They've All Done It!

This is a picture of Fixit from a week ago:

And these two are from tonight after I had to do an emergency hair repair after she chopped her hair off.

Sigh. 

 It looks SOOO different now.  But at the moment, this is a face of repentance - ok, it's really a face of "oh no, I got caught!"  But when the difference is about 8 inches, I think I'm going to notice!

PHEW! That was close!

Fixit is a major tomboy.

Wait, that might be putting it mildly.

She loves getting the hand-me-downs from her boy cousins. She plays pirates, dinosaurs, and super heroes.

So, you could say it was a bit of a surprise when she wanted to wear a dress to Easter Sunday Mass.  Grandma did witness this bit of astonishment, but she changed so fast after we got home, that Grandpa thinks it was a figment of our imagination.

Now, this morning was a real kicker.

She was going to wear a DRESS to SCHOOL!  (This is jaw-dropping, stop-the-presses type amazement!)  She actually came downstairs Wearing. The. Dress!

Then, her personality kicked in.  She looked down at the very cute polka-dotted dress and told me that she had to go look in the dryer.

At this point, I was hoping that she had undies on, because frankly, I was in shock.

She came back out wearing a super hero shirt and pants (and undies!).  She looked at me and told me, "That was close!"

What was close?

"I almost went to school looking like a girl!"

Yep! That's my girl.

And frankly, I still think her boyfriend is the luckiest 5-year-old on Earth.  He has a girlfriend that plays pirates, dinosaurs, and superheroes!

p.s. If, and that is a huge IF, she had actually gone to school in a dress, I'm pretty sure I would have gotten a phone call from her very girly 4K teacher wondering what had happened.  I'm glad that I didn't have to try and explain that.

Fixit is Thankful for....

Fixit's teacher sent home an email to all the parents that they had talked about what Thanksgiving was about and what being thankful meant. Then, she asked each of the kids what they were thankful for.  (Remember, these guys are only 4 & 5)

Here are some of the answers:

My toys - James
My house - Conner
My Dad and my four-wheeler - Macey
My moms dinner - Katie
My Mama and Daddy - Fixit  (awwww)

So, we talked about it at home and her answer got longer.

Ready?

Take a deep breath and say this all in one breath:

I'm thankful for Mom and Dad and K and Bug and Marley and superheroes and Grandma and Grandpa and God and superheroes 

I did get first mention, but superheroes got double mention, but I was still first! :)

Monday Musing August 20, 2012

Right now... it is 6:50 a.m. and I just got done wrapping my ankle in an Ace bandage.  I did too much this weekend and I can't find my structured ankle wrap.  SOmeone helped me take it off late last week, and it's been missing ever since.  It would be really sore if I hadn't been wearing a pair of Bob's military boots.  They are about 1 size too big for me, but really work around the ankles.  K is being helpful and making Fixit some breakfast.  Bug and Bob are still sleeping.  Bob has the day off, so I'll let him enjoy it.

This weekend... was busy!  Saturday, Bob and I put in another 100 feet of fence and built the gate for the new pen.  This was a first, building a pen before we had a critter to occupy it. (smile) My Dad has a twist-style post hole digger that I can actually help use, after the hole is started.  It's a heavy son-of-a-gun, but it really works much better than the pinch kind. 

Saturday afternoon, we headed over to Mom and Dad's to pick up the trailer for use on Sunday.  Saturday evening, Bob and I enjoyed a date night.  It was the first time in a LONG time for us to go out with just us.  We started our evening at Fleet Farm and picked up the rest of the stuff we needed for the gate.  Then we headed to Barnes & Noble to look around and picked up a few books.  Our next stop was to Margarita's for dinner - it was so good, but we were so full.  Finally, we didn't want the evening to end, and we were too full to go out to a coffee shop, so we parked in the local Woodman's grocery store parking lot and read our books for 1/2 hour. 

Sunday, we were going to go to church, but I had found fence panels for sale on Craigslist and the lady was going to be gone after 10, so we had to go get them.  Loaded up the kids and drove with Bob and the trailer to a town about 40 minutes away to pick up 9 fence panels.  They are going to work great to build the sides of our animal shelters.  We're not putting in the fence posts for those, yet. For the tops of the shelters, we bought some heavy duty tarps - they used to be billboards, so should last for a long time.  Still working out the exact logistics of it, but it'll work.

Sunday afternoon, we went to pick up our new buckling from a neighbor.  They also let us buy a little doeling.  We built the new pen with 4' sides for the buckling.  They weren't high enough.  When we went back outside to check on them, he was in with all the girls.  Yes, we're going to have to put him in there eventually, but we really didn't want December babies, so we're hoping nothing happened and that we can initiate goat date night more for March or April babies.  I don't think anything happened, because Bell, our milking doe kept slamming into him, showing him who is boss.  Trying to catch him was a whole 'nother rodeo.  We didn't have a collar on him, yet, and that bugger can jump. (Obviously, since he jumped a 4' fence). 

So, now, the buck is back in his pen, with a lot less opportunity to join the girls.  We put Carmel's collar on him, after we finally cornered and caught him, and used the dog tie out to tie him in the far corner of his pen away from the girls.

This episode helped provide the names for the new goats.  The buckling is Knuckles, as in Knucklehead, which was a much nicer name than we were tempted to call him.  The new doeling we got is just a little thing - she was never aggressive enough to shove in to get feed.  I'm hoping only have two other goats to deal with, that she'll grow.  We're going to call her Bitty, as in Itty Bitty.

They are both "used" to humans, but are also used to being in with several hundred other goats, so no petting or snuggling.  Don't think we're going to get "snuggly" with the buckling, since I've had a few choice words for him, but K said she got Bitty to actually come up to her this morning and could pet her.

Some plans for this week...  Today, we're taking a family trip into Green Bay to go to Sam's to stock up. We might take the kids to McDonald's for lunch.  I need to get a batch of refrigerator pickles going with some cucumbers that Dad gave me.  I need to dehydrate some more zucchini and shred more for the freezer.  We also need to help K finish her fair projects and pick up the tags for the fair.  I have a Catechist meeting tonight at church to get ready for teaching 7th grade religion again this fall. 

I have to call on the rest of my appointments for work and try and get them all scheduled this week.  I also have to go in to the Tech College center to pick up my student ID and download the assignments onto my flash drive.

Wednesday evening, at least one of us needs to go school for the Kindergarten meeting.  There is a different teacher this year for Bug, otherwise, we probably wouldn't go. 

We're probably going to try and put in some fence panels for a shelter this week, if I can convince Bob to help me after work.

Saturday, Bob and K have to go to pre-fair judging for her Visual Arts and Woodworking projects. 

If I find some time for myself, I would like to... straighten out the crafting room and uncover some completed projects that I need to list on Etsy.  I would also like to stop at the library and pick up the books that I have on hold.

I am grateful for... my super husband and his indulging me and getting more animals and building more fence.  I am grateful that K's fair projects are almost done and that we've started on the fair book - ugh.  For super-hero-loving girls with great imaginations.

Some prayer intentions for this week... That my Aunt Fran continues to improve from serious pneumonia that was caused by MERSA bacteria. She's been in the hospital for 2 weeks, and will be there for at least another week.  She is finally out of the ICU, the drainage tube has been removed, and they got her up and walking again.  I also need to do some praying to get excited about teaching Catechism again.

Something that makes me smile...  Fixit wearing a superhero shirt from her Aunt Vikki, a sweater from Grandma, the toolbelt from her cousin, and holding a superhero figurine and dinosaurs.

Goat Pictures

Here are some pictures of the new goats.

Snowbell  is the mother and Carmel is the baby.  They are both sable Saanens - according to Eileen Lamm, one of Shawano County's 4-H goat superintendents.  She was so great.  I emailed the extension to find someone to help trim Snowbell's hooves and disbud Carmel.  The 4-H agent sent back a couple of names and I lucked out when I called her and she told me that she could come over.  So, Snowbell's hooves are now much better - and I learned how to trim them, so I can keep working on them.  Carmel's horns are gone and her scabs will be gone in a couple of weeks.  Plus, she brought along the CDT (tetanus) vaccine and gave both of them shots and left the bottle with us, so I can give them their boosters in a couple of weeks.

These are what happens when you are the only one in the goat pen and trying to take pictures.

Snowbell - see the dusting of gold on her back?

It's really hard to take a picture of a bouncing goat kid

Carmel, the goat kid, and Fixit, my kid

Just Another Day

Managed to sweep the floor this morning (ok, should this be noteworthy, NO, was it - not really, but I'm getting there)  to which Fixit responded by looking at the apple she was halfway through, looking at the floor and dropping her apple on the floor.

She picked up her apple, examined it, and gave me the thumbs up.  Then, I was told that I did a good job, because she could still eat her apple - no dog hair.

She did this on PURPOSE.

Hmmmm - small children confuse me at times.


At lunch, Bug gives me this entirely serious look.  Not just a pay attention to me look, this was you better pay attention to what I'm going to say to you look.  She proceeded to say, "This, this, is just not typical."  But this wasn't said in my 5 yo's sweet voice, it was said in a quite impressive British accent.  I'm still not sure what wasn't "typical." but as I sat trying to figure her out, she cracked up and told me that it was hilarious.

Yep, middlish children confuse me, too.

All the GOOD Super Hero Names are Taken

I'm watching my 3-year-old nephew today.  He and Fixit are only 4 months apart and we jokingly call them the twins from different parents.

Well, my nephew is a HUGE Super Hero fan.  I'm talking owns lots of masks, and capes, and he knows ALL their double names, like Peter Parker is Spiderman and Bruce Wayne is Batman.  He even knows obscure ones like Steve Rogers is Captain America.

So, this morning, he and Fixit were rapidly switching between a long list of Super Heroes.  I had at least the following in my living room:

Spiderman
Wolverine
Storm
Captain America
Incredible Hulk
JubiLee
Batman

So, they tried to get me involved.  I thought Captain Mom was the perfect Super Hero moniker.

However, the kids DID NOT AGREE.

They decided that I should be "Captain Thunderpants."

sigh 

All the good Super Hero names are taken...and mine is not one of them.

Treasure

I was helping my Mom at my Aunt's house this past weekend, and I missed my kids. (My Aunt had to have emergency surgery and it doesn't look good for her - she's been in critical condition since Friday.)

So, when I got home, it was nice to see my kids after 3 days of not seeing them. 

I was sitting on my bed when Fixit came up to me and told me she was going on a treasure hunt.  She climbed into my lap, looked at me, and told me that she found her treasure.  It was me!

Awwwwww!!!!  Talk about melting my heart.

Then, Bug came in by me and sat on my lap, too.  She told me to close my eyes, which I did.  Then, I felt her rubbing both sides of my head and said, "Oh, magic ball what do I see."  At this, and the head rubbing, I opened my eyes and she proceded to say, "Eek, I see a head!"

My kids are such goofballs and I love them.

More Yarn

I'm going to Yarn Along with Ginny again this week.

I'm working on Fixit's blanket.  I am determined to use up some of my fabric and yarn stash - so I can justify getting more. ;)  So, I decided to make it challenging.  I've had this pink for Fixit since last fall, the funny thing is that Grandma made her Christmas vest out of the same color.  Then, I start working on her blanket and she told me that she doesn't like pink anymore.  Hmm, really?  Yep, my favorite color is blue.  sigh  Here's what it is starting to look like:

It's the first time that I'm purposefully switching colors before I just run out of a skein.  I'm following the Clever Blocks pattern from the book I'm reading - because I'm horrible at following a pattern.  I finally have this one figured out, but it sure involves juggling the skeins of yarn, because the colors are carried up the side.

Here's the book:

I got mine at Hobby Lobby with a 50% off coupon, but I think it would have still been worth the $24, because there is a ton of information in here - along with picture diagrams for every stitch.  I can't follow the pictures, but somethings it just helps to see where the stitch is supposed to be.

Totally Random

Here are some pictures from the last couple of days that have absolutely nothing to do with Christmas, just random life!

Umm, yeah.  That's a lot of yarn. (and it wasn't all of it!)

Yep, it's a cute little tooshy!

Little bit of random.

Have a good day!

Chocolate Goggles???

Here is what happens when Fixit decides to use the two chocolate-covered pretzel rings that I gave her as a snack as goggles.

I didn't realize it at first, so when I saw her, I had to hold her down and scrub her off (after the photo op, of course!)

Cue Suspensful Music

You know the kind:  Bum Bum Bum Bum like the English mysteries on PBS.

Yeah, that kind.

I wish I could have gotten a picture of this, but it would have ruined the atmosphere.  It was pretty dramatic around here.

The girls were playing together (nicely, without any yelling).  They all slinked downstairs and were poking into this and poking into that around the living room and kitchen.  Opening drawers. Peering around corners.

Not acting normal (as if such a thing exists in this house).

I sat in my chair and just watched this, scratching my head, and not saying anything.  I was intrigued and had to watch this performance unfold.

Finally, after 10 minutes of watching them sneak, slink, investigate, I couldn't take it anymore.  Especially since they weren't really saying anything.  I'd catch a snippet of "Hmmm, not here," or "Keep looking, we MUST find it." 

(Proud Mommy moment, the suspense was killing me, but I didn't blurt out "WHAT!  What are you looking for?")

So, Bug came into the living room and I whispered, literally whispered, to her, "What are you guys doing? I don't know what you are looking for?"

Her whispered response, after glancing around to make sure no one heard her, "Shhh, we're looking for clues."

Which prompted my intelligent, "Huh?"

"Mama, we're detectives and we are looking for clues to solve the mystery."

Consider me clueless at this point, "What mystery?"

Now being looked at with disbelief, "We HAVE to solve the mystery."

By this time, K and Fixit have joined Bug in the living room. Obviously, I was an interruption to the game, but I didn't get it.

So, Bug tries to explain it to her mother, again, "We never fail. We always catch the bad guy. We're going to solve a SISTERY MYSTERY!"

Then, I literally get a song and dance routine about solving the Sistery Mysteries and that they never fail. They'll always find the clues.

I was laughing so hard that I had tears streaming down my face.  What a hoot!  Honestly, how much time and thought had gone into creating the Sistery Mystery Detective Team? (and the related song and dance commercial spot?)  Oh, geez.  I'm not sure how we went from Agatha Christie circa 1980 to a Broadway song and dance routine, but we managed.  Then, after I had been singularly enlightened, they returned to the world of mystery.

Cue the jazz hands.

Another Thing I Never Thought I Would Say

Last night, after Bob got home from work, we were talking in the kitchen.

Fixit was in the kitchen, wandering around.

We didn't notice anything amiss, until we both looked at her and realized that she wasn't just pretending to be a puppy.  She was going to take a drink FROM the dog's dish.

No!  Don't do that. Don't drink from the dog's dish!

But, Mama, I'm thirsty!

Then ask us for a drink in a cup from the sink.

Sigh.

Pee Wee Pirate

In an ode to Disney Jr's Jake and the Neverland Pirates:

What's the pirate password?

Yo! Ho! Ho!

I can't hear you.

Yo! Ho! Ho!

Fixit decided to play pirates with me this morning.  She got the glorious job of captaining the motley crew, and I was the deck-swabbing, mess-hall-cooking, dog-walking, pirate princess.  Phew!  Much easier "driving the boat."

Here's a picture of the Pee Wee Pirate:

Her "scurvy dog"

And the "pirate princess" and "make sure you give me an 'Arrr,' Mama, because pirate princesses can't be pretty."

Yep, that would be the pirate princess in her highly fashionable Arrr self-portrait!  What we do for our kids...

Major Toddler Meltdown

You know when you have that first sense of how a day is going to go, and nothing happens to prove it wrong?  Yeah, that has been my day.

Fixit started out on the wrong side of the bed, and there is only one way to get in and out of her bed. She definitely should have stayed there longer.  She started the day with bags under her eyes.  Before I could even get Bug on the bus this morning, we were already experiencing Major Toddler Meltdown #1.  I HAD to get Bug outside for the bus, since we were running a bit late.  Fixit wanted to come outside with us, but Would.Not.Get.Her.Shoes.On.  Finally, I had to tell her to come out when she had her shoes on.  This started the absolute screaming fit.  When Fixit finally came outside, it was to scream at me.  To top it off, because I wasn't paying any attention to her, and she did not have shoes on, she decided to climb on to the deck railing to yell at me louder.  Not cool!  That part of the deck has got to be 8 feet above the ground over the gravel driveway. So, Bug got on the bus and I ran to Fixit to get her back on the deck.  This all happened within the 3 minutes of leaving the house and the bus coming.

Then, we get inside, where Fixit is either having Major Toddler Meltdown # 2 or Part B of the the 1st one.  She is screaming and throwing things at me.  I spanked her. Hard.  I told her to get me a diaper, so she could get her butt changed.  That's what set off this second episode.  If the kid wasn't so darned pig-headed, she'd be potty trained.  However, she is stubborn and doesn't mind sitting in her own waste, even if it causes her butt to be sore.

Next, K calls from school because she forgot her lunch and she "reallllllllly doesn't like the hot lunch for the day."  If it wouldn't have cost almost $3 to prove a point, I would have let her have hot lunch.  Being the good mom that I am(sometimes), we ran it in to her.

This was all before 8 this morning. 

Please Lord, let me have the patience to make it through the rest of the day without totally losing my cool, even if they are standing on MY.LAST.NERVE.

Fast forward to about noon. 

I'm in the bathroom downstairs when I hear this funny plink, plink noise.  Brand new bathroom. What the heck is that noise?  Please let it not be the creepy mouse that won't get caught in a trap and runs across the living room entrance when I'm sitting in my chair and it Looks at me.  Please...Please...Please. 

Ok, after taking a big breath, I swing the door open.  (Not sure what I'm going to do if I see the darn mouse, not like I have anything to even throw at it.)  What do I see?  Mouse? No. 

No, I see WATER dripping from the ceiling by the bathroom door.  WHAT THE HELLO is going on!!!!  I tear upstairs like a mad woman (oh, yeah, I was!) and there is Fixit in the upstairs bathroom flooding the sink and watching it flow on to the floor.  So, deep breath and proud moment where I didn't absolutely beat her, I turned off the water, and mopped up the bathroom upstairs, so I could come downstairs and repeat mopping. 

Do you know what her reason was for getting everything wet?

"I didn't want to take a nap."

It is now 2:45 and raining outside, so I can't kick them outside.  I do think that I put the fear of God into them, for at least a few hours, and if they step foot in my sight, they are toast.

Things I Never Thought I Would Say

Somedays as a mother, all you do is damage control.  Somehow, I feel that today is going to be one of those days. (sigh)

It all started yesterday morning with something I never thought I would say. 

Here's the backstory: While eating a delicious breakfast of scrambled egg cups and bacon, Fixit wasn't that hungry so was goofing more than eating.  My husband and I were talking and the kids were eating.  I looked over at Fixit and she had the piece of bacon hanging over her nose.  Huh?!  First thing I never thought I would say: "Get the bacon off your nose!"

Fast forward to this morning.

Fixit was finishing her breakfast, at least that is what I THOUGHT she was doing.  After she was "done," I decided she could have some cartoon time - which generally works well during my email-checking in the morning. 

She started to sneeze like crazy and her eyes were watering.  Not quite normal for her, but everyone has been sneezy lately, so I didn't give it much thought.  Then I realized that she was trying to dig for "treasure."  I made her come by me, and then I realized it was only the left eye that was watering and that side of her nose looked a little off.  I couldn't tell what she had SHOVED up there, but hoped that making her blow her nose would get rid of it.  I really didn't need another Dr's visit, we've had enough of those in the past few weeks.  Luckily, she was able to get the object out with a good blow. 

I'm not exactly sure how much bread was up there, but it was quite the compacted ball of bread.

Hence, the second thing in less than 24 hours that I never thought I would say, "Never shove bread up your nose. Wait! Never shove ANYTHING up your nose!"

And here I thought today would be all about my Anniversary...  I love you, Dear!  Happy 13th Anniversary.

I gotta go check on Fixit and make sure nothing else has ended in a nose.