

OOM chucka, OOM chucka, OOM chucka chucka chucka,

OOM chucka, OOM chucka chucka, "Oh BOY!"

 

Tweet

Halfway Between Quitting and Buckling Down

I realized when Loren handed me the letter that I had approximately30 seconds before meeting with either success or defeat.

It was the latter.

The scores arrived today from Ethan, Nolan and Trevor's tests and Ethan did fine.

Now I wait for the middle of July when I should be hearing from the Department of Education in Des Moines:

"In reviewing your child's test scores, we see that...."

I may as well get started on my remedial plan, now. Just as soon as I figure out how to make kids reason

I'm pretty sure Trevor will come around when when his reading improves. And maybe we'll just hold Nolan back, a year. He already knew that was a possibility and that was the first thing he asked, "Do I get to go into 6th grade next year?"

"Wellll...."

Putting that small catastrophe temporarily behind me, I then received a call from our dental office saying that they'd called our insurance company and discovered the entire family had been dropped.

Yes, it looked like a jim-dandy kinda day.

When Loren came home I relayed the message and went back out to work the land. Personally, I find there is nothing like a little dirt to make you feel better.

As it turned out, the insurance company has to go through me, instead of Loren now, since they made him change to another type of insurance. We are still good to go.

In news of an escapist nature, I spent around 5 hours out in the garden, today. Though the woeful academic news would be enough to drive me to shovel, I already had an agenda due to incoming rain, tonight and tomorrow.

So this is what I got done:

--dug up a small plot for Carolyn to plant beets

--finished weeding the strawberries, 3/4 of which I did today. This included (almost) all the grass and dandelions, in the paths and amongst the berry plants.

--dug up another small bed and transplanted a few wildflowers. Plus, I set up three small tepees and planted all the rest of the sweet peas around the stakes. Threw another packet of carrots in three small patches, for good measure. Stuff is starting to take shape!

The dirt is literally ground into the grooves of my hands and fingernails and that means I'm successful at something.
 

Tweet

Big, Big Plans, Up at the Hoytstead

This Saturday is the regional Republican convention in Dubuque. I think I got the name right...

It's either that, or "The Conventionally Republicans Meeting in the Democratic Stronghold of Dubuque."

Anyway, it's the next convention-thingy that occurs after the county one, which I believe is actually the District....it's....all rather confusing.

This year the kids don't exactly have a ride, but that's OK!

Ma has plans.

Moi, myself will take the three junior delegates to their appointed groupage. Also coming: the two young lads, Nolan and Trevor, alias "The Hulk" and "The Twerp," a.k.a. "Trouble and Squealer."

The budding anarchists can have their conventional fun, and I'll take the younger boys for a special outing with Ma :-)

I promised them "something later," after I took Carolyn to see Romeo and Juliet and Ethan to see The River City Chorus. Now it's finally time for the last of the crew (I figure Melinda got in her special activity with the Master Gardener classes last year).

We're going to rough it with backpacks and lunches. Maybe walk along some viewing places by the Ol' Mississip, hit a playground or two, take some trails...somewhere, and just generally see the sights. Possibly a Bald Eagle or two!

Should be fun, as long as this ol' Ma can stay awake.

*puts Diet Coke with caffeine on the shopping list*

And right now the weather looks to be non-rainy, so everything is in line for propitious romping and recreation.

Oh boy :-D
 

Tweet

I Need Another Blog,

...just to cover Nolan's exploits.

First off, nothing I share today will be for the sake of pride, joy, or even the remotest hint of gloating. In fact, it's time to put a few myths to rest:

1) All those Hoyt kids are SO well behaved.

2) Homeschooling will ensure that the children don't pick up bad habits from outside influences.

3) People with large families have houses not only filled with children, but with the happy laughter of loving siblings who look out for each other and help keep one another in line.

4) Women should dismiss any reservations people express concerning having children after the age of 35. You will feel just as wonderful, energetic and on top of things at age 45-50, as you did at 30.

As I said, these are all myths.

Now then....there is always a bit of lag time between my morning exercise and breakfast, and the start of Nolan and Trevor's school.

They were unusually squirrely this AM, so I sent them upstairs to play while I finished my power oatmeal.

That was my first mistake.

When it came time to call them down, it took a bit for Trevor to appear, and Nolan was a no-show.

"Where is Nolan?"

*pause*

"It's hard to explain."

(this is code for: "I'm not sure if I should tell, because I don't know if you're going to be mad at just him, or both of us.")

I plodded upstairs to their bedroom. "Nolan?"....*no answer*...."NOoo-lan..."

"I'm up here."

My eyes went to the top of the triple bunks, and now I have to explain something...

When Loren and I got married, one of the wedding presents was this wonderful foam mattress pad, queen size. We even took it camping with us on our honeymoon. Very nice and comfortable, but eventually it got a bit smooshed and worn. However, Loren cut it up into thirds and made a very sturdy triple bunk bed, with smaller than twin sized portions. The old foam became great mattresses for little kids. But the foam also eventually got so old that it began to flake off in little pieces. So I either kept them encased in allergy covers (which eventually got torn) or just wrapped an extra sheet around them.

ANY-way, Nolan was up on the top bunk, under the bare foam, tossing it around with his feet. Little bits of crumbled foam were coming down onto the floor, Trevor's bed...everywhere.

I chewed him out pretty good, ripped Trevor's sheets off his bed to wash again (I'd JUST done this, couple days ago), and promised Nolan he'd be sweeping it up, soon.

So that started my day out on a bad note.

Later that morning, when I was finished with their schooling and my second exercise session, I was sitting at my computer when I heard this rather impressive sound of a crashing nature.

Carolyn cringed, coming through the room and I remarked to her, "Guess I should check on that..."

I was almost to the top of the stairs when I heard a soft interjection,

"D###"

*blinks*

He was on top of what used to be mattresses standing on their side in the nook, with extra blankets and sleeping bags piled on top....it had all fallen over.

"What did yo say?"

He repeated it, and like a dummy I still couldn't believe I'd heard right and asked him again, for which he repeated it for his slightly incredulous mother.

"We don't say that. Have you ever heard Mommy or Daddy say that?"

"No."

"Trevor heard you say that. So did Melinda. You have to be a good example to people...anyway, we don't say that in our family. Now, let me help you put these back up...it won't be that hard..."

I tried to find a balance between letting him know it wasn't appropriate and getting so overwrought that I made it into a bigger deal than was needed.

Any of the other kids and I would be fairly confident not to hear it again. But this is Nolan, and suddenly I felt very, very tired.

Sometimes I question whether I'll have the strength to finish off the tail end of the brood.

But anyway, we'll close with a pretty photo, just because a bit of beauty can renew hope...

Our crimson maple is leafing out, and against the backdrop of a setting sun the leaves are quite gorgeous.

Throw in a tractor and green grass, and you've got yourself a little peace after a tiresome day.
 

Tweet

"Your Order Has Shipped!"

This phrase always give me a feeling of power.

Power to bring joy into the hearts of my children.

Power to strike fear into the finances of my husband.

But it doesn't have to be this way.

Particularly if people would pay me to acquire their birthday and Christmas presents. Or even for the luxury of not having...and I mean not having ever...to think about buying gifts for one's children.

It's probably enough thanks to simply revel in the fact that I'm helping out the economy and saving the planet by not using extra gas, in one fell stroke.

Then there's the time factor.

Shopping on the Internet saves time. And even though I'm not technically paid for my time, I'm happy to save the hours I could spend driving the car to various stores.

Basically, this leaves more time to go to Goodwill.

All this is to say that I've ordered (most of) the birthday presents for the next three celebrants. Anything else would be incidental stuff picked up at the local gas station: car deodorizers, key rings, mace...those little things that don't cost a lot but mean so very much.

And if I completely run out of ideas, I can always fall back on "socks."
 

Tweet

 

 

Tweet

Another Day, Another Breakdown

I posted this picture on Facebook earlier, but you can't have too much redundancy, I always say.


See the pretty (old) swing sets? See the line draped between them? See the flapping cloths hanging from the line, just waiting to attract birds?

It started last night, in a fit of efficiency.

I thought I'd just whip off about 4 loads of laundry, and finish up the drying after (most) everyone went to bed.

When starting the last load for the dryer, however, I was met with a shrieking, ear-splitting noise that soon had me popping the lid.

After I regained consciousness, that is.

Loren's been working hard on the cars of late, so I didn't want to say, "Oh man, I REALLY need the dryer fixed!"

I related the deal this morning and said I could get along for a while.

Digging out my trusty clothesline from the last time this happened, I rearranged our trusty swing sets and utilized the trusty clothespins.

Truly finding my inner-pioneer Ma, I was.

Meanwhile, Loren turns on the dryer and it works just fine.

I guess that's good, right?
 

Tweet

Ethan and Ma, Strike Again

With rain in the forecast, I decided that morning school could wait while Ethan and I tackled the hard half of the yard, again.

This would have worked a little better if I hadn't rolled over to snooze just before 7 and suddenly woken up to see that it was 8:30.

OH well.

Even so, I didn't exactly hurry, but my fine young mower-man filled up both machines and started without me. We have a pretty good system whereby he starts out on the straight stuff, I come along and do most of the edges, and then join him in whacking off the green-middle-goodness.

Went super. Even though a bit of the drizzly started, we kept at it and got the whole half lawn completed in approximately 1.5 hours.

Are we great, or what ?

Meanwhile, the younger boys had been doing dishes and folding all of their clothes (including Ethan's) so they hadn't been completely idle.

Imagine their chagrin at my coming in and discovering (after I cleaned up) that they were still doing school that morning!

I knew they were in for a good afternoon, though.

Ethan and Carolyn's glasses had come in so the three of us headed off to Waverly for optical pickup and grocery shopping.

Promised to Trevor and Nolan: extra game time AND the watching of a Godzilla movie! Whoo-ee, it just doesn't get any better than this :-)

There was a slight problem in that Trevor wanted to see Rodan and Nolan wished for Mothra....or maybe it was the other way around...who can tell when we're talking about inflatable, fakey monsters?

In the end, they settled on Ghidrah, which combined all the beasts into one painfully dubbed package. The most amazing part was that this was settled without my intervention, saving my arbitrary skills for the more important issues of "who" gets the neat Lego hinges and for "how long." (really, most of you have no idea what I go through...)

With that settled, another small miracle occurred when it became apparent that Davis Vision (the lab that our insurance forces our eye doctor to use) had actually cut Ethan's lenses to the correct size for his frame, something almost unheard of in their history with our family.

While pleased, I am slightly disappointed that I now have no reason to give them a snarky performance review when our eye doctor's office (whom I love and appreciate, I must hasten to add) send me the Davis Vision, "How did you like our service?" forms.

With every silver lining comes a little gray cloud.

Whilst in the vicinity of a favorite resale shop, we stopped for a few minutes and captured the following books:

The Leatherstocking Saga by James Fenimore Cooper (HB)

Agatha Christie's Detectives: Five Complete Novels (HB)
--The Murder at the Vicarage
--Dead Man's Folly
--Sad Cypress
-- Towards Zero
-- N o M?

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (PB)

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (PB)

Hamlet by Shakespeare (PB)

Dialogues of Plato (PB)

The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli (PB)

OH yeah!

I think we can call it a very good day.
 

Tweet

More Beautiful Day-ness

Shock of shocks, I was up earlier than usual and got out with Carolyn for a morning walk. Better than the treadmill, I must admit.

Then I was able to finish up school with the boys in an amazingly timely manner (though I found out later that Nolan hadn't finished his independent work, and that's why he's slaving away at math instead of computer games, right now...)

At 11 sharp I was able to enter into the beautiful outdoors for work in the flowerbeds.

Dug up beside the house, even uncovering my landscaping brick which only I knew was still there.

Planted:

--Thumbelina Zinnias
--regular Zinnias
--a few Mexican Sunflowers
--some sweet peas

Wonder of wonders, I yanked up part of a Barberry bush that had broken off when I weeded at Ardith's old place, last year. It was alive! (I came back from Cedar Rapids on that September day and plunked it in the ground to see if anything would happen). This morning it looked dead, but when I freed it from the dirt I saw little white rootlets and looking closer, saw a teeny tiny green shoot trying to bust out of the stem. Oh boy...a free bush! I stuck it out in the garden and now we'll see if she grows there.

Then I messed about in the herb garden--which doesn't have so many herbs, this year--taking out dandelions and planting five pots of....*goes to look at package*...Forget-me-nots (seriously, I had to look that up!)

Over by the garage I discovered that yes, my ferns are indeed coming back from last year, but there was room to tuck in some peat pots of (this is SO pathetic...I have to go check, again...) Columbine. That's it...COLUMBINE. They won't bloom until next spring but that's OK. After having 10 kids, I've learned a thing or two about waiting.

Next on the agenda, a nap, which it would seem pretty obvious my brain needs.

Then Loren and I are off on another fun Un-date, to see a very appropriate movie, perhaps.
 

Tweet

The Day of UnBannerness

{Some days start out bad and you realize the smartest thing would be to just go back to bed, pull the covers over your head and dream of Bermuda.

And some days start out pretty good, but gradually deteriorate into the like of which leaves a hollow core in your being that can only be filled with leftover brownies from the freezer.

Today was one of those days where the brownies just made me feel worse.}

School and morning stuffs accomplished, we loaded up all the books for the two libraries. It's not a trip to be taken lightly, since it kills an entire afternoon and pretty much dooms the family to wretched leftovers for supper, or as we had tonight, leftovers that had too much extra milk added and were runny.

ANY-way, I got to the end of the gravel road and discovered the Dragon-Lady-Lincoln-of-Power's red "brake" light was on.

Normally, lights don't phase me that much. I've become completely oblivious to the "check engine" light which is almost always lit and has meant nothing. So far.

HOWEVER, as the brake pedal was going down QUITE far with very little resistance, I thought to myself, "Hmmm Becky, you can either get out your tools, pop the hood and dismantle everything, or pull over and call the husband."

I did the latter, with no success.

It was only after I reached Hampton that it suddenly dawned on me, "Hey! He must not be home...call his cell phone!"

You don't live for 51 years without gaining a bit of experience, people!

I did reach him and he agreed with me that it sounded like low brake fluid (actually, this is not quite accurate...Loren brought up the brake fluid issue, but I had also mentioned it to Ethan in the car before I could reach Loren, so I do have a witness and while Loren didn't REALIZE he was agreeing with me, he was).

Loren was in the opposite direction--Allison--and there was some discussion over the ungreat phone connection as to what to purchase and where, and whether or not I would be able to pour the corrosive liquid--"You can't spill any of it..."--by myself. But first, I had to get the books from the library.

And speaking of Mr. Carnegie's shiny glass doors, my reflection showed distinct bulges around the waist, leading me to ask, "I lost 13 pounds and still have to look at that ?"

*cue dejection*

Books procured, I pulled across the street to the Napa store and who should appear, but Loren! I have to admit that I was a little ticked (yes, so SUE me) that he'd thought I was not competent to buy and carefully pour the junk in, but on second thought, I decided that I was overreacting and he was in fact, being pretty nice to drive over and help me. Naturally, I didn't say that at the time...ha ha.

TO CONTINUE, we proceeded to the next town and library, a mere 25 miles away. It was closed. Not the town, but the library. Something about updating their computers.

*cue extreme frustration*

We had no choice but to drop off all our books--due the next day--in the slot and give it up as a lost cause until shopping day, when yes, I shall be THRILLED to take everyone with me, again.

My only consolation is that the staff will come to the inside of the drop-off and find a HUGE collection of books. Okay...the folks are pretty nice, so I don't really think that. Anymore.

We stopped at Wal*Mart for a few things, and then when I started up the car, there were no lights on the dash and windows and locks didn't work.

*cue exasperation*

I pulled over, shut her down, restarted and things were fine.

We drove home with crossed fingers.

I'd picked up some pansies and for some reason it seemed more important to plant them--after my nap and eating two brownies--than to fix supper in a timely manner.

So the day went downhill after the brake light, with a small burst of enthusiasm while planting the flowers. Enthusiasm might be too strong of a word....a slight lessening of sourness is more accurate.

Maybe I'll take tomorrow morning off and work in the garden.

Unlike mirrors and dashboards, dirt doesn't mock you.
 

Tweet

Une Eventfully Day-o

Being very tired yesterday, and wondering what it would be like to be very good and go to bed very early, I did.

And that's when I woke up with a stiff-n-sore neck-n-back.

Really. I missed Star Trek: the Next Generation, for this?

On the off chance it would help, I took the usual migraine combo.

It did not.

But I decided to just work the ol' bod like usual, to prevent things from getting worse. There were hints of dizziness coming on, which I stoically ignored.

THEN, while preparing lunch, I felt this sudden WHOOSH of heat going up from my neck, through my head.

"Whoa!" I thought, "Is that a hot flash?"

Hmmm. In-teresting.

I mentioned this to Loren and he said, "Yeah, that's what it feels like when they give you that stuff....nitro...in the hospital. The exact same thing."

Well that's just super.

Another special Ma-moment, all shot to pieces.

Is there nothing left for me? No exclusive pathology?

Am I to be robbed of my peri-menopause motif?

*shudder*

Let us turn our faces to the flowers, instead of the wall.
Here are some daffodils that were a gift from Sarah Hess when she visited last fall. I added a few of my own, so her bulbs wouldn't be lonely in the soil over winter :-D

I LOVE daffodils!

Continuing with our botanical theme, I'd planned to put in a few community service Master Gardener hours this afternoon, and decided to go ahead, despite the body aches.

I met a gentleman, Bill Cordes, who just completed his classes last fall and is working on his 40 hours this year. He's already completed nearly 15, plus his required continuing education. A real go-getter.

Between the two of us, we can probably turn this county upside down, ha, ha.

And on the way home, I pulled over to the side of the road and rescued a large piece of folded up cardboard (like an appliance box) from the road and stashed it in the trunk.

Ma saves the environment, again!

(that should partly make up for not recycling the cans)

Speaking of bottles, only one more hour 'til I can down some more pills...
 

Tweet

The Blankness of Output

Schooling accomplished.

Lots of laundry done.

More of the lawn mowed.

Finished another book (The Prisoner of Zenda).

However, productivity doesn't always translate into literary excitement.
 

Tweet

 

 

Tweet

Another Gorgeous Day

And here are the daffodils to prove it.

(the picture was taken a few days ago, but you get the idea)

And what is unusual is that I transplanted these flowers while they were growing, just a couple weeks ago. Don't think you're supposed to do that with bulbs, but it just goes to show that conventions can be broken on occasion and nobody gets hurt.

In other news, can't tell you how much I love having my Saturdays back.

This morning I got real ambitiousy and decided to sweep out the addition with a broom.

Pretty soon I added the shop vac. And then I looked at the windows...

That was a mistake. But I cleaned those babies up, for the first time since they'd been put in, probably more than 10 years ago. The stickers were still on the windows, fer cryin' out loud!

I ended up using a metal kitchen spatula to scrape some of the accumulated dirt off the sills. And seeing as they weren't the pop-out kind, I even took a step ladder outdoors to wash the outside.

One thing just kind of led to another...it was absolutely ridiculous.

Particularly since the windows--and the addition--will just get dirty again.

But for a few brief weeks, there won't be so much dust and dirt getting tracked into the kitchen.

Sometimes we have to live with small victories.

After a short nap, I went out to the garden and cleaned up more of last summer's debris, then made a couple new snaky paths.

My goal is to create an intricate maze in which I can get lost when the need arises.

I've had mazes inside the house for a while, so I figured it was time to branch out...
 

Tweet

Mi Día Avec los Kiddos

We had an ambitious agenda this morning: eye doctor appointments, park play, McDonald's, and the weekly shopping.

Amazingly, we left in good time, despite the trauma inflicted upon the two younger boys when Ma took them to the kitchen sink and wiped everything above the neck with a soapy washcloth.

There was an extraordinary lack of gratitude, I can tell you. This would not have happened except for the malodorous vapors arising from their persons the previous evening, as I read books to them.

(it's hard to get into the spirit of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when ripening young males sit within a hairsbreadth)

And along with this morning's capitulum polish, I had them cut their claws and scrub their nails and hands with the vegetable brush.

It seemed appropriate.

Off we went, with preloaded backpacks and a car full of clean kids. Yes, all seemed set for another favorable impression on the Wolfe Clinic, Wal*Mart, nay, the world.

My first inkling of anything awry occurred when Trevor, sitting next to me, turned his head to speak. My nose was assaulted with a vaguely stale smell, leading to the inevitable inquiry, "Trevor...did you brush your teeth?"

...*silence*...

"Nolan, I'll bet you didn't brush your teeth, either..."

*more silence*

"But you didn't tell us to!" was Trevor's supremely logical reply.

"You guys! I am NOT going to be around when you're in the penitentiary college to remind you to brush your teeth! You've got to start doing this stuff yourselves! Well...at least we aren't going to the dentist."

Luckily I had some tic tacs in my purse. This was followed by a quick scrape across the ol' gum line with a kleenex from my purse.

Why I don't keep toothbrushes and paste in there is beyond me.

The exams proceeded without incident and we headed over to Waverly Memorial Park. When I say "without incident," I mean nothing other than the fact that Nolan only brought his math book, despite having packed his backpack the night before, per my instructions.

But back to the park...daring feats of skill were undertaken.


"Gumdrops, gumdrops..." to instigate a game of freeze tag.


While Carolyn keeps an eye out for Ethan, who is "it," Melinda works on schoolwork in the car.
(It wasn't that long before I chose the warm car over the cool breeze)

Nolan, about to get "nailed" by Ethan.


Life hangs by a tenuous thread, when you're a diminuative eight-year-old.


The rest of the day proceeded without incident, aside from Nolan accidentally starting to fill his drink cup with catsup (...*sigh*...I don't know about that guy...)

We did get a few "looks," but no one out-and-out asked me why the kids weren't in school.

Home just before 3, which left time for Ma's nap!
 

Tweet

Plantin' o' the Corn

At least I think it's corn.

For the second day in a row I was awakened from a drowsing reverie by an eight-year-old's excited announcement, "It's the planter. IT'S THE PLANTER!"

Or something like that...I wasn't completely conscious.

Well you know what THIS means: yet another morning of school, delayed.
But then again, it only happens once a year :-)

Nothing like large, moving machinery to get the attention of young lads.



That grass you see in the top picture was cut, not long afterward. Loren got the mowers in shape and Ethan and I headed out around 11:00.

We finished the south section, before lunch.

Course, it helps if you don't eat until 2 o'clock.

We were both mighty tuckered out, it being our first time of the season.

Actually, I was the only one tired, Ethan looked like he could have gone longer. I, on the other hand, was contemplating the dramatic newspaper headline, "Old lady dies of heart attack while mowing the lawn. Her last words were, 'Could someone please get me a piece of dark chocola...*gasp*...' "

I'm kidding.

I would have asked for a Diet Coke, instead.

After lunch and dishes and a couple of online jigsaw puzzles (by the way, my record so far is 2 minutes and 50 seconds), I headed back out to finish cleaning up plant debris along the north side. Had a nice chat with Renise Frey, who came by to help her husband.

He finished planting less than an hour before the rain, and I finished my stuff, including transplanting a few wild flowers, with about 10 minutes to spare.

Good timing.

Good day.
 

Tweet

As the Earth Turns

The sun had long arisen and I was still blissfully snoozing in bed. Suddenly, I heard the pitter-patter of small boyish legs on the stairs, followed by an urgent whisper,

"Hurry! Mr. Frey is here with the plow! Get up, get UP!"

I assumed Trevor was talking to his brothers, not me.

Yes indeedy, the tractor was here...
...with a new and larger plow attached.

Oh, the excitement!

I guess it's OK to postpone school for special occasions.

(we still got through everything, however)

Of course, Nolan has NO idea I'm pointing the camera in his direction.


Coming around the last turn.


'Twas a warm and windy day. After my nap-of-little-sleep, I headed out to do some digging of my own.

Got in the radishes and lettuce, with Cleome seeds in the center of the bed, slated to take over after the salad stuff is kaput.

That completes the early crops: potatoes, peas, carrots, lettuce and radishes.

Still plenty of room left for more produce, including the extra flower seeds that I plan to incorporate each year. Because one of these days, even a single packet of beans will be too many.

Also, I'm weaving new patterns in the beds, gradually getting rid of the traditional blocky-straight look for a more funky Ma's Jardin Maze.

Because life doesn't have to be boring, right?
 

Tweet

Life

Exercise

School

Exercise

School

Lunch

Dishes

Nap

Work outside

Evening news

Make supper

Bath

Two loads of laundry

Totally rock on The New Yorker jigsaw puzzles

Read to kids

Stow them in bed for the night

Watch TV

Sleep

In addition, on any given day I probably arbitrate half a dozen ridiculous disputes amongst the boys, catch someone in several lies, dole out another dish of misery to "that person" who dislikes 6 out of 7 foods, gaze with half-hearted good intentions towards the dirty kitchen floor, throw something "dicey" out of the fridge, remind people to shut the inside door, and check Facebook.

Several times.

It's magic, I'm tellin' ya.
 

Tweet

Plantin' fer 2010

Sunday afternoon saw some bea-U-tiful weather. That, coupled with the need to compensate for sitting down all morning, found a few of us out in the garden.

Ethan finished up his section and planted the peas.

Here he is just covering up the last row before tamping it down with the rake.

Nolan had already completed his small bed for the carrots.
I showed him how to scatter the seed and then press it in with a board. It's possible he took the pressing part a little too seriously...

You can see in the background that we have a fair amount of quackgrass that demands yearly attention.

When not offering helpful supervisory hints, Trevor spent time on his newest swing...
...an old inner tube from one of the big bikes.

Carolyn had her potatoes in the ground just before Good Friday, but I do not have any pictures of that. I'll get a nice one later, as she usually sets the record for the neatest garden plot.

I would have liked to get lettuce and radishes in today, but it rained.

The chance of rain was 20% and we just happened to coincide with the odds.

All day.

But there is still plenty of time, particularly if it doesn't rain any more this week

______________

I'll have a post up about the wonderful River City Men's Chorus on Saturday night, sometime soon.

I found out, too late, that I missed a good men's group at the church down the road on Sunday night...but you can't win them all, I guess.

Supper's ready and hungry chillins await.
 

Tweet

 

 

Tweet

Big, Big Day Tomorrow, up at the Hoytsead

Melinda will be taking the ACT, in Hampton. I believe that means getting up by 6:30. And I've got it easy since I'm just eating and driving. Melinda will probably be up around 6, and then stuck testing until 12:15.

I may return home and crawl back in the sack.

Then, Saturday evening is the big River City Chorus concert, up near Mason City. I'm taking Ethan as a special treat. A large group of singing menfolk and then the 3rd best barber shop group in the nation :-)

Can you say "little bit o' heaven?"

Somewhere in there we may finish digging up boys' beds and do some plantin', iffen the soil and weather be right.

Other than that, not much is going on.

I can hardly wait :-D
 

Tweet

Extreme Ma Makeover, Week Fourteen

Let's get to the bad news right off, shall we?

The scale has reported a gain of 3.5 pounds. That makes a total weight loss of 12 pounds over 14 weeks.

Ma is now officially "behind in the count," as they say in baseball.

I'm beginning to suspect that the scale-with-the-missing-display-bars was not interpreted accurately last week. I have also been nibbling more over the past 14 days so I had probably gained a pound for week 13, instead of losing 2.5. Had I realized that, I might have eaten differently this week, but who knows? I can be certain of today's reading because the numerals are such there can be no doubt.

Regardless, you can be sure I'll not make those mistakes again....trusting the scale and nibbling. Though the latter will be much tougher to curtail.

I've been doing upper and lower body work these past 2 weeks, so that could explain a slight weight increase. But this morning I went an extra half mile on the treadmill (way to go, Ma!). These avenues, plus the increased outside activity that nice weather brings, should get the program back on track.
 

Tweet

Done for Today

• cleaned the master bath. I didn't kill myself above my reach, so there are still cobwebs in the corners of most of the ceiling, but I semi-killed myself on the rest. Well, for me, anyway. I think the important thing is that I threw away the fake plants and a few old magazines, as well as cleaning the toilet, floor, sink, and shower with the horrid sliding doors
  
• supervised Trevor planting his pepper seeds indoors. Should have done this two weeks ago...oh well
  
• quite possibly got hooked on The New Yorker jigsaw puzzles. It was an accident...really
  
• tried something new for supper: a simpler version of a Thai recipe, or as I like to call it, "Chicken in Peanut Sauce for Dummies." It's not my fault I don't keep exotic ingredients on hand. And judging from the comments, it'll be a while before I try something new, again. Tomorrow? FROZEN PIZZA (which was already planned).
  
• only had to take migraine meds ONCE! (so far)
  
• exercised twice
  
• didn't get too mad at anyone, though sometimes I block that out...it's just so hard to remember...
  

 

Tweet

That Grainy Feeling

 



It often happens that the day following one of great production, ends up being of very little use.

As it is with this Tuesday, though I s'ppose the migraine that seems to drift in and out with the tide doesn't help.

So glad we were able to get a ton of yard work accomplished on Monday. The rains came in the afternoon and then the evening and then overnight, heralded by the kind of thunderous cracks that make for poor sleepage.

Today we have more threat of rain and also severe weather.

I plan to compensate by preparing a scalloped potato and ham casserole and watching the news in a reclining position (the reclining does not apply to fixing supper).

This morning's humorous interlude came while Trevor was reading aloud The Little Farm by Lois Lenski. The lad, formerly known as "Sweetie Baby Bunny Boy," threw in an ad lib during Farmer Small's morning chores:

"He milks the cows...

and then he eats them!"

*much boyish giggling*

At least the milk was got before the cows were "done in."
 

Tweet

14th Annual Stone/Cone Festival

It's springtime in America.

The happy Hoyts stride out to meet the turf in a veritable fit of vernal exuberance. But this is not mere child's play, oh no. 'Tis a burst of energetic labor, befitting the majestic lawns and gardens of noblemen.

We speak of the de-stoning of the ditch.

Here, the happy offspring search the blades for stonage donated by the winter plows.

Indeed, it is a most gladsome time. A time sorely missed by the poor, unfortunate collegiates who are denied the privilege of participation.

After a hearty lunch of cold cuttage, the lads and lassie gambol about on the lawn, picking up pine cones and small sticks.
Their only wish could be for more small bits of branch to have fallen during the winter icings. But one must not complain, must one. A contented hour spent stooping is one hour that can never be taken away from our eager conscripts.

Alas that all the work was completed in one day!
________________

OK. That's about all I can take of that. I need to return to normal speech...

This year I did something different. I went through my ditch lilies with an ice cream bucket and filled it up 22, count 'em.... TWENTY-TWO times with gravel.

I figure that's about 3 or 4 years' worth of friendly fire from the snow plows.

Our driveway dips are eternally grateful.

And since it was going to rain, we burned all the yard trash, leaving a nice clean look to the uneven bumps in the lawn.

Also uncovered my strawberries, which, at 100 plants does take more than just a minute or two.

AND I transplanted a few wildflowers from the far yard to the garden, furthering my long-range make-it-up-as-you-go landscaping of the property. When my 10 spruce trees arrive--a free gift for donating 10 bucks to the Arbor Day Foundation--I hope to plant a few groupings, here and there, to soften some spots.

You never know, I may even reduce the gallows effect around the utility pole swing set.

Spes ver eternus
 

Tweet

 

 

Tweet

Overheard While Shopping

 
Goodwill. A college-type female rifles through the blouses and states disappointedly,

"They don't have any just like solid print..."

Wal*mart. The checkout lady, as I was leaving with my bags,

"Thank you, and have a nice Christmas!"

 

Tweet

The Clothes Hoarder

I shortened up the school day but I have very good reasons.

1) Loren had his six-month check-up at Mayo today and I had to pack a little food around 5:30. Then I tried to go back to sleep...ugh.

2) After a rather tardy wake up--even Trevor commented on my lateness--I decided to go through some of the clothes that have accumulated in piles in our bedroom. The piles resulted from:

---a) too little closet space when switching bedrooms

---b) buying clothes at Goodwill for dirt cheap prices and then not having room to hang them up

---c) forgetting what I had since they were not hung up (see "a" and "b") and thus buying a "few" unnecessary items

---d) too little drawer space

This is the second stage of moving all my clothes into the guest room so that Loren and I can actually see what's a hangin' in the closets.

We are now officially free from the horror of creases that occur when two peoples' duds are smooshed together on one, puny rod.

Most everything is organized, and I packed up 5 trash bags for Goodwill. I knew I had some extra clothes, but MAN! (to be honest, the bags aren't more than half full...)

Also went through my closet AND emptied two drawers, extracting stuff I'll never get back into without a combination of major surgery, liposuction, and The Jaws of Life.

In a related move, I took a step of faith and gave away my fat pants. Then I tried on all my remaining jeans and jean skirts, giving much away and leaving a couple of short stacks:

1) possibles...can wear when I lose 5-7 more pounds

2) maybes...might possibly wear if when I lose 12-15 more pounds

And unexpectedly, I came across a pair of new jeans that I can wear now.

Do you believe in miracles?

Anyway, I feel better about the clothes situation. Now there's more room for books!
__________

As earlier stated, Loren had his six-month check up today in Mayo-land. Things look fine. Hardly anyone was there (Good Friday) and they didn't even check his cholesterol.

Guess I went with a low-fat meal last night for nuthin'.

But of course it's always good to pretend you're being good.
__________

I am almost finished with the Tolkien biography that I found Wednesday in the white van. GREAT STUFF. Very interesting to see how LOTR all came together over a 12-year period.

Tolkien was some genius with languages, that is certain.

Working on my own plan to have a lasting impact on the world.

Can't give too much away just yet, but it does involve Goodwill...
 

Tweet

Reason for Concern?

I found this note in the addition...
...in Nolan's handwriting.

In case it's hard to read, it says:

"Get the following:

Tools

Gears

Girl

Uniforms"

I was disconcerted, to say the least. But upon consulting Carolyn, she immediately said, "The Great Mouse Detective."

This was also confirmed by Ardith on Facebook, and as the kids just saw that movie recently, I think we can all breath a sigh of relief.
 

Tweet

Extreme Ma Makeover, Week Thirteen

This week on the EMM we had a curious mystery concerning the scale.

As one of the blessings of this digital age, when the electronic display becomes enfeebled on our technological wonders, the visual readout can be missing bits and pieces. FOR INSTANCE, on our scale, not quite all of the 9 bars that make up the individual numerals can be seen in every place value. This occasionally calls for creative interpretation, or as this morning's weigh-in presented, "Hmmmm, did I lose 1.5 pounds, or gain .5 pound?"

I pondered this perplexity, tossing alliterative possibilities about and yes, even trying to figure out my current weight.

It came down to this. There were two identical numbers, side by side. I chose my weight with the assumption that they were both missing or not missing the same bars. And that left me with two choices: either I'd lost 1.5 pounds, or I'd gained 20.5.

Despite my porcine rep, even I can't tank up that fast.

The other possibility would be a single, defective numeral, but I've discarded that theory in the interest of saving money. Because now we won't have to replace the glass after I throw that stupid scale through the window.

In addition, my faithful husband went up and looked at the scale, afterward declaring the numerals to be uniformly missing parts. I gladly accept his judgment, just another example of my terribly submissive nature.

Besides, it means I win.

So the short of it is: I've lost 15.5 pounds over thirteen weeks.

Yay fer Ma!

And if the reading turns wrong, you'll be seeing a new blog feature...

"Ma's Weekly Psychiatric Report."
 

Tweet