This cracked me right up...
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Happy Birthday Puckey!
5 years ago today I was at the hospital awaiting the arrival of my sweet little Puckster. And just because I love this picture SO much, you all get to see it again.
Happy Birthday Puckey! Mommy and Daddy love you more and more each day!!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Good thing government health care is coming, this makes me sick!
(Disclaimer: I do not, in fact, want government health care. The idea that anyone can FORCE me to get health coverage and fine me if I don't just really makes me angry. Like forced health care, the idea that the government is actually going to be giving "help" to the rich to buy cars actually makes me want to throw up.)
I received this article in an email from my aunt.
Low Volt-age
The Chevy Volt is a vanity car for the well-off, and the government is subsidizing it.
Let us compare the Volkswagen and the “Voltswagen.”
The original Volkswagen was intended as the “people’s car” (that’s what Volkswagen means). The idea of a cheap, safe, reliable car for the working man was popular before Adolf Hitler embraced it, but as a self-proclaimed man of the people, he made the idea his own. Whereas industrialists and aristocrats didn’t think the common man needed a car (“The people’s car is a bus” was their refrain), Hitler sided with one of his heroes, Henry Ford, arguing that everyone deserved his own ride. He ordered the German Labor Front, the union arm of the Nazi party, to start building a people’s car. When it looked like the car might be too expensive, the Labor Front created a savings program that promised a car for even the poorest workers.
At the 1934 Berlin Motor Show, Hitler proclaimed: “It is a bitter thought that millions of good and industrious people are excluded from the use of a means of transport that, especially on Sundays and holidays, could become for them a source of unknown joy.”
And then there’s the electric-gas hybrid Chevy Volt, a.k.a. the “Voltswagen.” At $41,000, about as much as the average American makes in a year, this is no people’s car. GM, owned by the government and the labor unions, is pitching it to affluent hipsters who don’t need a lot of space for a family. Deloitte Consulting says that the demand for such cars is from “young, very high income individuals” from households that make more than $200,000 a year, which is why the Volt will be rolled out in upscale, trendy urban markets. (Meanwhile the Chevy Cruze, the gas-only version of the Volt, has more room inside and is a mere $17,000.)
Because the Volt’s sticker price might be too high for even that crowd, the government is offering a federal subsidy of up to $7,500 (Californians have a state subsidy, too), which means that working-class people will be helping to pay for playthings for upper-income people.
“Like the EV1 that GM tried to peddle in the California market,” Kenneth Green, an environmental scientist at the American Enterprise Institute, says, “the Volt is a vanity car for the well-off that will be subsidized by less well-off taxpayers at all stages, from R&D to sales and to the construction of charging stations.”
Indeed, the Volt’s price is $41,000, but the cost is much higher. “Government Motors” is already selling the car at a loss. According to the blogger Doctor Zero, if you apply the subsidies that have gone directly into the car to just the first 10,000 vehicles, the cost is more like $81,000 per car.
Of course, electric-car boosters say this sort of thing is necessary to get the industry up and running. (Green responds: “Supporters claim that electric cars need subsidies because they’re still in their infancy. Electric cars have been around for over 100 years. That’s some infancy.”)
But would it be a good thing if we all switched to electric cars? The point is to reduce CO2 emissions, right? But in some regions, we get our electricity from CO2-spewing coal. The more electricity pulled from the grid, the more coal is burned, essentially replacing dirty oil with dirtier coal (which is why some coal backers see much promise in electric cars). Studies confirm that China — which is allegedly “beating us” in the race to a green economy — would produce vastly more greenhouse emissions if it switched to electric vehicles.
The expected response to that is that we need stuff like CO2-free windmills to generate electricity. Don’t get me started on the Volkspropeller.
Regardless, no matter how you crunch the numbers or the science, there’s no disputing that this is a political car, designed to meet the demands not of an economic market but of an ideological one, directed by the collusion of big business and big government. In this sense, the Volkswagen and the Voltswagen have a lot in common.
If the government weren’t taking taxpayer money and spending it on toys for upscale urban liberals (Obama’s strongest base of support outside of black voters and labor unions), there’d be no reason to care about the Volt. If rich people want to be “early adopters” and buy expensive gadgets that help them preen the plumage of their political sanctimony, that’s great. It’s not so great when the government gets involved in wealth redistribution, and it’s outrageous when it involves redistributing wealth upwards.
— Jonah Goldberg is editor-at-large of National Review Online and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. © 2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
I received this article in an email from my aunt.
Low Volt-age
The Chevy Volt is a vanity car for the well-off, and the government is subsidizing it.
Let us compare the Volkswagen and the “Voltswagen.”
The original Volkswagen was intended as the “people’s car” (that’s what Volkswagen means). The idea of a cheap, safe, reliable car for the working man was popular before Adolf Hitler embraced it, but as a self-proclaimed man of the people, he made the idea his own. Whereas industrialists and aristocrats didn’t think the common man needed a car (“The people’s car is a bus” was their refrain), Hitler sided with one of his heroes, Henry Ford, arguing that everyone deserved his own ride. He ordered the German Labor Front, the union arm of the Nazi party, to start building a people’s car. When it looked like the car might be too expensive, the Labor Front created a savings program that promised a car for even the poorest workers.
At the 1934 Berlin Motor Show, Hitler proclaimed: “It is a bitter thought that millions of good and industrious people are excluded from the use of a means of transport that, especially on Sundays and holidays, could become for them a source of unknown joy.”
And then there’s the electric-gas hybrid Chevy Volt, a.k.a. the “Voltswagen.” At $41,000, about as much as the average American makes in a year, this is no people’s car. GM, owned by the government and the labor unions, is pitching it to affluent hipsters who don’t need a lot of space for a family. Deloitte Consulting says that the demand for such cars is from “young, very high income individuals” from households that make more than $200,000 a year, which is why the Volt will be rolled out in upscale, trendy urban markets. (Meanwhile the Chevy Cruze, the gas-only version of the Volt, has more room inside and is a mere $17,000.)
Because the Volt’s sticker price might be too high for even that crowd, the government is offering a federal subsidy of up to $7,500 (Californians have a state subsidy, too), which means that working-class people will be helping to pay for playthings for upper-income people.
“Like the EV1 that GM tried to peddle in the California market,” Kenneth Green, an environmental scientist at the American Enterprise Institute, says, “the Volt is a vanity car for the well-off that will be subsidized by less well-off taxpayers at all stages, from R&D to sales and to the construction of charging stations.”
Indeed, the Volt’s price is $41,000, but the cost is much higher. “Government Motors” is already selling the car at a loss. According to the blogger Doctor Zero, if you apply the subsidies that have gone directly into the car to just the first 10,000 vehicles, the cost is more like $81,000 per car.
Of course, electric-car boosters say this sort of thing is necessary to get the industry up and running. (Green responds: “Supporters claim that electric cars need subsidies because they’re still in their infancy. Electric cars have been around for over 100 years. That’s some infancy.”)
But would it be a good thing if we all switched to electric cars? The point is to reduce CO2 emissions, right? But in some regions, we get our electricity from CO2-spewing coal. The more electricity pulled from the grid, the more coal is burned, essentially replacing dirty oil with dirtier coal (which is why some coal backers see much promise in electric cars). Studies confirm that China — which is allegedly “beating us” in the race to a green economy — would produce vastly more greenhouse emissions if it switched to electric vehicles.
The expected response to that is that we need stuff like CO2-free windmills to generate electricity. Don’t get me started on the Volkspropeller.
Regardless, no matter how you crunch the numbers or the science, there’s no disputing that this is a political car, designed to meet the demands not of an economic market but of an ideological one, directed by the collusion of big business and big government. In this sense, the Volkswagen and the Voltswagen have a lot in common.
If the government weren’t taking taxpayer money and spending it on toys for upscale urban liberals (Obama’s strongest base of support outside of black voters and labor unions), there’d be no reason to care about the Volt. If rich people want to be “early adopters” and buy expensive gadgets that help them preen the plumage of their political sanctimony, that’s great. It’s not so great when the government gets involved in wealth redistribution, and it’s outrageous when it involves redistributing wealth upwards.
— Jonah Goldberg is editor-at-large of National Review Online and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. © 2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Puckey says...
Said at lunch after church a few weeks ago:
"Papa, I have a secret to tell you. Why don't you marry Grammy so we can get some babies?"
Said yesterday at the start of a game of Candyland:
"The one who gets to the end first is ME."
"Papa, I have a secret to tell you. Why don't you marry Grammy so we can get some babies?"
Said yesterday at the start of a game of Candyland:
"The one who gets to the end first is ME."
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Time flies when you're having fun...
Man, this summer is FLYING by, and I haven't been posting nearly as much as I used to. I've been keeping pretty busy, which is contributing to my lack of blogging.
For the last couple of weeks, I've been getting up early to walk. I go before Ande goes to work in the morning so I can get out while it's still cool out and before the kids get up. (Plus when Bubber, Bug, and Nans aren't here, I can't exactly leave Puckey and The Jib home alone)
I've been averaging right around 3.5 miles a day, 7 days/week. I just walk as far as I can in 30 minutes and then turn around and walk back home. Sometimes I go a little further, sometimes not quite so far. Just depends how I'm feeling when I walk. I'm fortunate that I live in an area where I feel safe walking, and there are lots of homes and businesses on my route in the event of an emergency. I'm still trying to figure out what I'll do when the weather gets too cold to walk outside. I got rid of my treadmill because I really didn't use it as often as I should have and it was taking up a lot of space. I was thinking I could go to the mall to walk, but that would mean I'd have to take the kids with me, and that would be no fun for anyone. I may just have to walk in snow gear when the time comes.
I've only lost a couple of pounds, but I'm haven't really changed my eating habits a whole lot either. Not that I'm always eating or that I eat a lot of junk food, just saying I'm not "dieting". Whenever I have tried to "diet", I just wind up freaking out and feeling deprived. Not a good thing. I can tell the walking is doing something good though, because the first day I walked my hips were killing me, but within two days they didn't hurt at all. Now if I could get my shins to not hurt, I'd really be in business!
For the last couple of weeks, I've been getting up early to walk. I go before Ande goes to work in the morning so I can get out while it's still cool out and before the kids get up. (Plus when Bubber, Bug, and Nans aren't here, I can't exactly leave Puckey and The Jib home alone)
I've been averaging right around 3.5 miles a day, 7 days/week. I just walk as far as I can in 30 minutes and then turn around and walk back home. Sometimes I go a little further, sometimes not quite so far. Just depends how I'm feeling when I walk. I'm fortunate that I live in an area where I feel safe walking, and there are lots of homes and businesses on my route in the event of an emergency. I'm still trying to figure out what I'll do when the weather gets too cold to walk outside. I got rid of my treadmill because I really didn't use it as often as I should have and it was taking up a lot of space. I was thinking I could go to the mall to walk, but that would mean I'd have to take the kids with me, and that would be no fun for anyone. I may just have to walk in snow gear when the time comes.
I've only lost a couple of pounds, but I'm haven't really changed my eating habits a whole lot either. Not that I'm always eating or that I eat a lot of junk food, just saying I'm not "dieting". Whenever I have tried to "diet", I just wind up freaking out and feeling deprived. Not a good thing. I can tell the walking is doing something good though, because the first day I walked my hips were killing me, but within two days they didn't hurt at all. Now if I could get my shins to not hurt, I'd really be in business!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Are my kids the only ones this gross?
So this morning The Jib announces that she has to go potty. #2, to be exact. (Not her words, she's not that delicate about it - HA!)
A few minutes later, she says, "Momma!! I DID it! It looks like a brown pickle!"
*sigh*
A few minutes later, she says, "Momma!! I DID it! It looks like a brown pickle!"
*sigh*
Shabby Apple Boysenberry Pie Apron Guest Giveaway
Shabby Apple Boysenberry Pie Apron Guest Giveaway
Friday, July 16, 2010
Hey Dev - remember this?
This picture is from our stop at my dear friend Devin's house on our way to Oklahoma way back in May. I'm terrible about getting pictures off of my camera in any kind of speedy fashion. LOL
My girls and Dev's boys became fast friends, and spent Saturday morning/early afternoon playing outside together. Next time we will definitely have to plan for a longer stay though. I felt like we were just getting started and we had to leave!
One of these days I will have to write about our trip. But today is not that day, as I think I am going to brave the beach today. It's supposed to be 89 degrees here, and while I LOVE my a/c, my girls would LOVE the beach even more. :)
Happy Friday!!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
You know I love a good giveaway, right?
So my dear friend Devin is hosting one on her blog. Check it out by clicking HERE. Make sure you enter to win as well....
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Animal Cruelty
I just really think some people are just cruel to their pets. Take, for example, this poor soul. Honestly, what self-respecting dog would allow his people to put this on him? He looks totally depressed.
Yes, I know animal abuse is actually a serious thing, and I really do feel that being cruel to animals is wrong. I just thought this hat was flippin' hilarious and had to share it with my readers.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Ande's been stripping
our motorhome down to the chassis. It's been a long process with several late nights and hard work involved, but he's pretty much got it down to where we need it to be. Here's a few pics...
So, that's where we're at right now. Just so you know how much I love my readers, I did NOT post the picture of Ande cleaning out the black water (sewage) tank. Turns out the previous owners didn't empty it before selling it to us, and Ande didn't discover that little tidbit of info until he was ready to remove the tank. Yeah, it was pretty gross.
As I mentioned before, we found a floor plan we liked, and had the opportunity to go check out the motorhome we are going to be modeling ours after. It's pretty cool. Here's a drawing of the floor plan:
We'll have to make a few adjustments to the design for the simple fact that we need more seat belts than this design has, but this is pretty much going to be it.
Oh, and all of this work has been done in our driveway and back yard. Our neighbors must LOVE us. LOL
A few windows have been removed and a little bit of the aluminum siding as well
A view from the back
All of the windows and siding gone from the driver's side
If you sit on a kitchen chair while driving your motorhome around your yard, you might be a Redneck.
Most of the floor removed
Right down to the chassis
So, that's where we're at right now. Just so you know how much I love my readers, I did NOT post the picture of Ande cleaning out the black water (sewage) tank. Turns out the previous owners didn't empty it before selling it to us, and Ande didn't discover that little tidbit of info until he was ready to remove the tank. Yeah, it was pretty gross.
As I mentioned before, we found a floor plan we liked, and had the opportunity to go check out the motorhome we are going to be modeling ours after. It's pretty cool. Here's a drawing of the floor plan:
We'll have to make a few adjustments to the design for the simple fact that we need more seat belts than this design has, but this is pretty much going to be it.
Oh, and all of this work has been done in our driveway and back yard. Our neighbors must LOVE us. LOL
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Fresh mozzarella
This is how good the cheese is - Ande doesn't even LIKE cheese, and he not only liked the recipe, he asked me to make it again the next week. The best thing about the recipe is that it is the easiest thing EVER to make.
2 cups pasta sauce. You can use canned stuff or make your own. I used Prego "Traditional" and it tasted really good.
1 package fresh mozzarella balls, drained. I found these in the deli section of my grocery store. They come in a little tub like the one shown above.
1 clove garlic, minced. I used a product I'd never tried before, Chef Garden ready to use minced garlic. My sister in law used it while we were in Oklahoma, and I thought it was pretty good. I was right. It comes in a pretty big jar, which I found in my grocery store near the potatoes. (Weird, huh?)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (about 1-2 tbsp)
1 package Honeysuckle Turkey Italian Meatballs. (You could also just make your own meatballs, I just happen to like these ones)
Fresh basil, if desired. Ande isn't a big fan of basil, so I left this out.
Pour sauce into shallow pan, add garlic and stir. Add drained mozzarella balls and meatballs (I just lined them up in the sauce, didn't stir or anything)
Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and meatballs are heated through. (This may take a little longer if you use frozen meatballs)
Drizzle olive oil over sauce and garnish with basil.
Serve with your favorite pasta. (You could also make some killer meatball subs with this sauce)
It's pretty tasty and you can make it as easy or as complicated as you want!!
Monday, June 28, 2010
And it's getting bigger all the time
So...we've decided on a floorplan for the "new" motorhome...the good news is that we can re-use several appliances we salvaged from the original motorhome. The bad news is that what we've decided to do will take a lot more time and money than we originally anticipated. However, considering that right now we only have about $1000 invested in the RV (which is what we paid for it 2 years ago) and a new one with the floorplan we like is at least $64,000, we're off to a good start. LOL
I'm very thankful that Ande can do all of the construction stuff pretty much by himself (meaning we shouldn't have to hire any of the work out) and I can sew the cushions and make the window coverings. Our biggest expense will be constructing the "box", but there are plenty of things we can do while we're saving up for that.
Oh, and the toilet AND the shower are staying. :)
I'm very thankful that Ande can do all of the construction stuff pretty much by himself (meaning we shouldn't have to hire any of the work out) and I can sew the cushions and make the window coverings. Our biggest expense will be constructing the "box", but there are plenty of things we can do while we're saving up for that.
Oh, and the toilet AND the shower are staying. :)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Calling all campers...
So we're in the process of tearing apart our motorhome to remodel it. We'll be starting over from scratch, which means we can basically set the floor plan up however we want. Ande and I are currently discussing the need for a shower in the RV.
The current floor plan includes a shower. However, we're wondering how necessary a shower really is, since we will not likely ever stay somewhere that is very far from "facilities". (I'm sort of an 'indoor' kind of girl, so camping for me has to at least include a toilet & shower being available nearby).
So...for any of you who are (or would be) campers, what do you think? Ande spoke to a person at one of the car dealerships that he works at, and she said she and her husband have never used the shower in their RV. I kind of think of it as one more think that can leak/break/malfunction in some way.
Jury's still out on whether or not the toilet will stay. For the sake of convenience, I'm tempted to say "yes", but then I think of having to empty the tank and there's a resounding "NO!!!" that goes off in my head. Your thoughts on this are welcome as well.
The current floor plan includes a shower. However, we're wondering how necessary a shower really is, since we will not likely ever stay somewhere that is very far from "facilities". (I'm sort of an 'indoor' kind of girl, so camping for me has to at least include a toilet & shower being available nearby).
So...for any of you who are (or would be) campers, what do you think? Ande spoke to a person at one of the car dealerships that he works at, and she said she and her husband have never used the shower in their RV. I kind of think of it as one more think that can leak/break/malfunction in some way.
Jury's still out on whether or not the toilet will stay. For the sake of convenience, I'm tempted to say "yes", but then I think of having to empty the tank and there's a resounding "NO!!!" that goes off in my head. Your thoughts on this are welcome as well.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Didja ever
mis-read a recipe and add too much (or too little) of a vital ingredient?
Today I *might* have *possibly* added just a touch *or tablespoon* too much ground chipotle pepper to a new bbq pulled chicken recipe I was making for dinner.
Now I LOVE hot & spicy food, so this wasn't a problem for me. I liked it pretty well, although the sauce was a little too thin for my taste. However, the main judge, jury, and often executioner of new recipes has yet to try it, so I'm wondering what he'll think of it.
What could Ande be doing that he'd miss dinner, you ask? He's working on "Old Bessie" once again. Perhaps you're familiar with her, perhaps not. Click here for a refresher. And WOW, it's been over two years since we bought it? WHOA.
She's nearly all stripped down to nothing and we'll be rebuilding her basically from scratch. Yeah. Wish us luck. LOL
Today I *might* have *possibly* added just a touch *or tablespoon* too much ground chipotle pepper to a new bbq pulled chicken recipe I was making for dinner.
Now I LOVE hot & spicy food, so this wasn't a problem for me. I liked it pretty well, although the sauce was a little too thin for my taste. However, the main judge, jury, and often executioner of new recipes has yet to try it, so I'm wondering what he'll think of it.
What could Ande be doing that he'd miss dinner, you ask? He's working on "Old Bessie" once again. Perhaps you're familiar with her, perhaps not. Click here for a refresher. And WOW, it's been over two years since we bought it? WHOA.
She's nearly all stripped down to nothing and we'll be rebuilding her basically from scratch. Yeah. Wish us luck. LOL
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
So much work, so little time....
Okay, so I've finally been motivated to get some stuff accomplished in our yard. We've lived here for 3.5 years and this is the first summer I've really felt like really working hard on our yard. It's still got a long way to go, but I've made a dent in it and that makes me happy. One thing that would have made me happier? If I had taken some "before" pictures so I could show you the improvement in how the yard looks! One of my biggest motivating factors is that my son will be graduating in two years, and I'd like to be able to have his open house here. (Or at least have it be a viable option) I have been thinking about it for a while, and I didn't want to have to try and rush to get the yard looking nice at the last minute (because I usually am a terrible procrastinator). I figured if I started now, I should be able to get a good head start on getting the yard into shape, so that when the time comes, I won't have to worry about it so much.
So far I've:
Weeded my large ivy bed near the garage. It's seriously like 10' in diameter - pretty big. Also had quite a few weeds. Also being overrun by creeping myrtle, so I will have to move those plants, but I can't move them until I have a place prepared for them to go into. Of course, the weeding is something that will need to be kept up with, but I hadn't weeded that bed at all in the whole time we've lived here. If I stay vigilant, it should be relatively easy to keep that bed looking nice.
Created a walkway from the garage to our "overflow" parking space. There were several concrete stepping stones that I found in various places in the yard that I used, along with some pea pebbles and landscape edging. All told, the project cost about $30. Not too shabby, and it looks so much nicer than it did before!
Started a landscape wall that runs along the new walkway, and will continue around the ivy bed until it reaches the driveway on the other side. This will have to wait for further funding before I can finish it, although I believe it will cost no more than $100 or so to complete.
Weeded an even larger creeping myrtle bed near the end of our driveway. This thing was completely out of control and had several trees growing in it, alongside lots of picker bushes and a raspberry plant. It's going to take a bit more work to get it looking good again, but even just getting the stray trees and weeds out is an improvement. My goal is to thin out the myrtle and transplant some from the ivy bed near the garage to fill in some "empty" spaces.
Saved two tiny (one is about 3" tall, the other about 5") pine trees that I discovered growing in the myrtle bed. I'm hoping that I can get them to survive long enough to get big enough to plant in the yard (I've moved one into a pot so that I don't accidentally mow over it or step on it, and I will be moving the other one into a pot as well for the same reasons). I think I will be planting them at the corner where our yard meets our neighbor's yard. Of course, there are like 4 stumps to dig out of there before I can do that, but I'll get there eventually!
Needless to say, with all the work I've been doing outside, I've been exhausted by the end of the day! Fortunately, with the girls being outside playing while I work, they're exhausted too! It's also nice that Ande and the big kids are home in the evenings to help out with the girls as well. I can't wait for school to get out so the big kids will be here all day. Only 1 full day and two 1/2 days left to go...
So far I've:
Weeded my large ivy bed near the garage. It's seriously like 10' in diameter - pretty big. Also had quite a few weeds. Also being overrun by creeping myrtle, so I will have to move those plants, but I can't move them until I have a place prepared for them to go into. Of course, the weeding is something that will need to be kept up with, but I hadn't weeded that bed at all in the whole time we've lived here. If I stay vigilant, it should be relatively easy to keep that bed looking nice.
Created a walkway from the garage to our "overflow" parking space. There were several concrete stepping stones that I found in various places in the yard that I used, along with some pea pebbles and landscape edging. All told, the project cost about $30. Not too shabby, and it looks so much nicer than it did before!
Started a landscape wall that runs along the new walkway, and will continue around the ivy bed until it reaches the driveway on the other side. This will have to wait for further funding before I can finish it, although I believe it will cost no more than $100 or so to complete.
Weeded an even larger creeping myrtle bed near the end of our driveway. This thing was completely out of control and had several trees growing in it, alongside lots of picker bushes and a raspberry plant. It's going to take a bit more work to get it looking good again, but even just getting the stray trees and weeds out is an improvement. My goal is to thin out the myrtle and transplant some from the ivy bed near the garage to fill in some "empty" spaces.
Saved two tiny (one is about 3" tall, the other about 5") pine trees that I discovered growing in the myrtle bed. I'm hoping that I can get them to survive long enough to get big enough to plant in the yard (I've moved one into a pot so that I don't accidentally mow over it or step on it, and I will be moving the other one into a pot as well for the same reasons). I think I will be planting them at the corner where our yard meets our neighbor's yard. Of course, there are like 4 stumps to dig out of there before I can do that, but I'll get there eventually!
Needless to say, with all the work I've been doing outside, I've been exhausted by the end of the day! Fortunately, with the girls being outside playing while I work, they're exhausted too! It's also nice that Ande and the big kids are home in the evenings to help out with the girls as well. I can't wait for school to get out so the big kids will be here all day. Only 1 full day and two 1/2 days left to go...
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
It's a Two-fer day...
Yep, I go for weeks without posting, now you get two posts in the same day. As my 13 year old daughter would say, "Mom, you're SO random."
I just went on weather.com to see what our forcast was, and clicked on the link for historical data (the record highs and lows). Yeah, that darned global warming strikes again...here in my town in Michigan, 24 out of the 30 days in June had record highs prior to 1934. NONE of the 6 remaining record highs were in the 2000's. How exactly do the global warming fanatics explain stuff like that?
I just went on weather.com to see what our forcast was, and clicked on the link for historical data (the record highs and lows). Yeah, that darned global warming strikes again...here in my town in Michigan, 24 out of the 30 days in June had record highs prior to 1934. NONE of the 6 remaining record highs were in the 2000's. How exactly do the global warming fanatics explain stuff like that?
Wow, has it really been that long?
My last post was May 22nd. Whoa. Sorry for my abscence, between my new addiction (Facebook) and preparing for/going on vacation, I haven't had much to say here...
You may notice that I've added word verification to my comments - hopefully this will reduce spam. Sorry for any inconvenience to my non-spam comment leaving friends!
Since I know you've missed seeing them...here's a sweet picture of Jib and Puckey for you to enjoy. This is from our first day in Oklahoma visiting Ande's brother and his family. Nothing like a vacation in which your kids need multiple baths a day!! (In other words, they had LOTS of fun!!)
You may notice that I've added word verification to my comments - hopefully this will reduce spam. Sorry for any inconvenience to my non-spam comment leaving friends!
Since I know you've missed seeing them...here's a sweet picture of Jib and Puckey for you to enjoy. This is from our first day in Oklahoma visiting Ande's brother and his family. Nothing like a vacation in which your kids need multiple baths a day!! (In other words, they had LOTS of fun!!)
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Learning new stuff
So, many of you know that we don't watch TV. We don't even OWN a TV. We used to own one, but when we moved in Dec 2006 we just left it in the garage. I think we held on to it for about 2 years before we decided to sell it on Craig's List. So we don't watch TV. I have no idea who's on American Idol, what happened on Grey's Anatomy, or who shot JR. (HA! Remember those great cliff-hangers from the 80's? LOL)
Actually, we could watch many of the shows that are on TV via the internet, we just choose not to. There are some shows we do like, and we have a membership to Netflix, so we DO watch TV shows/movies sometimes. It's just not as convenient as flipping on the television. :) One of the main reasons that we chose to get rid of TV was because of all of the garbage that was so easily accessible. Not that it's not easy to access online, but we can keep track of what is being viewed on our computer, and block the stuff we don't want our kids (or ourselves) to watch.
Anyway, the girls recently discovered Dora the Explorer. Although I find the show itself somewhat annoying, I have to admit, the girls ARE learning a few new things, which is kind of cool. Just the other day, Jib said, "Momma, turn red, turn 'rojo'!" The girls greet each other with "Hola". Every now and then I'll hear them saying different Spanish words to each other. It's pretty neat to hear the learning/using a second language.
Actually, we could watch many of the shows that are on TV via the internet, we just choose not to. There are some shows we do like, and we have a membership to Netflix, so we DO watch TV shows/movies sometimes. It's just not as convenient as flipping on the television. :) One of the main reasons that we chose to get rid of TV was because of all of the garbage that was so easily accessible. Not that it's not easy to access online, but we can keep track of what is being viewed on our computer, and block the stuff we don't want our kids (or ourselves) to watch.
Anyway, the girls recently discovered Dora the Explorer. Although I find the show itself somewhat annoying, I have to admit, the girls ARE learning a few new things, which is kind of cool. Just the other day, Jib said, "Momma, turn red, turn 'rojo'!" The girls greet each other with "Hola". Every now and then I'll hear them saying different Spanish words to each other. It's pretty neat to hear the learning/using a second language.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Adapt and overcome, that's MY motto
So I was at the mall today with the girls, and Jib had a runny nose. Stupid allergies. I checked my purse for some tissue or a napkin so I could wipe her nose, but came up empty handed. Well, except for the pantyliner I had stowed away. Yep, that's right, I wiped my daughter's nose with a pantyliner.
Guess it's time to invest in some pocket sized packs of tissue.
Guess it's time to invest in some pocket sized packs of tissue.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Disappointing
Well, sadly an animal came the yesterday and destroyed several of the eggs in the duck's nest, and returned for the rest of them today. :(
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
We're gonna have a baby!!
Yep, you read that right. We're having a baby. Or maybe 10..... 
She's hard to see, but here's Mama Duck...I tell you, when she's on her nest you can hardly see her at all!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Well THAT makes sense...
After I explained that the children's book character "Arthur" is an aardvark:
Puckey: What does an aardvark do?
Me: You know, I'm not really sure.
Puckey: I think they aardvark stuff.
Me: Um....okay?!
Now that she's cleared THAT up, I feel so much better. HA!
Puckey: What does an aardvark do?
Me: You know, I'm not really sure.
Puckey: I think they aardvark stuff.
Me: Um....okay?!
Now that she's cleared THAT up, I feel so much better. HA!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
New store inventory
I recently posted a few new items to my Etsy store...here's a few examples of what you can find.
If you like what you see, you can check out more by clicking here.
If you like what you see, you can check out more by clicking here.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Leila and Ben Patterns GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!
These are some of the sweetest little outfits. If you can sew (or even if you can't - it's never too late to learn), you might want to enter this. Click the link below...
Leila and Ben Patterns GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!
Leila and Ben Patterns GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
I do Yudu...do YOU do Yudu too?
So a couple of months ago, Ande and I agreed to buy a Yudu machine. For those of you who don't know what it is, it's basically a screen printing machine. Ande thought it would be great in helping cut some costs for his guitar amplifier building business. The first amplifier he made, he got the chassis (where you put the knobs) engraved. Very pretty, but extremely expensive, and not really cost effective. We're talking like $120 PER chassis. EEESSSSHHHHHH!
So we got the Yudu. Bought it on eBay to save some $$ (saved about $100). Had to buy some supplies to actually USE it, and our first attempt didn't turn out so well, but we're not easily deterred here at Casa de Kirby.
So we got the Yudu. Bought it on eBay to save some $$ (saved about $100). Had to buy some supplies to actually USE it, and our first attempt didn't turn out so well, but we're not easily deterred here at Casa de Kirby.
Ande created and printed these pretty much all by himself. I was there mainly for moral support. I think they turned out AWESOME. Added bonus, the silver ink is actually sparkly. And you all know how much I LOVE stuff that sparkles. HA!
The only think I don't like about the Yudu is the emulsion sheets - they're hard to find, and pretty expensive (like approximately $10 each). The emulsion sheets are what you burn the image into, then after that you put the ink on the screen to make your print. It's not as hard as it sounds, but with the high cost of the emulsion, let's just say we've had to dam up our "creative juices" somewhat. However, I'm excited to say that one of the other blogs I read (Grosgrain Fabulous) give me hope that we might not be stifled for long. I had read before that one could use liquid emulsion, but didn't know where to get it or how to use it. This site showed me both!
What I'm saying is: Dev, if I get some of this stuff, it might make it possible for me to make Col a "The Incident" shirt. HA!!
Wow, that just about sounded like a commercial. HA HA HA. Okay, now that my commercial for Yudu is done....what do you think of the chassis?? Did Ande do a great job or what?
Friday, March 19, 2010
Some Like It Vintage $50 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!
This is a really cool shop, with several items I'd LOVE to add to my closet. You can enter to win as well by clicking here...
Some Like It Vintage $50 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!
Some Like It Vintage $50 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Cute accessories are essential
Jibby in a bow I made to go with Puckey's Christmas outfit, just so happens to be great for St. Patrick's Day as well...Puckey's cute little piggies.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Leg warmers for kids...
With this pair I sort of cheated, because I did not make a "hem" at the bottom. The material these particular socks is made from just rolled up at the hem all on it's own, and hasn't shown any signs of fraying or getting stretched out. The other socks I bought for this project all need to be hemmed, which is why I only have one other pair done. :) Puckey likes it because I have socks that match her legwarmers...because why throw away a perfectly good pair of 'feet' once you've cut them off the socks?
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
OUTSTANDING
Man, and I can't even just skip rope without peeing my pants....oh yeah, and these girls are all only 4th-8th graders.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Did you ever notice...
that the number of times your children *need* you to do something for them increases in direct proportion to the number of tasks you are trying to get done in a *short* amount of time?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Projects projects projects
I seriously think Prudent Baby is becoming one of my favorite blogs to visit. Jaime and Jacinda have lots of really cute (and often VERY inexpensive to create) projects for little ones. I've made a number of the craft items that they have listed tutorials for.
The following tray is loosely based on the DIY Tray tutorial that can be found here. I made it for my cousin's baby shower. The tray retails for $3.99. I got it for $1.99 because some wonderful stranger came up and handed me a 50% off coupon. YAY for the kindness of others! First I painted it with 3 coordinating paints (I just bought little tubes of acrylic paint, they were like .59 a piece at Michaels. I bought some stickers that would go with the paint to spell the baby's name, plus some Winnie-the-Pooh rub-on transfers. If you have absolutely NO artistic ability, these babies are a LIFESAVER! I got the transfers at JoAnn's. So I applied the stickers and the transfers, then sprayed the whole thing with a clear top coat. I think I sprayed 3 layers of clear.
After the paint was nice and dry, I stacked the other gifts I had purchased for the baby on the tray and tied it off with some ribbon. Puckey added the Husky from her own collection of toys. She's so sweet.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
My new model...
My dear friend Devin recently gave birth to just about the cutest baby I've ever seen (only to the exclusion of my OWN children, but I *might* be a little biased). To welcome little Lola Claire, I sent a couple of bows, and Devin kindly photographed Lola wearing them so I could post them in my Etsy shop. I haven't had the chance to update the shop, but she also posted the pics on her blog. Go check them out! Be careful not to be mesmerized by the cuteness of her family. Seriously!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Fun and easy craft
I have recently become a fan of Prudent Baby. This site has all kinds of great ideas for crafts for kids (and/or grown-ups). Many of these items would make GREAT gifts, or a quick, easy, and fun project to do for yourself.
Using the instructions found on this post, I created a trivet using some cute Valentine's scrapbooking paper I found at the Hobby Lobby.
I have found lots of other papers that I will be probably buying to make more of these little trivets. They didn't cost much, and don't take long to make, either! Try making one (or more) for yourself!
Using the instructions found on this post, I created a trivet using some cute Valentine's scrapbooking paper I found at the Hobby Lobby.
I have found lots of other papers that I will be probably buying to make more of these little trivets. They didn't cost much, and don't take long to make, either! Try making one (or more) for yourself!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Happy Birthday
To my two favorite "groundhogs"....Ande and Jib.
Once again, our friend Phil saw his shadow, so it's 6 more weeks of birthday for those two.
Love you both so very much!
Once again, our friend Phil saw his shadow, so it's 6 more weeks of birthday for those two.
Love you both so very much!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
More cookies
These are all of the different felt cookies I've made so far. I have a few more "in progress", but wanted to show what I had gotten done.
Ande's uncle actually thought these were real for a second...until he picked one up to eat it! HA
Please note, these "cookies" are now for sale in my Etsy shop! Order early for delivery for Valentine's Day - these would make great gifts for your special little valentine!
Ande's uncle actually thought these were real for a second...until he picked one up to eat it! HA
Please note, these "cookies" are now for sale in my Etsy shop! Order early for delivery for Valentine's Day - these would make great gifts for your special little valentine!Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Gimme some sugar
cookies........
After seeing the cute felt cookie idea I posted about the other day, I decided to try some myself. These are the two I have actually finished. I have some "chocolate chip" and "chocolate/white chocolate chip" cookies in the works as well.
I'm thinking I may make these available for sale in my Etsy store....what do you think?
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Petite Planet: Craft TuesD.I.Y. with Lisa Lopez: Homemade Felt Cookies Bake Up Play Kitchen Fun!
Petite Planet: Craft TuesD.I.Y. with Lisa Lopez: Homemade Felt Cookies Bake Up Play Kitchen Fun!
These are SO cute. Definitely need to make some for Valentine's Day!
These are SO cute. Definitely need to make some for Valentine's Day!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
One of the funniest moments EVER
happened on the last day of Ande's brother and his family's visit for Christmas. We all met at a restaurant for breakfast. It was quite a crew: Ande's parents, me, Ande, and our 5 kids, and Ben and Tracy and their 3 kids.
So the youngest kids were running around (we were in the back of the restaurant, so they weren't bothering anyone) and the waitress came back and was talking to Puckey, Jib, and their cousins. She asked them if Santa had visited them, and my oldest niece looked directly at her and said, "NO." The waitress didn't even know what to say. Then my niece explained that Santa wasn't real...SO SO funny to hear a 4 year old tell a grown up that Santa doesn't exist.
So the youngest kids were running around (we were in the back of the restaurant, so they weren't bothering anyone) and the waitress came back and was talking to Puckey, Jib, and their cousins. She asked them if Santa had visited them, and my oldest niece looked directly at her and said, "NO." The waitress didn't even know what to say. Then my niece explained that Santa wasn't real...SO SO funny to hear a 4 year old tell a grown up that Santa doesn't exist.
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