and we did it!!!!!

We painted the ceiling AND the walls, plus the hallway, all in one day!

And looky looky at the disaster of a kitchen in the background...but do notice that the child in that picture, Miss Charlotte Claire, is only ten, and was one of the best painters.




This is Irene, friend of the family, besties with Sonja. She was here for the weekend, and so gladly pitched in, working all the live-long day. She never lost her smile, either. (The pizza and wings that were promised when we finished was the dangling carrot, the pot of gold at the end of the painting rainbow...expensive, but has to be figured into the cost of painting here, ha.)

Evelyn and Sonja K.


The finished color last evening, it looks lighter during the day.



So we worked hard yesterday. The prep work is what gets you, putting all the furniture in the middle of the room seems easy peasy, until you actually start in on it. I had recently moved the couches to paint the window trim, so they were all clean underneath, but other things, well, let's just say we found hair ponies and Nerf bullets that have been gone for a long long time. And dust and dog hair. We moved stuff into bedrooms, and the kitchen was a royal dumping grounds, then everything left was covered with plastic and old sheets, the exposed floor with newspaper...and we began by sweeping the ceiling to get the dust off...then sanding the spackle on the walls, wiping down the walls, vacuuming the dust...then, finally, opening the ceiling paint. We used almost all of the three gallons, and it was hard on the neck and shoulders. Two of the girls actually followed through with their plans to go to the mall, because they never heard we were painting today, they said. I tried not to give them too hard a time about it, but I wasn't thrilled about it. Then Mali called and asked us to watch 13 month old Lydia in the afternoon/evening, and oh dear...I love Lydia, of course I do, but um, our house was turned upside down...but I said we would figure it out, just bring her on over.

The two girls returned from the mall, one changed and started right in to help, the other had to leave to go to her language lessons, taking the only vehicle that is currently running well. One is in the shop, the other is leaking radiator fluid and will go in then the first one is fixed. So we ordered the pizza when we were done, and had to have Kathryn leave her lesson to pick it, and we ate at 8:30 at night.

So the painting was done...then came the task of putting everything back...can I just say how thankful I am for my kids who stuck with the task until the end?

A few of the girls I couldn't photograph, because at one point two of them were painting in just bras, Jonathan made a comment, and I said to pretend they are bathing suits. We sang, we listened to blaring music, we laughed until we cried, and we encouraged each other to just get it done. We also took a moment to respect all those who do work like this for a living, day in and day out.

We are saying goodbye to some classic toys that graced our house for years...the little kitchen is going to some friends, and some other things will wait for Lydia...(Mali is moving into a house next month, from her apartment)

The living room feels more open, clean and fresh, and screaming for those valances to be made, ha. Next project....

We had to cancel our dentist appointments for today because we don't have a vehicle and if I drove Paul to work, we wouldn't make it in time because the appointment was for 8:20. We are out of milk and bread, but Irene's dad brought over cheesecake and ice cream last night, thankful we had Irene for the weekend while he and his wife went to Ohio for the weekend. So Camille is happily eating cheesecake for breakfast. A grocery store trip is on the horizon...because we are running out of half and half for the coffee:) And puppy chow.

Anyway, I'm glad the whole painting ordeal is mostly over...I still have lots of trim to paint, but not today.

Today, we'll stay home and do school and enjoy the clean new living room.

so got a cup of coffee and went back to bed with her book....

But alas, this is not how the story really went. No, she cleaned up a small neat pile of dog poop, after taking the three dogs outside, feeding and watering them, giving Duke his antibiotics and joint medicine...then wiping down the counters quick, making a pot of pumpkin spice coffee...I decided to just stay out here and blog...there's no school today, so kids are sleeping in...Margaret went to work, Paul went to work, and one of our vans is in the shop...Paul tried to fix the brakes, but one of the calibers got stuck, so it needs a professional, ha. That leaves me here with no vehicle. That means that no matter who wants to go where, I cannot take them, which is rather a nice thought. Because...today...is Paint The Living Room Day.


This is Evelyn Joy, with me. She is seventeen years old, and she is a wonderful girl. She is also, by her own admission, a witch with a capital "B", just ask her sisters. She is the middle child of the five-girls-in-a-row-in-five-years. She is hardworking when she wants to be, but she shares my affinity for books, and has no problem reading for hours at a time. She does her homework religiously, and is one of those rare competent children, who can actually think on their own, completing tasks without a step by step narrative. She can come into a situation, take charge, and get it done. Her people skills need polishing, she has a good heart, but like many capable people, she has no tolerance for slackers. This is a recipe for some pretty good arguing matches here in the home, as she has demands on her normal teenage sisters that they step up, they don't like listening to Evelyn rant, ect. But, I am thankful for Evelyn. She gets things done. She knows I want to paint, so she set the date weeks ago, which is now today. She decreed that none of the kids go anywhere no matter who invites them for what, that they all pitch in and get it all done in one day...ceiling, then walls. Of course at least one of her siblings said, "What? I never heard that. I made plans!"


So yesterday afternoon, she accompanied me to Lowes. Or rather, I went with her, she likes to drive. We started with a pumpkin spice coffee, then went to the dollar store, as lots of paint supplies are much cheaper there. We did end up with chocolate, too.

Lowe's. I love home improvement stores. I generally try to avoid them, as they make me want to, duh, improve my home. There has to be a balance between improving what can be improved, and being discontent and wanting to burn the whole thing down and start over, ha.

Anyway. We decided on paint color, picked out some nice ceiling paint and new rollers, and headed home.

It had been a very busy day. Mirielle was in her first half marathon, so Evelyn and I got up at 0-dark thirty, and went along, Emily too.

She was too cute. Milling around with all those 1,100 runners made me want to be an athlete too.


But...we spent our 2 hours and 17 minutes doing other things...those pancakes came with my scrambled eggs and bacon..pumpkin spice pancakes. They should be illegal. I thought, "Oh, I'll just taste them." ha. Do I not know myself by now? I did exercise sufficient self-control, I only ate a small amount, then saved them in a foam container, along with lots of that bacon, for Mirielle after her race.


Emily was trying to study for a big exam. She is extremely busy these days with college classes, she works full time and is studying to be a Nurse Practitioner. So Evelyn and I tried to talk quietly, looking on pinetrest for good shades of gray for our living room.

Then...we left the restaurant, and lo and behold, right there near the race finish line near the stadium, was the regional market flea market! Oh, the treasures! We were in love! As we were browsing, I heard a man say, "I saw you put that in your pocket Mam!", and it was my brother Joe! I haven't seen him in months! He said he often goes there on Sundays, (I can see why!) There's a fresh donut stand (it's all you can smell), he gets a coffee, and walks around. Anyway, it was so nice to talk to him...then Mirielle texted and said she was done with the race, and OOPS! We weren't there at the finish line! We hurried on over, and congratulated her...

I was proud of her! She didn't come in last, as she feared she would, ha, she did fine, and I am totally impressed that with her busy schedule, she has been training enough to run that far. She is also in school, working towards her Master's in nursing, while working full time. Oh, the bragging I do..sorry!

Anyway, we walked toward the car, wandering back through the market, we stopped and got a few fried doughs, I told Mirielle she earned it after all those miles. We bought some fresh local Alfalfa honey for the Emily.

Anyway. Here I sit. We have to move all the furniture into the middle of the room and cover it with plastic covers, then the fun begins. Painting ceilings is not my favorite, but we finished building this house in 1992, and the ceiling hasn't been repainted in here yet. (And remember our old oven leaked that sooty awful stuff?...)

It would be nice if the kids said, "Oh Mom, you just go get in bed with your book, we'll bring you coffee and Ezekial toast with butter and honey, we'll do all the painting. And we won't fight or argue at all! And we'll remember to take Sunny out every half hour or so, and we'll make lunch ourselves without making a huge mess! And we'll keep the dishes done and the kitchen clean too! And of course we won't splatter on the freshly painted window trim, nor will we paint a white skunk stripe down the back of Suri's sleek black..."

So tune in tomorrow to see if we actually accomplished all we set out to do...:)

pumpkin and spice and everything nice...

A little homeschooling field trip to the apple orchard yesterday...I was relieved to see the donut racks empty when we entered the store to get our bags to pick apples. No decisions to make on whether to buy some (no contest, of course I would!), and whether to just eat one (um, no, well, maybe...)...So, we went out and picked some apples...





We didn't pick very many, as I want to make sure they get eaten, and we can always go again, here in Central New York, there are apple orchards everywhere. Anyway, we went back into the store building to weigh and pay for the apples, and dang it, the donut case had just been refilled with steaming hot apple cinnamon donuts. Can you just smell it? And of course they are cheaper by the dozen, so yeah. And the cider...freshly pressed, okay, get a gallon that. And honey...from their own bees, right out back. A jar of that too.

Then the battle began...the donut battle. We got in the minivan with those bags, and Cam discovered she had left her water bottle in the store when they were picking out the donuts, so Jon went back in with her to get it, and I took a bite out of a donut and put it back in the bag. One bite. One yummy taste. I have a will of steel. ha, not really. Jon came back out, looked in the bag, and said, "One of these has a bite out of it!" um, sorry. That was me.

These dang kids though, there are still like five donuts out there on the counter! I thought they would be gone! Now the battle rages! :)

Pumpkin muffins are saving me. Mirielle made some the other day, and sent a few over, along with the recipe. I made a double batch, and oh are they good. They were labeled "donuts", but I skipped rolling them in sugar, and made them in muffin papers. I don't know if this recipe is stolen, but if it is, be assured that I am not making any money from posting it...

Pumpkin Muffins:

1/2 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup almond flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoons salt

4 large eggs, room temp.
7 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup maple syrup (I used honey)
2 tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar (I think these were too sweet, and would lessen the honey and either omit the sugar, or use less)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons vanilla

(for the donut version, you are supposed to roll them in 1/3 cup coconut or regular sugar mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon) (I didn't) (but if you sprinkled a tiny bit of sugar and cinnamon before baking, yum)

Mix dry ingredients, in separate bowl the wet ingredients...add the dry to the wet and stir until just combined.

Bake in mini muffin pans for 11 - 13 minutes at 350

And they are good...very moist. I doubled the recipe, and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They aren't the absolute healthiest things out there in terms of sugar content, but I like to see the girls grab these for breakfast, and they are pretty yummy.

So my latest project has been painting the trim of the living room windows. Before I started, I enthusiastically thought I would paint those three windows, then move to the kitchen, then the doors in the hallway, the trim around the kitchen door...oh, I was going to spiff the place up. But ugh, it's so tedious. I have to do a final coat on these living room windows, then put the furniture back...and then...in a few days, begin the new valances...I don't know if I have the time or energy to paint this room, although it would look nice.

Yesterday, I was supposed to pick Sonja up at 1:00 for her orthopedic appt. The dr. office called in the morning, and said the dr. is no longer available in the afternoon, and could we come in at 11:45...um no, I said, thinking of the painting I wanted to do. Okay, said the nice receptionist, then we can't see her until the 19th. Sonja K. has been absolutely chomping at the bit, wanting to get back on that soccer field, so I couldn't do that to her. So I found myself picking her up at 11:00...and no, she's not healed up yet. She has another 6 weeks off of gym, and has been advised to continue physical therapy and keep up with the exercises...

She was not thrilled about that. So I took her to Kohl's and bought her a pair of boots. She needed them, and it was nice to be just with her for a bit. We then went to the grocery store for some burger, as it was a nice sunny day, and burgers on the grill!!!

Home...and out the door to the apple orchard with the younger kids...

Home...and I started painting. Kathryn grilled the burgers, the other girls helped slice tomatoes from the garden, onions, pickles, and steam some broccoli. I took a break for dinner, then got right back to painting...right until it was time to shower and to to bed. I am not so enthusiastic about painting all the trim in the house anymore, ha.

And now I shall give it one last coat, do some school with the kids, then get out the door for a dr. appointment for Sonja K., and Jonathan...we are all going, because afterward, a haircut for Jon...and maybe for Char...maybe for me...:)

real people, fat people, happy people...

Okay, I have been looking around for a nice dress to wear to Margaret's and Adrian's wedding. I tried a few on, and let's just say I should have had a drink first. So I sit in my comfy chair and scroll through the lovely mother-of-the-bride dresses online, and they look so nice! Because those ladies are not truly size 18. They don't have tummies that hang over their thigh-tops. They don't have love handles, or back fat. They don't have upper arms that resemble small thighs, only with more jiggle. They can actually wear high heels on their tiny little feet.

I would like to see, for once, REAL people in these clothes. No one would buy them, of course, but it would be nice to see....I would click on the back view and see rolls, thus being able to imagine myself in it.

So my dream dress would be gray or silvery, mature and demure, flowing softly over my tummy, covering my arms in delicate lace...and my dream price would be clearance rack, preferably %50 off the lowest price. I am not that picky, honestly, but I am not buying a peach or magenta dress just because they're cheap. It would just be really fun to find something fantastic at say...the thrift store.

Yesterday, Jonathan wasn't feeling well, so I went out and about with just Char and Cam. We went to Walmart for paint samples, and a can of white paint for window trim. We got sandpaper and a few paintbrushes, and a bag of beef jerky to snack on. Then to the fabric store, oh we love that place. I let them pick out a few things to put away for Christmas, and they helped me choose fabric for new living room valances and throw pillows.

Then home for a nice afternoon...I grilled chicken, made rice, and Sonja made a salad.

And now, I have a sewing machine that I want to drag out and set up, and painting I want to start...but this afternoon is gymnastics class...and tomorrow another trip to the small city for a dr. appointment, then back there again on Friday...but in between, I'm sure I can fit it in.

And now, before I change the laundry over, we shall do some school....

call me crazy....

Too early in the morning for pictures! Sunny thought 6:10 was a fine time to wake up, and that means she has to go outside immediately. It means that one old mama is dragged out of bed and into the misty autumn morning, leaving that warm bed regretfully.

We carry little treats in our pockets when we bring Little Miss Sunshine outside, when she goes potty, she gets praises and a treat. She is hilarious, she squats and pees, then comes over and sits down for the treat. She is going less and less inside the house, which is wonderful.

So yesterday we went out and about...

We went to the mall...which was a good thing, because I got some cute flower headbands for the little girls for the wedding (Margaret is getting married in December!). Claire's in the mall had a special, buy three things get two free...and I found things on the $2 rack...so five things for $6. :) We also got good things from Sears, their clearance stuff was all $3.99. Jonathan got some nice shorts and a few shirts, the girls found outfits for next summer, and I got a nice shirt.


Jonathan...he reminds me of a large breed puppy, ha. Those feet! He'll be growing into them any day now...he's only 12, but oh dear he's changing fast. He was less than thrilled with the shopping trip. I stopped for a coffee at the Dunkin kiosk, and the pots were all empty, the employee had just gotten there and her predecessor had neglected to keep them perking, so I had to wait for my coffee, which I assured her was really not a big deal at all. While I waited, I called the kids over and let them pick a out a donut, then the nice lady said they were on the house because I had to wait for my coffee. I protested, said it wasn't necessary, but she insisted. So they thanked her so nicely...and we left with my 99 cent coffee and three donuts.

So poor Jonny...he started feeling blah last evening, his temperature was 99.5...then this morning it's 100. So we cancelled our plans to meet Abigail for lunch at a park. Abigail is his best buddy, and we can't do it without him, it would be too mean.

Margaret's wedding dress is in, she has to go try it on and see if it needs alterations, so exciting! The dresses I ordered for the little girls should be coming today or tomorrow. I need to find something to wear, which I hate, because I look 12 months pregnant in everything. blah. In theory, who cares? In reality, I care, ha.

Paul made dinner last night, bacon and eggs. I toasted some English muffins and bagels for the kids and it was a nice little dinner. I had an afternoon snack which was horrible yet not too bad: an avocado blended with some cream cheese, a few tablespoons of canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spices, and a spoon of honey...all blended up, like a green pumpkin pudding, with a small scattering of mini chocolate chips...it was dessert-y without being too carb-y. It was better than eating a pumpkin spice donut.

We renewed our gym membership yesterday, now I can take the kids to the pool whenever we want, happy!!!

There is simply not enough time in the day, too few days in the week. Lydia is coming over tonight...

the way things really are....

No hair cut, just a messy clip...but when I looked at this picture, I thought maybe it's time for a change, maybe I SHOULD cut the hair...after all, I AM old...ha.

There is a puppy sleeping on my lap, redeeming herself of all the bad things she has done. After she wears herself out in the morning, if I am sitting here in my comfy chair with a cup of pumpkin spice coffee, she comes over and whines, and she has the puppiest dog eyes ever...so I scoop her up, she settles in, and takes a little snooze. She likes to do this in the evenings too, I sort of wish she would stay this size.

She did not poop nor pee in the house during the night or this morning, yay. I took her out twice this morning, the first time we stayed out for a long time, the second time it was raining, and we got soaked because genius that I am, I went out without a jacket, not realizing it was actually raining until we stepped out the door. She has no jacket, and she got wet. So we are both chilled, and warming each other up.

We had a soccer tournament this weekend, our kids' team came in second...it was fun to see them advance to the finals. We brought Sunny with us, she likes the kids, and is a bit shy, so it's good to socialize her.

Some of the kids really really like Sunny.


Suzanne is hugging Davian in this pic, Charlotte Claire kneeling down to see Sunny...


And Mr. Jonathan, out on the field...:)

Yesterday was spent in the kitchen. I made zucchini lasagna, and some with pasta, and zucchini/banana muffins, a triple batch. Suzanne helped me, and it was very pleasant.

So...I am thinking of painting my living room a very pale gray, and painting the trim around the windows white. They are the original stained wood now, and I like them, but am thinking of how bright and clean it would look with them white..the new windows are white, and it looks a little funny. The ceiling hasn't been painted since we built the house back in 1991-1992. So...I am thinking of having a work day here...my teenagers are really helpful, but will surely run out of steam and want to be done, but between all of us, we can do it all in one day. I am going to start sanding the trim, wiping it down, and maybe getting that done ahead of time. Part of me says to just leave it all alone, it's fine, it's costly and so much work, but then I can envision how clean and bright it will be, and it drives me to start the project. And new valances, I can just picture them...:)

Paul is going to India in a few weeks for a few weeks. Besides my trip to D.C./Shenandoah Park in a few weeks to visit soldier Sam, I don't have any travel plans.

Anyway, I WAS all comfy in my chair with puppy on my lap, then Suri came barging in...she sleeps in Joseph's room, and he lets her out in the morning...and then she needs to go outside...which means Sunny wants to go, which means I have to go...so out into the rain I went for the third time today, with the three dogs, and the mama kitty, who is a follower, she thinks she is a puppy too, and all around the yard she went with us, me looking for my phone which had slid out of my pocket...I didn't find it until we got back into the house and I called it with the house phone, it was on the living room floor.

Suri had her breakfast, which meant I had to give Duke and Sunny just a small bit too, then a chew bone for all three, and now hopefully Sunny will settle down again. Puppies have to be watched every minute they're awake, or they'll destroy a house, ha.

(this is Suzanne with Little Orange Guy, the kitten they want to keep...the last one of the six. I don't really want another cat, but Sunny plays with Little Orange Guy, and he IS cute...)

Our plans for this week include going to a park near Abigail's work so she can meet us for lunch, bringing the puppies, of course. Sonja has physical therapy twice, and two dr. appointments. I need to go to Lowe's and get supplies for my projects.

And of course, school. My three youngest children are worn right out from the weekend. They had the best time at the soccer tournament, and then there was a youth meeting in the evening...Char and Cam are only 10 and almost 9, but I let them stay for it, and they loved it.

Rainy Mondays are the best. I wonder if I could declare it a Reading Day, and we could all just settle down with cocoa and our library books...hmmm.

the hospital, the vet, the doctor, and staying happy....

First, the hospital: I stayed the night last night...had to go to the Emergency room because my heart was a-pounding, too hard, skipping and making me feel awful. It's hard to distinguish what's caused by anxiety because that vicious circle of panic, which causes some lightheadedness and dizziness...this palpitation stuff has been hitting me on and off this past week, and since nothing has changed in my life except for the prescription for Cipro, I googled the heck out of Cipro, and guess what? Some people have adverse reactions...really serious adverse reactions, including palpitations, shakiness, ect. The doctor at the E.R. did concede that Cipro can cause changes in the electromagnetic waves in the heart, but wanted to be positive that it wasn't something else...he suspected a possible blood clot in the lung because of a blood test that showed inflammation...so I had to have a CT scan, plus a chest x-ray, three EKGs, three rounds of bloodwork...overkill. Absolute overkill. But, since I went in, I was subject to it all...Emily accompanied me, and we agreed that if I didn't do what they strongly suggested, which was to spend the night to be monitored, I may be classified as going against medical advice, which means insurance won't cover....our insurance is awful anyway, nothing makes your heart pound like thinking of the bill, ha.

Anyway. Never a dull moment. I had a nice peaceful night being poked and prodded, all by my lonesome in a big cold hospital.

And I'm tired, but I do feel better now, and I won't be taking Cipro again if I can help it.


And, we took these two dogs to the vet this past week. Duke has a bum paw, swollen and sore...where a fatty tumor was removed last year, some smaller lumps grew back, and he won't leave it alone. We put a cone on him so he can't reach it, but it hasn't healed up...and he's 11, too old for more surgery...but still. So he's on doggy antibiotics, with some spray to help it heal up too, and then some supplements...he had to have some bloodwork so we can try some doggy ibuprofen for his advanced doggy arthritis...okay? The vets says he's a very healthy old man, except for his paw and his arthritis. Ahem. Then just a check up for Suri, regular vaccines for Lyme disease and distemper, and more heartworm meds. I will not say how much this visit cost, only that I don't know what mortified me more, the grand total, or the fact that I accidentally walked across the animal scale in the waiting room, displaying my lovely weight for the whole waiting room full of people. One lady smiled big at me, to show me that I'm not really that fat, and that she feels my pain, ha. No wonder I've had palpitations.


Suzanne and Sonja were picked up early from school one day for a well-child appointment. We had a little bit of fun doing selfies while waiting for the pediatrician.


And staying happy...this is Suzanne with little Lydia, Mali's baby girl...:)


And happy happy, Emily got a new car! She also got a new car payment, but oh well.


And a little bit sadness...I finally, after 25 years of owning this lovely lavender Norwegian Simo pram, let it go. Paul brought this home for me when Joseph was a baby...Aaron, Mali, Samuel, Margaret, Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, Sonja, Jonathan, Charlotte Claire, and Camille spent their newborn weeks sleeping in this carriage. But...it got old. It got musty and torn, it got old. I looked at the inside of it objectively...you know, putting aside the sentimental love for it, and I decided that I wouldn't want to put a nice clean newborn baby in it anymore. So...I gave it to the kids. They spent a few days taking pedals off of old bikes, and trying to put them on this, no doubt envisioning a cool go cart, but ha, it didn't work.

Anyway. Life is busy. But it's a good life.