Things to be thankful for

Big, solid, American-made trucks. There is no way Mike would have unbuckled and walked away from this head-on if he was in a tiny Honda or Toyota. No way. I am also thankful for insurance and Ford's web site that let Mike re-build "big red".


I am thankful for puppies that grow into 100 lb. dogs and chase the bears away and pull tire swings and leap gates effortlessly. Well, I wish he wouldn't leap his gate in the dog room, but it is just BEAUTIFUL to watch him jump.
Boys and their dogs. Life is good.


Little girls and their Dad's. And Harley's.

Petroglyphs

Petroglyphs are images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, pecking, carving, and abrading.

My parents were lucky enough to camp near an area in Arizona that had petroglyphs. They tooled around the area and took lots of pictures. It wasn't quite as breathtaking as Yellowstone, but nonetheless memorable.




During a recent bathroom renovation (well, technically completion) my Mom (who is a formally trained artist) decided that their shower needed something else for the accent tile. The slate floors and earthy color tiles just begged to have a unique accent. Somehow the petroglyphs popped into her mind. They stopped tiling and dug through photos to find the pictures. A trip to a tile store resulted in un-finished tiles she could paint. Her shower is now accented with petroglyphs. Little kokopelli (my favorite), deer, lizards and others. I think it came out beautifully. Now I only have to drive 11 hours to see it in person. ;o)

Tuesday Ten

Oh my gosh, is it Tuesday already? Again? It seems to be a recurring theme among those of us with kids. Somewhere, during the conversation, the words "I wish I had time for" pop up. What a great topic for a Tuesday 10.

Ten Things I Wish I Had Time For

1. More gym time. Well, according to my husband during a recent disagreement, I apparently live at the gym. Do you count 1 - 1 1/2 hours 4 days a week living there? I wish I had more time. Like a full 6 days a week. I will settle for more running time or (when it magically appears in my garage ) more time to ride my bike.

2. More time for errands and such. You know, those nasty things that NEED to get done like phone calls and food shopping. I HATE food shopping. It's one of those evil necessities in life, crammed in one my of my days off of work. Maybe that's why I hate it, I hate having things crammed into my days off of work.

3. More time to hang with the kids. They are at a seriously fun age. We took them hiking UP A MOUNTAIN on Sunday and we didn't have to stop to rest. And they aren't old enough to complain about it yet. I love unstructured, free time with the kids. Hey M&D, want to go to the track with Mommy? Yeah! Pack up the bikes, helmets and running sneaks - here we come!

4. More time to play with the dog. Diesel, aka D-man, is such a great, fun dog. He loves to run with me. When I take him. He loves to play frisbee. When I actually toss it to him. Maybe I'd have more time to play with him if I weren't out in the yard scooping up buckets of his... well... poop. Thankfully, he's a 3rd sibling of sorts to my kids. They love to walk him around the neighborhood, bounce on trampoline with him... I guess D-man doesn't have it so bad.

5. More time to clean my truck. There was a point in time when my vehicle was spotless. Washed, waxed, interior spotless. My truck was recently washed, and there isn't a disaster by most standards inside. But it does need a good inside cleaning, vaccuuming, and armourall-ing.

6. More time to cook GREAT dinners. Not just throwing the bazillionth breast of chicken on the grill. Not throwing turkey sausage into sauce with spaghetti. Something cool like chili rubbed salmon with some equally cool side dish. But then again, the kids probably wouldn't eat it.

7. More time to read. Sadly, my reading time is limited to the time I am locked in the bathroom in the morning. I've "graduated" from novels to Reader's Digest condensed magazine. Actually, it's pretty much just magazines. Luckily they include Organic Gardening and Prevention, so I'm not just staring at Pottery Barn and Talbots.

8. More time to sew. I love sewing. Most of my sewing time is now for necessities like hemming and repairs. Not making pretty little frilly sundresses for Mo. Most of my free time that was devoted to sewing was diverted to knitting. I would also like more time for knitting too.

9. More time during the summer. Our schedule is generally a lot more laid back during the summer. Wake up, go to the gym (kids in babysitting). Come home, hang laundry on the line, eat lunch and chill by the pool. That is my perfect day. No food shopping (sorry family, pizza again tonight!), no dentists, doctors and such if I can help it. Now, if only summer would give me 4 good months instead of 3.

10. More time with my husband. Alone. Without the kids. Well, not all the time, just enough to do something really fun like take the Harley out. Or go out to dinner without cajoling little people into sitting still and not blowing straw wrappers across the restaurant. Or taking the Harley out. Did I mention flying straw wrappers? ARGH.... Maybe I should just wish for my time by myself.

Mud-Out

Okay - although currently hiding under quite a few inches of snow (it's slowly melting and no longer a foot), my mud-out is not nearly as bad as my brother's road. His wife was nice enough to send pictures and remind us how lucky we are to have pavement. Maybe he could open a car wash as the end of his road???

Tuesday 10 - Spring

I know spring is lurking somewhere under this foot of snow. I caught a glimpse of it last week - our last snow finally melted in 70 degree weather, and mud-out started. It's when the ground is still frozen, with the exception of the very top, soggy layer which has been warmed by the sun. Any thing like bikes, kids, giant dogs will turn grass, dirt into MUD. My little brother has it worse - his 1/4 mile long driveway (unpaved) turns into the mudway this time of year. Well, they are a few weeks behind us. Watch out Fred, it's coming! Which, on this first day of spring, brings me to the Tuesday 10.

10 Things I like About Spring

1. Frozen dog turds. Seriously, the snow melts and there are millions of little piles lurking under the snow. Oh wait, this is supposed to be things I like about spring. Okay - they don't smell wonderful like they do in August when the sun has warmed them. And, with any luck, they are still frozen and havent' blended in with the mud-out. Let's see if I can try any better with #2.

2. March and April shows. Eventually bring May flowers. But until that time, it brings more joy to the mud-out. Did I mention I have a foot of snow covering my mud-out?

3. Starting my seeds. If the *&^%### seeds ever appear in the mail. They lost the bulk of my order. I have 1 sad packet from the organic section which says it completes the rest of my order. OKAY - it would complete my order if the other 24 packets arrived with it. Oh, this Tuesday 10 isn't going very well tonight.

4. Birds chirping. I would imagine they are wondering why a foot of snow is covering their mud and worms. I saw our dove that nests in the rose bush in the pool area last week. I would imagine she's baffled by our late winter as well. But they are here. I hear them singing outside my family room - perched on the telephone wire over the driveway. Which is why my truck is hiding in the garage. They love to poop on the trucks. My husband spent countless hours shoveling I forget how many square feet of dirt to extend the driveway so his giant crew cab duallie can hide around the side of the house.... away from the perched birdies waiting to bomb his sparkly, shiney chromed out truck.

5. Capris. I know they are in my drawer somewhere. Buried under the piles of jeans. I love capris. It also means I MUST MUST remember to shave my legs. ALL THE TIME. They are no longer hiding under boots and jeans and cords.

6. Flip flops. The sport kind please. Why in the world would they add a 3" platform wedge to something so simple as a flip flop? Like you could walk across the beach on those suckers. Snort. Oh yeah, which also reminds me that I must groom and polish my toe nails. ALL THE TIME.

7. Hiking with the kids. I love hiking. Until you are at the half way point, and the kids whine that their little legs cannot possibly go one step further. No amount of stashed M&M's is going to convince them they can make it back. Until you get pretty far up the path on your way back alone and wonder out loud if you heard a bear. Then they suddenly get the urge to RUN. I can be creative at times. Just remember not to giggle.

8. Riding my bike. Oh wait, I don't have one yet. Or a helmet. Or nifty tight little bike shorts. Although (get ready for a happy thought) I can actually wear them outside and not have my ass wiggle like a pair of bull dogs running. Yeah! Oh wait - I would need a bike to wear them. Sigh. I have 2 more to go... think happy thoughts...

9. The warm sun. Actually, it's about the nicest in the spring. It's warm. It's not as wicked as the summer sun which bakes you into some form of burnt toast. Sure, stay out too long and you can get burned, but it just feels sooooo good in the spring.

10. Fishing. Yes, they wake up from their long winter nap hungry. Perfect for kids and bobbers.

Crazy dog

Mike took the kids out for a little bit this afternoon - they picked up branches from the yard. The kids tumbled onto the tire swing - which evidently is still loads of fun in the snow. There is a piece of rope hanging from it - handy for grabbing the swing to slow it down. Also handy for Diesel, the crazy dog. He would grab onto it and tug like mad. He's stong as all get-out. He pulled the kids, about 140 pounds worth of kids. I love this picture, his ears are straight out on either side. I like to think of it as doggie determination. Probably had more to do with the near gale force winds that would come out of no where today.

Snow Days

Did I mention March snows are wet snows??? Wet snows = wet gloves. And wet coats. And wet snowpants. And wet boots. ....

Spring Snow

What a rollercoaster. Almost 80 degrees on Wednesday. The kids skipped into school wearing shorts and t-shirts. How did I know they skipped? I drive them to school on Wednesday and Friday... I have more time on Wednesday's and I walk them to the front door. We skipped. Today, Friday, March 16. 28 degrees and snow. Lots of snow. Almost a foot will be on my lawn by tomorrow morning. I say blech. My grandmother loved snow. Everytime we had a March snow, my Mom would say "Your Grandmother *loved* spring snows. And I would wonder why. I"m ready to shed my ski coat, hat and gloves for capris and t-shirts. But it is usually not this significant of a snowfall, and it melts fairly quickly. Spring snows are wet snows - the kind that stick to the pine trees. Oh Mom, stop groaning. I know they are conifers. They have cone shaped seeds. But I still revert to pine, although I do know that is a specific conifer. My lovely white pine will be lots of little logs in the spring because it has taken over our front yard. Hey - how did we get onto spring projects? Oh yes, anything but the snow. It is pretty. But I don't think my Grandmother had to snow blow her driveway. Oh yes, I was actually useful today. I helped my neighbor Clare out - snow blowed her driveway. Then my neighbor Dawn got stuck in the street trying to help her eldest daughter escape to a friends house (insert - what was she thinking???). I snow blowed the road so she could get back up the hill and into her driveway. Eldest daughter with ruined plans and all. See... I know better. I have friends. Actually, a husband - who plows and sands the road - and calls me to say "don't even think about it". Yes, he knows me well. I LOVE LOVE LOVE driving around in the snow. Especially when all the other idiots are home and off the road. Where this little rebellion / renegade comes from, I'm not sure. Maybe from my Dad, who used to sand and plow the road......

Tuesday Ten

For those of you who are observant type people, you are thinking - why is she writing her Tuesday 10 on Wednesday? It was my turn to pick the Tuesday 10 topic. I chose Ten Things To Do With Your Children Before They Turn Ten. And thing #1 is why I am writing them on Wednesday morning :o)

1. Snuggle with your kids at night. Before they turn ten and prefer a book to a kiss at night. I actually feel asleep next to Mr. Dyl last night. Mike is used to this - he wakes me up at our bedtime and I move from one bed to another. Occasionally, he falls asleep with them too.

2. Go camping. Well, I really like camping and my kids will camp with my way past ten. But when they are young, there is something magical and mysterious about darkness and tents and campfires and marshmallows.

3. Fish in a puddle. What do you do on a rainy day camping? Put their rain boots and rain coats on, and send them outside with a fishing pole and bobbers. If they are older then 10 they will raise their eyebrows and tell you that's stupid. Younger than ten? Enthusiastic fisherman casting their bobbers into the puddle.

4. Build stick tee-pees. Go hunting for big, long sticks in the woods. I think the hunt was the best part. Have the kids arrange them into a tee-pee shape. Tie the top with twine. Let them drape a sheet over the sticks. And then let them play.

5. Make play-dough. The home made kind. I love having my kids on the counter in the kitchen while I'm cooking (well, most of the time). Have them help measure the flour, salt and pour in the kool-aid packet. It's soooo fun to have everything come together in the pan and once it's cool, watch them play with it.

6. Build a GIANT sand pit at the shore. I forget that I'm from Jersey once in a while. "The shore" is the ocean to everyone else. Regardless, we grab a giant folding Army shovel and bring it with us to the beach. We had a GIANT one last year when we were down with my sister and her kids. All 4 kids easily fit into it. And, after hours of play, eventually washed away with the high tide, to screams and giggles from the kids.

7. Fly a kite. Granted, this one also takes patience on the parents end. Think - tangled string. You also have to be careful that the kids don't hold the line while the kite is flying higher - it can burn their hands. But, if you have a good wind and lots of patience and some luck, it's fun to watch the kids running across a field or beach with their kite.

8. Go whale watching. We had one of our best trips with the kids last summer in Canada. We went on a whale watch. The younger of my kids got antsy on the boat ride out, he didn't want to sit still. But once we got out we saw TONS of whales. We had a great captain and lots of luck. Little child ran from one side of the boat screaming "whale". Then would sit still in fascination. We have a book about whales, and he loves to relate his whale watching ride to the book.

9. Eat breakfast for dinner. I have to admit, I love breakfast for dinner. My husband really didn't like it until recently. Thanks to the entheusiasm of the kids, it is now a household favorite. "Hey Mom. Can we really have pancakes for dinner? HOORAY !!!!"

10. Go fishing. If you start them young, it will be something they love forever. Starting young means they don't get discouraged if they don't catch anything. They aren't freaked out over slimy, wiggly worms. They will even touch the fish when you catch them.

Tuesday Ten

When I got the e-mail that said this week's "10" would be 10 things that make me want to vomit, I thought about taking a pass. And then I thought, well, I'm sure I could think of 10 things, right?

Ten Things That Make Me Want to Vomit (or give me the heebie-jeebies)

1. Situps. When they come at the end of an hour class of extreme fitness. The first 75 aren't that bad - they change them around every 25 or so. The last 2 minutes always makes you want to puke. Even if there was a bakery next to the gym I wouldn't be able to eat a thing.

2. Vomit. Well, duh. I'll clean it up, but I don't like it one bit.

3. Cheap Perfume. Oh the sickenly sweet stench of cheap perfume. Enough of it marinating on a single person in close vicinity will trigger an instant migrane. Not that I am a perfume snob. I do not own $500 bottles of perfume. I also do not own $5 bottles of perfume. The ones in the $50 range seem to do the trick nicely.

4. Cheap Cologne. See #3. And guys (if there are any that read this) please spend your $$ here. We'd never notice cheap underwear or socks from WalMart. Cologne from WalMart? Ick.

5. Bad Teachers. I had one last year with Dylan's teacher. It was torture. And made me sick to my stomach. And yes, there are enough of them around.

6. Tongue piercings. I can understand the belly button thing. Some of them are even cute (until you have children and your stomach is no longer cute). I can even get past the eyebrow thing. Sort of. But piercing your tongue? What's the point? So you can endlessly flick a piece of metal against your teeth????

7. Road Kill in the Summer. I will not look. I will not look. I will put up my window and.... I will not look.

8. Eating too Much. You know that feeling. You have stuffed yourself beyond no return. You wish you could go into labor and deliver something. Tums won't help. Possibly the only thing that MAY help is.... vomit.

9. Fake Happy People. The kind that also have fake high pitched happy voices. Turn your back for a moment and they'll whip out their normal grating, whining, I hate life voice. Please, save your acting for someone else.

10. Creepy Old Men. If one more creepy old man stops and stares with his tongue half hanging out, I may vomit. Ick. Do they not know they are just standing there with their tongues hanging out????

Missing socks

My friend Cat recently wondered where her missing socks went in one of her Tuesday 10's.

Shhhh.... I have that one figured out.

To be fair, not really figured out, but I have come up with a system. It's brilliant. Really - just hear me out. Missing socks like to hide. We don't have time to find them - that would be like finding fairies out in the morning dew, or trolls under a bridge. And the kids lunches wouldn't be made, and dust bunnies would take over and attack. The trick is to out-smart the socks. Make them think you really don't care about them. So what, the left blue sock didn't come out of the dryer. Into the sock basket goes the right one. And so it sits, until the left one gets tired of hiding and finally comes out from the back of the hamper or from the leg of a pair of jeans, or even from the pocket of those hideously hard to fold fitted sheets. It still won't match coming out of the laundry because it's mate is in the basket. Toss it in the basket anyway. Ignore the impulse to immediately join them back together. They were BAD.... Once a month, grab the basket, and you'll be amazed at how many mates have re-connected. If dating sites could only come up with this many matches....

And the ones that don't get a match within a month? Revenge is sweet. Into the garbage can you go. Your mate will EVENTUALLY find you at the bottom of the land fill.