How to get an unscheduled day away from home.

Just come down with appendicitis.

Simple, right?

But I really don't suggest it.

Tuesday afternoon, around 5:30, I got sick.  My first thought was that I had a wicked bad case of gas & no gas-x in the house.  After trying every possible position to get comfortable I decided a hot bath would help.  It did, but only very temporarily.  It was Bucka's birthday and I had made him Cat Head Biscuits for dinner but had to call Busha and tell her we weren't coming because my stomach hurt too bad.  Then came the vomiting.  Fun.  After 2 extra-strength Tylenol and an hour on the couch with my hot rice bag, I was comfortable enough to sleep....but only if I didn't move at all.  It was a long night.

The next morning all 4 of the FarmHands had check-ups with our family doctor.  Husband went with us & planned on sitting in the car while I took the kids in to see Doc.  I told him I really thought I'd need his help inside.  Doc took one look at me trying to walk & he new something was wrong.  15 minutes later I was on my way to the hospital for a CAT scan.  By 1:30 that afternoon I was being wheeled down to surgery.

Grandma M&M had surgery in Indy on Monday so Mama was on her way to our neck of the woods when they took me back.  That was a God send because we really need her help around here right now.

Apparently the surgeon asked me if I wanted to go home the same day and I told him no.  I wanted to stay in the hospital over night because I didn't want to try to recover from surgery at home with 4 kids.

He opted to do an open appendectomy in stead of the laproscopic surgery because of how close my appendix was to the surface.  He said it would be faster and easier to get to it if he just opened me up.  I figured one opening as opposed to 3 sounded good to me.

I'm sorry if this post is a bit disjointed.  Vicodin and I are buddy-buddy right now.  I think it may be nap time.

Today I had an empty nest.

For three hours...but I wasn't in it. I was at Busha & Bucka's sipping coffee & laughing with my grandmother.

Bitsy started Pre-K today. I'm not really sure I was prepared for this. It's not like it was a great surprise. I had her screened in March. We've known for months this was coming. But still, dropping your baby off at school for the first time is a bit overwhelming....especially when she doesn't seem to notice you're gone.

Yesterday was visit day & she was glued to my thigh. Occasionally she would venture off into the class to check something out, but only if I was in a direct line of sight & only if another child was no where near what she wanted to look at. Today she tried to leave me as soon as we got to the front doors of the school. I walk her to her room, make sure she gets her back pack hung up, walk her to the play ground door, then say good bye. She tried to tell me good bye three times before we got to the play ground.

To answer your question: No. I did not cry. Not a bit. It was much easier than I expected. Does that come from three previous "first day" survivals or does it stem from the total amazement at three hours almost entirely to myself every week day of the school year? You decide. I'm going to take a nap.

A sure sign

Spring is coming. The proof of it was in my laundry room Saturday morning trying to get warm.

I had just logged on to Facebook to find out what I had missed in the night when Husband came in the back door with a small white limp bundle in his hands. He hollered for me to change into old clothes, grab some towels, and come to the laundry room. When I got there I could see the poor lamb he was holding was half frozen and still covered with after birth. I wrapped the lamb in one towel and tossed the rest in the dryer to warm up.

When Husband went out to do chores he found the ewe and her twin lambs in the woods. It had snowed the night before and the lamb he brought me was laying with his legs splayed out behind him in the snow. He wasn't getting up and obviously hadn't been able to nurse.

Bitsy and I spent the morning rubbing him with warm towels, rocking him, talking to him, and praying he'd stand up. She named him 'Woody.' After about 30 minutes I got out a book we have about sheep and found out giving him some milk (from his mother) could help him gain enough strength to stand. Husband milked the ewe and we offered the little guy his bottle. He guzzled it down and started baaa-ing for more.

Husband held him up so he could try standing. Once Woody was steady, Husband let him put some weight on his feet. That's when Woody tried to make a mad dash for my lap. Well, as mad a dash as a noodle legged new born lamb can make. He flopped into my lap & head butted my stomach and chest looking for more to eat.

After more than an hour of worry and work, Woody got to go back out to live with his mom & twin brother. It broke my heart a bit when he left me for his real mom, but it would have broken it much more if he'd have given up in my laundry room. I'm sure it would have crushed Bitsy to pieces as one look at his fuzzy little face and she was a goner.

We now have twin girl lambs born last Monday named Jessie and Bo Peep and twin boy lambs named Buzz and Woody. Thus far we haven't had a lamb live through the summer, but I'm still holding out hope that the cast of Toy Story will make it.

It may still be a few weeks away, but Spring is definitely on it's way.

Oh. My. Goodness.

I know, it's been a long time since I posted twice in one day, but I'm going to pop if I don't share this one immediately.

My baby brother (Bubba) just won the Best Uncle of the Year award by having Optimus Prime call my boys. The real life, honest to goodness Optimus Prime. The Optimus Prime from all those cartoons we watched in the 80's & the movies that have made millions over the past 5 years. Yeah, that one. He's at MTAC tonight.

Not only did Optimus Prime call my boys, but he called them by name. He talked to them for about 2 minutes telling them how excited he was to be able to call them, asking them what they were doing tonight (when they told him they were watching Avatar, he said that was one of his favorite movies), and ending up with, "I wish I could talk to you longer, but I have to get back to Cybertron. I have work to do. But first, #1 Son & B.B., I need you to do something for me. Can you do it? Transform & roll out!" I only wish I could have gotten it all on tape. Their eyes were the size of saucers & they were practically vibrating with excitement.

I had them on speaker phone & Bitsy started jumping around the living room yelling, "Hi, Op Pwime! Hi, Op Pwime!" Because she was so excited, she was practically squealing, he said, "Is that a puppy, or one of you?" Since we hung up the phone she's told me 15 times that Op Pwime called her. Then she brought me a plastic potato chip from her play kitchen & wanted me to eat it. I said no thank you & she said, "Op Pwime eat my chip!"

They cannot wait for Daddy to wake up in the morning so they can tell him.

And yes, this made the dork that lives deep down inside me very, very happy not only because my brother did something so very awesome for my kids.....but also because:


Optimus Prime called my house!

OK, in truth, Bubba called & put him on the phone, but please, do not harsh my mellow!

A funny thing happened on the way to lunch.

We were headed out for an innocent family dinner when, lo & behold, Little BIL went & got married.

OK, so maybe that's not exactly how it went. Little BIL met "that someone special" a few months ago. A few months after that, a diamond ring was purchased. Today we met up at the courthouse just before lunch & watched them start the rest of their lives. Husband & I have known the time & date for a few weeks, but it was kept fairly well under wraps otherwise.

Neither Little BIL nor 'AndChair' (which is what she'll be called from here on....that's what Bitsy calls her...I kid you not) wanted a big wedding. They each wore the clothes they wore on their first date (I loved that part). MIL, FIL, Big BIL, Husband, the FarmHands, and AndChair's SIL were all there. The snow was swirling gently around just out the window behind them. AndChair was laughing a bit & crying a bit (well, more like getting tear-y). They were both smiling from ear to ear. It was all so very sweet.

Bitsy has never had anything to do with AndChair before, always glaring at her from across the room with distrust. I've tried to convince her that there is no danger in smiling at AndChair, but she would have none of it. Today, as soon as the ceremony was over & we were heading out of the judge's chambers, Bitsy walked up & gave AndChair a big hug. I was shocked. AndChair said, "FarmWife, quick, take a picture! She's hugging me!" but unfortunately I'd already stuck the camera in it's bag.

This officially means there are 6 Mrs.C's in our family (including yours truly). There will be one more added to the roster next summer when NM & A Starry Night get married. Maybe we'll start a coalition & overthrow the village council.

These Boots are Made for Walkin'

Once upon a time, I was a Doc Martens kind of girl. In my defense, I grew up during the era of grunge rock. I wore my over sized jeans, funky t-shirts, and flannels. With my high school graduation money, I bought myself my first (and only) pair of Docs. They were my pride & joy. I dreamt of a day when some kid at school would taunt my children with, "Your mama wears combat boots," and my children would reply with, "And your point is?"

I rocked Chuck Taylor Converse All Stars with cow spots painted on one side & daisies painted on the other. I wore black Sketchers, canvas Chinese shoes, satin embroidered slippers, crochet flats, and many other odd items of foot ware.

Things have changed. Doc Martin has changed. Now, instead of coveting a pair of Ox Blood 16 hole combat boots, I covet these (Yup, they're Docs):

With a bit of age, some help from Stacy & Clinton, and influence from the Hot Mama Revolution, I've developed a new love for shoes. Girly shoes. Shoes with pointy toes. Shoes with heels. Shoes I wouldn't have touched with a 10 foot pole in high school. Shoes better adapted to an office or a run way than a cow pasture or mine field. Shoes like these:

QM sent these up for me last weekend. She called me a few weeks back & asked my shoe size & I promptly forgot about it. Daddy gave me a big bag when he met us for our trip to the Circus Saturday. Tucked inside (along with some super cute flannel pajamas & new hair bows for Bitsy) were these fabulous boots. I immediately tried one on. Husband immediately told me I couldn't wear them to the circus. He had visions of me tumbling down the concrete steps of the arena with one of our children in my arms due to a misstep.

I've worn them everywhere since. Church on Sunday. To the eye doctor & Wal-Mart with #1 Son, B.B., and Bitsy yesterday. To take the kids to school & go visit Busha & Bucka today. They were a hit at pre-k pick up this morning.

Someday my feet & back will hate me, but for now, I'm rockin' the heels. Maybe I'll do like Sarah & wear them to vacuum.

Thwarted again.

Last night I was inspired. I wrote a wonderfully thought provoking blog post while showering. Unfortunately, there was no one around to dictate said blog post to & my PC won't fit in the shower. By the time I'd PJ'd myself & dried my hair, I was past the point of no return. The only thing left for me was a few chapters of The Last Battle and a good snuggle down in my (momentarily) empty bed.

Today, I haven't a clue what I was going to write about. Not the foggiest notion. Sorry. Next time I'll write it in eye liner on the shower door.

In fabulous news, my daughter, child of nudity, girl of the giant, ill fitting shoes, sockless BabyGirl, wore knee socks & loafers that fit to school today. KNEE SOCKS & SHOES THAT FIT!!! Did you read that? Do you understand the significance? I can't remember the last time she willingly wore socks....or shoes that weren't at least a size & a half too big. Did I mention the long sleeve shirt? No? Yeah, she wore one of those too. In fact, she's demanded long sleeves the past 2 days. Unfortunately, since she's refused to wear long sleeves since kindergarten, she only has 2 or 3 shirts that fit the bill. I promised to look for some when I head to Wal-Mart tomorrow.

Who is this strange person & what has she done with my daughter?

Bitsy is on a napping strike. I am not happy with this development. Not at all. It's 3:44 pm & she's not had a nap at all today. If it meant she'd sleep through the night in her own bed, I'd be all for skipping her siesta, but no, she won't. She's also on a diaper strike. I keep putting them on her; she keeps stripping them off. She's currently sitting buck naked on the back steps. It's a good thing we live in the boonies. This might not go over well if we had to answer to a HOA.

The first fire of the season is warming my living room...or would be if Bitsy would get her naked butt back in the house & close the door. I'm not sure I'm ready for fall. I wish someone would ask me before they make drastic changes in the weather like this.

Wonder of Wonders...

Miracle of miracles, God took a FarmBoy by the Hand....

OK, so maybe it wasn't quite that dramatic, but let me tell you about my morning. After the chaos & mess of yesterday & the stomach bug of last week, my house was in horrible shape. Last night when we turned in, the kids rooms were picked up & looking good, but the kitchen & laundry was another story all together.

I got up at seven when Bitsy hit the floor running (she stayed in her toddler bed until 2:30, then was in our room after that). I washed Andrew's bedding from his kennel (GROSS) and sorted the mountain of laundry that had developed this week. I loaded & ran the dishwasher & started a load of clothes in the washer after Andrew's stuff was done, and folded a load of towels. Then it was time to grab the FarmHands & head to church.

Husband was finishing his chores when we were heading out. When we got home he had showered, taken an extra tire we had over to see if it would fit Beffie's Jeep (she has a flat tire & no spare), cleaned the air filter on the furnace, vacuumed the entire house, folded & put away sheets & towels I had washed the day before, made our bed, & picked up the house. He even stashed the sorted piles of dirty clothes away so they weren't strung by the back door when we got home.

He's a good man, that one.

When I got home all I had to do was finish up a few dishes and fold clothes while we watched Fireproof (Good movie!). Then tonight was home hair cut night. Husband has new clippers & I wanted to use one of the combs to trim around the boys' ears. We tried it out first on #1 Son. He looks like he's joining the Marines tomorrow. Don't think we'll use that again. Personally, I'd rather buzz the boys' hair short for the summer, but Husband hates that...so I spend an hour or so every few weeks wrestling wiggling boys on a bar stool with scissors in my hand. I cannot see spending $15 every 6 weeks to let someone butcher (the one & only time I've taken either of them to have their hair cut, it was not a pretty sight) my sons' hair. I can do it at home for free.

Now I'm ready for bed. Either that or I'll cuddle up with my newly domesticated husband & watch Elizabeth: The Golden Age (which I'm sure he'll LOVE...or not).

It's a Major Award! I won it!

This is what I won from the raffle last night:

It's a Longaberger To-Go Tall Tote in Paprika. It's retired now, so you can only get them on e-bay. She's tall enough & sturdy enough to carry Bitsy's diaper bag needs & my purse stuff plus things to keep the bigger kids quiet during church. I think I'm in love. I may even name her.

I think it may be even better than a big plastic leg lamp complete with fishnet stockings....well, almost.

Quite possibly the best $7.00 I've ever spent.

The Crunch Hits Home

I know this economic climate has not been easy on anyone. Everyone has financial worries these days. So many people are without a job or facing that possibility. I've been worried for my dad for the past few months (he works for GM), but so far I haven't seriously worried about us.

Until last night. I called Husband at work to give him some fun, lighthearted, good news (later) and he said, "Try to wait up for me. I want to tell you about what's gone on at work today. A bunch of stuff has gone down. Don't really want to talk about it over the phone, so try to stay awake." My stomach suddenly felt like it was full of lead. "Nothing bad for us? Right?" "Well, not right now." And then I had to wait 3 1/2 hours for him to get home.

I'm not so good at waiting.

Here's the quick version: last week another plant owned by his company was shut down (near 150 lay offs). Their equipment is to be shipped here to set up & run at Husband's plant. They were supposed to be calling back people who'd been laid off in the past 18 months to a year. Good news, right? Last night they started walking people out of the plant. Husband said there were major cuts in the office (people flat out fired) and many more through the plant (jobs cut & people sent back "to the floor" where their seniority will take them...team leaders/middle management going back on the assembly lines). After all the bumping is over, there will probably be another lay off.

So far this shouldn't effect us. I'm praying it stays that way. Husband is now the only person who does his job on second shift. A year ago there were 3 of them. As of last night, he's on his own. There may be a lot of moving around between shifts, so there is a chance Husband will be bumped back to the floor. Rumors are swirling. More cuts, pay cuts, closings, government intervention. Not much is really known.

I've spent a lot of time praying & a lot of time trying to trust that God will take care of us no matter how this all turns out. It's not an easy task. Not remotely easy. Husband doesn't show his worry, but I know it's there lurking under the surface. I've also spent a good deal of time in prayer for him. He is always strong for us, but I know it can't be easy.

*******

The good news I called to tell him: Husband's cousin is the president of the FCCLA (Family Career and Community Leaders of America) at her high school. Last night they had a fundraising dinner & raffle. I didn't go, but I bought some raffle tickets...partly because I loved the prize but mostly because I love Beffie & wanted to help her out with her project.

Guess what? I won. I'll post my prize as soon as I get it. I'm stoked!

Yeah FarmBoy!

You know how I've been obsessing over the apple green Kitchen Aid mixer lately? Apparently Husband noticed too. When I woke up this morning (our eleventh wedding anniversary) this was sitting on my kitchen counter:

It's not apple green & it's not the biggest mixer Kitchen Aid makes, but to be honest, the one I was lusting after was way more mixer than I need. This one is just the right size for me & the white matches everything & always will (in 15 years, Apple Green may be the new Harvest Gold). And making it even better, my Husband, the man who hates to shop, got up (with out my knowledge) at 4:19 and went to Wal-Mart to face the crazy Black Friday crowds and saved $68 on it! I knew he'd left the bed room, but because I spent part of the night in the recliner with stomach problems, it didn't really phase me. He was back in bed by 5:40.

Can't help lovin' that man of mine.

We had a wonderful visit yesterday at Grandma M&M's house. My folks, Inkling's folks, & her youngest brother & his family were all there as were Uncle Greenteeth & Aunt Anita, Aunt LV (Grandma's sister) and her daughter & son-in-law. I hadn't seen Inkling's youngest brother since before Bitsy was born. She was very interested in their littlest one (BP). Aunt Anita was holding BP when she began to suspect his diaper was in need of changing. She showed him to me to confirm her suspicions. I checked his pants & said, "Yup, BP. You've pooped." This piqued Bitsy's interest. Although she refused to talk to anyone yesterday, she went around & pointed & gestured & told everyone that Baby BP pooped in his diaper. Fascinating.

The kids all put on their matching jammies & had their pictures taken with G'ma & G'pa M&M and then with FarmBoy & me. Hopefully we got one for the Christmas cards. The picture below is Bitsy & me in our matching jammies. I love them!! I may live in them all winter.

The only damper on the day was my stomach. I've been having trouble on & off for the last week (not pregnant). Wednesday night it felt like everything I swallowed stayed in my esophagus. Yesterday the feeling continued. So even though there was a magnificent spread & I was so hungry for deep fried turkey, cranberry salad, mashed potatoes, green beans, Aunt Anita's broccoli casserole, sweet corn, dressing, and hot rolls (yum....), I ate about 5 bites & couldn't swallow any more. I was not happy. But my cousins packed up my plate so I could bring it home. I didn't even attempt the (beautiful) pecan pie. :(

Because of my stomach issues, I'm not sure how we're going to celebrate our anniversary. We have decided to wait until tomorrow to go out so QM & Daddy can watch the FarmHands. Their Uncle Little BIL wants to take them to see Bolt, so we might do that today.

I hope you all had wonderful Thanksgivings! I'm off to gaze happily at my new mixer & enjoy the beginning of our 12th year together.

Why we heart Belk's & QM's shopping abilities.

You may or may not know that the Queen Mother (all hail the Queen Mother) likes to shop. I wouldn't go so far as to call her a compulsive shopper. It's not really her main hobby. She's not a serious bargain/freebie hunter like my Aunt Silverbelle. But the woman can shop.

Last week she called wanting to know the sizes of all the FarmHands as well as myself. Belk's was having a sale. She & HT went shopping. Today we got a giant box from UPS that looked like HT had wrestled it to the floor so Mama could pack it.

Oh the clothes! Oh the clothes, clothes, clothes, clothes, clothes, clothes, clothes! And much to the FarmHands' chagrin, not all of it was for them. I now have to make room in my closet for my new wardrobe. Yeah me!

And one little HMR post about my new obsession with bracelets & my longing for Bakelite and this is what happens:

I am a happy girl today.

To be honest, I've accomplished little from my to-do list today. One load of dishes, two beds stripped, one dishwasher load run.... & now I have to add more laundry and cleaning out BabyGirl's drawers to incorporate her new wardrobe. But that's OK. She'll be the best dressed girl in second grade....if she gets dressed. And I have two little boys who are absolutely over the moon for their new swim trunks. I'm waiting for them to ask to wear them to town.

Happy Thursday to you

Something must be in the air. Everyone in town today was in a good mood. People at Wal-Mart were happy, chatty, and helpful. The folks at the post office were talkative and kind. I only had Bitsy with me, so that may have had something to do with it, but I loved it none the less.

I would like to publicly thank Ang for passing on her good fortune to us. She won the first Mom I'm Bored button drawing & graciously passed it on to us! The FarmHands were thrilled & unanimously voted to get the bubble machine. Now we only have to wait patiently. Heck, buy the time it gets here, they'll have forgotten about it & it will be like Christmas all over again!

The boys are beginning to mend. They're still running fevers, but they're up & hopping & the fevers are not as high as they have been. I'm holding out hope that tomorrow we'll be fever free & Saturday we can make it to Scottie & May's baby shower.

A certain red headed, pregnant, nearly Canadian cousin of mine is celebrating her 34th birthday today! I can tell you how old she is because she did it herself on her own blog...that and she's only 2 years older than I am.

I picked up something new at the store today. Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger ale. Yeah, that's what I thought...but I was curious, so I grabbed a bottle & have been sipping all afternoon. Have to say, the taste grows on you. I think I may like it after all. Plus it has 100% of your vitamin C for the day (but then what doesn't these days?) & a good dose of antioxidants. Too bad it's also a diabetic coma waiting to happen.....but then, that's ginger ale for you.

So, even with a serious lack of sleep (the FarmHands were up a combined total of at least 8 times last night), I'm having a pretty decent day. I'm just concerned that Busha will be right. Today she said, "Just watch. The kids will all get better & you'll wake up feeling like death warmed over." As Maria would say, "Please, make it not be true. Please, make it not be true."

Young Grasshopper was wise in the ways of fabric.

While browsing the fabric at Wal-Mart for material to make Scotty & May's baby blanket, I found something wonderful. Guess who it's for! Go ahead, guess. I was going to keep it a secret, but I couldn't help myself. I still have to find the rest of the fabric to go with it....(and it's much cuter in real life. The picture isn't great.)

In other news, the girls probably have a virus. Yippee.

I realize I accidentally took last week off, and the week before that no one needed any answers, but I'll try this one more time. Ask FarmWife....so, folks, what ya' wanna' know?

Things were Good.

Oh wonderful Mufers-Day. Oh lovely Mufers-Day. How special & loved was I. I hope you were as well.

As is tradition on Sunday mornings, I got up & threw Pillsbury Cinnamon Roll Bite in the oven & told everyone to "Please. Be. Quiet. It's too early to be awake." (Oh, insert note, Friday Morning on the Today Show.....New Kids On the Block!!! Set your TiVos.)

When BabyGirl woke up she quickly informed the boys of the momentous occasion & everyone made a mad dash for their underwear drawers. The bounty was brought forth to be gushed over while B.B. cried that he couldn't find his Mufers-Day for me. Then he repeatedly told me, "I am SO GLAD it's Mufers-Day, Mommy!! Aren't you glad it's Mufers-Day?! I am so glad!"

#1 Son made me a coupon book at school. While I may not get quite the CVS deals Aunt Silverbelle's been garnishing lately, I do get "help in the kitchen" 3 times, the pets fed 10 times, his room cleaned once, and 50 hugs. That beats free air freshener any day.

BabyGirl gave me a tiny flower pot with a plant starting plug & a tiny envelope of strawberry seeds. We're hoping they grow & we didn't inadvertently wash the seeds away when we watered them. She also glued a poem in the yellow card & wrote "Happy Mother's Day" in her fanciest hand writing. There's a purple flower with a message written on the back of each petal. "Thank you for helping me with my homework." "Thank you for taking me to Chuck E. Cheese."
"Thank you for buying me Barbies."

B.B. (and the other kids) gave me a card with puppies on it. Husband wrote Mommy on the card & let each kid color a letter. Then they eached picked a puppy & wrote their names under it (that's what I intterupted Saturday morning). Last night he told me about all the drama involved in picking the puppies & coloring the letters....it's a wonder the card survived until Sunday morning!

At church the boys & Bitsy made cards (by "made" I mean the teachers wrote their names in the cards) in Sunday School with a poem about planting flowers together. Each card has a pack of flower seeds stapled inside. I now have Marigolds, African Daisies, and California Poppies to plant.

After chruch the kids & I came home & picked up Husband. We headed to town for lunch. The kids all wanted McDonalds, so we went through the drive-thru for Happy Meals & Husband's lunch. Then they took me to the Chinese buffet for a take-out tray. We parked the van at the park & chowed down (couldn't get out of the van due to rain & horrible winds).

After lunch we stopped by the new Family Video store in town & ended up with 6 movies for $3! They have great deals on older movies & half off movies for the first 30 days. We got The Bee Movie, Superman III, a Garfield cartoon, a Barbie Fairytopia movie, The Good Shepard, and Vanity Fair. So we spent the remainder of the day lounging around the house, watching videos, and wrestling.

It was a good day. And I have leftovers for today!

Little BIL flies into Indy today. Please pray he makes it home safely! We're all anxious to see him!

Strange things are afoot in the FarmHouse

There are secret Mother's Day things going on in my house. I am not allowed to look in my kids sock drawers (which is kind of hard since yesterday was laundry day & I normally fold & put away after everyone's asleep). There was a secret meeting in BabyGirl's room before I woke up this morning. Actually I unintentionally interrupted that. Husband got up before I did (not normal for Saturday....or any day for that matter) but was no where to be found when I stumbled from my bed. I thought he'd left, and peeked into BabyGirl's room where I was faced with horrified looks & a few surprised wordless exclamations. I saw nothing.

My house is still clean. I've been trying the "do a little at a time" approach, but have discovered with 6 people in a 1,590 square foot house, that means doing little things ALL DAY LONG & never sitting down. But so far, so good. Now if only I could throw cooking a real meal into the mix....

I was kind of hoping my Zune would be here by now, but QM has discovered 5-7 days is not how long it is until you receive the Zune but how long before they ship the Zune. So now I have to wait patiently until Wednesday or Thursday. Oh well.

I'm off to hunt for the identity of a tiny green dinosaur #1 Son got from the treasure chest at school. I need to email Grace & ask her about a good Dinosaur book for a certain small boy since she has an expert in her midst.

In case of earthquake, this blog will be manned.

So, gentle readers, were you jolted out of your bed at 4:37 this morning? We were. And I can assure you, I do not like earth quakes.

Husband thought it was a tornado. We both stumbled out of bed, I grabbed Bitsy & he ran to the boys' room. There's still debate about who got to BabyGirl first, but I know I did. The kids & I hunkered down in the bathroom until the shaking stopped. Then I thought I might vomit. Honestly.

I'm hearing the quake was a 5.4 on the Richter scale. It was centered VERY near to us, so we had a good deal of shaking. No damage yet that we can see. Husband will get under the house once the kids are off to school to check the foundation better. A few pictures fell, some toys, a bottle from the top of my cabinets, and a bottle of cinnamon from my spice rack, but that's all.

The kids are thrilled with the idea of being up "in the middle of the night." All except for Bitsy, who just wants to go back to sleep, but can't stand to miss the excitement.

Truth be told, we were all pretty terrified for a minute or two. Now that the adrenaline has passed, we're just shaky. Aftershocks are still being felt.

Now that I've lived through an earth quake, I'd rather not experience one again. Guess that means I won't be moving to LA to pursue my film career anytime soon. Sorry to all my fans out there.

I hope you are all safe, sound, and still asleep. We will just stay awake & keep an eye on things.

It's a girl

Husband just came in after taking the kids to school & announced that Tinkerbell had her calf. We knew she was due the beginning of April, so Husband pinned her up in the woods on Sunday.

This little girl is so new, she has yet to stand up...but she's working on it.

Husband wants to name her 'April'. My vote is for 'Harley'. I'm sure BabyGirl will want to name her after a princess. We'll just have to wait & see.

Ease on Down the Gravel Road

I've inadvertently dropped off the revolution train...my hair grew out long enough to put up in a pony tail. My nails are short & stubby. Polish has not touched my toes in months. I've been living in old oversized sweats & 20 year old t-shirts. My skin....lets just say it decided to take a short jaunt back to high school. Things have not been pretty. I have not been pretty.

I'm attempting to slowly but surely get back in my groove. I've dug out the hair styling tools, wishfully make-uped, moved on to a new uniform (a super cute track suit), painted my toes, & worked on my public appearance. I'm not 100% there yet, but I'm also not as grimy & frumpy as I was this time last month.

I have another confession to make while I'm at it. I am horribly out of shape. HORRIBLY. You'd never know it to look at me. I am blessed with a hyper-metabolism. After 4 kids & no dieting whatsoever, I weigh a whopping 100 pounds. So most folks think I'm in great shape (when they aren't worrying that I'm secretly anorexic).

Truth is, I can't jog to my mail box without wearing myself out. When we got the mini-trampoline for BabyGirl's sensory diet, she and I would have jumping contests. They were really a way for me to get her to jump when she didn't want to. I found out very quickly, I cannot bounce very long at all. It's pitiful. BabyGirl bounced for 9 minutes one day. I cannot finish 2 full minutes.

I need to do something. Drastic I'm afraid. Art has taken a vow to get in shape so she can continue her career as a Star Search Dancer. Inkling is running. Ang is exercising daily...sometimes two times a day in an amazing effort to get in shape. UK Sara has been preparing for a marathon (really...a MARATHON!!). Mom Chronicles Sarah works out with regularity, as does Emily. My friend Miss Audie just ran a 5K in Chi-town. Ragged has been known to tango with a treadmill. And all the while, I've sat on the couch watching America's Next Top Model & eating the kids Easter candy. Ugh.

So today, this sorely out of shape FarmWife pulled up her big girl sweats, grabbed her 10 year old portable CD player, popped in The Across the Universe Soundtrack, and walked an entire mile in 45 degree sun shine. And you know what? I feel pretty good. The first half mile seemed about 3 miles long. I felt the burn (shut up, please. I already admitted to being out of shape...plus I was walking into a pretty decent wind & walking in gravel). The walk home was a little easier. Possibly a little faster. Definitely a tad more entertaining....at least for the mail man.

You see, our road is a long gravel road. I walked the path less traveled (headed East for those of you familiar) and therefore was a tad less encumbered by the restraints of polite society. In other words, I danced a bit as I walked 'cause there was no one around. Really, who can listen to Eddie Izzard sing "For the Benefit of Mr.Kite" without shaking it up a bit? Although truth be told, I probably looked more like Topol dancing to "If I Were a Rich Man" than a Solid Gold Dancer.

I had no more than finished my brief jaunt into the world of free form interpretive dance, than the mail man buzzed passed me in his heap of a car. I have no idea how far behind me he was when I was dancing, and no way of knowing if he saw me flailing, but I've decided not to care. I've decided that if I ever get to the point where I can run, truly run, for exercise, I shall run like Phoebe from Friends. Phoebs ran with total abandon. It looked fun. I want to do that.

So I learned a few lessons today. #1. I can do this. I can exercise. It will not kill me. I will feel good afterwards. #2. I can make a fool of myself while exercising & it also will not kill me. #3. Fresh air & sun shine make it all much easier to deal with. #4. I need an MP3 player. Really, the giant CD player slapping my hip as I walk is not comfortable...and I cannot sing "Dear Prudence" unaccompanied.

Making it all worthwhile.

Yeah me! I've received an award. I feel special. Every girl should feel special on occasion. You see, I make Mrs. Pop's day. I try, really I do. Now I must spread the love...that's how this all works after all.




The rules for the “You Make My Day” award are to re-present it to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blog land. Let them know through email or by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on.





And off we go:

1. Art. Must be Art. My dear friend. Where would I be without your whit & wisdom & musical abilities?

2. Hot Mama Sarah. I would be living in my sweats if it weren't for her gentle shove in a more fashionable direction. And she packs...and she was in the Army...

3. The Queen Mother (all hail the Queen Mother). What can I say? The woman gave me life. The least I can do is say I love to read her blog. Besides, she blogs about me occasionally. Who doesn't love that?

4. Mommy to 4 Little People. We are living parallel lives apparently.

5. Yet another Sarah. It's nice to know I'm not alone in this mess called motherhood.

6. Ragged Around the Edges. She's the one who inspired me to blog in the first place. And I got good mail from her today!!


7. My Inkling. Making me think, making me take a closer look, keeping me informed of life in Canada, reminding me of time spent with my favorite red head.


8. The Daring Young Mom on her flying trapeze. Oh how I laugh! And (like Elizabeth Bennett) I dearly love to laugh.

9. Mrs.X. Even when my heart is breaking for her, she gives amazing insight & buffering humor.

10. Emily. I love the dialogue between her & her family.

Please do not think that just because you might not be on my list, I do not stalk your blog for new posts daily. Believe me, if you are writing & in my side bar, nary a post goes by that I do not read. I may not comment on all, but be assured, I am lurking in the shadows.

Now, go...and spread the love!