"A time when you were scared . . . "

Well, I wasn't going to comment on this one as it immediately brought to mind ancient memories of being picked up and thrown across the room. . . an event too icky to share. Then Caitlin's sudden illness of 3 years ago. But, then Martha's mouse confession reminded me of a much more palatable recollection. CRICKETS!

Once upon a time, in a suburban neighborhood kind of like this, in a nice house, just like this, with a back yard just like this one. . . . I was a teen I believe, spraying the back concrete porch clean of leaves. And the water went down between the cracks and a cricket (you know, those black slimy looking things with the bendy angular sicky-legs) jumped out. It was trying to get out of the water stream, and so jumped TOWARD ME. (In a slow and hideous manner!) It kept coming and coming and I fought it off with the garden hose stream of water, but then! Another cricket climbed out. And another. AND ANOTHER! Wielding the garden hose like an automatic weapon I stood my ground. . . for awhile. Then I fled into the house. Ewh. Hate crickets to this day. (I didn't like them much before that, but the coup on the back porch was over the top!)

One Busy Day

Happy Birthday Darold
Why can't I type between my pictures like TZ and MC?!!!! hmm? Oh well, we carpooled with Caity's classmate Miles, brother Patrick and mom Martha -

and home just in time for anti date night. The quote of the evening has to be "Let's smell the dogs breath!"

It's been a good night, even for ANTI - date night. And it's only Saturday. (It was snow day, we need one of those every Thursday!) One more, OK, 2 more from fat city. . .

Chinese Fans from Spain! - Now matter how I tried, I don't think I every managed to convince the girls that there new favorite thing "the chinese fans", were actually Spanish fans. Doesn't matter, they just think it was nice of the Zimmers to get them Chinese fans while they were in Spain. - Good gift! They sleep with them.  

Snow Day!

Almost there, we're about to go have a blast, and I'm so proud of myself for bothering in the first place AND bringing my camera.. . . batteries died. This was my last picture, before we even climbed the hill.
Thankfully Tracey was a good wing-woman with her camera, and I think she got some good ones - if she caught the airborne moments, the feet up in the air-had to be there moments.

Nana and Abi

Nana and Abi - I should have thought to force the camera on Nana as they went off on a field trip together today! The Star K ranch, where Ranger Joy impressively handled the pre-schoolers with all sorts of information on local wild things. I ended up the evening doing girl scout type things, and am now organizing my GS notebook. (I like being a girlscout! - alittle more than Caitlin I think.)

Working out. So, according to Body for Life and most other fitness stuff I've read, if your going to loose weight, you have to work out alot. Kevin has offered to help anyway he can to which I replied "just help me get out of the house". This weekend I went once, and week nights are the only other option (since Kevin has the primo morning spot). I'm feeling great, if Kevin can hang in there - seems to be the question. Of course he'll probably have them swabbing the decks in no time.  

Fall Festival Flop

Well, when we said lets cancel about a week ago, we were really on to something, because no one came. Don't know why. The discussion is now may it bigger and better next year, or cancel it - I'm torn! -

Hide and Go Seek

Hide and Go Seek - I think I spent easily 1/2 my childhood playing this game. - But, that's because we had the cool corner with the light post-base. Hey!! Our house is the cool corner with the light post-base! Maybe when they're older, or maybe there's just too much traffic now a days. . . . back when I was a kid you could run across the street in the dark and not be worried about getting hit by a car. And your parents would let you do it. Or was I older? Alittle of both maybe.

White Stuff on the Ground

It snowed yesterday, enough to stick and say it snowed. We are making Halloween cookies today, frosting them special with a little Girl Scouts friend named Beth. Then it's a girl scouts day - Barb the traveling musicial GS will be there to wow us! I'm starting to freak out that there's only 3 days left of my break, and oh yeah, it's our 10th anniversary today. I forgot, I bet Kevin forgot. hahaha - I'm such a romantic lately. And this weekend, we have all the kids for anti-date night. Good plan. We'll have to do something special the next weekend. . . like rent a movie and go to Chipoltes.

Whiner Baby

I'm going to have to be careful not to start throwing this one around too much. It just kind of makes me giggle. Linda, "chicken weenie butt". I guess I'm still just a first grader at heart.

INSIDE OUT weekly blog challenge

Inside Out. Describe your day. What's happening inside and out.
Ah, duplicity of meaning I think!
Outside. It's a gorgeous fall day. Caitlin is riding bikes with her new found bike riding girlfriends. Abi is goes back and forth between being alittle miffed that she doesn't have sissers undivided attention; to "look at me - hanging out with the big girls!" Later they were playing Vision Therapy together. The house is clean, laundry done, I've started on the post trip back log of mail. Kevin has decided that there's something wrong with the trim/sealant and window screens of the girls rooms. He's been to the hardware store several times, and is not finished. He'll keep this one going through to next weekend and beyond. We girls are 2/3rds of the way through fall break, and life is good. Kevin was recently laid off, but he didn't miss a beat, and starts a new job tomorrow. We "Booed" 2 neighbors, (I'm passing on the grand tradition - educating my daughters on the classic "ring and run" techniques.)

Inside. Inside. I'm awash in computer stuff - starting my monthly task of parkview newsletter. Paying bills, craft stuff. Battling with the Alfa moms on the social committee about weather or not to have the fall festival this year. Emailing old friend Russ, continuing last weeks theme of talking with old friends. Money money money, I'm worried about money. Kevin is stressed to be starting over. The girls are hungry AGAIN! I'm organizing my email address book, and other such thankless tasks that after a whole day of work leave you thinking what did I do again? Where did the time go?

"Inside Out" - the challenge of the week. hmmm - The new perm has to be a reflection of the chaos and upheaval of Kevins job. . . and I still don't look any thinner. . . I'll try again tomorrow.  

"Crapping"

14 pages in one night - (counting redoing a mixed up 2005 page in the middle of 2003.) Wonderfully productive night, AND I got to chat! Thank you Martha.

Does this perm make me look fat?

HAHAHAHA - I just got a perm, and NO - I'm not posting a picture! I think it's been more than a decade, and it's still true; if you need to loose weight, a perm will not make it happen. Ancient chinese proverb I think.

What 3 books would you bring if you were stranded

Blog assignment of the week - I'd bring a everything you need to know about surviving on a desert Island book, (or is it just deserted?) If it was desserted, I'd bring a fork. . .

I'd bring the bible - maybe find out what all the hulabaloo is about.
I've always loved "A Prayer for Owen Meany" - can't think of a quote though, it's John Irvin who I find to be wet your pants funny.
"Cider House Rules" was good - I do have a quote there - "i just want to be of use". Is that John Irving too? I don't think so. By no means would that hold me for years and years, it's just 2 of my favorites.

VAIL - and Sams Club

"Sam's Club" as Caity kept calling it - sandstone creek club - there was a fireplace, and coffee, and a table for scrapbooking, and a VCR, and cartoon network - I read - (we averaged 4 hours a day at the pool.) Ahh.

splish spash

And did I mention they liked the pool?

And slept 

I love the smell of chlorine in the morning

And we went to the pool

Pirate Ship Park 

We went to the pool. . . and slept . . . and we went to the pool . . . and the park . . . and we went to the pool 

He only had to carry one of them, half the way. Things are improving.  

Lost lake - remains lost 

What would you do if you had a day without consequences

Blog assignment for the week; "if you had one day with no consequences, what would you do with that day?" - Well, I wouldn't do laundry, and I wouldn't clean the house, and I wouldn't go to work, . . .and I wouldn't tell anybody off, and sex probably wouldn't even cross my mind, and I wouldn't solve the words problems because it wouldn't last. So I would cram as much materialistic gluttony into one day as humanly possible. First, I'd get my hands on some uppers/speed, so I wouldn't miss a second of it. Then, I'd buy a really cool Learjet, and a pilot to give me an all day flying lesson. I'd pack up the kids and the hub and fly us all to hawaii. (On second thought, I might need the concorde, or have to settle for Saba.) Then I'd spend the day scuba diving and laying on the beach. The Jacques Coustea society would have to round up a bunch of dolphins and whales for us to play with. . . .AND EATING!!! We'd have to eat lobster with butter, chocolate, and fresh fantastic fruit. Then we'd get on board the new yacht, and sail off toward the setting sun. The kids might need a nanny at this point, and Kevin and I could drink some bolla sova, talk, and have one more fabulous meal, and some more chocolate. Oh, alright, then we could have great great sex one last time, and fall asleep; nah, I'd rather have the kids fall asleep with us under the stars, all happy. (Pretty simple, lots of money, no laundry!)

Hotel camping - building a fort inside the hotel room because it rained all day.