Windows

Ok. I give. How do you wash windows?

Seriously.

I've tried the attach-it-to-the-hose spray cleaner thingies.

I've tried vinegar and water and old newspaper.

I've tried windex and a microfiber cloth.

I've tried sudsy ammonia and a squeegee.

My windows look like heck. Usually in the spring I get all gung-ho and do two or three windows a weekend until they are all done. (Six windows upstairs, ten regular windows downstairs, one big picture window and the front door glass....) This morning I was looking through the ONE window I've done so far and it looks terrible.

Sigh.

Transition

Glah. I'm in transition.

Hot changed from is "winter" schedule to his "June" schedule this week. Meaning now he is working 8-5. The end of the month he will go to his "fire" schedule.... 9-6 and on call all the freakin' time. The challenge of June is something called "first out." He is "first out" on the call list if there is a fire. Once he goes to the regular fire schedule that will rotate between all the Engine Bosses and Crews.... but for now he's pretty much first out for the whole month. (A lot of the other crew and bosses are teachers and not "on" yet.... but a lot of the new crew came on this week.... so it is training and testing and chaos.)

So during the winter Hot picks the kids up around 4:30 and comes home and feeds them. But now.... I'm suddenly in charge of DINNER. EVERY NIGHT. Ugh. The pressure. So far this week we've had: red beans & rice (Sweet's favorite) and burritos. Tonight will be something delightful with leftover taco meat. Tomorrow may be a spinnin' chicken since I need to make a Costco run. I'll cook a roast on Saturday... so that will cover Saturday night and possibly some bbq beef sandwiches for later. We are all completely in love with the 29 cent corn on the cob and I drive by that store every night so I'll try to stop there for that a few times a week.

I've made some lists and it will smooth out but right now it just isn't all that fun to try to plan meals that are moderately healthy and can be tossed together in 15-20 minutes.... especially when I could eat burgers or sandwiches pretty much every night and be happy. Boring.

It Coulda Been Worse....

Last night my husband came to the door with a sad look on his face.

He was trying to tell me something without the kids realizing it and I THOUGHT he mouthed "I just ran over a cat" which was very sad and not at all what he said.

He backed over Sweet's bike.... which I pointed out to him was not as sad as running over a cat. AND the GOOD NEWS.... Sweet was not ON the bike at the time. (Side note: Anyone else notice how many local kids are getting hit by cars lately??)

It wasn't even Sweet's 'spensive $15 bike... it was the 50 cent bike Papa got him at the last sheriff's auction. Bent the back rim and scratched the bumper on the van. Granted... I just invested $8 in tire tubes for it but I'm hoping we can send Papa to the NEXT auction to buy another 50-center so we can steal the rim and fix this bike.

Sweet was very sad but understanding... he and daddy both said they were sorry. The bike that DIDN'T get smooshed is:

It PROBABLY isn't what you think....

My brother and his wife have an announcement.... we are all waiting to hear it.....

Go ahead.

Tell us.

What are you DOING this summer?

So Elle is asking.... What are you DOING this summer?

Now..... I don't really feel qualified to answer this..... I mean.... I go to an office 40 hours a week and my kids aren't in school yet.... so, with that qualification.... Here's our summer plan.

The babe is due June 28th.

Our lives are going to be simple, simple, simple....

Sweet & Tuff will do some private swim lessons in July and, possibly, an organized group set in August. This will let them be in the pool without me risking drowning 3 children (or myself) in the process.... Happy.

Wednesdays are "town" days. We will try for 10:30 story hour at the library and any errands on Wednesdays. Most times I will probably pack a snack lunch and we will eat at the park or somewhere.

Sundays are grill days. I'm going to try some new grill recipes.... veggies and stuff.... besides the usual fare of steak, burgers & hobo dinners.

We have plans to, periodically (every 10 days or so) meet family at our favorite lake-type place in town and have a picnic for dinner. Spinnin' chicken and strawberries for dinner. I love Costco.

Our daily schedule will vary but I try to sneak out of bed between 6:15-6:30 and have some quiet time... this summer I will be able to walk because Hot won't go to work until 9. On the elliptical at 7 if I can't walk. Kids get up and eat breakfast, do sunscreen, get dressed and brush teeth with minimal help. Tuff needs help with her hair and her pink sparkly lip gloss.

I shower ever day. Every. Single. Day. Mmm.... what a decadent goal.

My "projects" for the summer include cleaning the garage and painting the porch posts and upstairs outside window trim. Wish me luck.

The kids' "projects" for the summer include making fairy gardens and building things out of old wood and painting rocks.

Creek time. We try to play down by the creek a few times a week. It is cool in the heat. We also will have the swing set done and the pool on the corner of the porch. I can sit in my rocker and see everything I need to see.

Lunches will, generally, be eaten outside every day. We have a little table set up on the porch.

Saturday mornings are Farmer's Market and/or Cartoons.

Friday nights are movie nights.

I'm going to try to sneak in 8-10 hours of work a week during the first few weeks to stretch the maternity leave.

I'll let you know about mid-summer how it is all going.....

Nesting This Week: The Basket

I updated the list.

And I'm adding some little piece of advice for all future mommies.... The Basket.

What, you ask, is the basket? Well.

Mine is a round hard-sided basket with an arched handle.

What makes it The Basket?

It contains all important baby/mama gear for those first weeks on the couch. The importance of the hard handle... you can snag it with your foot and heft it to yourself without disturbing a nursing infant.

What is in mine? All those things I just might need and often can't find.....

wipes & a spare diaper & diaper cream
pacifier
burp rag
remote control
notepad (for documenting nursing times and jotting down thoughts) and pen
phone
boob lube
spare bra liners
hand sanitizer
chapstick
ponytail holder

What's in Your Basket?

I don't really do fast food.

Just going INTO fast food places... well, it makes me feel like I'm slinking into some sleazy porn shop or something. Some people eat that stuff EVERY DAY.

But I was recovering from a stressful day at the legislature the other day and I though I needed Taco John's potato ole's to sooth my troubled mind....

Can I mention that there is NO TJ's like the Havre TJ's??? Those of you who have been there know what I'm talking about.... Havre doesn't have much going for it but they have a great TJ's and, of, course Rod's Drive-In (Home of the Ugly Burger) and the infamous triple-marshmallow Mountain Dew.

Oh. And then. I was out-smarted & upsold by a high school dropout with less than half her natural teeth. I went inside because I can't stand the pressure of the drive-thru.... I never know what I want to order. So I look at the menu and decide I want a burrito-type meal... because that's what I left at home when I forgot my lunch.... and I decide I don't want the #1 because, well, if it is #1 then it must be trendy OR the cheapest for them to make.... so I get a #2.... a burrito and ole's and a drink. I usually don't get a drink but they have ok lemonade at TJ's. So I go to order and I say, "#2" like I order fast food every day and am a pro... and SHE says, "small, medium or large" and I get really confused but I have to hurry because that's why they paint those places bright red-yellow-orange colors... so you hurry.... and there is a line so I just say, "Middle-sized" (Which.... interestingly... is what dad always says.... never "medium diet drink" but "middle-sized diet drink" and my sister mentioned her mate is the same way.... which supports my theory she is dating her father and icked her out totally AND she said she gets angry when they only have small and large as options.)

So anyway.... I pay and am leaving the cashier clutching my change and my receipt and a plastic card with the number 51 on it and it hits me. She just played me. Instead of regular, super-sized and extra-super-sized they've switched to small, medium and large. Who orders small? five-foot-two-inch tall women and children.... that's who. I consider myself average so I order regular... but when the options are s,m,l..... then average becomes medium. Tricky, tricky marketing.

I did enjoy the HELL out of those potato ole's tho....

And later in the doctor's office I read a "Time" article about child obesity and I felt really guilty.... but we've already been down THAT road......

Maple Bars Part II

It has come to my attention some of you are not familiar with MAPLE BARS.

Here is a link.

You will love them.