Something I Enjoy...

Hanging laundry.

We live up here in rural Maine, where the air is fresh. The temperatures have been 60's - 70's, with not much rain. Out behind the house, I have a clothesline. I really enjoy hanging the laundry on a good day. Oh sure, I could just throw them in the dryer, but I enjoy the process of picking each piece from the basket, and organizing it on the line to dry. I try to put matching socks together, and I always hang pants by the bottoms, so the waistband (which is the thickest part) will be free to blow in the breeze to dry. T-shirt must be hung by the bottom, or you'll get the pinch marks on the shoulders. I even hang my towels out, and they come back pretty soft.



Sophia puts on her stinky rubber boots (no socks, which is mostly why they're stinky) & plays on her sandpile while I hang, and the pups roam around and often wrestle with each other. On a good day I will hang and dry three large loads of laundry. (Today was a good day!)

The pups are protective, and hang close to Sophia at the sandpile.

Miss Maggie Moo Moo

Diesel Boy aka 'Moose'

Oh, and there is nothing that beats the fresh smell when I take them inside. (The laundry, not the pups!) I fold them as I take them off the line, right into the basket. It's all about time management.

Sophia picks me 'flowers' and is so excited to give them to me.

Oh, the stain on the towel in the top picture? Don't pretend you didn't notice... Diesel lifted his leg and peed on it. Yeah. I was one unhappy camper. He's the male pup, and he pees on everything it would seem. Mr. 'Mark my territory.' We raised the clothesline after that... I dare him to try that again!

Word Cloud

I found this idea at Michelle's blog. It analyzes the words you use frequently on your blog. Click HERE to go get your own!

Absolutely Tragic.

Stephen Curtis Chapman's youngest daughter from China was killed tonight. CLICK HERE to read. Thank you Daleea for the email. Please pray for this wonderful family.

Mother's Day Present & AI

What a beautiful pencil box Sophia made for me for Mother's Day at Home Depot! She's so serious when she's building! Noah didn't go to this one - he was gone for the day with DH. I proudly display this pencil box on my desk, and can't help but smile when I look over at it. :)

Now, onto American Idol business. I think David is going to win. Oh, you want me to be more specific? Scroll down to see which David I'm talking about...

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That's just my hunch - my feeling. That's Sophia's choice. Either way I'm fine with it, and I didn't even vote. I haven't watched last night's show yet. They're both very good, and either is deserving. I simply think the tweens will go insane on the voting, and David Cook's fans are likely to be a bit older, and they won't be so hard core into the voting. They may really like him, but they don't vote at all.

I'm happy no matter what the outcome.

Did you vote?

Chair + Pillow + foot = X-Ray

SEE UPDATE BELOW


PLUS



COMBINED WITH



EQUALS:



WHICH LED TO:




AND



Story to follow, heading to church. Got home at midnight last night from the ER. Dare to guess?

UPDATE: So here's the story. Noah went to a martial arts class Saturday. It was a free introductory thing. He loved it. We signed him up, to start on Tuesday, at least through the summer months. We go home. Noah wants to re-create some of the things he tried at class. At class, they put two chairs together (but pretty far apart!) and had big, padded mat things resting on the edges of both chairs. They had to kick from underneath, and send the padded mats flying. It was great fun at class, so it would be great fun at home, right?

Wrong. Noah used the throw pillows from the couch, and they are square. Maybe 18" square. If I had seen what he was up to, I would have warned him. He kicked. They went flying. Oh what fun. He did it again... and he hit his foot on the edge of the wooden chair. Ouch!

I check it out, and the two small toes were swelling. Sure they are, he smacked them pretty good! I waited... put some ice... and waited some more. About 8 hours later, he still couldn't put weight on the toes, and it hurt badly to touch above the toes, and the toes themselves. I didn't really think he broke them, but took him to the ER to get it checked out. After an x-ray, sure enough, he broke the toe next to the pinky toe. Not across, like I would have thought, but the other direction, from the nail down to the base of the toe (just on one part of the toe). The doctor said the break goes down into the growth plate. No cast for a broken toe, so he's got a 'boot' thingy to hold the toes tight and protect them, and crutches. I have to call the orthopedic doctor Monday to set up a follow up appointment. I guess he's his MOTHER'S BOY. You'd forgotten, hadn't you?

No martial arts for awhile...

Noah's Eye Exam & AI

Noah had his routine eye exam recently.

Last year he got glasses, just for up close reading, and close computer work.

Like a lot of kids, once the novelty wore off, he lost interest in the glasses, and wasn't wearing them like he should have.

The doctor checks out his eye lids - up close!

Well, it was determined that Noah doesn't need glasses, reading or any other kind, at all! We're pretty happy about that! He did great at his appointment, even when they blew the burst of air into his eyes. You should have seen him jump when they did it though! Should have brought the video camera I guess!

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I realized, as I was watching American Idol last night, that I didn't do my usual AI post. I predicted Syesha would go home this week to my family at least (you'll just have to believe me!) I'm not sure who's going to take the final prize. I'm leaning towards David Cook, but if David Archuletta's teenage/pre-teen/eldery fans pick up those phones... it's anybody's game. They both are good singers, so I won't be upset either way. Sophie's rooting for David Archuletta though...

I Want One.

1993 Volvo 240 Wagon

I don't care what color. Know where there's one for sale?

I had a baby blue 1991, quite a few years ago, and I LOVED it. I've had many vehicles, new, used, nice and not so nice. My Volvo 240 wagon was the ONLY car that I would walk up to and smile... and think to myself "I love my car."

Odd, isn't it? I don't know what it is about the 240 Wagon that draws me in.

They're boxy.

Some would even say ugly.

Paige is begging me not to get one. She thinks they are ugly. Noah says 'they're junk'. Oh no Son, they're a high quality, Swedish made car.

They're very safe, and last for hundreds of thousands of miles, when properly maintained.

They're a quality TANK.

I'm not a granola, or a liberal, but I love the Volvo 240 wagon.

The last year they made them was 1993, then they changed the style. I don't like the newer style. My Volvo wagon had heated front seats. Oh so nice in those cold, Maine winters!

So, anyone out there got a 1993 Volvo wagon (baby blue? I could dream...) for sale? Let me know. I'd prefer a stick shift, but hey, I'm not picky...

Check out the anonymous survey on the side... be honest, and you can choose more than one answer.

Mother's Day 2008

Happy Mother's Day to the rest of you Mom's out there, too! ;)

Fun, Fun, Fun!

I just found the neatest site! CLICK HERE to compete against others in little typing competitions. It tells you your wpm's, and awards '1st place' etc. WARNING: You can't play only once... it's addictive! I haven't had a timed typing test since high school!

Sophia Video - Who Will Go Home on American Idol

Just Like my Brudder

Sophia would fill her little bucket with dirt, then dump it in the wagon to help Noah.

Stops to pose for Mom

Filling the bucket and wagon

This is serious work!

Hard work, too!