I'm alittle bit country but....

So it has been awhile since I've "blogged". I blame it on life. You know the life you have when every day is the same. You get up - brush your teeth - eat breakfast, or at least try too - go to work - work - come home - make dinner - collapse in front of the TV for two hours while you think of all the other stuff you should be doing and then go to bed. Then you do it all over again. The week-ends are filled with all the stuff you thought about doing during the week. Always fun to write about cleaning the house - again!! My favorite line is from 'Apollo 13' - "I can't deal with this mess right now - lets just sell the house" So that is what has been going on.

A few side notes - Mom is doing really well!!! I cook dinner for the two of them 5 nights a week. Mom is not back in the kitchen and it is hard to find food you can microwave that is good for Dad's diet. Next - looks like I'm going to regionals again this year for the bus Road-e-o. Nothing to Yahoo about - took fourth in the local competition.

So we did have something happen this week that has gotten me to think. I know I don't do that often and well, it kinda hurt but I used my brain anyway.

I grew up in the city. Oak Park, Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, the windy city, home to the Cubs, Bears and Oprah. A place I remember that had museums, dirty beaches, a fountain, trains and lots of people. We walked to school - no school buses. We walked home for lunch and walked back - come rain, snow or sun shine. I don't ever remember my folk driving me to school. But I digress. We had a dog. Daisy was her name. We had a couple of birds for awhile. And a gold fish or two. I remember one of them committed suicide. Jumped right out of the bowl. Found it lying on the floor all dry and well, we never got anymore fish.

We had squirrels that lived in the neighborhood. Our crazy dog Daisy would 'tree' them. That is chase them up the tree and then go around and around the tree for hours - looking up into the tree trying to find out where that squirrel went. The squirrel was long gone - having jumped onto the garage roof and then the neighbors tree and off to safety. But Daisy would stay by that tree till we made her come in the house. That was our exposure to wild life in the city - squirrels.

In the early years of my first marriage - I moved to northern Idaho, Priest River, and lived on 5 acres out in the middle of nowhere. I mean NO WHERE!! I have no idea what I was thinking! I was a city girl and here I was living with no electricity, water or plumbing. Two babies, in diapers and more wild life then I really wanted. I remember coming on a skunk - luckily the skunk backed off as I back offed and we both ran for the hills before it sprayed. I saw deer, elk, lots and lots of cows in our yard. We didn't have a fence and it is open range up in Priest River. We had a cat - I think we named boots - or mittens - because of it's white feet. I hate cats but when you have mice, you have a cat. My then husband saw a bear on our property and we shortly moved closer to town. Our next property was only 3 acres. There I saw, cows, chipmunks,(even in my house), a porcupine, an owl and deer. We had another cat for the mice again. We also had ground squirrels. They ate my garden from the roots up. Learned quickly that they were not so cute.

It was some time in these years that I turned into a country girl. I say it happened when I took care of a goat for a week. I had to milk this goat - along with feeding and cleaning up after it. I have proof.
There I am - milking away. I guess it is required to wear a kerchief in your hair when doing farm work. I remember not doing a very good job - took me forever but I didn't dry her up and that is all the owner cared about. In case you are wondering - after you milk the animal - you pour the milk through cheese cloth, 5 layers thick, to catch all the hair and gunk, then into the fridge to drink. I never drank it!!

I also learned at this time that I really wasn't a country girl. Could be that I had five children to take care of and I really didn't want or have time to take care of any animals too. I moved to Post Falls, Idaho. A smaller city, but a city. We tried to have a dog for about a year. Wasn't the most friendly animal. Hated men.

Moved to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho- a bigger city but still not too big. I have been living in this place now for 15 years. As the kids grew we tried out a few pets - birds, fish, a rat and a rabbit. Can't say I really cared for any of them. In our neighborhood we have enjoyed quail, birds of all kinds, (my favorite are the humming birds), squirrels and even a few deer. I have always been amazed whenever I walk across the street and meet up with a couple of deer. My Mother gets very mad them - they eat her roses. They seem to get more and more brave as the years go by. I think if I had a big garden I would hate them more but they have left my raspberries alone - so far. So for now they can stay.

But this week - we have a new arrival on our block. Now you have to realize that I live a mile from the nearest mountain. Between me and that mountain is a highway. A very busy highway. Any forest creature must cross that highway along with other very busy roads to get to my block.
One very ugly moose. He or she - I think she - arrived on Sunday, while I was at church. She hung around for a couple of days and left for a day and then came back tonight. For those of you who know - that is Dad's house in the background.
This picture is taken with me standing in Dad's back yard. I was very careful not to startle her and the fence was between me and her.
I tried to get rid of the creepy eye but it didn't work. But this is the view I had tonight while I made dinner. Looked out Mom's kitchen window and watch this moose eat on the evergreen. Mom and Dad like looking at this moose but Dad hates the presents she leaves.

We have called animal control but they won't do anything as long as the moose is just walking around.

So for now - I thought I lived in THE CITY - but now I'm not sure.

Catch up

So this picture is actually a good-by picture but I couldn't think of a better way to start this blog. The only thing wrong here is that Hallie is missing. Well, she isn't missing - she is in Cincinnati - but she is not in this picture. I have a copy of this picture in my purse along with a pic of Hallie - just in case someone asks about my grandchildren. But this really isn't catching up is it?

So after Thanksgiving - the snow melted. Hip hip hurray!!! Then it came back. :( Then it melted. :) Then it came back. :( Now it is melted again :) Till next week. It has been a winter and a half. As far as records go it doesn't come close to two years ago but with all the melting and coming back we have had more ice than normal. I have been driving bus for 19 years and in all that time I have only chained up once. This past month I have been stuck twice and put on my chains twice. No fun. The kids on the bus think it is a blast but my back doesn't like it at all.

The first part of December was rotten because Mom went into the hospital. She had a very bad infection that just drained her of all energy. She couldn't stand on her own let alone walk. She was in the hospital for 4 days. She has been on antibiotics on and off since. We have had social services come into the house with physical therapy and other help. It has been great to see Mom get stronger and her Alzheimer's is even better. She still has her moments but they are moments and not days.

Next is Christmas - most of the kids came home for Christmas and it was great to see everyone.
This is Kevin. The newest member of the family. I finally got to meet him. What a cute little boy and so well behaved. He never cries. Just lays there looking around and smiling. Oh, he eats his hands too.
This is Maddie and Jack in their new Christmas cloths for church. I don't know where Sadie is but Jack had to have his picture taken with Maddie. It was great to have them at the house for the first week they were in town. I had to work the first couple of days they were here but after that I got to spend lots of time with the Campbell kids. It is always great to get to know your grandchildren again. They have grown so much.

After Damon and Nikki left to go stay at Cindy's (Nikki's Mother) Darren showed up with his girlfriend Brittany.
This is the only picture I took of the two of them. Bad Me!!! We have all met Brittany before but this time we had a chance to get to know her better. A good match for Darren - I must say.

Then on Christmas Eve - Cristy, Nathaniel and Troy flew in. We had a full house on Christmas Day.
Good Morning - what a great Christmas morning. Cristy talking to...?...
Damon and Sadie waiting for presents. Lets here it for Darren and his baking of the goodies. Thanks D for filling in for me.
Cristy played Santa in passing out the presents. All the kids opening up the same thing from Me.
Have any of them used theirs at church?

Little Gibson had on his Santa suit. This is just a living room shot. Still more to open.

It was a fun day. We all had dinner around 5 and took food over to Mom and Dad. With everyone here it was too crazy and loud for Mom. We took turns going over to see them and forgot to bring the tape recorder to record Dad's stories. Turns out I didn't take that many pictures and hope that I get more from everyone else.

A few miscellaneous pictures. Here is Troy standing - and attacking Lucy.

Gibson and Kevin. Two very handsome boys.

Maddie on Christmas day.

One more of Troy because this was taken on News years day. He crawled under the table and then he had trouble getting out. This is a triumphant face of finally figuring out how to get out.

Nathaniel flew home new years and Cristy stayed with me till Sunday night. Then she went to stay at Mandy's because I had to go back to work.

I guess the next thing that happened is that I got old again. I really hate the 4 and 9 years. Yes, that is different but I get used to being old in those years so the 5 and 0 years are not bad but I do hate admitting that time is going by very fast.

I have no pictures of my aging but there were a couple of parties and lots of angle food cake. Yum!!!! Mandy and Cristy and those associated with them made me dinner and cake on the 7Th. Matt and Mom&Dad helped me eat another cake on the 8Th. My girls gave me a shopping spree at Christopher & Banks and Mandy helped me pick out new skinnier cloths. I still have a hard time getting smaller clothing. Mandy found me a size small shirt. It fit. I bought it. I wore it to church. I never took off my coat. Baby steps!!!

Well, that catches me up to today - it was a nice day - up to 42 degrees - tomorrow - it is suppose to snow. Figures!!!!

Snow and Christmas - I mean Thanksgiving

The snow has returned. We are very happy. We wake up and shovel - OK we have the snow blower - but we are still moving the snow. We go inside and watch it snow some more. Then we get out the snow blower and work again at moving the snow. What a fun Thanksgiving!!
It is pretty!!
I need to teach Dad that this is a broom and not a shovel. Actually, Dad got a new snow blower last winter and never got to use it. This year it is being used. It is bigger than ours and has more power - we still have to use ours.

Snow makes everything look pretty.

So this Thanksgiving was on Friday. Matt had to work on Thanksgiving and it was snowing really hard and the roads were bad and I didn't want him to stress out trying to get home in time for the dinner so we just agreed to have the big meal on Friday. We were going to have Prime Rib but the butcher made a mistake and didn't have our meat ready - he gave us Beef tender loin instead and promised we would not be sorry. We weren't.

Then Dad announced to us that he wanted to give us our Christmas present now. A new dinning room set. He wanted to take advantage of any Black Friday specials that might be out there. So about 10 am on Friday we went shopping. Picked out a new table and Saturday it was delivered.
Solid oak and will seat 10 - just like the old one. Only this one folds to a smaller table when everyone is not around. THANKS Mom & Dad.

Driving a school bus - fun?

First I must clarify two things -

One - I drive school bus for a living - or half a living because that is how much I get paid. :) I only drive grade school kids - that is kindergarten to sixth grade.

Two - My route is half highway stops. Yes, I have to stop other cars on a highway - not freeway - highway - not that they stop. Now that, I am sorry to say is true. (but that is a subject for another blog) But because of safety - the children who get on/off on these stops have a few extra rules they must go by.

1. They must be there when I pull up in the morning - I cannot wait for runners. - Yes, I have driven off when they were soooo close.

2. They must get on quickly and sit in their assigned seat quickly.

3. They must be ready to exit the bus quickly also - we cannot wait while they put on a coat or fix their backpack.

4. For kindergarten, first and most second graders - if your parent - or who ever is going to pick you up - is not at the stop - you must stay on the bus - tell me that your ride is not there - then we do what we must for your safety.

Now for the stops that I only have a few kids get off - it is not hard for me to know if the parent is not there - but I have two stops where 10 to 15 kids get off and I have this rule to help me not miss something.

Now this story is about "Billy". (names were changed to protect the innocent - me) He is a willful child. He is in kindergarten and has an older sister - who is either fifth or sixth grade. Anyway - their stop is at the county line - in a nice wide area - mostly paved -( because the snow plows turn around there) - just off the highway. Billy and his sister actually live in the other county and they catch my bus at this - the closest stop - to their house - which is five or six miles away. So - if their parent is late to the stop - they must stay on the bus. This happens a couple times a week and because we are in a safe place off the highway- we can just wait without any problems. I usually only have to wait less than a minute - and after the car stops - Billy and his sister get off the bus and go home. Billy has had to be told quite a few times to wait till he sees his Mom before he gets off and quite a few times I have had to put my arm out to prevent him from getting off because his Mom was not their yet. No problem!! Until....

One day last week big sister wasn't on the bus. This particular day he wanted off the bus - got out into the aisle and tried to get off - I told him that "No" his mom was not there yet and he must wait - he just stood there - with 10 kids behind him waiting to go to their homes. I then had to instruct Billy to get back into his seat so the other kids could get off. This made him mad for some reason. About thirty seconds after the last child got off the bus Billy's Mom pulls up. I tell him that it is OK to get off now and he does. As he gets off and takes two steps - turns around - and says to me "You are not the boss of me and you are not my parent" Then he sticks his tongue out at me and makes that raspberry noise. (How do you type that?) Then he runs off to his Mom's car.

So, I cannot laugh - I hate moments like this - you cannot laugh or you make things worse. I just pull up to Mom's car and tell Billy's Mom what just happen. After she hides her laughter - she says she will talk to him.

The next day Billy gives me this - and he tell me that yes, while he is on my bus I am the boss of him.
I love parents who care!!!!

Leaves

So there are a few titles that I want to use for this post -' Why Damon, Grant and Darren are glad they don't live at home any more' is the first title . Others are:

Why George is glad he is a son-in-law and not a son.
Why Nathaniel is glad he doesn't live close to his wife's mother.
Why Matthew wants to live in a condo and not a house.
Who said fall was my favorite season?
Oh, that tree is such a good shade tree!!
Who needs Wii fit when you have a tree like this?
How not to spend a day off!!
How to find muscles you never knew you had
Why Matthew is glad he was working when I decided to do this

I couldn't decide - so I just picked - Leaves.

I have half an acre and this beautiful Ash tree is great in the summer and is actually great now because it drops all its leaves in just one week. You don't have to keep going out and raking over and over. It gets done in just one hard days work. But the leaves - this year the tree out did itself. I couldn't believe how many leaves there were to rake up. TONS!!! Don't believe me?

Well, after I raked up all the leaves into one pile around the tree - I couldn't believe how high the pile was - this is the neighbor girl next to the pile - the leaves just seem soooo big.
The pile was so tall that you could only see the very top of the tree and it was to the top of the shop.
Totally scared the neighbors cat - climbed to the top of the tree and just wouldn't move.

My poor tree - looks rather sad without all it's leaves.

I was going to take a picture of all the bags it took to gather all those leaves but I couldn't get back far enough - every picture I took looked like a close up of just a few bags - I can tell y0u it was 1200 bags......honest!! We called the city to help pick up all the leaves and it took 3 garbage trucks and 6 men to throw all the bags into the trucks.

At least that is what my sore muscles think - HONEST!!!

Back to work - and Wii

So I am about to start my third week of work - going back is soooooo hard. Having to go to bed early - getting up early and not having enough time to do everything around the house is just not fun. But I have grown accustomed to eating so I go back to work. Now driving a school bus can be fun - or funny at times. I have the pleasure of driving a kindergarten route in the middle of the day. We bring hove the morning kindergartners and pick up the afternoon ones at the same time. The first week is always fun - with the little 5 years old's telling me they live in the blue house over there - as they point in all directions. Then I love the little one who wants to be dropped off first - "Me next-right?" Learning to take turns is hard. But so far this years all time favorite goes to little Christopher who noticed that I wasn't wearing my glasses. (I have had to wear them to be able to read my list of kids and where they get off) "Bus driver - you don't have your glasses on - don't you think you should put them on?" I told him I didn't need them to drive - only to read and he was totally confused. The look was precious and I assured him that I could drive without my glasses. He has been riding every day so I think he feels safe with my explanation.

So the other big thing in my life right now is - our life style change. Not munching on cookies anymore - carrots are the snack of choice these days. Matt has lost some where around 36 pounds and I have hit the 20 pound mark. I am wearing jeans I haven't been able to fit into in a couple of years. We are buying Matt all new pants. But with school starting and summer ending - I was afraid that without riding my bike - 10 miles, 3 or 4 times a week - that the weight would quit coming off. I mentioned to Matt that I would like to try the Wii fit. He thought it was dumb but surprised me with it one Saturday. We hooked it all up - all by ourselves - and even made little wii mii's. Matt has never been one to like video games but he likes this one. We spend at least an hour playing - whatever - and I am surprised when I sweat.
This is Matt doing yoga!!! The half moon pose I believe.
I never could skateboard and if you saw me try here you would agree that I still can't. But you must notice that the wall behind me has all the pictures of my grand kids on it.
Hula hoop is harder than it looks.
Matthew is a better hula hooper - if there is such a term.

No videos to post of our efforts - still shots are less embarrassing.

Visitors

I have had a few people come and visit me the last couple of weeks.

It was really great to see Liz and Hallie. Matt and I went over to Liz's parents house for an hour or so because we were not sure if Matt would be around to see Hallie - we got a few cute pictures.
Why do grown-ups put things on baby's heads? For cute pictures
Papa Matt with Hallie.
Hallie loves cookies.

Liz was here for her family reunion - so we had to share her. She was able to come over for dinner the Sunday before she went back home. We had everyone over.
Darren was home from Utah. Hallie loves her uncle.
Georgey is helping Hallie stand up. She is such a big girl. Toys are everywhere - grand kids are over :)
Hallie is keeping an eye on that Great Grandma Lawyer. Great Grandma and pa just thought Hallie was a cutie and such a happy baby. Family dinners are always fun.

Like I said - Darren came home for a week- he is my other visitor. But he had a great idea - since Grant took his Corn Hole game with him to Cincinnati - why not make a game for my house? So I agreed to let him build me a game.
I finally remembered to take a picture when he was painting the boards.
Here are the finished boards. You will notice that we painted them different for everyone else. Here you have two separate ponds. One has a dock, while the other just weeds. Each have a few flowers at the base. Why Ponds?
Some place for the ducks to land !! OK rubber ducks don't fly but they do in this game.

Question???? How can two people throw a turn that ends up looking like this - and....
then turn around and throw this???? It took us awhile to remember how to throw this game. I will say on one game - Darren was ahead 19 to 7 and I came up and beat him. Never count me out till the very end. :)

The last night before Darren left for home - Matt, Darren and I had night out in the back yard with the corn hole. Darren skunked us all.

I think you can see how much weight Matt has lost in this picture. He has gone from a 40 to a 36 waist. Not bad!!!! I'm still loosing but much slower. I don't think you can tell in this picture but I'm up to 15 pounds off. That's a little Kevin or Gibson.

Well, that's about it for now - Summers almost over - soon I'll be back to driving the ol' bus. Boy did that time go by fast!!!!!!!!!