too much of a good thing....

Sunshine! Oh it was nice! A little more sunscreen next time, or perhaps just a little less sunshine...but hey, I was STARVED for it.


The Dukester...he was tried from trying to keep track of me all day. He HAS to be wherever I am. When I'm cleaning up the house in the morning, he moves from room to room with me, and it hurts my heart when he keeps getting up, so there I am trying not to leave the kitchen to put something in the living room....anyway, he had to be on the deck when I was on the deck, but it was too hot for him, so he would go inside and lie right near the door. He did not eat his breakfast yesterday, then wouldn't eat dinner, so I thought he was done for. But he ate his entire bowl of breakfast this morning. hmmm.

Sunny got covered in dirt and mud, of course, it was a good day for a puppy dog. She loves to run through the creek, and play with the kids. Jon shoots his airsoft gun, and when the little pellets hit the trees, Sunny is running to check it out. She just has a happy smile on her silly face all day outside. Paul gave her an evening bath, she doesn't even fight it anymore, Labs adapt to things so quickly. (she needs one every day these days)

Kim came over with Dani and Sean, they also homeschool. The girls decorated t-shirts, and played and explored in the back. The boys had light sabers and bikes and also went out to the way back yard. No one complained of being bored.

The day went by too fast, it was wonderful not to have anywhere to have to be, and to just enjoy being outside.

When Kim left, Evelyn wanted to go turn in a job application, so I asked her if we could go to BJ's too, because I needed a few things (coffee!). We weren't gone long, then we were, ahh, home, and it was time to make...dinner. I grilled pork chop rib things and hot Italian sausage, and we had salads and I sliced an orange for the girls. By the time I finished making dinner, I had the start of a headache, my eyes hurt...it got worse...and worse...I don't know if it was the sun, or the grilling or both, but it was a horrible headache. It was pounding, and I felt sick to my stomach from the pain, took a few more ibuprofen, and went to bed early-ish...I woke up this morning and it was gone, but honestly, it drains me and I feel like I could crawl back to bed and stay there all day.

But I cannot do that. Today I have a few errands to do, and there is gymnastics, then I am working at the lacrosse game.

Today we have to decide if we are indeed going to Washington D.C. tomorrow, or not. Samuel has all of his paperwork filed and in order, but the Army has to sign off on things, and you know how efficient the government is. Sam thinks they might not have his things signed and ready for him to leave as scheduled on Thursday. So if we keep our hotel reservations and go down and visit a sad Sam who wants to come home and can't yet, it would be nice, but then we would have to go back again next week or whenever the Army lets him go...and there IS a chance he WILL be able to go on Thursday....

Anyway...the warm days are different now than they were a few years back...I still have kids who like to run barefoot and get filthy, but they can all shower their own selves now, except for the doggies.

We are thinking of re-doing our deck. Margaret's husband Adrian has been talking about it, and it's where we spend our time when it's nice out, so I really hope we can swing it. The deck is as old as the house (25 years), and has gotten splintery. If we re-do it, we can extend it a bit too, which sounds marvelous.

But there's always that to-do list...the Happy Homeowners. We still need some new windows, we need to replace the screen doors, and ect. New kitchen faucet, a few toilet seats, closet door...

Yeah, so Duke seems fine this morning, as fine as old Duke can be, that is. I went to bed with that headache, thinking maybe I would be calling the vet today. And ha, yeah, I need to put my dog down? But I don't have time today, with working at the Dome after gymnastics...and tomorrow, nah, tomorrow we're planning to leave for D.C.....maybe hmmm, Monday? I did imagine this conversation. And I may joke about putting Duke to sleep, but in reality, I cannot even think about it. It's spring again, and somehow, after he survived another winter, he deserves the nice weather.

Ah well, time to get these kids moving on some important things...like math!

too much truth...

I'm learning, I really am....that sometimes it's wise not to say anything, when parenting teenagers. I said something I shouldn't have said to one darling daughter...truth, with no grace. Just because it's true, doesn't mean it has to be said.

Ah, the teen years. There is no one size fits all. There's no hard and fast rule. There's mostly this: if you feel you should say it, don't. Think about it first, and do NOT REACT. No matter what, do not just react to the following:
snarky comments
eye-rolling
answering back
loud exaggerated sighs

If something really needs saying, I'm telling you, it's better for everyone if you have thought it out, and are very calm. Because a hormonal teenager isn't really looking for a fight, but my goodness, it seems like they are, and if you fall into the trap, you are going to find it gets sparky, really quick.

So let out your own loud sigh, and pray for some wisdom before you open your mouth.

In other news, besides a recap of our fun and exciting weekend (Monster Truck, Paul's birthday (avocado mousse!), all the kids coming for a visit (well, 13 of them!!!) Today is a nice day! We are planning to spend it outside, as much as possible. I am heading out to the deck with my coffee in just a few minutes. Jonathan is doing math out there, Cam is looking for a mystery to solve, and Sunny just ate an entire stick of butter!

Cam is already asking to go get ice cream this afternoon, give us a 70 degree day, and we think it's summer here in central New York state. Yeah, I have my tank top on. Sunshine, yay!!!!

if only....

If only I had lots of courage, and I was a photographer. I wouldn't be afraid of breaking in on solemn moments, I would have that fancy camera with the long lens, and snap away, without anyone think I was obnoxious. As it stands, I have my iPhone, and you would not believe how many of my kids resort to putting their hands over their faces when I so innocently try to get some good pictures.

They are getting better though. The parking lot pics and the selfies with them in stores, they tolerate...because they are seeing how time passes, and how it's nice to remember the fun times.

And this all leads me to next week...my son Samuel is getting out of the Army! (I am at loss for the correct term for that...I can't say "graduating", and if I say, "discharged", it sounds like he's getting the boot, when in reality they offered him the moon and all the stars to re-enlist). His time is up, he's getting out, and if things go according to plan, Paul and I will be down there at Fort Myer on Thursday for a little goodbye Sam ceremony! We reserved a hotel last night, we plan to leave on Wednesday, spend the day with him on Thursday if possible, then head home with him, and all of his stuff, on Friday.

It's one last trip to D.C., very bittersweet. I love that he's coming home, but it has been nice to take all the trips there. I hope we'll at least get a glimpse of the cherry blossom trees.

Oh, and my original point of this post...I hope I get some good pictures!

Anyway. Yesterday we stayed home, did some math and reading. I cleaned out a closet, and let me just ask this: how do we accumulate so much stuff, and why is it so unorganized? I love organization! When I look at pics of someone's craft area all neat and in rows and bins, I almost want to cry, I love it so much, but I am not able to keep things that way myself. I try. So I tried with this closet yesterday...it's our pantry closet. I took everything out, vacuumed and wiped down the shelves, and honestly, I just did all this last year, so it's not been that long. I organized it because I was going to make cookies, and the ingredients were in a jumble, and I knew I had more flour...well, turns out I have six bags of flour, ha. The baking bin is all neatened up, the tomato sauces are all in one place, the soups are in another, ect. It's very nice now, but the key is keeping it that way...

We also went through the shoes...kids grow, shoes get shabby, so they need weeding out occasionally. Winter boots can almost be put away, but not quite...it actually snowed last night, and is rain/snowing right now! Duke was barking before the sun came up, and when I got up to let them all out, the deck was covered with white stuff!

Paul's birthday is on Sunday, and we are having lasagna. Two of my girls are in an interest group at church, and are making lasagna as a fundraiser, so YAY, I don't have to make dinner on Sunday! Tomorrow is one of my non-favorite events, the Monster Truck Jam, at the Carrier Dome. Our church is working there as a fundraiser, in concessions. It's loud. But it IS rather cool, they truck in tons and tons of dirt, and cover that floor that is usually hosting basketball, football, or lacrosse games...then those huge trucks come in and race...it is cool. I do feel bad for the prices of the things our stands sell, but we can't do anything about it. Families get these tickets, $15 for kids, then can't bring any food in with them, and are sort of stuck paying $4 for a hot dog, $5 for pizza.

Anyway, it's Friday, and I'm always glad for Fridays, it means I'll see more of Paul, more of the school kids, and maybe Margaret and Adrian...Emily and Mirielle aren't working their R.N. jobs this weekend, so hopefully I'll see them. (Mali flew down to Myrtle Beach for a little vacation with Lydia and Zach). Weekends don't mean sleeping in anymore, not for as long as we have Duke, no, he's an early bird. He just gets all out of sorts once he's awake and no one human is out here. He follows me around when he's awake, but lately, that's not very often. He sleeps for most of the day.

It's nice to feel better, this cold is winding down. My stomach hasn't been great lately, and there are things going around. I haven't been actually been sick, but have just felt sick, if that makes sense. In any case, I really don't mind hunkering down and staying home in this gloomy wet weather...

april showers bring may flowers...

and April floods bring lots of mud. ha. But here in central New York, you'll hear this: "At least it's not snow."

\
My one dollar sunglasses, before I left for the library yesterday...sunglasses in central New York...ha.


Camille Anaya, just because she's cute. We went to the grocery store after the library yesterday, and they had fluffy blankets marked down to six dollars...she chose one that's the same color as Sunny, and came with a soft teddy bear.

The library...it's just such a nice place. We part ways after returning our books, after I find a few I go find the kids. Yesterday, Miss Char was already reading a book she found, sitting at our usual table. Camille was sitting on the floor in one of the rows, flipping through pages and deciding. Jon found some books and joined us at the table. After everyone found a few good ones to read, we chose some non-fiction books to learn lots of things from. (Yesterday we chose some colonial America books, and one on Israel) On the way out of the library, Camille announced that she got the same plastic bag as she brought in! There were four bags, I put them in my purse after we returned the books, then pulled them out to put the new books into. I said to her, "Now what's the chance of that?", and Char yelled, "25%!" So they're learning, ha.

The grocery store...we tried to skip through there as fast as we could, and we didn't do too badly. I try to connect with the kids during these outings, instead of just being focused on what I need to get. I question them on how much per pound something is if it's $5.29, buy one get one free, ect. I think it's a good real life skill to be able to figure things like that out quickly in your head. It's interesting to see what methods they use, how they come to their answers.

Anyway. Home is always nice after an outing, and yesterday we weren't gone very long. Home with a stack of library books is especially nice. I put on a pot of coffee, we put away the groceries, then the school kids came in. Jonathan grilled the burgers for dinner, yay Jonny!

Today, we are staying home. We are going to do lots of math, then have reading time, and maybe an Easter project.

and what shall we say?

Sometimes I walk around with things running through my head, and can't wait to sit down and write, but other times I can't think of a stinking thing to say. But this fine morning, let us just see....

Yesterday, we were headed to the small city for some lunch, and a trip to the thrift store, when Margaret called...she lives half an hour north of here...she didn't have to work, so she wanted to do something. Of course we could wait for her to get here!

We went to Moe's for lunch, because it's reasonable, and the food is healthy-ish, if one doesn't eat too many (or any!) of those chips and homemade salsa. I ordered the salad with just a small bit of cilantro rice...and only ate half of it, brought the rest home to Sonja. :) Anyway. I had Margaret, Jonathan, Charlotte Claire, and Camille with me, and the girl at the register asked if they were all my kids. Yes, I told her. Wow!, she said. That's a lot of kids! So at the risk of mortifying those four I had with me, I said, "This is just 25% of them, actually." She was no math whiz, she looked very confused, and asked...so how many do you have?

Now, contrary to what my teenagers believe, I try not to start this particular discussion, as it's sometimes rather embarrassing, depending on how shocked/surprised/LOUD the questioner is, and sometimes people can even be rude about it. One lady said, "You must be crazy." True, but that has nothing to do with it. Several have said, "Better you than me", which obviously with that attitude, it IS better me than them. But anyway, I try to just move through life like a regular person, which is much easier these days, since I don't actually have ten or twelve or sixteen kids with me everywhere I go, ha. But sometimes, you just have to tell someone...so I told her. And she was shocked/surprised/LOUD. I smiled sheepishly at Margaret, said, "Don't kill me."

But this lady was nice about it too. I ordered water with our meals, and she said, "You can just have soda, it's fine." um...ouch, but Jonathan was halfway to the soda machine, he didn't need to be told twice. Then she gave me four free meal coupons for another day. She said, and I quote, "I just fee so bad for you...I mean, they're beautiful kids, but still!"

I don't know whether to laugh or to cry, but I took the coupons anyway.

Our next stop was the thrift store...Cam found a nice pair of work out pants and a top, and a pair of Adidas slides.

Gymnastics class was fun, Char "has" her back handspring! It's a beautiful thing.

Home...ha, home. I had put corned beef in the crock pot, so I cut up some red potatoes and put them on to boil. Some of the kids, and Paul, don't care for corned beef, but it was only $1.49 a pound, and some of us love it. I didn't make any alternate food, if they don't like it, they can make whatever they want. :)

Anyway...I have been behaving as far as not eating cookies, or chocolate...it's so hard! I stay away from carbs like the plague, except for some of those chips yesterday.

Today we are having a break from the rain, the yard is a muddy soggy sponge, but at least it's not pouring out. I am not sure what is on our agenda today....

just go away!

Rain rain, I don't mind, but the yard is a soggy sponge. The dogs are even skeptical, Sunny whined at the door this morning, the other two joined her, and of course I let them out. They bolted out the door and just stood on the deck. I watched them from the door...Duke went down and peed, the other two just stood there in the rain, then started to whine again, to come back in. I have a towel on the floor inside the door, and they are trained to just come in the door and sit, so I can wipe 12 paws and three backs, and give out treats. Sometimes a certain Sunny sneaks past me, bypassing the towels for something she thinks is more exciting, leaving a trail of muddy prints...but we are working on it.

They are now fed, dried off, and snoring peacefully.

Here's what I made yesterday:

Peanut butter cookies! I tasted one, but that's it. The girls saved some in baggies for school lunches, and Molly took a few to work. She came to visit, then left little Miss Lydia with us for the evening.

Lyd does not get bored. She eats Puffs, and finds toys to explore, and chatters the whole time. Some sayings are clear as a bell, like, "Wow!", and "Look at that!", but then she also talks in whole sentences and paragraphs that certainly mean something to her, but not quite to us yet.

She discovered the fun of emptying the book shelve, one book at a time. She was bringing them across the room to Jonathan, who was sitting on the floor trying to get her to sit with him to read the books...she just kept bringing new ones. (Notice how huge my "baby" Camille (Aunt Camille, ha!) is getting?)
Lydia won't be two until August, and she is so smart and so delightful.


A little bit of springiness...the mirror is from the thrift store, the first vase there is from the thrift store but was an ugly green, I chalk painted it the pale aqua, then coated it with polyurethane...the next vase, the gray one, was made by one of the kids in high school ceramics and painted green and orange, so I chalk painted that too...and the little glass jar, also. The aqua bowl - dollar store!

And here is what homeschool looks like sometimes...

Jonathan with some mac & cheese...notice the "broken cupboard" in the background...it's actually it's real name, The Broken Cupboard. The sad thing is that I found an old photo from when Evelyn was a toddler, standing in front of it, and it had already earned that name...and Ev is 17 years old. So the door broke off, and we just set the door in front of the cupboard...when I tidy up better and make sure the stuff inside the cupboard is in there properly, it looks better...and The Potholder Drawer is opened because I was in the middle of baking the peanut butter cookies...


Miss Charlotte Claire decided to get cozy to eat her bowl of yumminess.


Camille at her food properly at the table because she was in the middle of an art project.
Notice behind her, the small refrigerator from the camper, brought in when the big one wasn't working. Still sitting there. And the frame of that window...that's the first one Paul installed several years ago, he accidentally used a new building window instead of a replacement window...and it's still like that. I think of it like this: It hasn't killed me yet, so it' won't kill me today. But sometimes, it bothers me. It's just not on the top of the list, I guess. We still need more new windows, and have to replace the furnace this year...I am not complaining, I'm just saying there are always priorities, ha.


I just thought I would post a few "real" pics...I WISH I lived in a perfect house, but we don't. And I'm thankful for it anyway.

Today we are going out and about...it's Gymnastics Class day, and we also need milk and coconut oil and fruits and veggies. I was thinking of taking them to Moe's for lunch, because I have a free coupon for Charlotte...

just sick...and it's all my fault...

I did manage a nice walk yesterday afternoon with Abigail, our second oldest daughter.

But, I'm sick. Just a bad cold, stuffy and aching head, that miserable want-to-crawl-into-bed-and-feel-sorry-for-myself feeling. I don't get sick very often, and honestly, last week, I was rather marveling, very stupidly, over how other people always seem to get sick, and I remain fine. It wasn't exactly a PROUD thought, I was just wondering about it. Then I got the headache Friday night, and the stuffiness...getting up with Duke this weekend was no picnic, ha.

Anyway. I had a nice weekend anyway. Mirielle came to visit on Friday afternoon while I was making oatmeal cookies. I toasted the oats first, but it wasn't a very good recipe. I wasn't making them for me anyway, they were to cozy up the house so the kids could come home from school and have cookies, and be warm.

So Paul came home from work and told me he was taking me out to dinner, he had made reservations for 6:30. He said Abigail reminded him that he was in India for Valentine's Day, and Ireland for our wedding anniversary. (wow, thank you Ab!). It was a happy evening...and it was a nice restaurant. I had fried haddock, the only kind of fish I actually like, and it was perfection. Paul shook his head at me for forgetting my glasses, he had to read the menu to me...then when the waiter took my order, he asked me, "Soup or salad?", and I thought he was offering, "Super salad", and I said, "Yes, please.". Then Paul said, "Which one do you want?", and I got it. oops.

But it was a nice meal, a glass of wine, then coffee and we split a fresh homemade cannoli. It was tasty, but way too small.

Saturday, Paul went out to set up a trail-cam where he deer hunts, and I had four little girls having a good time here...Miss Char and Miss Cam had cousin Dani and friend Amanda over, it was a sleepover! Well, Evelyn wanted to go to the thrift store, so Suzanne said she would look after the girls for a bit and help them make slime (with foam balls and glitter, what a mess!). Evelyn, Sonja, and I went to the thrift store...I was happy, I found a shirt for myself for a dollar fifty, a few pretty woven Easter baskets, three nice Barbies still in the boxes, and a few other nice clothes for the kids...all the clothes were 50% off.

Home...and time to make the pizza. I always make a keto pizza in addition to the regular ones we make, with almond flour and mozzarella cheese crust.

The two pepperonis...

Peppers and onions, bacon, and pepperoni. I didn't take a pic of the keto pizza, but it was good.

Yesterday, I stayed home alone...all alone, with the three doggies, and the two kitties. I was not feeling horrible, but too sniffy for church, I didn't want to share the cold with all the babies there. So I swept and mopped and dragged the sewing machine out. I re-covered two throw pillows I had bought at the thrift store (they were really clean, smelled good, no stains, but I put them in the dryer first anyway.) I washed dishes, made a batch of chocolate chip cookies...

And, since it was so nice out, the sun shining and temperatures in the fifties, I swept off the deck. Paul and some of the kids had left with Suri and Sunny, to go on an adventure/hike on a little island not too far from here, with fishing poles. (Sunny jumped in the pond, swam out, and stole the bobber)(she's bad:)). The dogs came home exhausted, muddy, and happy. Sunny needed a bath, but she's getting used to baths.

Abigail came to visit while most of the family was gone, and it was pleasant. We sat out there on the deck for a bit, soaking in the sunshine and trying to ignore the chilly wind, ah springtime in central New York.

Then dinner...I had put two roasts in the oven, with carrots. The girls wrapped some potatoes in foil and put them in to bake, and I microwaved some fresh broccoli. It was a very nice Sunday dinner....

Then later, we watched a few episodes of, "The Simpsons", and I made popcorn, the yummy kind in the big pan on the stove, with lots of butter.

This morning, I eyed the stack of popcorn bowls, and the pan, still sitting in the sink...the floors ALWAYS need sweeping, with three dogs in here, but especially in the morning. I cannot sit in my chair without sweeping first. So I swept. I wiped down the counters, and threw in a load of towels. Then I found myself here, wrapped in a blanket, sipping coffee. My head hurts, my throat hurts, I am starting to cough, and I am all stuffed up. But ha, I am as happy as can be. I am thankful I am homeschooling the three youngest, they are sleeping in to catch up from a very busy weekend, soon they will stumble out here, wrap in blankets, perhaps toast some waffles and make themselves a cup of tea, and we will look things up and talk about things, and do some math. Maybe we'll make it to the library later....