Kitten Thoughts

Penny the cat: I don't care if you take every single sheet and blanket off of this bed. I will lay on this lone pillow case like it is an island surrounded by lava.

Sheldon the cat: Despite the fact that you feed me, water me, and love me, I think I'd rather live outside. Open the door please. Right meow. (Side note: our screen door is duct taped thanks to the dumb ass dog who ran through the screen. Twice.)

Happy 14th Birthday, Dade! Yep, I said 14.

Every parent says it, but that's because it's true: they grow up too fast.  My little baby boy is now a freshman in high school. Evie was the first to wish Dade a happy day with a homemade sign:

We celebrated birthday #14 in style with store-bought (gasp!) pizza, bacon-wrapped smokies, and soda.

Colby even made Twinkie cupcakes for all of us! My husband kills spiders, gardens, fixes stuff, and bakes: Sorry, ladies, he's taken.

Dade was super excited about his gifts, especially his new headphones. He can hook the headphones up to his phone and call all ten people on his contacts list (four of them are "Grandma" or "Grandpa"). He even faked a smile for the card Evelyn made him.

We let him pick the show for family TV time; he chose PBS's Sherlock Holmes. Have I mentioned how much I L-O-V-E having a "nerd" for a kid?

Grandma Connie came to visit on Friday to help celebrate Dade's and Colby's birthdays and to watch Dade march in band at the football game. She brought ice cream cake!

Here's to my handsome birthday boy!

But no matter how old he gets, he still wants to listen to his Dad read books.

Girl Scout Bridging

For those of you unfamiliar with Girl Scouts, each time a girl moves up a level a bridging ceremony is held.  Traditionally, the girls cross a bridge, either a fake one or a real one, and receive their new uniform at the other end of the bridge.  Since Evelyn is in second grade, she bridged from being a Daisy to a Brownie.

We held our bridging ceremony at the little lake area in our neighborhood.  It has a great bridge, and it was a beautiful night for a pot luck.  Here is my little troop of blond (the only brunette in the troop moved to California) Daisies before they crossed the bridge:

And here's my Evelyn taking her time during her turn to bridge.  The other girls ran; Evie meandered. 

Here's proud mama with her new Brownie...

And here's mama with her new Daisy...

That's right.  I have two troops this year.   I already have four new Brownies to add to the troop, along with a whole new troop of eight Daisies.  You can catch me every Tuesday evening spreading the GIRL POWER!!  

Food Stamp Army

I wrote and deleted the words of this post several times.  I was just so freaking angry that all my words were coming out jumbled and, well, angry.  Words like "asshole" and "douchebag" just shouldn't be part of civilized political conversation.   I tend to use very colorful words lots of curses when I get emotional or worked up about something, and recent Republican statements about Obama's "food stamp army" have made me pretty darn upset.  The video of Mitt Romney belittling 47% of the population isn't helpful to my blood pressure, either.  I watched David Corn from Mother Jones magazine on MSNBC, and I just wanted to punch someone the whole time I was watching the interview.  Good thing I was the only one home.

See, I expressed my anger and frustration without swearing.  It only took three or four rewrites to do it.  I'll just leave all the ranting behind and say this: Obama 2012.

Representin'

Representin' for Obama and Biden 2012: 

September 11

September 11, 2001 was a sad day in American history.  Sad isn't even the right word.  Tragic.  Frightening.  Earth shattering.  I could feel the pain all the way in Nebraska, and the air at Ground Zero still hung heavy with sorrow when we visited in 2011 although so much time had passed. 

In the face of great suffering, Americans came together to support those who lost their lives and loved ones in the disaster now known as 9/11.  I took a moment in my yoga class this morning to honor those who suffered that day.  I also asked my students to send wishes of love, peace, and grace to all the people who continue to be victimized by terrorists every day around the world.

Although Americans remember this one day when we were brutalized, we cannot forget that people here in America and all over the world suffer every single day.  An event of mass casualty will always be burned into our minds.  However, our care and compassion cannot begin and end with a major event.

If there is anything that you can do today to ease the suffering of another, I urge you to do it.  Something as small as an encouraging word can make a difference.  I have experienced the power of gratitude, of kind words, of a hug, of shedding a tear with a friend. 

On this day and every day, namaste.  I honor the life force and spirit in you and know that we are all connected.  I greet that place where you and I are one.

Girl Scout Camp

I'll admit it.  I had loads of fun at Girl Scout camp.  Loads and loads.  Tons and tons.  It was camping at its best (running water, flushing toilets, air conditioning).  The weather was beyond gorgeous.  The camp ground was clean.  Someone else cooked all the meals.  Someone else kept the kids occupied, and I got to chit chat with my friend (also my troop co-leader).  It was like a mini vacation.

We drove up Saturday evening to Camp Catron in Nebraska City.  Our first adventure was checking in and finding our room.

Evelyn with her friend and fellow Girl Scout, Kennedy.

Evie and me checking in to our lodge.

Next, we got to go on a sunset hay rack ride into the apple orchard.  We were the only group that actually got to pick apples.

Checking out the apple trees

How do you like them apples??

Eating a freshly picked apple, hair blowing in the wind.  My beautiful baby girl.

After our hay rack ride we made s'mores, sang songs, and went on a midnight hike.   The skies were clear, and we could see tons of stars.  Although we live outside of the city a ways and get to see lots of stars, the camp ground was so dark that the skies look brilliant with stars.

Time for bed!

The next day was filled with arts and crafts, cooking, and archery.  Evelyn loves to shoot archery, and she's actually pretty good at it. 

Buddy showing Evelyn perfect archer form.

Katniss Everdeen better watch out.

Next, the girls made apple stamps and stamped a tote bag.

I think she did a great job!

The girls also cut to peel, core, and slice the apples they picked to make apple butter for everyone.  We even got to bring some home, and I discovered that my family likes apple butter.  I have to add it to the list of stuff to make.

The next craft was cinnamon applesauce ornaments.  While the camp counselor was dumping copious amounts of cinnamon in the mixing bowl, the whole cabin filled with a cinnamon cloud.  We had to open the door so we could breathe.

We ended our camping trip making carmeled apples from more of the apples we picked at the orchard.

I think you are supposed to dip it in caramel before you bite it...

Caramel time!!!

 

Thanks to Girl Scouts for the great trip.  Building friendships, bonding with mom, and becoming a very special part of our community!  You go, girls!

Labor Day

We spent our Labor Day weekend with our friends the Hoss family at their farm in Palmer.  My city kids love to spend time on the farm, and my city husband relishes a little time to do manly things like chop down trees.  In fact, all the boys got to chop down a tree or two in the pasture area that will soon hold the Hoss sheep:

Lumberdade

 

Daddy showing Brody the ropes.

 

It might be a small tree, but my little man cut it down by himself!

Dade got straight to work on this big tree.

 

It was hot as Hades, and Colby worked so hard chopping trees that he got heat stroke.  Bummer.

The girls had a lovely time climbing in the largest tree after it was cut down.  Evelyn said it was the, "best day of my life!"

As we were sitting down for supper our first night at the farm, I noticed that amongst the tons of delicious food Jessica had prepared for us sat an all-American centerpiece to our supper table:

God bless America, bourbon, and bullets.

The Hoss farm is where our two kittens were born, and Soren had lots of fun playing with our kittens' mom and sisters.

Soren with the mama cat, Quenten.  Yes, she wore high heels all over the farm.

Thanks to the Hoss family for sharing your home, your farm fresh food, and your booze with us!  

This Is What I Do Now

So, with all the kids in school this year I pictured myself having hours and hours of leisure time to watch tv.  Darn it, that hasn't happened yet.

I'm up at 5am to get Dade going for the day.  My amazing hubby has coffee ready for me.  The other kids get up between 6:30-7:30 am, and I spend the next hour and a half saying, "Have you put on your shoes yet?" about one hundred times.  I drop the kids at school, and I head to the gym to teach 9:30am yoga.  Sometimes I swim or hot tub or run after yoga, and I might even shower at the gym.  By then, it's usually close to noon.  If there is shopping to be done, this is the time I do it.

I also picked up a little part time job as a nanny/house keeper for a single mom of three kids under age 3, so on the days I go to help her I lose even more of my leisure time.

I pick up the kids at 3:30pm, and we head home to fill their bellies and start homework.

That whole filling the bellies thing? It's crazy when you are trying to cook from scratch.  So, I've spent a ton of time cooking and baking...

...breakfast sandwiches with eggs bakes in my rarely-used whoopie pie pan...

...my world famous cookies...

...salsa with produce from our little garden (no chunks, heaven forbid there is a chunk in the salsa)...

...pizza sauce and pasta sauce with garden produce...

...freshly fried tortillas for tostadas and tacos...

...maple pecan cinnamon rolls...

...and my specialty, cooking up lots and lots of dirty dishes.