This*Is*Where*I*Am

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Beauty is not in the face;

beauty is a light in the heart.

~Khalil Gibran, (1883 - 1931)

I woke up in a great mood today... but everything took a turn for the worse this morning when the "industrial" stapler and I got into a struggling match at work. (for the record... the Stapler won)

So I have nothing inspirational to write.

I can tell you that Mac is all jacked up on Gobstoppers and Allergy Medicine.

I can tell you that the LAST thing I want to do tonight is run all the way back in to town to pick up Madi from Volleyball practice.

I can tell you that I forgot to do something that my Mom asked me to do 2 weeks ago... and I had to be reminded of it by her. Nothing big... but I feel like a big ol' failure.

So many of my friends are dealing with a lot worse right now. I feel bad complaining... so I'll stop. (Hammer Time)

I thought I'd share some pic's... Autumn pictures from the "country"... enjoy~

Pretty in Pink Leaves...

A rainbow over a house down the dirt road...

Our Pretty Red Barn Door

Our "Home"... Circa 1856

Call "C.Y.S."....

Call Children and Youth... I would. Haha... this is the fun my children had last week.

Last Tuesday was our last "warm day". (I even wore shorts... in October!!). So... we gassed up the mowers and decided to tackle the ka'zillion ba'zillion acres and mow for the last time. We've been fortunate since moving in that the weather remained dry enough that the grass didn't grow. At all. Therefore... we haven't had to mow. Until Tuesday, that is...

I used the push mower. (okay... I should mention that it is self propelled) I love it... I love walking behind it... it's so noisy that I get lost in my own thoughts. I don't hear the kids fighting over a stick. Yes, that's right... they fought over a stick. I know this because... they stopped me to tell me.

HELLO!!!!! We live on a half wooded property!!! GO FIND ANOTHER ONE!!! Ugh.

Anyways... I walked around the corner and this is what I see.

(I will first state that before you call C.Y.S. please be informed that Dale was just out of the picture in these shots... per his request. Neither child was left alone on the mower.... someone was walking beside them at all times)

That said... Mac thinks this is what country life is all about. He said... "I am a farmer now, Mom!" I guess mowing with a Honda Lawn Tractor is "farming" enough... when you are 5.

And not to be out done by Mac... Madi tried it, too! (omg... we are so turning redneck, aren't we?)

What? Me, Busy?

The love of a family is life's greatest blessing ~
~ Unknown

In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.
~ Alex Haley

I don't know that I'll ever, ever.... EVAH get this SAHM + part time job thing figured out. I'd like to think that I follow routines pretty well... but when that routine gets messed up... watch out!

We've had a busy busy few weeks. I figure it's easy to update today with some pictures.

My mom called one day and invited Mac and I to go apple picking. My parents have HUGE orchards (peaches, apples, pears, plums, etc) but with a lot of thought behind it, they decided to stop spraying their trees. The spray was nasty, and while it was great for the crop... it scared us that you have to wear a protective suit, masks, gloves, etc to use it. All that spray goes onto the fruit, drips into the ground, enters our water table, etc... it really is quite scary. Their crops used to be GORGEOUS... and as they fazed out the harmful spray... the quality of their fruit lessened. To make a long story short... their apples are pit'y, and not that large. Mostly the deer get to enjoy them.... they aren't worth selling or eating at this point. It's time now that we can start looking into safer and more organic sprays. The peaches and pears, however, were a GREAT crop.


So... this year we went to their friend Ed's orchards. My dad often helps out there so we can pick what we want and take them.


Okay... back to my mom's call. When she asked... I really didn't want to go. I was in my comfy clothes, Mac was playing quietly, (and I really wanted to catch up on The Hills).... but right when I was about to decline... I remembered "THIS IS WHY I MOVED BACK HOME!" so I could do these things. So my children could experience these things with my parents.... so we went... and had so much fun. Poor Madi... school is just a bummer when you miss the fun stuff.

So here are some pictures from that afternoon.

This is my FAVORITE PICTURE!!! And FYI, taking a 5 year old Apple Picking... basically means that YOU do the picking while they do the taste testing of the different varieties... as seen in the pictures below.

Mr. Apple Taster, Himself.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

It's hard work.... picking all these apples!

Reason # 2643 why I moved home.... so Mac can remember this day ... spent with Mom-Mom (my mom...)

This quote sums up what I felt that day.... it meant the world to my Mom to have us join her. If not, she would have gone on her own. It took 2 hours... but it was SOOO worth it.

Our most basic instinct is not for survival but for family. Most of us would give our own life for the survival of a family member, yet we lead our daily life too often as if we take our family for granted.

~ Paul Pearshall

Random'ness...

I just found the BEST "Christmas Present Hiding Place" EVAH!

This is a constant goal with me... in our old house... I hid presents in the storage part of the basement in Rubbermaid totes labeled "Easter Decorations"... which was fine... until mid December when Madi decided she and Mac should have an Easter Egg hunt. Yep, in the middle of December. Her imagination is endless, eh?

So... as I'm unpacking a box today... (10 points for me... I should mention because I haven't been keeping up with my unpacking Goals... hahahaha... who am I kidding... I have no goals)... anyways ~ I was looking for a place to stash all the little boxes marked "Kitchen Desk"... which I don't have anymore (reminder to self... discuss Kitchen desk vs. no Kitchen Desk)... and if I don't have one anymore... then I have no where to put the stuff, right? RIGHT? (you are right... this is an avoiding technique that I'm using. I know some day down the road I'm going to need something from those boxes... like the stapler, the box of paperclips, etc... and I'm going to regret not unpacking the box. And at that point, all you organized people can say "I told you so".)

Okay... back to the hiding spot. In the little room off of the "parlor" (I love saying Parlor) *Would you like to come sit awhile in the Parlor and have a drink of Tea?* oh yeah... in the little room, which I have made our Library there is a closet. One doesn't need a Library Closet... so I started stuffing boxes back there and then I had that Oprah Light Bulb Moment... *TAH DAH*

So... because I am so organized and already started my shopping... I put the Christmas presents back there.
1. Troy Trojan tshirt for Madi (can you believe she went from being a "Picker" as a mascot to a "Trojan"? Poor kid.
2. 2 Webkinz. (pink spotted dinosaur, and furry cat like thing)
3. A little frog ornament that I'm sure someone gave to me (I hope you aren't reading this) but I will re'gift to my Mother In Law who loves Frogs. Not that I don't love frogs... but it's so cute and I know she'd love it and give it a good home.

Okay... so it's not a lot of presents... but it makes me feel good. Makes me feel even better to know I have the hiding "spot"!

I won't get into the Kitchen Desk topic now... spare you the pain. For now I'll go round up Mac who has been hauling leaves in the yard with his John Deere Tractor. I told him I'd give him .50 cents. He's so easy.
(if by chance you did give me the Frog ornament... I'm sorry.)

Okay... fine....

I've been blog surfing today... sometimes I get lost. I'll go to 1 blog... then link to some other blog from there, and link to another... and before I know it... I have no idea how I got to where I am. (I often also catch myself doing this on Facebook and Myspace)... (maybe I have some form of Internet ADD?)

My blog is BORING! Not so cool....

Therefore... I'm going to be doing some updating soon.... (by soon I mean when everything else in my life slows down which really could be 10 years from now)

Here's some updated news:

Mac is "that" kid. You know, the one who can't sit still during Story Time. Today on the ride home from school, he informed me that he had to go sit at the table during story time because he couldn't be quiet or stop "fiddet'ing" (aka fidgeting). From what I've heard (via Mac) the table is the snack table and it's not close to the teacher of the children listening to the story. ANYWAYS..... I told him that we all have those days.

And he said.......................................

"I have those days a lot."

So I guess I'll have a talk with Mrs. N on Monday. Mac has never been one to sit and listen to a story, but he's always polite and quiet. I have come to the conclusion from different conversations that I have had with him... that he and another boy "E" get quite crazy together.

I know every Mother thinks that their child is perfect, and I share that same view. And while I know that they aren't perfect ALL of the time... I've never known Mac to not follow the rules. So I'm a little upset that he's starting to fall on the wrong side of the tracks.

Ugh... advice? You BTDT moms... any advice for me and my Story time interrupting child??

Peace, Love, and Sugar Cookies with frosting and pumpkin sprinkles... (which I'm going to drown my woes in)

Magic, and stuff....

Here's a great "Mac'ism"... quoted from a conversation with Mac this morning...

Mac: "Mom, I'm magic."
Me: (thinking... this was going to be something cute and child like) "Really, Mac?"
Mac: "Want to know why?"
Me: "Of COURSE I do..." (and I did... really.)
Mac: "Because, sometimes I burp and no one can hear it." (this said all "matter of factly")
Me: "Wow, Maclin... that IS magic!"
Mac: "I told you!"

Ugh... boys. Ha.... I guess it's okay... because as long as he's magic and no one hears him... then I have nothing to be embarrassed about, right?


In other news... Madi has started Volleyball. YIKES, I know. I say yikes, because most of you know, that as Madi stated a few years ago... "She doesn't play anything with Balls" and last year... the one time when she did she got pelted in the face with a basketball and went back to her rule "I don't play anything with balls." But, because we decided to take a year off of dance (she was really burnt out... 5 hours a week was a lot last year)... she decided to try "new" things... like sports that use balls. I know this isn't going to end well. She has no coordination (wonder where she gets that from???? ???? ????)... except for some reason... when she is dancing.

But, she claims that she loves Volleyball. AND... when V'ball is over, Basketball starts... and she wants to try that. Who is this girl? Though, I did see glitter around her eyes when I picked her up from practice. She hasn't lost all that "Girly Girl" in her yet!

Seriously...

Can I have a time out?

We are going a ka'zillion miles a minute with no end in sight.

I finished my second full (hehe... remember 20 hrs a week) week of work! It's been a lot of fun to reconnect with people that I used to work with. I enjoy it... although, I'm still catching up on things from when the last girl left... (June).

I have a scanner there. It's the most ANNOYING piece of equipment ever. Seriously... first off, I think it's one of the first scanners ever produced. Therefore, it's an antique. And the sounds! The sounds this antique makes... yikes! The CEO of the school/Corporation actually came in on Wednesday and asked if it was necessary... that he could hear it from his office. HA! Um, and yes, it IS necessary... I'm in charge of scanning and filing all data, checks, bank statements, etc

On Monday, I'm taking my iPod. I cleared it with my "boss" and she said I could... but I had to take turns with her! I seriously hear the scanning noise in my head when I'm not at work.
I guess... as far as "budgets" go... Business Office Assistant is last on the list to get new equipment. My theory is this... if I keep it up and run it constantly... someone will suggest I get a newer one. Maybe something from the 1980's!

Other than that... same ol' same ol... just trying to catch up. Still unpacking. Still boxes of things here and there... but I'm getting there.

More from the "Country"...

Today... Madi and I were driving to my parent's via the dirt road... and playing in the middle of the road were 2 baby Bobcats... Look at this picture (not mine but exactly what they looked like ... just a tiny bit bigger).

They were so cute... I've seen adult Bobcats in the wild before, but never their babies!